Casualties of War

 St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle...

I've noticed that in the past year, the philosophical soldiers of light are being picked off the battlefield of good vs. evil.

I'm referring to prominent champions of Western values, the outspoken cultural warriors who defend the tenets of the Western world's Judeo-Christian faith such as the necessity of God's grace, strong men, healthy nuclear families, and a country that honors its laws and founding principles.

By my observation, the onslaught against the agents of light began in November 2024 with Dennis Prager's catastrophic injury; it has left him sidelined as a quadriplegic. Speaking as a longtime member of PragerU, this loss has been devastating. Dennis was followed by so many people, young and old, worldwide. I looked forward to Dennis Prager's Fireside Chat each week, and I although I enjoy PragerU CEO Marissa Streit's weekly interviews, I sorely miss Dennis and his cheerful, common-sense wisdom. 

Jordan Peterson, a popular author, psychologist, and conservative influencer, was critically ill and in the hospital for most of this year. He was close to death and, although still unwell, is now recovering from chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS).

In August, the founder of Focus on the Family, James Dobson, died. At age 89, he was certainly entitled to do so, but it was yet another strong voice for good silenced. I did not follow Dobson closely, but I noted his passing as another casualty in our ongoing struggle against the cultural darkness.

In September, of course, we lost Charlie Kirk to an assassin's bullet. Kirk's death is a tragic blow to uncounted millions of people around the world, perhaps especially a loss to the young people he so successfully was able to reach and influence for good. Charlie, cut down at age 31, is irreplaceable.

Today, my favorite of all the great thinkers of our time, Victor Davis Hanson, is undergoing "major surgery" for a "serious problem." I don't even want to imagine what the "problem" could be, although my mind keeps going there. All I can do is pray for him, which I have done and will continue to do. The forces of good have lost too much. We need a win, badly.

On his podcasts, Hanson has referred to this surgery and the threat of death with dark humor: "Not today," he wryly remarks of his demise. I'm praying he's right. I'm begging the Lord to let us keep Victor here, on the battlefield, at least for a little while more.

Victor's Podcast, "In His Own Words" - The Daily Signal

Merry Christmas to All

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." ~ John 1:14

Joy to the World ~ Christmas 2025

May your days be merry and bright.

Tiptoeing Around Terrorism

It was a bad news weekend, beginning with the murderous ISIS ambush of two US soldiers and their translator in Syria and ending with the stabbing deaths of Hollywood's Rob Reiner and his wife inside their home (this last, not terrorism). Sandwiched in between were the Brown University mass shooting (motive thus far undeclared) and the anti-Semitic slaughter of Jews celebrating Hanukkah on a beach in Australia.

I think most reasonable people--worldwide--are sick of the collective media types and government officials walking on eggshells around the bloody results of radical Islamic terrorism. The following are my top three "tiptoe terms," and they should no longer be tolerated:

1. "Globalize the Intifada" - This is an elegant way of urging radical Islamists and their acolytes to kill Jews and Christians wherever you find them. It's been a spectacularly successful strategy for the Kill the West crowd lately.

2. "Senseless tragedy" - This is doublespeak that in reality is describing a purposeful, carefully planned atrocity deliberately inflicted upon people of a particular religion or political ideology, specifically Jews (e.g., Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre in Australia), Christians (e.g., murder of Christians by radical Islamists in Africa), or adherents to political conservatism (e.g., Charlie Kirk in the USA).

3. "Islamophobia" - This mislabel is a ubiquitous attempt to extinguish a perfectly logical skepticism and suspicion about the intentions of radical Islamists who are actively dedicated to destroying Western civilization. Westerners aren't the ones deploying around the world with detailed plans to murder radical Islamists by as many dozens as possible; quite the reverse is true.

If the Judeo-Christian Western world has any hope of survival, it's long past time to stop tiptoeing around radical Islamist terrorism and start stomping on it--hard. Lace up your combat boots, and let's go.

RIP ~ Iowa National Guardsmen, Sgts. Torres-Tovar and Howard

'Tis the Season

Okay...the tree is up, the cards are in the mail, and the shopping is just about done. I've given myself permission to take it easier this year; many people in my life are doing the same. It's more the season to enjoy and spend precious time together. 

My closest friends are retired, as am I. We are busy planning social get-togethers rather than gift exchanges, and we're all looking forward to enjoying the luxury of time with each other. Time is what was always in such short supply during our hectic working years. It's a true Christmas treat for us to be able to splurge on unfettered hours together, celebrating in leisurely fashion.

Good memories are far more enduring than gifts. They are, in fact, gifts in themselves. I hope you are planning to share these Christmas holidays with family and friends. 'Tis the season to unwrap good times. May your days be merry and bright.

"Remembrance, like a candle, burns brightest at Christmastime."
~ Charles Dickens 

The Christmas Rush

In my neighborhood, Christmas decorations appeared on Veterans Day--November 11.

It wasn't just one or two houses; it was entire blocks, fully illuminated in festive decor. I was driving in the dark on November 12 and thought I had entered a rupture in the space/time continuum. Wait...wasn't it still two weeks until Thanksgiving?

What is up with this frantic rush to year-end? Whatever happened to celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, which once upon a time was a treasured tradition? Thanksgiving is the only truly American holiday, but it has been all but eliminated by the stampede to Christmas. If it weren't for the enduring popularity of turkey and trimmings, Thanksgiving would probably be a mere memory by now.

My Christmas tree isn't set up yet, nor are any of my yuletide decorations. I'll do that this weekend. There's plenty of time until Christmas, nearly three weeks. When they do go up, my decorations will stay put until the Church celebrates the wise men arriving in Bethlehem, the feast of Epiphany in January. As usual, I'll be the last one in my neighborhood to wait until the Twelve Days of Christmas are completed to store away my seasonal items. All those trees tossed at the curb or dumped in lots on December 26 are being thrown out on the second day of Christmas. 

These days it seems that Christmas expires faster than leftover turkey. 'Tis the season to hurtle ahead, I suppose. But I'm in no rush. Cheers to a long and leisurely Christmas season.

The Twelve Days of Christmas ~ December 25 to January 6

Let the Holidays Begin

Enjoy Your Thanksgiving Holiday
~ back online in December

Forgotten Heroes

 "We're as good as dead." ~ a Palawan POW survivor, p.164

The European battle theatre of World War II usually gathers the lion's share of historical coverage, as it is surely entitled to do. But often overlooked or forgotten are the stories of American combat veterans who fought in the Pacific theatre battles, which were exceedingly brutal and horrifying.

As Good As Dead by Stephen L. Moore is a riveting, meticulously researched account of the fate of World War II American POWs held on the Pacific island of Palawan. Having learned about the 1942 Bataan Death March in my youth, I prided myself that I was educated about the war. Until I read Moore's book, I didn't know that the death march was the very beginning of the American prisoners' agonies.

The surviving death march POWs of Palawan were put to forced labor building a landing field for Japanese war planes. It was backbreaking work. As Moore's recounting illustrates in grim detail, the prisoners were incessantly starved, beaten, tortured, and murdered by the guards and officers. 

As the war approached its end and the Americans began advancing towards Palawan, the POWs were forced to dig pits for their own mass graves. They were packed into the pits, drenched in fuel, and set afire. The few POWs who escaped by tumbling to the beach far below were hunted down and first tortured, then killed, when found. 

Eleven men survived Palawan's death camp. Even as they made their escapes, they sustained terrifying wounds while creeping through the jungle or swimming through the ocean to freedom. It is truly miraculous that any of these brave men lived to tell their harrowing story.

It took me many weeks to finish As Good As Dead. I had to keep pausing, because the events depicted were so upsetting. What these POWs suffered daily were horrific torments beyond my imagination. This Veterans Day, I'm remembering the Palawan POW victims and the few courageous survivors who forged on after the war to rebuild successful lives back home in the USA.

Thank you to all our US Veterans, especially the men of Palawan.

Happy Birthday, Marines

 "I ought to do my own share of the fighting."

~ John Adams, founder of the US Marines and 2nd US president

Founded before the birth of our nation, the United States Marine Corps, the troops of the Marines fight by land and by sea since America's Revolutionary War. Even as they earned the moniker "Devil Dogs" on the battlefields of France, Marines also fought by air in the first World War. In World War II, Marines fought at enormous cost so many key battles in the Pacific theatre--in such places as Guam, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima. The iconic photo of the American flag being raised on Iwo Jima captures the unyielding spirit, courage, and determination of these dedicated warriors.

Two and a half centuries is a long time to keep exceling in combat and achieving victories. Yet the US Marines continue bringing it home, year after year, decade after decade--century after century.

Thank you to the brave members of our US Marine Corps. As our second president noted, I ought to do my own share of the fighting, too. Every American should do so. Our country is certainly worth the battle.

No Longer Free

A British man was fired from his teaching job for hoisting 150 national flags around his hometown.

Furthermore, he has been blackballed by a former employer and an employment agency that refuses to work with him because he is "racist"--a word that currently conveys absolutely no meaning due to constant, dishonest overuse and misapplication. 

The concepts of rule of law and individual liberties were enshrined in Britain's Magna Carta, signed in 1215 by King John. The framers of the United States Constitution drew heavily from the Magna Carta in establishing our American rights and freedoms. One might say eight centuries is a good run for such a foundational document of Western civilization, but one would be wrong. Our God-given freedoms are timeless and should be fiercely protected as such.

The global immigration onslaught from Islamic countries continues to wreak havoc throughout the Western Judeo-Christian world, coming as close as Dearborn, Michigan, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and now New York City in our own nation. A frightening number of these immigrants come not to assimilate into our culture, but to dominate it. "Diversity," far from being our strength, is turning out to be our downfall.  

The United Kingdom should stand as a stark warning to the USA. If your government cowers to those who come to destroy your people's way of life; if you cannot speak openly and honor your country's values at will; if you cannot fly your own country's flag without fear of punishment--you are no longer free.

British dad Shaun Remmer - fired for flying his nation's flag.

A Royal Flop

Speaking as a Boomer, the "No Kings" protests over the weekend were rather embarrassing for me. One aerial reporter described the crowds as "a sea of Q-Tips," referring to all the white-haired participants.

I realize that many forgotten hippies are hungry for modern relevance, but I wish they could find a more rational target than President Trump. Explain to me, just how is he a king? If he were the dictator that they insist he is, the protesters would be in jail right now. Jimmy Kimmel never would have gotten back on the air under "King Trump." The View would be off television. Left-wing media reporters and writers would be rounded up and disappeared. If Trump were king, all of his excessively vocal critics would be afraid to speak. Instead, all of Trump's detractors are brazenly outspoken, 24/7.

To add to the pointlessness, it was amusingly poor timing to schedule the "No Kings" protests immediately following the Trump administration's forging of a peace settlement in Israel. Good grief, people, find a more productive activity to pursue in all your spare time. 

Although, on second thought, go ahead and knock yourselves out screaming into the wind against your phantom fascist. It's your First Amendment right as an American. It does all of us good to be reminded that the United States IS a free country.

"No Kings" protesters, Oct. 18, 2025

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.

Vanishing Heroes

When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun. 

~ William Shakespeare

Jim Lovell, the American astronaut made famous in the film Apollo 13, died earlier this month at age 97. He was the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, played by Tom Hanks in the 1995 Ron Howard movie. Lovell's passing leaves us with one less hero of a golden era for my generation.

When I was a schoolgirl, the astronauts were akin to rock stars. Most children knew their names, their missions, and their successes and tragedies. Alan Shephard was the first American in space; John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth. Virgil "Gus" Grissom was also an early astronaut , the second American in space, and I remember his capsule hatch had a serious problem upon splashdown. When Grissom died in the devasting fire on Apollo 1, I wondered if the faulty hatch had been an omen foreshadowing his tragic end.

While growing up, NASA launch days were memorable in my house. My mother never watched daytime television--except when a rocket was scheduled to launch. Then the TV would be on at dawn, the spacecraft that was filling the screen poised for takeoff. News anchors chattered in the background giving updates, and as I left for school it was such a rare sight to see Mom perched on the living room sofa, intently listening and watching the motionless rocket in anticipation of the countdown that would blast it off into space.

The days of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs were an exciting time to be an American. Today there are many who do not believe we landed on the moon. I wonder how they explain the visibility of all the "Earth trash" left behind by the astronauts? As for the safe return of Apollo 13 against all odds, that reality is impossible to deny. Called the "successful failure," that miracle mission was more scientifically challenging than a mere moon landing.

I'm grateful I grew up during that time of great pride in our country. The space programs united us with a sense of achievement and purpose and made us feel that for the United States, the sky was quite literally the limit. 

Instead of the News

Epstein files...Russiagate...runaway Texas Democrats...California crises...New York City communists...tariffs...wars, wars, "all over the place," as President Trump might say.

Are you as weary of the news as I am?

I find that I'm weaning myself away from straight news podcasts. Maybe I'm a tender soul (doubtful), but I just can't take it anymore. I probably was listening to too many shows in the first place, so this is a positive step.

But I needed to find some filler to keep me company while I'm driving, doing yardwork, folding laundry, cleaning the house, cooking, etc. Occasionally, depending on her topics, I'll tune in for The Nerve with Maureen Callahan. She delivers extensive celebrity gossip with quite tangy panache. If I get a couple of giggles from one of Maureen's podcasts--and I usually do--it's a win.

I've already recommended Battle Ready with Fr. Dan Reehil. He gets a few listens from me each week, always edifying. Also in the Catholic category, I recently discovered Beyond Saint hosted by Ira DeWitt. Depending upon her guest or topic, I'll dip in and always find it interesting.

This week I really scored when I found The Plot Thickens, a Hollywood podcast that goes in-depth on various stars, shows, and movies. The current season is immersed in the story of filming the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton film Cleopatra, but for me that will have to wait. Being an I Love Lucy fanatic, I dove right into Season 3, which covers Lucille Ball's entire life story in juicy detail. I'm halfway through the episodes, and I'm enjoying every second

Enjoyment rarely ensues from listening to or watching the news. In today's hyper-connected world, we can't avoid hearing the news; we will be informed whether we want to be or not. But we don't need to dwell on it. I'm liking my new varied podcast lineup more by the minute. If you're a pod fan and haven't already done so, I recommend branching out. There's plenty to listen to instead of the news. As an added bonus, I usually end up learning something besides which politician flung a four-letter word today.

Butler

I've been reading, watching, and listening to Salena Zito for several years. I follow her because she is an old-school reporter who actually drives around the country on backroads and talks to people. She doesn't talk to celebrities; Salena talks to real people. Working people such as farmers, waiters, barbers, steel workers, and small business owners are the subjects of her columns and commentaries.

Because I knew that Salena Zito was a few feet from President Trump when he was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July last year, I awaited the publication of her book, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland with great impatience. The book is an immediate success, with a debut in the top slot of the New York Times bestseller list. 

When she predicted Donald Trump would win the 2024 election, I tended to believe her. Salena is a western Pennsylvania native who never left her roots. She has what she describes in the book as "a sense of place." This grassroots understanding, which she has called a "Midwest power," gives her a direct connection to the pulse of the country, its citizens, communities, and voters, that few reporters today possess or even comprehend.

I got my copy of Butler earlier this week and finished reading it today. It is hard to put down and educational in the best sense of the word. Salena Zito has an easy, comfortable writing style, and she imparts her observations and wisdom with simple facts stated plainly but not in a critical manner. That expressive finesse is no small achievement. If you want to obtain crucial insights into Middle America as well as a dramatic eyewitness account of the first assassination attempt on Donald Trump, I recommend Butler by Salena Zito most highly.

Flirting with Danger

"The difference between a welfare state and a totalitarian state is a matter of time." ~ Ayn Rand

What's going on in the primary elections is quite concerning, with major American cities such as New York City and Minneapolis considering socialist (read communist) mayoral candidates. This flirtation with tyranny is perilous to our way of life. Unfortunately, there is a regrettable lack of historical knowledge among the voting population today. Universities do not teach our national history or the story of Western civilization--at least, not in a positive way.

Critical thinking skills are in short supply, also. We have had it so good for so long in the United States. No one seems to see the harm in experimenting with our constitutional republic.

The people who escaped the horrors of communism have either passed away or are ignored. There is no way of explaining how bad it can get. As the wise saying goes, you can vote your way into socialism, but you'll have to shoot your way out of it.

I hope we won't have to learn that grim lesson the hard way.

Pots vs. Kettles

"Freedom of religion? Not in Donald Trump’s America. People now have to choose between their faith and their freedom."

~ Gavin Newsom, California governor

Oh, Governor. You are hilarious.

Aren't you the one who kept the bars open during the Covid pandemic but ordered all the churches closed? Nice priorities. Yet now you're suddenly worried about "choosing between faith and freedom." You're quite the dirty pot yelling at the kettle, Gavin. As if you care about either faith or freedom--not to mention honesty.

Also, the Catholic Diocese of Los Angeles is granting a dispensation to all parishioners who fear the federal authorities. Illegal immigrant Catholics don't need to go to Mass on Sundays, for fear that ICE agents might storm the churches and haul them off. I hadn't heard that Catholic churches on Sunday are a prime target for federal agents, but go ahead and make your point, Bishop Rojas. Too bad you weren't concerned about breaking the law when your diocese was assisting in those secret night flights resettling illegals all across the US. 

President Trump's administration is enforcing the law, which so many supposedly law-abiding leaders seem to have a real problem with--oaths of office notwithstanding. So, the pots will continue to object to the kettle's authority. But, as a dedicated tea drinker, I know that the kettle can out-whistle a pot any day of the week. It's time for tea.

Celebrating Independence Day

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

~ John Adams

Evil, Uncovered

"This was a total ambush. These firefighters didn't stand a chance."

~ Kootenai County Sheriff, Bob Norris

I've discovered that it's quite difficult to find news about the sniper murders of Idaho firefighters, and I'm wondering why that is. Politics does not come close in importance to the atrocity that took place on an Idaho mountain this past Sunday afternoon. I shouldn't need to hunt down information about the deliberate murder of firefighters responding to an emergency, but I do. There just isn't much news coverage.

The murdered men were public servants who had dedicated their lives to helping, saving, and protecting others. Firefighters are unarmed and don't wear body armor. When on a call, they have about 60 lbs. of gear to handle in the midst of life-threatening circumstances. Firefighters on scene act as one, focused on a single purpose--do the job. 

There was a third firefighter, Engineer Dave Tysdal, who was shot and is recovering in the hospital following life-saving surgeries. If firefighters and other first responders now have to think about being shot dead by a sniper, in addition to all the other crucial concerns they must consider at a fire scene, then this country has much bigger problems that politics.

Battalion Chief Frank J. Harwood, Kootenai County Fire & Rescue
Battalion Chief John Morrison, Coeur d'Alene Fire Department
Died in the line of duty, shot by a sniper ~ Rest in Peace

 

Engineer Dave Tysdal
Coeur d'Alene Fire Department
Recovering following two surgeries

Judicial Lightweight

The Supreme Court seems to be doing its job and preventing the country from descending into total chaos, at least for the moment. This is despite one justice in particular who seems woefully ill versed in the law, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

It's rare to see such an acerbic takedown of a fellow justice in a formal written Supreme Court opinion, but Justice Amy Comey Barrett goes there as she presents the Court's majority decision on nationwide injunctions against President Trump.

Justice Brown Jackson appears to be out of her league on the nation's highest court. It's more than a bit frightening to have her involved in deciding cases of national importance, but we can hope that the commonsense majority will hold--for now.

A Thought for the Moment

Thank you to the US military and to our Commander-In-Chief, President Donald Trump, for the successful strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. 



 

The Bard Says It Best

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

~ Julius Caesar 4:3 by Willliam Shakespeare

As usual when dealing with human truth and consequences, Shakespeare has the best pearls of wisdom for our contemplation during the tension of current events in the Middle East.

The United States is indeed caught up in a tide of momentous implications for the future, of our own country and of the entire the world. President Trump faces the most consequential decision of his life. Whatever his decision may be, all of our lives will be marked by it, "to the last syllable of recorded time." May boldness be his friend.

War, Again

 The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous.

~ George Orwell, 1984

War. It seems to be our inescapable human fate.

Current events in Israel and Iran have seemed inevitable for a long time, and now we are living with the violent results of that collision course. For America, this is a television war--so far. There is no predicting where or how far the conflict will go, but that's not the point. The point is, it's on. 

I understand why Israel took the action that it did. As President Trump has so often emphasized, Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb. It became obvious that the price of stopping Iran is war. Again.

There's a Christmas carol that was written during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, Do You Hear What I Hear? The song was an appeal for world peace. Although unseasonable, more than 60 years later it is appropriate to our moment. As the last stanza puts it:

Bing Crosby's 1963 recording of Do You Hear What I Hear?

Battle Ready

Put on the full armor of God... Ephesians 6:13

I have a new podcast addiction. Battle Ready, with Father Dan Reehil. I've been following him on Instagram and yesterday I finally added his podcast to my collection. The episodes are less than 30 minutes, so I've been bingeing on them all weekend.

Fr. Dan has a fascinating backstory. He grew up on Long Island, not far from my hometown. At the age of eleven, he was sexually molested by his parish priest; because of that terrible event, he fell away from the Catholic Church for many years. He became a Wall Street banker and was married for five years before divorcing; he also obtained a Church annulment. 

His priestly vocation story began on a 1998 trip to Medjugorje. There are many videos documenting this, including a marvelous in-depth interview on the The Shawn Ryan Show #141, so I would direct you there for more details.

One of the most interesting facts about Fr. Dan, at least to me, is that he's an exorcist. One doesn't just "become" an exorcist. A priest is selected for this demanding duty by his bishop. Currently there are only 18 exorcists in the US. Reehil's exorcism stories are chilling and remarkable. He leaves no doubt about the reality of Satan's relentless and increasingly intense spiritual warfare against us.

Fr. Dan has a relaxed demeanor and is an easy conversationalist. He presents his spiritual points in a simple, disarming way that makes so much practical sense in our troubled world. 

Put on God's armor and give Battle Ready a try. At the very least, it will make you think.

Big Trouble

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse...

~ Genesis 12:3

The United States has an anti-Semitism problem.

Leaving aside all of the street demonstrations and college campus chaos since October 7, 2023--which are all horrifying enough--extreme acts of violence against American Jews have shot up dramatically in just the past few weeks.

In April, on the first night of Passover, Pennsylvania's Jewish Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence was set on fire in an attempt to murder his entire family. In May, a young couple about to become engaged were shot to death leaving the Jewish Museum in Washington DC, murdered by a Hamas supporter. Now, to start off the month of June, peaceful protestors honoring the Israeli hostages were attacked--again by a Hamas supporter--by fire bombs in Colorado. Jewish people were literally set on fire in our country. Not insignificantly, the Colorado criminal was an illegal alien.

I think we are in dire peril. Tom Homan says that the 2 million illegal alien "gotaways" that entered the US under the Biden administration "scares the hell" out of him. Homan is convinced that another 9/11 "or worse" is coming.

 

I agree. If you haven't done so yet, say a prayer for the USA. We need it; we are in very big trouble.