Brrr! + Kneeling + AOC

Record-Setting Temp Challenge

A look at temperatures this morning indicated record-setting results. I can't remember the last time all locations registered temps below 0. I also can't remember the last time I saw a wind-chill reading of -48. 

Here are today's results, based on wunderground.com @ 6:53a. [Our family "up north" puts our Nebraska family to shame.]

#6, Balmiest Leckband's, Beatrice, NE [my sister Carolyn]-8/wind chill -8.
#5, Lincoln, NE [my daughter Sarah], -9/-9.
#4, Norfolk, NE [Lois & me + our daughter Rachel], -11/-11
#3, Ventura, IA [my niece Christal], -26/-26
#2, Eagan, MN [my son Nathan], -28/-28
#1, Garrison, IA [my brother Mark], -25/-48 *

* I checked this reading twice. Apparently it's accurate.

Favorite Taglines

I check the Drudge Report every day. Here are two taglines today that I found worthy of checking the articles. *

• "Netflix begs users to stop calling serial killer Ted Bundy 'hot'" . . . "
• Early risers enjoy better mental health, major genetic study finds . . . "

* I can neither confirm nor deny that I ACTUALLY read the articles.

Political Potpourri

"The NFL put an end to the National Anthem kneeling protests. The focus could return to sports & not silent gestures meant to drive home the leftist argument that we should be deeply ashamed about how America is horribly racist & the police are a pack of murderers . . . athletes should also keep in mind that people get tired of celebrities being treated as the wisest of statesmen just because they're talented at something other than politics." [Brent Bozell & Tim Graham, "The NFL Recovers from Kneeling Frenzy," 1/26]

"The funniest part about Alexandria Ocasion-Corez is the way the main stream media seamlessly & simultaneously--sometimes in the same sentence--mocks conservatives for criticizing an insignificant freshman congresswoman and marvels at how she is the future of the party & a rock star." [Jonah Goldberg, "AOC & Trump:  A case Study in Double Standards," 1/28]

Monday Mailaise

Lois & I used to identify the last few weeks of January with a mental slump. Well, I've been in a mental slump for some time now. Is it symptomatic with the time of year? Is it symptomatic of my clinical depression. Not sure.

Symptoms include the following:

• Difficulty focusing, which I have noticed in my reading, as well as my writing for Orphan Grain Train.
• General feelings of apathy.
• A disconnect from other people & social situations.
• A desire to hibernate.
• Mental lethargy.

Today I have a session with my therapist, whom I've not seen for some time now. I imagine that we will spend some time addressing these symptoms.

January seems a likely time for general malaise, which may be associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This affliction often accompanies clinical depression. The winter already seems long--too long--& there are many weeks yet to come.

Until last night--when I was pretty much awake from 2:30a until the alarm went off at 6:00, I've been sleeping pretty well. Maybe too well.

• I've been napping for an hour or more pretty much every day.
• Due to a case of bronchitis & a bad cough, I've been taking cough medicine with codeine at bedtime. 
• Last night I didn't take any, because my cough has pretty much disappeared. Did I get a little too dependent on codeine?

Due to my bronchitis & cough I haven't been reporting for cardiac maintenance. Regular exercise is known to improve mental health. 

New Year's Resolutions Update

It's been almost a month since I made them, so here's my update.

• Not to read any partisan diatribes re:  the 2020 elections. Although I continue to read partisan diatribes, I've avoided those focused on the next round of elections. [Maybe reading ANY partisan diatribes would improve my outlook on life.]
• Add to our list of National Parks & cross something off our bucket list. This will have to wait until September when we plan to visit Teddy Roosevelt & Glacier National Parks.
• Lose 10 lbs. Thanks to my slovenly eating habits, I only have 12 lbs to go.
• Treat Sammy with more patience. Hmmm. Not sure about this one.
• Help put out all our Christmas decorations. This will have to wait until November.
• Work out at least 3X per week. I haven't worked out very much this month--certainly nowhere close to 3X per week.
• Continue spending an hour or so in "quiet time" every day. Yes.
• Wrote a devotion book for the 2019 Orphan Grain Train Convention [which is in September]. I haven't started yet. I've been suffering from writers' bloc.
• Receive a DNA report from Ancesstry.com. I mailed in my kit on 12/31 but haven't heard anything yet.

LIVING UNDER GRACE 

He sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever. Holy & awesome is His name!” Ps. 111:9

“God is to be praised because He has not based His gracious covenant of the forgiveness of sin on our merit but on His Word, & because He still commands that it should stand firm & eternal, not falling when we win, nor becoming valid when we are pious.” (Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.)

Free-for-All Friday

Arctic Temps + Freeloaders + Shutdown + Covington Teens

Leckband Temp Challenge

Our Iowanians certainly have impressively arctic readings this morning.
> #6, Balmiest Leckbands, Norfolk, NE, 17/wind chill 5
> #5, Beatrice, NE, 16/1
> #4, Lincoln, NE, 13/0
> #3, Eagan, MN, -8/-8
> #2, Ventura, IA, -5/-19
> #1, Garrison, IA, -11/-22

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

* Courtesy of "Laugh Lines," Reader's Digest, Dec. '18/Jan. '19

• "I hate freeloaders who join in the New Year's Eve countdown for the last ten seconds. I've been doing this all year. Where were you back in May?"
• "To all those who received a book from me as a Christmas present...they are due back at the library tomorrow."

Taglines

From Drudge Report, 1/25:  I didn't have time to read the articles.

* Emotional support alligator helps depression...

* Cannabis users' syndrome made woman vomit 30 times in one day...

* 50% Facebook accounts fake?...

* American Airlines kicks family off plane, citing body odor...

Political Potpourri

"But by constantly paying lip service to the president's cherished policy goal while doing nothing, Republicans made it inevitable that he would get fed up w/the delays & force a confrontation. At the very least, the congressional GOP deserves a larger portion of the blame, & its insistence that this is only a crisis now that it is not in charge should be added to the hypocrisy list alongside the Democrats' sudden moral horror of walls." [Jonah Goldberg, "Who's at Fault in the Shutdown Fight," National Review Online, 1/25]

"A day after the initial story of what happened with the Covington kids fell apart, & after Nathan Phillips was exposed as having told a number of lies about it, TMZ was still offering headline like, 'MAGA hat smirking teen offers no apology to Nathan Phillips.' Why a teen must offer an apology to a purposefully annoying adult who walks into his group banging a drum inches from his face is unclear--unless you understand that wearing that hat & smirking are the crimes here." [Kyle Smith, "Hatecrime & Facecrime," NRO, 1/25]

Whatever Wednesday

Political Potpourri

So, what do I think about the controversy involving the Covington Catholic students? I'm glad you asked.

The initial video snippet certainly looked indicting, & many group & people on both sides quickly condemned the students. However, there was much more to the story. A subsequent, lengthy video of the entire incident revealed a whole other side. The student were being taunted by another group of adults. Nathan Phillips' presence was not benign.

This morning I read an article by David French on National Review Online. Titled, "Nathan Phillips Interview with CNN Is Full of Falsehoods, Inconsistencies, & Nonsense," it offers a detailed look of the interview, which portrayed Phillips as virtually an innocent bystander & literally a peacemaker. French totally deconstructs Phillips' narrative & comments & is worth your read, if you can find it. Here's an excerpt.

"I've been to dozens of high school football & basketball games. In the South a least, this is what student bodies do. They shout. They dance around. They get loud. And if they're being taunted by racists, it actually seems like a constructive response to hate speech. Don't engage, have fun. But then came Nathan Phillips, he walked into their midst, he sang words they didn't understand, & then he spewed falsehoods in the national media. Why are so many progressives taking his word as true? Because he's telling the story they want to heart, not because he's telling the truth."

To summarize:

• These students were being taunted by another group of adults.
• Nathan Phillips forced his way into the confrontation.
• He was NOT trying to work as a peacemaker.
• The students may have responded indelicately, but they also may have responded as typical high school students.
• Progressives prefer to see these young men as haters.
• The media has given Phillips a forum that he does not deserve.
• The media has only served to feed the true haters. [Covington Catholic had to shut down on TUE 1/22, due to threats.]
• The students may, at worst, have acted immaturely.
• The media, at worst, continues to advance a narrative that seeks to paint "the other side" as bigoted & prejudiced.This narrative is more important than reporting the facts.

A Continuing Evil in Our Culture

Alexandria Desantis writes the following in an article re:  Planned Parenthood (PP) posted on National Review Online today. * I find this information depressing & distressing. She makes the following points.

• "By any standard, PP exists to facilitate abortion in the U.. Perhaps this is why the group's new president, Leana Wen, recently described abortion as PP's 'core mission,' despite its recent PR campaign--with the slogan 'This Is Health Care'--to convince Americans otherwise."
• " . . . the number of non-abortion services provided at PP clinics decreased in nearly every major category during the '17-18 fiscal year."
• " . . . PP's provision of most actual health-care services, aside from STI tests & treatment, in fact has declined from one year to the next. The group's adoption referrals, for example, decreased by 1,000 last year, dropping to just under 3,000 total, which means that PP clinics performed 118 abortions for every one adoption referral."
• " . . . PP has 'more than 600 health centers' in the U.S. Compare that with more than 13,000 federally qualified health care centers all across the country, which provide far more health-care services without performing abortions."
• " . . . PP knows that unlimited, taxpayer-funded abortions on demand is unpopular, so the group & it defenders spread misinformation & fiction about its activities."
• "PP's own annual report does the work of its critics, showing that the organization is, first & foremost, a corporation that profits from the routine killing of unborn human beings.

MY COMMENTS:  Planned Parenthood & its supporters deserve to be exposed. PP deserves no taxpayer funds to support its unholy work. Contacting state & federal legislators to oppose funding for PP seems like a worthy endeavor. Supporting pregnancy-crisis centers that do NOT provide abortion referrals also seems to be a worthy endeavor. Supporting pro-life organizations furthermore seems to be a worthy endeavor.

* "Planned Partnhood's New Annual Report Disproves Its Own Narrative," National Review On-lline (1/21).

Temp Challenge + Texas + Climate Change Alarmism

Leckband Temp Challenge

Results from Weather Underground at 7:13a:

• #6, BALMIEST LECKBANDS, Garrison, IA, 14/2 windchill
• #5, Lincoln, NE, 8/-4
• #4, Beatrice, NE, 9/-7
• #3, Ventura, IA, 2/2
• #2, Norfolk, NE, 4/-12
• #1, Eagan, MN, 0/-13

There Is No Place Like . . . Texas

"Houston mayoral candidate brings wheelbarrows of manure to mtg with press." [Drudge Report, 1/19]

"Wichita Falls PD:  Woman riding cart drinking wine from Pringles can barred from Wal-mart." [Times Record News, on-line source]

The Sky Is Falling!

Norfolk Daily News editorial, 1/18:  "Alarmism doesn't help any. When it comes to climate change, honesty needed in discussing chaotic world of climatology . . . Society has been subjected to what seems like an endless series of predictions of doom. The problem is that predicting the worst--in hopes of spurring corrective action--isn't working. Rather, unrealistic predictions of doom sow seeds of doubt & help explain why alarmism has failed . . . None of this is intended to mean that Americans should ignore climate change. It is intended to demonstrate why it's wise to be at least a little skeptical about the type of alarmism contained in the most recent government report & the scary scenarios offered up by hard-core advocates.

        "As a society, we will do much better in addressing climate change if those who claim expertise are more honest in discussing data & measurement problems, especially of the distant past, the limitations of complex computer models caused by reliance on too many assumptions, & the fact that the climate is a chaotic system. Distinguishing between known facts & 'expert judgment' will help policy makers & the public better understand the extent of risk & the appropriateness of proposed actions."

Free-for-All Friday

There Is No Place Like . . . Israel

From Omaha World Herald (1/15):  "'McJesus' sculpture shocks Israel's Christians. An art exhibit in Israel featuring a crucified Ronald McDonald has sparked protests by the country's Arab Christian minority . . . Christian leaders asked a court MON to remove the exhibit's most offensive items, including Barbie doll renditions of a bloodied Jesus & the Virgin Mary. The exhibit is intended to criticize what many view as society' cult-like worship of capitalism. Which is exactly what comes to mind at the image of a crucified Ronald McDonald & Barbie boll renditions of a bloodied Jesus & the Virgin Mary.

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

* Courtesy of Reader's Digest (Dec/Jan. '18-19)

"It's a good thing snakes & dogs don't interbreed.Nobody wants a loyal snake."

"Car commercials grossly overestimate how much time I spend driving around in the desert."

What's New?

"What's new? It's a common question, especially when we are greeting someone we haven't seen for a while. We are looking for news--new information about events & people that impact their lives. Sometimes the response is something like 'Oh, you know, same old, same old.' Sometimes in this world 'new' is expressed in terms of loss & brokenness:  the new reality of living with disease or facing a new day without someone we loved so very much. Sometimes new isn't wanted or welcomed.
        "As disciples of our Savior Jesus, we can answer the question 'What's new?' by reflecting on His work in our lives. We can share about God's new mercies to us each day (Lam. 3:22); His work of making us new creations (2 Cor. 5:17); the new song He gives us of His redemption in Jesus (Ps. 96:1); even the new commandment we have been given to love others in the same way that He has loved us (Luke 1:78). Alright, launching into all of this might be going a big overboard for a brief conversation or chance meeting, but hopefully you get the idea. We experience new life & hope each day through the promises of our God of grace." *
* From "On the Move," by Phil Johnson, The Lutheran Layman (Jan/Feb 2019) 

Political Potpourri

I'm sure you've been waiting patiently for me to comment re:  the government shutdown. Well, here goes.

•  Border security is a must. Border insecurity has been the rule for too long.
• Democrats would gain some credibility with me, if they would acknowledge this.
• If a wall is so bad, what's a logical alternative that both sides could agree on?
• I'm distressed to see that garbage & fighting in National Parks have been escalating.
• How come our government has so many "non-essential" workers?
• The longer this goes on, the more it seems like posturing by both sides of the aisle.
• Both sides seem to think that compromise means giving in completely to their demands.
• If congressmen had any integrity at all, they would forego their paychecks, as Don Bacon from Nebraska has done, until the shutdown has ended.
• The SOTU address could get ugly.

Mental Health Monday

Politics & Prayer...License Plates...Alaska...Joke-Stealing...Thought for Today

Political Potpourri

Politics stress me out, but I don't know if that qualifies as clinical anxiety. I have a feeling that politics stress a lot of people out. The current brouhaha over the border wall & government shutdown includes way too many bad actors. Here's a prayer that I ran across during my daily quiet time this morning. It's from "My Prayer Book" (Concordia Publishing House).

O God, I pray You also, bless & prosper the members of my faith & my friends. Give us a government which rules for the welfare of all. Protect our country, our churches, our homes, our schools, that we may work quietly & enjoy Your blessings in peace. Help us all to remember that our needs will be supplied as long as we rely on You & on Your bountiful mercy. For all things make me thankful;  in the name of Jesus. Amen.

License Plate Bingo

We're off to a good start this year. We've already identified 5 different state license plates. If we can keep up this pace, & if my math is correct, we should have all 125 states by the end of the year.

There Is No Place Like . . . Alaska

From Norfolk Daily News (1/9):  "Moose walks into Alaska hospital, finds snack. A moose wandered into a hospital building in Alaska's largest city (Anchorage) & chowed down on some plants in the lobby as workers watched the massive animal in awe."

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

* Courtesy of Reader's Digest (Dec-Jan '18-19)

• Two quotation marks walk into a "bar".
• A malapropism walks into a bar, looking for all intensive purposes like a wolf in cheap clothing, muttering epitaphs.
• Hyperbole totally rips into this insane bar & absolutely destroys everything.
• A non sequitur walks into a bar. In a strong wind, even turkeys can fly.
• A mixed metaphor walks into a bar, seeing the handwriting on the wall but hoping to nip it in the bud.
• A cliche' walks into a bar--fresh as a daisy, cute as a button, & sharp as a tack.
• A synonym strolls into a tavern.

Thought for Today

CRY FOR HELP

“Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress!”  Ps. 102:2

“But in that light & face all good things are comprehended, because it is nothing else than knowing Jesus Christ. And to know Him is to know & have everything.”  Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.