The Never-Ending Story

Posted on by charliej373

Never ending story

By Charlie Johnston

As things get crazier, living prudent and calm discernment becomes more, not less important. As Abraham Lincoln said in his House Divided Speech in 1858, just over two years before the American Civil War broke out, “If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it.”

Since a whole lot of people who would rather sound smart than actually be smart are making all sorts of absurd claims, here are a few tips on improving normal temporal discernment. First, when looking at a website, if the author does not give his real or entire name, don’t read a word of it. If he has a disclaimer saying that everything there is “one man’s opinion,” don’t read a word of it. He takes no responsibility for the factual claims he makes and is probably just making it up as he goes along. If you fall for this, you make yourself his chump.

Second, you do not need to become an expert to grasp the basic principles of even the most complicated subjects. Once you do get a handle on basic principles, you can ask intelligent questions, posit intelligent theories about the subject, get reasonable explanations for any pieces of the discipline that are genuinely counter-intuitive, and make solid judgments on whether you are getting good information. In 2006 Democrats were touting embryonic stem cells as the miracle cure for everything – and using it to justify abortion and argue that anyone who was against it was a heartless ogre who wanted people to die. I knew nothing about microbiology, but I DID know that all the effective therapies were coming from adult stem cells – and none from embryonic stem cells…that this was wholly a bait-and-switch operation. So I went to work, putting together a concise memo that would help Republicans bat the issue away and, ideally, make it too dangerous for Democrats to keep pushing. I distributed it to some clients and friends on Capitol Hill. It got a much wider distribution than I expected. Several Congressmen later told me that it was that memo that put a dagger in the left’s efforts to promote embryonic stem cell research. One Congressman passed the memo on to a left-leaning woman in his district who was on the Board of Directors of a big research hospital. She got my phone number from him and called to thank me, telling me that her hospital raised money off of embryonic stem cell claims because it was sexy, but many felt guilty because the truth was that ALL the breakthroughs were coming from adult stem cells – and this seven-page memo showed how to make that case clearly and unimpeachably.

Because I was dealing with subjects that I was NOT expert in, I submitted the memo to a prominent Constitutional lawyer, a prominent Canon lawyer, and a prominent microbiologist at a southwestern university to be vetted – to make sure the suppositions I made were accurate before I distributed it. Both of the lawyers concurred that my interpretations of the law were reasonable. The microbiologist offered a minor change in emphasis to me, but no substantive changes. Then, in one of the sweetest unintended compliments I ever got, she casually asked me where I taught. When I told her that I neither taught nor had any formal background in microbiology, she thought I was gaslighting her. Now I had read about a dozen formal pieces on the matter before I put together the memo – but I would have been completely lost in technical calculations. My point is that you do not have to become an expert to make rational judgments outside your area of expertise. We do it every day on things that are important to us. You don’t have to be a mechanical genius to know whether your car is running right or not.

Almost every discipline has an internal logic to it – an internal logic you can grasp and make extrapolations from once you get the basic principles. Then you need an expert or two to help you with those pieces that are genuinely counter-intuitive. I do not suggest you routinely do this, but on something vitally important to your future, you ought to do it…and perhaps develop the discipline of being able to pull up and read raw data. It is not much harder than reading an old-fashioned roadmap.

A shorter way to vet the info you get is to keep tabs on the track record of prior claims made by the entity you are getting information from. I used to keep tabs on CNN. Why wouldn’t I? In the 90’s and early 2000’s it was a great source for breaking news events throughout the world. But now, almost every major claim it makes is proven to be false within about six weeks. Why would I continue to seek information from an outlet that almost always gets it wrong? Are they intentionally gaslighting me or are they just that incompetent? Who cares. I don’t have time for that. They are unreliable in big ways on a regular basis – so I don’t rely on them.

Even on sites that have a great track record that I do trust, I occasionally make random raw data dives to verify what is being asserted. Two sites that I trust almost implicitly are The Federalist for temporal analysis and The Catholic Thing for insight into matters of the faith. It is not because they are pretty or likeable or agree with what I already think; it is because they take care to get it right and consistently stand the test of examination. Pay attention and remember what a site was saying six weeks ago. Everybody gets it wrong sometimes, especially when you publish regularly. Do they acknowledge it candidly and openly when they have erred? If not, flee from them. It is more important to them that you think they are smart than to give you good information. When they are wrong, are they at least in the ballpark – or are they wildly and consistently wrong? If the latter, they are probably living in a fantasy land of their own devising – and you would be well-advised to steer clear of them. Any site that routinely insults dissenters rather than formulating good arguments is useless to me – and to you. They usually resort to insult because they are incapable of coherent argument. Don’t waste time with them.

When I was in politics, I used to advise my clients early on that, “your enemies may wound you, but your friends can kill you.” I was talking, specifically, about the assertions that both camps make. You tend to vet everything your opponents say, but there is a tendency to want to believe every statement of fact your friends offer if it is congenial to your existing mindset…so you can get lax in vetting it. Vet everything.

I know this takes a lot of time. Yet it is a slow day indeed when I don’t get at least 20 long videos and articles sent to me that I just HAVE to read to know the REAL truth. It is a rare occasion when even five of these things pass the basic smell test. So I think to myself, if you have time to routinely watch two-hour hair-raising videos of pure fantasy posing as fact, if you would spend one-tenth of the time you waste on this spiritual and temporal junk food learning basic principles about subjects that are important to you, you would not so easily be frightened or fooled. It is mundane, I know, but is incredibly productive – and helps you to be a sign of hope instead of constantly running around with your hair on fire.

I am utterly disgusted with the multitude of “prophetic” voices that have nothing to offer but fear, itself. To listen to many of them, we are nothing but passive pawns waiting for God to decide whether we are good little pets to be protected or bad little pets to be destroyed. For heaven’s sakes, we are the children of God, made fully a part of the Divine Family by the Incarnation of Christ. We are God’s hands and feet on Earth. Yes, I have said consistently to my Priests in private for a quarter of a century and here publicly for six years that we face a great Storm ahead because of our infidelity. I have also said that the Storm is the outward manifestation of God’s renewal of the faith of the world – and that He calls us to participate with Him in clearing the way for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart. The Lord has work for us, if we will accept it, and many of us are busy worrying about where we fit in His pecking order. If you want to know an infallible way to determine where you fit in the Lord’s pecking order, go to the Gospel of John 14:21: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

So, bottom line, He calls us to go forth and evangelize effectively so as to bring as many of our brothers to Christ as we can – and to defend the faithful against those who will not relent in persecuting them. He calls us to participate with Him. When we worry about whether we will sit at His right hand or His left, we have lost the narrative entirely (Mark 10:37). I have blue collar sensibilities. All I know is to do my best to tackle the work at hand, right before me, and trust that God is true to His promises. That is all I have ever known with complete certainty. “…we beg you brethren, not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.”-2 Thessalonians 2:1-2

There is work to be done. Proclaim the kingdom with conviction and clarity to inspire all you encounter with new hope and new resolve. Acknowledge God, take the next right step and be a sign of hope to those around you. Defend the faith, hearten the faithful, defend the faithful. There is enough gaslighting going on at every level of human endeavor without us gaslighting ourselves. The Lord already told us how to be among His elect in the passage from John I quoted above. What you will get here is commentary and exhortations on how to live that well in troubled times. That is enough.

*********

I am delighted that my friend, Kay Clarity, has finished and released her song, “Star of the Sea.”In ancient times, mariners looked to the “star of the sea” to help them navigate their way safely to port. In these troubled times, Our Lady, Holy Mary, is our sure Stella Maris, Star of the Sea,, to help us navigate the storm safely into the port which is her Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Strife and storms are unending in this world – but the only true never-ending story is the one opened up for us by Jesus Christ, through His cross and resurrection. It opened up the gates of eternity to us, as part of the family. With calm and steadfast hearts, may we share the fondest hope of Our Lord’s heart – that all may be one, that all will come to Him – and let us cast out into the deep to help gather as many as we can for the harvest of heaven.

*********

My friend, Desmond Birch, sent me a fragment from the Rev. Fulton J. Sheen’s Easter homily of 1930. It is well worth repeating here. Though 90 years old, it captures the heart of our aspirations today:

“Sunday morning came, and it was one of calm, like the sleep of innocents, and the clear, benign air seemed almost as if it had been stirred by angels’ wings. Mary walked in the garden and someone near her spoke a word, and pronounced it longingly, wistfully, in that touching and unforgettable voice which had called her so many times: “Mary.” And to this one and only word, she made an answer, a word and only one: “Rabboni.” And as she fell at His knees in the dewy grass and clasped in her hands those bare feet, she saw two scars, two red-lined marks of nails — for Christ was now walking in the glory of His new Easter morn.

“That was the first Easter Day. Centuries have whirled away since, and on this new Easter Day as I turn from that garden to the altar, I behold placed over the tabernacle, on this Resurrection Day, the image, not of a Risen Savior, but the image of a dying one, to teach me that Christ lives over again in His Church, and that the Church, like Christ, not only lives, not only dies, but always rises from the dead. She is in love with death as a condition of birth; and with her, as with Christ, unless there is a Good Friday in her life, there will never be an Easter Sunday; unless there is the crown of thorns there will never be the halo of light; and unless there is the Cross there will never be the empty tomb.

“In other words, every now and then the Church must be crucified by an unbelieving world and buried as dead, only to rise again. She never does anything but die, and for that peculiar reason she never does anything but live. Every now and then the very life seems to have gone out of her; she is palled with death; her blood seems to have been sapped out of her; her enemies seal the tomb, roll a stone in front of her grave, and say: “The Church will never rise again!” But somehow or other she does rise again.At least a dozen times in history, the world has buried the Church and each time she has come to life again. . . .

“It is a strange but certain fact that the Church is never so weak as when she is powerful with the world; never so poor as when she is rich with the riches of the world; never so foolish as when she is wise with the fancies of the world. She is strongest with Divine Help when she is weakest with human power, for like Peter she is given the miraculous draught of fishes when she admits by her own power she has labored all the night and taken nothing.

“When her discipline, her spirit of saintliness, her zeal for Christ, her vigils, and her mortifications, become a thing of less importance, the world makes the fatal mistake of believing that her soul is dead and her faith is departed. Not so! The faith, even in those days of lesser prayer, is solid – for it is the faith of the centuries, the faith of Jesus Christ. What may be weak is her discipline, her prayerfulness, and her saintliness, for these are of men, whereas her faith is of God. A renewal of spirit, then, will come not by changing her way of thinking, for that is divine, but her way of acting, for that is human.

“But the world, failing to make this distinction between the Divine and the human in her, as it failed to make it in Christ, takes her for dead. To the world, her very life seems spent, her heart pierced, her body drained; in its eyes she is just as dead as the Master when taken down from the cross, and there is nothing left to do but to lay her in the sepulchre. . . .

“There emerges, then, from her history one great and wonderful lesson and it is this: Christ rose from the dead, not because He is man, but because He is God. The Church rises from the sepulchre in which violent hands or passing errors would inter her, not because she is human, but because she is Divine. Nothing can rise from the dead except Divinity. The world should profit by experience and give up expecting the Church to die. If a bell had been tolled on a thousand different occasions and the funeral never took place, men would soon begin to regard the funeral as a joke. So it is with the Church. The notice of her execution has been posted but the execution has never taken place. Science killed her and still she was there. History interred her, but still she was alive. Modernism slew her, but still she lived.

“Even civilizations are born, rise to greatness, then decline, suffer, and die; but they never rise again. But the Church does rise again; in fact she is constantly finding her way out of the grave because she had a Captain who found His way out of the grave. The world may expect her to become tired, to be weak when she becomes powerful, to become poor when she is rich, but the world need never expect her to die. The world should give up looking for the extinction of that which so many times has been vainly extinguished.

“Like a mighty oak tree which has stood for twenty centuries she bears fresh green foliage for each new age, that the age may come and enjoy the refreshing benediction of its shade. The flowers that open their chalices of perfume this spring are not old things, but new things on an old root. Such is the Church. She is reborn to each new age, and hence is the only new thing in the world. . . .

“She will go on dying and living again and in each recurring cycle of a Good Friday and an Easter Sunday her one aim in life will be to preach Christ and Him Crucified. . . .To bring the peace of Christ to the souls of our countrymen. There will be no weapons to make that peace an armed peace, but there will be two insignificant instruments used, which have been used from the beginning, and they will be the instruments Our Lord taught His Apostles to use, namely those of fishermen and shepherds. I might say, therefore, we will go on “by hook and by crook” and the hook will be the hook of the fisherman, and the crook will be the crook of the shepherd; and with the hook we will catch souls for Christ, and with the crook we will keep them, even to the end of time; for as fishers of men and shepherds of souls we are committed to the high destiny of making Christ the King of human hearts, and with only the sign of Jonas the prophet, the fulfillment of that destiny can never be doubted, for if truth wins, Christ wins; if truth… Ah! But truth can’t lose.”

*********

442 thoughts on “The Never-Ending Story”

  1. Wonderful advice on how to discern accurate reporting in this era of fake news abounding. Thank you, Charlie. But THIS is THE best of all: There is enough gaslighting going on at every level of human endeavor without us gaslighting ourselves. It’s like crossing our own boundaries which we set for our own safety and well-being. So well said!

    Liked by 8 people

    1. Charlie, that was such a beautiful article, included so many gems.
      It sounded like a good talking to from God The Father, (especially the “for heaven’s sake”
      part 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      1. So true, for the sake. And don’t we need a fatherly talking to from time to time. Reminds me of kids who grow up with such paternal care. Especially when they look back, they remark how grateful they are to have had such as this.

        Liked by 4 people

  4. Oh this is so timely and very needed!!! I’m just STUCK on the new song Stella Maris by Kay!!! Oh it’s so dreamy!!! I already sent it to my beloved Brother, Bryan and wife Polly as they begin their sojourn home again May 20, 1,100 miles alone no stops black oceans!!! No where else to go with hurricanes coming soon! All ports closed! Thank you Charlie for all you do for us all!!!! What would we do without you!!!🤗🙏❤️🌹😇😘📿✝️

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks Mick!!! They said they didn’t plan on a pandemic when they journeyed there last year!!! Who knew things would start out this way!!! Lol I sent them the song Stella Maris!!! I’m hoping Our Lady guides them back home safely! What a journey we are all on!!! 🤗🙏❤️🌹😇✝️📿😷😳💦⛵️🐕😘🥰♥️

        Liked by 3 people

  5. “If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it.” Has the collapse in the oil futures just predicated the economic collapse? So now, are we on a new course? Or is it the same course, new phase, which was predicted quite a while ago? Has there been a time in the history of the USA that an economic collapse did NOT bring the voters to select the other party? So, none of this withstanding, we still take the next right step…However, I can no longer be so sanguine about Trump being reelected.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Nance, the collapse in the futures happened only for the May futures which are expiring soon or perhaps right now. The June futures are at about $27 a barrel. This weird result comes from stuff I don’t understand but is very short term in nature. Trump may be doing something behind the scenes.

      One of my brothers shares his concerns about Trump maybe not being elected in November, just as you have here. My reply to him is always some variation of:

      Trump .. in .. a .. Landslide.

      Liked by 16 people

      2. Remember Gang!
        The Usual Suspects want The USA & Old Christendom in a State of Panic & Fear.
        They want to Blame & Demonize The Good Guys be they in Church or State.
        They want You to believe that they (Big One World Socialist Gubermints) are your saviour.
        They have a history of Human Misery and over 100 MILLION dead in the last Century.
        Stay Calm and Carry On!
        ….. and Keep Your Powder Dry.

        GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

        Liked by 10 people

        3. Crew dog: So true especially when they perpetrate lies as truth and truth as lies. Remember this: Progressivism is incremental socialism and socialism is incremental communism. They don’t value babies or the elderly. The movie Logan’s Run was a warning to us all. But we didn’t retain the instruction. I read the link given here about the last Canadian nursing home that won’t do euthanasia on its elderly and the government pulling illegal strings to pull its license, in effect stealing the property. But the most bizarre was whole families attending the euthanasia of a grandmother or grandpa’s arranged murder with flowers and balloons in tow. What Twilight Zone am I living?

          Liked by 5 people

      3. I believe Trumps numbers are higher than ever!!! He has a trump rally every single night!!! Mike and I tune in like human antennas every evening just to hear him expose all the fake news reporters !!! He’s ingenious and brilliant!!!!

        I’ve been listening still to x22 report and a fellow by the name of peter grandich aka “The wiz kid of walstreet!” Who is often on The Drew Mariano Show! Both are talking about some really amazing new technology that might usher in a new era of energy. Cheaper, faster more efficient than oil so i dunno🤷🏻‍♀️sort of interesting stuff!!! Suncell???

        But like Charlie says, none of us have enough smarts to figure it all out but it’s fun to watch and pray!!!

        I’m truly enjoying bumping into confused folksies and telling them or in MANY cases REMINDING them of Our Lady of Fatima and the bookend plagues!!! “Oh, oh, oh!” they say, “Yes, I sort of remember hearing about that long ago!”

        Our Mother is just soooo wonderful!!! I pray not ONE of us is lost and she guides us ALL safely home through the storms and the waves of a broken society, to the arms of Our Father and Our Lord, Jesus the Christ!!!🙇🏻‍♀️(They need to get some gray haired emoji 👩‍🦳!!! Ha!!! One just popped up!!!!)😂😂😂

        Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as we go… to the Cross of Jesus!!!!!

        TNRS ASOH

        Great piece Charlie!!! Great piece!! Will be checking out your news sources too and am enjoying Aquinas The Catholic Thing!!!

        Liked by 5 people

      4. NANCE & STEVE;
        I’m no futures trading pro either but I was curious enough about the weird (never before seen) action in the WTI Crude ‘market’ that I had to dig a little. When a futures contract expires the holder has to either take delivery of the physical oil or roll the contract into the next month. In this case May into June. Yesterday (4/20) was the day before expiry. Many-probably the less experienced speculators-held on to their contracts too long and couldn’t book storage because of the severe shortage of storage capacity in the Cushing, OK complex. That’s where a great portion of the landlocked oil is stored. Consequently, traders who had no place to store oil upon taking delivery desperately tried to dump their contracts and set off a cascading price decline. Nobody else wanted to be bagholders so the market basically went no-bid. The May contracts went to $0. In further desperation, people were literally paying others to take the contract off their hands hence the subzero price. Think about this: A tangible commodity with a negative price. Talk about deflation! 🙂 Hey, maybe Exxon Mobile will pay me $30 to fill my gas tank. Or maybe a nearly bankrupt U.S. fracker could re-tool and start pumping WTI Crude back into the ground. I really shouldn’t make light of this though. People got obliterated yesterday but it’s a great lesson in the perils of speculation. Orderly and sane futures markets are a legit means of price discovery and hedging but when greed meets stupidity…look out below!

        If anybody has a correction or addition to my amateurish explanation, please jump in.

        Hope this helps.

        I love you all & I mean that. 🙂

        Liked by 8 people

      6. Steve, I read the scariest thing yesterday….what somebody thinks is going to happen is that Biden would choose Michelle Obama as his VP and if they’re elected, then Biden will be found unfit for public office and Michelle would become Pres. and choose Barack for her VP. Thinking about that is enough to keep me awake nights!!! I don’t want to see this become a muslim country ever…plus all the other problems that would happen in a case like that. God Save Us!

        Liked by 2 people

        2. Be not afraid. Yes, that scenario is out there, but it would be a desperation move because Joe Biden is a weak, and increasingly obviously impaired, candidate. Will the voting public fall for this obvious flimflam?

          I don’t think that Barack Obama could be VP, because that would put him in the position of being President again should something happen to Michelle. A President can serve only two terms (at least that’s the current law). Speculation on my part, but I think if Biden-Michelle managed to get elected, they would be controlled behind the scenes by the same handlers that controlled Barack. (I always remember Charlie writing years ago that, when he worked in Illinois politics, it was common knowledge that Barack Obama is not a superior intellect and is thus unable to mastermind the destruction of America; however, because of his ambitions, he is a good subject for puppet masters.)

          The bigger reason for Michelle not to step into the ring is the increasing exposure of serious corruption that characterized the Obama Administration. Does she really want to put herself front and center?

          Saint Thomas More, pray for us.

          Liked by 4 people

          1. I feel so sorry for Joe Biden! He has serious dimensia and I feel they are just using him!! Just terrible! It all just sure makes one what the heck is going to happen, eh Sr Bear?!?! 😬 But I guess in the end Our Ladies ❤️ will triumph!! 🤗❤️🙏🌹✝️🔥

            Liked by 2 people

        3. DianeB: Obama is not a Muslim. He is an atheist socialist. He has some romantic idea of Islam based on the father he never knew and the Islam he was introduced to when he lived in Indonesia as a kid. The Church he attended in Chicago was more about the black community he could politic in. He spent a lot of time speaking to communist organizations there. All this info was out there if you took the time to look. I’ll never forget the night of his victory speech in Chicago. A news person stuck a camera and mike in the face of a father and his child sitting on his shoulders attending the speech after the speech. I paraphrase-“Isn’t this wonderful. What do you think?”, the news person asked. The father’s (and I paraphrase again) face kinda dropped in incredulous realization and said, “But, but that’s socialism!” And I thought yep, too late!

          Liked by 5 people

        4. DianeBelvs, can you imagine just how desperate the Democrats would have to be to even think of trying that?

          Trump .. in .. a .. Landslide.

          All else is mere persiflage. 🙂

          Liked by 6 people

      7. The collapse of the May oil futures helped to explain how the oil market works. Russia and Arabia were fighting about pumping too much oil onto the market. They wanted to put oil out of business here. That is as much as I understood until oil went negative. A -$35 a barrel put it in focus. What it told Russia and Arabia is that a buyer would take a barrel of oil off their hands if they were given the barrel plus $35. Never was it going to happen. Meanwhile there are speculators who trade the oil market just as they trade stocks and bonds. They don’t want to hold onto the oil, they want to sell it. So if they bought oil for $20 and have to sell it for $55 less ($20 minus a -$35 equals $55) they are in for a heck of a loss. Some might take the loss others might hold on for a better price. Trump the day of the price collapse as much as said so at his daily virus report when asked the question. I suspect Russia and Saudi got the message about their glut pumping. The Dems are brain dead about oil markets. Trump before the passage of the first virus economic bill wanted to start purchasing oil at the bargain price of @$20 for the country’s oil reserve but the Dems wouldn’t authorize the money in the bill. They thereby extended and added to the glut and helped the price to collapse to negative territory. There are lots of ships at sea loaded with unsold oil. Yesterday Venezuela threw out Chevron from its country. What does that mean? Perhaps someone has a negotiated a black market price for oil (China? – they are in Venezuela) or Venezuela can’t pump crude because of the negative price. For us, right now the trucking industry is working double time to bring vital supplies across the country because of the virus and gas is at an all time low. It is a godsend or Godsend for them. And as we all get back on the road, for us too. Enjoy it. It won’t last too long or forever. The Lord works in mysterious ways!

        Liked by 7 people

  6. JESUS = GOOD NEWS 😉

    https://www.toddstarnes.com/opinion/youtube-removes-sunday-school-teachers-lesson-about-john-the-baptist/?

    Does anyone here have a moment’s doubt that $$$$ strapped States, Cities, Medical Facilities, Social “Justice” Warriors and Doc Offices will NOT inflate China Plague Stats to line their pockets? … Eh!!?? ……. and why it’s another reason that a majority of Medical Types seem to be NeverTrump Types.
    The Last Thing they want, along with Democrats, is a 2nd Trump Administration and it’s DOJ/FBI that might actually investigate Political/Medical Graft, Corruption & High Crimes ……. and this includes the, allegedly, Good Guys running the DOJ/DOS/ ……! DC is full of nodding & smiling back stabbers who would like nothing better than to see the Clock Run Out on Trump in November and back to Swamp Normal in January ;-(
    https://www.medicaleconomics.com/news/federal-government-says-all-covid-19-testing-treatment-will-be-free

    https://pjmedia.com/trending/heres-how-much-downstate-new-york-is-skewing-the-united-states-coronavirus-numbers/

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/04/19/drug-cartels-say-coronavirus-creating-narcotic-shortages/

    https://www.newsmax.com/politics/shutdowns-protests-reopen/2020/04/20/id/963647/

    https://townhall.com/columnists/scottmorefield/2020/04/20/leftists-dont-want-the-shutdown-to-end-because-they-are-living-out-their-wildest-dreams-n2567208

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/04/worse-better-david-horowitz-0/

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/04/thugs-killed-more-people-chicago-coronavirus-daniel-greenfield/

    https://hotair.com/archives/jazz-shaw/2020/04/20/fear-desperation-drive-largest-month-gun-sales-ever/

    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/04/adam_schiffs_dirty_impeachment_tactics_coming_to_light.html

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 9 people

  7. Charlie being a sailor and having been through many storms in which some folksies died, I can tell you assuredly this is the most beautiful song for sailors at sea guided by Our Lady, Stella Maris, Star of the Sea!!! Tears stream down my cheeks!!! Just beautiful Kay & Charlie!!! Desmond I’m sure you can relate too!!!🤗

    Liked by 2 people

    1. If you scroll way down to the bottom on Charlie’s link “Star of the Sea.”, all of the words are there.

      Liked by 2 people

      2. Got it!!! Thanks ftsoosp!!!

        “Star of the Sea”

        Looking out into the sea
        Waves disturbing the harmony
        I call on mystery
        To come and save me

        ‘Course it’s just analogy
        I’m not one for sailing
        But in need of shores and peace
        And a refuge, please

        Star of the Sea
        Star of the Sea
        Shine a spotlight
        Set us free

        Star of the Sea
        Star of the Sea
        You’re a shelter
        Be our lee
        Star of the sea
        Star of the sea
        Star

        Heard they translated incorrectly
        “Drop” instead of “star,” you see
        A mistake handled gracefully
        Passed down the centuries

        Star of the Sea
        Star of the Sea
        In this darkness
        Keep us free
        Star of the Sea
        Star of the Sea
        You’re a spotlight
        Shine on me
        Star of the Sea
        Star of the Sea
        Star of the Sea
        Walk us through
        This stormy sea
        Star of the Sea
        Star of the Sea
        Stella Maris
        Star of the Sea

        Copyright Kay Clarity 2020, “Young Skin: Songs & Poems of Emergence, 2020-2022”

        Liked by 3 people

    2. Yes, and it means more to me than many. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic High School was in Astoria, OR., very close to the mouth of the Columbia River where it pours into the Pacific Ocean. We lived on the Washington side of the Columbia, where I attended Ilwaco, WA. High School.

      We got our major shopping done by taking the Megler Ferry ride across to Astoria, OR. on Saturday outings. The distance across was 4 miles. But the trip took half an hour in good weather. In inclement weather, the trip could take up to 40 to 45 minutes. The cause was the rollers [sometimes up to 50 ft. high at the mouth of the river during storms] still as high as 5 to 10 feet in bad weather a little upriver where the Ferry crossed. [When it got bad they shut down the Ferry till the rollers decreased in size.]

      BUT MY POINT: As we crossed, I would always look at Star of the Sea Catholic High School perched up on a hill well above the River, overlooking both the Columbia and the Pacific Ocean beyond. I wished I could go to H.S. at Star of the Sea – but that was impossible.

      Yes, Mary, Star of the Sea, is one of my favorite images and accolades of and to Mary.

      All my love in Christ

      Desmond

      Liked by 8 people

      1. That is an amazing childhood Desmond!!! What a weekly adventure!!! The waves on Lake Erie got big but not as big as on the ocean!!! Wow!!! Actually the ocean is pretty to look at but I didn’t like bareboating in the BVI or the USVI! Pretty, but very mysterious, changeable and exceedingly powerful!!! God bless you and no wonder you have great deviotion to Stella Maris!!! Star of the Sea!!! Don’t you just love Kays song!!! So mysterious!!! I think she nailed it!!!!

        Liked by 4 people

      2. Desmond, this is remarkable. I’ve been thinking about Star of the Sea and similarly named parishes at or near the mouth of the Columbia, because I have very old family roots in the area, as an enrolled member of the Chinook Indian Nation with other ancestry mixed in. Many generations of my family, including my parents and Chief Comcomly, are buried in the Ilwaco Cemetery.

        I remember our family taking the old Ferry as a child, pre-Astoria-Megler Bridge, to go visit our beloved great-aunts in Ilwaco, who lived in the family home that their parents had built in 1872. The house is still there, now a Washington State Parks Historic Site. We’d also visit our cousins who had oyster beds on Willapa Bay (they still own and manage these oyster beds).

        As you know, Saint Mary, Star of the Sea, is a patron saint of sailors and others who brave the treacheries of ocean travel. The mouth of the Columbia was (and in some ways still is) remarkably treacherous for various reasons. My Chinook ancestors handled it all quite well in their fabulous canoes; Europeans and Americans, not so well. I love Lewis and Clark’s journal accounts of their experience with Chinooks at Dismal Nitch. Do you know the story?

        Of late (except during the current quarantine), I’ve travelled to the area often for Chinook gatherings, passing by St. Mary’s Station, McGowan, just outside of Chinook. As a very small, historic mission, the Mass times are irregular. I look forward to attending one day.

        Mary, Star of the Sea, pray for us.

        Liked by 5 people

        1. Sister Bear and Desmond, we have a Saint Mary Star of the Sea parish in my hometown. It’s gorgeous (here’s a picture of the interior: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sjb4photos/36007192223/), and the pastor there is incredible. He was a late vocation to the priesthood… he was a cardiologist before that. Anyhow, since the lockdown in our state, he’s been hearing confessions every day for an hour. During Holy Week, he heard confessions 3 hours each day! Also, the church is open for 11 hours per day for private prayer with appropriate social distancing. God bless him!

          Liked by 6 people

            1. Nope, Linda. I think that Fr. Victura is originally from Michigan; but last I knew, he lived in a different part of the country.

              Liked by 1 person

              1. He’s (Victura) actually from a different state than Michigan, Mick and Linda, and he does live in a different part of the country now but I don’t want to blow his cover and I know a lot of people don’t want to make known their places of residence.

                Liked by 5 people

                    1. Boy… have I got YOU snowed! 🙂

                      Seriously, though, thanks for your kind words. And with the likes of you and Father Wang and HttP (if I remember correctly) and now Patrick in Montana, it must be a pretty great place.

                      Liked by 3 people

          3. So great about your hometown Saint Mary Star of the Sea Parish, Mick, and the pastor there.

            It comforts me to know that, although our diocese is currently cooperating with the governor’s executive order re in-person gatherings, the Masses and prayers continue.

            God bless and keep you, friends.

            Liked by 5 people

  8. Desmond that was beautiful what you sent to Charlie on Bishop Sheen’s Easter homily 1930!!! Will read and re-read over and over!!! Just amazing!!!🤗🙏❤️🌹✝️😇

    Liked by 4 people

  9. Thank you, Charlie. I also loved the piece Desmond sent you from Rev. Fulton J. Sheen’s Easter homily. Just beautiful and so encouraging and wise.

    Liked by 12 people

    1. It was indeed beautiful. If I were a Priest, I’d be sorely tempted to use it, or part, in my Easter homily. With due attribution, of course 🙂

      Liked by 8 people

  10. Yes, there are many voices out there these days, coming from all directions.

    A friend of mine used to train German Shepherds to serve in her local police department. Eventually came the time for a big test before the dog started duty with his assigned police officer. He would be placed in a parking lot, then surrounded at a distance by various people offering all kinds of enticing or alarming distractions. The dog had been trained to focus on, listen to, and respond only to the calm, quiet signals of his master.

    Charlie, I so appreciate the preparation you have given us over the last several years: Acknowledge God, take the next right step, be a sign of hope to those around you.

    Liked by 20 people

        2. I’m so allergic to cats! I was on a flight where a passenger carried on a cat. My asthma blew up from the allergic reaction and I had to use oxygen until I got off the plane. My lungs were shutting down. It was that or jump out of the plane!😝

          Liked by 2 people

  11. Yesterday was Divine Mercy Sunday. My teenage daughter had one of her best friends come over to do some baking with her. The friend is a product of a broken home, both parents have issues with drugs with the mother having abandoned the daughter and father being in and out of jail.

    Since we are not able to attend Mass in person we participate in the Mass via the television. My daughter invited her friend to share the Mass with us and she accepted. After the Mass over the friend told my daughter it was the first time in over two years she had been to Mass.

    God seems to be calling His sheep through us. I thought it was totally awesome what happened yesterday and just had to share it you all.

    Liked by 20 people

  13. Here it is correctly!

    1. Onward, Christian soldiers!
    Marching as to war,
    With the cross of Jesus
    Going on before.
    Christ, the royal Master,
    Leads against the foe;
    Forward into battle,
    See his banners go!
    [Chorus]
    Onward, Christian soldiers!
    Marching as to war,
    With the cross of Jesus
    Going on before.
    2. At the sign of triumph
    Satan’s host doth flee;
    On, then, Christian soldiers,
    On to victory.
    Hell’s foundations quiver
    At the shout of praise;
    Brothers, lift your voices,
    Loud your anthems raise.
    3. Like a mighty army
    Moves the Church of God;
    Brothers, we are treading
    Where the Saints have trod.
    We are not divided;
    All one body we:
    One in hope and doctrine,
    One in charity.
    4. Onward, then, ye people;
    Join our happy throng.
    Blend with ours your voices
    In the triumph song:
    Glory, laud, and honor
    Unto Christ, the King.
    This through countless ages
    Men and angels sing.

    Liked by 2 people

      2. Here it is correctly!
        1. Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See his banners go!
[Chorus]
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
2. At the sign of triumph
Satan’s host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
On to victory.
Hell’s foundations quiver
At the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
Loud your anthems raise.
3. Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the Saints have trod.
We are not divided;
All one body we:
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity.
4. Onward, then, ye people;
Join our happy throng.
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song:
Glory, laud, and honor
Unto Christ, the King.
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing.

        This song is so beautiful 🤗

        Liked by 1 person

            1. It surely is, Linda. To post a song with your comment, just go to that song on whatever place you’re nabbing it from and copy the URL, then paste that URL into your com box. Voila!

              Liked by 2 people

                1. Asking does not at all mean you’re slow minded, Linda. Actually, smart people ask a LOT of questions. All these techie terms and actions simply take a little practice and then they become easy peasy or second nature to manage. I can tell you, there are literally thousands of things I have no clue about concerning tech stuff. URL means Uniform Resource Locator. Lah dee dah. Better said: When you are on the page with the song you want to share, look at the top of the computer screen (or iPhone) and you’ll see that wide skinny rectangular strip with the computer “address” for where you’re at. Copy it and paste that address in your comment box and voila! You’re a comment music-maker! If you want to test it, go ahead and put a link in a comment with a song you think we’d enjoy – gosh how we need to foster joy! -and I’ll check it to be sure it works and then give you feedback on how it goes.

                  Liked by 8 people

                    1. Oops!!! Lol sorry about that!! Lol now that I know what I’m doing I may do more doing!!! Ur a perfect teacher Beckita!!!🤗

                      Incidentally… just spoke with globetrotting Tommy & Liz… sort of strange… they just got cut from their nursing assignment at ft Myers Florida due to very “slow” conditions!!! They are going to sightsee in May instead of work!!! Very strange they are so slow!!! In fact they said it NEVER got busy but they still make them dress in head to toe gear all 12 hrs while on their shift!!! 🤔 hmmmmmm

                      Liked by 2 people

  15. CNN… LOL!!! I dunno, Charlie. That clownshow has been faking news since its inception.
    Who remembers this masterpiece from a CNN studio in the run-up to the first gulf war?

    The Most Trusted Name In News. 😀

    Liked by 5 people

    2. A very close friend of mine, Andrea Zinga, was an anchor there during the glory years. In fact, she was the anchor on duty there the night of the Olympic Park bombing and won a national Emmy for her coverage of the breaking story (she was NOT involved in the later smear of Richard Jewell). She keeps her Emmy in the basement these days.

      Liked by 4 people

    3. Christopher j are you saying this was fake news and he is not in Saudi Arabia. I can see he has never moved from his spot.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Who are these people??!

    “I am utterly disgusted with the multitude of “prophetic” voices that have nothing to offer but fear, itself. To listen to many of them, we are nothing but passive pawns waiting for God to decide whether we are good little pets to be protected or bad little pets to be destroyed.”

    Like

  17. Charlie,

    Well said. Thank you. This comment struck me: “prophetic” voices that have nothing to offer but fear”.

    You always have a practical, steady voice about events and happenings. This is why I am here with all of you. I tend to get caught up in the excitement and fear and so I need the steady voice of you and this group more than ever. I am so thankful for all of you.

    Liked by 7 people

  18. Writing my notes this morning for Euclid’s Elements and I went to google translate to verify the definition of Reductio ad absurdum.

    https://translate.google.com/#view=home&op=translate&sl=en&tl=la&text=reductio%20ad%20absurdum

    The exampe usage of the definition google gives fits into your topic:

    Quote

    a method of proving the falsity of a premise by showing that its logical consequence is absurd or contradictory.
    “Opposition to stem-cell research is the reductio ad absurdum of the right-to-life argument.”

    End quote.

    This segues into your topic .

    What is the agenda of the source of information?
    Knowing the answer to that question, either beforehand or through repeated “fruits” such as googles’s example is a wonderful shortcut for time conservation.
    Christendom seeks The Good, The Beautiful and The True. Sergey Brinn, obviously, does not.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. The price of gas cannot fall below zero because oil goes to a refinery to became multiple products including gasoline. That process adds to cost. Enjoy the lower price for now. It won’t last.

      Liked by 2 people

  20. It’s actually not too bad, Beckita, thank you. I’ve been working from home since the end of March, which takes a good bit of getting used to as I previously commuted every day (100 miles round trip, Lawd ‘elp us!) and while not having to do that might seem quite a relief, in fact it did provide an overall structure to the day whereas now the “self-starting” aspect is very important. That said, I don’t find it that difficult – just boring at times, and thank God it’s not winter! The weather over here, and in the entire British Isles, in fact, is currently very fine, so all I have to do for a break is go out into the garden! It’s almost 4pm our time so due one now.

    Ahhh… tea!

    (seriously, we’re the second highest consumers in the world – it’s in Wiki, so it must be true https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tea_consumption_per_capita)

    Where was I? Oh yes… the lockdown we have here is working quite well, it seems, and people are observing all the proprieties. There are no real shortages, and no undisciplined panic-buying or anything like that. As regards the important things, we have no public Masses of course, but our local Dominican church remains open and, surprisingly, allowed a small number in for the Divine Mercy livestreaming last Sunday, including me. They are great guys, relatively young, the future of that Order. On Sundays I watch the livestream from the ICKSP in Limerick, and they have a daily 8 a.m. Mass as well. That’s my personal favourite but thank God there are so many choices available!

    On the downside, the Chartres Pentecost Pilgrimage in France (I’m one of the organisers of the Irish Chapter) can’t now go ahead, which is a great blow. Up to 10,000 take part every year, and we had paid quite a bit in deposits for our Chapter, which I’m now trying to retrieve and refund to people. We put a lot of organising into it, so that’s all gone West now. Oh well…

    And speaking of downsides, all pubs are closed, with no date for reopening in sight. Oh, the humanity… oh the quantities of blessed black brew going to waste… (it doesn’t keep that long – trust me, I know these things!)

    So, God bless all, and I do hope that all here, and their families and friends, will come safely through all this. J.

    Liked by 11 people

    1. Oh what a penance… your Pentecost Pilgrimage! I remember your joy expressed as you would write about it each year. I well remember the Irish missionary priests in Liberia. That tea came out every day around 4 with a fresh package of yummy, crunchy cookies. (The craziest American import to Peace Corps volunteers was cheese in a can. We thought we might bounce it as a rubber ball.) Thanks for this view from the other side of the pond. May you and your dear ones continue to be blessed!

      Liked by 8 people

    3. I personally feel it’s extremely hard to get motivated each morning!!! The pajama stage I admit is going on a bit too late in the day and my HAIR!!! Oh my gosh my hair is beginning to look like I saw God in the burning bush just like Moses in the 10 commandments!!! Luckily Mike and I made our own vino… getting better with age!!!🤗 You’re abode sounds heavenly jaykay!!!

      Liked by 8 people

        1. Yes it’s really wierd!!! I probably am up at that time too Charlie!!! Hey maybe we can all send our 👼 guardian angels to each other then like people did to Padre Pio!!! Ha!!! But wait! You are 3 hrs behind ohio??? 🤔🤔🤔so when I’m up at 7 am, and that’s my best WordPress fb times, ur probably tossing & turning!!! Interesting 🧐

          Liked by 1 person

        3. Charlie: couldn’t sleep the night before last and started texting site info to really good friends at 4AM. My husband got phone calls from really good friends at 9AM. Wasn’t he, he said. It was her! I forgot the beep beep and phone illumination each text unleashes. I’m so embarrassed.
          On another subject, I remember the info on adult stem cells emerging years ago. I am astonished it was because of your blessed research. Thank You.
          When Obama emerged over HRC, I wondered who he was and went to work. Nurses in Chicago in the middle to late 90’s were being forced to abandon babies born alive from late term abortions (other babies born prematurely became patients and we’re treated). The nurses went to the state legislature to get a bill to stop the practice and protect the aborted babies. The righteous tried 3 times to get the bill on the floor to be debated. It never got there because of one person. Barack Obama. He blocked even the discussion of it. My conclusion was BO was not a Christian and/or did not believe in the Bill of Rights/Constitution. For years the abortion lobby spouted that once born you were conferred rights of a citizen. This is a painful episode because I concluded BO would not be a good president even though understanding the black community’s joy in his election. I could not vote for him. Second, I lost a friend over the BO issue. She was a very good Catholic. She was angry with me when we debated the born alive abortion issue. She thought him to be the world’s savior. I loved this gal and she loved me but we spent so much time angry at and hurt by one another… She died from breast cancer 8 years ago but her last year we would call each other after watching Downton Abbey. She has had her illumination. I’m waiting on mine.

          Liked by 6 people

          1. Joanne, my family lived in Illinois during the awful events that you describe, so we had to suffer Obama as our state senator. Ugh. And during the Democrat primary season when he and HRC were contending against each other, the Director of Religious Education at our little country parish (town population: 600) walked up to me after Mass one Sunday and buoyantly said, “You must be so excited! Who are you going to vote for?” I must’ve had a quizzical or dumb look on my face, because she clarified with, “We could have the first black president, or the first woman president; so who are you going to vote for in the primary?” It took all my willpower not to verbally rip that woman to shreds. First, how dare she think that as a devout Catholic, I would vote for an abortion cheerleader. Secondly, and equally galling, how dare she think that, because I am black and a woman, identity politics would of necessity figure into my voting decisions. It’s been 13 years since that conversation, and it still really ticks me off. OK… rant over; now I’ll go and say a prayer for that DRE (but first, one more “Grrrrh!”).

            Liked by 13 people

              1. Well Mick I have no idea what color anyone’s skin is on this blog. So happy to hear how you stand up for Life. The beginning and the end of Life. Both the young and Old lives are in danger.. You constantly hear about the Illumination of conscience, and the Era Of Peace, Praying that this is the year for it..
                We are in big trouble if Joe Biden is elected.. If he is, you know the elections are rigged..
                Of course through all of this if you are paying attention, the dishonest are being exposed. They have been exposed, but it seems our government is so corrupt. that they are getting away with all of this corruption..
                Divine Mercy, so the Lord is merciful, but when he comes again, he will come as the Just Judge..
                I was so happy for Cardinal Pell, what an injustice. So sad to think that the Vatican had something to do with this persecution of an innocent man.

                Happy second week of Easter.

                Liked by 8 people

                1. Happy second week of Easter to you, too, Theresa. And I hear you about Cardinal Pell. I was doing a little happy-dance when I found out that he had been acquitted and freed.

                  Liked by 5 people

                  1. 🙂 Mick– it would be so fabulous if we could get all of us together. We’d have so much fun in person– look at the fun we have just messaging

                    Liked by 6 people

                    1. You bet, Kim! As far as I know, we’re still planning on having a ASOH family reunion on Mt. Meeker when we come out on the other side of the Storm. Beckita, Charlie, is that right?

                      Liked by 6 people

                    5. Kimsevier I can personally assure you, if you met Mick in person, quarantine or not, she’d walk right up to you, give you the warmest most loving and sincere hug you’ve ever experienced in your life!!! She’d look deeply in your eyes, tell you how wonderful it is to meet you! And from there on you would feel a connection akin to heavenly sisterhood!!! United in the same Spirit of Christ even 100’s of miles away!!!! She looks like she’s 🤔21???? But she’s much older! She looks like a sibling of her children!!!! What a beautiful and special person Mick is!!! She’s just “all that!” Boom!!!🤗❤️🙏🌹

                      Liked by 9 people

                    7. Yes, Linda– I know she’s is very youthful and beautiful– I’ve seen her picture! I’m a hugger too! And as Charlie said, you can really tell a lot about a person by what they say. I’ve been reading Mick’s comments for years!

                      Liked by 6 people

                    8. Linda, thank you for your sweet compliments. Yes, it’s true that I’m a hugger; I come from a very huggy family. My husband, on the other hand, comes from a family where nobody touches each other, ever. For years, I freaked out my in-laws every time we saw them because I insisted on hugging them (they did eventually reciprocate). 🙂

                      Liked by 5 people

                    9. I come from a family like your husband Mick.  It could be my Appalachian roots.  Marrying into an Italian family cured me of it 😎—- Sent from Doug’s Back Pack

                      Liked by 4 people

                    10. I was “that one!” Mick too but right now if I’d try to hug them I think they’d either push me or shoot me dead! 🤔😬

                      Like

              1. Ha, Juls…. I hope that my grumbling didn’t negate the effects of my prayer (I wasn’t grumbling WHILE I was praying, so maybe there’s hope). 🙂

                Liked by 1 person

          2. Oh no, Joanne, the research into adult stem cells did NOT arise because of my research. It had been going on for about ten years when I wrote the memo. My paper simply exposed, to policy makers, that even though embryonic stem cell research had been going on for twice as long before they even discovered adult stem cells, absolutely ZERO effective therapies had come from embryonic stem cells at the time I wrote. ALL the breakthroughs had come from adult stem cells. I just exposed a lie and put it in terms that were easy for policy makers to articulate.

            Funny, but that is how I first became aware of Obama, as well. The Illinois “Born Alive Infants” bill had been killed twice. The language was not controversial – in fact, identical to the language used in the federal bill for military hospitals that had passed the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly (98-0, I think it was). I spoke to some my friends in the Illinois Senate to ask what the heck was going on…and they told me there was a guy on the south side (of Chicago) who lobbied very effectively to kill the bill. They were very contemptuous of him because he didn’t even vote on it all the first time – just lobbied furiously to kill it and left others to take any blowback that might arise. I met him and spoke with him a few times while he was a state senator. He is one of the very few politicians that just filled me with an atavistic revulsion from the start. Even though I wrote for several big statewide journals after he was elected to the U.S. Senate, I avoided writing about him because he filled me with such revulsion that I did not feel I could be fair. And when running some Congressional campaigns, I always asked someone else to go to general public events where he would appear, because he filled me with such disgust.

            Liked by 8 people

            2. Thanks, Charlie. I actually meant the research you did putting together the reports that adult stem cells were the only ones working.
              You are correct about that Federal bill the 2001 HR 2002 HR2175 Born Alive Infants Protection Act did pass 98-0. I have wondered since then why it seems to be ignored, Why has the Senate this year sent to the House an additional bill stating the same? Nancy Pelosi’s led House continually defeats the Senate bill sent to them. It has come up to vote a huge number of times and is defeated each time.Is it because abortion has moved into infanticide in several states? I don’t understand why another Act is needed if we already have the 2001 act. Is it because as you noted above that the original law passed in 2002 was limited to military hospitals?
              News this morning that Brett Kavanaugh voted with the majority opinion that overturned a 1972 rule as an erroneous precedent allowing non unanimous verdicts in state courts. He supported Stare Decisis aka judicial precedent but said stare decisis does not mean that the Court should never overturn erroneous precedents. “Stare decisis is not an inexorable command”, he said and noted as an example Roe vs Wade. https://www.christianpost.com/news/kavanaugh-cites-roe-v-wade-when-writing-on-erroneous-precedents-in-court-decision-about-verdicts.html
              Wait for the howling to begin….

              Liked by 4 people

            3. I agree, Charlie. I paid no attention to the primaries in 2008 until May and then spent a month looking into the Dem candidates, paying particular attention to Obama, about whom I knew nothing at the time. I quickly decided after hearing him speak a couple times in videos that I would never listen to him or watch him thereafter but only read transcripts. I both could not abide his presence and also recognized his speaking style as deliberately hypnotic.

              I made some predictions to others in June of 2008 and thereafter, listing the kinds of damage he would do if he became president. Those predictions were based on an assumption of narcissism and on what kinds of damage a narcissistic leader of a country ends up doing to his people. I’m not claiming he is a narcissist (I’m not a doctor and haven’t administered the classic Hare evaluation). I’m saying instead that my predictions *assumed* that and then waited for either confirmation or non-confirmation. He has since ticked every one of those predictions based on narcissism and not ticked areas that, if ticked, would have said otherwise.

              Unfortunately, a narcissistic leader puts a kind of spell on many of his country’s citizens, and in most cases some sizable number of those be-spelled citizens never fully recover their independence of thought from that leader.

              Liked by 6 people

              1. SteveBC: Ironically they say the same about DJT. And at the beginning of his campaign I sighed, “What am I to do? For me he was in stark contrast to HRC. His defense of religious freedom was a surprise and I did hear him say he abhorred abortion. BO and HRC are cut from the same socialist cost and the O did pretty much endorsed withholding health care to the elderly. That was already going on in the EU. The Netherlands had euthanasia way back in the 1990’s. The UK’s Liverpool Protocol shocked even the British citizenry. Putting grandma in the hospital with a perfectly treatable condition only to find her dead a few days later and the protocol reported had families indignant at the NHS. I think the stopped it but I bet it was used with covid19 patients.
                When I listened to O’s speeches I always thought “ What the heck did he just say”. I look back now and think he spoke in socialist code and I had no reference points.

                Liked by 1 person

                1. Well, Joanne, “they” can say whatever they want to, but what matters to me on *this* is my own judgment based on my own research. Trump never showed to me any of the signs Obama showed me. 🙂

                  Liked by 3 people

                  1. I saw an interview of him at the 2004 dem convention and thought, oh watch out.  He will be one to reckon with by the way he articulated.—- Sent from Doug’s Back Pack

                    Liked by 1 person

              2. I agree with you SteveBC. The first time I saw him was in an interview on Oprah. I thought, boy is he smooth. Something just didn’t sit right with me about him.

                Liked by 1 person

      2. Linda, I let my husband cut my hair last week. He’s a mechanical engineer, so he had a tape measure out to make sure he had the length correct, but then I asked for layers. 🙂 It really turned out well, but not sure yet if I’ll keep him as my hairdresser. 😉

        Liked by 9 people

        2. Oh audiemarie2014 that is JUST HILLARIOUS!!! 😂😂😂 I won’t let michael touch my hair yet!!! If this keeps going I’ll look like a half brunette half grey crystal gale!!! 😂😂😂 you are a very very BRAVE GAL!!!

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        4. We’ve been having a little fun and maybe we are getting a little weird too. But, I’ve been meaning to tell you all that I downloaded the app for “The Chosen” and watched most of Season 1 myself, but then invited my husband to watch. He surprised me by saying he would, so we started with episode 1 and watched the entire thing in two nights. He loved it! I did too. He still remembers the powerful and short prayer from seeing the movie about St. Faustina with me, “Jesus, I trust in You.” Makes my heart feel soooo good. God bless us all. xo

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          1. So beautiful audiemarie2014 !!! Mikes been watching more religious things with me lately than I ever dare asked!!!! He seems comforted by them! Me too!!!🤗❤️🙏🥰🌹

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          2. Audie, love the picture of getting a haircut measuring with a tape measure!

            A lot of people here have been talking about “The Chosen” so much I found it on an app on Roku and watched the whole season three days straight. Wish they could do more but I like how the last episode ended. I somehow felt he was talking to me. Jesus says, “It’s been a long time for sowing, but the fields are ripe for harvest.” Simon, “And so it’s time?” Then Jesus says. “Let’s go!”

            I feel we’ve been given our marching orders, L-E-T-S GO!

            Liked by 2 people

            2. Juls, I felt a personal connection with Jesus in watching that series too. The way Jesus is portrayed is more personal, as well as the apostles and others. I still picture the Blessed Mother as more beautiful though. 🙂

              Liked by 1 person

                1. Charlie, I just searched for old images of St. Teresa of Calcutta and found some that appear to be authentic (there is one that is said not to be) and I do see a resemblance! 🙂 Remember that series done by Roma Downey where the satan character looked like Obama? They didn’t see that until people had viewed the finished filming and pointed it out. It was uncanny.

                  Liked by 2 people

                  1. I thought it very subtle and clever. Beauty is not just (and not primarily) about physical appearance. I often think that our resurrected, glorified bodies will show the actual beauty of our souls – and that a lot of people accounted beautiful here will turn out to be quite ugly…and that many who were accounted ugly here will turn out to be gloriously beautiful. We are all crafting our very own “picture of Dorian Gray” even as we speak.

                    Liked by 4 people

                    1. “I often think that our resurrected, glorified bodies will show the actual beauty of our souls…” What a profound thought, Charlie, worthy of deep contemplation.

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                    3. I get what you mean Charlie, but I don’t think anyone will be ugly in heaven.  We will all be beautiful, but the beauty of a pure soul will shine with a special radiance.—- Sent from Doug’s Back Pack

                      Liked by 1 person

                    4. Ah, Doug, I did not say, “in Heaven.” I said “after the resurrection.” I don’t think those who souls are revealed as ugly will be heading upward for their eternity.

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                2. Funny you should say that, Charlie. I am re-doing the 33 day consecration to Mary with the youth of our parish, and we are on week three of the retreat about Mother Teresa’s calling and devotion to Mary. We are doing this through the book “33 Days to Morning Glory,” by Fr. Michael Gaitley. It is a beautiful book to help in meditating on the Rosary. I am hoping this time that my heart will ‘get it’ so the Rosary will become a daily devotion. So far, I have gotten behind a couple of times, four days in a row, but I am caught up again. I get stuck with certain phrases that are said, and the temptation becomes strong to fall back and doubt the blessed Mother’s roll in granting graces and mercy. This time though I fought it and left it behind, and I am really taking the time to meditate and reread the teachings. I feel so much peace when I do. Maybe it’s my head that needs to get it! lol
                  May God bless you day! ~juls

                  Liked by 3 people

              2. Me too Audie! I went to turn on the last episode to watch again and a director or something came on and said they are planning on continuing the series, just needing to raise the funds. Oh I hope so. I also wish they would have portray the Blessed Mother a little more often. God’s will be done.

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        5. Audimarie: Oh my! There are a few engineers in the family and they are precise. But picturing the tape measure has me rolling in laughter. 😷

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      3. Well, I don’t have the hair problem, Linda! Heh Heh! 🙂

        Now the vino-making – yes, that to me sounds heavenly. Not possible over here, unfortunately. We’re good at growing grass, though, lots of grass. Loads of it. All over the place.

        Not of the consciousness-altering variety, of course!

        Liked by 6 people

        1. Linda and Jaykay, my husband also makes wine. We have our own grapevines, so he’s got plenty of grapes to work with. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had time to make wine in the past 4 or 5 years; so the chickens got the grapes. I bet he makes time this year for winemaking, though: who know’s if he’ll be able to buy any Three-Buck Chuck this winter? 🙂

          Liked by 5 people

          2. Mick: My husband has memories of Screaming Lucy wine. I’d rather not reveal the when, where and why of that one. But just saying I know way too much…

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    4. Jay Kay: TY for the insight to the remarkable faith in the UK and Ireland. On the tea front, just bought a box at our local market at request of my husband. Plenty of it unlike TP and paper towels which are hard to find. Both of us have Irish roots through our grandmothers. We have in common tea with them as kids. Good Heavens that ritual with them was magical.

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    5. My commute in the evening is much longer than in the morning. In the morning, I go down stairs, but in the evening, I have to climb up stairs.

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        2. Sometimes I encounter traffic like a kitty sitting on the stairs.  Phew.  My commute is tough….—- Sent from Doug’s Back Pack

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              1. Yes, here and in the UK. You don’t use it? “Tail”- back. See what I did there? I’d be furry-ous if you didn’t get it. Ok, I’m within a whisker of trying your patience, that would be cat-astrophic. I’d better paws(e)

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                    1. Huh…..  I never even heard of that even referred to American football Mick.  Really, first time I heard the term is here from Jaykay. I am so dumb founded, I am cat-atonic.—- Sent from Doug’s Back Pack

                      Liked by 1 person

  22. Thanks once again Charlie, for telling us true. I especially appreciate you sharing the 1930 Easter homily of Rev. Sheen from Desmond. My favorite part is this: “Our Lord taught His Apostles to use, namely those of fishermen and shepherds. I might say, therefore, we will go on “by hook and by crook” and the hook will be the hook of the fisherman, and the crook will be the crook of the shepherd; and with the hook we will catch souls for Christ, and with the crook we will keep them, even to the end of time; for as fishers of men and shepherds of souls we are committed to the high destiny of making Christ the King of human hearts, and with only the sign of Jonas the prophet, the fulfillment of that destiny can never be doubted, for if truth wins, Christ wins; if truth… Ah! But truth can’t lose.”

    So let us carry on, “by hook and by crook,” (I love that), with Mary and Joseph praying for us and guiding us, and the angels and saints to help us to “cast out into the deep,” and pray for every soul we encounter, that not one is lost. Truth will win and Christ does WIN!

    Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
    ~juls

    Liked by 12 people

  23. We’re definitely at the crossroads of changing times… We as the people of the world can either embrace God’s plan of change and things will flow easily or defiantly resist it and be injured by our fall… If only more people were willing to embrace the less painful path, perhaps as events unfold,more opportunities will present themselves for the defiant people to change their minds…

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  24. Thank you Charlie for your thoughtful and encouraging piece as we go about our days wearing our masks but knowing the deeper truth that these “masks” do not wear us. I was thinking about this line from Alexandre Dumas novel, The man with the Iron Mask. It might be a good moment to revisit the film version by director Randall Wallace. We are indeed in a major battle and as a result are challenged to the core of our being to live our Christian faith unmasked. What does it look like when we frantically push our carts up and down the store isles carefully keeping our 6 ft of social distancing as not to create FEAR in the eyes of the other who looks at you as a potential catalyst for this diS – EASE called the corona virus. Will the mask be taken off? Perhaps we need to let our heavenly invisible mask of deeper knowing of God’s amazing love for each of us as we embrace the renewing of our minds (romans 12:1,2) and truly set our eyes on the unseen which is more real than the seen, masked or unmasked then indeed the twinkle in our eye and the pulling back of our carts with a friendly gesture and smile beneath the mask might soothe that fearful soul and perhaps see not only the tragedy of this moment in time but the comedic moment as well. Joy is the deeper truth we must radiate within as we walk among our brethren . I thought about taking my sharpie and painting a smile On my mask!! 😃 Who knows; it just might start a new movement of love and light during these dark but always hopeful times. I love this famous quote as well by Victor Hugo .. in every face ( despite the mask) I see the face of God.

    Liked by 12 people

      1. Masks may mask smiles, but wrinkles around the eyes tend to be more prominent when smiling, (at least those not Botoxed), so we still have a minor telltale sign. 🙂

        Liked by 7 people

    3. Ah, I loved the final quote from Victor Hugo. His “Les Miserables” is among the books I am reading right now – much richer, deeper (and LONGER) than any of the movie attempts.

      Liked by 6 people

      1. One of my FAVORITE stories of love, redemption, long suffering and mercy!!!♥️♥️♥️✝️✝️✝️🌹🌹🌹🙏🙏🙏

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    4. Vanessa that is soooooo beautiful what you said!!! I just can’t seem to make myself wear a mask yet!!! I go close to people in stores…I smile at them and say, “Hi! How ya doing today?” If I get sick I’d probably be one of those who go onto a vent or judgement but I just can’t seem to wear a mask! I’ve always been a bit of a rebel but I feel as if what you are saying is true…it’s just crazy we can’t be near our fellows and we are all being trained to “stay away!!!” Just can’t do it!!! What a sad state of affairs we are in today 😫 I love this quote of yours! “Joy is the deeper truth we must radiate within as we walk among our brethren . “🤗

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  25. As always, thank you, Charlie, for food for thought! I love the words from the awesome Bishop Sheen (we watched him on TV when I was a child), where he speaks of Christ crucified. (The whole second paragraph.) That is probably part of the reason the Church requires the Crucifix over the altar, and not a Risen Christ. There is something about Good Friday that I love so very much; the solemnity is part of the appeal to me, but there’s more than that. Maybe it’s because I visually see how much Christ did for me.

    Then there’s this one – that those who insult dissenters are incapable of coherent argument! (That was in the same paragraph with CNN, though it could be applied to many these days.)

    It’s all good! Love ya’ll.

    Liked by 8 people

  26. Recently I have been contemplating the theme of Disintegration in connection with the “new normal” associated with the Covid 19 pandemic.

    Disintegration. Or, perhaps more insightfully Dis-integration. Here is a short but descriptive meaning of the word Disintegration;

    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/disintegration

    the process of something becoming weaker or being destroyed by breaking into smaller parts or pieces:

    Isn’t this precisely what is happening to mankind as a result of the Covid 19 phenomena and the associated response of society: to go into lockdown and quarantine and social distancing? Are we not becoming weaker as a society from enforced larger and larger degrees of separation and isolation?

    We are being driven apart in many ways in all areas of life including the Cuhurch which is sharpening more clearly into an identifiable common plan of attack.

    Dis-integration. Becoming weaker by breaking into smaller and smaller pieces. Separation, Isolation, Division. Divide and Conquer.

    We have to begin recognizing the tendency to Dis-integration — breaking down into smaller and smaller units and a steadily growing separation in terms of distance and values all around us in our everyday lives –as a manifestation of the Diabolic. Division is one of the hallmarks and modus operandi of the Diabolic in the world.

    Msgr. Charles Pope has addressed this theme in the past with reference to Bishop Fulton Sheen’s guidance on how to recognize the Diabolic:

    https://blog.adw.org/2017/07/three-characteristics-diabolic-widely-evident-today/

    Sheen identified three characteristics of the diabolic — 1.) Love of Nudity; 2.) Violence and; 3. Division.

    “3. Division – Satan loves to divide. Archbishop Sheen says that the word “diabolic” comes from two Greek words, dia and ballein, meaning “to tear apart.” Most literally, dia means “through” or “between” and ballein means “to throw or to cast.” Satan “casts things between us” in order to divide and distract us. Thus, we see our families, the Church, and our country divided. These divisions occur in almost every facet of our lives: race, sex, religion, politics, economics. We are divided on the basis of age, region, blue vs. red states, the coasts vs. the heartland, liturgy, music, language, and more trivialities.

    Our families are broken. Divorce is rampant. Commitments of any sort are rejected as too difficult or even impossible. The Church is broken, divided into factions. Though we once we agreed on the essentials, now even appeals to shared truth are called intolerant.

    Inwardly, we struggle with many divisive drives, with figurative and literal schizophrenia. We are drawn to what is good, true, and beautiful and yet at the same time to what is base, false, and evil. We know what is good, but desire what is evil; we seek love, but indulge in hate and revenge. We admire innocence but often revel in destroying it or at least in replacing it with cynicism.”

    This is a description of Dis-integration in our day. Tearing apart. Separating. Isolating. Quarantining. Social Distancing.

    Sounds pretty scary and where will this ongoing “process” of Diabolically engineered widespread Dis-integration end up?

    Bishop Robert Barron reviewed CS Lewis’ description of Heaven and Hell in his novel The Great Divorce. Note his description of a widely dispersed and lonely city of huge and vast dimensions called Grey Town where the residents keep moving further and further away from each other. A never ending spreading out of residences of Grey Town. Social Distancing is a characteristic of Hell according to Lewis.

    Want Hope? Listen to Bishop Barron’s description of Sara Smith. Sara Smith will give you Hope for your own future.

    https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&p=cs+lewis+the+great+divorce#id=1&vid=6ddca02cf5bdd1c34b4f7806875d4fd0&action=click

    Finally, what is the antidote to Dis-integration. How do we engage this Diabolical enemy plaguing us in so many ways?

    Once again Msgr Pope points the way to overcoming the Diabolic assault on mankind. The path travels through Unity.

    How are we to be protected from the forces of Diabolical Dis-Integration? We have a source of protection and it is the Name of God. This is the only portal to eternal salvation and to integrated, sane, joyful, peaceful and unified society here in this world.

    The path leads to a state of Re-Integration. A Re-unification. In the Name of God. Enjoy Msgr Pope’s roadmap to what spidey sense tells us lies in our future. “Thy Kingdom come through they will being done on Earth as it is in Heaven” Unity in the will of the Father. That’s the plan. That’s the path. Why? Because God wins.

    Is this going to be easy? You tell me.

    Liked by 7 people

    1. I know that one of the primary tactics of the satan is to try to isolate those he targets, to cull them from the safety of the herd, as it were. It is one of the things that disturbed me early on about all this. And yet, there is something very big going on here, I think. Much bigger than we can yet see. Interesting meditation, Ed.

      Liked by 8 people

          1. One of the things I have learned and always held onto through any storm is that God always uses these trials for His greater good, and has taught me some pretty profound lessons through them. “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

            It might look bad to us but He will see us through. Jesus, I trust in You.

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            1. “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. I really love this about God!!! He’s so amazing!!!❤️❤️❤️

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      2. 3 of my sisters and I were having a sister day today. One of my sisters who never wants to think about or talk about problems in our culture said the same thing, Charlie–something big is happening that we’re not aware of. She NEVER says anything like that!

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      3. Oh I just can’t imagine what you know and we don’t yet know!!! Feeling very blessed to have been trained by you, Charlie, as we all have been!!! I remember when I first learned about you from Fr Mich!!! Already I had been in isolation (most assuredly my own doing) save Michael! It was really really hard but looking back now, even in all my continual faults and weaknesses, I can see God has a great plan with all of humanity!!! Just surreal!!! Too big for us mere mortals to understand I 🤔 think!!!🤗❤️🙏🌹✝️

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    1. The reason I put this song up is because I truly feel it inspired hope! From a heavenly understanding we have only just begun to live if in fact we live in Christ! Maybe folksies don’t know Him yet but He is surely in their/our midst!!! Can’t wait to go and sit with Jesus again today at St. Paul’s!!!

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    3. Love this song and those 2 “kids”, Linda. I remember their singing so well and often feel teary-eyed that she died so young and tragically. Same thing happens when I hear John Denver, especially a couple of the emotional songs. Too bad we lost him too.

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      1. I just loved karen carpenter!!! Her voice was amazing!!! When I was younger I could sing like her just a smidgen and practiced her songs so much!!! I pray she is with Jesus for she had a tough life! I hope to hear her sing to Mary!!! And yes John Denver!!! Rocky Mountain high!!!!🤗🤗

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        1. With guitar in hands, I played and sang ’em all back in the day. 🙂 And oh yes, there was a phase when this orthodox one actually sang and played “We’ve Only Just Begun” at weddings. Yes, at Catholic weddings. It debuted in the winter of 1970, just five years after the Second Vatican Council ended and a year after I graduated from high school.

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          1. Oh my gosh!!! Beckita you play guitar too!!!!!🤗 🎸 Make sure you bring that to Mount Meeker!!! You & you’re guitar, Charlie and his Trump et (😂😂😂) and all of us with our voices most working…some… not so much!!! (Moi!!!)

            Btw Charlie when I left St. Paul’s today, this cute little black squirrel 🐿 was going to cross street in front of me!!! You know the little fella actually waited at the curve until I waved him on and indeed he crossed!!! Put my hand to ❤️ , smiled and thought of you, Charlie!!! I think I even said, “Charlie!” 🤗🐿❤️🙏🌹✝️😇

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            1. Took two years of piano lessons in 4th and 5th grade, Linda, and then started improvising with chords, mesmerized by what a piano keyboard could do. Sr. Mary Beata insisted that I play the electronic organ to accompany the grade school choir when I was 11. (Tears were streaming the first time as I felt not ready and she insisted I was.) I, then, broke in a new pipe organ in my childhood parish when I was 12 and, by the time I moved to Montana as a 21 year old, I was asked to direct the liturgical music group in my parish. I had people who were trained in music with master degrees in music and classical vocal training. They could spin circles around me in their training but they never ever lorded it over me. They respected my spirit, my raw innate talent and sang the songs I composed, embellishing them with vocal harmonies and improvised accompaniments with stringed instruments, flutes and horns, ever gently pushing me to try to get my music published. We all attended some drumming workshops and brought drums and more percussion into the music-making. Best of all, we always spent a good 20-30 minutes praying together at the beginning of each choir practice. That was the foundation for respecting the gifts each one brought to the group.

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              1. Oh my gosh Beckita you are accomomplished!!!! How I wish I could hear you see you sing and play!!! What joy!!! I too took piano for a few years and then violin! I let it all go though when I discovered “boys!!” Dumb move!!! If I had kept up I’d have been good today! I still have a piano but the trouble I’m having now is seeing the music!!! I don’t play by heart or by chords and I can’t seem to find right glasses to see the music!!! 🤓 I hear there’s lots of music in heaven!!! We can only imagine, eh!!?? I’m guessing you, Charlie, Kitty & Desmond could sing all ranges a cappella together!!! Hmmmm🤔🤔🤔🤔 Alto, Soprano, tenor and base????

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                  1. I bet there’s lots of talent here in this movement!!!🤗❤️🙏🌹😇🎸🐿🕺🏼💃🎣🏇🏾🎬🎤🎧🎼🎹🎷🥁🪕🎺🎻⛵️🛶🎡🎠🌅💻💿📀🎚🔭🪓📿🧹🩺🔬🛒🗄📕✏️

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          2. Don’t feel bad, Beckita, I played Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” on the organ for my girlfriend’s wedding. They’ve been divorced for years. 😦

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            1. Oh audiemarie! I feel badly for the divorce but I am laughing to tears at the thought of Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” for liturgical music. Well, we DO want to be the Light of Christ to each other, yes?

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              1. That’s funny! “You are the Sunshine of My Life” was never a request for me. I got really tired of singing “The Wedding Song” and “On Eagles Wings” because it was requested at both weddings and funerals (but it’s still one of my favorites). “The Lord’s Prayer” and “Ave Maria” were always my favorites to sing, and I think the most unusual song I heard was the recessional at my cousin’s wedding. They did “The Circle of Life” from the Lion King. 🙂

                Liked by 2 people

          3. I sing too, Beckita– and sang we’ve only just begun, too! Yipes! I sand Loggins and Messina’s Danny’s song a lot too, but I don’t think it was at weddings–I hope! Nowadays it’s Ave Maria, Panis Angelicus, etc.

            Liked by 6 people

            3. Mikes mom who died a year ago asked for only 2 songs!!! Ave Maria of course and Panis Angelico’s!!! Bread from heaven!!!! Mike threw in Be not afraid!!!! Soooo beautiful it was!!!

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              1. Ooohhh Linda, I love, love, love “Be Not Afraid,” I l-o-v-e that song! (Did I tell you I love that song)? I like singing the harmony for it, too. It always touches me to the core.

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      2. I always liked John Denver’s music. Fun fact… he released a song in ’70 about a lil’ gal he met on the beach. Seems they dated, fell in love, road tripped to Mexico, etc… but, alas, it was not met to be as those things often go. Well, that gal never married, but did have a significant hand in raising my wife. She was my wife’s aunt, and just passed away into eternal life a couple of months ago. The song he wrote about her bears her name, “Isabel.” Every time I hear that song, those lyrics, I can’t help but think of how poetically it pegs my wife too. It’s uncanny, but no small wonder really. The one thing I’ll always remember Isabel for is her simple way of living, and her deep faith. Rest in God, little hobbit.

        Liked by 8 people

        2. MP, I love JD also, but did not remember that song so found a rendition on YouTube. In the comment section a young woman, name Gabriella Trujillo, commented with the same story as yours, saying that Isabel was her grandmother’s sister. She said that she was very ill and in the hospital. It was posted 2 months ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fvqzh14dG0

          Liked by 4 people

          2. Gabriella (that commenter) is a grandchild of one Isabella’s sisters (one of my wife’s other aunts). There are a TON of girls in that family, so my wife has a lot of aunts. I remember when Charlie visited the desert here… I actually bumped into one of her other aunts and a cousin at that presentation of his.

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        3. What a cool story! It is reminiscent of that of the real “Girl from Ipanema.” I read once that she learned the song was about her about three years after it was written and had taken off. It must be a little strange and a little cool to have a publicly known song that is is written about you. Good for Isabel – what a lovely way for you to remember her.

          Liked by 5 people

        5. Beautiful memory MP. I love your endearing nickname for her, “little hobbit.” I always liked John Denver’s music, too, but I don’t remember the song “Isabel.” Used to play “Sunshine On My Shoulders” on the piano all the time, but some of my friends would go around changing the words and singing, “Sunshine on my shoulders makes me sunburned…etc.” lol

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  30. I dunno… I think I’m officially retired! I keep trying to drum up my old business but everyone says NO!!! I say, God’s will be done and maybe it’s time to just clean my own house, go to church, pray a spiritual communion, say my Auxillium Christianorum prayers, pray my 🔥 of ❤️ rosary for us all, cook dinner and be happy 🤗😂❤️🙏🌹✝️ I say…”whatever you want Lord!!! You know best!” I’d like someday to feel the warmth of the sun though🤗I did put in a request for sun!!!😛

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  32. President Trump said Wednesday that he’s instructed the U.S. Navy to “shoot down and destroy” any Iranian gunboats harassing American ships, in the wake of a tense encounter in the Persian Gulf.😬

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Ok Beckita I’m gonna try to do this again… lol… but I just heard this alert coming from my iPhone from Fox News!!! Somehow the alert alerted me!!!😳

    Trump says he’s instructed Navy to ‘destroy’ any Iranian gunboats harassing US ships

    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-hes-instructed-navy-to-destroy-any-iranian-gunboats-harassing-us-ships

    Explore the Fox News apps that are right for you at http://www.foxnews.com/apps-products/index.html.

    Liked by 2 people

  34. JESUS = GOOD NEWS 😉

    https://stream.org/revival-praying-happening-now/

    https://www.catholicleague.org/mass-producing-lgbt-people/

    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/04/how_the_evil_called_barack_obama_enabled_the_genocide_of_nigerian_christians.html

    https://amgreatness.com/2020/04/20/democrats-underestimate-trump-at-their-own-peril/

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2020/rights-for-lgbts-but-not-god

    https://www.lifenews.com/2020/04/20/catholic-bishop-gov-cuomo-is-not-in-communion-with-the-catholic-church-hes-ex-communioned/

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/04/fraud-cdcs-latest-rules-change-forces-states-include-confirmed-presumed-coronavirus-fatalities-states-forced-pad-numbers/

    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/04/covid_numbers_getting_redefined_again.html

    https://amgreatness.com/2020/04/20/america-is-paying-the-price-for-the-nyc-superspreader/

    https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/trump-rep-crenshaws-video-debunking-lefts-covid-19-narrative-brilliant-must

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/04/dem-rep-aoc-deletes-tweet-calling-communist-revolution-celebrating-destruction-us-economy/

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 5 people

  35. I don’t understand how everyone is hoodwinked by the global overreaction and raw, undisguised power grab. It’s as if we’ve all become lotus eaters. It truly baffles me. I just don’t get. Nothing adds up, and yet it’s as if collectively we’ve forgotten history, math, politics–pretty much every intellectual discipline that would serve us well to question/vet the draconian rules we are told we must abide by. It makes me want to help everyone to wake up out of their trance. But only God can do this, truly.

    I watched the Gov of Georgia yesterday talk about opening up his state this Friday. I applaud him and pray for him. He is the kind of brave hero we need more of.

    There is a lot of hope out there. Voices are rising to attest to ridiculousness. The following two sources seem reasonable and prudent professional opinions to me, but I am no expert . The first is an Israeli scientist whose research shows the Wuhan virus phases out after 8 weeks no matter what is or is not done. He concludes the global reaction is one of mass hysteria. The second is the Stanford research data showing “Stanford Health Policy’s Eran Bendavid and Jay Bhattacharya write in this Wall Street Journal editorial that current estimates about the COVID-19 fatality rate may be too high by orders of magnitude.”

    https://www.mako.co.il/health-illnesses-and-medicines/illnesses-the_novel_coronavirus/Article-8d515c179447171027.htm

    https://fsi.stanford.edu/news/coronavirus-deadly-they-say

    I live in a state that is hopelessly gone. Shamefully we have elected state officials who are openly advocating for anyone protesting the house arrest we are all living be stripped of our private health insurance. Our Gov and Attorney General are not going to see reason, but have doubled-down in insanity. Our state conservative leadership is confronting them, but without a miracle, it’s difficult to see reason and sanity prevail.

    I heard the DOJ say on the news that they are very concerned about gov. overreach and plan to address it at the state level. Of course, they were widely discredited. I’d like to know what the common person can do here, practically, prudently to help expose the lies and stop the mass hypnosis.

    Liked by 9 people

    1. The big bail out, control, etc. It makes many ripe for communist ideology to fill a vacuum later if there is a rinse and repeat cycle.

      Liked by 5 people

  36. Steve BC, Beckta, Charlie, Mick—-Here is protest song my Sweetheart did on super low budget. It is all we can do to express our deep horror and dismay. if you don’t feel it is appropriate, please delete with no worries.

    Liked by 8 people

  37. How about this!!! I reached out to my little brother today, Hank, to give him a sign of hope but he ended up inspiring me!!! You will LOVE this Beckita!!!🤗

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Nice video eh??? Love the Holy Spirit talk in there!!! Surely God is renewing the face of the earth!!! Never in a million years would I think my lil bro would send me Jesus music!!!! All be!!!!

        Liked by 4 people

  38. In the spirit of “let us be a sign of hope to those around us”, I share the following (lighthearted) observations of the Covid 19 fallout:

    I used to spin that toilet paper like I was on the Wheel of Fortune. Now I turn it like I’m cracking a safe.
    I need to practice social distancing – from the refrigerator.
    Every few days try on your jeans just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.
    Homeschooling is going well: 2 students suspended for fighting and 1 teacher fired for drinking on the job.
    Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a drinking problem.
    This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house, told my dog … we laughed a lot.
    My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately that when I pee it cleans the toilet.
    Day 6 of Homeschooling: One of these little monsters called in a bomb threat.
    I’m so excited – it’s time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?
    I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I’m getting tired of Los Livingrooma.
    Day 7 of Homeschooling: My child just said “I hope I don’t have the same teacher next year” … I’m offended.

    Does any of this resonate with y’all?

    Liked by 12 people

    6. Roman!!!! That was Hillarious!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂You should be a comedy writer! You probably are!!!!😂

      I actually homeschooled globetrotting Tom and Frankie back in the day when you were labeled “just wierd!”

      My oldest son, Frankie, was getting bullied and threatened to off himself if I didn’t get him out of there! Globetrotting Tommy developed a horrible stutter actually after he started school so we just did it!!!

      It was like heaven on earth! Started out with daily Mass, used Seton Homeschooling curriculum and fumbled our way through happily, peacefully and grew in love and patience!!! Best years of my life actually and we found this great homeschooled support group in Cleveland!! Frankie found his wife there, also homeschooled since birth but now an eye dr Ohio state educated!!!

      Great times!!!🤗

      Liked by 4 people

      1. I do know about Erma Bombeck; As a young man, I used to read her columns. She would write humorous snippets about her life as a wife & mother. One of the lines I remember was when she admitted she was a bad cook. “As a matter of fact,” she wrote, ” my cooking is so bad that for Christmas one year, my family bought me a smoke detector so that I could tell when dinner was done!”.

        Liked by 4 people

    9. Thanks for the funnies Roman! My husband and I died laughing at cleaning the toilet! (Oh and yes, the jeans still fit)! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  39. I don’t know how it is elsewhere in the country, but this is the lunacy we are seeing on the east coast.

    My questions: Who are they tracing? Where will they put them? Will they arrest themselves? When they release the prisoners, do they give them papers so the released are not re-imprisoned? Is there one among them to say maybe this isn’t the brightest idea?

    ————————————————–

    “Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday he’s enlisted former Mayor Mike Bloomberg to help create a “tracing army” that will find infected people and get them into isolation.

    New York will work on the massive effort with neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut. Wide-scale testing, tracing and isolation are considered crucial to taming the outbreak in the hard-hit New York City region.”

    https://www.wfsb.com/news/cuomo-outlines-plan-for-tracing-army-to-tame-outbreak/article_16bc9ded-681f-59c5-8fd8-27bd45b243a4.html

    Liked by 4 people

  40. Here are more commentary and questions I have on Cuomo’s Tracing Army.

    When the quarantine began we were told the goal was to “flatten the curve” and protect our hospitals from failing. We were told once these objectives were fulfilled life would return to normalcy. Those goals are met but the goal post has moved.

    So why does Cuomo need a Tracing Army when the entire populace is on lockdown? If we are on lockdown anyways, if someone is “found” how are they further isolated? Isn’t the lockdown isolation sufficient especially since “the curve” is flattening? Since researchers have found the virus is “magnitudes more infectious” than previously guessed, and therefore substantially less deadly, where is the impetus for a Tracing Army coming from?

    Liked by 6 people

    1. Just read an article about the manipulation regarding the NY numbers, what a surprise! When downstate NY is added it totally skews the totals; it’s on PJMedia. My brain is on overload, so it may have been one of CD’s links or someone else here. 🤷‍♀️

      Every night when some fake news says the U.S. has the highest numbers in the world, I yell at the TV and tell them that’s a lie. I’ve seen numerous charts that say otherwise. This is insane!

      Yep, stop watching the news!!! 🤢

      Liked by 8 people

      1. Aaargh, I know, I know. 😦

        Not watching can be a problem though, that can get one. For instance I didn’t pay close attention to the tv and then went to get some groceries. Whoowee, overnight they instituted one way lanes and now the checkout is single file wrapped around the store perimeter. I did not know this so mmob moved my carriage into the safe ‘x” spot in one of the check out lanes. All lanes were open. Then one very cranky lady relished a public yelling I needed to get into the store perimeter line or else! Ironically, the store manager took pity on my 5 cart items and directed me to the one fast lane.

        I feel I now need my St. Michael stone relic, holy water, or something. Definitely at least an attitude that I am going into a hostile war zone, so as to not cause more anger/misery 😦

        Liked by 7 people

        2. Little Light: My sister and I had the same experience. That was the PA governor Wolf and went in effect the morning of April 20. I went at 6:30 AM, no lines into the store, but I was violating those directional isle arrows like crazy. And I was feeling “bad vibes” from the people I was passing in those isles. Mentioned it when I got home. Hubby went to the food store the next day. He said when he found an item less than half way into the isle he would back out. He said it still looked like he was going in the correct direction since his cart was aimed in the direction of the arrow. I called him a happy idiot! He told me that is what they did as kids (keep in mind this was in the 1950’s) when they snuck into the local movie house. He told me they would walk in backwards. I think they got in the theater at a side door at the front of the stage. I’m still shaking my head at his logic. He does however make me laugh every day!

          Liked by 6 people

          3. LittleLight and Joanne, I had a similar experience. Waltzed up to the cashier and heard a voice behind me. I laughed and said oh sorry, I’m not used to this! They all laughed too (this was early on.) Your description Joanne, and your hubby cracked me up. Gotta laugh in all this!

            That’s why I love the humor in all the emails I’m getting. I’m sure Roman will admit this, but that joke he put in his comment was sent in emails and there’s even a little more to the list. I almost fell out of my chair laughting when I got it in an email.

            The one I got yesterday was Man-Woman Brain, only 4 minutes. Maybe you can find it online and you’ll laugh till you cry. 😂 I don’t know if the man is a comedian or a lecturer, but he’s a riot. Oh, just found it, youtube, his name is Mark Gungor. I hope you’ll watch, hee hee.

            Liked by 1 person

          4. One of my early military experiences was shopping at the Post/Base Commissary (Grocery Store). This was in the early 80’s. They had one-way arrows on the floor indicating which direction you and your cart were supposed to go in that particular aisle. And God forbid if you violated that edict! The ladies would immediately let you know in no uncertain terms that you were in violation and you needed to “get with the program.” “It’s all about proper order and discipline”. “Besides, that’s how it’s always been”. Geez. A few decades later that policy was eliminated. And the gas pumps – they were on slow flow, “because of safety”. Yet, just outside the gates, with civilians of all different IQs and musculo-skeletal abilities, their pumps were always full flow and they never had problems or accidents. Double Geez. Shaking my head.

            Liked by 4 people

            1. I visited some friends on a big Navy Base when they did it that way. I went with my friend’s wife to the Commissary and she was careful to instruct me that I could NOT go wherever I wanted; that I needed to be careful to follow the arrows or they would come down on us. As I recall, the prices were great but the regimentation was kind of weird to me.

              Liked by 3 people

              1. My husband took a contingent of very young Boy Scouts to Fort Belvoir in Fairfax VA for a weekend overnight back in the ’90s. It was an awakening for the boys. On entry to the mess hall they were instructed by a burly soldier, “You can take whatever you want to eat, BUT you must eat all of what you take.” My husband ended up with way more on his plate than he took!

                Liked by 2 people

  41. JESUS = GOOD NEWS 😉 ….. PM News Dump.

    https://dwightlongenecker.com/ghosts-demons-and-deliverance/

    https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bethbaumann/2020/04/21/seriously-youtube-is-now-going-to-bat-for-the-world-health-organization-n2567376

    https://www.routefifty.com/management/2020/04/doj-could-intervene-if-states-too-restrictive-going-forward-barr-says/164792/

    https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/04/coronavirus-crisis-americans-split-supporting-protesting-quarantine-orders/

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/04/21/fauci-resurfaces-nih-panel-recommends-against-hydroxychloroquine-treatment/

    The below was within a CTH comment section of the above CTH posts. Being a ‘student” of current domestic/foreign affairs for the past 40 years, I’m betting that her points are probably more right than wrong …. especially are watching the **** unfold over the past four years ;-(
    https://newswithviews.com/vice-president-pences-hand-picked-globalists-destroyed-our-economy/?utm_source=whatfinger

    http://www.floppingaces.net/2020/04/22/remember-when-the-press-didnt-hate-the-american-people/

    I have NO DOUBT that Domestic Usual Suspects are working hand-n-glove with Iran, China, Russia & other USA Enemies in their maniacal quest to out Trump & Deplorables.
    If the USN takes-out Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats, ABCNNBCBS-NPR/NYT/WP/DNC will howl 24/7 about Trump using this as a “Wag de Dog” distraction from China Plague &/or shedding Croc Tears over the poor Iranian Terrorists.
    HullyGee! I wonder if Iran has spent all that $$$/valuables that Barack Hussein Obama gave them in the dark of night?
    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-hes-instructed-navy-to-destroy-any-iranian-gunboats-harassing-us-ships

    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/house-senate-russian-meddoing-dueling-reports-fred-fleitz

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 6 people

    3. Wonderful news, Beckita! May the Star of the Sea stem the tide of the pandemic of diseases, both spiritual and corporal.
      (Oh, and today’s the beginning of the novena for the St. Joseph the Worker also May 1st!.)

      Liked by 7 people

    2. I rarely get past the headlines from the Babylon Bee but one really needs to read the text accompanying this one. It is gut busting and will give everyone great balm from the ongoing nattering of the left and the main stream media. Please click on this link!

      Liked by 5 people

  44. This might provided a bit of enjoyment-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4c5eo_3-y0
    I think I laugh harder each time I share it. I don’t post often, but I do follow this blog, Spirit Daily, Spirit Digest and Institute of Catholic Culture every day. Monsignor Pope is just lovely. I gave up political websites for Lent, but am going to use Crew Dog’s posts to ween myself back into it..eventually. LOL. I agree with the post about The Babylon Bee headlines. Funny how you think your the only one who thinks in a particular way about this or that, and you find out that you are not the only one! 🙂 Like just reading the Babylon Bee headlines! Thanks for all you do.

    Liked by 11 people

      1. I can’t get it, Beckita, typing it in as shown by Lori. How did you find it? Sorry to bother you. Someone else can tell me, maybe, what the trick is.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. No worries. It’s OK, Annie. People can hop on over to You Tube and search with your words to find it. You could also scroll up the comments to see Linda’s tutorial. 🙂

          Liked by 2 people

    4. Lori, glad to meet you but I just I can’t watch the rest! When she came back and picked up the cutting wheel, I cut her off! (No pun intended, haha). Don’t even want to know what happened next. Ouch!
      I guess I have this thing about anticipating bad things happening, lol. ~juls

      Liked by 3 people

      1. OK, so I was at work on Friday, and our deli manager came up to me and said you have got to watch this video, it’s hilarious! What video do you think she showed me? Of course the one that Lori suggested. I told her why I couldn’t watch the rest, and she said, “no, that doesn’t happen but you have to watch it all the way through.” You’re all right! I was nervous through the elastic part but was dying, ROTFL by the end. Thanks again for sharing Lori! I learned from this one that I can’t let the worst of my fears get the best of me! lol ~juls

        Liked by 2 people

    5. That video of Kay and the face mask task – I have not had a belly laugh that hard since the 3 stooges went off the air. Thanks for the laughs.

      Liked by 4 people

  45. JESUS = GOOD NEWS & Happy St George Day! 😉

    Well it looks like I made it to Three Score & Ten on my Warrior Patron Saint’s Day 😉
    We need to get Ol’ George back to help us slay a whole bunch of “dragons”!
    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2020/st-george-shakespeare-and-the-plague

    Some Good News?
    https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/coronavirus/does-militarys-secret-biodefense-lab-hold-key-future-coronavirus

    https://www.catholicleague.org/coronavirus-exploited-to-promote-socialism/

    https://stream.org/while-ny-gov-cuomo-rejects-gods-help-in-this-crisis-texas-governor-abbott-says-put-your-faith-in-god/

    https://townhall.com/columnists/larryoconnor/2020/04/22/you-have-every-reason-to-be-angry-at-communist-china-and-the-liberals-defending-them-n2567412

    https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/pissed-off-laura-ingraham-exposes-the-truth-about-recent-highly-biased-hcq-testing/

    https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2020/04/23/the-democrats-totally-want-a-depression-n2567395

    … but NO apology of any sort will be forthcoming ’cause Get-Trump is the only objective of The Usual Suspects and any other 2020 considerations (USA Health & Safety) is not even On de Table!
    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/04/cuomo_de_blasio_and_new_york_city_owe_trump_an_apology.html

    https://stream.org/never-trumpers-the-elites-and-the-ordinary-americans-they-disdain/

    Your daily “Fix” of Disdainers:
    https://www.newsbusters.org/

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 5 people

  46. Hey y’all I saw this on fb this morning and thought it was a really cool idea!!!

    Also, Had this wonderful FaceTime last night with Globetrotting Tommy n Liz!!! They will soon be back in Ohio , bringing back their camper so asking for prayers!! They did say that although their hospital is slow, there are positive covids daily and that 20 of their nurses are out sick! They said most of the cases are really mild but that 1 in 1000 just wow!!! Mostly older folksies like all of us but every now and then a young healthy person???

    Ok!!! Thanks again!!! Love ya all!!!

    I really love how families are starting to reach out to each other again!!! I’m feeling love I ain’t felt in decades!!! Hope you all are too!!! 🤗❤️🙏🌹😇✝️😘😘😉👆🏻👏✝️🌹

    Liked by 6 people

  50. To All my brothers and sisters out there, this is why we must all TNRS and do what little we can. Now is the time to speak out.

    “The Department’s recent announcement of its plan to partner and participate in a test of new drone technology has resulted in varied expressions of public concern and reservations. To those who have reached out directly to the police department, to the Selectman’s office or otherwise made public these questions or concerns, we sincerely thank you for your continued community engagement and seek to assure you that your voices have been heard.”

    https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/fairfield/westport-pd-testing-pandemic-drone-to-monitor-social-distancing-health-issues-around-town/

    Liked by 4 people

    1. btw it’s officially called: Draganfly’s “Flatten The Curve Pilot Program” To be tested in NYC and CT/Metro areas and rolled out to ya all nationwide. I remember once Charlie’s comments about dragons. I

      Liked by 3 people

    2. I have a friend whose son in law was approached to join his state’s militia– to fight inappropriate government moves! He’s ready! Don’t even want to mention what state! I dont know if this is always under the surface, or a response to what’s happening now!

      Liked by 5 people

      2. My husband and I joined one such militia group at about the same time that the Tea Party movement was hitting the ground running called the United States Freedom Army. It was an online base with regional command stations and yearly traveled to take a stand in a peaceful protest in Washington D.C. each September in support of our Republic and United States Constitution. The founder, Lewis Shupe Jr., was a retired USAF veteran. Twitter suspended his well accomplished account without any reason and did not reinstate it. His son, Nate, took over for a short while after his father died and was just not able to handle it at the time. The death of his beloved father, and all of the slings and arrows. They did in fact collaborate with several other such groups that were equally established.

        At a village *Christmas* party about a half a dozen years ago, my hubby was personally approached, was invited and was handed an application to join the Free Masons Society. We declined the offer! ❤

        Liked by 4 people

        2. Thank you for doing all that!

          It didn’t take me but 2 more secs of searching to see that the drone thing is truly another David v. Goliath battle, “with the usual suspects”, as CrewDog would say. But tnrs and asoh is never outta style, and always helpful.

          Liked by 3 people

          1. Like. (I’m with Lambzie up at our cabin and no coverage.  So can’t “like” the ordinary way.  This gies out when I get a connection later)—- Sent from Doug’s Back Pack

            Liked by 2 people

    3. Here is more about Draganfly. Also, I was just an educated guess and speculation that Westport was “first in the U.S.” but the second quote seems to confirm it. It is a Canadian company in conjuction with Australia to be piloted in the U.S.

      Now that Westport got cold feet, I wonder where they will try again?

      https://dronedj.com/2020/04/13/draganfly-developing-pandemic-drone-covid-19/

      and

      https://dronedj.com/2020/04/21/draganflys-pandemic-drone-begins-first-flight-us/

      Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly, shared the following in regards to the Westport Police Department tests:

      https://dronedj.com/2020/04/21/draganflys-pandemic-drone-begins-first-flight-us/

      This coronavirus pandemic has opened up a new frontier for advanced drones. In conjunction with our partners, including the town of Westport, together we are the first in the U.S. to implement this state-of-the-art technology to analyze data in a way that has been peer-reviewed and clinically researched to save lives.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. # of registered drones in the U.S.: 1.3 million
        Avg. cost of a drone: $300 – $25,000+

        # of shotguns sold per year in the U.S.: 1.5 million
        Avg. cost of a box of shotgun shells: $5.50

        Just sayin’.

        Liked by 4 people

              1. I went skeet shooting for my one and only time in Ireland 4 years ago.  I just happened to be at a customer when they had an outing.  So I was invited along with about 50 others.  I was one of only a few who hit the clay pigeons only cause I shoot back at home.  They were all amazed.  Too bad the clay pigeons weren’t drones.  I would have had some good practice.—- Sent from Doug’s Back Pack

                Liked by 2 people

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Published by charliej373

Charlie Johnston is a former newspaper editor, radio talk show host and political consultant. From Feb. 11, 2011 to Aug. 21, 2012, he walked 3,200 miles across the country, sleeping in the woods, meeting people and praying as he went. He writes on cultural, global and political issues from an orthodox Catholic perspective. He emphasizes that we find God most surely through the ordinary, doing the little things we should with faith and fidelity. His constant refrain is that, to live real joy, we must acknowledge God, take the next right step, and be a sign of hope to those around us. He lives in the Archdiocese of Denver in the United States.