Free-for-All Friday

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

"To believe means to realize not just with the head but also with the heart that God loves me in a creative, intimate, unique, reliable & tender way."  Brennan Manning, Men's Devotional Bible 

LECKBAND TEMP CHALLENGE

We got about an inch of snow overnight. Yes, it is spring, but it is also Nebraska. Here are today's results, thanks to wunderground.com, at 7:54 a.m.

• Norfolk, 20 degrees
• Beatrice, 24/windchill 12
• Lincoln, 24
• Ventura, 27
• Eagan, 28
• BALMIEST LECKBAND'S:  Garrison, 38

"Don't nag your husband during lockdown, Malaysia advises"  Drudge Report, 4/2

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING *

* courtesy of Reader's Digest, April 2020

• "Do other animals have signature tranquilizers, or are horses just especially stressed out?"
• "The laminator is a device that sounds a lot more dangerous to baby sheep than it actually is."

CARBON EMISSIONS

"The radical increase in American natural gas productions helps explain why the U.S. has made more progress in reducing carbon emissions than the signatories of the Paris climate accord. That voluntary agreement has had little success in curbing the planet’s largest carbon emitters. Even as the U.S. registered robust economic growth of nearly 2.5 percent, it nonetheless reduced its carbon emissions by 0.5 percent in 2017 (the latest year for which data is available), which was the largest reduction in the world."  Victor Davis Hanson, National Review Online, 4/2

CELEBRITIES

"Of course, there are celebrities who have handled themselves with more grace. One example is J. K. Rowling, who, in conjunction with WizardingWorld.com has launched three new initiatives under “Harry Potter at Home,” to assist teachers and parents now struggling with the task of homeschooling. Rowling, who is estimated to give away approximately 16 percent of her net worth to charity, had said before that: “You have a moral responsibility when you’ve been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently.” But this is as true of a public platform as it is of money. Frankly, the wisest and most intelligent thing these celebrities could do at this point is make a donation and then quietly get on with life, just like everyone else on the planet."  Madeleine Kearns, ditto

MSNBC

I" know it sounds like an April Fools headline. But it is not. On March 30, MSNBC host Craig Melvin asked Rev. T. D. Jakes to pray for America in the midst of the coronavirus scare. Melvin even bowed his head as Jakes prayed. This is a sign of the times. Americans are turning to God."  Michael Brown, Townhall, 4/2

EVERYBODY SAW THIS COMING?

"This morning, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough claimed that, unlike the Trump administration, “Everybody saw this coming in early January.”

"If Scarborough knew that a deadly, once-in-a-century pandemic was about to descend on the nation in early January — I assume he considers himself part of “everyone” — why on God’s earth didn’t he warn his susceptible viewers that they should begin social distancing? Why didn’t his producers book a single expert who could beseech his viewers to start wearing masks, to shutter their non-essential businesses, and to avoid church and sporting events? Why didn’t he mention coronavirus at all? Even in late January, nearly a full month after “everyone knew,” Scarborough’s show was dominated by the Donald Trump impeachment trial."   David Harsanyi, NRO 4/2

DONATE

"So if you’re fortunate enough that you don’t really need your COVID-19 check, don’t just toss it into your bank account and forget about it. Donate it to those in need, or at least use it to buy stuff, online or via pickup, from businesses that could use the help. If you can’t decide on what you want, buy gift cards and cash them in when this is over."  Robert Vergruggen, ditto

GRATITUDE

"I'm grateful for the teachers, administrators and staff members -- especially the information technology professionals -- who have made it possible for our preschool, grade school, high school and college students to transition from live instruction to online learning. I'm grateful for the incredible dedication of all our health care professionals, many of whom are working long hours day after day with little sleep, few resources and far too many terribly sick patients . . . I'm grateful for the fact that those of us inclined to call upon God in prayer need not feel embarrassed for doing so. I'm grateful for charitable organizations that are working hard to meet the ongoing needs of the people they serve -- the poor; the homeless; those with disabilities or other unmet needs; veterans; single parents; orphaned children. When we are all needy, we can better appreciate those for whom illness, unemployment or isolation is not a temporary situation."  Laura Hollis, Townhall, 4/2

PLANNED PARENTHOOD

"Why is Planned Parenthood so religiously devoted to abortion? It’s not merely some fake feminist principle. It’s profit. Despite serving hundreds of thousands of less clients and delivering over a million less critical medical services than 10 years ago, Planned Parenthood’s profits skyrocketed 600 percent. Six hundred percent. In 2009, the abortion giant generated $18.5 million in profit. In 2018, their haul was $111 million. And they pulled in this huge profit by serving over a million less clients. Ten years ago, they were reportedly serving 2.4 million clients. In 2018, that number has drastically fallen by 600,000 individuals to 2.4 million. (See the factsheet here). Breast cancer exams (which are essential) plummeted from 830,312 to 265,028 between 2009 and 2018; PAP tests plunged from 904,820 to 255,682 in the same time period at Planned Parenthood. That’s a massive drop of 68 percent and 72 percent respectively. Prenatal care barely even exists, falling 76 percent to a mere 9,798 services or less than 0.1 percent of Planned Parenthood’s total services. Considering the majority of women become mothers by the age of 44—86 percent to be exact—how does a self-proclaimed “leading women’s healthcare provider” provide so little for mothers?"  Ryan Bomberger, ditto  It may seem like I'm fixated on Planned Parenthood. I am. They are an evil, godless organization that has no real regard for the people they claim to serve.

THE MEDIA

"The real problem for the major media is the perception that their reporters are biased. It doesn't matter how many times they deny their biases or the frequency with which it's pointed out to them, especially by conservative organizations. The point is that as in any business if customers aren't buying your product, denying the reason why only prolongs your company's downfall. 

"A 2018 Columbia Journalism Review story reported on a Knight Foundation-Gallup Poll: "A majority of those who were surveyed said they had lost trust in the media in recent years, and more than 30 percent of those who identified themselves as being on the conservative end of the spectrum said they had not only lost faith in the media, but they 'expect that change to be permanent.' According to a separate Gallup poll from earlier this year that tracked trust in major institutions, newspapers and television news were among the lowest, exceeded only by Congress."  Cal Thomas, ditto

BORDERS

"We are all restrictionists now. In the coronavirus crisis, everyone realizes the importance of borders, even the people who not long ago were ideologically hostile toward them.

"Borders mark off the sovereign territory of one people from another. They are a means — if they can be enforced and defended — for a sovereign state to protect its people from invaders and unwelcome immigrants and goods. They are a tool almost every nation has used to try to keep the coronavirus from gaining a foothold in its population and to try to keep it from spreading further . . .

"None of this means that we shouldn’t wish other countries well, help them if we can, and share research and technologies. But borders exist for a reason. All peoples have their own governments that, if they are doing their jobs, put the health, safety, and welfare of their own people first.  Rich Lowry, NRO, 4/3