Whatever Wednesday

Passport Photos + Millennials + CNN + Impeachment

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY MONTH THOUGHT

"If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel." Will Kommen

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE . . . FLORIDA

"Cold-stunned iguanas falling from Florida trees" Drudge Report, 1/22

WHATEVER

• "Archaeologists discover King David's 'Make Israel Great Again' hat" Babylon Bee, 1/20
• "Ginsburg:  'I am mentally fit enough to serve through the end of President Eisenhower's Term'" ditto
• "STUDY:  Average American now sleeping just 5.5. hours each night"  Drudge Report, 1/21
• "Schools took away students' phones. Now they're treating separation anxiety" ditto
• "After senseless murder of Goliath, Philistines call for ban on fuly automic, high-capacity slings" Babylon Bee, 1/22

"Renting couches may make sense for generation may make sense for generation that sees 'life as transient.' Furniture rental startups target millennials who want convenience, not commitment"  Omaha World Herald, 1/20

Though people have more money, better health care, better health, better housing and more education, and live longer than at any time in history, they — especially young people — are unhappier than at any time since data collection began. Dennis Prager, National Review Online, 1/21

Americans seem to disagree with each other more and to dislike each other more than they have in the lifetime of most of us. Patrick Buchanan, Townhall 1/21

THE MEDIA

What will the mainstream media breathlessly report today? Will the daily hysterics be over Iran? How about how the Senate treats impeachment? Are left-wing activists going to protest the weather? Or, is there going to be a meltdown over a tweet? Does it matter? Actually, no. Few people genuinely care about what the left-wing media is hyperventilating over today. The reason is that no one cares anymore. After almost four years of palpitations, it is evident that the legacy media reports hysteria – not the news . . . The legacy media has become one of the most disingenuous organizations in America today. The First Amendment is so that journalists could expose and hopefully halt any government corruption or wrongdoing. All of our election and appointed officials must have a watchdog. However, over time, establishment news has lost its way. Now, they have turned into partisans with no credibility. Trump has rightfully exposed them as "fake news."  John Dempsey, Townhall 1/19 

In recent years, CNN has been forced to apologize many times for false reporting on President Donald Trump. Their “fake news” coverage also extends to others considered to be Trump supporters. The network just announced that it settled a lawsuit with Nick Sandmann, a Covington Catholic High School student from Kentucky, who was falsely accused of mistreating and racially harassing Nathan Phillips, a Native American activist, at a pro-life rally last year. The amount of the payment was not revealed but by settling the lawsuit instead of fighting it, CNN admitted its role in falsely portraying Sandmann. He was targeted by the network and other liberal media outlets for having the audacity to wear a “Make America Great Again” hat . . . Today, CNN is a joke of a network with poor ratings and pitiful shows. It is a far cry from their heyday in the 1980’s, when it was a respected news network. Jeff Crouere, Townhall, 1/19

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

Many conservatives and many Republicans believe that the political world is unfair and slanted against them in a million different ways, large and small. Party establishments build high barriers to get on the ballot, and then take action to protect incumbents who already enjoy significant advantages. The media plays favorites, treats their preferred candidates with kid gloves, and deliberately misconstrues innocuous comments to demonize the candidates they don’t like. When their preferred candidates mess up, members of the press mobilize to explain that the criticisms is overblown, that Republicans are pouncing, and that the real question is whether the GOP is in danger of overreaching. Post-primary endorsements are withheld by spoilsport losing candidates. Jim Geraghty, NRO 1/21

Democrats insist the Senate trial be "fair." How is it fair when House Democrats continue to leak documents they hope will damage the president and influence senators to vote for his removal from office? Some Democratic senators, who will sit in judgment of the president, have already declared him guilty. It is politics at its worst and opens the door, as some of the Founders warned, for "normalizing" impeachment.  Cal Thomas, Townhall, 1/21

The first lesson of this impeachment charade? The double standards for politicians and their children are breathtaking. L. Brent Bozell, Townhall, 1/22

IRAN

Iran has offered the world absolutely no reason to suggest it is morally or practically capable of being trusted with weapons of mass destruction, and the downing of Flight 752 this month is only the latest reminder. We need not give them more opportunities to further prove us right. Bob Barr, Townhall 1/22

Mental Health Monday

ROAD TRIPS...IOWA (OR KANSAS)... UFOs...TEMP CHALLENGE

GOD'S GRACE

On this new day of a new year, to those empty, confused, or seeking, the unbearable lightness of being can be met in the abundance of God’s fullness, a gift by the way of grace, not effort!  Stuart McAllister, Slice of Infinity

ROAD TRIPS

This THU 1/23 we're taking off for our 2nd road trip * of the year. [To qualify as a road trip, we have to spend at least two nights away from home.] We're visiting our son Nathan, daughter-in-law Laura, & grand-kids Calvin & Claire. Claire was born on MON 1/13--our 3rd grand-daughter & 5th grand-child. We'll return to Norfolk probably on the following FRI. * Since our recent road trip to Wichita Falls, TX, included a weekend in Dallas, I suppose this is technically our 3rd road trip of the year. Next month we'll visit Lois' sisters in Florida.

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE . . . IOWA

"Man asks permission for trial by combat. Iowa judge receives strange petition but 'will take no further action' at this time. A Kansas man has asked an Iowa judge to let him engage in a sword fight with his ex-wife & her attorney so that he can 'rend their souls' from their bodies."  Omaha World Herald, 1/18.  Maybe this should be filed under "There Is No Place Like Kansas."

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY MONTH THOUGHT *

"Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese." Billie Burke

* My birthday was JAN 7.

UF0s

While the government has allowed some information about these encounters, including some grainy videos, to be declassified or remain unclassified, recent news suggests there is still much that remains hidden. In fact, the Navy recently admitted to possessing top-secret information about UFOs that, if released to the public, could cause “exceptionally grave damage to the National Security of the United States.” And if that doesn’t raise enough eyebrows, this reportedly includes at least one unreleased video that has been classified as “SECRET.” Scott Morefield, Townhall

BEATRICE CONTINUES STREAK

For the 3rd time in a row, Beatrice has won the distinction of "Balmiest Leckband." How long can this streak continue? Results based on weather.com at 6:19a, CST

• !st     Norfolk, NE    0    feels like -15
• 2nd   Ventura, IA    2    -12
• 3rd    Garrison, IA   3    -4
• 4th    Eagan, MN    5     -2
• 5th    Lincoln, NE    8    -6
• 6th    Beatrice, NE  9    -1

P.S. The older I get, the less tolerant of cold I seem to be.

Temperatures + Birthday Month Thought

BALMIEST LECKBANDS IN BEATRICE AGAIN

Results based on weather.com at 10:25a (CST):

• Ventura, IA, 7/feels like -16
• Norfolk, NE, 9/-11
• Eagan, MN, 13/-4
• Garrison, IA, 15/-5
• Lincoln, NE, 16/2
• BALMIEST LECKBANDS, Beatrice, NE, 19/5

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY MONTH THOUGHT

"The older you get, the harder it is to lose weight, because your body has made friends with you fat." Lynn Halpern & Esther Blumenfeld

Free-for-All Friday

Monkeys + Beards + Walmart + Politics + Faith

CRAZED MONKEYS

"Terrified residents flee homes as crazed gang of 400 monkeys raids village" Drudge Report, 1/15

GOOD NEWS FOR NATHAN, JESSE, MARK, ME

"Women prefer men with beards; More 'dominant' & attractive"  Drudge, 1/15

CRIMINAL MINDS

"COPS:  Woman caught trying to build bomb inside WALMART"  Drudge, 1/15

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

G.O.M.E.R.* I haven't written much about impeachment, & I'm not sure that I will. It's a circus. Democrats in the House had made up their mind about Trump even before he became President. Republicans in the Senate will vote to exonerate the President, regardless of any evidence to the contrary. An impeachment trial will result in any important legislation in Congress grinding to a half & continuing at an impasse until the trial is over. 
* Grouchy Old Men & Their Elucidating Rants

• "Warren, Sanders Settle Campaign Dispute by Playing Chicken on Mobility Scooters"  Babylon Bee, 1/15
• "Elizabeth Warren announces her presidency will include free year of Disney+, ESPN, Hulu"  Babylon Bee, 1/16
• "In preparation for possible woman President, White House staff begins loosening all jar lids" Babylon Bee, 1/17
• "New study confirms the Bible supports your political views entirely"  ditto
• "Dems criticize Trump for not taking ownership of the sinking of the Titanic  ditto

Impeachment is in no way a sacred act, and it carries no moral authority. But our pro-impeachment media are employing every sappy metaphor to achieve their fervent desire: dragging President Trump out of the White House and throwing him into the pyre. Brent Bozell, Townhall 1/17

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY MONTH THOUGHT

"Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes." Oscar Wilde

FAITH

Faith is more than cognitive assent or blind acceptance of something. It is an informed surrender and trust that rests the whole person on the purposes and will of God. Faith involves belief, obedience, ethics, and lifestyle; it involves living with vision and memory.  Stuart McAllister, Slice of Infinity

God Calling + Good Ol' Martin Luther +Birthday Month Thought + Temp Challenge

GOD CALLING YOUR NAME

Chances are it is easy to question God in trying or desperate times, to question in the heartrending moments of life how there could be a God who is loving or good or near. But would you see things differently if you heard God calling your name, if you saw Christ carry it to the cross and beyond it? Before the throne my surety stands; my name is written on his hands. Would it change your question if you considered the God who both knew us before we were woven together in our mothers’ wombs, but who also stepped into the world as one of us to place his own name in our hands, initiating a relationship, presenting hospitably the love of a God who wants and wills to be known.

Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

INCARNATION

"Thus the most precious treasure & the strongest consolation we Christians have is this:  that the Word, the true & natural Son of God, became man, with flesh & blood like that of any other human; that He became incarnate for our sakes in order that we might enter into great glory, that our flesh & blood, skin & hair, hands & feet, stomach & back might reside in heaven as God does, & in order that we might boldly defy the devil & whatever else assails us."  Martin Luther, The Lutheran Witness, Dec. 2019

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY MONTH TOUGHT

"Life is like a dog sled team. If you ain't the lead dog, the scenery never changes."  Lewis Grizzard

TEMP CHALLENGE

When I saw our temperature this morning, I was fairly confident that we would win today's Leckband Temp Challenge. I was wrong. Ratings based on Accuweather at 6:55 a.m.

• CONGRATULATIONS! Ventura, IA, -9
• Norfolk, NE, -8
• Eagan, MN, -7
• Garrison, IA, -1
• Lincoln, NE, 2
• Beatrice, NE, 5

Wichita Falls + Dallas + Minnesota + Florida + Temp Challenge + CNN + More

ROAD TRIP REDUX

We returned from our visit with David & Carmen in Wichita Falls, TX, yesterday. [David is Lois' brother. Carmen is my cousin.] Here are some highlights.

• We took a road trip within a road trip when we spent a weekend in Dallas.
• Our trip to Dallas included the JFK tour & the Ft. Worth stockyards.
• We enjoyed fine dining, including Fine China in Dallas & Samurai Japanese restaurant, Opa Snitzel German restaurant, & Hunan Chinese buffet in Wichita Falls.
• We really enjoyed Carmen's shrimp & crab lasagna.
• I enjoyed a bison burger at a cafe in the Ft. Worth stockyards & a patty melt at Whattaburger in Wichita Falls.
• We "suffered" temperatures in the 60s & low 70s while we were in Wichita Falls.
• Lois enjoyed shopping with Carmen.
• We don't have cable at home, so I enjoyed watching NFL football with David.
• We "collect" license plates, & we started off the new year with 32 plates . . . & it's only Jan. 14!

FYI:  In order to qualify as a road trip, we have to spend at least 2 nights on the road.

P.S. In Dallas we saw a demonstration in Deally Plaza, which is where President Kennedy was assassinated. One protestor carried this sign:  "Capitalism is the Disease. Socialism is the Cure." Wait . . . what?!

ROAD TRIPS TO COME

Later this month we'll be visiting Nathan & Laura in Eagan, MN. Nathan is our son. In February we'll be in Florida, visiting Lois' sisters Kathy & Anita.

HOPE IN GOD ALONE

Mark Twain once said that faith is “believing what you know ain’t so.” The Christian story presents an altogether different definition. Faith is more than cognitive assent or blind acceptance of something. It is an informed surrender and trust that rests the whole person on the purposes and will of God. Faith involves belief, obedience, ethics, and lifestyle; it involves living with vision and memory . . . Despite seeming triumphs of evil, the people of God continue to discover anew that the promises of God are sure. In the words of the prophet Habakkuk: The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. It is not easy. There are real dangers, costs to bear, and always a demand for perseverance. But ultimately and exclusively, our hope is in God alone. Through faith we live knowing that Christ is who he says he is, remembering that the assurance of his life and death is real, that God enfolds our stories into his own, and Christ is making all things new. Until that day, we watch and wait, living by faith and memory.  Stuart McAllister, Slice of Infinity

EAGAN WINS FIRST TEMP CHALLENGE OF 2020

Ratings based on data from wunderground.com at 8:04a, CST.

• Eagan, MN, 18
• Norfolk, NE, 20
• Ventura, IA, 21
• Lincoln, NE, 29
• Garrison, IA, 30
• BALMIEST LECKBANDS:  Beatrice, NE, 32

CNN

CNN is neither a news organization nor a neutral arbiter. It's a propaganda outfit.  Leah Barkoukis, Townhall

SUPREME COURT

Asking the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade is provocative, to say the least. But it is also courageous and on target. Star Parker, Townhall

Hollywood + Impeachment + MAGA +Terrorists

TRENDING

• "POLL: Hollywood less trustworthy than govt or Wall St" Drudge Report
• "Mitch McConnell sends Pelosi shirt reading'I impeached the President & all I got was this lousy t-shirt'" Babylon Bee
• CNN reporter informs Iranian protesters they're supposed to be shouting 'Death to America' . Babylon Bee 
• "As part of settlement with Nick Sandmann, CNN hosts must wear MAGA hats during all broadcasts" ditto 
• "Trump's approval rating among terrorists hits all time low" ditto