Free-for-All Friday

Water + More Water + the Electoral College + Snowplow Parents

TRUTH

"Lead me in Your truth & teach me." Psalm 25:5

"Sometimes the way of truth means humbly setting aside our way for what God shows us is His way . . . " [Psalms for Lent, Jane Wilke, Creative Communications for the Parish, 2018]

Flood News

"Nebraska has 93 counties. As of WED evening, a staggering 79 of those counties declared emergencies. Residents from at least 29 counties have been ordered to evacuate, which may not count all the places where Nebraskans ran from the floods all on their own." ["Rising water cracking sound & a mad dash to escape," Omaha World Herald, 3/21]

" . . . there are so many roads out & bridges washed away that county governments have run out of barricades & are using warning flags instead." ["News of flood hard to process," Diane Becker, Norfolk Daily News, 3/20]

"State officials say the flooding that swept Nebraska has caused nearly 31.4 billion in estimated losses & damage. Gov. Pete Ricketts says roads, levies & other infrastructure had sustained an estimated $449 million in damage. Damage to private homes & businesses has reached $85 million so far, & farmers have experienced $400 million cattle losses & $440 million in crop losses."  [Radio Review, WJAG News Talk, 3/21]

"Nebraska's governor surveys the damage from a helicopter--sees bridges washed out, dikes pierced, dams overcome. One third of Nebraska is directly impacted by the flood, he declares. So far. All of this is the product of record snowfall & a bomb cyclone, an epic drop in air pressure that triggers massive weather events. Another word for it:  historic. Still another:  apocalyptic . . . 
       "Water overflows & undermines Water rises & ruins & ravages. At the same time, water cleanses, rejuvenates & restores. Water baptizes. Water kills . . . 
       "One day, this water will recede. And thousands of Nebraskans will restart & rebuild with the work ethic that quietly courses through us. Water again will become what we covet. And, yet, what we curse." ["Nebraska flood of 2019: 'Historic' is an understatement," Todd Cooper, OWH 3/19]

Political Potpourri

"The preamble to the Constitution describes a 'more perfect union,' which is not the same as 'perfect union.'"  ["The Burn It Down! Democrats," Kevin Williamson, National Review Online, 3/21]

Abolishing the Electoral College would make parties even weaker by further incentivizing populist politicians to work outside the system to cultivate celebrity & cults of personality . . . Most of our political problems today are a result of our political gatekeepers surrendering to the mob." ["Abolishing the Electoral College Would Be a Mistake," Jonah Goldberg," Drudge Report 3/22]

Parenting

"The New York Times informs us that the 'helicopter parent'--the hovering nervous ball of anxiety--is out. Constant surveillance of children is not enough. Now we have 'snowplow parents,' who rush ahead of their children & clear out all obstacles in their paths." ["There Goes the Neighborhood," Michael Dougherty, NRO 3/22]

Food for Thought

"Kale now one of the most pesticide contaminated vegetables . . . " [Drudge 3/21]