The USA Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate just passed a coronavirus stimulus bill, which has already been signed by President Trump. Regardless of which political stance you take, the bill has various items that could easily be labeled as pork. Notice my careful wording. I say could easily be labeled as […]
Archives for March 2020
The Annunciation and The Lord of the Rings
Today is the beginning of our salvation, and the manifestation of the mystery from the ages; for the Son of God becometh the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel proclaimeth grace. Wherefore, do we shout with him to the Theotokos: Hail, O full of grace! The Lord is with thee. Troparion of the Annunciation from […]
On Congressional bills and negotiations
“Asked on Tuesday evening why negotiators appeared to be having such a hard time closing out the deal, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who has served as a point person for the administration in the talks, responded, ‘Who says we are having a hard time? It’s just a complicated deal. We go through a lot of […]
On Freedom of Religion and Quarantine
The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic. […] The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will […]
Past epidemics and current attitudes
By the middle of the 6th century, the Emperor Justinian had spread his Byzantine Empire around the rim of the Mediterranean and throughout Europe, laying the groundwork for what he hoped would be a long-lived dynasty. His dreams were shattered when disease-bearing mice from lower Egypt reached the harbor town of Pelusium in AD 540. […]
Unexpected consequences
It has been interesting to watch the development of the response to the virus. At first, a significant minority of people derided the initial warnings about the virus and the recommended responses. One need only watch saved news clips to see both major news and political figures deriding the findings and recommendations of health professionals. […]
Insights on WWI and WWII generations
With this coronavirus crisis and response and now the invocation of the Defense Production Act, I am beginning to get a very vague idea of how our parents and grandparents must have felt. But, let me emphasize, a very vague idea. Back during World War II, gasoline, sugar, various foods were rationed. They were rationed […]
Coronavirus overreactions
As with most Americans, I have been watching and reading about the coronavirus, COVID-19. What has created some facepalm moments for me have been the overreactions that one can read in the media. Not surprisingly, they boil down to two extremes. One is the failure to believe anything that is being said while the other […]
Influenza and Coronavirus lethality rates
As we are trying to fight the Coronavirus outbreak, it may be helpful to review some statistics and data. Part of the reason for reviewing the statistics is the memés that are being found all over social media, and especially on one of the news networks, that appear to say that the COVID-19 efforts are […]
Western music and its development
This is some excellent singing by an individual. It is worth watching. I do have a couple of quibbles with it. There is not one example of Gregorian Chant. Given that this chant lasted for centuries, even in the midst of other worship music, I consider this to be a major point. Second is that […]
