God's Word

 I am late in posting this: this is the homily I preached this past Sunday, January 26, which was the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C, and also designated by Pope Francis as Sunday of the Word of God.  That Sunday's readings are here.

Hakeem Jeffries' press briefing

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kc3nnRasCA

I had been feeling discouraged about the current state of affairs in America. And I came across this video of Hakeem Jeffries press briefing from January 23. I found it a useful antidote against the feeling that our democracy is over. 

Very briefly summarized; Jeffries termed the 50 page House Republican budget plan as "the contract against America". He went on to say that the slimmest majority since the 1930s is by no means a " mandate", and that the House Democrats will not enable MAGA to put in place tax breaks which would make government "by the billionaires, of the billionaires, for the billionaires". 

When questioned about the Democrats' position on immigration, Jeffries said that they would work with Republicans to secure the border, and to enact bipartisan and comprehensive policy reform. But that they would act to protect, dreamers, farm workers, and families.

Jeffries called out House Republicans for lying about Project 2025, by saying that they never heard of it, which of course is false. And every single thing the President, and they, have done since inauguration has been straight out of Project 2025.

The whole briefing is not very long, and is worth listening to. I found it to be a refreshing " Hold your horses, buster" shot over the Republican bow.

There is a transcript available if you'd rather read it than listen to it:

https://www.rev.com/transcripts/house-democrat-news-briefing-1-23-25

Housekeeping items

1. David noted in a previous post that he was having difficulty typing. Is it time for someone to step up to share admin duties? 

2. We have a new poster, Biaggio. Anyone know who this is? My preference is to keep the group to people one of us knows and has invited to participate. Lots of trolls out there I'd prefer not to deal with.

3. Anne has had trouble generating posts from her phone. Has this been fixed?

Anything else?

A dangerous start

                          Photo courtesy CBS News via Google          Photo courtesy AP News via Google

Update 1/21/2025 2:24 pm: Even though Melania's inauguration fashion choices are not germane to the topic of this post (or are they?), they are discussed below in the comments.  As not every reader seems to have tuned in to yesterday's coverage, I'm posting a couple of shots featuring her hat.  Regarding the image on the right: on The Daily Show last night, Jon Stewart suggested it had the practical effect of warding off her husband's attempts to break into her personal space. 

To my eyes, her ensemble screamed, "I wish I was anywhere but here!"

Trump's new reality show starts now!

It's 11:55 a.m., and I'm enjoying my last five minutes of sanity in American governance. 

In five more minutes, we all become the captive audience of the reboot of Donald Trump's presidential reality show, starring a whole new line-up of crazies--Dances-With-Strippers Pete Hegseth, Rootin' Tootin' Pet Shootin' Kristi Noem, RFK the Whale Decapitator, and the Skipping Dipshit Elon Musk. 

One of the auteurs of NBC's "The Apprentice" offered a mostly-ignored endorsement of Harris in which he apologized to America for molding public perceptions of Trump as a sane and canny businessman. Read it here: https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2024-10-16/we-created-a-tv-illusion-for-the-apprentice-but-the-real-trump-threatens-america

I'm all for public apologies from anybody responsible for normalizing Trump and getting him elected. But I remain convinced that he is a symptom of larger national ills: apathy, ignorance, consumerism, and detachment from reality. These are products of years of substandard education, lack of community spirit, cynicism about our political system, and addiction to social media. 

Can any of this get better? And how can I help? Those will be the two questions I will try to keep top of mind in the next four years.

You?

Webcams: East Coast Sunrise and West Coast Sunset

 Since Lake Erie is beginning to freeze over, I will likely be losing my beautiful sunrise and sunset views from its webcams. I have begun to collect webcams from the East Coast and West Coast to watch the sunrise and sunset. These are all YouTube cameras which retain about a 12 hour loop so you can go back and replay the sunrise or sunset if you missed it. Below are a selection for your viewing pleasure. All these YouTube cameras have picture within a picture functions.  If you click on it, it becomes a little picture in the lower right- hand corner which you can monitor while doing other work, or while watching another camera full view as a screen saver.

Gorgeous day in Myrtle Beach!

 Live look from Crown Reef Beach Resort and Waterpark!

Vacation Myrtle Beach

 

Started streaming on Jun 1, 2022

This one is actually turned toward the sunrise at the beginning of the day

but more southward during the day.

Live Myrtle Beach View - Captain's Quarters Resort

Vacation Myrtle Beach

Started streaming on Nov 9, 2022

This one is always pointed at the same direction 

which is slightly northward

it will probably pickup sunrises as the year progresses.

Hamptons.com - LIVE!

 Tiana Beach, Hampton Bays, New York

This is the best Hampton beach camera for picking up the sunrise

All the YouTube cameras have sound 

but the Hamptons have the best sound because they are the closest to the waves.

Hamptons.com LIVE! SAGG MAIN BEACH, Sagaponack, New York

Started streaming on Jan 16, 2024

While this webcam does not get the sunrise

it is very good during the rest of the day and gets the sunset.

Again good wave sound.

805 Webcams Pismo Beach Webcam - Shore Cliff

This camera has about a 180-degree view through preset, 

every 30 seconds it hops to a new preset.

Right now its after 5pm sunsets are after 8pm

So we can view this until about 9pm 

when we turn YouTube to the Saint Meinrad Monks 

who celebrated vespers earlier at 5pm central time 

South Haven Light - 360° Live Lighthouse Cam on Lake Michigan

Historical Association of South Haven

3.36K subscribers

Started streaming on Dec 10, 2024

Is this the webcam of the future?

This is one of those 365 degree vertical and horizontal camera.

which you can change view direction by moving your cursor.

Fairport Harbor has two lighthouses. 

The modern functional one at the end of the break water.

The old historic museum one up on the hill.

They should install these cameras on both.

They are always trying rather unsuccessfully to attract tourists.

Maybe they could become the Myrtle Beach

and Hamptons of the Northcoast?

One-Twentieth of One Percent of Transgender Youths Received Gender-Affirming Care

Here is a link to a TikTok from a doctor I follow regarding statistics on how many of 5.1 million young  transgender individuals over a four-year period (2018-2022) actually received gender-affirming medical care (puberty blockers, hormones). The number was 0.05 percent. (Turn on the sound at the lower right corner.)

The information is from a JAMA Research Letter. You may find Dr Eric to be a trifle partisan, especially toward the end.

New Year's Resolutions and Predictions

 I often make some New Year resolutions (I less often keep them!) To me  New Year's resolutions are different from Lenten practices, which tend to be more spiritually oriented. 

My New Year's resolutions are sometimes things I don't want to do, but know I need to. This year's joint resolution, together with my husband, is to update our wills. Actually it is to make them in the first place, because we don't have one. Irresponsible, I know, but it's going to be pretty much the same as the one the state has for someone who dies intestate. Also to have in writing medical directives (my husband has one, I don't, except verbally). And funeral plans. We have life insurance policies to cover that. So much fun.

Not quite as weighty, but also needs to be done, start giving away or discarding stuff we don't need and don't use. After being in this house almost 30 years, there's a bunch of that.

Now for predictions. Those are more entertaining to make than wills and funeral plans, but hit and miss as far as actually coming true. My first one is that the Trump and Musk bromance is going to have a break-up, relatively soon. It is going to reflect the larger conflict of interest between the Silicon Valley tech bros, and the actual MAGA populists, especially given the contempt those two factions have for each other. 

Another prediction is that at least one, and maybe more, of Trump's cabinet picks isn't going to make the cut. Most likely fail is RFK Jr. Trump is already backpedaling about vaccines, saying that preventing polio is actually a good thing. RFK on the other hand, is hard core anti-vax, and is on record as having exacerbated a measles outbreak in Samoa. He is going to get lots of pushback from Congress.

Another prediction is that Trump will have to deal with a foreign policy crisis before six months have gone by. It might be China, making moves on Taiwan's sovereignty. Or it might be trouble with Mexico. Trump has already antagonized Claudia Sheinbaum. He always has *cute* nicknames for everyone. Hers is Claudia Shiny-bum. But worse than that is not recognizing the help Mexico has already given the US with immigration issues. 

Do any of you want to have a go at resolutions or predictions?