When it's your time...

Self-Portrait
(Johann Zoffany, c. 1776)

The very thing that you think will protect you might be the very thing that gets you in the end.

Umbrellas were designed to keep us safe from the sun’s burning rays and the rain’s drenching drops.  They are often attached to outdoor dining tables.

So there was nothing unusual about Dana Weinger’s seating on a restaurant patio overlooking Lake Marion in South Carolina. She and her husband were enjoying an evening meal when a gust of wind suddenly appeared.

It knocked over a nearby umbrella which then struck Dana's ”head and neck area.”  Help arrived soon, but not soon enough.  She was ”pronounced dead at the scene.”

There’s a Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids in Matthew 25 that warns of such occurrences and urges folks to prepare in advance. We’re not talking bullet-proof vests and helmets, we’re talking spiritual “dress rehearsals.” 

Although folks often plan for worldly events, they tend to ignore otherworldly ones.  Death will surely come, we just don’t know when.  An ongoing practice of soul-searching can therefore serve us well when the hourglass empties.

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-05-26-patio-umbrella-killed-woman-while-she-was-dining-at-outdoor-restaurant/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Ten_Virgins 

Bottle of Wine, Fruit of the Gold Mine

 

(Photo by Alanscottwalker)

When the cost of just one bottle of wine could instead feed thousands of people, it might be time to reevaluate priorities.

“A single bottle of 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti” was recently auctioned off for the grand total of “812,500.  How many gallons of milk could that buy? How many sacks of beans?  Pounds of potatoes?

Sure it tasted good - real good!  But does it truly exemplify “the soul and spirit of Burgundy,” as claimed by the chairman of “America’s oldest wine merchant,” Acker?  

When talking “soul and spirit,” a very different type of wine comes to mind - one that evokes a Body that catered to people who could best benefit from a dietary boost.

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-03-31-worlds-most-expensive-bottle-of-wine-sold-at-auction/

 

Dancing: Ups, Downs and All-Arounds

Whirling Dervishes
(Public Domain)

Dancing has played a major role in numerous religious gatherings.  Sufis have long practiced physically whirling forms of meditation in order to better connect with  Allah.  This practice was initiated in the 13^th century by the well-known mystic and poet, Mevlana Rumi.

Although also called “dancing,” the erratic movements of Donald Trump’s appendages seem more like neurological quirks than like sacred rituals.  His own wife hinted that such antics belong more in the closet than on the presidential stage.

Even humanoid robots have been criticized for prioritizing jiggling over tasks at hand.  As a team of “tin men” shimmied their way through a Consumer Electronics Show, bystanders “were impatient for them to become more useful, not just a promise of things to come.”

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/tech/ai/meta-ai/articles/dancing-isnt-enough-industry-pushes-072304136.html    

A penny saved is a penny burned

Public Domain

 

It’s kind of fitting that Lincoln is portrayed on the humble penny because he was kind of a humble president.  Today’s leaders do not seem to favor humility, and the penny might soon be extinct.

Thus speaketh Elon Musk, who claims that it costs three cents to produce every one-cent coin.  Translated into DOGEse, doing away with pennies could mean a governmental savings of almost $200 million per year.  

What then would happen with a purchase of, say, $4.51?  Theoretically, the shopkeeper would round it down to $4.50.  However, we’re talking human nature here.  Rounding up to the nearest nickel could easily become the norm.  In that case, consumers would likely be paying for the governmental savings.

It was Ben Franklin who originally claimed that a penny saved is a penny earned.  His monetary portrayal will likely last way longer than Lincoln’s since $100 bills are still coveted by the powers that be.

Resources

https://www.barrons.com/articles/eliminate-penny-elon-musk-doge-462b003b

 

Flying High with Hydrogen

(Fair Use)

Yesterday’s science fiction is fast becoming today’s fact.  Who would have thought that George Jetson’s aerocar might soon be ours?

For those still wrestling with e-mails, the thought of eVTOLs is mind-boggling.  An eVTOL is “an electric vertical takeoff and landing craft,” a recent version of which “flew over 500 miles… powered by hydrogen fuel cells and electric technology.”  Such travel can occur “with no emissions except water.”

While soaring past highway routes and traffic, you can get from place to place in record time.  Forget about airport hassles, this aerobic buggy can fly high from numerous locations.

Although the element hydrogen is widespread here on earth, isolating and storing it can be a daunting task.  Joby Aviation seems up for the challenge.  It aims to begin air-taxi “commercial operations in the U.S. in 2025.” 

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/news/tech/aircraft-developer-completes-over-500-073000340.html

What are the chances?

(Fair Use)

A North Carolina man beat the odds not once, but three times, and is now the richer for it.  How much richer?  A total of $230,000, to be exact.

His first lottery win yielded $20,000 in 2020.  He then won $10,000 during the early part of 2022.  Just recently, he struck gold again.  This time, it was for $200,000. 

Three’s the charm, although numbers in general seem to smile upon this one lucky dude.

Resources

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/04/20/lottery-third-win/7161650454704/

Copyright April 27, 2022 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

It All Matters

Whole Note & Whole Rest   (Image by Matrix0123456789) 

If peace matters, then it matters for all within this nuclear age.

The pandemic has vividly shown how intertwined life on our planet is.  If that’s what coronaviruses are capable of, then imagine what havoc radiation can wreak.

This is what President Zelensky sees when he warns against war.  Not just war in Ukraine, but war anywhere on earth.  World Wars begin with smaller conflicts, which then escalate.  Power-grabs yield appeasements, which fool dictators into thinking they can have it all.

Yet when “All” is said and done, it’s in God’s hands.  Humans play their parts (some better than others) but parts are not necessarily whole.

Resources

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/03/24/zelenskyy-calls-worldwide-anti-war-protests-russian-invasion-enters-second-month

Copyright March 25, 2022 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Chips Are Down

Chip in a DIP   (Photo by Mister rf)

Potato chips are yummy, but we can easily live without them.  Ditto on those made from corn.

Computer chips are a whole other ball game.  Our society has depended more and more upon that which is now in short supply.  Is there hope on the horizon?  Perhaps, if you’re willing to wait for months or years.

With supply down and demand up, a quick fix seems unlikely.  Early on in the pandemic, companies were hesitant to greatly increase production.  After all, who knew how long it would last?  And who even knows now?  Perhaps an increased emphasis upon simplicity is in order.

Resources

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/01/fabs-stretched-thin-as-chip-shortage-shrinks-inventories-to-just-5-days/

Copyright January 25, 2022 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Just don't call me late for dinner

Pete Doocy   (White House photo)

Although the media’s all a twitter about Biden’s hot-mic words, the person they were aimed at took it in stride.

Pete Doocy of Fox News recalled the conversation that ensued when America’s CEO called to apologize. In true Biden style, the president explained, “It’s nothing personal, pal.” 

These newfound “pals” then talked things over and ended up agreeing on the following: It’s a White House correspondent’s job to ask those tough questions.

And it’s hopefully a president’s job to answer them.  As Doocy then stated, “He can call me whatever he wants as long as it gets him talking.”

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/fox-news-peter-doocy-says-060340648.html

Copyright January 25, 2022 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

The Ten Guidelines

Have at 'em!   (Photo by Jasper Greek Golangco) 

Only God can infallibly issue commandments.  Humans, even those with fancy letters after their names, would do best to stick with guidelines.

Having realized this, the American Heart Association just issued ten of their best guesses concerning heart health.  Let’s just say that red wine is no longer on the menu.

What has remained are age-old suggestions such as keeping a balanced body weight, limiting sugar and salt intake, using unprocessed foods, and eating lots of fruits and vegetables.  

Why no red wine?  Because alcohol has been shown, time and again, to not only increase the risk of heart disease, but also of dementia and some cancers.  

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/put-down-coconut-oil-red-130043453.html

Copyright November 28, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Has Fox gone too far?

 

(Photo by yvonne n)

The old adage about a fox in the henhouse might unfortunately apply to the namesake media outlet.

Fox News contributors Stephen Hayes and Jonah Goldberg recently quit because of the network’s “Patriot Purge” showing.  This documentary is replete with “conspiracy theories” about the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Nevertheless, the times they may be changing.  Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch recently expressed that the conservative agenda was “being hindered” by Trump’s relentless focus upon “the past.”  Murdoch  declared that it’s far more important “to define the future.”  Hopefully that definition will coincide with the dictionary’s definition of democracy. 

Resources   

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/2-longtime-fox-news-contributors-042924655.html

Hope for HIV

2007 World AIDS Day   (Photo by Eric Draper)

There are doctors galore, but sometimes the ultimate doctor is the human body itself.

A 30-year-old Argentinian female was recently completely cured of HIV by her own immune system.  This shows that the HIV virus is not invincible, and that immunity can be achieved by either natural or medicinal methods.

It also gives hope for future “AIDS-free” generations.  And if that can occur with HIV, why not with other lethal viruses? 

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/a-womans-immune-system-possibly-cured-her-of-hiv-shes-being-called-the-hope-patient/ar-AAQLZ9Z?ocid=uxbndlbing

Copyright November 17, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Wipeout

A mixed blessing?   (Photo by Breawycker)

Humans have been trying to wipe out COVID-19 for a couple of years, and cancer for at least a couple of millennia.  Wiping out COVID while causing cancer is therefore not a wise approach.

It turns out that 44 out of 260 hand sanitizers were found by Valisure to contain benzene, a known carcinogen.  It can enter the body via “skin absorption” and/or “inhalation.”  Up to 16.1 parts per million of this toxin were found in one product, which far exceeds the FDA’s “interim limit of 2 ppm.”

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2021-03-25-cancer-causing-chemical-found-in-at-least-44-hand-sanitizers/

Copyright October 26, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Listen up!

18th Century Ear Trumpets   (Diagram by Frederick Dekkers) 

As tough as it is to skimp on hearing, it can be even tougher to afford a hearing aid.

Because such devices cost “an average of more than $5,000 per pair,” many folks simply suffer in silence.  Yet hope is on the horizon.  The FDA has been moving toward making over-the-counter "basic" hearing aids available. 

These would be considerably cheaper than those which require prescriptions.  And they could be “on the market by early next year.”  

Resources

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/10/19/fda-over-the-counter-hearing-aids/

Hope Springs Eternal

 

Inside an Aeromedical C-17   (Public Domain)

Even amidst the horror of the current Afghanistan situation, there remain some nuggets of goodness.

There is no greater reminder of renewed hope than the birth of a child.  This amazingly occurred during a recent freedom flight from Kabul. 

The Afghan mother was assisted by a team “from the 86^th Medical Group,” and her baby was successfully delivered aboard a “C-17 Globemaster III” aircraft.

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/afghan-woman-gives-birth-on-us-evacuation-flight/ar-AANBxlg?ocid=uxbndlbing

Smoke is Smoke

Skull with a Burning Cigarette   (by Vincent van Gogh)

Whether sitting around a campfire or within a hazy lounge, smoke is smoke.  In other words, it literally clouds the air we breathe.

It is therefore not surprising that secondhand marijuana smoke is being linked with some of the same health problems as secondhand tobacco smoke.  A recent survey of 1500 regular marijuana smokers or vapers showed that their children experienced increased respiratory difficulties.  

A cause-and-effect association has not yet been proven, but is certainly suspected.  It seems therefore wise to avoid indoor usage as much as possible.

Resources

https://www.healthbanks.com/PatientPortal/MyPractice.aspx?UAID={3832435F-CB0D-493C-AEB1-E9AF6161A975}&TabID={X}&ArticleID=2654160839

Copyright August 6, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

No Longer Boxed In

 

(Photo by Nasir36)

In these times of higher prices and uncertain supply chains, it’s good to have some extras on hand.

This bodes well for the expansion of “wholesale grocery retailer Boxed,” which is “set to go public” real soon.  Boxed will make “bulk consumables” widely available without the added expanse of a membership fee.

Boxed also has a software partnership with the Aeon Group, which affords the company many e-commerce opportunities.

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/wholesale-grocery-retailer-boxed-is-set-to-go-public-in-dollar900-million-spac-deal/ar-AAL1TUW

Let There Be Light

Don't just curse the darkness!   (Photo by Petar Milosevic) 

The Bible clearly states that God is Light, and that Light shall overcome darkness.

Protestors in Russia recently took this to heart as they held flashlight rallies in support of Alexei Navalny.  

Moscow streets were aglow with cellphone-lit symbols that urged, “Let my people go!”

Judging from its “heavy-handed response,” the Kremlin seems to be taking these rallies seriously.      

It remains to be seen whether justice will prevail.

Resources

https://apnews.com/article/world-news-russia-cb331fa15a10be0f368b153e09e1e0f0

Copyright February 15, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

When dreams turn to nightmares

Jingle those bells!    (Photo by Pete Markham)

Many dream of a snowy Christmas season.  But when do such dreams turn to nightmares?  If you’re in the Northeast of the United States, right about now.

A heavy-duty Northeaster pounded its way through state after state, killing “at least four people” and incapacitating countless others.  As much as 44 inches of the flakey stuff was measured within New York’s Southern Tier.  This on top of pandemic-induced crises…

Those who could grabbed snow-removal tools and got to work.  If the rest of 2020 didn’t crush them, this wouldn’t either.  This too shall pass, and one-horse open sleighs shall once again jingle.

Resources

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/17/winter-storm-gail-northeast-snow-totals/3931908001/

Copyright December 17, 2020 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Something Smells Rotten

(Fair Use)

Garlic may ward off vampires, but apparently not drug dealers.

Two such criminals were caught transporting $2 million worth of cocaine in a truck filled with garlic.  It seems that the stench of greed can even override the pungency of these healing bulbs.

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/cocaine-found-hidden-within-massive-garlic-shipment-police/ar-BB1bL6RP?ocid=uxbndlbing