A Silent Night Surprise in Times Square | #LightTheWorld

Now, this would have been something worth seeing in New York's Times Square, and I wish I had been there. It's just beautiful.

Ignoring the News

It's nine days before Christmas, and I find I'm starting to ignore the news.

While I'm fully aware that the country, not to mention the world, is a hot mess, I don't need to be continuously reminded of it during my favorite time of year. So, I'm concentrating on Christmas with excessive diligence this year.

One thing that helps me do that is the huge Nativity scene on display near my church's main entrance. I drive past it almost every day. The parish decorates to the hilt every year; below is a photo from last Christmas. The display is visible from blocks away, and it really can put one in a Christmas frame of mind. It certainly works for me.

My advice is to take a step back from the depressing scandals and sordid stories in today's news and find your own ways to focus more fully on the beauty of the season. Before you know it, in little more than a week, you'll be having yourselves a merry little Christmas.

Stamped Out

Scrooge & Grinch Inc. seem to have taken over Christmas this year. Gov. Gavin Newsom has canceled the California State Christmas tree lighting ceremony out of supposed fears for "public safety" after threats against the event from pro-Hamas protesters. He's lighting the tree "virtually." That means he'll be safely indoors, possibly behind a drape, so he doesn't get booed. 

Never mind that the annual tree lighting has been a tradition at the state capitol since the 1930s. It's a community event that includes a holiday market of local businesses for all to visit. Newsom isn't interested all that personal interaction and neighborly goodwill. As most Californians have figured out, Newsom is a fraidy-cat who protects his own carefully cultivated skin at all costs. The man is a completely gutless wonder.

Closer to home, I've been trying to buy Christmas stamps for the past month. Either they haven't arrived at the post office yet, they are sold out, or they only have the reindeer/Santa hat variety. I'm hard-core old school. I want the Madonna and Child or the Magi on my Christmas stamps. I'll even settle for just the Christmas star shining in the sky.

Today was my third effort to procure Christmas stamps that actually show the meaning of the holiday. Oh, we're out right now, but we're getting more on Monday, I was told. I'm starting to wonder if there were ever any Christmas stamps ordered this year, outside of elves and gingerbread men. The postal clerk offered me flower stamps. Excuse me, it's the middle of December. Save the tulips for April.

I'm a practical person, and at this hectic time of year I really don't want to expend any more time or effort on stamp procurement. So, with some trepidation, I asked if the American flag stamp was available. You never know. America is in mortal danger of being canceled at any moment. Flag stamps could be a serious crime by now.

Fortunately, I was able to buy the flag stamps. It seems that America and Christmas do still go together, at least this year. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Seriously??

Under the Weather

It's such a pity. On doctor's orders, an ailing Pope Francis had to cancel his trip to Dubai to attend the United Nations climate change conference.

Good. He does enough damage when he stays home, let alone when he's traipsing through a sea of open microphones. I view this papal disappointment as divine intervention.

I'm trying to be a good doobie about some of the startling statements the pope lets loose with, but it's a challenge. What the Fahrenheit does the climate have to do with the Gospel? The Lord gave very clear instructions on how his followers were to conduct the Church's business. It's called the Great Commission, and it's a very straightforward, two-part direction: teach the message and baptize people.

You can look it up. Christ said not a word about global warming or carbon emissions. Yet Pope Francis is writing encyclicals about climate change. To me, the pope getting so involved with the "green movement" is going way off track.

So, as an ignorant lay person, I wish the current head of the Catholic Church would concentrate on what the Boss told him to do. Christ's farewell words may sound simple, but two thousand years of Church history prove it's not easy. Pope Francis has plenty of work to do if he just stays focused on his job. The last thing he should be worried about is the weather.

Matt 28:16-20

Lines of Thanks

May your table be laden from there to here,
May your glasses be filled with good wine or cold beer,
May your company share time with laughter and cheer,
And may all of us thank God for our blessings this year.

Psalm 118:24

Ten Questions for bin Laden Fans

There apparently is a burgeoning fan club among American youth for the cold-blooded murderer Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11/01 slaughter. These empty-headed ignoramuses read his 2002 two-page screed called "Letter to America" online and are swooning with their newfound historical enlightenment.

Can today's young folks really be this gullible and downright stupid? Evidently, yes, they certainly can. Quite eagerly, too. It's a depressing testimony to the total failure of our educational system and societal breakdown.

I have a few questions for these newly accomplished historians. No links today; go do some research and look up the topics for yourselves. Be forewarned--you might need to activate some brain cells. Pace yourselves.

My questions, a mere fraction of what could be asked, appear below:

1. What can you tell me about the Dreyfus Affair and the Balfour Declaration?
2. Can you explain what a "pogrom" is?
3. Did you ever study the rise of Hitler?
4. Did you learn the facts of the 20th century Holocaust?
5. Have you read about the Arab-Israeli war in 1948-49? 
6. What do you know about the Suez Crisis in 1956?
7. What happened in the 1967 Six Day War? 
8. Have you learned anything about the 1973 Yom Kippur war? 
9. Can you identify the year Jewish people first lived in Israel and which century Muslims did?
10. Have you ever read THE BIBLE?

Run along now, young geniuses, and do some homework.

Note to the fawning fan who is a bikini model: If you were lucky, bin Laden would only have you stoned to death.

NEVER FORGET

Thoughts on Veterans Day

Several branches of the US military are suffering from a recruitment crisis. What a surprise.

I can't imagine too many young people are interested in signing up to put their lives on the line for diversity & equity training, woke ideology indoctrination, and medical coverage for gender dysphoria. Whatever happened to the armed services learning how to fight to protect our homeland? I don't know about you, but I don't feel as safe as I used to feel.

Today, Veterans Day, we honor those brave men and women who served to protect and defend our nation. Their contribution and sacrifice should not be overlooked in today's ridiculous social chaos. Thank you to all who served in the United States military. You kept us free to disagree.

Caught in History's Loop

It's a shame that significant facts and events of Western history are rarely taught to young students today. If they were, students might have some knowledge of and perspective on human nature and the societal pitfalls into which we are so prone to stumble.

Take the Jacobins of France--please. In his writings and podcasts, historian Victor Davis Hanson often compares today's "woke" radicals to them. For those who unfortunately don't follow the wise professor, a single page in the second volume of The Outline of History by H.G. Wells sums up the do-loop of history our fractured nation currently finds itself in.

Read this snippet from page 764; I've highlighted what struck me as especially relevant today. Try to convince me it's not an encapsulation of some of our current woes: 

Notice any similarities between France in the 1790s and today's global chaos? I'd encourage anyone to do more reading on it. Good luck with that communist utopia, globalist elites. History proves that people, no matter the century, are predictably problematic.

When Right Is Right

 “In each and every generation they rise up against us to destroy us..."

~ from Passover prayer

It's difficult to argue with that quote. History proves that the Jewish people always are in the world's crosshairs. They are justified in defending themselves.

I think they should do what they need to do in Israel and tell every other country and government official trying to restrain them to--how can I say this politely?--get lost.

That's just one Catholic white woman's opinion. I'm far from alone, but that isn't even relevant. To quote Bishop Sheen, "Right is right." Protect your people, Israel. It's only right.

War and Justice

Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses; it has removed the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares.

~ Jeremiah 9:21

When I was growing up, my father would always react to cold-blooded murders reported in the news with one sentence: "Take him out and shoot him."

In my idealistic youth, this was a horrifying statement to hear. I would protest that the murderer deserves a trial, due process of the law--all the niceties of mid-20th century American society. Dad was impervious. He would shake his head and reiterate, "Shoot him."

I'm much older and wiser now and, having witnessed so much deliberate evil, I often wish I could tell my father he was right. But in the case of the Hamas atrocities against Israel, I think a quick execution by gunfire is far too kind to the monsters that perpetrated such sadistic slaughter against innocent civilians, including infants.

A fearsome war is coming as Israel fights to survive as a nation and to protect its people. The war will be just, and it must be won.

Psalm 102:2

Evidently Obtuse

Article II, Section 1, Clause 8: United States Constitution

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: – I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

To state the obvious, I added the yellow highlighting to the last line of the presidential Oath of Office.

In all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over "no evidence" for Joe Biden's impeachment, no one seems to realize that he already stands fully convicted by his failure to enforce the laws of the United States under the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Except for those that agree with him, is Biden protecting any American's right to free speech? Ask a traditional Catholic about the "free exercise" of religion and ask parents trying to attend school board meetings about their right "peaceably to assemble." As any journalist, scientist, or commentator canceled in recent years can tell you, a "free press" in this country is a thing of the past. 

Those are some of the Biden administration's violations of the Bill of Rights. And that's just the First Amendment. 

Regarding the crisis on the southern border, no law appears to be enforced as illegal entries swarm and overwhelm every part of the country.

Joe Biden has flagrantly violated his presidential oath to defend the Constitution of the United States. The evidence for his impeachment is clear and copious. Congress, witnesses, and the legal "experts" are hunting for twigs while surrounded by a forest. For some unfathomable reason, they aren't seeing the trees.

Constitutional Chaos

"It is the religion of ignorance that tyranny begins."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Constitution Week seems somewhat bizarre in our current national climate. After all, our historical monuments and statues have been destroyed or removed, laws aren't even suggestions anymore, people are arrested for differing opinions, the country has no discernable border, and we have a crime mob family running the show from Washington DC. The US Constitution seems rather beside the point at the moment. It's not even taught anymore, from what I hear.

On second thought, though, this may be the perfect time to give our foundational document a serious read. If more Americans were educated in what the Constitution actually contains and how it was designed to protect all future generations, we might be better equipped to identify nonsense when we hear or see it. 

For example, certain members of Congress want to establish "oversight" of the Supreme Court. All one needs to do is read the US Constitution to see that there are three co-equal branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial. No one branch gets to boss any of the others around. The Founders were big fans of the system of "checks and balances." Joe Biden and his throngs of power-hungry Democrats really should look into it before the country collapses into complete ruin. But of course, continuing chaos could be their plan.

Freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly, all seem to be remnants of the past. Yet they are purposely enumerated as the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution. Maybe download that document and give it a read-through--while there's still time to get smart and turn this mess around.

Never Forgotten

Link to last words of 911 victims

Election Fatigue

Did we really need to start living out the November 2024 election beginning in the summer of 2023? Apparently, both the Republican party and the ubiquitous media is convinced we do.

I'm already weary of all the candidates, but I know that my tiny little opinion has no particular meaning. (I'm also convinced that my vote will have little bearing on the election, but that's a different issue.)

Why do we have to listen to these over-confident and self-satisfied people, every day, ad nauseam? The answer is, we don't. I, for one, am tuning out any speeches, interviews, rallies, and/or campaign ads by any of them. I've already seen and heard enough. Former President Trump is noted for his catchy nicknames, but I have my own code names for the major Republican candidates.

Nikki Haley - The Motor Mouth. Can you imagine listening to her endless fast-talking harangues for four solid years? When she answers a question, she sounds like she popped a speedball on top of three cups of coffee. What a headache. Just in case her candidacy advances, I'm not listening to her for now.

Mike Pence - The Preacher. He's very solemn, he takes himself so seriously, and he loves to lecture "the American People" on right and wrong. He knows what's best, of that he is firmly convinced. Please, Reverend, take a seat.

Vivek Ramaswamy - The Brown Nose. Didn't we all know someone like this in school, who was always ready to demonstrate that he was the smartest kid in the room all while kissing the teacher's butt (in the current Republican political arena, that would be Trump's).

Chris Christie - The Two-Facer. He cozied up to then-President Trump trying to position himself for a key position, and now he has a seemingly endless supply of knives ready to plunge into Trump's back. And who can forget the bear-hug he engulfed Obama in after 2012's Hurricane Sandy, during Mitt Romney's campaign for president? He seems like a big phony.

Tim Scott - The Lost Cause. He's such a good man, but he suffers from "Just Too Nice" syndrome. Also, he can't stop talking about his impoverished childhood. His policy positions are appealing, but I don't think he has the punch to survive this battle. 

Ron DeSantis - The Runner-Up. I really like him, his policies, and how he executes his duties as Florida's governor. He would be a perfect Republican candidate. But, barring unforeseen dramatic events (always possible, probably likely), I don't see anyone catching Donald Trump as the nominee at this point. 

I watched the first debate, but I've checked out of the future ones that are scheduled. I suspect we'll be listening to one of these candidates soon enough.

A minute's peace, please?

A Perspective from the Edge

"Call back Trump."

~ Prime Minister Orban, Hungary

Perhaps because I was just a visitor to the beautiful and vibrant nation of Hungary two months ago, the Tucker Carlson interview with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban resonated very strongly. 

It's worth every second of a half hour to hear this man who prioritizes "family, nation, and God" ahead of political affiliations speak about his country, his people, and the war in Ukraine--with which Hungary shares a border. It's vitally important to gain the perspective of a world leader whose country is living so close to the edge of wartime destruction.  Orban makes a convincing argument that the key to peace in Europe is the reinstatement of President Donald Trump. 

Americans might be surprised to learn that some of our tax dollars were diverted to a campaign against Orban's reelection. It didn't work. Orban was comfortably reelected. Then Carlson asked him if he ever considered bringing charges against his opponent. Orban declares such a tactic "in Hungary, that is impossible to imagine...that was done by the Communists." Indeed.

US leaders tend to think they know it all and to be dismissive of other nations. These so-called leaders should watch, listen--and, just possibly, learn something of value from a true leader.

Tucker Carlson interviews Prime Minister Orban in Budapest, Hungary

Weather or Not

It's August, which is usually a hot, dry, dusty month in Southern California. However, we are in the midst of a tropical storm, formerly known as Hurricane Hilary, and it's been raining all day.

The storm's winds are supposed to arrive this afternoon and evening. From the local media coverage, you would think Armageddon was approaching. My phone has exploded with siren blasts and multiple emergency warning calls from the power company, my insurance company, and city government. Good grief, people, calm down. Rain is a good thing in this part of the country, regardless of the calendar month.

Earlier this week, the full-on hurricane was expected to hit. That hasn't happened around here since 1858. The last time a tropical storm hit this area was 1939. That's 84 years ago. No one was worried about carbon footprints or climate change back then. Hurricanes and tropical storms were accepted as the consistently unpredictable weather. And today's storm proves that weather continues to do whatever it's going to do, no matter the amount of angst and wailing from the environmentalists.

The late comedian George Carlin did a fabulous stand-up bit on "the planet" nearly a quarter century ago. The man was not only common-sense smart and logical; he was prescient. His descriptions of the environmentally preoccupied concerns and the examples he offers of the stolid resiliency of Planet Earth are not just hilariously funny. Carlin's observations are perfectly timed to our climate-obsessed modern moment.

It's kind of fun to have the weather to blame for going nowhere today and settling in with a book. The storm is also a good reminder that we shouldn't kid ourselves that we are in control. Weather will do what it will, whether or not we are prepared.

George Carlin - The Planet is Fine"

Somber Fighting Words

Victor Davis Hanson is a national treasure. He is a classicist who can read, speak and write Greek and Latin; a university professor; a military historian; a prolific author; a farmer; and a native Californian with many generations preceding him on the family farm.

Hanson has boundless knowledge of the state and its history, along with the rest of the world and its history. I am completely addicted to his podcasts and wish he published one each day. The knowledge, the wisdom, and the logic he imparts to his listeners--always in a calm, measured, and humble manner--is priceless and always leaves me wanting to hear more.

In addition to his many books, Hanson is a prolific writer of several articles each week. He publishes several thought-provoking articles each week on various platforms. His most recent piece, "The Remaking of America," on American Greatness, is especially sobering. It could be described as depressing. But it is so true, and such an eloquent summation of the carefully engineered collapse of our unique republic, that every American who is concerned for our children's future should read it.

The Remaking of America. We are living through it, and it's only the beginning of what the leftists hope to achieve. Hanson's article can be read as an incentive for concerned Americans. I hope we who understand the damage our country has suffered, and will continue to suffer, can find the strength to fight back. "Each according to their own station," as Hanson often quietly urges in his podcasts. Fight for the US, on our own ground and while we still can. We know it's worth it.

Sound of Freedom, Act of Courage

I went to see Sound of Freedom this weekend. It is a powerful movie, a high-quality production that is well written and acted. The fact that this film is based on actual events in the unspeakable world of child sex trafficking makes the story even more gripping. Actor Jim Caviezel plays real-life Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard with an earnest intensity that does justice to the harrowing realities portrayed in the film.

The reviews of Sound of Freedom almost always refer to it as a "faith-based" movie. This is a laughable description, and it demonstrates the lengths that media will travel to squelch any public deviation from their carefully crafted left-wing narrative. In watching the movie, I couldn't identify Ballard's religion, aside from the fact that he believes in--gasp!--God. The real-life characters portrayed do infrequently mention in conversation--gasp!--God. If this qualifies it as "faith-based," there are innumerable movies that need to be recategorized.

The impression I got from Ballard's story is not so much faith as personal values and investment. Ballard's assignment was capturing perpetrators of child sex trafficking. As he became more aware of the details involved in the children's horrific fate, the plight of sex trafficked children consumed him on a personal level.

In real life, as depicted in the film, Ballard has several children; the reality of sex-slave children was too close to home, and he became personally committed to saving them. Having worked in the healthcare industry, I know that this happens on occasion to doctors and nurses. One patient's case speaks to them on a deeply personal level, and they become immersed in that patient's journey. We are all human, and we each have our soul's touchpoints. Child sex trafficking became such a cause for Tim Ballard. He gave up his job and government pension to rescue enslaved children. 

Actor Jim Caviezel has endured stereotyping and persecution for his values and beliefs, beginning two decades ago with his portrayal of Jesus in The Passion of the Christ up to and including his outspokenness about therapeutics in the fight against Covid-19. Caviezel is an excellent actor and a brave man who has paid a high price for his honesty and integrity. I'll support any movie he appears in; he never films junk.

Sound of Freedom is a movie that holds you. Although the viewers know the outcome, the suspense in the theatre is palpable. I could sense everyone (including myself) leaning forward during the rescue scenes. This movie depicts real children in unthinkably evil circumstances. It is an important film with a critically urgent message. I hope millions more Americans will see it.

From Sound of Freedom

Life Taking Over

I've been offline for a while due to a number of reasons. Coming home from Europe, one expects a healthy dose of jet lag. I didn't expect a walloping case of Covid-19 to hitchhike along with the jet lag, but that came home with me, too.

I was body-slammed for the first week of July with a diverse smorgasbord of revolving symptoms that astounded me. It took three and a half years, but when Covid finally nailed me, it seemed determined to show off all its stuff. Prominent among Covid's many manifestations were the two-to-three-hour naps I felt compelled to take every day. When I was able to return to the office after a week of working at home, the lingering fatigue accompanying me had me longing to close my eyes and put my head down on my desk each afternoon, just like a sleepy kindergarten pupil. Had I done that, I would've been out cold.

Next in July came two sets of visiting relatives, their dates partially overlapping. This was wonderful fun for me, and I enjoyed all the company immensely. However, such lively circumstances do not leave much time for written composition (especially when they include all four grandchildren at your home).

Now I find myself engulfed by the home improvement phase of summer. There are installers, painters, and repair technicians all scheduled at my house in the past few weeks and into August. Oh well, if I want to retire in the foreseeable future--and I do--I'd better get such loose ends dealt with now.

I call times like the unfolding month "life taking over." There's too much to deal with in too little time. We all find ourselves in this unpredictable boat at times, being swept along by the domineering currents of multiple events, commitments, and situations. I like to say that if we come out on the other side with enough energy to complain, it couldn't have been that bad. Depending on whether or not life decides to back up off me, I hope to check in again sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, may all your life takeovers be happy ones.

American Soul

Returning Home

After spending two weeks in five countries of central Europe, an American may very well notice some startling differences in daily life. Below are just a few of my own observations.

1.    The streets are clean. There is no trash or garbage in the gutters, on the sidewalks, or in the roadways. Street sweepers are out early; there are even sidewalk-sized sweepers that leave the walkways damp in the cool of the morning and debris-free for the day.

2.    There are almost no homeless people visible.  There are a few indigent individuals here and there who sit quietly with a cup or a cap in front of them, awaiting donations. I saw no tent cities, no one being harassed, no drug addicts shooting up, no one copulating or defecating on the streets as happens so often in major US cities.

3.    Monuments and memorials are everywhere, and they are honored.  In response to a question in our group, one of our tour guides answered that memorials are patrolled by police at night and that the penalties for desecrating monuments vary from stiff monetary fines to jail time. That sounded good and right to me.

4.    Police are visible and respected.  It was easy to feel safe, with police cars and officers a standard presence on the busy streets.

5.    There are huge throngs of people crowding together, and no one seems fearful of any harm coming to them.  Even with the onset of the summer holiday season, the endless hordes of people at every point of interest tended towards the overwhelming. Yet there was no pushing, shoving, arguing, name calling, or any other negative behavior that I could identify throughout my visit. Coming from our currently contentious American environment, that was impressive.

Today is July 4, the celebration of our national Independence Day. In Europe, I saw American flags sharing space with the rainbow flag on several US embassies. I took no pictures of, and no "pride" in, that reality. Our flag should always be above any prevailing political currents.

I'm hopeful, though, that Americans are beginning to awaken from our "woke" slumber. One returns from traveling abroad with a fresh perspective on our homeland. Our history is newer than Europe's, but we have shown strength, toughness, and resolve throughout many social and political storms long before today's controversies. As my dad used to say, "Americans never give up." Happy birthday, USA. It's good to be home.

Not Your Father's USA

I don't know about you, but I feel like an alien in my own country.

Seriously, do you recognize the place? It's eerie, how quickly the nation has degenerated into chaos. It's almost otherworldly. The changes are so radical, and so damaging, that I wonder every day whether or not recovery is possible.

It's a sad feeling. It feels to me as though the United States of America has already fallen, and I'm at the start of a long grieving process. I recognize grief, and I know that I'm in it.

The problem is not the people. Americans are wonderful people, and I'm willing to bet that a healthy majority of us feel exactly like I do. Next door to me, for the past 35 years, live the best neighbors I've ever had. They are an African American married couple (just to be clear, a husband and a wife). Throughout the years, we never referred to our different races. It was completely irrelevant to our friendship. In very recent years, as current events unfolded, we have talked about it briefly and with bewilderment. As the husband said to me at the close of one such conversation, "We're doing fine. Why don't they leave us alone? "

Why, indeed. Our Communists elites can tell you why--the goal is to divide, denigrate, and destroy the society. It's been the Marxist playbook for more than a century, and it's being applied with dramatic and rapid results in the USA. I find it a blessing that both my husband and my father are long gone. They would have a very hard time dealing with today's America.

Father's Day is coming up, if we're still permitted to acknowledge it. That's not a wise-guy statement nowadays. If the Commies can successfully remove memorials and statues, revise our national history, and prevent us from singing our national anthem, they can certainly eradicate holidays--especially "white supremacist" holidays. The nuclear family, with the husband and father as head of the household, is nothing if not a "white supremacist" power construct that must be obliterated. 

I won't mention that when I wish my next-door neighbor--a husband, dad, and grandad--a Happy Father's Day.

Chosen for Quality

Of course, nothing in today's society can be free of woke agendas. So naturally, The Chosen television series has fallen prey to the clutches of wokeism. The appearance of a "Pride" flag in behind-the-scenes footage on the film set has caused an uproar among many Christian viewers. Quite predictably, a boycott is ensuing.

I find key differences between this event and the Bud Light or Target controversies. Most importantly, the show is not promoting the "Pride" flag or even sexual activity of any sort. The damning footage is from behind the scenes. Does every crew member working on the show need to be Christian? I would hope not.

In the Christian faith, "pride" is considered sinful. The source of our pride is insignificant. In our fallen human nature, it is pride itself that can lead us into trouble. I do believe that. So, I'm no supporter of "Pride Month." But I am a supporter of good television shows, and The Chosen is the best I've seen in several years.

If the "Pride" flag--or anything it represents--shows up in an episode of Season 4, I'll have a different stand. But so far, in my opinion, the depiction of Christ's teachings and miracles have been accurately portrayed. There are many objections to the fictionalized dialog along the lines of "it's not biblical," or "Jesus never said that." It's a television show, not a theological course of study. If it prompts people to read the Gospels, I'm more than fine with that outcome.

I especially enjoy the show's emphasis on the Apostles. The viewer learns each of them had an earlier occupation and a reason to begin following Jesus. In drawing them as vivid people, complete with character flaws, disagreements, and personality clashes, the writers bring the 12 Apostles to life. Their individual story arcs are very well done.

I am also impressed with the creativity in using ancillary characters from the Gospels as connective tissue to knit together various plotlines leading up to Jesus' miracles. Jairus, the Jewish leader whose daughter Jesus raises from the dead, makes his appearance in Season 3. The Roman officer who asks Jesus to heal his servant plays a strong supporting role throughout the series, first appearing as supervisor to St. Matthew, the despised tax collector.

I find The Chosen to be a quality production. I enjoy the set and costume designs along with the story. There are occasional hiccups in the dialog, when modern jargon is interjected. "You've got this," "Easy does it"--really? I can agree that "Jesus never said that." And whoever added the fist-bump handshake should take a seat. But these are tiny quibbles. Overall, I think The Chosen is well worth watching. In fact, I'm watching it for the second go-round.

Jonathan Roumie portrays Jesus Christ in a calm and convincing manner. I like the touches of humor that occasionally pop up in his fictional dialog. I've always believed that Jesus had a sense of humor. In one of his interviews, I heard Roumie tell the story of his own miracle. When he was a down-and-out actor, overdrawn at the bank, he got on his knees and prayed for help. Later that same day he received several checks in the mail for past acting spots, which got him out of his immediate financial crisis. Three months later he was cast as Jesus in The Chosen. That makes me wonder if maybe Someone up there wanted to watch The Chosen, too.

Scene from The Chosen

On Memorial Day

 Remember and Honor

The Best

Tina Turner was one of my favorite rock stars. I liked everything about her--her voice and music, her performances and personal story, her wisdom in stepping out of the spotlight when she believed it was time. The death of someone you admire is always a loss.

I'm grateful I got to see her in concert. It remains one of the best shows I've ever seen. Tina was approaching age 60 at the time, but most teenagers would have had trouble keeping up with her. She was all over that stage. The concert's finale was an extended rendition of "Nutbush City Limits." As the song began, Tina climbed into the bucket of a cherry picker that had been wheeled out in front of the stage. As the driver rolled the rig slowly around the arena, the bucket was raised and lowered to different levels so that everyone could see her up close. Despite the dizzying heights she was lifted to so that fans in the upper back rows could see her, Tina kept singing, dancing, and never stopped smiling. You could see she was having more fun than anyone else.

Tina Turner was simply "The Best." It's sad when such an electrifying talent leaves us. Fortunately, we'll always have the videos. 

Getting Onboard

Upon reflection, I've decided my last post was, as my mother might have described it, "entirely too" negative. I listed all the "have nots" and "do nots" with no nods to the positive courses of action open to all of us. More specifically, I never mentioned all the proactive steps I have taken to do something about the societal rot chewing out our national foundations.

No doubt each of you has your own thoughts on how to get onboard in fighting back against the totalitarian tides flooding our country. I encourage all of us to keep thinking of new ways to continue battling our way out of the mess we're in.

Two years ago, I joined PragerU as a supporting member. I look forward to his half-hour "Fireside Chat" each week. The Prager website is loaded with quality content of all kinds, from 5-minute videos, to lectures, to children's shows. One can view all of it for free, but Dennis makes so much sense that I'm putting my dollars where his mouth is. Membership in PragerU is monthly money well spent.

After Elon Musk purchased Twitter, I reactivated my account; it had been dormant for many years. Supporting a free speech advocate and a social warrior for our nation's foundational values is an easy, positive move every civic-minded American can make.

For at least ten years, I've been checking the RealClearPolitics website daily. There aren't enough hours in the day to read all of its content. But there are enough high-traffic articles from various publications and interviews to provide an overview from both left and right perspectives. It's still important--perhaps now more than ever--to know what those people who disagree with me are thinking and doing.

In place of the Fox News app, I've added NewsMax to my phone's home screen. NewsMax is growing in its reach and popularity. I've always been an occasional visitor to the NewsMax site, but after the Tucker Carlson debacle at Fox, I'm there far more often. Since last year, I follow Jordan Peterson on Instagram.

Podcasts are another medium we can support to further the reach and influence of free speech. The past few years I've been a dedicated listener to Victor Davis Hanson (my favorite), various Salem News Channel hosts, Byron York, and Townhall Review. I've recently added Megyn Kelly to my regular roster, with occasional visits to Dave Rubin and Glenn Beck's podcasts depending on the topics. There are so many others that are worthwhile, but there is only so much time available in a day. Each of us can find our own cache of podcasters to tune in to find reliable news commentary and analysis.

If you're a Netflix subscriber, you know that there are a lot of trash offerings on the site. One can spend almost as much time searching for a decent Netflix show to watch as it takes to actually view it. On a few recent weekends, I've given up on Netflix and rewatched one of my own DVDs (yes, I still have them and won't give them up).

Then I remembered the recommendations of several friends that I should watch The Chosen, a dramatized story of Jesus Christ and his ministry. Last week, after a fruitless Netflix search for a Friday night movie, I searched The Chosen online and learned that it was crowd funded by Angel Studios.com and is free to watch. I downloaded the Angel Studios site just to check out the first episode; I have been binge watching The Chosen ever since. When I'm done with Season 3, (probably tonight), I'll have more to report on this remarkable series. Suffice for now to say that all the rave reviews I've heard are well deserved. It's a quality production that is as far from trash as one can get in this depraved moment in time. I believe that any show promoting our traditional values should be supported--especially if it's excellent, as The Chosen is.

Those are some examples of how I'm trying to hold my own against the current authoritarian tide. Each of us who is concerned for our country will find our own ways to get onboard. It's just good to know that we're not alone in the struggle.

Checking Out

The FBI is denying any retaliation against whistleblower agents. A spokesperson for the Bureau has asserted, "The FBI has not and will not retaliate against individuals who make protected whistleblower disclosures.”

Right. Just like the southern border is secure. Does anyone with a functioning brain cell believe these people? I use the word "people" loosely. They are disgusting creatures. Why are we tolerating these lies and travesties? I, for one, can't listen to or watch them. I have fairly well checked out.

What do I mean by "checked out"? I'll provide you with a few random examples.

I haven't watched network news--ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR--since 2015. Ever. Not only will I not view them, I avoid their links online. Speaking of links, I will never click any link posted by Rolling Stone. Ever since they glamorized the Boston Marathon bomber on their cover, I'm done with them. Forever.

I haven't bought or read a newspaper in more than ten years. I don't have cable television since 2018; I watch my news online, usually on Rumble. When Fox News pulled Tucker Carlson off the air last month, I retaliated in my own small way. I pulled their news app off my phone. It won't be coming back.

There are other institutions I have left behind. For example, the Academy Awards. For decades, I would plan my calendar around "Oscar night." Now? I don't think I've watched the Oscars in at least a dozen years. Furthermore, I don't miss it. To be brutally honest, when the headlines about it start hitting the homepages I visit, I'm relieved to have missed it.

I haven't watched pro sports on TV since the kneeling began. Sorry, no can do. (Well, maybe the occasional hockey game. But that's all.) While I used to go to the movies regularly, I haven't paid to see a theatrical release since before Covid. I deactivated my Facebook account years ago.

I'm sure I'm not the "Lone Ranger" in my personal rebellion. Victor Davis Hanson, to whose podcasts I am thoroughly addicted, encourages all of us to protest the vicious totalitarian grip on our society "each according to their station." As much as Big Media/Tech/Gov't would like to, they can't cancel/destroy/arrest all of us.

This used to be a free country. It should be still. If enough of us dig in our heels and push back against the relentless onslaught of blatant lies and nonsense, we can be free again. This is the only country we've got, fellow Americans--let's do this. Find your own ways to check out and just say "NO."

Growing into Mother's Day

Ever since my mother died three years ago, I tend to view Mother’s Day differently. When I was a daughter, the holiday has a different feel to it. It was not so much my own holiday, but rather about acknowledging and honoring my mother and her enormous impact on my life.

After she left me behind, I’ve graduated to become the matriarch of my own family. With all due respect to my late mother, and with gratitude for fond memories and important lessons, I now see Mother’s Day as an occasion to celebrate being the mom of my own children and grandchildren.

My children are the best thing that ever happened to me and my life's most significant achievement. They are now old enough to be solidly middle-aged, although I still see them as youngsters in my mind’s eye. Caring, kind, thoughtful, disciplined, ambitious, humorous, and devoted to their families are only a few of the positive qualities that describe them both. They are good spouses and parents and high achievers in their chosen careers; they have accomplished far more professionally than have I. As their mother, all these are gratifying facts that make me very proud.

Grandchildren are what I call “life’s payday.” They are the delightful reward for all the work, effort, worry, and sacrifice that went into raising my children. If you aren’t there yet, wait until you arrive. You’ll immediately understand how much sheer fun it is to be a grandparent.

So, with thanks to my mother for giving me such a good start, Happy Mother’s Day to me. To any mother reading, celebrate your special day to the skies. Moms have earned it.

Thank you, Mom

Viewing History

If you're watching coverage of a major British event, I have learned that BBC's homepage is the place to be.

I watched Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee coverage on that website last summer, followed sadly by her funeral events a short time later. I also watched Prince Philip's funeral on BBC. They have live, uninterrupted coverage, and it goes without saying that their anchors and commentators are far superior to, and more interesting and knowledgeable than, American talking heads.

So, I watched King Charles III's Coronation events on BBC and was not disappointed. Much to my satisfaction, there was barely a whisper of Princes Andrew or Harry. I think there was one brief mention of both as the cameras panned the pews of Westminster Abbey prior to the ceremony, and the narrators identified prominent guests. From what I saw and heard, there were--thankfully--no further remarks about either of them.

I'm drawn to British events of state for a number of reasons. England is the USA's direct ancestor. Our rights and liberties, as defined in our US Constitution, are rooted in the Magna Carta, signed in 1215 by King John. Having been an English major and History minor in college, I haven't much resistance to such formal occasions.

It was especially refreshing to see such huge throngs of joyful people celebrating, cheering, and proud of their country. I long for a day when Americans can return to such an attitude of gratitude.

Flyover at Buckingham Palace

Return to Ruin

While channel-jumping during my morning commute recently, I chanced upon an interview segment that intrigued me so much I was driven to track down the podcast and listen to the entire show.

Radio host Glenn Beck interviewed Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, author of The Return of the Gods. In addition to several other U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Cahn links the collapse of American morals and values to a specific date in 1962. That is when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed prayer in public schools.

Although I was very young, I do remember that time. Most of my playmates were public school pupils, while I was attending Catholic school. I would learn new prayers and songs of praise from my friends.

Below is a prayer public school students said together as a class:

“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country.”

That prayer is not from the Bible or any religious denomination. It was drafted by the New York State Board of Regents. Yes, truth is stranger than fiction.

One song I learned from my friends I liked so much that I’ve taught the chorus to my grandchildren:

Rise and shine, and give God the glory, glory

Rise and shine, and give God the glory, glory

Rise and shine and (CLAP!) give God the glory, glory

Children of the Lord.

Think of it—that song was taught and sung in New York City public schools little more than 60 years ago.

But back to The Return of the Gods, which I’ve already purchased. “The gods” refer to the false pagan gods of Baal, Ishtar,and Molech, who lie in wait for a nation or civilization to banish God; then they weave their way into the society to inflict ruin. As the first book of Kings shows, it happened in ancient Israel. The old Soviet Union and the current Chinese Communist Party are perfect examples. After the 1962 removal of public school prayer in the United States, the sexual revolution followed almost immediately, along with the escalation of the Vietnam War and the first state legalizations of abortion. Little more than one decade later, the Roe v. Wade decision by the Supreme Court enshrined abortion nationwide. The many same-sex, and now transgender, issues that we grapple with today quickly rose in public consciousness, gaining power as they grew. “The gods” have been busy.

Our moment in history is replicating may past ages, including biblical times. There is “nothing new under the sun,” as Ecclesiastes tells us. “Nothing new” includes sexual depravity and decadence, child sacrifice, wars, idolatry, and even transgenderism. These have all infiltrated societies many times throughout history.

Consequently, there is nothing remarkable about “woke-ism” except human pride and arrogance. Human beings are hardwired to believe in something greater than themselves; when God is missing, there is a huge gap to fill. Look around at the secular ideologies of our modern world and their impassioned devotees. If we’re honest with ourselves, it is easy to see how far—and how fast--we have fallen. "The gods" are thrilled by our decline.

The Return of the Gods author Jonathan Cahn interview

Horse Pucky

Many decades ago, I remember reading that the Roman Emperor Caligula wanted to make his horse a consul. Caligula was depraved, cruel, and arguably insane. Although reliable sources aver that it never actually happened, I thought the Caligula horse story was the craziest in all recorded history.

Yet today we are told, with great seriousness, that men can not only menstruate--but they can also get pregnant and give birth. Today many parents are powerless to prevent their children from having their sexual organs mutilated. Nowadays it is mandatory to accept that there are dozens of different genders, even though there are still only two human chromosomes--X and Y. Okay, the X and Y may get a little confused in some instances, but really, 68 genders? As the current occupant of the White House would say, "Come on, man" ("man?" How sexist!).

Whatever happened to "follow the science" or better yet, "the science is settled." Evidently, it's not when the "authorities" say it isn't.

In the grip of this madness, today there are many crazier stories than Caligula's horse. A horse as a Roman consul sounds more reasonable, and less damaging, than the destructive insanities our modern society is grappling with now. One theory about the planned promotion of Caligula's horse was that the emperor wanted to put Roman politicians in their place. He wanted to demonstrate to them that even his horse could do their job.

Not to be a "neigh" sayer, but when it comes to our current sorry crop of politicians, I'll bet that even crazy Caligula would hesitate to insult his horse with a government position.

Emperor Caligula and Incitatus ~ British Museum

A Closer Perspective

Today I had my annual vision exam. I've been visiting the same eye doctor since she opened her practice 20 years ago. So, although I don't know her well, I've known her for a long time. She is professional, intelligent, polite, and soft-spoken. A note of particular interest to me at this moment in time is that the doctor is originally from Shanghai, China.

After my eye exam concluded, the doctor asked (as she always does) if I had any questions. I said I did, but it wasn't about eyes, and could I ask? She agreed, so I asked her what she thought about China's recent actions in the world.

This calm, quiet woman's face grew fierce with disgust. In an impassioned torrent of words, my doctor detailed her criticisms of Chinese President Xi. To sum up, she described him as "stupid" and "uneducated" and punctuated her understated tirade with expressions of her personal hatred for Xi and for what he has done to both China and the Chinese people.

I expressed regret if my question had upset her, but the doctor seemed relieved to be able to speak about it to me. She told me that she has been a US citizen for 30 years, as if to reassure me that she's an American. This pained me, because I hadn't wanted to put her in any way on defense. Her parents, now deceased, used to help in the office when she was establishing her practice. Other young family members work there now, so I knew her family had all immigrated safely from China many years ago. Had I not known that comforting fact, I would not have asked her the question.

I was simply curious to know her opinion, since China was her native home. The doctor has a closer perspective on, and a deeper understanding of, what is transpiring in China today. It is no consolation that she is more outraged than I am.

Easter in Days Gone By

Manhattan Skyline ~ Easter weekend, 1956

 

 There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, 

The earth, and every common sight,

                          To me did seem

                      Apparelled in celestial light,

            The glory and the freshness of a dream.

It is not now as it hath been of yore;—

                      Turn wheresoe'er I may,

                          By night or day.

The things which I have seen I now can see no more.

~ William Wordsworth 

The Unasked Question

In the wake of every tragic mass shooting, we Americans watch the eruption of the same fight over gun control. It's a lazy response to a heinous and urgent problem, and it solves nothing.

The impassioned debates and protests after a mass shooting play out on an endless loop. There are arguments about the need for guns, the types of guns, how the laws should change, what should be done to protect the public. Sadly, the victims themselves are quickly overlooked as the political players shift the focus to their entrenched positions. It's a sickening spectacle, and it never changes--except to grow more enraged and less effective.

In all the ideological jousting, there is one question that doesn't get asked. Or, if by chance it does get asked, it is swept aside with shocking rapidity as the shouting voices press their favored agendas.

The question that needs to be answered is: "What made the shooter pick up that gun?"

Until we as a society insist on an answer to that question, we will relive this repetitive horror show throughout the duration of our country's demise.