Opus 2020-112: Radar Check

I am wondering if I have finally made it on the radar.  I was trying to respond to Chipmunk on my Opus 2020-110 post and I kept getting blocked by Blogger.  I will give this short little bit a try and see if I have been put out to pasture.

homo unius libri

Opus 2020-111: Election 2024: Leaders Emerging from the Pack

We are already looking at some possible candidates for president in 2024.  Choosing a president is a process.  You have people that look good but can’t take the heat.  You have leaders who are right on one issue but you find out they are wrong on the others.

I am liking the governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem.  If you have only been watching CNN or going to Drudge you may have missed it but she has refused to shut her state down for the Chinavirus panic.  This is the kind of leadership we could use after Trump puts in his eight years.  I don’t know where she stands on the other issues I care about but her actions in contrast to Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan have given me some hope in future leaders of America.

It is never too early to start considering possibilities.

homo unius libri

Opus 2020-110: Monday Pulpit: Chips of the Beast

If you are a Christian and getting nervous pat yourself on the back.  If you are not a Christian and wonder why Christians are getting nervous it is because you haven’t read the book.  I am referring to a growing voice calling for every person to carry an ID to show that they have been vaccinated.  For the Progressives* this is a dream come true.  It will allow them to expand their control to levels that the average citizen cannot comprehend.

Most people have seen the number 666 used in ways they may not understand.  Others have heard of something called the “mark of the beast”.  These are flags that are found in the Bible to designate the final world government that is prophesied to arise to destroy God’s people. 

You need a little Bible quoting to get this.  Keep in mind that this was written thousands of years ago.  There are a number of references to beasts in Revelation but one we are concerned with is in chapter 13.

The prophecy says that everyone will be required to receive this mark.

(Rev 13:16-17 KJV) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

When you hear people talking about government issued, digital ID and doing away with cash this verse pops into people’s minds if they are familiar with the Bible.  Notice that you will not be able to buy or sell without this mark on your body.  The ideas being put forward by Bill Gates and Dr. Fauci fit right into this scenario.  Where does the 666 come from?

(Rev 13:18 KJV) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

You have seen the memes that have German soldiers stopping people and examining their papers.  If you have never traveled much you might not realize how much other governments are already doing this kind of thing.  In most countries the police have the right to stop you any time and demand your “papers”.  If you travel you will often be required to turn in your passport at the desk of the hotel or at least have it registered. 

One of the reasons I am against a government issued national ID is because of the ability it gives the government to track you and control you.  Picture how this would go if all your transactions required a chip to complete.  Some little man with a Napoleon complex, sitting in an isolated office who has just had his wife humiliate him in public will be able to decide if you should be able to buy a ticket to leave on vacation.  If you think the IRS or DMV are hard to deal with just picture dealing with something like this.

If you have nothing to hide and are happy with your cable and six pack, it is possible that you will never notice...until you do and then it will be too late.

Don’t let the hype over another flu season allow you to give away your liberty.

*(Liberals, educators, socialists, communists, elites, Rinos, Democrats, leftists, Never Trumpers, etc)

homo unius libri

Opus 2020-109: Firsts: A Little Splash

Years ago I used to wonder what made new parents to silly.  How can you get excited about a baby turning over?  I found out it isn’t hard.

Now as a grandparent I am finding out why we are so strange.  We get excited about the weirdest things.  My granddaughter had a first and, although you don’t want me to, I need to share it with you.

She had her first non-diaper discharge and she managed to get it inside the toilet.  If that does not make your day I understand but sometimes we need to share the victories as well as the defeats.  The prospect of not having to change diapers is a world changer.

homo unius libri

Opus 2020-108: The Times, They Are A-Changing

I need habits and patterns in my life.  Routine keeps me from forgetting things.  For instance, I need to take a pill each day.  How do I remember?  How do I know if I remembered?  I build it into a routine and make myself have a knee jerk reaction that involves the pill.  Helpful in taking pills but dangerous in everyday life.

We get to where we take things for granted and stop being critical.  Do you remember the days in which you could pick up a newspaper and look at the front page feeling you were going to get a window into the world?  There was a time when we felt like we could watch the evening news and get a summary of what was needed to be an informed citizen.

Remember when you could rely on the skilled members of your community?  You could ask a doctor for advice and expect it to be useful.  I remember being raised to think of policemen as being trustworthy.  A teacher was expected to know something worth passing on.  A college professor was actually a scholar.  Remember when a high school diploma meant you could read, write and do basic math?

Things have changed.

As a teacher I have been asked what was really important for students to learn.  One central bit of knowledge to me was the scientific method.  That might be strange because I was a history teacher, but the basics of the scientific method applied to just about any discipline.  The problem I started running into was that even the science teachers seemed to have no understanding of the scientific method.  The scientific method is an organized way to test for the truth of a theory, in science called an hypothesis.  At the end of the cycle you come up with a new theory based on the success or failure of the last and keep learning. 

We are currently into the bastardization of science.  We are not longer seeking truth.  We are creating charts and graphs that back up the conclusion that brings us wealth and power.  I began seeing this in faculty meetings when they started talking about “experienced based” instead of “research based”.  What educators do is look for cute anecdotes that illustrates the point they want.  It does not need to represent any real trend or common occurrence but it needs to touch the hearts and manipulate the mind.  They then say that experience has proven their point.

We need to beware of experts bringing gifts.  It may be that they have the cure for cancer.  It may be that they are simply looking for the password to your life.  Don’t believe them when they say that studies prove something that doesn’t sound right to you.  Common sense is much more valuable than studies by modern scientists, sociologists, educators or government employees.

Obviously my comments have to do with the recent panic over another flu out of Asia.  Do your own research.  Examine the numbers yourself.  I live in a county that has had 6 deaths blamed on the Chinavirus.  There are six counties around us that have a total of one death.  Guess what we have that I don’t think they have?  Hospitals.  Where do people die today.  Hospitals.  The one other county is Bexar which contains San Antonio, the seventh largest city in America.  They have 44 deaths.  Guess what they have.  Hospitals.  Where do people send suspected infections?  San Antonio Hospitals.  Then you factor in all the lying going on about whom to count as a Covid-19 death and ask yourself, “What am I worried about?”

Wash your hands and your vegetables.  Watch out for unicorns spreading death.

homo unius libri

Opus 2020-107: On the Street: Gap Psychology

You may have heard the panic mongers frantic about how empty the shelves are in the grocery stores.  The cry is that the supply chain is breaking down.  The fear is that we will starve to death.

Let’s look at this with a bit of logic.  I read one article that said Americans eat 15-30% of their meals in restaurants.  That seems like a wide range, but lets go with it.  I saw another headline recently that stated Americans were spending more on eating out than eating in.  Of course that was before the government closed down all the little restaurants.  What happens when a population that used to eat out all the time suddenly needs to fix dinner at home?  In my world they buy groceries.

Take the low number.  If we suddenly have a 15% increase in the amount of everyday groceries people buy, what will the shelves look like?  What will go first?  Add to that people who are stocking up and it doesn’t take much to see why the shelves have gaps.

Are we in danger of going hungry?  Not yet.  Keep in mind that if you can’t get designer label “gourmet” cuisine the store brand will probably be available.  You may prefer to go hungry but the real thing will change your outlook.

Bon Appetit

homo unius libri

Opus 2020-106: On the Street: The Noose Loosens

In a manner of speaking, Texas is opening up again.  Since I am of the persuasion that there was never any real reason to lock down, it is too little, too late.  But at least it is something.  To celebrate our desire to support the small businesses all over Texas, we went out to breakfast.  We even called and made a reservation so they would know we were coming.

I expected the place to be packed to 25% capacity but it was way short of that.  We had a chance to talk to the waitress.  She has a ten month old that she had been bringing to work with her since they were only doing take out and curb side.  She had been working with no salary, only tips while the government employees kept getting their checks.

It was an interesting discussion.  Since she and most of the staff are German emigrants they have not been eligible for any of the government hand outs.  She was not sure that they would be able to make it over the hump but they were going to give it a try.  She said that during the shut down the city health department people spent a lot of time hanging around outside looking for violations.  The little people with dictatorial power are really feeling their oats.

It is going to be a good chance to see whom we want to support in the future.  My wife and daughter went to an Italian place before the big opening and asked if they would be opening when they could.  They seemed horrified at the idea and didn’t even want people waiting inside for their take out.  It was a place they would drive across town to get to before.  It is now on their “never again” list.

I normally don’t go out much but now that things are loosening up I may go out to see who is open and spread around a little money.  It is past time to grow up and get past the panic.

homo unius libri