Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Report from Louisiana: Thoughts on Halloween

Posted: October 31, 2022 by Pat Austin in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , ,

By: Pat Austin

Photo by David Menidrey on Unsplash

SHREVEPORT – Today is Halloween, of course and who doesn’t love the fun of it all, and seeing the little children dressed up in their costumes?

We attend the Episcopal church along with two other Episcopal churches in the area, we have a group performing The Witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28), The Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37) and the War in Heaven (Revelation 12) in the cemetery this evening. There is a bit of side-eye going on amongst those who think this is purely a pagan holiday. To clarify this, I’d like to share a post from a Catholic priest friend, Fr. Clinton Sensat:

In 726, Emperor Leo the Isaurian issued a decree banning all religious images.

He had been fighting the Umayyads, and influenced by Muslim claims, regarded images as idolatrous. That seemed plausible to him. He didn’t consult learned theologians. He didn’t study the history. He didn’t hesitate to believe that countless souls had been led astray with nary a peep from heaven.

He believed a lie told by the enemies of the Church, and so in the name of the Church (but really according to his own personal judgment) he lifted his hand to destroy something the people held dear. Countless images of sacred art precious to the hearts of his people were destroyed by Leo’s zeal – a zeal that came from believing an enemy’s lie.

The same thing happens to Halloween today. Zealous Catholics, believing the lies of an enemy, raise their own hands to savage something people love.

When we hear that Easter is really a pagan celebration of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, we rightly scoff. When we’re told Christmas is really a feast of Mithras, we roll our eyes and move on with our lives. But as soon as people are told Halloween is really a Celtic feast of the dead, we’re all wide-eyed credulity. And being credulous, people become zealous to destroy that which they don’t understand.

How can this be? The same age, the same liars, the same pseudohistory that claim Easter and Christmas are pagan claim Halloween too! But we know the first two are silliness and believe the third?!

Let’s have some facts. Halloween started in Italy, not Ireland. The date has to do with an eighth century pope consecrating a church to all the saints. The date has exactly nothing to do with Samhain.

The folk practices of Halloween came from a variety of different countries, not from secret Celts meeting for midnight covens. Moreover, they’re exactly the kinds of folk practices Catholics spontaneously associated with other major feasts.

In Catalunya they dress up as dragons and giants and fairies for Eucharistic processions. Are the people of northeast Spain secretly Irish druids?? Throughout northern Europe they burn enormous bonfires in honor of the birth of John the Baptist. Are they really worshipping Lugh of the Long Hand? I can promise you that the vast majority of Scandinavian people have never even heard the name.

Please, please stop repeating the lies our enemies invented against us as if they’re good Catholic truth. For CENTURIES anti-Catholics have claimed that Catholic practices, Catholic devotions, and Catholic folk traditions are really pagan. For CENTURIES Catholic priests and theologians have fought a bitter fight proving this is in no way, shape, or form the truth. To have Catholics themselves, even some Catholic clergy, take up the arms of our enemies against the Catholic holidays is disheartening in the extreme.

The Church loves the spooky. The Church honors the dead. The Church is not afraid of death. The Church mocks the powers of hell. All of these attitudes spontaneously gave rise to the folk practices of Halloween as we know it today. Don’t give any credence to the apostles of anxiety. Halloween has nothing to do with paganism, and everything to do with good Catholic humor.

I think highly of Fr. Sensat and think he is a wonderful priest, and he has a brilliant mind. I also think Halloween is fun for kids and adults alike.

Happy Halloween to you and have some candy! 😉

The military drops its non-partisan mask

Posted: October 29, 2022 by navygrade36bureaucrat in Uncategorized

The race for the Indiana first congressional district happens to feature a Republican candidate who is female, African-American and a combat veteran of the Iraq War. One would think this was pretty cool, a nice selection of diversity that gives voters real choices. Unfortunately, what has happened instead is this race revealed that the military is truly a partisan organization that hates its conservative members and will go to great lengths to destroy them as a person.

Most people have already read the story about the improper release of the health records of candidate Jennifer Ruth-Green, which revealed she was sexually assaulted by an Iraqi servicemember. Appalled by this, plenty of Congressional members have asked the military how this could happen, and the Air Force came out and said “The Department of the Air Force takes its responsibility to safeguard private information seriously and the matter remains under investigation.”

To which I say…

Yup, the Air Force will definitely hold this person responsible. Just like they held a General William Cooley responsible for sexually assaulting…I mean, aggravating, sorry, forgot to apply the “flag and general officer double standard rule,” please forgive me for that! I mean, come on, the Air Force takes this very seriously. So do the Army and Navy. Why wouldn’t you believe them?

Here’s my prediction: the military never names the person that leaked this information and later provides a statement saying that person was terminated. Nobody goes to jail. Maybe a fine is involved.

But this case is more than sexual assault. It’s about intimidation, specifically of conservatives. Plenty of people over the past few years have complained that the military is increasingly biased against conservatives. Whether its witch hunts for “white supremacists” or mass denial of religious exemptions for a questionable COVID-19 vaccine, there is mounting evidence that this bias is real and has real consequences.

Knowing this, imagine a servicemember genuinely wants to run for Congress, or be President, or donate to a political cause. This servicemember was promised time and again that things like private medical records were sacrosanct, that they had proper controls to protect privacy. After watching those promises evaporate, tell yourself honestly, would you want this information exposed by a partisan hack?

Especially for women, this is pure, raw intimidation. When the leaker walks away free, every single victim of sexual assault is going to seriously consider shelving any thought of running for a high profile office. Some still will, but many will not want to run that gauntlet. And why should they? Why should they be re-victimized? Does the public really need to know this? Did this information help us evaluate Jennifer Ruth-Green as a candidate? If you were inclined to vote for her, did this revelation make you less likely to do so?

She didn’t commit a crime, nor does this show any lack of judgement on her part, so there is no good reason to release this information. None. It was done solely to intimidate and re-victimize her.

Contrast this to John Fetterman, who has an obviously serious medical condition that affects his ability to conduct his job, and yet his medical records are sealed. Yes, people can ask for them, just like they can ask for tax records, but if the candidate doesn’t have to release them. People can and should judge someone for that, but it doesn’t give them a right to violate the law.

The military’s two-tier approach to punishment is finally public enough that we should stop calling it a non-partisan organization. It self-selects the progressively brain dead for its highest ranks and shields them from criticism and punishment, while swiftly sending people to jail that dare question its mission and methods. It especially hates conservative free thinkers that might ask questions like “Where is the money for this weapon system going?” or “Should we really leave US soldiers to fight a proxy war with Russia in Syria?” or especially “The US military is weak.” It really, REALLY doesn’t want these people in Congress, so it will allow blatant intimidation to keep them out.

I seriously hope Jennifer wins her race, and I hope she exercises some real power to change the military before its too late.

This post represents the views of the author and not those of the Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, or any other government organization, because in their view its heresy to call out such obvious problems. If you liked this article, donate to DaTechGuy or purchase one of the author’s books on Amazon.

A political horror story – what Massachusetts would be like if Maura Healey wins the governorship

Posted: October 27, 2022 by Jon Fournier in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , ,

In honor of Halloween, I wanted to write a scary article.  The most frightening article I could come up with is what conditions would be like if Maura Healey is elected governor here in Massachusetts.  A careful examination of her campaign website will demonstrate just how horrific life here would become if she were elected.

Maura Healey is very much a hard left ideologue, in the same mold as Barack Obama and Joe Biden.  As Attorney General here in Massachusetts, she sued the Trump administration every time a non-progressive policy was implemented.

If elected governor, Maura Healey will cripple the economy of Massachusetts by enacting every single hardcore socialist economic policy, such as wealth redistribution.

Maura will also take a close look at our tax policy to make sure it addresses today’s extreme concentration of wealth and income such that our sources of revenue and our expenditures lead to a fairer and more balanced economy. 

Approach all efforts through an equity lens, ensuring that everyone in Massachusetts has the opportunities to access high-quality jobs and careers by supporting wraparound services like child care and living stipends.

Maura Healey is a climate change zealot.  As governor, she will destroy this state’s economy by enacting every single green energy wet dream.

The climate crisis is our greatest risk and our greatest opportunity. Our choice is clear: to protect our families, communities, and the environment that sustains us, we must rapidly transition to clean energy. As Governor, Maura will make climate change a top priority. She understands the critical urgency of this issue and she knows what is at stake—especially for the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable communities. The actions we must take now to protect our families and communities from climate change also present a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a healthier, more equitable future and to position Massachusetts as a global leader in clean energy technology and innovation. She will make that vision a reality by innovating state government, working directly with communities, implementing science-based policy, partnering with clean technology businesses, and supporting clean energy research and development. 

As Governor, Maura Healey will turn Massachusetts into s sanctuary state.  She championed the effort to grant drivers licenses to illegal aliens.

Abortion is another issue where Maura Healey demonstrates extreme zealotry.

Maura knows that reproductive freedom is under threat like never before. It’s a direct attack on women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. With Roe v. Wade overturned, our next governor needs to continue to protect access to safe and legal abortion in Massachusetts, break down systemic barriers to these services, and expand access to comprehensive reproductive care for all.  Maura will work closely with legislative leaders, public health experts, and advocates like the Beyond ROE Coalition to ensure Massachusetts remains a beacon of hope for all who are seeking care.

If the worst comes to pass and Maura Healey is elected governor, Massachusetts will rapidly become a third world toilet very much akin to California.  Geoff Diehl, Healey’s Republican opponent is a worthy candidate who will be a good governor. Diehl is poling within striking distance.  Those of us who are sane must do our best to help Geoff Diehl get elected. 

A wake-up call in China

Posted: October 25, 2022 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
Tags: ,

By Christopher Harper

Many analysts are wringing their hands about the elevation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to an unprecedented third term as head of the Beijing government.

The United States should worry about his intentions because Xi has made it clear that he’s a bad guy. Our government has failed to see that in Chinese leaders like Xi since we have played footsy with them over the last 50 years, hoping to make friends and allowing them to steal, murder, and pillage at home and abroad.

During the four summers I traveled all over China, I saw the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Chinese build stuff well, particularly roads and bridges. But the country has overbuilt high rises in an investment boom, leaving many vacant apartment complexes.

I remember one Chinese guide asking me: Do you know the Chinese national bird? The crane. The construction crane.

Because of the overbuilding inside China, jobs had to be found for trained construction workers. That helped to create the Belt and Road campaign—a mixture of exporting jobs and gaining allies with massive building projects worldwide. Instead, many developing nations owe Beijing billions of dollars from loans, creating far less benefit than Xi wanted.

Many of my students came from wealthy families who made their money in the private sector. Xi has moved away from the recent trend toward capitalism, potentially alienating those with money.

Although the Communist Party holds almost absolute control over the people, few become members. Virtually all my students hated the mandatory class in the philosophy of Mao, which is required in all universities.

Although the Communist government doesn’t tolerate political dissent, there seems to be a growing resentment of President Xi, particularly after his total clampdown during COVID. Nevertheless, dissidents have become more public, particularly outside the mainland.

More importantly, Xi pushed out or passed over many influential people inside the party. It will be challenging to determine how his actions in the party may ultimately hurt him, mainly since his new economic team seems quite unprepared for the road ahead.

That lack of confidence sent the New York and Chinese markets spiraling downward within hours of Xi’s ascendance.

China also faces some internal economic woes. The one-child policy, which was only recently changed, has left China with an aging population with huge benefits and a dwindling younger population that want office jobs rather than assembly line work.

Although the Chinese military buildup, particularly air and naval, should concern the United States, China hasn’t fought a war in decades. That means no one at the top of the military food chain has experienced the fog of war. That’s a huge minus for China—one quite like what we’re seeing with Russia in Ukraine.

Perhaps most important, the United States knows China is an enemy—not a friend. That’s an important realization. We cannot depend on China for critical minerals. We cannot rely on shipments of anything from China, as we saw during the supply line crisis during COVID.

All told, the elevation of President Xi should worry the United States. But it also serves as a needed wake-up call.

Older Entries
Newer Entries