Fact Check Friday 7/31

Time for another Fact Check Friday. I'm very much appreciate Paul Leckband allowing me to share my as-nonpartisan-as-possible issues on his blog. This week I've provided information on many social justice issues. The amount of need in this world can be overwhelming, but it's important to remember our actions have consequences both good and bad.

Planned Parenthood and Abortion - Commentary

Paul wrote post yesterday on the evils of abortion, specifically on Planned Parenthood. While I have my own strong beliefs about abortion, "abortion is murder" campaigns and those like it often do not affect their intended targets: those protecting abortion, abortionists, and eugenicists.

Unfortunately, part of what has driven the abortion industry is the shame placed on unwed mothers by society and organized religion. Now, the pendulum has swung the other way, and often those who believe strongly in monogamy and nuclear families are treated intolerantly and judgmentally.

As with many things in life, there has to be a balance. No family is perfect, and what is "normal" for family structure is as much cultural as it is religious. What is not in dispute, however, is the benefits of having both parents in the household. It's important not to demonize single-parent families, as the reasons for high occurrences of single-parent households are complex (read: "The relationship between single mothers and poverty is not as simple as it seems").

As with most social justice issues, it's easy to argue, stand on soapboxes, and rail against abortion. Creating real change, however, requires some actual effort. For the men out there, especially the conservative ones, consider uniting with someone you may not agree with, but has a message you may agree with: fatherhood is important. You can sign The President's Fatherhood Pledge online. 

The founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, wouldn't fit in too well with today's cultural climate. Read an editorial from The Washington Times, "Margaret Sanger, racist eugenicist extraordinaire" to learn about Sanger's contribution to institutional racism, eugenics, and the dehumanizing of people with illnesses and disabilities. 

Abortion rates have decreased in America since the 1980s, and I believe people who promote life through selflessness and service are a greater engine for social change than those who rail against the evils of abortion. 

God certainly hears the cries of the unborn, but the Creator also hears his children who are suffering. Here are some resources to help with hunger, clean water, poverty, and access to health care:

• Hunger Notes - Education and ways to help reduce world hunger (many other organizations listed here)
• Team World Vision - Branch of World Vision to raise money for sustainable clean water
• The Borgen Project - Provides ways to make a dent in poverty
• Doctors Without Borders - Provides medical treatment to populations in distress 
• Chiropractors of the World - A newer charity bringing chiropractic care to populations in need

There are also organizations that help women with crisis pregnancy. Not all are created equal, so do some research before volunteering or contributing. Though the author of this article, "What I Learned Undercover at a Crisis Pregnancy Center" is admittedly biased and seemingly unwilling to do any sort of real journalism, the article does speak to an ongoing issue: unwed mothers are still met with guilt and shame rather than love and support. 

If you read the above article, be prepared to be depressed. As a Christian, all I can do is pray that God changes the hearts of all his children, believers and nonbelievers alike--whether it is those who support abortion, or those who treat unwed mothers with contempt. For a more uplifting story, read, "Mea Culpa and the Catholic Church" for another woman's experience with a crisis pregnancy center. 

Please consider your intentions when railing against evil in the world. Are you demonizing others and feeling self-righteous about your own views, or are your intentions loving and graceful for your fellow human beings?

Preview for Next Week:

Next week I'll bring more coverage to some environmental issues, and touch briefly on abortion coverage.

Green Space

• Nature is neat. Green space--parks, wooded areas, etc., does all sorts of neat stuff. Read about it at Project EverGreen in "Environmental Benefits of Green Space," and "Lifestyle Benefits of Green Spaces." 
• A really interesting read on green space and its benefits is, "Moving to An Area with Green Space Can Improve Your Mental Health for Years," from Smithsonian.com. 
• The American Planning Association presents and strong case that green spaces make safer neighborhoods in, "How Cities Use Parks to Create Safer Neighborhoods.

Go out and enjoy nature this week. Here's some practical advice from Lenny Pepperbottom:

New Dog Owner's Odyssey: Day 3

My Facebook analogy continues to hold true. As I took Sammy for his morning walk early this morning, every time we approached a landmark, primarily in the form of a tree or power pole, I observed one of the following reactions.

• He eagerly strained at his leash, sniffed, then left his "mark." I would equate this to reading a post & leaving a comment.
• He moderately strained at his leash, sniffed, but quickly moved on w/o leaving a mark. I would equate this to finding a post to be of some interest but not worth a comment.
• He barely gave a glance at a post & moved right along, i.e., "this post is not even worthy of a look."

Lois & Rachel picked up Sammy for me [without my knowledge] @ the Siouxland Humane Society in Sioux City on WED 7/29. That's why this is Day 3. There is no Day 1. [I was too "excited" to write an entry on Day 1.] The following information is found on his Rabies Vaccination Certificate.

• Species:  Dog
• Sex:  Male, Neutered [The thought crosses my mind that he may not appreciate me sharing this on the Internet. Too late, Sammy.]
• Age: 4 yrs
• Size:  66.7 lbs [Lois & Rachel were told that he needs to lose some weight. As it was explained to me, this was a selling point, i.e., "a reason we will no doubt bond." Wait . . . what?]
• Predominant breed:  Sporting [He obviously has some lab in  him.]
• Colors:  Black
• Name:  Sammy

According to the Owner Surrender Dog Information Sheet:

• He is completely house trained & crate trained & "never had an accident."
• He will let you know when he needs to go outside. 
• He does not chew furniture or other household objects.
• He will get into the garbage if there's food on the top.
• He can be left alone inside "without incident." The previous owner left him in his kennel when she was at work for as long as 8 hours or so.
• He did not have a yard. [Sammy has already shown evidence that he likes our back yard.]
• He slept in her bed. [We're having him sleep in his kennel. He hasn't complained. Yet.]
• "Where would he be if your family is eating a meal?" 'Loose. Don't feed him table food.' [OK. Although I did let him like the crumbs off the plate I used for toast yesterday morning.]
• "Where would he be if your family is in your living room watching TV?" 'Beside me.' [The first time we watched TV in the family room, he jumped right up on the couch & laid down between us.]
• "What is he afraid of?" 'Fireworks.' [4th of July week in Norfolk will be an issue in general; Big Bang Boom specifically.]

I will share more information in a later blog & finish with this. When I let him out of his kennel this morning, he was happy to see me. When I said, "Let's go for a walk, he was happy. When we were sitting on the deck & I was reading the paper, he was happy.

But when Lois came outside on the deck, he was REALLY HAPPY! He greeted her with joy, pounced on her when she sat down at our picnic table, almost causing her to spill her coffee, & reveled in her affectionately stroking him & speaking to him in baby-talk [which we will have to reach an agreement about.] Whose dog is this really? I think we all know the answer to that question, but I am not the jealous type.

Evil in the World: Thoughts about Planned Parenthood. This is my link to my Theological THU 7/30 blog entry.

My first "official" interaction w/Planned Parenthood was as a first-time administrator. The Lincoln, NE, United Way coordinator paid me a visit to drop off United Way envelopes, which we had been getting for several years. He just wanted to introduce himself to me, since I was the new principal, & give me a pep talk about distributing the envelopes & brochures & encouraging my faculty & staff to contribute; also taking the lead by setting a good example. It was a cordial conversation, & I distributed the envelopes & brochures in mailboxes, which had been the tradition.

I don't know if anyone else ever contributed. I know that I never contributed, because I had my own charities that I supported. I do know that I had never taken the time to browse through the information & find out which community charities benefited from United Way. This time, however, after I had already distributed the materials, I took the time to glance through the material. 

I discovered to my dismay that one of the "charities" that benefited from United Way was Planned Parenthood. I pulled the envelopes & brochures back out of the mailboxes [I was younger & more self-righteous] & sent off a letter to the United Way coordinator, explaining that I could NOT support United Way because of its partnership with Planned Parenthood. I was specific about my reason. Planned Parenthood was involved in the abortion industry. Our school was an educational ministry of the LCMS, which was very public in its stand against abortion. Therefore, our support for such an organization was incompatible with our mission & ministry.

I received a phone call from a Planned Parenthood representative several days later. He was very polite & explained to me that (1) I was undoubtedly misinformed about the nature of the mission of Planned Parenthood; & (2) although he admitted that Planned Parenthood was involved in abortions, it was a very, very small part of its overall mission, which he painted as performing very necessary health care services for the under-served women of southeast Nebraska. 

My response:  

• I knew a lot more about Planned Parenthood than he realized.
• It seemed to be common knowledge that PP provided a van, which traveled to the high schools & possibly junior high schools of the community, in order to transport young women under the age of consent to abortion clinics in order to have abortions.
• What did he have to say about that?

He said he would get back to me, but once again he assured me that I was sadly mistaken about my perceptions of PP. I don't remember that he ever got back to me.

Excerpt from Lincoln Journal Star (7/26):  "Planned Parenthood's work is worst of the world's atrocities." By Christine M. Flowers, a lawyer & columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. "When I started doing asylum work almost 20 ears ago, the comfortable cocoon that had been built around me by the nuns & then Bryn Mawr & then my first few jobs in the courtroom & then the classroom began to crumble. It was only when I started handling the cases of people who had been tortured for their beliefs, or their ethnicity, or their political principles, or simply because they wanted more than one baby to love, that I realized the depth of humanity . . . 

          "Asylum work heightens your perception of evil & at the same time teaches you to expect it in unexpected places . . . 

          "By now you must know I'm talking about Planned Parenthood. If you support that organization because of all the 'good' it supposedly does for women, you might want to stop reading now.

          "By now, we've all seen at least some parts of the videos filmed by the Center for Medical Progress, an admittedly anti-abortion organization. They are not the work of unbiased scientists or documentarians interested in creating informative but bland features about the ins & outs of medical research. Clearly, these videos were designed to anger, to incite, & to indict an entire industry that has grown exponentially since 1973, when Roe v. Wade made it legal to mutilate a fetus in each of the 50 states. Not even the most dedicated anti-abortion activist would deny that these videos are a cinematic 'J'accuse' against a practice that dehumanizes what is inconveniently human:  the 2nd-&-3rd trimester fetus. [My comment:  First, I believe that human life begins at conception. Two, that's why I always prefer talking about unborn babies, not fetuses, but this isn't my editorial.] I would personally argue that the moment egg meets sperm a human life is created, but the point of this column is not to convince you that life begins at conception. That is wasted breath, & I have a more urgent obligation.

          "The point of this column is to scream that what is depicted in both the edited & full-length videos that came to light this week transcends the horrors that I've studied in my office, presented to judges & tried to extinguish with the help of a benevolent government

 . . . [Anybody else remember the video, "Silent Scream?"]

          "No amount of obfuscation about how this 'tissue' can help cure cancer or give sight to the blind or restore paralyzed limbs to grace changes the fact that Planned Parenthood engages in the most repulsive & hideous of practices:  exploitation of a mutilated human body. And all of the editorials, written by skittish eugenicists, & all of the tap dancing done by self-righteous feminists will not hide that grisly fact." [emphasis added]

Abortion is evil. Millions of unborn children have been slaughtered since Roe v. Wade became the "law of the land" in 1973. Read through the Old Testament prophets & you can't help but be chilled by God's repeated judgment on those who oppress the most vulnerable of society. And why wouldn't that include the unborn?

Scripture warns us that we are not to judge what's in the hearts of others, for we will surely be judged by the same measure. I confess that it is hard for me not to hate Planned Parenthood, those who promote & practice & encourage abortion, & those who legislate & lobby & rule on its behalf. That's a sin, & it's one I must continually repent of.

However, what is in our heart is known by the fruit we produce, & the fruit produced by Planned Parenthood is evil. Need more proof? When Lois was working on her Masters in Family Life Ministry, she had to take a course in Sexuality & the Family. This required a lot of research, & I must say, a lot of it was very, very depressing.

In the course of her research, Planned Parenthood was thoroughly vetted. See for yourself. Go to their web site, but don't stop at their home page. Keep digging. Keep following the links, & I think you will be surprised, no, I think you will be outraged at what this organization sincerely believes & practices.

I have more to say about Planned Parenthood & abortion, but this entry has gone on long enough, so I'll bring it to a close. My prayer is for Christ to soften the hearts of those who have been blinded by Satan & the culture of our day to turn a blind eye to the horror of abortion & the evil of this organization.

New Dog Owner Odyssey: Day 2

First of all, I am a new dog owner, not a new dog owner, since my dog is 4-years-old. I think that's the equivalent of 28-human years, which makes him a peer of my children.

Secondly, don't go looking for Day 1. There is no Day 1, because I (we) acquired this dog yesterday, MON 7/29/15. I didn't have the time or emotional energy to blog about this dog yesterday, plus I didn't make the intellectual(?) decision to start a "New Dog Owner Odyssey" Blog until after I went to bed last night. [By the way, the same principle applies re: my other blogging. First & foremost, I do this for my own amusement; for self-therapy. If you are amused or derive any benefit from it, well, that's just a bonus for me. You are always invited & encouraged to comment, as long as you keep in mind my fragile emotional & mental conditions. SEE "Mental Health Monday" blogs."]

Thirdly, as I took Sammy [Isn't that a cute name? And I must point out that I didn't even get to name my own dog.] for his first walk in Norfolk, NE, already last night, I had an incredible, I must say with all (false) modesty, insight. As we made myriad stops at a plethora (one of my favorite words) of hydrants, power poles, & trees, so that Sammy (adorable?!) could smell, then mark, I realized that for a dog, this is like going onto Facebook! 

It was suggested to me by a friend (Thank you, John Dinkel, & I mean that sincerely) already several months ago that I could really use a dog while on my "sabbatical." Besides providing companionship, it would also require me to walk it regularly, thus mandating regular exercise, & add a purpose for living.

I agreed in theory, & Lois & I (mostly Lois) have been discussing the acquisition of a dog since the beginning of summer. My position has consistently been:

• Let me wrap my head around this concept. I haven't had a dog since I was a boy, when our family had a series of dogs, some of which were, how shal I say, not the ideal family companions. [Ask my brother & sister about that.]
• For sure we need to wait until our summer road trips are completed, & we were looking at a lot of road trips, most of which I've either referenced in my blog or other FB posts.
• IF (& there's a reason I put that in all caps), and I emphasize again, IF I accede to what I know will be a drastic change in my lifestyle, I demand a direct say in the specific dog that is to become my companion.
• Let's admit that Lois has always been the animal-whisperer in our relationship. Therefore, it would be reasonable to conclude that using the pronoun "my" in conjunction with any animal we acquired would be questionable.
• After watching many videos on YouTube, a baby goat looked awfully appealing to me & would also provide lawn care services.

But I digress. Lois & Rachel (my youngest but perhaps craftiest daughter) went to Sioux City yesterday (7/29) for a "girls day out." While there, they visited the Sioux City Animal Shelter & acquired Sammy, a black, 4-year-old, Lab mix. I was on the phone w/Nathan when I heard the garage door opening, & I commented, "Uh-oh, I just remembered that I parked the car in the middle of the garage. I thought I would get some errands run before Mom got home, so now I'm going to get yelled at."

I heard the back door open. I heard the pitter-patter of little feet. For an instant I surmised it was Bentley, my 2-year-old grandson, but just as instantly I recognized the sound of multiple appendages with toenails attached to them. A dog! You guessed it. Bentley walked into the living room, followed by Sammy, followed by Lois (with a, dare I say, sheepish grin on her face), with Rachel close behind. 

When I asked--being the astute observer that I am--"This is NOT our dog, is it?--Lois' quick nod 'yes,' still accompanied by that look, quickly affirmed my astute observation. This immediately explained why I didn't get yelled out for her inability to park her car in the garage right away.

Then Rachel presented me with a bag of honey-crunch peanuts, which she picked up at a C-store, where the entourage had stopped to "rest" on the way home. Oh, no, it had nothing to do w/bribery! How could I even suspect such a thing.

So, I had many, many questions, but let's put together some deductions.

• My grandson, whom I adore, entered the house with the dog.
• My wife didn't yell at me for making it impossible for her to park the car in the garage right away.
• My daughter brought me honey-crunch peanuts.

Was I more annoyed about suddenly becoming a dog owner without having all my conditions met? Or was I more annoyed at the thought that I could be "bought off" by the appearance of my grand-son, the lack of a spouse's temper tantrum, and a cheap (but tasty, I'll admit, & favorite, I'll also admit) snack food?

Time to wrap this up, so I'll admit that it didn't take me long to grow somewhat fond of Sammy. So far we haven't heard him bark. So far he hasn't "done his business" in the house. He went into his cage last night w/o protest & didn't whine during the night. He went for a solo walk with me last night & did his business. I quickly mastered the technique of using a plastic sack to handle his waste product (although walking back home, carrying a bag of the afore-mentioned waste product was not keeping with my self-image as the administrator of the only LHS in Northeast NE). He comes when called. He chases squirrels. (I hate squirrels.) And he went for another solo walk with me this morning.

IQ & Birth Order, Criminal Minds, Food for Thought, Much, Much, More!

Did you see my Leckband Temperature Challenge, posted minutes earlier today? Pretty exciting! (And a sad commentary on my current social life.)

CRIMINAL MINDS

Excerpt from Norfolk Daily News (7/14):  "Run with a bull. Sheriff's officials in northern Alabama said a burglary suspect was taken into custody after being chased by a bull through a cow pasture . . . (Marshall County Sheriff Scott Walls) said Hemby tried fleeing deputies by running through a cow pasture, & a bull roaming the land joined the chase. Walls said Hemby eventually fell onto a barbed wire fence & surrendered. [Thus was born the legend of Alabama outlaw "Bull" Hemby.}

From NDN (7/24): "Not sick. State police said a western Pennsylvania man with a penchant for making unnecessary emergency calls recently complained of chest pains, so he could ask medics to help him fix his air conditioner. 26-yr-old Travis Turner, of Indiana, PA, was charged w/obstructing emergency services & disorderly conduct. Troopers said Turner has called Indiana County 911 dispatchers or the state police 63 times in the last 3 yrs for minor or harassing complaints." [He may be married to the lady who I think I read about in the news recently who called 911 from a drive-thru after she didn't get the right take-out order.]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

From NDN (7/24):  "Lobster beer. A Maine brewer is offering a quicker way to consume two of the state's summertime staples: beer & lobster. Oxbow Brewing is serving up beer brewed w/live Maine lobsters & a dash of sea salt. Brewmaster Tim Adams said the lobsters add a subtle brininess & sweetness that lobster fans will recognize. Adams said the lobsters that were cooked in the brewing process were later eaten." [Oh, okay, I think I might feel better about sampling this beer now, but still, I do not think I associate "lobster" beer with "subtle" brininess.]

From Parade Magazine (7/26):  "Ask Marilyn, by Marilyn vos Savant. 'As a prune is a dried plum, how can you get prune juice from it? R.S., Columbus, Ga.' . . . " [You guessed it. The world's smartest woman is reduced to answering questions about prunes & prune juice in THE MAGAZINE THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY! And, no, I will not dignify this conversation by revealing her answer.]

ODDS & ENDS

From Twin Cities Star Tribune (7/23):  "Why Europeans think we're weather wimps. It gets pretty hot there, too, but they're puzzled by our dependence on air conditioning . . . many Europeans visiting the U.S. frequently complain about the 'freezing cold' temperatures inside buses or hotels. American tourists on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, however, have been left stunned by Europeans' ability to cope w/heat, even at work spaces or in their homes. It's safe to say that Europe thinks America's love of air-conditioning is quite daft." [There is no mention in this article as to whether it's safe to say that American thinks Europe's love of body odor is quite daft.]

~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BI
From Omaha World Herald (7/20):  Birth order & personality hardly related. Was your insanely successful older sibling born to achieve? Is your youngest child preprogrammed to seek the limelight? Nope, says massive new research analyzing the traits of 377,000 high school students. At least, the report says not enough to make any practical difference. In the end, researchers found that first-born children have a single-point advantage when it comes to IQ, along with some measured personality differences from those who are born later. First borns were more 'extroverted, agreeable & conscientious' overall . . . " [I say, a single-point advantage is still a single-point advantage. STATISTICS DON'T LIE!]
RTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH-ORDER POST~~BIRTH

SHAMELESS JOKE STEALING

From NDN TV Week late laughs (7/24)/Conan O'Brien:  "A man in London proposed to his girlfriend using a newspaper crossword puzzle. As a result, she'll get back to him sometime next week while she's on the toilet . . . Chevrolet announced its newest car in a press release written only in emojis. The idea came from Chevy's new CEO, a 16-yr-old cheerleader named Amber . . . According to a new poll that just came out, Vladimir Putin's approval rating in Russia has reached an all-time high. Putin is polling very well among Russians who don't want to be killed . . . A DNA lab has proven that KFC did not, as claimed, serve a customer a fried rat. You can see the test on this week's exciting episode of 'CSI: KFC.'"

SOMEWHAT CRINGE-WORTHY

From OWH (7/12):  (This article dealt with the challenges of establishing recycling programs in the Omaha area). ". . . It's hard to imagine why anyone would put a deer carcass in a recycling bin. yet workers at Firstar Fiber, the plant that processes Omaha's recyclables, have pretty much seen everything." [There is no place like Nebraska!]

Paul's Political Insights: Fair & Balanced

DISCLAIMER:  I composed much of this before we left for MN, but I think it's still relevant. The recent revelations re:  Planned Parenthood & ever-emerging details re:  the treaty w/Iran deserve a separate entry.

OUR FRONT RUNNERS

Excerpts from Omaha World Herald (some obviously dated):

(7/8) "Clinton blames right for her trust problems. Hillary Clinton says there is an obvious reason so many Americans are skeptical of her trustworthiness. It's the handiwork of what she once termed the 'vast right-wing conspiracy' against her & her husband." [Remember, when you point your finger at someone, you have 3 fingers pointing back at you!]

(7/12) "Fact Check Clinton's Claim on Her Emails. "Everything I did was permitted. There was no law. There was no regulation. There was nothing that did not give me the full authority to decide how I was going to communicate. Previous secretaries of state have said they did the same thing ... Everything I did was permitted by law & regulation. I had one device. When I mailed anybody in the government, it would go into the government system." (Former Secretary of State Clinton, Interview w/CNN, 7/7/15) . . . "With her very careful language, Clinton skirts some of the important issues concerning her private email account. She appears to be arguing her case on narrow, technical grounds, but that's not the same as actually complying with existing rules as virtually everyone else understood them." {emphasis added} [Key words:  "virtually everyone else."]

(7/12) "Fact Check Trump on Immigrants & Crime. "When Mexico sends its people,they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. (sic) They're sending people that have lots of problems, & they're bringing those problems w/us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." (Real estate mogul Donald Trump, presidential announcement speech, 6/16/15). "Trump's repeated statements about immigrants & crime underscore a common public perception that crime is correlated w/immigration, especially illegal immigration. But that is a misperception; no solid data support it, & the data that do exist negate it." {emphasis added}  [I think I've made my opinion re: Donald Trump clear in at least one previous post. While he may not be a true conservative, he is pompous & distracting.]

(7/18)  "Clinton, Sanders shine brightest in first gathering of Democratic hopefuls. Hillary Clinton scored some of the funniest lines of the night Friday, while Bernie Sanders won the "fire in the belly" award as all five Democratic presidential candidates took the stage Friday in [Cedar Rapids, IA] . . . She noted wryly that the Republican front-runner in recent polls was New York businessman Donald Trump--drawing a fair share of snickers & laughs from the audience. 'Finally, a candidate whose hair gets more attention than mine . . . '" [Seriously? Funniest line of the night!? Dept. of Imaginary Conversations:  Hillary reporters' pool reporter #1:  "Did you just hear that line? Hilarious!" Reporter #2:  "Seriously, that has got to be the funniest line of the night!" Reporter #3:  "I can't stop laughing!" Reporter #4:  "She is so gosh-darn funny. I may pee my pants." Fox News reporter:  "Are any of you by chance planning to vote for Hillary?" Reporters 1, 2, 3, 4 (in unison):  "Of course we are. She'd be the first woman president!" Reporter #1:  "And besides, she's really funny." Reporter #2:  "The funniest line of the evening." Reporter #3: "Not 'fire in the belly' hilarious, but still the funniest." Reporter #4:  "Do you think she'd autograph these pants?"] 

"AND ON THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE FRONT" BONUS FEATURE

From the Norfolk Daily News (7/24):  "Expectations come up short with Lake McConaughy water levels. Mother Nature apparently didn't get the memo. (emphasis added) This was expected to be another below-average, but respectable, year for Lake McConaughy [located in the Nebraska panhandle, near Ogallala]. So said the engineers who manipulate the massive reservoir--Nebraska's largest lake--to keep both corn-growing farmers & beach-loving families happy. It was projected that North Platte River runoff into Lake McConaughy from Rocky Mountain snowpack in WY would amount to about 1/3 of normal this spring . . .
          "Then heavy, late-spring snow & rain fell in WY's eastern desert plains. And it rained more. And more. Then it rained again. The lake rose 5' in May. At peak flows in June, the N. Platte delivered about 7X more water than normal into Big Mac. Then over 2' more the next week. By the end of the month, McConaughy was a rare 13' higher & 2 mi. longer than it was May 1. And the signature, white-sand beaches that draw upward of 1,000,000 visitations a year were under water." {emphasis added} [Yes, climatologists & their computer models can accurately forecast global climate change, giving humankind the ability to control global climate. Wait, I might be confusing meteorology w/climatology, as Al Gore has reminded his critics in the past. And I definitely don't want to be on the wrong side of the Pope. But wait! I'm a Lutheran!! My head is spinning. It's all so confusing for a non-scientist like me.

Cluster Headaches & My Mental Health

WARNING! This post reeks of self-pity.

I was diagnosed with cluster headaches way back in the late 1990s. Cluster headaches are a form of migraines that are called cluster headaches because they come in, well, clusters. They are not your typical migraines. No auras or sparklies accompany them. If there is any warning sign at all--at least for me--its a pressure or feeling of warmth above & behind my left eyeball. More often it's the beginning of a pain, also located above & behind my left eyeball. It usually begins as a dull ache but quickly progresses to a sharp, pulsating, relentless pain.

How to describe? 

• How about somebody trying to poke an ice pick through the back of your skull through your eyeball . . . 

• Or pushing a sharp-edged spoon through your left temple, attempting to pry that left eyeball so it pops out? 

Remedies? 

• I take medicine to prevent these headaches. 

• I have an oxygen machine that can help prevent them & also helps sometime when I feel one coming on. 

• I also have three types of medicine that I can use when I feel one coming on. (I'm pretty sure that I am currently over-dosing on them, but when one of these headaches starts turning into a doozy, I get desperate & honestly lose interest in what might happen to me if I overdose.

If I am am fortunate, when I feel one coming on, or, as often happens, I wake up with one, using the medicine and/or oxygen machine keeps the headache from "exploding," (or turning into a doozy) & the headache abates within 10-25 minutes. Laying perfectly still in a dark, cool, place, usually with a fan blowing on me, sometimes with a cool compress on my forehead works. Sometimes I can't stand any pressure on my head at all. If I'm not fortunate & my headache "explodes," it can absolutely knock me off my feet & render me into a pathetic, blubbering, whimpering mess for anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours.

Why am I telling you this other than to, as you may suspect, plead for your pity, especially when this is a "Mental Health Monday" blog entry?

Like I mentioned before cluster headaches tend to come in clusters for reasons that aren't entirely understood. They tend to cluster seasonally, also around certain times of day. For example, they often begin to start for me in April & continue into the summer, or they start in August & continue into the late fall. In my case they started in the spring; here it is the end of July & I'm still getting them.

Lately I've been waking up with a headache just about every night, soon after I fall asleep; also getting one pretty much every day sometime in the early to mid-afternoon.

Now about these headaches & my mental health. First of all, when they wake me up during the night or early in the morning, before I'm ready to get up, they disrupt my sleep. This is especially true if I get a headache that "explodes," & it takes me awhile to get back to sleep. There is definitely a link between insomnia or any kind of sleep deprivation & depressive cycles (at least in my case). So, I've been somewhat concerned about slipping into a significant depressive state, although it hasn't happened yet. They may or may not be linked to stress. They do not appear to be linked to triggers in the same way that migraines are. I've cut back on coffee & other forms of caffeine; ditto chocolate & certain kinds of nuts (no, not talking about relatives)--doesn't seem to have any bearing whatsoever).

Back in the spring of 2013, I began getting cluster headaches after about a year-and-a-half hiatus (also not unusual about these headaches). Despite several treatments & some tweaks in medication, they got progressively worse, peaking until that moment in late June when I found myself in the emergency room at Faith Regional Hospital in Norfolk. True to form, when the doctor met me in the exam room & asked me to describe my pain level, I answered, "12." It was decided I should get an MRI, just to rule out more serious possibilities, like a stroke or aneurism. By the time I was wheeled into the MRI room, my pain level had subsided to a 10. By the time I was back in the exam room & the doctor was ready with her report, my pain level was down to a 7. 

She told me the MRI had turned up "nothing" (That's somewhat of an insult, I commented, i.e. "You took an MRI of my brain & nothing turned up?"), other than a sinus infection on that side of my head, which could be adding pressure to the nerves associated with these headaches. My neurologist, who had consulted by phone, took me off the preventive meds he had changed me over to, put me back on the previous meds prescribed by my P.A., but increased the dosage. I stopped having cluster headaches overnight & didn't have another one until earlier this spring. Again, it's the nature of the beast. I should mention that when I'm in a cluster cycle, I carry all my meds with me, I start using up my stock-piled medicine faster than I can replenish it, & anytime I feel even the slightest pressure or twinge above that left eyeball, I begin to panic. Doesn't help the ol' anxiety symptoms.

But I digress. One of the outcomes of the 2013 cluster cycle was sleep deprivation, a depressive cycle, beginning of a general anxiety disorder (in my layperson's opinion), & an increased inability to get my work done at school (which only fed my anxiety). I always counted on the summer to (1) catch up on those administrative tasks I didn't get finished during the school year, bring closure to the school year, get end-of-the-year tasks to the faculty & staff for them to complete before most of them went off duty for the summer, then begin prepping for the new school year.

I was unable to accomplish all these tasks, so I ended the summer in a deep hole, which followed me into the 14-15 school year, which just fed my cycle of depression, anxiety, & contributed to what I subsequently realized was burnout. It didn't help that I refused to listen to the wise counsel of those I worked alongside, plus perhaps the wisest counsel of all--that of my dear wife. Also, having suffered depressive cycles & symptoms of burnout before, so a side of my brain was telling me that my solutions weren't working, but another side of brain (foolish pride? dysfunctional thinking?) was giving me very bad directions. 

Understand that I take ownership of this. I can't look back on this & blame my cluster headaches for my subsequent "breakdown" & enforced sabbatical.

Another physical health condition late that summer also contributed, I'm confident, to continued burnout & mental health deterioration, but I'll save that for another time. Whether this entry has been useful for anyone, I don't know, but I continue to blog as a form of self-therapy. 

Once again, if you suspect you might suffer from cluster headaches, you have many options. 

• Go to a reputable web site & check out the symptoms. As always, I'm prejudiced toward the Mayo Clinic web site but there are others. 

• You can also Google headache clinics & find reputable specialists who can help you with this condition. By reputable I mean check out their medical degrees. Someone with a medical degree from Tonga may not be the best recourse.

• Over-the-counter medications may do you more harm than good. (SEE "rebound headaches.") Narcotics are notorious for causing rebound headaches. Self-medicating w/alcohol? Tempting. Not a good plan. Medical marijuana? Don't get me started. Literally. 

• A neurologist is probably a better option than a general practitioner, but not even all neurologists are well-versed in the treatment of either chronic migraines or clusters.

• Pray, pray, pray. And when you're done, pray some more.

• Finally, IT'S NOT JUST ALL IN YOUR HEAD!

Wait a minute . . . Yes, it is.

Criminal Behavior, Food for Thought, Something Cringe-worthy Items, 40th Anniversary Odyssey

MORE 40TH ANNIVERSARY ODYSSEY NOTES

• Re:  Wildlife . . . Our first significant sighting of elk was at Ft. Yellowstone, next to Mammoth Hot Springs. As we headed to the trail to the geothermal features, we encountered a group of female & other young elk, reposing on the lawn of a private residence. Many tourists, such as ourselves, walked within feet of them. Many, like us, were stopping to take pictures. As we continued on, we had a brief, philosophical conversation re:  the true meaning of "wild" life. Since there were no barriers, which would have prevented these so-called "benign" creatures from attacking & mauling us without provocation, my opinion is that they qualified. [Lois did point out that they had no antlers.]

• I felt somewhat proud to have sighted the moose at a scenic turnout in Grand Tetons National Park. We stopped at this location specifically because it was identified as a place where moose might be seen, and Lois & I had never seen a moose in the wild. As we strained our eyes toward the distant wetlands, I saw the shape of something that could best be described as "moose-like." I speculated out loud, "I wonder if that might be a moose?" A lady next to me put her binoculars on it & exclaimed, "Hey, this guy just found a moose!" Suddenly I was a "media-darling," surrounded by a crowd of tourists w/binoculars & cameras w/telephoto lenses. I truly felt heroic, & this lady rewarded me by letting me borrow her binoculars. Sure enough, despite my feeble eyesight, I could clearly make out the contours of a wild moose.

CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR

Excerpts from Norfolk Daily News (some are a little dated):

(4/10) "Driving away drunk. Authorities said a 44-yr-old suburban Buffalo, NY, man was drunk when he drove away from a courthouse where he had just been convicted of driving while intoxicated. The Erie County Sheriff's Office said 44-yr-old J.B. Silverthorn was drunk during a court appearance & told not to attempt to drive home. Officers said Silverthorn then got into his car & pulled out of the parking lot before he was stopped by deputies." [If the name is printed in the paper, I do not omit it in an attempt to protect the guilty.]

(4/13) "Woman allegedly dangled son, who fell, over cheetahs at zoo. The Cleveland zoo says it will press child-endangerment charges against a woman who allegedly dangled her 2-yr-old son over a railing before he fell about 10' into a cheetah exhibit. The toddler's parents jumped in & pulled him to safety Saturday, & he was treated at a hospital for bruises . . . The cheetahs didn't move, said Chris Kuhar, executive director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo." [Other zoo visitors moved quickly, however, & the mother had to be rescued by zookeepers as she was dangled over the alligator pit.]

(7/7)  "A man is in hot water after allegedly stealing a bicycle, pitching it through a Berlin restaurant window, then entering & quaffing half a bottle of Tabasco sauce--telling authorities he was thirsty." [Those crazy Germans.]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Excerpts from the Norfolk Daily News:

(7/14) "Quite the appetite. (A) hungry Labrador has some unusual taste buds. A Mars, PA, veterinarian retrieved 62 hair bands, 8 pairs of underwear & a bandage from the dog's stomach during the exploratory surgery . . . Last week's surgery lasted two hours, & the vet & his technician were shocked at the items that were pulled out. The dog's owner . . . said Tiki once swallowed a plastic foam dart, but that passed through the dog's system naturally." [The dog's owner was also quoted as saying, "I'm done with all these crazy low-carb diets for dogs."]

From the Omaha World Herald (somewhat dated):

(6/26)  "Iowa State Fair announces new food choices. The Iowa State Fair has announced new food items for this summer's contest. Fairgoers can vote on 3 finalists in the New Food Contest: >> Corn in a Cup: sweet corn cut off the cob & then mixed with pork chorizo, butter, chayote cheese, lime juice, sour cream, mayo, & 'Magic Dust.' >> Toasted Coconut Caramel Cluster: a combination of toasted coconut, caramel fudge & pretzel bits that's frozen on a stick & dipped in chocolate. >> Ultimate Bacon Explosion: brisket infused with a light jalapeno cheese, blended w/seasonings & then wrapped in bacon, smoked & then sauced in a sweet chili bbq sauce. [Why the Iowa State Fair continues to be on my bucket list.]

From USA Today:

(7/8)  "Taco Bell puts delivery on menus." [Take that, Jimmy John's!]

SOMEWHAT CRINGE-WORTHY

(From the Norfolk Daily News, 3/17):  "Dear Dr. Roach: This may seem like a trivial concern in comparison to some of the matters you address in your column, but it is a concern of mine. My spouse passes gas throughout the night. He claims that he is asleep & unaware of any problems. I say that this is a voluntary activity & that he should be able to control it. Who is right?" D.B. Answer from Dr. Roach: He is. Passing gas while asleep is entirely involuntary. You probably are doing so also while asleep . . . " [(1) Lois swears that she did not send in this letter but refuses to take a lie-detector test. (2) INVOLUNTARY!]

(From the Omaha World Herald, 7/4):  "Ice melt reveals more than dirt . . . What emerges is not always apparent--or even pleasant. That pungent smell? It's a massive deposit of caribou dung in the Yukon that had been frozen for thousands of years, & now is decomposing in the air, its sharp odor unlocked." [In a related story, President Obama is convening a panel of the world's leading climate-change scientists to formulate policies to address this newest threat to global warming.]

(Also from the OWH, 7/15):  "Boston's 75-ft tower of filthy snow finally melts. The last of Boston's winter nightmare has finally melted. Mayor Martin Walsh announced TUE that Boston's once massive pile of filthy snow had officially dwindled to nothing. The pile accumulated into a 75-ft tower of snow after a record-braking winter that dumped more than 11" on the city. The mound made Bostonians shiver into the summer, but not because of the temperature; it was laden with more than 80 tons of garbage, transforming it into a repulsive trash heap as the snow melted." [Hillary Clinton blamed Fox News. Donald Trump blamed Mexicans. Al Sharpton blamed slave-owning Founding Fathers who are buried in Boston. Al Gore blamed global climate change. Greece blamed the EU.]

Fishing Philosophy Friday

Why would you be interested in my fishing philosophy? Fishing tips? I have had my moments, but over time I have not proven myself to be the world's greatest fisher-person.

Well, glad you asked. Lois & I spent most of this past week with David (Lois' brother) & Carmen (my sister-in-law/1st cousin) at Little Island Lake, a few miles south of Nevis, MN. David & I spent many hours fishing (not necessarily always catching), which gave us plenty of time to think & talk about fishing. Here are my thoughts & tips for whatever they are worth.

FIRST:  A SUMMARY OF MY "SUCCESS"

Sat 7/18:  We arrived late afternoon. I went down to the dock later in the evening & threw a lure into the lake for about 20 minutes, not expecting much success (due to weather conditions), but feeling obligated, since I bought an out-of-state, 7-day fishing license, which cost me $38. Although that may sound pricey, I (somewhat) gladly paid it, considering it my contribution to the Dept. of Natural Resources of Minnesota. I automatically assume that this is at least one government agency that I can depend on to spend its money wisely, unless they're spending it to save polar bears, which, based on a lot of global-warming hysterical claptrap that I've been reading again lately, could be rapidly moving into the Lake Superior region, as Arctic ice continues to recede. But I digress. Results from Day 1:  0 fish (not even a strike).

Sun 7/19:  
Today's results = 1 northern (on a hula popper!), 1 bass 
Total for the day = 2 fish 
Cost/benefit ratio = $19/fish
  
Mon 7/20:  
Today's results =  1 northern, 1 bass
Total for the day = 2 fish 
Weekly sub-totals = 2 northern + 2 bass; sub-total for week = 4 total fish
Cost/benefit ratio = $9.50/fish

Tue 7/21 (best "Today's results"):  
Today's results =  1 northern, 4 bass, including one 14" (best catch of the week)
Total for the day = 5 fish
Weekly sub-totals = 3 northern + 6 bass = 9 total fish
Cost/benefit ratio = $4.22+/fish [license beginning to pay for itself]

Wed 7/22:
Today's results = 1 northern (also on a hula popper!), 1 sunfish
Total for the day = 2 fish
Weekly sub-totals= 4 northern + 6 bass + 1 sunfish = 11 total fish
Cost/benefit ratio = $3.45/fish [cost/benefit ratio = dubious *]

* When fishing, one cannot measure success merely in economic terms. One also must take into account aesthetics. Then there is the intangible, namely, the "it" factor, i.e., one could be full of "it."


Comments:  

• First of all, one would not expect northern pike to hit on a hula popper. On my 1st or 2nd cast of the day on Sunday, one did, & the last one I caught on Tuesday also did. Stupid fish. 

• Secondly, if you would have told me at the beginning of the trip that I was going to catch 4 X as many northern as sunfish, I would have scoffed, nay, openly derided & mocked you. 

• Finally, are these daily summaries not the work of someone w/OCD? I wonder.

Lures (Mostly), Bait & the Possible Reasons Fish Will Go After Them

I fished briefly w/live bait on Wednesday afternoon while David took Lois out in the boat, so she could see the eagles nesting on the island. (Yes, there is a reason it is called "Little Island Lake.") I fished about 45 minutes. Let's just say I was successful in feeding the (presumably) panfish in the local vicinity (one leech & parts of two night crawlers) w/o upsetting the balance of nature by actually catching any of them. Lois was more successful in her eagle-watching odyssey. The following observations are mostly based on casting & retrieving a variety of artificial lures, which I used while fishing & once-in-awhile catching @ Little Island Lake. 
FISH WILL ATTACK YOUR LURE WHEN . . . 

• They are hungry. One would assume that hungry fish would hit just about anything that they see in the water. One would assume wrongly. First of all, there are problems with the word "think," which I shall address shortly. Secondly, fish are not hungry all the time. Unlike you & me (well, me at least) I'm not sure they'll decide to stop "hanging out," or whatever it is they do, & suddenly decide to go after something that vaguely resembles food, just for the heck of it.  [Rational side of my brain:  "I'm not at all hungry, but a cup of 2-month old Fruity Pebbles might really hit the spot." Emotional side of my brain: "Go for it."] Thirdly, they will be more likely to go after something that resembles the food they normally seek, i.e., familiar to them in their environment. Therefore, I stuck with lures that resembled minnows, frogs, & worms. I left home my lures that resemble penguins & baby seals.

• They are bored & decide to have some fun. If fish "thought" like you & me, they might occasionally get bored & take a strike at any object that looks out of the ordinary. (More on fish "thinking" later.) However, many fish have to spend considerable time looking over their shoulders(?), staying alert for any signs of predators. The concept of "boredom" may be foreign to them. Besides, what to you may look like an outstandingly, fascinating lure might look like an incredibly boring lure to a fish, because they do not "think" the way we do! (Conversation in my head, as I choose a lure from my tackle box:  ME:  'This combination fluorescent green worm w/a spinner & skirt on it, well, there's no way a fish won't find this attractive & worth checking out." FISH, AFTER SEEING LURE COMING AT IT IN WATER:  "Whatever that is, it's pretty lame. Also just plain weird. I'm going nowhere near it."

• They are angry.  Imagine you are at a water park, floating in the tide pool, happy, contented, sipping on a pina colada . . . and suddenly a bowling ball lands within inches of your inner tube. Yes, I suspect, like me, your first impulse would be fright, quickly followed by anger. Or maybe you're waiting in the express lane (12 items or less) @ Hy-Vee, when suddenly, by surprise, another shopper cuts in front of you w/only 6 items. You would agree with me, I think, that in either case, you might very well strike out in anger. So, one might "assume" that a fish would strike out in anger, if it is minding its own business when suddenly a honkin' big lure landed within inches of it. Or they might instinctively strike out in anger if another fish suddenly invaded their territory. However, once again, you may assume wrongly, because fish do NOT assume like you & I do. IF (& it's a big IF) fish brains are subject to a "fight or flight" instinct (like frequently happens when I see a picture in the media of "she who shall not be name"), the loud intervention of a lure in close proximity might just as easily frighten them off, along with any other fish within miles. Also, if you practice "catch & release," like other Christians besides me, consider this. You throw out a lure. It makes a fish mad (for whatever reason). He strikes. You set the hook & successfully reel him in. Then you release him. Assuming he swims back to the same neighborhood, & assuming he has learned a lesson (assuming fish can "learn"), the next time that lure lands anywhere close, he not only will avoid it, he will also warn every other fish in the following manner. "Wow, dude, I don't care if that thing makes you angry. Leave it alone! It fights back!"

• They are being defensive.  This motive is somewhat related to the previous one. I know from experience (& I'm not saying I'm proud to admit it) that a fish in a spawning bed will quickly attack any kind of lure or bait. I assume this is an instinctive defense mechanism--the result of millions of years of evolution--to defend one's offspring. [Did I just say "millions of years of evolution? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.) Is fishing this way an ethical practice? I may have to blog about this in a Theological Thursday entry, but I digress. Besides, if a fish can reason (open to debate), he may have seen the fish on either side of him go missing after attempting to chase away a similar object that now suddenly appears in his territory. Or she could be a coward & desert (dessert? *) the nest rather than confront the object. It's also possible that your lure may be cast in the vicinity of a "progressive" fish who is more than happy to co-exist.                       * As an English major, I am usually more careful to check out spelling in advance, but I am feeling unmotivated.

• They are playing mind games with you.  By far this is the most controversial aspect of fishing. Can fish think or reason like you or me? Do their brains function at the same level as our brain stems but not much higher? Can you use psychology on fish? I swear (I don't really. It's just a figure of speech.) that no one can make a hula popper "talk" like I can, making it completely irresistible to fish, but it brings me naught but grief.  (Sample conversation:  HULA POPPER:  "Spash. Pop. Galoop. Pop. Gloomp." ME TO DAVID:  "No fish can find that resistible." FISH: "Yes, we can.") I can place my casts in the best locations at the right time of day under the best or worse circumstances, & it seems to make no difference. Maybe "mind" isn't the right word for it, but in some strange way, I think fish do play mind games on us. Like they hit your 1st or 2nd offering of the day, lulling you into a false sense of potential success, which is short-lived, yet you are seduced into fishing an extra hour with that same lure w/o success. Maybe they play mind games with each other. like encouraging less popular fish to go after certain bait & lures, get caught, & improve the gene pool. Who can say? 

In summary:

I have just enough fun, find it just barely relaxing enough, and/or experience just enough success on occasion to keep fishing. If nothing else, I am supporting the sports' fishing tackle & bait industries, and stand in solidarity alongside other fishing people, which I am positive are conservative-voting blocs, & I practice "catch (although who am I kidding?) & release," which is a pretty good conservation practice, even if I don't get to practice as much releasing as I'd like.

Fact Check Friday

Homework Time!

Time to do some homework. We'll start with a T/F Quiz. It's five questions, so keep track of your answers and tell us how you did in the blog comments.

Quiz

1. Saddam Hussein had connections to the terrorist attacks of 9-11 and worked with Bin Laden 
   
   • True
   • False 
   • Neither
2. George W. Bush did poorly in school and was not very intelligent
   
   • True
   • False 
   • Unsure
3. Barrack Obama is not a Christian because he is a socialist
   
   • True
   • False
4. The United States Constitution should be interpreted the way the founding fathers intended it
   
   • True
   • False
5. Gun control doesn't curb gun violence
   
   • True
   • False

Now, before you accuse me of cherry picking my information, please read at least one of the following links for each question. You are also entitled to use Bing, Google, etc. to find your own source.

1. Read:

• Is there a link between Al Qaeda and Iraq?
• WikiLeaks: The Iraq-Al Qaeda Connection Confirmed, Again
• The Cheneys’ claim of a ‘deep, longstanding, far-reaching relationship’ between al-Qaeda and Saddam

 2. Read:

• Bush at Yale
• Bush/Gore grades and SAT scores (Kerry's included as well)
• Celebrity ACT scores (some SAT scores of been given an equivalent ACT scores)

 3. Read:

• 'President's Devotional' shares scripture that inspired Obama
• Obama v. King David: Honoring Fallen Warriors
• Focus on the Family Gives President High Marks
• O'Reilly: "It Seems Obama Is More Skeptical of Christians than Muslims"

4. Read the constitution:

• Digital History

5.  Read:

• Six facts about gun control 
• Gun Control: Just the Facts

Now, having read one or my links, please revise your answers. A well-informed citizen and journalist should go where the facts lead and be open to changing her opinion.

Here are my answers, and I definitely changed my mind on a couple:

1. Partly true. Saddam had connections, but most likely was not involved in coordinating any terrorist attacks on the U.S. Saddam had all the reasons in the world to keep a semi-diplomatic relationship with the U.S. and its allies. George H.W. Bush left him in power for a reason: his harsh totalitarianism kept his the various tribal factions from killing each other in the streets. When he was overthrown, various factions, terror groups, and ethnic groups filled the vacuum of power for a variety of reasons, but the door was open with Saddam was overthrown and the Iraqi army was disbanded. Paul's answer:  Who cares? We went to war w/Saddam on the basis of actionable intelligence, however flawed it may or may not have been, available at the time. Democrats, including "she who shall not be named," fully supported this decision at the time.
2. False. George Bush was smart--really smart. In my opinion, his shortcomings were lack of reflectiveness and letting Cheney call too many shots. Torture, ill-conceived foreign interventions, reduction of civil rights, and the militarization of police forces can be traced back to the Bush administration. Same goes for the housing market crash. Capitalism can work, but not if CEOs, fund managers, and "job creators" control most of the "wealth," and human capital (labor) is so week that parents working two jobs cannot afford decent housing and food for their families. Paul's question:  Why haven't we ever seen our current POTUS' college transcripts? Hmmm.
3. In the orthodox tradition (and Protestant, and Catholic), unequivocally false. Judgments on behavior, doctrine, etc. are permitted by scripture, but "judging" people's faith is specifically prohibited. The common "proof texts" can be found here, here, and here.  Paul's comment:  AGREE! We are expressly warned not to judge what is in the heart of another. A person's conduct is legitimately open to question, however.
4. In the Lutheran, Catholic, and Orthodox tradition, as well as the Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Anishinabe traditions, unequivocally false. Writing technology, the constant changing of language, etc., makes any document difficult to "interpret." Writer intent is only one factor of rhetorical or hermeneutical analysis. Slavery, states rights, the right to bare arms, etc., are difficult to interpret. Should states be allowed to establish militias? What are the limits are free speech (money = speech, protecting journalistic sources, etc.)?  Paul's comment:  Be cautious when depending on Herman Neutical, an obscure German Lutheran theologian (name often misspelled in the historical record.)
5. Mostly false. Should Americans be allowed to legally purchase automatic weapons? What about surface to air missiles? Here's an argument I hear all the time: criminals will just obtain weapons anyway. I'll grant that point, however, then you must apply it across the board. Regardless of laws, criminals will acquire stolen property, pirated videos, marijuana, prescription painkillers, etc. Wait! You say: gun ownership is in the constitution. So is free speech, and fair use clause. These should apply to many "stolen" videos. Read about the right to screen movies without permission of the copyright owners here.   

How'd you do on this quiz? Leave your comments below, OR on Facebook. If you disagree with any of my answers, tell me where you get your news and cite your sources. I'm open to changing my mind, but not without some evidence backing your opinion.


Read this report from Business Insider about news sources. I do not watch MSNBC, CNN, or Fox News on a regular basis. The twenty four hour news cycle has destroyed accuracy and civility in public discourse. Talking points with misinformation, misquotes, deceptions, etc. are far too common. Three minute sound bites and debates about issues of no particular importance abound.  Paul's comment:  This purportedly conservative source, purports to portray those who rely solely or at least primarily on Fox News for their knowledge of purported current events as somewhat (& I emphasize the word "somewhat", as in "statistically as significant as the difference between a planet & dwarf planet") less knowledgable as those who get their information from other sources of a purported more progressive spin. I feel obliged to include this commentary because I love the word "purported" & its derivatives.


You are allowed to be biased. You are allowed to vote. You are allowed to spend your "disposable" income as you see fit. Until you show your values through your actions, I'd worry less about trying to control other's actions through religion and politics.


Last things:


Read, "Who are the working poor?" Consider how often you work, and if your job is more valuable to society than those who make the sandwiches you eat, make the beds you sleep in, and process the meat you eat.


Watch (language warning):

 Watch:

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It's Happened to Me Before; It Happened to Me Again!

The SCOTUS' recent decision re:  gay marriage is a topic I have avoided for many reasons, yet it has deeply troubled me on many levels. This is your chance to stop reading now.

I think some of you can relate to this. Lois & I have often found over the course of years that in our daily devotional lives there are days when a daily meditation and/or scripture just nails a current issue that is troubling either or both of us. It's uncanny--almost as if God has something to do with it! And so it happened to me today during my quiet time. A trifecta! (I sincerely hope I used that word correctly. If not, I apologize IF I offended you.)

If there's one thing that has become a consistently significant part of my "sabbatical," it's been my daily quiet time . . . a part of each day, early in the morning, soon after I get up each day, devoted to devotion, meditation, scripture, & prayer. At first it was a chore, & my struggle w/OCD has made it hard to keep this from being a ritualistic exercise. But it has become a deeply meaningful part of my experience, & through it I believe I've become closer to God. I do NOT believe that it has brought ME closer to God than it has brought YOU closer to God.

• During my quiet time each day I generally "warm up" by going on-line to check-out the daily devotion posted @ "Slice of Infinity," published by Ravi Zacharias International. It speaks to the side of me that Christian apologetics appeals to, & I highly recommend it.

• Next I check out the Lutheran Hour Ministry devotion, also posted on-line, almost always written by Rev. Ken Klaus. It is a solid, "meat-&-potatoes," LCMS, Law & Gospel, meditation, firmly rooted in a Lutheran understanding of scripture. 

• Eventually, I work my way to a book I started using on July 1, 2014, entitled, A Year through the Old Testament," written by Jeffrey Pulse. For every day of the year it contains Psalms, one or more OT readings & one or more NT readings. It's keyed to the Church year, it's published by Concordia Publishing House, so you know that it is also thoroughly grounded in Lutheran theology. (It seems as if I can't escape my LCMS roots. I make no apologies for that.)

All three of these devotional resources spoke to me earlier last week & helped quiet some of the spiritual turmoil that's been disturbing me. I offer these excerpts & I reactions for what they are worth. My prayer is that the wisdom of God's Word & these wise people, NOT the wisdom of Paul Leckband, speaks to you.

(From "Gaps," a devotion written by Margaret Manning Skull for A Slice of Infinity, the 7/14/15 devotion published on-line by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries):

"Jesus acknowledged that His ministry would be disruptive, & even be misunderstood. In responding to John [the Baptist's] doubts, Jesus said, 'Blessed is the one who keeps from stumbling over Me' (Matt 11:6). Like John before us, those who seek to follow Jesus often stumble over Him. The gaps between what we believe & what we experience create fissures in faith into which we fall . . . Might mining the gaps we experience hold the treasure of new insights & the beauty of a more faithful devotion if we are willing to let go of 'comfortable assumptions' & cherished expectations? If so, then might all the faithful dig deep & find that what is precious & most valuable is often found in the fissures of dissonance."
       
Here's my take. 

• The danger of Christian apologetics is always falling in love with our own human reasoning & intellect to the extent that we let it override the wisdom of Jesus. And where is the wisdom of Jesus to be found? In His own words which are to be found & pondered & pounded into us through reading & re-reading & meditating over & praying over Holy Scripture. Above all this calls for--& this is hard for me--NOT approaching Scripture with my own "comfortable assumptions & cherished expectations." 

• At first glance it seems to ME that Jesus would want everyone to be happy, i.e., if marrying my gay lover would make me happy, wouldn't Jesus approve of gay marriage? Does anything in Scripture point to Jesus wishing that kind of earthly happiness upon us? I see nowhere in Scripture--NOWHERE--where God speaks of homosexual sex as anything but immoral. (He condemns plenty of other forms of immoral sex as well, by the way.)

• At first glance it seems to me that Jesus would want everyone to be saved. Doesn't the Bible even say that? "God would have all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth," right? But Jesus also declared unequivocally, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH, & the LIFE. NO ONE comes to the Father EXCEPT BY ME." When we buy into the world's & Satan's lie that we all worship the same God, we "stumble over Jesus" & "fall into a fissure of faith."

Margaret isn't telling us to mine the gaps & search for new treasures of our own making. She's encouraging us to search for new treasures already waiting for us to discover in God's Word.

(From "Hanging in There," written by Rev. Ken Klaus for the 7/14/15 devotion published on-line by Lutheran Hour Ministries):

" . . . God expects His people to hang in there. He wants His people to hang in there when the response is less than we had wanted. He wants us to hang in there when the crowds aren't as overflowing as we had hoped. He wants us to hang in there even though the offering plates are not always filled to overflowing. He wants us to hang in there & keep teaching even if some of our class seems to turn a deaf ear. He wants us to hang in there because faithful men & women are the ones the Holy Spirit uses to share the Gospel, with a lost world & a wandering generation. We hang in there because this world still needs to know:  God so loved the world that He gave His only Son (see John 3:16)." (From "Hanging in There," Lutheran Hour Ministries devotion written by Rev. Ken Klaus & published on-line, 7/14/15) 

Once again, my take . . . 

It troubles me greatly that if we oppose gay marriage, if we oppose the gay lifestyle, we are haters, and we need to shut up. I honestly can't think of a more unloving thing to do. 

Wait a minute . . . Yes, I can. Climbing on top of a soapbox & screaming that "fags" are going to hell & our military personnel are dying in battle because of our country's embracing of gay rights, well, I think that may be a more unloving thing to do. 

• We are warned not to judge others lest we be judged by the same measure. I believe that means we are NOT to judge what's in a person's heart. That's why it always troubles me to hear or read people claim that our president is not a Christian. 

• On the other hand, I believe we are called to hold others accountable for ungodly words & actions. We are called to love others, not just as ourselves, but as Jesus' loves us. Think of the people whom Jesus came to save. Yet He didn't condone their lifestyles. 

• Staying silent in the face of ungodly behavior, especially by Christian brothers & sisters, is giving our tacit approval to lifestyles that is interfering with their relationship with the Savior.

        
Ultimately God loved the world & the sinful people in it so much that He gave His one & only Son to die for the sins of those people, including sinful you & sinful me. That would be regardless of their sins, whether it be homosexual behavior or otherwise. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus made it crystal clear. 

• Murder is absolutely wrong, but hating someone is as sinful as murder. 

• Sleeping with another man's wife is adultery, but so is desiring to sleep with another man's wife. 

• Do we not live in a culture that abounds in pornography? Do we tolerate it?

(From A Year in the Old Testament, by Jeffrey Pulse, Concordia Publishing House, 2012, devotion written for Friday-Easter 4, page 146):

"Even in the midst of an evil world, the Lord sets apart His people; even in the midst of ungodly & pagan ways, the Lord sets apart His people. However, the slings & arrows of the evil one are vicious & persistent. The trials & trauma of an unclean, polluted world seek to overwhelm us. The cesspool of filth & corruption overflows upon the land & pollutes all who abide in it. How can we hope to be holy in this disgusting pit of sin? And if we are not holy, how can we be presented as a holy Bride? . . . 
        As slime & scum flow over our land, polluting everything in its path Christ Jesus stands stands in the way, stopping its advance & cleansing its corruption. As our culture of corruption seeks to impose its will & the garbage of immorality piles up in our streets, Christ Jesus stands in the midst, the Holy & Righteous One, shining in the darkness. As the vain & inglorious words & philosophies of an unrepentant world echo through the hills & valleys of our society, Christ Jesus is the clear voice of grace & truth sounding above the din. The Holy One has come to cleanse & claim His holy Bride . . . You shall be holy, for the Lord your God is holy--& we are in Christ Jesus!

So, are gay people slimy scum? Well, then we better join the club, because God has called us to be holy like He is holy, & we just can't be holy . . . except through Jesus. 

• It is through Him alone that we become holy. 

• Can a gay person be a believer? Yes, I believe He can, & I think there are gay people trapped in that lifestyle who try desperately to escape it, just like I find myself trapped in my own pet sins, trying desperately to escape.

• The solution? Look to Jesus, the author & perfector of your faith, & seek Him where He may be found. 

• And where may He be found? In His Word.

• If nothing else during my "sabbatical," I've learned this . . . 

• The more I think I know about Jesus & His Word, the more I find out I need to know about Jesus & His Word.

Those are my theological musings for today. Wow! I really got on one, but remember, a big reason I blog is because I find writing to be therapeutic for me. I welcome your comments & dialogue.

Reviews of today's blog:

"While the writer speaks from his heart, this makes for very ponderous reading. Those who are used to his lighter side will not enjoy today's post." Christianity Today

"We can neither confirm nor deny the Lutheran doctrinal authenticity of Mr. Leckband's so-called insights." The Lutheran Witness

"What he lacks in brevity he makes up for in verbosity." Lois Leckband

"He lost us after the first three sentences." CTCR

"If anything could be called blasphemous, this must be it. If we understood what 'blasphemous' meant." Huffington Post