Reflections on the Week

 As I am writing this today, we have a half-day at work due to the fact they are having a party for the kids downstairs in a couple of hours.  The students I teach - 11th graders - are out today due to what is known as an asynchronous day; that means they do classwork from home, which sounds better in theory than it does in practice, as many of these students are not thinking of schoolwork when they are at home.  However, that goes in line with a lot of inconsistency I am noting in many areas of life these days, and to be honest I am sort of over it all.  If you have ever been in the mindset of pining for a change, then you will know how I feel.  I work in a big city, and in a school with a demographic of students who are noted to have some problems due to the cultural context many of them come from.  To me, it is like a foreign country sometimes, and I long for the simplicity of my "mountain home" back in WV or even western Maryland.  In all honesty, something is currently in the works with that too, but I won't get into that at this point until later. 

This is also the first full week of Lent, and given it is Friday, it means abstinence from meat and other things.  The real test of Lent often comes during lunchtime, and today I decided to go and pick up something from the local Royal Farms store just a block away from the school.  While there, I briefly thought of getting a piece of fried chicken for lunch.  If you are familiar with Maryland, Royal Farms is a convenience store noted for its delicious fried chicken (although it had competition in Hagerstown with AC&T there, who had equally good yardbirds).  It is a spiritual test during the Lenten season to walk into those stores because the aroma of that frying chicken is addictive.  In most cases, on seasons where I can eat fried chicken, I generally pick up mine out of the cooler case as it is cheaper, but I do occasionally treat myself to the fresh product too.  Today, in a temporary lapse of memory, I almost succumbed to the temptation, but then quickly snapped out of it settling instead for a delicious soft pretzel to hold me over until dinner tonight.  It was quick thinking on my part, and thus maybe I saved my immortal soul?  I don't think personally that God throws a person into hell for eating a chicken leg on a Lenten Friday, especially if it is a legitimate case of forgetfulness.  However, I also have an example to model for my students of solid Catholic practical faith, and thus it was important to stick to my convictions on that.  Fried chicken on Friday in Lent reminded me of an important lesson Our Lord emulates for us too, and I want to go into that a bit as a sort of lesson. 

In the Church calendar, Lent marks the 40 days before Easter, and it has Biblical antecedents.  For one, the wandering of the Israelites in the desert for 40 years.  Then, there is Jesus's own wilderness experience in the desert for 40 days, in which he was tempted by Satan three times and easily rebuffed Satan by just quoting the Word at him - that is oftentimes all we need to do too in order to overcome. Lent commemorates more of the latter, and it is a good discipline for Christians to practice Lenten fasting and abstinence because it reminds us who the focus of our faith should be.  That is why, as good as that piece of moist, crispy fried chicken smells, we will survive if we don't have it for a short season.  And, lest you think Catholics are strict about this, you should be Eastern Orthodox - their Lenten fasts are much more strict than most Roman Catholics observe (although some TLM Catholics come close).  Let me educate you about that for a minute.

In the Church calendars of both East and West, there is generally a countdown to lent covering the first three Sundays - in the West these are Septuagesima, Sextagessima, and Quinquagesima Sundays (meaning, in Latin, the 7th, 6th, and 5th Sundays before Easter).  In the East it is a little different, as on the 6th Sunday is called Meatfare, meaning the last Sunday before Lent one can eat meat, and the following Sunday is Cheesefare, which is the last Sunday before abstaining from dairy products.  In the East as well, there is a strict form of fasting called xerophagy, in which essentially one can only eat nuts as well as raw fruits and vegetables.  That austere diet is to remind us of the hardships of life and how to overcome them without giving into temptations.  In a way though, it is also a good health plan as well if one has the discipline to do it.  However, eating twigs and berries every day for the rest of one's life is not the healthiest either, as it does tend to make one deficient in nutrients too.  I never had the discipline to follow a xerophagic fast, but all respect to those who do successfully do it. 

The other aspect of fasting is that it is an act of worship too - there is a Christocentric dimension to this as well, especially in the view Isaiah had of the eagle, ox, lion and ram.  The ox in particular is seen as a symbol of longsuffering, and the bearing of the yoke by the ox patiently represents how compared to what Christ suffered for us, "our yoke is easy and our burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).  Giving up a few culinary indulgences, in other words, is mild compared to what Christ did for us, and therefore while it is not salvific to share in Christ's sufferings literally, it does provide a valuable lesson for us in that we can endure a little suffering if it helps our spiritual growth.  That is what the spirit of Lent is all about - not being exactly like Christ in what we experience, but to be able to say "OK, let me put aside those things which distract me so I can hear God better."  Every Catholic religious tradition - from the austere Benedictine hermits to the liberal Jesuit clerics - have an aspect of that as part of their religious practices.  Therefore, it is considered beneficial, but not mandatory in a great extent, to experience a bit of deprivation to aid in growth.  

Ultimately, the manure of adversity - and let's face it, adversity is not pleasant for anyone! - is the fertile nourishment for our spiritual development.  It has been said that in order for a seed to sprout and become a mighty tree, the seed has to die, and although we obviously cannot feel what a seed feels, we relate to the fact that often it is hard to let go of those things (the seed coat) that hinder us the most.  It also represents a dichotomy between how we view the concept of freedom vs. what God intends.  I went over this the other day in my Morality class at school with my students, and part of their lesson had to do with impediments to freedom - there were five listed, and they are as follows:

1. Habit - repeated bad habits, which can also in some cases lead to unhealthy addictions and thus a form of idolatry.

2. Duress - Being forced to do something through fear and/or panic.

3. Inordinate Attachments - having an unhealthy attachment to things, particularly money or some other tangible possessions (this also breaks the commandment against idolatry).

4. Inadvertence - Not paying attention despite warnings

5. Ignorance - Not knowing the right way to conduct oneself.  The idea of "willful ignorance" has another name - stupidity.

Freedom can also be external or internal, and each has its own challenges. For internal freedoms we often struggle with unnatural addictions, fears that restrict our potential, and other things.  External struggles include tyranny, poverty, and slavery.  This is also why the twin concepts of justice and faith need to work together.  You cannot have one without the other, and here is why:

Justice without faith - leads to tyranny.

Faith without justice - leads to legalism.

There are many left-of-center people today who like to shout the word "justice" like a mantra, but they do so without understanding what it truly is.   They like targeting things like ICE, but then they conveniently ignore real injustice such as what is happening to the people of Iran right now.  It's inconsistent and not true justice because they only accept things that support their own narrative and ignore other things (this happens with the Right as well as the Left too).  As this relates to Lent, there is something that needs to happen - inner conversion.  Convert the soul, and then you transform the society around you.  True justice is rooted ultimately in authentic faith, and that in turn is nourished by the grace we receive that ultimately transforms us, and then as we are transformed it then impacts our world because we are better people for the experience.  Lent is a way to remind us of that, and also a time to seek conversion of our souls and hearts.  Many "social justice warriors," even when cloaked in religious language as our campus minister at the school I work with often is, miss this by infinity.  That then leads to further complications later on, because someone who has a skewered view of "justice" will only support the concept when it lines up with their narrative of history and life.  And thus the fundamental problem.

The bottom line is that as Catholics, our first and foremost priority in any vocation we have is the salvation of souls.  If we prioritize that, then the rest falls into place easily.  Justice therefore is not something that should be theorized and sloganed, but rather is instinctual to the person who has their faith where it should be.  And that, my friends, is my Lenten reflection today.  See you next time. 

Snow Day and Thoughts on Home Invasion (On a National Scale)

 Today I am unexpectedly home, as an intense northeastern storm has closed schools here in town, but I don't mind snow days.  Let me give you a little secret about snow days - teachers look forward to those too as much as students do.  Especially in the school where I teach, which has its own unique challenges.  We didn't get a lot of snow - there is a light ground cover, and it is not near as big as the last snow we had a few weeks ago, so by the end of this week it will probably be melted away.  I am thinking that this will be our last major snow of the year for this winter, as soon we will be into March and that means it will be Spring soon.  Winter, like everything else in life, can be a mixed blessing - we are usually excited about the first snow, and we like days off from work or school, but it soon wears out its welcome and you begin to look forward to more agreeable seasonal temperatures as the seasons change.  That is where I am right now.  So, given this will likely be the last snow day of the academic year here, I thought I would use it to catch up on some things and to address an issue I wanted to tackle, as now I have a good point of reference to do so. 

The issue is immigration, and let me start out with a scenario.  Imagine you are still living at home with your parents.  Life is good, you have your own room and can lead a decent life.  But, one day there is a knock on the door, and some kid just sort of invites himself into your home.  Your parents are too weak to do anything about it, so they just let this guy (or gal) come on in and set up housekeeping.  In time, you start seeing your privileges decrease - your parents force you to move out of your room to give it - and all your stuff - to this stranger, and you are forced to live in the basement.  Then, all of a sudden, your own dad says you have to now pay rent or get out, and you get a job paying under what you deserve to meet that expectation.  By this point, the stranger is enjoying all the things you had although he has no birthright to them, nor does he have any sanction, and you have been reduced to being the stranger in your own house.  How would you react to that?  You would rightly not be too happy about it would you?  Now, let me tell you that this is actually happening, but on a bigger scale, and then let's see if your reaction would be the same.

Illegal immigration has been a pivotal issue in the past few years, as leftist Democrats have literally flooded the border with questionable people who often turn out to be human traffickers, drug runners, gang members, and even dangerous terrorists.  They are not only here illegally, but are more than likely convicted criminals in their countries of origin too.  But, in the name of "justice," they are allowed in, and in many cases subsidized with your tax dollars in the form of welfare benefits, no-cost housing, and other perks that most Americans will never see yet we are paying for.  The Democrats have in essence become the deadbeat parents, and you have become the dispossessed birthright biological offspring who now is forced to defer to invaders who take your stuff and force you to live in a way that is substandard.  When I look at Baltimore, for instance, I see homeless veterans sleeping under bridges, I see urban blight caused by neglect, and then I hear of illegals getting $5000 debit cards while our citizens struggle.  This is unacceptable, and that is what necessitated ICE to do what it has to do, often opposed by organized (and Soros-funded) protests by individuals who have no moral compass.  None of this is true justice, despite what the propaganda says, and it must end.  That is why illegal immigration must be opposed, and I now want to make two qualifying points regarding it.

Imagine trying to do in another nation what illegals do here.  If they were to illegally enter a nation like North Korea, they would be shot.  If they entered Iran, they would likely lose a body part thanks in part to the draconian totalitarianism of the ayatollahs (whom I believe will soon thankfully be overthrown).  Yet, in America, unprincipled leftists reward these criminals.  Many of these people despise you as an American, and would kill you as quick as they look at you, yet here they are.  While many people focus on Latin American countries like El Salvador and Mexico as the source of this problem, in recent years we have also seen an uptick in Islamic illegal immigration (note Minneapolis and the Somali issue there for instance) as well as actual subversives posing as "immigrants" from China and elsewhere coming into our country and posing a real risk to national security.  These are often not families either, as in general refugee status is something different and no decent human being would have an issue aiding actual refugees.  Often, these individuals are working-age males, many of whom are either with dangerous gangs like MS-13 or with Islamic terrorist networks like ISIS in some capacity.  They are not here to seek a better life, in other words - they are here to take advantage of a weak system that enables them.  That being said, here is my second point, and then I want to suggest a solution.

What we are talking about here is not vulnerable families who are actually escaping oppression and want a better life - in many cases, those types of individuals do seek legal means to make that happen, and even if they are not credentialed yet, they are more than willing to obey the law of the land and go through the proper channels.  Also, no one questions legal immigration either - many of us welcome legal expats who do want to contribute to our society and often those people are an asset.  They too seek legal means to come here and thus are not an issue.  Refugees and legal immigrants should be welcomed and shown compassion, and there are actually things in place to help them acclimate to life in our nation.  The key though is legal entry into our country, and that is what we are seeing as the core issue.  That being said, let me now address ICE, as well as offering some good advice for the actual immigrant who has come to our shores with honest intent.

Years ago, when I was in my Class D (unarmed) security course for a job I had been offered in Florida, I had the privilege of being taught by two local sheriff's deputies.  Both of these men incorporated a lot of their law enforcement experience into our training too, and they shared some valuable insights that I think warrant mentioning here.  One of the deputies was talking about traffic violations, and he said something to me that was profound in its rational conclusions as well as also being something that puts minds to ease.  I am sure if you have driven on highways that on occasion a cop will be driving either beside you or behind you, and it seems to be natural to be paranoid.  We often are under the impression that cops are just running every license plate they see, and they are meeting quotas, etc.  In reality, ticket quotas don't exist, as legally they really can't, so put that myth to permanent rest first.  Secondly, in 99.9% of the cases you see a cop immediately behind you, he is not going to be worried about you as he probably is doing something else that prioritizes his time.  A cop will not randomly stop you, in other words, unless you give them a reason to do so.  And, if they were running tags through a computer like we seem to think they do, there would be an uptick in traffic accidents involving police vehicles because the cop would not be watching the road.  It is perhaps time we put aside this paranoid nonsense that the local deputy is somehow some Orwellian "Big Brother" and use a bit of common sense.  And, here is the real kicker - the same thing that is true about a traffic cop is also true of an ICE agent.  Some of the most bizarre and wild tales about ICE I hear even at my workplace is that they are circling around like buzzards eyeing a gut wagon and that at any moment they are going to swoop down and arrest someone just because they say Buenos Dias instead of "good morning."  Even the president of the school I teach at was floating these conspiracies last year, and I thought it was rather irresponsible of him doing that.  So, let's dispel that now - like the traffic cops, ICE agents are generally not going to be paying attention to someone unless they are doing something that warrants that attention.  It would not be legal for them to just randomly detain people for nothing, so if you don't want to capture ICE's attention, don't do things that attract it!  This is one of those big "DUHHH!!" moments that our society seems to need more of, and hopefully in the long term common sense will win out.  So, what do we do about illegals?  Let's talk about that. 

If there is someone here in the US illegally, and you know who they are, there are things we should as good Catholic Christians do.  First, you treat them with dignity that is due to all human beings as a person being created in God's image and thus warranting of respect as a fellow human being.  Secondly, if you know they are here illegally, don't report them necessarily to the local ICE agent - that may not even be necessary.  Instead, gauge their reasons for being here, and if it is something that is legitimate, encourage them to seek legal recourse to stay here.  Often, there are resources available to aid in helping people get either permanent residency or ultimately citizenship, and many of those resources are often available either pro bono or at a minimal cost which a good sponsoring organization - like say a church - will cover for them.   Often too, if the person demonstrates a legitimate reason for being here, the authorities will work with them if they really want help, and there will be no deportation or arrests of these individuals.  That is why, even in the classes I teach where I have a significant percentage of kids who are of Latino heritage and some do have parents who are not citizens, I try to help by pointing people in the right direction.  If they really have a good reason to be here, they will not have issues following the law either, and thus no problems.  This is the balance of using common sense when dealing with things in the confines of the law but also respecting dignity of personhood.  It is compassion but also encourages a legal solution.  However, it is too common-sense for leftist agitators, and it is that group that creates more difficulties by acting like jackasses.  In other words, there is always a better way if we just take the time to look for it. 

I know what I have said here is probably a "hot take" on this issue, but I am hoping it is also a common-sense solution that does not entail assaulting Federal law enforcement officers and doing stupid protests that really don't give a damn about illegals - these "protesters" are often political agitators, and what they want is control of everything so they can reshape it in their own warped utopian image (we all saw how that worked out - the USSR and Nazi Germany don't exist now because they tried that and failed, and the Islamic extremists in Iran are about to learn that the hard way soon as well).  It is time we bring a level of common sense back to political discourse, and if we do, we may find out that solutions may be simpler than we think.  Thanks for letting me share, and will see you next time. 

Dealing With Fake Conservatives

 Recently, a friend of mine named Stephen Missick started talking about some weird things that former Fox News superstar Tucker Carlson has been doing.  What Stephen says is right too - Tucker is essentially a Muslim without saying he's one, and he is also extremely antisemitic as well.   However, he is not the only one - a major reason for the rise of Obama and Biden has been due to faux conservatives such as Candace Owens, Marjorie Taylor-Greene, and others.  But, this weird brand of conservatism has been around for a while, and I will explain why. 

About 15 years ago, Tucker's predecessor, Bill O'Reilly, got my attention in a negative way when he started disparaging Appalachian people, and he was joined by Pat Robertson in doing so - I wrote about that too, and in all honesty it is one reason why I refuse to vote Republican (the other is the Establishment hacks like the Bushes and impotent loudmouths like Joni Ernst).  It has caused people to rethink what it means to be "conservative," and the result was Trump - Trump was perhaps the best thing to happen to the American Right because it is making people put their money where their mouth is, and Trump was not historically what you would call a mainstream conservative either.  In all honesty, conservatism needed a rebrand, and thankfully due to Trump that has happened.  And, in the process it exposed the fakes and frauds in the movement we would be better off without. 

Tucker's recent embrace of Islam (probably due to his being bankrolled by Qatari money) comes as no surprise.  While in the past I had liked some of Tucker's stuff, at the root of his whole persona was this arrogant, entitled, and frankly elitist attitude that honestly I tolerated but never really appreciated.  Unlike some true elites like William F. Buckley and Pat Buchanan, Tucker was often a person who came across as snarky, entitled, and things he said with his mouth never quite reached his eyes - and as St. Ephrem taught, the eyes are the window to the soul.  Therefore, while I tolerated listening to Tucker and took his attitude with a proverbial grain of salt, in all honesty I never really trusted him.  And, now I see my suspicions may have had merit.   And then there is Candace Owens - Candace at one time was good too, but now I am starting to think that her enemy Kim Klacik here in Baltimore was right about her.  Ever since Candace had her blowup with Ben Shapiro on The Daily Wire, she has been coming more and more unhinged to the point she is a liability to the conservative movement.  She claims, for instance, to have converted to the Catholic faith, yet she is also engaged in some rather esoteric practices too that make her look more like a Theosophist than they do a traditional Catholic.  And that leads to a final thought I have on this.

If we want to continue the momentum that Trump's Presidency has created for American conservatism, then we have to "cull the herd" of those individuals who do more harm than good.  During the Obama years and Biden's term in office, people like Tucker, Owens, and Marjorie Taylor Greene liked making a lot of noise, but they never accomplished a damn thing - if anything, they looked kind of stupid in some cases.  And, with all of this "wokeness," the COVID situation, and other things, the American people are not in a mood to play games - they want restoration, they want a stable and safe environment to live life, and they don't want to be threatened by foreign ideologies like radical Islam or even the radical leftism that is reminiscent not only of the Bolsheviks but of the early Nazis too.  We want a return to normalcy, where one is not punished by using the "wrong pronoun" and we don't have to worry about some mentally-ill Antifa thug assaulting us when we go to a bagel shop or something.   In short, enough is enough, and normal people are starting to regain their voices.  As that is happening, this weird thing is happening in the polarities of the American political spectrum too - the so-called "right wing" loudmouths are starting to sound more like their left-wing counterparts, and it seems both are hell-bent on the destruction of civility and normalcy.  This is why we don't need Tucker Carlson in our movement - let his Muslim Brotherhood buddies have him, and when he leaves eventually to get his dream home in Qatar, may the door not hit him where the good Lord split him.  We will do much better without the likes of him. 

That was my other rant for this week, so I will see you next time. 

Random Observations

 I had not planned on writing a lot today, as honestly I am not sure where to start.  There are many, many things that could be discussed, and I think where we will start is with our Vice President, J.D. Vance, and his visit to Armenia.  There are some takeaways that need to be noted, and so I wanted to share those.

Honestly, I have not had many complaints with Donald Trump's second term in office, nor have I really had any issues with Vance as VP.  For one thing, I relate to Vance a lot, as we come from very similar backgrounds - to me, Hillbilly Elegy is almost like a mirror of my own experiences growing up in a poor Appalachian home.  And, overall, this administration has been a breath of fresh air, as I truly see some progress being made in many areas.  Would I vote for Vance if he ran?  More than likely, yes.  However, Vance is a human being just like us all, and obviously he is not perfect - I don't think he would honestly claim to be either.  One area I noted I would have serious issue with him is his trip to Armenia this last week.

I listen to the Armenian-American community, and when they see something that upsets them, I share that with them.  The one big weakness I see in Trump's administration is this pro-Turkish, pro-Azerbaijan lobbying that is driving potential Armenian-American votes away.  Vance had a chance to rectify that with this visit, and he failed to take advantage of that opportunity.  Instead of advocating for the autonomy of Artsakh for instance, Vance ignored the issue.  Also, he did not show any interest in helping Armenian political prisoners be released, including the Archbishops who are being held in Baku.  This is very bad on his part, and I would venture to say it is probably due to Trump having this alliance with Dr. Oz in the US - Dr. Oz is, by all evidence, a Turkish agent, and this was demonstrated by his attack a few weeks ago on Armenian-Americans in Los Angeles, equating them with the Somalis in Minnesota.  Armenians are already starting to move away from the Republican vote - the issue of their homeland is fundamental, and although I am only partially Armenian myself and more American, the Armenian community could turn this into a single-issue vote during elections.  I don't think that should happen, because the Democrats are no friends of Christian Armenians, nor of Christianity in general, and despite the stupid move of some Republicans to ignore Armenian issues, Trump and Vance are still the best hope for American freedom right now.  This is why as dear and near to heart as the Armenian issues are, I have to also vote based on the bigger picture - the US is at stake, and our freedoms and security are at risk from crazy radicals in the Democratic Party, as well as from Establishment hacks in both parties who have not done a thing for this country.  But, I also do not want to see Armenian votes sacrificed just to boost the egos of Turkish foreign agents like Dr. Oz.   So, this will need to be sorted out in some fashion. 

Another item that is more personal is my current situation - Barbara has had to go into the hospital this week to be treated for a complication rooted in both her diabetic condition as well as some kidney issues, and she has been in there since Monday.  Despite being divorced now, Barbara and I are still good friends and closer than blood siblings, and I do care about her well-being.  While it looks like she may be released tomorrow, she still needs lots of prayers.  I will update her situation more next week.

Also, as the snow starts to dissipate outside and the weather warms up (we are expecting 40s today, which is better than the sub-zero windchill we had over the weekend), several things are coming to mind that need to be thought of as well.  For instance, it is approaching mid-February fast, and that means that soon we will be into the Lenten season as well as Easter coming.  That too means that the school year here will be moving faster - I am so ready to be over this school year in all honesty, as the principal is a tinpot dictator, and some of the students just need to be smacked into oblivion due to their stinking attitudes and inability to follow basic rules (like keeping cellphones put away during class and not talking).  I had an issue with a particular student yesterday - I will call him Chaz to protect his identity - who got very lippy and aggressive in class, and I had to write him up.  The thing about this particular school is that it has the potential to be better, but the powers-that-be could honestly care less - they seem to be more interested in nice numbers than they are academic stability.  I have been shopping around for other opportunities, and although I have no solid offers yet, I am ready to jump on one if I should receive a good bite.  At present, I am waiting to hear back from a wonderful school in Virginia that I would love to be part of, as it is what a Catholic school should be.  I had a good initial interview a few weeks back with the principal, and now am just waiting.  Also, in all honesty, I hate this city - it is dirty, politically suspect, and just too much like a foreign country to me.  If a door could open to get out of here, I would gladly seize the opportunity.  Please keep me in your prayers. 

Thank you for allowing me to share these brief thoughts today, and will see you again soon. 

Coming Through the Weekend

 As I am writing this, it is in the low teens tempwise outside, and the windchill factor makes the actual temps below zero.  We are in the thick of what is turning into an active winter, with already about a foot of snow on the ground from last week.  Contrary to some popular perceptions, there will be no snow in these temperatures because it has to be in the mid-30s before a substantial snow can fall.  We could have flurries if it clouds over, but nothing significant enough to accumulate.   While I love snow days in much the same way when I was in school (a secret for the school kids out there - we teachers love snow days as much as you do!) I am also I believe ready for a warm-up.  By the time mid-February arrives in this part of the country, everyone is ready for Spring sunshine.  But, the positive is that it is mid-February, and March will be here soon enough.  For people in the other parts of the country who may not have experienced deep snow, let me share a few things about it.

Winter's arrival for many of us is like seeing an annoying but loveable cousin - you have some fun when they first arrive, but you are ecstatic to see them leave too.  The first snow in any winter is a treat for most of us - we love it, and with modern technology we take pictures and oooh and ahhh over how pretty it is.  That is, until a month later when 12 inches dumps on you and you have to shovel out your car just to get to work  - then it is not so fun anymore.  That cycle is repeated every year, and by now, it is, to sound cliche from The Lion King, the "circle of life."  Having a stoic, nuanced approach to snow every year is normal and healthy - we can't control the weather and it is going to happen whether we want it to or not, and there isn't a damn thing anyone can do about that.  God created the weather, ultimately controls it, and we adapt to the change of seasons.  Now, that leads me to this business of "climate change."

When you hear a jackass like Greta Thunberg out there screaming "how dare you" about climate change and then getting her sorry butt arrested because she is an overt antisemite, it is a reminder that we live in a world where some of the biggest hoaxes are also money-making enterprises.  You hear a lot about "global warming," and how we must "go green" to shrink an enigmatic myth called a "carbon footprint," but then a few months later you are buried in twelve inches of frozen water vaper that shines blinding white in the winter sun.  If the globe was truly warming, why these big snow dumps on the cities like Baltimore.  I mean, to hear the weirdos who push that "global warming" crap talk, technically Baltimore should look like either Saudi Arabia right now or at best like Acapulco.  However, as I look out the window at the white landscape that buries my back yard, I am not thinking about Martin Denny's Quiet Village playing in the background while parrots squawk and the neighbors have coconuts dropping on their heads.  Sipping a mai-tai by a pristine lagoon is probably the last thing one thinks of when trying to walk on frozen water glazing the sidewalk just outside the front door in a careful fashion so that one doesn't fall on what a student of mine calls a "miningus" (I think the kid inadvertently came up with a new piece of human anatomy).  I say all of that to make this point - climate change is as old as the earth itself, and we go through it four times a year - Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.  It is not something catastrophic brought on by the flatulence of bovines, as the esteemed Congresswoman (and I use that charitably with her) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was crying about several years back.  It is simply caused by the natural rotation of the earth around the sun.  The sooner people understand basic astronomy, the sooner the mystery will be solved for them. 

In all honesty though, the weather does need to change soon. I have been out of church now almost a month, and want to attend Mass again soon - even the liberal Jesuits who run the school I work at would be welcome at this point as they can celebrate a valid Mass.  Barbara (my ex-spouse who is now my best friend and current roommate) has been sick for almost 3 weeks, and combined with the weather we have missed a lot of Mass recently.  And I could use Mass, the Sacraments, and just a spiritual boost in all honesty.  Barbara too is sick of being sick - she has been suffering not only from a bout of flu but also that complicated her already existing condition, that being diabetes and an alarming situation with her kidneys having an issue due to a drug the doctor gave her called Ozempic (run the other way if a doctor tries to push that on you!).  Fortunately, she can work from home, but it has been a rough few weeks for her in all honesty.  Fortunately (and a virtual knock on wood!) I didn't catch any virus this year - that flu I contracted last year though was perhaps the worst illness I have had in ages, even worse from when I had COVID a couple of years back.  I was out of commission for over a week with that flu last January, and am praying to never have to experience that again.  And, that leads me to a rant about the medical industry.

In recent years, I have taken an interest in taking supplements as well as researching alternative medicine, and I discovered something.  Many of these natural remedies, when they are marketed, make a claim that the modern medical profession profits off of keeping people sick.  While that could easily be dismissed as a conspiracy theory, I am starting to think that there may be something to it.  Remember that quack Fauci, and the millions he profited from draconian COVID restrictions?  COVID opened many people's eyes to the reality of the fact that the medical profession has become corporatized, and you also see it when they get Federal funds.  A simple medical treatment for something, such as a drug like Ozempic, sells for a whopping $5000 per unit, and then it makes the person who it is prescribed to worse.  You start out with a mild glucose spike, and then the "cure" destroys vital organs - it is becoming apparent that this is not accidental.  Doctors, hospital firms, and other medical establishments get kickbacks based on the amount of something prescribed, which also explains why they were pushing birth control pills on women 20 years ago as a treatment for migraines and dietary issues.  A doctor I had in Florida - and I will name him, Jaggers Keene - pushed birth control pills and power-walking as his cure-all for everything, and I thought then it was a bit ridiculous.  I have nothing against a little exercise, but you don't have to look like a hipster Karen doing it.  Also, notice how they have changed nutritional information?  When I was a kid for instance, you were told you had to have certain fruits and vegetables to keep you healthy - broccoli was one of them.  Now, broccoli is an enemy because it causes people to fart more - this ties the medical quacks to the "climate change" hacks - and all of a sudden it causes cancer.  Of course, a doctor will tell you that everything causes cancer because they want to diagnose you with something to increase their stock in Bill Gates' Microsoft holdings.  I know I am starting to sound like Alex Jones now, but maybe there is something to the suspicion, and maybe it should be looked into more.  I also remember a New York mayor wanted to ban sodas - he was trying to arrest people for buying a 7-11 Big Gulp - but that same mayor is now telling people to drink sodas as a political statement because RFK Jr. rightly decided that they should not be purchased with SNAP benefits.  This is why the "experts" are so full of themselves that if they farted they would deflate, and I don't listen to any self-described "experts" about anything anymore.  Like comedian Mark Lowry said in one of his concerts years back, God created cholesterol too, so if you are going to die one day anyway, you might as well die happy eating what you love.  Maybe a little common sense will eventually prevail over the frantic ramblings of "experts" who stand to lose millions if people started to think for themselves instead of listening to them.  

I think I have pontificated enough for today, as this was more of a fun post with serious undertones, so I will see you again soon.   

Black History Month - How to Properly Observe It

 I am writing this because I was reminded that this month is Black History Month.  There is nothing at all wrong with that, as Blacks are a significant part of the American population and they have made contributions to our history and society that deserve recognition.   Think of that peanut butter sandwich you may be having for lunch, for instance - a Black scientist, George Washington Carver, invented that delicious spread from ground peanuts, and I think most of us would agree that a Reese's Cup is one of the best candy bars ever.  However, instead of focusing on positive contributions many Black Americans have made, you have troublemakers in society that want to politicize this idea, and when they do it is often to the exclusion to others, and can degenerate into anti-American radicalism.  Instead of treating Black American history as a separate side dish on the menu, why don't we see it instead as part of the rich recipe that makes up the American legacy?  That would be my contention. 

Also, let's face it - many of us who have this designation of American are a mixed genetic bag - many Blacks have White ancestors, and likewise many Whites (myself included) have Black ancestors too.  This means that racist agitators on both sides might want to rethink their attitudes a little bit, because many of us are not as "pure" as some around us want to think.  This too has a spiritual dimension too - think of America as a picture of Romans 12:4-5.  While those verses talk about the Church, it also does to a degree apply to us as a nation as well. Think of a human body, which is the allegory this Scripture passage uses - would you prefer an ear over an eye, or a foot over a hand?  It would not be a practical decision would it?  Your eye has a function, your ear has a function, and both the hand and the foot have different functions too.  One cannot do what the other does, which makes them all equally important. That is how we should be as a nation - a lot of different people, of different backgrounds and ethnicities, built this nation, and all should be celebrated.  The Church is the same way - the very word Catholic means "universal," which means it is made up of all nations.  So, to be either Catholic or American means that we are in a unique place - we come from things that have a lot of ingredients in the recipe, and each ingredient contributes to the overall flavor.  And, that is where I want to go now, a cooking lesson with a theological application. 

On my culinary blog page, I have posted a number of my recipes over the years, but perhaps the most ambitious recipe I have is my chicken soup.  The way I make that soup is by finely processing a lot of diverse vegetables - I use celery, bok choy, napa cabbage, green onions, small carrots, cherry tomatoes, wild garlic and/or ramps, fresh herbs such as parsley, rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, etc., parsnips, and in recent years I have decided to add things like Filipino moringa.  When I am preparing this soup, I finely chop all that with some seasonings until it resembles a paste, and then I add them to a huge stock pot with chicken stock, spring water, white verjuice, lemon, and olive oil.  Then, I add finely diced, lightly sauteed chicken breast,  and I simmer that for about two hours before adding bowtie (farfalle) pasta to finish it.  Add some grated Romano cheese before serving, and it is a rich delicious meal.  You don't see the individual ingredients in the soup, but you taste how they each contribute to it, and that is what makes this soup very appetizing and satisfying as a meal in itself.  And, as I discover new ingredients to add to it, the soup has a deeper, richer taste.   Look at my soup as being like our nation and the Church too - the different ingredients are not able to be readily seen in the soup itself, but you can see how they taste together and how they compliment each other.   That is the perfect metaphor of America too - what makes us unique is what brings us together.  In this age of polarized politics, especially from the ideological Left, we forget that, and what we have is a bunch of mangled raw vegetables which are not prepared and they don't taste well together because one flavor is trying to dominate the others and you will choke if you try to eat them all like that at once.  The society we live in today is becoming more like that instead of like a rich, hearty soup that is prepared with care and time.  And, that is where I want to give final thoughts.

It is perfectly fine to celebrate Black History Month, but if we do, we need to celebrate it in a way that it doesn't isolate Black Americans, but rather celebrates how they contributed their various gifts and talents to what it means to be American.  If we were to actually do that, we would have the most peaceful, cohesive society on earth.  Yet, we would also be like a rich soup - full of flavor and working together to enhance the whole.  It is time we do this, and with that I give my thoughts on Black History Month today.  Thank you for letting me share, and may you have a good week for the remainder of it.  

Turks in Conservative Clothing

 I wasn't going to write again today, but something really got me upset when I saw it today.  A politician, Dr. Mehmet Oz, just did something very vile and stupid, and unfortunately this may be something that could undo a lot of the good things President Trump has done.  Oz is also the reason why I don't vote Republican, because I have come to understand that Republicans are not necessarily representative of cultural or political conservatism - they have a larger proportion of them for sure, but let's not equate "Republican" with "conservative."  Dr. Oz is a glaring example of this.

A licensed medical doctor in Pennsylvania, Oz also holds dual Turkish and American citizenship.  He also unsuccessfully ran against John Fetterman a few years back and lost - and given Fetterman has been displaying some very common-sense positions recently, I think Pennsylvania made the wise choice.  As a Turk, Oz is already problematic - there has been a powerful Turkish lobby in the US for decades, and it largely includes leftist Democrats like Steve Cohen on their payroll, but Oz is not only on the payroll, because he is actually one of those.  Let me set the precedent with the backstory, and then we will move on from that.

The issue came a few days ago when Oz was in California on behalf of CMS, which he now has a position in leadership.  Taking legitimate ammunition about the Somali corruption issue in Minnesota, Oz deliberately went to Los Angeles and targeted Armenian businesses there, saying they were connected to some entity called "the Russian Armenian Mafia."  Comparing Armenians - many of whom have been fully integrated into American society for over a century - to illegal Somali Muslim immigrants was not a good move on Oz's part - his Turkish identity is already problematic, and much like his leftist counterpart Cenk Uygur, Oz is not even a full American citizen - many of the Armenians he was targeting have been here for generations, but has he?  The whole thing was just not a good look, and I have a couple of thoughts on that one now.

Turkish national and Genocide denier Dr. Mehmet Oz

The first thing I wanted to mention is that it is highly possible that Oz is not as Republican as he claims to be - he could be a plant, as the Turkish lobby is powerful and if they feel Trump is a threat, they are going to use something like this to discredit him.  And, that seems to be what is happening in LA right now, as I would not be surprised if any Armenian-American will ever vote Republican again - they were not fans of George W. Bush either for similar reasons.  So, Oz's placement in the role he is in could be a subversive political maneuver to discredit Trump.  I say that myself as an independent Conservative Monarchist with no interest in being Republican, but overall I have been very happy with President Trump.  If I were the President at this point, I would do two things.  First, fire Oz - he is a liability.  Second, do some damage control with the Armenians - they are an important voting block not only in California, but also in many other cities in the US too.  I think Trump upheld Genocide Recognition, and if he did, I would advise him to do something public to commemorate it on April 24th, 

A second thing I wanted to point out is that Oz is problematic as a dual-citizen.  Erdogan has been becoming more belligerent in the region over there, and the Turks are not friends to Iran, Israel, the Saudis, or anyone else there, and they are still financing the killing of Christian minorities in the Middle East.  Oz served in the Turkish military too, and that means that he may be a conflict-of-interest risk if he continues to ally with the Turkish leadership, especially if the Shah reclaims his throne in Iran and changes the balance of power.  After all, with the Ayatollahs ousted, there will be no other huge dictatorship in the Middle East, and Erdogan is just evil and ambitious enough to be a new threat in the region.  This makes Mehmet Oz highly suspect, and perhaps he is not the person who should be in our government here.  Trump also needs to understand that not everyone who calls themselves "Republican" is necessarily an asset - take a look at the pro-Islamist bent Tucker Carlson has been on recently.  I would not be shocked if Tucker pulls an Andrew Tate and becomes a Muslim himself soon.  Oz to me is about as dangerous to American security as Ilhan Omar - neither of them should be holding any leadership in our government.  

I plan on following this more to see what is going to happen, but sufficive to say, Oz has to go, and soon.  Thanks for allowing me to share, and will see you next time.