BACK-TO-SCHOOL

It's that time of year again. School starts for 3 of our grandkids this next week:  Brianna as a senior at Raymond Central, Hadley as a 6th grader at Lincoln Lutheran, & Bentley as a 2nd grader at Christ Lutheran. Strangely, I start having back-to-school dreams about this time of year, although I've been retired from Lutheran schools since 2014. I'll have a dream that takes place at Lutheran High Northeast, or Lincoln Lutheran, sometimes at Lutheran High School of Hawaii, very rarely at Luther High School North in Chicago. Just thought you'd like to know.

TRENDING

"Growing number of fed-up cops leaving job." Drudge Report, 8/6

"McDonald's pushes diners to use trays as food bags run tight." Drudge, 8/7. The world is going to hell in a handbasket.

HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH

"For couples, sleeping apart could have health benefits." Drudge, 8/7

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE TEXAS . . . 

"Highly venomous cobra on loose in TX town." Drudge, 8/5

. . . LIKE HAWAII

"A San Francisco investment banker recently sold his Maui mansion to a retired hedge fund CEO & a Hollywood actress for $45 million." We generally enjoyed our years in Hawaii, from 1993-1997, but there were two things that really got to us:  (1) The cost-of-living, mostly driven by the exorbitant cost of real estate; & (2) living in a radically, extreme, liberal venue.

OLYMPICS

"German coach disqualified after punching horse." Drudge, 8/7

COVID

"Vaccination rates plummet as more celebrities say they won't hang out with the unvaccinated." Babylon Bee

"Church combats COVID by adding essential oils to fog machine." Babylon Bee

TRENDING

"Biden clarifies that forced eviction moratorium will not apply to unborn babies." Babylon Bee

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING *

* Compliments of Reader's Digest, July/Aug 2021

When our tour group entered a cafeteria for breakfast, the woman walking in with me made a beeline for the carrot cake. But just as she reached for a slice, she thought better of it & withdrew her hand. As she turned away, I heard her murmur, "No, it's too early for vegetables."

INVASION

"Does anyone want to argue that the tsunami of humanity coming across our southern border overwhelming border patrol is not troublesome or harmful? Two motels in La Joya, Texas, are housing migrants who have tested positive for COVID-19. Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley is paying the bill and insists the migrants are being kept in isolation, though many report seeing them wandering outside of the motel. Many migrants are even getting bus tickets to fan out across the country. How many of them are carrying the virus? . . . 

"How much more - how many more - can we take? All presidents swear an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of our country. President Biden is not enforcing immigration laws passed by previous congresses and signed by former presidents of both parties. If he were a Republican, especially if Donald Trump was still in office, Democrats would likely be clamoring for impeachment. With Biden, Democrats barely give lip service to the invasion and then change the subject, speak talking points, or lie. A rose by any other name is still a rose. And an invasion by any other name is still an invasion. We cannot sustain a country with what amounts to an open border no matter what it is called." Cal Thomas, Townhall 8/5

CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS

"A new research paper has found that pregnant women who are considering abortion and visit a crisis-pregnancy center (CPC) are about 30 percent less likely to choose abortion than pregnant women who don’t visit one. For those of us familiar with the work of these centers — and who are inclined to believe the wealth of statistics suggesting that most pregnant women don’t view abortion as their primary or most desirable option, even for a unplanned pregnancy — this result isn’t especially surprising.

"The entire purpose of a CPC is to help women consider abortion alternatives and obtain the assistance they need to make it easier for them to continue pregnancy and give birth to their child. For some mothers, this means considering and choosing adoption. For others, it looks more like offering financial or material support that the mother isn’t receiving from the child’s father or from her family. For others, it might simply be counseling and encouragement, the assurance that motherhood is a worthwhile choice and one that the woman is capable of undertaking." Alexandra DeSanctis, National Review Online, 8/6

BUYERS' REMORSE

"We’re barely six months into Biden’s term and many voters are already experiencing a massive case of buyer’s remorse. A recent survey from the Center for Excellence in Polling found that less than half of all voters approve of the job Joe Biden is doing as president—a noticeable drop since May. While Democrats’ approval of the president remains high at 87 percent, the president’s approval rating with Independents is beginning to wane. In May, a narrow plurality—45 percent—of Independents disapproved, but by early July, nearly half found themselves in that camp. Meanwhile, President Biden’s approval with Independents dropped sharply from 44 to a dismal 37 percent. This lackluster support of the president shouldn’t come as a surprise. As President Biden continues to push his agenda of massive government spending and welfare for all, American voters are being left behind." Nick Stehle, Townhall, 8/7