Some old reflections on Columbus Day

Here, here, here and here.  It's barely mentioned now.  In fact, here in Buckeye land, this is the time when different outlets point out the effort by some to change the name of our state's capital.  One network - our local CBS affiliate - now refers to the city and city news as 'C-Bus.'  In fact its morning news magazine that was Wake up Columbus is now Wake Up C-Bus.  That's long been an informal nickname in these parts, but usually not for official use.  

Today Columbus is all but gone, and increasingly if the day is mentioned at all, it's Indigenous Peoples Day, or similar.  Of course now we're seeing challenges against everything from Washington and Jefferson, to the Constitution itself (earlier editorial from the New Yorker).

Things are happening fast.  Vichy Conservatives have long hidden behind the idea that bellyaching about such trivial things is just sissy stuff.  They'll wait until the gulags or the gas chambers are in full swing, then they'll start to worry.  Never a great strategy.  And looking at where things are and where they are going, and how quickly they are getting there, should be all the evidence you need for that appraisal. 

As for the Left venerating cultures who did what Columbus is accused of doing or worse?  Need I prattle on about that?  I think by now the reasons for that strange hypocrisy should be clear. 

Friday Frivolity: Once more unto the breach

Don't weep for France yet, the game favors defenders
We'll see how things look in a turn or two.

So I wrote about the string of ill fortune to hit us over the last year. True, as the dust has settled and clouds have passed, we consider ourselves quite blessed.  In some cases, things ended up better than they were (my wife's promotion).  In the health department, for all that happened, we've emerged relatively unscathed - all things considered.  For the economic hits and problems and urgent needs, we've been able to address them.  Given what we've seen around the world and in the south, we'll take the win and call ourselves more than blessed.

That doesn't mean when these things were happening it was easy.  And as often happens in life, when one trouble or two happens, it seemed to cause a domino effect with things big and small tripping us up along the way.  So even the most trivial annoyance could add to the stress.

I'll put into that trivial category the game World in Flames that we were playing.  We play most of our games in the basement, where several tables are spread about allowing a variety of matches for different people and contests.  This was done during the Covid years, and we've kept it - since there isn't much else for our basement other than our library and a little media space back when the boys wanted a 'Bro Cave' back in the day.  

World in Flames was on our ping pong table, which we've used for everything but ping pong over the years.  It needs that large of a table (9' x 5') to hold even the basic game boards and materials.  For some stupid, annoying reason, a water pipe over the table leaked.  This was when things were pretty intense in the family, and the last thing we cared about was playing boardgames. We had set that aside and hadn't gotten to it for some time. 

When we finally went down to try our hand at a game my 'boardgame afficionado' son got for his birthday, I looked over at the old World in Flames game and noticed something.  The game boards (which are mounted boards, not just paper), seemed to have hills and valleys.  And some of the other materials appeared the same.  I went over, and realized the leak had gotten into them and warped them, ruining two of the four map boards.  

Fortunately none of the playing pieces (those famous 'chits' of strategy wargame fame) were damaged or ruined. The boards appeared to soak up all the water.  As I always keep a spare of most things like that, once things began to settle and slow down, I went through, picked things up, and got the new boards out.  With things slowing for the time being, and a lull before the next round of crazy in their lives and vocations, the boys and I thought we would try again. 

This time, our oldest asked if we could go back and play the early tutorials, particularly the very first one.  For some strange reason, he understood the more convoluted parts of the game but struggled with the 'land' aspects.  Which is weird, because that is the most straightforward and simplest part, at least IMO.  That part is just Axis and Allies on steroids.  Nothing too complicated and pretty straight forward.  But he struggled with it when he jumped into the big campaign game.  So we're pausing from going back to the biggie to breeze through the first scenario, which is only a few turns long.

Times being what they are, this will be a once a week event - if that.  Their schedules and obligations are always such that time isn't what it used to be.  Which is fine.  But as long as they're around, we will spend a little time playing out what might have been in history.  If things go well enough, we might even be able to get another game going for our second oldest to join - when he needs a dose of fiction after being in the real world of fatherhood.   We will have to see.  But otherwise, the hobby is afoot.  Tune in next time for, well, not sure but I'm sure it will be interesting no matter what! 

Oh yeah, that happened

Today is the one year anniversary of the worst single day slaughter of Jews since World War II.  It's easy to forget, since that thing we used to call the news media has done yeoman's work hiding that story under a bushel over the last year. 

Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and others have the West's number of course.  For various reasons, we in the West have for generations gone out of our way to tear down, criticize, and condemn the heroes and good guys, while bending over backwards to make excuses for the bad guys.  This tendency has fed into the dreams of those Arabic and Muslim factions who desire the eradication of Israel and, if need be, the slaughter of any Jews who get in the way.

They know full well that they can attack Israel, then sit back and wait for the condemnation of Israel as soon as it retaliates.  True, because of the initial shock and horror of October 7th and its scope, that response took a few days.  But it wasn't more than a few days before the West/UN began noting Israel's atrocities, whether accused or verified, and letting that be the emphasis.   

This makes the Hamas tendency of using civilians as human shields a brilliant maneuver.  Because no matter how flagrantly it does this, or - super unspoken secret - however many Palestinians and others willingly allow themselves to be so used in order to topple Israel - they know the West/UN will simply condemn Israel.  If we in the West acknowledge this tactic, that is about all we do.  Then it's back to full condemnation of Israel as our only response. And everyone knows it. 

This isn't to say Israel has done nothing wrong.  It is war.  Horrible things happen in every war ever fought.  And the innocent are often the biggest victims.  But for most of human history - including the Christian world - it was understood that the greater good of fighting evil and protecting the overall wellbeing of the innocent necessitated the risk, and sometimes the sorry tragedies.  

Not today.  Today we will gladly let evil reign as long as it doesn't impact us.  Anything less than perfection, and we'll rip those fallible good guys and give all but a blank check to the baddies.  It's almost like condemning the heroes for failing to win perfectly has become an excuse for not bothering to be one.  That what passes for the virtuous demands for nothing less than perfection in executing the righteous cause is simply cowardice with a Jesus mask.  

This doesn't count the motives of trashing Israel because it is seen as an extension of the West, and therefore the oppressor, and therefore it deserves to go, along with the whole of the Western Tradition.  That's a different ballgame.  This is merely observing that cultural tendency we've developed of having an almost Pavlovian aversion to the ones trying to be the heroes, while excusing and almost supporting those who traditionally would be seen as the villains. 

A special day

Today is the Feast of St. Francis, my patron saint.  I've written about him many times over the years. He was one of those 'anchor' figures for me.  Even in my secular, agnostic, trying to be an atheist days, I conceded St. Francis was quite the fellow.  Though it's worth noting I was never an unbeliever who tried to insist all believers were stupid or in some way wretched and evil.  For instance, I didn't care for the type to insist Mother Theresa was really a racist con.  But then I've always rejected our modern age's tendency to find any way to tear down the good guys while bending over backwards to find excuses for the bad guys so we don't have to confront them.

Because of that, as a non-believer I could still admire St. Francis.  And as a Protestant, including pastor, I had no problem referencing him, mentioning him in sermons, or even having those famous prayers attributed to him hanging in my office. 

So when I entered the Church, it took me all of half a second to figure out who my patron saint would be.  No matter how crazy it has been since we became Catholic, I admit going back to Saint Francis, sometimes more than anything else, is a small place of refuge for me.  Becoming Catholic having made the relationship more than merely gazing at a framed prayer on a wall.  

As a bonus, it's also Ship in a Bottle day! Like you didn't know that.  For those envious of perhaps the most difficult hobby in the history of hobbies, here's an envy inducing little video for your viewing pleasure:

RIP Pete Rose

Never run home when you can dive - a Rose trademark

Every now and then someone whose name was practically etched into your cultural brain comes along, and Rose was one of them.  When I was a kid, and the Big Red Machine was smashing records, every third kid in my school wanted to be Pete Rose. 

I recall my mom and dad driving to Cincinnati to watch them during those crazy, wild days when the Reds were a juggernaut in the sports world.  I even went down a couple times with my dad and the family.  Once my dad and his best friend from the railroad, along with his friend's son, took me all the way down, through torrential rain squalls, to see them play.  It was a little beyond me, since I was never a huge sports fan.  History was my interest even then.  

Yet I knew there was something especial about everything happening. I knew there was something memorable about using my dad's binoculars to see fairly up close (very good binoculars) these players who were household names - Ken Griffey Sr., Johnny Bench, Dave Concepcion, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Cesar Geronimo and - standing high above them all - Pete Rose.  I can still remember in third grade, we had to give a presentation to the class about someone we admired.  I can't even remember mine.  But I remember Cindy C., standing in her Reds jersey and proudly announcing that her hero was none other than Pete Rose.

The all time Hit Champ in baseball history (the most hits of any pro ball player ever), his reputation became marred by the scandal involving his betting on the game. In those days, there was still a residue of the old 'if you do the crime, you do the time.'   And he did it.  Even many fans in the Cincinnati area had to concede that he violated major rules and laws, and that's what happens.  It was sad, it didn't take away from his accomplishments, but he was going to pay a steep price for his violations.

The problem, of course, was continuing to punish him into the modern era, where players may or may not be punished for assault, or cheating, or getting tattoos.  Perhaps someone who sent an off color email twenty years ago will be canned, but another accused by multiple women of assaulting them might go up in the league.  And now, that sports betting is legal and college kids are becoming millionaires as amateur athletes, is this the age that can still hold ol'Pete to the fire?  

Nonetheless, before that conversation could be brought back up, time did what time does, and Pete Rose has died.  Opinions were strong with him, but his fan base and his legacy were strong.  For me, he occupies a place in my memories and my childhood.  So massive his fame that I can't recall the world without him.  But I will have to now.  And pray that he finds some peace that he lost in this life, as well as peace for his loved ones and millions of fans who are left behind. 

The Big Red Machine

Friday Frivolity: The Autumn wind

Ah autumn.  I've written a lot on my love for this time of the year.  To many times to link to.  Truth be told, things like that seem less important in recent years.  That doesn't mean I don't care about it anymore.  It just means things change.

This year has been a bit strange.  Of course it must be global warming.  Everything is. In fact, my sons were talking a few weeks ago and they asked if the news was always this way.  That is, everything is apocalyptic, everything is the first, historic, unprecedented, in any way possible the worst, or what have you.  I said the press has always wanted that headline grabber, but I do think we're at a new level where everything is the most of anything all the time.  So it's tough to sift through what is and isn't unusual on some significant level.

This year, the weather has been wonky.  They say it's Ohio's worst drought since we've been keeping records.  Meanwhile, toward the end of August, it got very 'Fall-ish.'  Temperatures dropped in those dog days of summer, the sky was overcast, and it had a genuine feeling of fall.

I think that made the next several weeks through September seem all the more intolerant as they shifted and the heat swept in, with day after day near or above 90, while no rain, no rain, and no rain again.  So this last week, despite it still being a bit warm for this time of year, things seemed truly fall like after the heat had one last hurrah. 

Because of schedules and changes for the boys, their school and jobs and visiting CEOs and my wife's own work events of the last week or two, we had the chance for three of the boys and me to go out like old times.  I wish our fourth had been with us, but just getting out and about with the three of them requires the planets aligning in ways that verges on the miraculous, so I can't be picky.  

On that last day of sweltering heat, we visited a travelling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  I visited the real McCoy years ago, and our oldest - still in public school at the time - went to Washington DC and also experienced it.  This was a chance for the others to take it all in.  Not just the memorial, but when the memorial was built from a different age and time, when reconciling and putting past grievances behind us was a dominant cultural mandate of the day.   

Then came the weather change, and it was to the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Columbus, then eating out for lunch, and finally a jaunt around Columbus to find some historic sites for furthered education and broadening of minds.  This was accomplished by looking for those remnants of the Mound Builders, a pithy designation for American Indians who - guess what - built earthen mounds.  They must have been plentiful in these parts, because there seems no shortage of reminders of their ancient presence. 

Then it was back home, and getting back into things.  My wife was home that day, which allowed my mom to be taken care of while the rest of us explored.  Again, it isn't easy getting even a couple together.  So when we do, it's cherish the moment and the memories, and hopefully what lessons from old memorials ancient and new we can learn. 

One of several displays at the Memorial from the period, no doubt
a blast from  the past for those who served.

Without anyone in the family who fell (though two served), we looked up
the one veteran from my home town who was killed in action.

The boys contemplate the wall and come away with their usual
insightful observations and musings. I was taken by the old emphasis
on 'we must reconcile and put the past behind us.'  Another world.

The Harvest Moon was bright - even a man who is pure in 
heart they say. 

With leaves down and blowing through the air, it looked 
more autumn-like than the warm temps would suggest

We went to Mass at the Columbus Cathedral, then ate out together
Then decided to look for some Indian Mounds scattered about the city

Details of Mound #1

It doesn't look like much, but if you ponder that we're looking
at something that has stood for thousands of years - not bad.

The historical information marker for Mound #2    

The second mound had a little more around it, including a surrounding
 stone fence that looked like it was lifted from the Irish countryside.

I've often said their best pictures are taken while they're getting
ready for the picture to be taken.  Though what my youngest
was doing is beyond me

The long sleeves, the clouds, perfect fall.  Our fourth son's absence was felt,
but beggars and choosers.  Just getting out with the three of them at this
time is almost herculean in the logistics involved.

Returning from our outing to a nice fall scene. Many of the leaves are actually
just dead from the drought, but it does strike a nice autumnal feel.

Gratuitous daughter-in-law and little angel eyes pic!

What siding with the bad guys looks like

 Exhibit A:

That's' deacon and Catholic film critic Stephen Greydanus.  Stifle it and an end to the conversation was his final explanation. I wish he had just said whites are evil and racist and you can tell everything you need to know by their skin color since that's what the majority expert consensus says.  It would be honest and reflect just what our modernist establishment is teaching.  Instead, we have what appears to me a level of doublespeak and denial of reality that would make Orwell blush.  

I was going to write a lengthy tirade about how so many Christians, including Conservatives and their leaders, are becoming court prophets dedicated to excusing, defending, endorsing or ignoring whatever evils are emerging from our post-Christian era, especially from the left of center.  But I thought this stood well enough on its own without any extensive commentary on my part.

Time to remember

 Time to reflect comes later:

My granddaughter was born almost as far away from 9/11 as I was Pearl Harbor.  I thought that was noteworthy.  For now, remember those who fell victim to the attacks and all the suffering that came after. 

RIP James Earl Jones

As must happen to everyone, the great James Earl Jones has passed away.   To my generation, he will forever be the voice of Darth Vader.  To be brutally honest, that honor wasn't bestowed on him for me and many of my peers until closer to The Empire Strikes Back.  Until then, our younger eyes only saw 'David Prowse - whoever he was - as Darth Vader' on the snippets of credits that we saw.  Even a year later, Star Wars was still generating around the block lines.  The theaters we went to rushed us out the doors to make way for the next batch.  And before VCRs, there wasn't much of a chance to read the credits.  Or desire for that matter. 

So it came as a shock, sometime near the end of the 70s, getting ready for the new SW sequel, that we discovered Darth Vader wasn't entirely Prowse at all, but also someone named James Earl Jones.  Perhaps once or twice I glanced the name, purely by accident, but my young mind likely didn't process it.  But by Empire, I was heading into middle school.  A little smarter and more aware.  

When he did Conan the Barbarian, for many I know that was our first glance at him.  And what a glance. I know today his hairpiece gets quite a ribbing by folks.  But back then, I don't believe I had ever seen him before.  We had nothing to go by.  I was sure it wasn't his real hair, but for all I knew, it wasn't far off.  Not that I saw the movie - too young - but I saw plenty of articles and photos.  

It would be over the subsequent years, as I grew up, that I was introduced to Mr. Jones's impressive body of work.  And his impressive presence.  George Lucas stupidly apologized for saying Jones was chosen for Vader's voice because Lucas was looking for a darker, more sinister voice.  Because darker, black, you know.  It's today.  

But sane people in a sane age get what he meant.  With a voice that would make George Sanders green with envy, he couldn't help but play parts of authority and commanding respect.  Wise, sage like, solid, dependable - these became the stock of characteristics he always seemed to convey.  Even in comedy, you could count on him to the solid as a rock person in a room full of crazy.   Just look at him.  

I know little about his private life, and to be honest, I'm happy with that.  All too often disappointment can follow when you pry into the lives of those you know on screen.  As it is, the gist I had was that he commanded the same respect off screen that his characters did on screen.   Which isn't bad.   

He remains a major part of my cultural awareness.  He was that solid character that perhaps Peck or Gable filled for generations before.  You knew when you saw him that he would bring at least a full letter grade improvement to any film or project.  Despite it all, he will still be Vader with that voice that sent chills down my elementary school spine all those years ago.  RIP Mr. Jones.  And thanks for the lifetime of memories. 

UPDATE:  I wasn't aware of this, but apparently in the original theatrical releases, his name wasn't in the credits.  That came later.  And it was at his initial request.  In a later interview, he explained that he believed he wasn't really 'acting', but was more part of the special effects.  He compared it to the controversy over Mercedes McCambridge and her role in the Exorcist as the dubbed over voice for Linda Blair.  It wasn't until later that, due to a growing awareness of his role in voicing Vader, that he acquiesced and Lucas then added his name, and retroactively added it to future releasees of the original.  Hence why I wouldn't have known in those early years, Star Wars mania though it was.  Fun stuff sometimes, the internet. 

The birthdays continue

Several years ago, I quipped about 'Our time of the year.'  We used to go from our third son's birthday because it was close to the six month mark to Christmas.  Now with our daughter-in-law and the world's cutest baby having birthdays before that, not to mention their anniversary, I have to modify that template.  

But no matter, starting in May now, we have month after month of birthdays.  This is our final summer birthday, and the one that is our own 'autumnal season' marker.  Largely because of my son's requests, we keep any and all references to, and indulging in, fall pastimes until after his August birthday.  So it's with great expectations that we look forward to his birthday.  But in fairness, we look forward to it because it's his birthday, and another chance to look at the sunny side of life, as they say. Especially now that he has his family to share it with.  

As families go, his has had a full, rich, crazy time.  They opened no less than a brick and mortar book store coming right off the chaos and catastrophe that was the Covid era lockdowns.  And that was before they were married.  Then, God decided the family needed a special blessing to get us through these moments of darkness, and they brought our granddaughter into the world.  

Gratuitous candid shot:

Now, I remember being just married all those years ago.  You have your honeymoon.  You have your honeymoon time.  Then life comes along and it's the whole new adventure.   For them, the adventures of life hit soon, and have been on a level that's tough to imagine.  Not just the Covid era courtship and post lockdown wedding, but what they have taken upon themselves to accomplish.  

It hasn't been easy.  The arrival of their daughter, while joy and happiness unimaginable, was in suboptimal conditions.  Sitting in a neonatal ICU unit is never anything that a positive spin can help.  

Yet they've proven amazingly resilient.  They probably handled it better than I would have at that stage in my life. Fortunately not only us, but her family lives in the area as well.  I'd like to think having both families nearby helped, and I know her mom did yeoman's work being there during the delivery and helping them get at least a couple feet back on the ground.

Now, looking at the grandbaby, it's easy to forget the chaos and upheaval and stress of the last year.  I know.  St. Paul says be anxious for nothing.  Call me a Christian in training, but the anxious was easy to fall into, with the nature of her early arrival and the rest of the blitz that hit us over the last year.  Soon we'll be at the anniversary of when everything went bonkers last fall.  This is especially notable as it's Employee Appreciation Week, and we all know what that means. Increasingly that, like Christmas, is when companies today cut jobs and hand out pink slips.  Our prayer is that we've paid our dues for a season, and the better side of blessings will continue to move us forward as God quiets the storms and stills the waves of life. 

One way to embrace the hope is to rejoice in the finer blessings, like another year with our son, his wife and their adorable child.  To share time with the other brothers who we're blessed to have here to gather together, and be thankful for the opportunities to help mom, each other, and by extension, hopefully move on in whatever crazy path God has set out for us.   

So a happy and blessed birthday to our second oldest.  I get now those greeting cards for children that speak of memories of them as little ones, but the pride in seeing the adults and parents they've become. 

As a sidenote, as my vision problems correct themselves and I look forward to new lenses that may seal the deal and get my eyesight back on track, I have to say the blessings still outweigh the problems, and for that, I am thankful to the Almighty. 

The family - an amazing year and a half

Mn mom overlooking the festivities

Don't mind saying he makes us proud

Five feet high the cake and three may eat abreast   

Another birthday in a year of crazy

Just when you thought it was safe to wake up in the morning, 2024 continued.  I won't go into details, but among the ongoing torpedoes from life has been one reason among several that I've not been blogging.  Long and short, my eyesight has been impacted and it's devilishly difficult to see right now.  It should get better, and I'm slated to get things checked out in a couple weeks.  But for now it's tough to type or read, without a separate pair of temp glasses, which themselves are subpar.  That's one thing.  There were other fun trip-ups.  One thing on the less than serious side, but not the least of annoyances, was the end to our little World in Flames game.  Turns out something had a leak in our house, and the water dropped straight down onto the game board, soaking and ruining the game boards and pretty much causing things to be upended and removed.  Yeah, it's been that kind of a year. 

But the light still shines, and this time - in addition to shamelessly coddling our adorable granddaughter:

The  cuteness is strong with this one

the July light was our youngest's birthday.  Hard to believe he's already halfway through his teen years.  The year he was born was the fortieth anniversary of the moon landing hoax, and so we always try to bring something moon-like into the celebration.  If nothing else, chocolate Moon Pies - a guilty pleasure.  This year it was the 55th anniversary year, and a full moon to boot!  Hey, you take the good news how you can.

For his part, our youngest is our tech guru.  He's not sold on a career in tech, but we keep trying to nudge him.  After all, you could do worse than a career with technology or engineering nowadays.  And he is as passionate about tech and its history and workings as you get.

Anything dealing with technology, we hand to him.  His hobby is finding old, vintage technology and making it work.  For his birthday, his brothers pulled together and got him an old, used original Gameboy game.  The original.  It was clearly well used in its day. 

Unfortunately, as soon as he got it out and put in one of the games they got, it didn't work.  Our advice was to take it back and see if they could fix it.  Sadly, in most such transactions, it's caveat emptor.  They promise it works when they put it on the shelf and that is all.  After that, it's on the customer.  But they might be able to fix it.  At first he agreed, then he said wait a minute.  He got up, grabbed a screwdriver set, ducked into his bedroom, and in about ten minutes or so he came out and said he got it working.  And that's not the first time.  It's what he does. Pick almost anything and he can get it to work. So yeah, a tech vocation wouldn't do him badly.

Otherwise, it was a nice birthday time, and despite the crazy, hopefully was a blessing for him.  The dinner was a crab and crawfish boil with the fixins, and then some down home sparkler displays like the olden days.  As always, we pray for him this year and for blessings and grace upon his endeavors and future pilgrimage.  His has not been the easiest life of the boys, and he certainly has his ways, but what he brings, and his stunningly mature perspective on things despite his age, has always been an extra layer to the family that nobody else brings in quite the same way. 

Our equipment is lacking, but trust me it looked awesome

Had to adjust a few things, but he demonstrates his usual quirky

To account for multiple diet restrictions, he picked well 
with a crab and crawfish boil (baby and mommy being off camera)

And more firelights displays - it's still July

The boys, minus our 2nd oldest, setting the fun

Yep

 

I would add that Trump is not widely expected to win.  The latest batch of polling shows Trump barely ahead of Biden, and not much different than it has been for much of the year.  A squeak-by advantage well within the margin of error. 

Perhaps that is good news, and shows social and Christian conservatives saying enough.  Maybe Christians and others who value the Life movement are saying , they have debased themselves and held their noses for eight years.  But they will not simply act like sheep and push the appropriate button as Trump moves to diminish opposition to one of the most critical moral crises in modern history. 

Trump was never a conservative by any stretch.  The Left portrayed him, as it does all enemies, as a far right neo-Nazi misogynistic racist.  But in honesty, Trump in many things has been left of center, especially regarding animal pleasures.  Why the sudden party platform shift, I don't know.  I do know I've heard little push-back from conservatives - social, Christian, Catholic or otherwise.  And nothing will play up to the 'lie of the pro-life movement' more than standing by as that movement is chipped away at by the GOP while handing over votes in due order.  

It might just be time that we accept the end of the Christian era and a new phase in the history of the Faithful.  It's not time to compromise the Faith to stay loyal to a party that has never really wanted us in the first place, and increasingly is making that clear under the leadership of Donald Trump. 

I wonder if this is true

 

I just don't have the time to look it up, times being what they are.  It's from the Internet, and I've developed a strong distrust for anything I find there, especially on Social Media.  In fact, I was going to post on the increasing number of Social Media posts I see that are dead wrong - photos don't match text, facts wrong and such - until I was informed that it's part of the whole posting gig.  That is, it benefits posts to have many comments for some measures of stats.  Thus they post things that are wrong and sit back as hundreds rush into to say 'Hey!  That's wrong'.  It's a comment, and that's what matters. 

That's not the only problem, but it adds to the distrust I've had for years.  So the above image could be bunk and nothing more.  The only reason I post it is because last year, during our local media's attempt to convince us that the mid-80s are life threatening, I looked up the all time high temps for the Midwest.  And I believe there were only a couple times that the all time highs weren't in the 1930s.   You know, the Depression, those droughts and dust bowls and all.  Because I noticed this referenced the 1930s as a comparison date, and it seemed to fit with what I found last year, I decided to post.

The point being my belief that the climate changes, just as it always has.  That often times we're watching cycles of changes where the climate fluctuates, changes, shifts and changes again.  I'm not saying our approach to STEM hasn't had an impact on the climate.  It probably has to a degree.  But it's simpler than the politics of Global Warming.  Or the two months long daily apocalyptic coverage of our summer temps this year. 

A nice birthday and needed change

So it was our third oldest's birthday last week. Hurray!   As I've written before, we usually consider this our half of the year.  But now things have changed.  Both our daughter-in-law and our granddaughter have birthdays in May.  Our son and daughter-in-law will likewise celebrate their wedding anniversary in May. Plus there is the Kentucky Derby!  We must fix our idea of when our half of the year starts, or if it means anything at all by now.  After all, the Transgender movement is trying to enshrine November (Thanksgiving) as the month for all things non-gender.  So it was only a matter of time.  

Nonetheless, whatever the movers of grand agendas say, for our part it was nice to have a celebration after some pretty rough weeks over the last couple months.  We know there are people in the world who have it worse than us.  People in third world countries, extreme poverty and starvation, embroiled in wars and invasions.  But then, as one of my sons once said, if you need to keep appealing to war zones and famines to remind yourself your life isn't too bad, that does say something. 

Nonetheless, we're still blessed, and we know it.  But as can happen in life, things can just torpedo you broadside and, for some reason, it sometimes feels like it hits all at once.  So after the dust settled, it was a joy to see our third oldest and his usual enthusiasm carry the day. 

It wasn't a milestone birthday, but we did pull out the stops.  One, because it was nice to celebrate and enjoy again and focus on the good of the last couple months.  Two, because his big 21st Birthday fell when Covid and lockdowns were still about, and it ended up being a bit compromised, with problems of the day mitigating the fun his brothers had around their 21st birthdays.

While it wasn't some grand trip through Europe, it was our version cast over several days owing to scheduling.  In an odd twist, of all the things he wanted to do, we dusted off an old game from their youth called Dread Pirate.  That was from a time when board games were ascending and some pretty hefty production standards were used.  In this case, he joked that the game was really just a pirate version of Chutes and Ladders with phenomenal production standards.  I mean, metal castings for playing pieces, cloth board, wooden box - that's impressive.  Truth be told, it was also fun.

Of course he received a sizeable amount of board game and game related material.  He is our game guru after all.  Including games that are apparently big in the video game world - Skyrim - and a little addition I threw on that's a D-Day based wargame.  I thought his birthday coinciding with what will likely be the last big hurrah for that historical event made sense. 

Otherwise we fired off some fireworks - since they're now legal before and after July 4th.  We pulled our resources and our oldest made him a phenomenal steak and lobster dinner. Again, our oldest has broken restaurants for us since there is seldom anything he can't cook better than what we'll find in even the best eateries in the area. 

Then the brothers set aside an entire day to play his favorite board game of all - Twilight Imperium.  After that we just chilled and watched a couple episodes of Blue Bloods.  When they were young, we usually took a day to make their own on their birthdays.  In recent years schedules just don't allow that, and we have to spread things out over a few days.  But it's worth it.   

Chutes and Ladders perhaps, but Grade A production values!

Making everything fun as usual

A pregame warmup for July 4th for his big day

Yeah, it was that good. 

The brothers and the game - I played but don't know what I'm doing

That was my guess

I posted on the mixed up messaging with Juneteenth here.  For the record, I finally blocked Greydanus at FB because I was tired of the mendacity.  Beyond so much BS regarding not admitting the obvious, he is definitely a white guy who has bought the 'white is evil' narrative.  He will bypass the horrors of many suffering innocents until he can find someone white to post against.  Well, despite blocking him, and because of his perpetual focus on only white crimes, I saw a copy of this in a thread:

As a disclaimer, it didn't include the post itself, and because I blocked him I don't know what he said.  But I'm willing to guess.  Nonetheless, take note.  It's apparently linking to BLM activist Gloria Purvis.  Why now?  If my math is good, it's the 9th anniversary of the tragic mass shooting.  Not exactly a milestone.  So why now?  And in Pride Month no less?  

But that's the point.  The reason I posted my post about Juneteenth was that we noticed a few stories about random civil rights topics this month. A murdered black person from the past here, a falsely accused civil rights activist there, a reminder of the history of slavery over there.  And in Pride Month?  What gives?

That's when it dawned on us.  Having made Juneteenth a thing, the Left can now designate yet another month to the trashing and hashing of the rehashed trash of America's vile sins and evil past.  Couple with those now saying Juneteenth is a day about black culture, and others saying it is Independence Day for blacks, whites can have their own, it's obvious where this is meant to go. 

So once again we are told by those on the Left that if we do something it's because of some lofty, harmonious and unifying goal.  Only to realize a year or so later that this is not the case at all.  Once again it is to tear down and destroy the West, the US and the Christian traditions.  

UPDATE: So Greydanus has stepped in with his reaction to the debate last night. Remember Trump's  celebration of Nazis all those years ago.  And now Trump says he doesn't know if Washington owned slaves.  Of course Washington owning slave is really the only thing worth knowing about him today.  And one of the reasons I blocked Gredyanus, things like sanctification or redemption by Christ or working out one's own salvation have definite stopwatches and time limits.  When I pointed out that America ultimately did right by the Civil Rights movement, he shot back that I should look at how long it took. I said I didn't think there was some time limit for people - much less entire nations - striving toward holiness and doing good.  But for him, yep.  His Catholic Church has all sorts of limits and provisos.  I can't say if he applies the same to transgender mutilation, abortion or black on non-black racism, or continued attacks on the Jewish community by pro-Palestinians since he never dwells on such things.  But this is why I don't follow him any more.  

A nation led by Sodom

 And taught by Gomorrah 

Enough said. 

As a general rule

Those upset about this in our schools:

Are fine with this in our schools:

And vice versa. Therein lies the division. 

The reason I don't do Juneteenth

I've only heard him mentioned once this year

Is different from why I never got into MLK Day.  I didn't care for MLK Day because, to me, MLK just became discount Jesus for a nation afraid to invoke Jesus for fear of being called names.  As opposed to whatever official reasons, that was my guess.  And that is why I imagined it wouldn't last forever. 

Since 2020, MLK day hasn't been what it used to be.  When my sons were in public school, they began hyping MLK before the Winter Break that happened at the end of December.  Then into January it was MLK all the way.  That focus would continue through Black History Month.  There were also ample other times in the year to focus on MLK and America's racist identity: Colonial era, the Revolution, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Segregation and Jim Crow in the 20th Century. 

Of course it wasn't just school.  In my ministry days, whenever I heard other pastors preach, it was common to hear them quote or somehow invoke MLK.  Scarcely did a sermon or a lecture or speech pass without at least one mention.  Sometimes he would be the exclusive focus or reference, even when Jesus barely got a dashed off mention.  News reports, college and high school lectures, editorials, documentaries, news interviews on television - you couldn't go three days without hearing of MLK or at least the broader Civil Rights Movement to which he was attached. 

Since 2020, however, that has passed.  There was an attempt to insist we had the whole MLK legacy wrong.  Turns out MLK thought nothing of dividing people into skin color and judging accordingly.  And not a few posts and editorials said MLK was warming to the whole ultraviolence approach to justice.  Which prompted my sons to rename him MLK-Ninja Warrior.  So singing the praises of the Man of Peace isn't as easy now that we realize violence can be a wonderful answer and it is about judging based on skin color. Which is likely why I haven't heard of him for weeks, if not longer.  

Now it's Juneteenth. And in this case you won't see me paying attention to it because, like Critical Race Theory, I have yet to hear a straight answer regarding what it's all about: 

1. A holiday for the black community about black culture and black only and everything, with a fair dash of America's racist past.

2. A holiday for everyone, but whites and others are merely invited, the planning and focus being on blacks in America and blacks in America alone, with a fair dash of America's racist past.

3. A holiday commemorating the historical event of freeing the last slaves in America which should become our real independence day, with a fair dash of America's racist past.

4. A holiday that is important because it was made by blacks alone, and the federal government merely put a stamp of approval, rather than coming up with it itself.  Again, with a fair dash of America's racist past

4. A holiday commemorating the government sending the US army to Texas to inform the slaves that they were free, being the last primary holdout of enslaved African Americans, that should be for all people. 

Until we get an executive decision on what it's actually about, I'll hold off.  Especially since I'm already seeing more and more black Americans preferring a combo of #2 and #3, with a dash of #4.  In one of our local news FB pages, several jumped into the comments to all but say it's about black everything and July 4th is dead to them.  My attempts to explain that without July 4th you don' t have Juneteenth  went about as far as you'd expect.

So nope.  Right now, my gut feeling is that its main purpose is to 1) perpetually keep the sins of America alive as yet another month becomes a vehicle for trashing the Western Tradition and its values, 2) dividing people up between groups antagonistic toward each other, and  3) downplay or outright erasing the heritage, heroes and history of the United States.  

Since I'm not stupid enough or uneducated enough to buy into such things, and there is no clear consensus on what the whole thing is supposed to be anyway, I think I'll spend my time elswhere.

Note what is missing.  What happened to 'a holiday for all Americans'?

This and Harrison Butker too

We all recall the Left/Media's attack against Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker when he dared to challenge the Left's calls for more hedonism and narcissism.  Yet despite some points where those to the Left could have come together and really trounced the guy, the far-left radicals overplayed their hand. By signing petitions and trying to ruin his career, more old time liberals - like Bill Maher - balked.  

Even those who disagreed with him point by point still said they respected his right to speak in a private setting among those who shared his beliefs.  Though the press tried to fish out students at the graduation who would experience PTSD for life because of what he said, they simply found nothing worth exploiting.  

By the end, it was his fellow Catholics and the most extreme left of Lenin 'abortion and group sex' leftists who kept the outrage going.  And among Catholics not just your typical Shea/Greydanus types.  Nice guy Mark Brumley zeroed in on the criticisms.  Even Amy Welbourne, whose writings I have admired for years, trounced.  Her piece was filled with so much contempt and condescension toward Butker, I would have believed Shea ghost wrote it for her.  

Oddly, the only thing the MSM went after was his statements on the worth of motherhood and the worth of fathers and masculinity.  Those do cut to the heart of the Left, I will admit.  Almost ignored was his dig at pride Month.  And it was mostly Catholics who got hung up on his statement about who killed Jesus. I suppose they forgot The Passion of the Christ firestorm when Jewish scholars and rabbis repeatedly appeared on the news to remind us that Jewish people never heard of Jesus.  All that Sanhedrin Council and Judas Iscariot rubbish was made up by the antisemitic and racist church generations later.  

But the good news is, despite extreme leftists' and his fellow Catholics' efforts to the contrary, many felt the fanatical zealots overstepped the mark.  They overplayed their hand.  In the end, most Americans, Christians, liberals and even those who disagreed with his beliefs, still upheld his right to express them. 

Now we have a journalist who went undercover with SCOTUS justices Alito and Roberts.  Posing as a conservative Christian, she interviewed them and then quickly released a 'heavily edited' (the words of the initial ABC report) version of the interviews.

First, the Liars for Jesus inquisition won't be able to say a thing.  Remember, led by Dawn Eden they made it clear that whatever evils and slaughter may happen, if someone lies to stop it, that becomes the only thing worth focusing on.  So they're out.  Heck, the interviews were so heavily edited that ABC announced it would not repeat the quotes.  

The amazing thing is that already there is pushback - and from the media as well as sane people.  In the discussion with Dan Abrams, George Stephanopoulos admitted that the questions were extremely leading.  That is, she didn't say 'what do you think about the divisions in our country', or 'what do you think would help our country?'  She actually based the premise of her question on the idea that the divisions were beyond repair, and asked Alito if it was obvious that only one side could win because there was no hope for reconciliation.

At that Alito said he wished there could be some way to live together, but it looked like there isn't much to hope for because there are strong opinions on both sides.  In other words, his answer was more balanced and open than her bating question.

Same with Justice Roberts.  She basically stated to him that we are clearly a Christian country, ain't we?  To which Justice Roberts responded that he had Jewish and Muslim friends who might disagree.  Again, she was more of a caricature of a rightwing Christian theocrat than most rightwing Christian theocrats.  And she acted a million times worse than the two justices she was trying to ensnare. 

It appears that is what bothers the press.  They don't care about undercover reporting.  Of course not.   But the fact that she was asking such leading questions moved the line beyond even entrapment.  And then, armed with the justices' moderate and understated answers, she rushed to social media with massively redacted recordings to suggest these men are compromising their roles as SCOTUS justices!  At first, some media outlets ran with it, asking if they should recuse themselves from the practice of law henceforth. 

But I've noticed over the last week or so, that has gone the way of the dodo.  More stories began to express concern.  Like this follow up report from NPR.  Not only could this have the effect of causing the Supreme Court to become more hush-hush, but there is also a growing creepy factor in all this. 

And that creepy factor is beginning to spread.  Somewhere, when added to going after the spouses of various individuals (like Alito's wife), Harrison Butker's personal beliefs in a private setting, and now the personal views of these justices, it does look like there are some leftists saying you will have no rights or freedoms at all in this country - even at your own home.  Your one freedom is to bow and grovel before the Political Left. And if you say something around the dinner table or at a private setting that dares challenge leftwing dogma, we will get you. 

Never admit you want a communist flavored totalitarian terror state until you have absolute control.  That is the lesson from the sum of the mistakes we have been seeing these last few weeks. 

Though this was brought to my attention as I finish this post.  There will come a time when I stop supporting the NAACP.  I never had an issue with them. They do their thing.  But if they push this 'white ancestors must be erased' movement, without going back to Africa and erasing its rather robust trading in slavery - including at times white slaves - then I'll happily kiss them goodbye.  I will not continue milquetoasting it with groups or individuals who want to attack my 1) Faith, 2) People (Anglo-European/Native American), 3) Country, and 4) cherished values.  The time for wimpy sissy-groveling is past if anyone cares about protecting such things.