Newsy Odds and Ends

We’ve been exposed to a lot of conspiracy theories in recent years, but amazingly many have turned out to be true. In an effort to generate a few more, here’s my take on a several recent stories I stumbled cross. 

Do Masks Stop the Spread of COVID? You might not have heard of Cochrane, a UK-based network that produces sound information used by organizations throughout the world for healthcare decision-making. Cochrane has an exceptionally strong international reputation and prides itself on the quality of the evidence supporting its studies. Among its latest offerings is a fascinating study on the efficacy of masks, hand-washing, and other means to stop or slow the spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza, SARS, and COVID-19. 

Cochrane investigated the results of dozens of randomized controlled studies conducted worldwide that examined various physical measures to stop respiratory virus infections. I’m guessing most people would find the results unexpected. Cochrane found that medical, surgical, or N95 masks “make little or no difference in how many people caught a flu-like illness/COVID-like illness.” That’s right, it seems all those masks we’ve bought and worn didn’t really offer very much protection. If this is really true, just consider the ramifications. One thing’s for certain: a lot of folks sure made a lot of money thanks to this “error”. To read a synopsis of the study, here’s the link: Cochrane Study 

Medicare and Social Security need Work. Most seniors don’t like to hear that politicians are even considering making changes to either Medicare or Social Security. I suppose many of us think we’ll probably be long gone before these two programs run out of money and are either completely refurbished or simply disappear. But the truth is really quite different and relates not only to the costs involved but also to demographics. Both the Government Accounting Office and the Social Security Administration agree that these programs are “unsustainable” and will run out of funds by 2037. For the mathematically challenged, that’s only 14 years from now. If you’re my age, 78, or older you may not be around in 2037, but your children and grandchildren will probably still be here and will have paid into these programs for their entire working lives…just in time to watch them go broke. I can’t speak for anyone else, but that’s not a legacy I want to leave behind. 

Politicians are not a courageous lot, and almost all consider reelection far more important than the long-term needs of their constituents or the good of the country. Few politicians engage in strategic thinking since most tend be be tacticians who worry more about the short-term effects of their votes or their latest TV live shot. Perhaps even more disheartening, few of today’s politicians ever consider the lessons of the past, so they continue to make the mistakes that generated those ignored lessons. We see this, too, among the bureaucrats who run the day-to-day operations of our government. They have become a cadre of careerists, too often lacking in moral courage, and dedicated to extending the life and increasing the size of any government programs they manage.

To all you seniors who think Social Security and Medicare will outlive you: don’t count on it. These two programs account for 45% of the federal budget, a percentage that’s increasing every year. Long before these programs run out of the cash needed to keep them going, changes of some type will have to be made. Whether this involves limiting eligibility, extending recipients’ eligibility age, increasing the amount withheld from those who pay into the system, or simply cutting the benefits, something will have to be done, and fairly soon. 

Wind Turbines and Dead Eagles. It seems the widespread expansion of wind turbines has led to a huge increase in dead birds. We’ve heard about this for years, but the data seems to be either classified (the Interior Department refuses to release the actual number) or just downright embarrassing. So…the folks who wrap themselves in the green blanket of alternative renewable energy find themselves at odds with another set of environmentalists who desire to protect God’s creatures. 

I’ve never been accused of being an environmentalist of the radical green or any other variety, but I’ll admit up front that I really like birds. To me they’re among the most fascinating of living creatures. They’re also worth keeping around since God obviously thought they were good enough to create on day five:

So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth” [Gen 1:21-22].

We should, therefore, be careful about how we, as the earth’s stewards [Gen 1:28], care for God’s good creatures. Climate-change radicals, predicting our immanent destruction, consider dead birds (and, it seems, dead humans) nothing more than acceptable collateral damage. Nothing is more important, they tell us, than saving the earth from the ravages caused by man. These are the same folks who have canonized John Kerry and Greta Thunberg, the former a serial liar since his Vietnam days and the latter…well, nobody really knows what she really is or how she got there. The trouble is, people who jump on bandwagons might enjoy the ride, but they rarely anticipate the unintended consequences that bring everything to a screeching halt. But that’s another subject…

Anyway, back to our birds…

It seems wind turbines are particularly threatening to soaring birds of prey; i.e., eagles, falcons, hawks, osprey, even condors. These birds spend most of their time just soaring above the earth, scanning the ground or water for prey; thus, they are far more likely to collide with the blades of wind turbines. Talking about this with an acquaintance the other day, he wondered how this could happen since those huge blades seem to move so slowly. He didn’t understand why birds couldn’t avoid them. What he really didn’t understand was the speed of the tips of those blades. As an old helicopter pilot, I’m very familiar with blade-tip speed. A large wind turbine can have blades well over 200 feet long, which can generate blade tip speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour. A blade, weighing several tons, and moving at that speed, can certainly catch a soaring bird by surprise. Another contributing factor: the location of turbines in areas where such birds are especially plentiful. For example, wind turbines located offshore can adversely affect seabirds and migratory birds who fish or pass through areas where offshore turbines are usually located.

When it comes to birds killed by wind turbines, what kind of numbers are we talking about? Nobody knows for sure, but it seems the numbers are growing. 10 years ago (2013) it was estimated that over 500,000 birds had been killed by turbines. But most estimates came from the wind turbine industry, probably not the most objective source. Current estimates by the federal government, another questionable source, vary but range upwards to 400,000 per year. These numbers are expected to increase considerably as the number and size of turbines increase. 

Golden Eagle and Wind Farm

Many bird lovers are most concerned about the long-term effect on eagles. Eagles, of course, are a protected species, and individuals who kill a bald eagle can be fined $5,000 and spend up to a year in jail. I found it surprising that wind farms are allowed a certain number of eagle “takes” — a polite euphemism for the number of eagles the spinning blades are allowed to kill every year. When the wind farm exceeds its takes, the company gets fined. At the Two Rivers Wind Project in Wyoming, the total number of bald eagles legally killed annually by wind farms would be almost 30% of the eagle population in the area. It would be very hard for any species to withstand such losses.

Now we’re hearing rumbling along the east coast about the unexplained deaths of unprecedented numbers of whales and other sea mammals, allegedly related to the construction and operation of offshore wind turbines. The powers in charge all deny any connection, while the locals, including the professional fisherman who claim they know the area best, disagree. I just find it interesting that these wind turbines seem to be at war with both of the species God created on that fifth day: “the great sea monsters…and every winged bird.”

I’m not smart enough to know what to do about all this, but it seems we have jumped into technologies without really studying their possible, usually unintended, effects on the rest of our interconnected world. The fact that we don't understand these connections should lead us to move with extreme caution as we introduce new technologies. We see this as well when it comes to electric vehicles and the potential environmental effects of battery production and rare earth mining.

Politicians just love to do seemingly important things by making grand gestures and forcing their will on those who elect them. Sadly, far too often they make these decisions in favor of those entities that provide them with the most money. Perhaps they would be far more successful and certainly more worthy of our votes if they simply let the market — i.e., the people — make those decisions within a framework that balances both good and not-so-good consequences. 

A Mini-Vacation

Dear Diane and I needed to get away, if only for a couple of days. I've been a bit overwhelmed lately, with lots to do and barely enough time to do it all. And in the midst of everything, I've had to share Diane with a collection of doctors and dentists who have been monopolizing her time. Anyway, I managed to find a good deal and reserved a pleasant suite at a resort in Cape Canaveral. It was very nice and affordable  -- always a good combination for those of us pinching our retirement pennies. More importantly, however, it provided both of us with some needed down-time.

We enjoyed occasional lunches and dinners at a couple of local eateries, and took short drives up and down the Florida coast, stopping whenever the spirit moved us. Of course, I took photos of odd things and places and people. 

On our last morning we actually took a walk down to the beach following the resort's boardwalk. Neither of us are really beach people. In fact, we didn't even pack bathing suits. But when we stepped onto the sand I saw something that amazed me. The beach was quite large, easily 100 yards deep, and almost deserted. Only a few people strolled along the shoreline, but one woman sat alone in a folding beach chair. She seemed to be reading something on her smartphone, but she wore a mask! I don't think there was anyone within 100 yards of her. I've posted two versions of my photo below: the wide-angle shot and a close-up version so you can see her mask. 

This remarkable sight led me to realize just how much we have been overcome by the fear of this COVID virus. That someone would feel obligated to wear a mask, apparently to protect herself from the virus, as she sits on an empty beach surrounded by nothing but fresh air. Perhaps she has some serious health issues, but even so I think she needed to take off that mask, inhale deeply, and thank God for the healing power of His clean, ocean air. God bless her.

Just Stuff

Sometimes I just feel the need to pass along a few thoughts to my blog’s highly selective cadre of readers. Nothing very astonishing, just experiences or ideas that strike me and seem worth sharing. 

To Mask or Not To Mask. For example, earlier this afternoon dear Diane said she would really like a pizza — specifically, a pepper and onion pizza — from one of our local vendors, NYPD Pizza. Now, I eat neither peppers nor onions (Were I ordering for myself, I would choose a sausage and pepperoni pizza), but because I love Diane more than life itself, I called, ordered the pizza, and was told it would be ready in 15 minutes. When I arrived the pizza was not quite ready (I was a few minutes early), so I simply stood off to the side and waited. There were perhaps a dozen or so people seated at tables enjoying their meals. Of course, none wore masks, but neither did any of the employees. The cooks in the kitchen weren’t masked and neither was the one waitress. How refreshing! 

But then a man entered and approached the take-out counter. He looked to be in his 50s or 60s, but it was hard to tell since his facial features were disguised by a mask. Standing there, he glanced around the room and then uttered, presumably to himself, but loud enough for me to hear, “How come no one’s wearing a mask in here?” Assuming he wanted an answer, I just said, “Maybe like me they’re all vaccinated and know they’re immune.” It seems I was wrong and he wasn’t looking for an answer, at least from me, because he turned and said, “Vaccination means nothing. And why aren’t you wearing a mask?” At this point, I said something very un-pastoral and certainly un-deaconlike, but it just rolled off my uncontrolled tongue before I could stop it: “Because I’m not an idiot.” Fortunately, two seconds later my pizza was ready. I took it and left before he could respond either verbally or physically. I’m not proud of what I said to this confused man, but I won’t apologize for speaking the truth. Let’s get back to normal... now!

Congressional Masks. Other than the content of the president’s speech, the most obvious absurdity witnessed by the nation last night was the masking of everyone in the House chamber. Every person in the room (just 200 people in a space designed to hold 1,600) had been vaccinated. They were all masked and separated by more than six feet. They were also immune from COVID-19, so why the charade? Do you get the feeling that maybe Nancy Pelosi and her friends want to ensure Americans remain afraid and psychologically dependent on government? What other reason could they have?

Georgia On My Mind. President Biden today made a surprise trip to “racist” Georgia and visited an aging President Jimmy Carter, presumably to pick up a few pointers on how to become one of the least effective presidents in American history. Jimmy certainly wrote the script for how not to deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and if you’re old enough you’ll never forget how miserable the economy was on his watch. Remember the “misery index” — the sum of inflation and unemployment — that reached over 20% in 1980? More than anything else, I believe that number put Ronald Reagan in the White House. If the federal government continues to spend the trillions Biden wants to spend, it might well break the Carter record. Assuming he’s still in office in 2024 (and still alive), I think the 2023 economy will make him a one-term president.

Attend Mass, Go To Jail. Did you know (probably not, since you won’t read about this in the mainstream media) that in the Republic of Ireland it’s now against the law to attend Mass. Yes, indeed, on April 16, I suppose in the midst of another lockdown, the Irish Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly, signed a “Statutory Instrument” (presumably an official document) that makes attendance at Mass a criminal offense. Now, for all you Irish-Catholic Americans out there, who still believe Ireland is a Catholic country...believe me, it’s not. Like most of Europe, Ireland has devolved into a secular, materialistic, largely agnostic society in which all those formerly Catholic folks and the generations behind them no longer believe in much of anything, leaving the Church with little, if any, influence. Who’s to blame? Sadly, the primary culprit is the Church itself. Like too many of the bishops of our country, the bishops of Ireland slouched into political correctness and ordained a lot of questionable priests, including homosexuals, pedophiles, Marxists, and sadly, even some tacit agnostics, whose subsequent activities destroyed any credibility the Church once had. So now, the few remaining faithful, if they want to participate at Mass, must watch it on TV or prepare for a fine or a stay in the local slammer. Lest you chuckle too much at the expense of the Irish, this has also happened in some states in this country where the First Amendment of our Constitution has been overruled by certain state governors. As my late brother used to say, “Keep your powder dry.”

Whose Racism Is It, Anyway? The president believes we are essentially a racist nation, despite the fact that every conceivable indicator shows tremendous progress since the days when Senator Joe Biden was bosom buddies with the Senate’s old segregationists, especially Senator Robert Byrd (D, WV) the Ku Klux Klan’s “Exalted Cyclops.” Probably the best indicator of who actually are today’s real racists is abortion. The population of African Americans would be double its current level were it not for abortion. Indeed, abortion is the leading cause of death among black Americans. And, of course, Margaret Sanger, the founder of a Planned Parenthood, hoped to decrease birth rates among all those “less desirable” races by means of artificial contraception and abortion. Who supports abortion? Why, the Democrat Party, the party of racism, the party of the KKK, the party that filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964 until Republicans forced a cloture vote. And nothing’s changed. This was apparent today when the leftist knives were unsheathed and thrown at Senator Tim Scott who gave the Republican rebuttal to the president’s speech. The racist slurs and other comments by Democrats were despicable, but what else can we expect from those whose intent is to keep African Americans on the Democrat plantation. More and more black Americans are starting to recognize their real enemy.

Catholics and Big Tech. I won’t write about this since someone else has done a far better job than I ever could. But if you’re still enamored of Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and all the rest, follow this link to the National Catholic Register:

Catholics in the Crosshairs of Big Tech.

That’s enough for today. God’s peace...Pray for our nation.

Coronavirus and other stuff

Do you realize the chance of spreading or contracting COVID-19 while outdoors enjoying God’s gift of fresh air and sunshine is, according to the CDC, just about zero (less than one-hundredth of one percent). And interestingly, the self-described smart people who enjoy telling us how to live the details of our lives have known this for many, many months, probably since April 2020. This is why I have never worn a face mask when outdoors, and why I never will. Since I have been vaccinated, and received my second Moderna shot over a month ago, I don a mask indoors only when a business or organization demands I do so. After all, it’s their property and if it makes them happy, okay, I’ll comply, even though it’s idiocy. As a form of mild protest, I have started to seek out businesses that actually follow the science and realize vaccinated people are not a threat to others. As our enlightened Governor Ron DeSantis stated: “If you been vaccinated, act like it!”  I am so happy I live in Florida. Our president, though, lives in the nation’s most corrupt city, Washington, D.C. Because he is old, almost two years older than me, he too has been vaccinated. And yet he apparently wears his mask wherever and whenever there’s a camera to capture his image, even when he’s on a video call with other world leaders. “It sets an example,” someone in the administration remarked. But what kind of example? Does he hope to convince the leaders of other nations that Americans are fools, or at best led by one? It would seem so. 

Hot news flash! Actually two flashes! The first, President Biden told us today that if you’re vaccinated, being outside without a mask is okay with him...unless you’re in a group, then you’d better ignore your common sense and wear a mask. Too late and too little, Mr. President. You and the CDC are still waaay behind the science. Oh, how the power hungry just love to keep control of people. It’s time to revert to normality and live our lives as we’d like. Interestingly, as the President walked across the lawn to the podium to deliver his message that masks were no longer needed outdoors, he was wearing a mask. Ah, well, maybe he should join the rest of us here in The Villages. He’s certainly old enough. The other flash: I just read that our esteemed Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, will permit President Biden to speak to a semi-virtual joint meeting of Congress this week without wearing his mask. The fact that our congressional leaders still require their members to wear masks, despite the fact they’ve all been vaccinated, is more than ludicrous. But I suppose it helps advance the “we’re got the power, peasants, and don’t ever forget it” syndrome. Whatever happened to the founders’ belief that the people are sovereign, not the government formed to do the people’s will?

By the way, speaking of Nancy Pelosi — the “I’m a devout Catholic” politician who rejects Church teaching — did you happen to catch a rather interesting statistic? In San Francisco, the city she represents in the U.S. Congress, a total of 257 San Franciscans died as a result of coronavirus. But during the same period 713 of the city’s citizens died of drug overdoses. And also during this same period we have spent trillions on coronavirus and relatively little on fighting these killing drugs. As I write these words, these same drugs are pouring over our borders thanks to the incompetence of the Biden administration. As border patrol and ICE agents are distracted and overwhelmed by thousands of unaccompanied children, invited to come here by the president, other illegals are crossing the border carrying drugs like the deadly fentanyl and spreading them throughout our country. The cartels are running the show, running drugs and trafficking children, while our federal government supports them in this evil.

Did you watch the Oscars? Didn’t think so. Judging by the ratings it seems the only folks who actually wasted a Sunday evening watching these woke, out-of-touch, narcissistic imbeciles were other Hollywood types and their immediate relatives. Don’t you just love people who condemn the country that made them rich and famous? They also condemn its citizens as a collection of ignorant racists.  These citizens are the same people that actually pay for the mediocre films Hollywood’s produces. The entertainment industry, of course, has no monopoly on imbeciles. They also fill the ranks of NFL, NBA, and MLB teams, along with the boardrooms of many Fortune 500 companies. Based on the organizations these luminaries support with gobs of money, one can only conclude that they’re hoping for the ultimate triumph of socialism. Another irony, since they’d be the first to lose their incomes, and perhaps their heads, when the proletariat revolution hits the streets. 

Speaking of revolutions, the left would love one, but they hesitate because of one overriding truth: the citizenry of the United States is better armed than the leftist rabble. (Yes, even some deacons have a few firearms tucked away.) One can understand, then, why the left spends so much effort on “gun control.” Of course, it has nothing to do with controlling guns, but everything to do with confiscating guns, for the latter is their goal. This, sadly for them, will be an impossible task because every gun owner I know has no intention of turning over his or her rifles, handguns, or shotguns. And the people of the USA own over 400 million firearms. The leftist revolutionary wannabes face other obstacles, Perhaps the most obvious is the Supreme Court and its recent support for Second Amendment rights; hence the attempt to redefine the court’s makeup. The goal: a friendly, rubber-stamp court that ignores the Constitution. Finally, they hope to restructure the leadership of our military by packing the upper ranks with careerist officers who will go along and get along with the politicians. Once they have the military leadership in their pockets, they can bring in the big guns to control the country as needed. If they succeed in all these efforts the banana republics of Central America will look to us with envy.

Oh, there is so much more...particularly our new, defeatist policy relating to Iran and the resurrecting of Obama’s anti-Israel approach to the Middle East, but I’ll save it for another day.

Pray for our nation, brothers and sisters.