Road Trips + Criminal Minds + Resurrection + Politics

ROAD TRIPS

One of my New Year's resolutions was to average one road trip per month in 2020. This resolution is in jeopardy because of the coronavirus. Yesterday we found out that our Alaska cruise in July has been cancelled. We can re-book the trip for next summer. We were not surprised, but it is disappointing. Depending on recommendations re:  non-essential trips, we will try to take a scaled back vacation this summer or fall.

CRIMINAL MINDS

"Man teaching dog how to drive arrested after high-speed chase" Drudge Report

TRENDING

"Americans Excitedly Anticipate Getting Paid With Their Own Money" Babylon Bee

RESURRECTION

"The story of the raising of Lazarus is prefaced by a statement of its purpose: This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. In stating that he will be glorified, Jesus is not declaring that now that he has arrived to save the day, he will be admired and praised as the hero of the story. Rather, he is declaring the raising of Lazarus will speed his own death. From that day on the religious leaders counseled together how they might put him to death. The glory of the resurrection would first be the horror and despair of Good Friday and Holy Saturday."  Margaret Manning Shull, Slice of Infinity

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"If Biden begins to mimic a hostile media, baiting Trump at every turn, pointing out conflicts in his views, Joe will invite the same fate the media seem to have brought upon themselves . . . But if Biden cannot gather crowds to hear him in a time of social distancing, how does he get his message out? How does he attack Trump without appearing to undermine the president in his role as a wartime commander in chief, where America wants Trump to succeed?"  Pat Buchanan, Townhall

"It is not cognitive dissonance -- the impossibility of holding two or more contradictory beliefs simultaneously -- to favor the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump while at the same time worrying about what the increasing national debt (nearing $24 trillion and counting) will do to the country. Are we mortgaging our future for the sake of temporary relief from the economic side effects of the coronavirus pandemic? If our elected representatives and unelected bureaucrats can effectively order the U.S. Treasury to print more money and borrow in continuing excess, what happens when the next crisis hits, or if the current one returns in the fall, as some medical experts believe it might? Where will it end? Is this a precedent that proponents of big government will use to justify even more spending on whatever future projects they choose? . . . Government is growing ever bigger with no spending cuts, no doing away with any program or agency, no matter how useless or outmoded it has become. Republicans used to consider national debt their issue. They are now joined at the pocketbook with Democrats and can never again argue against debt with any credibility."   Cal Thomas, Townhall

Anxiety...Humor...Toilet Paper...Corona Virus...Gambling...Thought for Today

ANXIETY

Here are some ways to cope:

• Stay informed.
• Create a routine
• Grant yourself grace.
• Connect with loved ones.
• Try to unplug.
• Use humor

Omaha World Herald, 3/22

HUMOR *

* Courtesy of Reader's Digest, Feb. 2020

• "If you're getting serious about someone, check what number their toaster is set on, because that's what you're going to be living with."
• "A new study finds that sausages are often linked to other sausages."
• "My wife was going to make pancakes. Then she wasn't. Then she was. Then she wasn't. Then she was. Now it looks like she's just waffling."

Dear Sur or Madman (also courtesy of Reader's Digest)

A resume's cover letter is your first introduction to a potential hiring manager. Don't blow it, like these job seekers"

• "I would like to come by & show you my work in hopes of making something of my life so I can move out of my parents' basement."
• "I'm looking for work because even though my company was profitable last year, this year they are expecting a large defecate."
• "Strong writing abilities. Able to analysis data & problem solve."
• "I am getting to my goal, slowly but surly."

TRENDING *

* courtesy of The Babylon Bee

• "Toilet Paper Crisis Solved As Government Prints Trillions of Fresh, Soft Dollar Bills"
• "Congress Excited To Find Out What's In Stimulus Package They Just Passed"
• "Hallmark Channel Announces 19 New Corona Virus-Themed Movies"
• "Family Take Weekend Vacation To Guest Room"

CORONAVIRUS

"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is requiring people visiting from parts of Louisiana, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to self-isolate for 14 days. Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo also ordered that anyone who has moved from New York state to Rhode Island in the past two weeks must self-quarantine for 14 days. Massachusetts and Texashave instituted similar restrictions and some counties in North Carolina are considering putting up roadblocks to keep out visitors, unless they prove they have a home or job inside the county."   Lauren Egan, Drudge Report, 3/29

"We hope and expect that our country will, in its characteristic fashion, find its way through this crisis by marshaling huge resources, discovering innovations, and relying on the incredible courage and initiative of medical personnel, grocery-store clerks, and countless millions of others who make our civil society so robust."  The editors, National Review Online, 3/29

To summarize, although American citizens have what has been interpreted to be a fundamental right to travel between states, the federal government’s very limited power to curb such travel undoubtedly includes authority to prevent the spread of infectious diseases — and COVID-19 certainly qualifies as one. Congress has the power to regulate interstate travel, and it has delegated that power to the executive branch for the purpose of protecting against the spread of infectious diseases.  Andrew McCarthy, NRO, 3030

GAMBLING

"We do know that gambling is corrosive. It destroys lives, and not just the compulsive."   Gil Gutknecht, Townhall, 3/29  NOTE:  I am one of the commissioners on the Nebraska Gamblers Assistance Commission. 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

There are no abstractions here. The Christian story is mercifully not one that asks us to deny the dark and painful realities of life. Death is not pushed away in denial, but incorporated into God’s redemptive story, held by a storyteller who knows every part of the journey to resurrection, even the open grave.

Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

Sunday Meditation

FAITH

     "Faith, too, is being refined right now. It is during times of panic and crisis that we can discern whether churches and individuals are practicing what they preach. And we can also better notice what they preach. Helping those in need is another way to discern the heart of the church. 

     "This is not the first time in history that believers and humanity as a whole have gone through trials. It will not be the last. But it is our turn to determine whether we will live through faith or not. While many of us were taking everything for granted a few days ago, today we are praying for “our daily bread” in a very different tone. Prayer has a new and revitalized focus.

     "This is not the first time the church and its stewards are experiencing illness and need. And while empires and countries have disappeared off the face of the earth as a result of crises, the church is still standing!

     "This is also not the first time that the world looks to the church, waiting for a message of hope delivered not just with words, but mostly with deeds. What is truly essential? 

     "This is not the first time that humanity has gone through something like this. The question is: how do we wade through what's next? What I can say for sure is that this seems to be the right time to listen very closely. Because, as C.S. Lewis once said, God whispers to us in our pleasures and speaks to us in our conscience. But God shouts to us in our pain."   Vlad Criznic, Slice of Infinity

ACCEPTANCE

     "Being nice translates to accepting each person for his or her individual worth . . . These under-recognized people can teach us, encourage us, &even be important allies for us."  Ben Carson, Men's Devotional Bible

What else? The Corona Virus

"This is all to say: This time, for so many of us, having to "shelter in place," which means a severe isolation for some, really ought to be a time for reflection about who we are and who we want to be. Are we self-pitying in our inability to have things the way we like? Or are we growing in gratitude for the blessings we've had and have in our lives? Are we reaching out to others, taking all the precautions called for, or are we turning inward? And if we are people who believe in something more, what are we doing about that? Are we getting to know God better and what He wants for us? Because when this crisis passes, we want to be living differently, don't we? As people renewed in hope and gratitude for the gift of life?"  Kathryn Jean Lopez, Townhall

"The many trillions of dollars proposed to be spent under dubious national Green New Deals should be spent instead (effectively and within reason) on health care, especially virus prevention, protection and cures."  Paul Driessen, Townhall

"For one thing, the ongoing crisis will be more extensive in geographical and temporal scope. The coronavirus is spreading throughout the country. Although some states have “hot spots” while others have barely been affected, all states will have to prepare. Even if President Trump’s optimistic hope to begin a return to normalcy in a couple of weeks proves to be practical, the return will be gradual and social distancing will be a fact of life throughout America for many months."  Andrew McCarthy, National Review Online

"Stories on Chinese social media, censored or removed almost as soon as they appear, reveal how local governments cover up new cases and how hospitals are ordered to report new cases as normal flu or pneumonia."  Jianli Yang & Aaron Rhodes, NRO

"I probably spoke imprecisely; the U.S. government does not have a Third World structure or response to the coronavirus crisis. But some of our members of Congress are treating it with the rank opportunism, selfishness, small-mindedness, greed, and provincialism we associate with Third World kleptocrats, tinpot dictators, and other leaders who make bad situations worse."  Jim Geraghty, NRO

"Trump:  No more hand shakes--Ever!"  Drudge Report

The Stimulus...Leadership...Bioethics...Politics...Innovation

CHEAP GRACE

"Cheap grace—that grace which is accepted without any concern for the responsibility that comes with it—is only possible in times of comfort and stability. The addiction begins when we desperately cling to security of the culture we grew up with, of the powerful position we inhabit in society, etc. Costly grace is the grace we receive as a commission to pick up the cross and follow Christ into a world that doesn’t want him. For grace produces both gratitude and obedience."  Derek Caldwell, Slice of Infinity

CORONAVIRUS

"If, as the evidence suggests, the Chinese virus is enormously dangerous to people with certain medical conditions and those over 70 years old, but a much smaller danger to those under 70, then shutting down the entire country indefinitely is probably a bad idea. 

But even when the time is right -- by Easter, June or the fall -- there will be no one to stop the quarantine because the media will continue to hype every coronavirus death, as if these are the only deaths that count and the only deaths that were preventable."   Ann Coulter, Drudge Report

"Shoppers desperate, but not desperate enough to go vegan"  Drudge Report

"We have a contagious viral outbreak that is genuinely scary and stressful to even the calmest, most rational, even-keeled people out there. Now put people in a situation where they have to keep their distance from everyone except their immediate family to avoid spreading the coronavirus — a formula for “going stir crazy” behavior. Now add state and local officials shutting businesses down and enforcing quarantines, curfews, and other restrictions right out of the most paranoid fantasies of the radical militia groups."  Jim Geraghty, National Review Online

"The coronavirus pandemic is the greatest crisis since the Cuban missile confrontation of 1962." Patrick Buchanan, Townhall

THE STIMULUS

"Congressional Democrats have not risen to this occasion. They saw an opportunity to advance goals on the environment, racial diversity, and Planned Parenthood funding that, whatever their other merits, do not belong in this bill. And they have been willing to slow down the process toward these ends.

Some Republicans are also losing perspective, albeit less crassly. They fear that the expansion of unemployment insurance in the bill is too generous and will incentivize quitting or refusing to take work. Under normal circumstances, we would share this concern. But at the moment we should be more focused on helping the unemployed — especially since the rules of unemployment insurance discourage the gaming of the system, however imperfectly, and this expansion is temporary. (Congress has let temporary expansions expire before.)"  The Editors, National Review Online

"If you want to persuade normal Americans to take a crisis seriously, you have a moral obligation to act as if you take it seriously, too. Using it as an opportunity to get things you couldn’t successfully argue for before the crisis tells people you’re not as serious as you expect them to be. And that is a sure-fire way to sow precisely the sort of partisan distrust you decry."  Jonah Goldberg, NRO

LEADERSHIP

"In the present crisis of the coronavirus, what will determine the effectiveness of President Trump’s leadership is not what the media scream today or the polls say tomorrow. The praise of his supporters or the predictable damnation of his enemies won’t matter.

Rather, Trump will win or lose on whether he has strategic foresight. If he panics and keeps the country locked down for too long, we will go into depression that will cost more lives than the virus. But if Trump prematurely declares victory and urges Americans to rush back to normal life, he may reboot the virus and reignite another cycle of panic.

Instead, Trump will have to possess the confidence to see how the world’s greatest economy, greatest medical talent, greatest military, and greatest energy and food production can all be marshaled in a symphonic fashion. That correct formula could fend off a potentially biblical plague without destroying the largest economy in history.

If Trump exhibits such cunning and wisdom, then he can balance the consensus of his medical experts that the virus is existentially dangerous with the warnings of his economic advisers that shutting down a multi-trillion-dollar economy can become even more ruinous — and lethal — for Americans."  Victor Davis Hanson, NRO

BIOETHICS

"President Trump’s daily press conferences for his coronavirus task force have become one of the centerpieces of commentary on the crisis. Critics have bashed his optimistic riffs on potential cures or when normal life can resume. But as crowded as the stage has been, and as much as the administration’s response has become a source of partisan division, there is someone crucially absent in the public effort to deal with the pandemic: a bioethicist. The lack of someone who is qualified to speak specifically to the moral and ethical issues raised by the pandemic in terms of dealing with shortages and the treatment of the elderly — who remain the group considered the most vulnerable to the disease — is potentially leaving the president without the sort of advice he desperately needs as the crisis becomes more acute."  Jonathan Tobin, NRO

POLITICS

"Yes, it is better for the Biden campaign if Sanders calls it quits, but at this point Biden could lose every remaining contest by about 10 points and still win the nomination. This primary is effectively over. Sanders is not likely to be a major factor in the general election, short of, say, declaring an independent bid. Right now, the 2020 presidential election is likely to be a referendum on the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus. If the country feels like it dodged a bullet, Trump will get reelected. If the country feels like Trump made a bad situation worse, the country is likely to elect Joe Biden (or whomever the Democrats nominate)."  Jim Geraghty, NRO

"Biden is winning the Democratic nomination on the basis of not being Bernie Sanders and wants to get elected president on the basis of not being Donald Trump. He’s as purely a negative candidate as we’ve seen in a very long time, running largely on who he isn’t and what he won’t do."  Rich Lowry, NRO

INNOVATION

"While most schools have put at least some courses for credit online, far fewer have put their entire curricular offerings online. Until now.

What makes an innovation disruptive is not merely a whizzy new technology; it is the confluence of multiple factors: new technology plus widespread public demand -- or dissatisfaction with the existing business model -- and, sometimes, circumstances no one anticipated. Hello, COVID-19."  Laura Hollis, Townhall

MY COMMENT:  What happens to higher education or even secondary education as "consumers" discover that they can earn a degree or high school diploma online?

THE MEDIA

"Only one institution that Gallup asked about, the media, had negative approval rating — sitting 19 points behind its archenemy Donald Trump. And there are likely many other people and places that the public has more trust in than journalists.

This reality is a disaster for a liberal democracy, and much of it is brought on by the press’s own blinkered, sanctimonious, and transparently partisan temperament. On this topic, I could provide a book-length list of grievances. Every day brings an exasperating number of misleading and bad-faith takes by political journalists and “fact-checkers.”  David Harsanyi, NRO

Theological Thursday

HEAVEN

"Even the best lives someday come to an end. The only thing that will matter then is whether or not we'll get to heaven. I believe in miracles, that God can & does heal people, but more important than that, I believe in the eternal hope of heaven. When I die, that's where I'm going, because heaven is my home."  Dave Dravecky, Men's Devotional Bible

LENT

At some profound level, the season of Lent takes us to God’s death as well, perhaps for some in more ways than one during this present moment of global fear and suffering. Like the Incarnation, the crucifixion leaves most of our ideas in ruins at the foot of the cross. The journey to death and Golgotha is an offensive journey to take with God. But blessed are those who take it. Blessed are those in pain over the death of their Gods. Blessed are those who mourn at the tombs and take in the sorrow of the crime scenes. For theirs is somehow the kingdom of heaven, a kingdom somehow able to hold Golgotha, a kingdom able to hold death itself.  Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

TEACHING 

"Our task is not to teach Christ for culture or against culture. Rather, we teach all things Christ has commanded us in the face of an unbelieving world. In view of this, it will do us no good simply to be culturally relevant. More than that, much more than that, we must be faithful to the Christ of Scripture. We must be orthodox. And we must love the people for who Christ died. Orthodoxy toward God & love toward the people around us is the surest way to plant a culture in which the Gospel thrives.  David Preus, The Lutheran Witness, February 2020

GOD IS SOVEREIGN

The prophet Jeremiah depicts a Sovereign who cannot come and go, simply because He is. God’s sovereignty is not a coat that can be taken off when all is going well or when all is going poorly on a global scale. God does not cease to be the Sovereign though the world refuses to see it or “distant” seems a better adjective. God’s words are not stripped of their sovereignty when no one is listening or no one responds. The Sovereign of all creation is always sovereign, working, and near. We may be inconsistent, but God is making all things new.  Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

CORONAVIRUS

Instead of hounding people who got tested and then quarantined themselves, perhaps we need to broaden the testing and quit the finger-wagging.

America is strong. We are a resilient people, but we’re stronger when we stand together.  Rand Paul, Drudge Report

"Pastor:  Virus of demonic origin"  Drudge

One of my priors is the idea that our political parties are overdue for a major transformation. The coalitions that constitute them are unstable and combustible. The ideas that once bound them together are frayed. This crisis will put even more strain on these already-feeble institutions, as politicians are dragged out of their comfort zones. It’s too soon to tell if this assessment will be confirmed, but I’d take bets that after this is all over, political scientists, like so many others, will be writing about B.C. and A.C. — before coronavirus and after.  Jonah Goldberg, National Review Online

There is also a good principle we can take from this piece of very good news. Simply stated, bad things will always be here. Really bad things. Things like sickness and war and death. There will be suffering on this planet until Jesus comes – lots of suffering. And there will people we pray for who die. But if we focus alone on the loss and the pain, we will quickly lose hope and become disheartened. And rather than helping others, we will find ourselves stuck in a deep rut of despair. Of what use is that? How does that alleviate our pain or the pain of others? Instead, while recognizing the urgent needs around us, we must focus on the Lord and what He is doing. That will bring life and light and faith and hope. That will lift us up, enabling us to lift others up as well. Others need to hear good news as well.  Michael Brown, Townhall

The economy cannot remain shuttered indefinitely; the federal government cannot engage in endless cash expenditures on the basis of treasuries nobody is buying. Nor is the economy merely Wall Street. The vast majority of those who will lose their jobs are not day traders but workers. Small companies are more likely to go under than large ones. The economy isn't an abstraction. It's the real lives of hundreds of millions of American citizens, and costs to those Americans must be weighed in the balance. That's not controversial. That's a simple fact. Public policy is the craft of weighing risks and rewards, and policymakers do it every day. It's just that this time, the stakes are the highest they have ever been.  Ben Shapiro, ditto

The cooperation of young people during this time is not only crucial for their health but for the recovery of the world.  Finny Kuruvilla, ditto

Although it remains to be seen whether – and if so, how – schools might call in students for disciplinary hearings during this current period of social distancing, the mere fact that schools have already claimed jurisdiction over their students’ online activities should give both students and parents pause. Regardless of when the coronavirus threat recedes, the trend of digital policing by colleges and universities is likely to continue apace – a miasma that will loom over students going forward.  Nicole Neily, ditto

REPORTERS

Reporters can be very opinionated, ill-tempered jerks. And then, when you protest their shtick, they put on their Guardians of Democracy superhero suits and say they're doing their job -- for the people. No one voted to have them represent us. Even in a crisis, they only represent themselves, caring most deeply for their own hyperbolic liberal opinions.  Tim Graham, ditto

Mea Culpa...Thoughts for Today...Coronavirus

MEA CULPA
One of my New Year's resolutions was to avoid politics in my Mental Health Monday posts. Yesterday I reneged on that resolution, & I am genuinely sorry.

GENUINE LOVE
"Genuine love is a gift we give others. It isn't purchased by their actions or contingent upon our emotions at the moment. It may carry with it strong emotional feelings, but it isn't supported them. Rather, it is a decision we make on a daily basis that someone is special & valuable to us.  Gary Smalley & John Trent, Men's Devotional Bible

A VISION OF LIFE

"Following the path of Jesus can lead to a renewed, hopeful, and restored vision of life for anyone. For as we embrace our inevitable deaths and declines, as we embrace as it were, the downward path, we have the opportunity to let go of the false things we think make up our lives. We let go of thinking that the accumulation of wealth, power, and resources make up a good life; we let go of thinking that busyness makes us important; we let go of thinking that personal safety and security are to be preserved at all cost. And as we let go, we can take up all that makes life full. We can put others’ interests before our own, and what is done on behalf of others for the sake of Christ will indeed endure beyond our deaths."  Margaret Manning Shull, Slice of Infinity

CORONAVIRUS
Personal update:  Yesterday, with the encouragement of my children, I talked to my boss at Orphan Grain Train. We agreed that I should work from home for the time being, since writing devotions can be done--with a little bit of inconvenience--from home. Meanwhile, OGT is serving up to 1,000 lunches a day to ages 19+. Madison County now has its first confirmed case of the coronavirus. I suspect that it won't be the last.

• "Bright side:  coronavirus bringing communities closer together" Drudge Report
• "One continent remains untouched by the coronavirus:  Antarctica" ditto
• "Strip club forced to close, so dancers now do delivery" ditto

"The problem for the United States is that there is unlikely to be a coronavirus Pearl Harbor, a dramatic clarifying event that points clearly toward the necessary course of action." Kevin Williamson, National Review Online

"We should focus on the production of tests, ventilators, masks, and other protective gear on an industrial scale. Whatever the government has to spend or do to get it done should happen — just as if we were on a wartime footing."  Rich Lowry, ditto

"Don’t look to food for too much comfort. As it is, most people will be moving around far less than normally. When that is added to a lot of junk food, the results will not be pretty. It’s been reported that sales of cookies and chips have gone up significantly in the past few weeks. The last thing you want to do now is weaken your immune system. Eat as healthily as you can. Getting some exercise is also important. Going for a walk every day is a good place to start."  Dennis Prager, ditto

Road Trips...Joke-stealing...Coronavirus

ROAD TRIPS

The coronavirus has already caused us to postpone one road trip & has ominous implications for future ones. We were due to visit Nathan, Laura, Calvin, Claire during the week of March 30. After visiting with Nathan & Laura, we agreed that we should postpone this trip.

I admit to feeling a great deal of anxiety about future road trips. Will they have to be postponed? Will they end of being cancelled? These include:

• A trip to California in early June
• Our Alaskan cruise in July
• A family reunion in Omaha, also in July

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING

Every year the Edinburgh Festival Fringe celebrates the world's funniest comics. Here's what had us giggling in our kilts this year"

• "I accidentally booked myself into an escapology course. I'm really struggling to get out of it."
• "A thesaurus is great. There's no other word for it."
• A cowboy asked me if I could help him round up 18 cows. I said, 'Yes, of course. That's 20 cows.'"
• "After learning six hours of basic semaphore, I was flagging."

CORONAVIRUS

Our governor hasn't issued a stay-at-home policy yet. Last Friday at Orphan Grain we had a staff mtg & discussed how we might work from home if the office had to close. I brought home materials to write devotions, just in case. As of this morning, our office remains open. Meanwhile, OGT will hand out 1,000 sack lunches to those 19-older, since public schools are handing out breakfasts & lunches to those 0-18.

• "Americans drop kale & quinoa to lock down with chips & oreos"  Drudge Report, 3/21
• "Deputies pull over stolen trailer full of toilet paper" ditto
• "People turn to dogs, cats, chickens to cope with self-isolation"  Drudge Report 3/22
• "Doctor in Italy:  We no longer help those over 60" Drudge 3/23
• "Chicago Catholic church bells to ring 5 times a day as call to prayer" ditto
• "Drive-ins enjoy sales boom

There’s something meaningful to the fact that no one in Congress is really arguing for the federal government to do nothing, which is not what most libertarians would be on board with now anyway. Instead, they’re arguing over the best way to increase government involvement. This is an extraordinary crisis. Government does often grow in such times in ways that linger afterward. But we have no way of knowing at this time if the attitudes and policies that emerge now will carry on into the future (or if they should). Right now, we don’t even know what’s going to happen next week.  Jack Butler, National Review Online 3/22

The inability to grasp the concept of dosages is endemic in reporting by journalists or commentary by pundits or politicians on any topic touching on science. What’s a carcinogen? Anything that can cause cancer in a sufficiently large dose. But lots of things can mess up your system in a sufficiently large dose. Enough water can kill you. Indeed, cancer itself is nothing more than an internal overdose of biological processes necessary to life. The same is true of a number of immune-system diseases. Climate-science reporting is full of this fallacy, too: The assumption that “enough carbon released into the atmosphere will change the climate” means “any carbon released into the atmosphere will change the climate.” In fact, there is all the difference in the world between pouring one bucket of water into the ocean, and pouring the ocean into one bucket of water.

Next time, be careful how much science reporting you consume. Too much can damage your brain.   Dan McLaughlin, ditto

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 87 percent of the deaths in Italy attributed to the coronavirus and 40 percent of known infections have been people 70 years of age or older.

The coronavirus obviously poses a threat to the health and well-being of people all around the world, but it's probably a good idea to balance the panic and all the dire forecasts with a little bit of critical thinking. Bronson Stocking, Townhall 3/22

As vice president of news for a major national radio network, I can safely say that we are perfectly able to serve our thousands of affiliates with breaking news twice each hour, 24/7, without dispatching our White House correspondent or Capitol Hill reporters to news conferences with marching orders to find ways to make President Trump look bad or to belittle his administration’s efforts in the current health crisis. Tom Tradup, ditto

Have I mentioned lately how awful the media is? Even if I have, it’s worth repeating. They really are terrible. It’s to the point right now that it is impossible to tell if many outlets and reporters are willing tools, on the take from communist China, or too dumb to realize they’re doing China’s bidding for free. Trump Derangement Syndrome has these fools obsessing over why anyone would call a virus that comes from Wuhan, China, a name that notes it came from Wuhan, China.

This is obviously a special set of circumstances, and Congress is going to act. They’re going to try to save the economy; to do good, and do it quickly. History has shown they do neither of those things well. Here’s to hoping they manage to pull off simultaneously what they aren’t very successful at doing individually. Derek Hunter, ditto

My fear is that when governments impose -- not suggest -- closures too soon, and those measures don't stem the tide sufficiently, but they do manage to destroy people's livelihoods, the public will tire of closures if and when more stringent measures are needed. Debra Saunders, ditto

Finally, reliable information is so scarce, and erroneous news is so volatile, politicized, and often sensational that any analysis is either outdated by the time it is read, or it’s based on conventional wisdom that almost hourly is revealed as fake news.  Victor Davis Hanson, NRO, 3/23

With the state governments closing down non-essential businesses, theaters, and other public and private events, we’re left with a renewed appreciation for family. We are staying home, playing games, doing puzzles, talking around the dinner table, doing our necessary chores, walking in our neighborhoods, and, best of all, reconnecting. There is time to live out love, offer support, and encourage long-avoided dialogue.  Terry Paulson, Townhall 3/23

Good News...A Sacrifice...Questions...Teaching

GOOD NEWS
"I wonder how often my own proclamation of the good news reaches the afflicted, brings release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind? Does the gospel I affirm set free those who are downtrodden, and present the year of the Lord’s favor to those who live under clouds of disdain? I understand that the good news is needed on the beach and among friends. But thankfully Jesus ventures far beyond that bucolic shoreline, far beyond those who would “speak well of him,” venturing out where eyes are adjusted to darkness and good news is but a fading rumor. Yet it is precisely in this world, far beyond a close circle of friends, where the good news truly is good news and the dawning of the light of Christ must shine."  Margaret Manning Shull, Slice of Infinity

A SACRIFICE
"If we are to know Him, we must know Him as He is:  our perfect, all-knowing God who sacrificed Himself for us when we were helpless. He gave up, not just His glory to become a man, but His own life--the just for the unjust, the deserving for the undeserving. His initiative broke the barrier. Ours not only could not, it would not . . . God placed on Jesus the sin of the world:  our rejection of God . . . He absorbed our full rejection, sacrificing His life to it. When the anger was absorbed, it lost its power. Then we could begin anew, forgiven by Him."  Tim Stafford, Men's Devotional Bible

QUESTIONS

"Surely, there is a time to put away endless questions and rest. There is a time to pause and simply to be grateful for the human journey of discovery. But when questions arise and they are not easily answered or dismissed, there is a space for them as well. Like the student who questions in order to better understand a subject, our questions can lead us closer to the one who created us to ask in the first place."   Margaret Manning Shull, Slice of Infinity

TEACHING  

"So, what is teaching that is informed by the revealed Word of God? It is a teaching that trusts that God will do what He promises to do. It trusts that the Word will deliver faith to those who hear it. Dear Christian, know that this Word is not only for those you teach but for you too. So teach the Scriptures. Len them. Commit them to memory. Go receive God's gifts that are for you! Continue doing these things, trusting that God's Word will do what it says it will do:  'So shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, & shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it' (Is. 55:11)" Joe Willman, The Lutheran Witness, Feb. 2020

Surreptitious Saturday

CORONAVIRUS

“The best case is that the virus mutates and actually dies out,” said Dr. Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist who as a young doctor was part of the fight to eradicate smallpox. Brilliant was a consultant for the movie “Contagion,” in which a virus evolved to become more deadly, but that’s the exception. “Only in movies do viruses seem to become worse,” he explained. Two other lethal coronaviruses, SARS and MERS, both petered out, and that is possible here. “My hope is that Covid-19 will not survive,” said Dr. Charles G. Prober, a professor at Stanford Medical School."  The Best-Case Outcome, Drudge Report 3/21

"It is hard to draw lessons from an ongoing event, but here's a tentative takeaway from this crisis: it is as much a political event as biological disaster. The leaders, ideas and histories of different nations matter in shaping how they respond. The fact that most of the country is experiencing the same problem at the same time could inspire a shift away from hyper-individualism and consumer citizenship, but this will not happen automatically. Building a stronger concept of the citizen requires an active consciousness of how our notions of self, society and government have changed in ways that make it harder to put the collective good first when we really need to."  Joseph Stieb, ditto

"The school has become much more than a place of instruction. It is the site of feeding, caring, and supervision (if not disciplining) of children. Deprived of the shelter of the local school, children and young adults will have to look to parents for meals, instruction, and surveillance. Are parents ready to fulfill the responsibilities assumed by the state? What will happen when parents return to work or look for new employment? Will teenagers obey a guidance or curfew that is not enforced under penalty of law?"  Matthew Continetti, National Review Online

"It’s difficult for us, the healthiest and safest generation in history, to contemplate that some things are beyond our control. People are dying. Even if we avoid the worst of the medical emergency, the economic one will be devastating for millions. Still, I’m not being a delusional patriot when I say there is no place I would rather be to ride it out than the United States."  David Harsanyi, ditto

"Calling COVID-19 “Chinese Coronavirus” is accurate. It originated in China. But it didn’t merely originate there. As Victor Davis Hanson has noted, China’s Communist Party rulers hid its outbreak from the rest of the world for several crucial weeks. They misrepresented its contagious nature for several more. They permitted thousands of Chinese nationals to travel throughout the world while obfuscating the potential consequences. And the Chinese government is falsely claiming the U.S. military is responsible for introducing the virus. Under those circumstances, to object to calling the virus “Chinese Coronavirus” is, to say the very least, profoundly misguided."  Peter Kirsanow, ditto

"Even CNN commentator Dana Bash — who rarely misses an opportunity to attack the President —conceded that he’s “the kind of leader that people need” at a time like this after hearing Donald Trump outline his comprehensive strategy for fighting the coronavirus and helping Americans weather the financial consequences of the pandemic. It’s inspiring to see so many formerly rabid partisans putting politics aside and rallying behind our President at this critical time. Mayors and governors are directly responsible for the health and well-being of their constituents, and they know that President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been downright superb."  Andrew Surabian, Townhall 3/21

Temp Challenge...Lent...Free for All...Coronavirus...Politics

TEMP CHALLENGE RETURNSRatings based on weather.com @ 9:56a.

• Norfolk, NE, 15/feels like -2
• Ventura, IA, 22/5
• Lincoln, NE, 22/7
• Beatrice, NE, 24/11
• Eagan, MN, 22/22
• BALMIEST LECKBANDS, Garrison, IA, 31/18

LENT

For Lent, we typically give up some comfort or worldly pleasure for 40 days. This year, many of us are inadvertently giving up more than we ever imagined. Let us also relinquish something that stopped giving comfort a long time ago: Pretense. Old eyes. Old ideas. The false idea that our lives here are about maximizing happiness and that a lack of that happiness must correspond to a lack of either God’s love, goodness, or existence. Jesus did not just go without food for 40 days in the wilderness. He also put to death the devil’s temptations of a painless, exalted life. Our treasures are not here; they are with our Father.   Derek Caldwell, Slice of Infinity

FREE FOR ALL

• "Vegas strip club to offer drive-thru peep shows"  Drudge Report, 3/19
• "Professionals Work Tirelessly to Discover which Political Party Should Be Blamed for Virus"  Babylon Bee, 3/19
• "Lysol Introduces Shoulder-Mounted Turret That Automatically Blasts Anyone Who Coughs Within Six Feet Of You"  Babylon Bee, 3/20
• "God To Ignore Quarantine And Continue Being Everywhere"  ditto

CORONAVIRUS

Last night after visiting with Nathan & Laura we decided that the wisest course of action was to postpone our trip to Minnesota. Laura's daycare only had 4 kids yesterday & was expecting 9 kids today. Orphan Grain Train shut down its warehouse yesterday; the office is staying open at least for the time being. Lois & I are preparing ourselves to find out that future trips are in jeopardy, including our Alaskan cruise in July.

“'In many ways, this situation is unprecedented – we’re trying to take some actions to curb the spread and timing of this pandemic,' said Stephen Morse, a disease researcher at Columbia University in New York . . . 'I don’t think we can maintain social distancing as it is right now for the duration of the epidemic,' said Michael Levy, a University of Pennsylvania disease researcher.   Christina Larson & Michelle Smith, Drudge Report 3/19

"Well, like most animal-to-human viruses, this one did originate in China and then spread across the globe when Chinese tourists infected people in other countries."  Ann Coulter, 3/19

"So, what else can you do? What can you control? You can wash your hands. If you feel sick staying at home, and if you are diagnosed with COVID-19, whoever else lives with you should stay home as well."  Jackie Cushman, Townhall 3/19

"If nothing else is working and if politicians are incapable of guaranteeing our safety, why do so many of us continue to look to Washington for help? Leaders can do some things, but can they do what is most needed?

"Last question. When the virus is no longer a threat, will you return to your old ways? Will you again focus on money, things, status and work, or has this virus taught you a lesson, a lesson about what matters most for you, your family and the nation?"  Cal Thomas, Townhall, 3/19

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"And even if you like Joe Biden, you have to wonder if Sanders has done a disservice to the eventual nominee. Part of the reason to hold a primary is to see whether the candidates can withstand tough scrutiny, whether they can answer the expected charges made against them. Sanders never did this for Clinton, and he hasn’t done it for Biden. He is like the sparring partner who fails to test the prizefighter’s weaknesses in the training camp before the big match. Donald Trump will not hold back on potential ethical issues. Because Bernie Sanders never did what was required to win, Democrats now go into a consequential general election not knowing if Joe Biden has a glass jaw."  Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review Online 3/19

"I find it ironic that the people most critical of President Trump for being "vulgar," "rude" and self-absorbed display those characteristics themselves as they wallow in their paralyzing hatred, unable to do their jobs because of their toxic obsession over President Trump. While some of these media critics are hellbent on disgracing Trump for neglecting the people's interests, they are disgracing themselves as they wail on Trump and themselves neglect the people's interests. Sadly, they are too bitter to see their hypocrisy. Happily, the American public is not."  David Limbaugh, Townhall 3/20

It's worth remembering that the media's coverage of infectious diseases resembles their coverage of every other potentially controversial topic. Verifiable facts are often secondary, and political spin dominates. Liberal media outlets find it boring to merely organize and recite facts. It's in their nature to nurture and protect the people they locate on "the right side of history."  Tim Graham, Townhall 3/20