Last Minute Thoughts on 2020

Well, the big new is that millons of Americans lost their unemployment benefits today and notoby will get paid any more stimulus checks.  President Trump is being obstenant for no good reason and refusing to sign the COVID 19 relief bill.   The President has done a lot of things to stir ill will against a lot of people.  I'm still trying to figure out why he fired his attorney general, William Barr.  He was his hand picked crony and he still couldn't get along with him.  It's harder and harder for even the most diehard Trump supporter to continue to justify the things that he does.  Meanwhile we all know that the new year won't hold immediate promise of relief for the Corona virus because new peaks will be had in the new year.  Just to think eleven months ago nobody heard of the Corona virus.  For weeks it was just a bleep in the newspaper articles.  Just another oddity like Sarrs or Ebola or H1N1.  Those passed with no problem and initially there was no reason to believe this virus wouldn't do likewise.  But by the second half of February it was clear that something was very wrong.  There was that "thing" you got tired of hearing about and you thought it was being overplayed because after all it didn't affect us.  I'm going to continue with this blog post tomorrow if I think about it.  It's been a long year and it's still not over yet.  The official virus count-down won't officially have its anniversary till President Joe Biden is sworn into office, if he is sworn into office.  I still hear that congress has the power to invalidate the election if they want to and put literally anything up to a vote.  President Trump still believes he will be president on January 21st.  If God is soverign he cn do anything he wants.  Maybe he's just playing the suspense game with us- - like with Gidian in the Bible.  He waits until things look completely hopeless and then he acts.  

The Christmas Star

The conjunction of our two biggest planets, Jupiter and Saturn, occurred early Monday evening three hours after the sun went down in the southwestern skies.  This was the closest conjunction since the twelve hundreds and to the naked eye it looked like one star, that didn't twinkle.  I guess it's supposed to portend the arrival of international peace and brotherhood and all that stuff.  We could use an actual manifestation of God to hang our hat of faith on these days.  What is real trumps what exists only in the mind, in my book.  The trouble with Neil of KFI's program is that so little of it seems to have any real relation to anything.  He said "Last things should be ranked as last in importance".  So the second coming doesn't interest Neil the way it interests the rest of us.  Christmas 2020 is celebrated under a cloud.  People travel because they want to reunite with loved ones they haven't seen in a while, even though it risks the worsening of the pandemic and sets new death records.  Yesterday I got a bunch of gifts from this place but one thing I'm looking for is a decent antenna for my TV so I can watch the Lakers on channel seven because the Lakers always play on channel seven on Christmas day.  

President Trump would have to be called a "bad loser" from the way he's reacted to a lot of stuff.  It's hard to drum up mental support for the things he does like these fifty pardons he's done or whatever.  Now he is vetoing both the defense bill for next year's budget, and also the COVID 19 relief bill that was all set through hard-fought negotiation.  Instead of six hundred dollars in the mail, the citizens won't be getting a thing thanks to our President.  More and more Republicans are turning against him.  Biden is still keeping a relatively low profile.  It's hard not to be encouraged by Biden's speeches.  They seem down to earth and practical and sensible.  One can only hope 2021 will be a better year than this past year, which has been a long one.  January started off normal but we know what soon happened.   I'll have more than this to say in a new year's message I am contemplating writing.  

The Uniqueness of Christ's Attoning Sacrifice

Some people talk about picking up their cross and following Jesus or "This is just my cross to bear".  But Jesus Christ's was a unique sacrifice in that only he could do it.  Only he was qualified to attempt to make the sacrifice.  It could be said that "Jesus was the only one with a choice".  We can't make the choice to let or not let that cup pass us by.  People point to Jesus's prayer as a denied prayer because when his hour came he had to make the ultimate sacrifice of his body on the cross.  We couldn't duplicate the atoning work he did on the cross even if we wanted to.   And Jesus only had to do it once, not two or three times because "he didn't get it right the first time".  Sometimes there is a real blessing in not having to go through things two or three times rather than just once, knowing you'll never have to face that peril again.  Think about it.  As Neil Savedra is so fond of saying "You only go around once in life".

Today is December 16th and it's Beethoven's birthday.  I thought they were going to make it an all Beethoven day on the classical music station, KUSC.  They don't play enough Beethoven on that station anyhow.  In my personal life we are in severe lockdown.  This morning they were saying we couldn't even venture out of the room to smoke.  That one seems to have gone lax and people have been out there.  They could lock the door, I suppose.  They say the COVID19 virus in Orange County is worse than it's ever been just as two vaccines now are coming on the market.  We'll see if it's always darkest before the dawn. 

The Vaccine is On It's Way

 This is Monday after two on the second day of confinement to our rooms.  It’s also elector day, which is December 14, 2020.  I had the live coverage on this morning and Trump was leading 55 votes to Biden’s 27.  They also had a thing on the eight biggest daily disasters in the country and the Galveston Hurricane wins it hands down.  9 – 11 nosed out Pearl Harbor, which surprised.  Pearl Harbor was still in the two thousands.  Trump still has a few tricks up his sleeve.  He may have been turned down by the Supreme Court including his three appointed justices,  but now Ted Cruz gets on TV and says he will lead a movement not to approve any of Joe Biden’s cabinet appointments.  That’ll fix his wagon, and it’s never been tried before on such a massive basis so there is no precident.  But more significant than that is today is NOT the day that Biden is certified as president.  That comes when Congress on January 6^th actually certifies the vote count and declares him president.  In the shabby deal of1877 a lot of Hanky Panky went on by where the southern slaves lost all their rights they had just won in blood.  The poll numbers don’t look good for a broad concencus of support either.  They say 78% of people who voted for Trump don’t believe he is the legitimate President.  All of this bad news for Biden is good news for me for those who have been following my blogs and fleeces to God.  In terms of Biden’s style it’s constructive. He is not pie in the sky like Obama was.  And he isn’t pushed around by fears of a Republican backlash but seems inclined to follow his own agenda.  In other news there are spring tides causing flooding.  The basketball season has started up again after a brief two month hiatus.  The Cleveland Indians are another team that intends to change their name.  I even heard another report that the “Boston” Braves were going to change their name.

Yesterday afternoon I watched the LA Chargers and the Atlanta Braves duke it out.  There wasn’t that much scoring later game since yesterday’s report.  The Chargers scored a touchdown making it seventeen all.  It stayed that way for a while.  Finally the Chargers got a last chance to kick a 43 yard field goal.  They kicked it right down the middle and won the game with two seconds to go 20 to 17.  For once the Chargers actually won a close game.  For dinner we had sloppy Joes but the meat was bad.  I didn’t like it but nobody else noticed it.  I didn’t get sick from it or anything.  We had a cucumber and onion salad and a chocolate chip cookie and that was it.  Dinner was served around four thirty which is normal eating time for me.  I’ve been really going through the instant coffee and I mean the new jar I just bought on Saturday.  It was dial twirling and then the KNXT news and the CBS network news.  I got drowsy as the evening progressed even without the Ambien, but only to a point.  After six thirty or so I turned to the Sunday Night football game between the ‘49ers and the Washington Redskins.  Sixty Minutes had three interesting segments.  There was a thing on how Arab nationals in this country get away with murder.  This seems to be standard Republican operating policy since 2001.  They get whisked off to the safety of their own country with well executed escape plans.  Then there was a thing on how Hospital prices are skyrocketing and services are getting no better.  Then there was a thing on how the police give this drug Kennington or something like that.  It’s a powerful knock-out pill that’s probably as powerful as these drugs you see in old movies they shoot people with and turn people into zombies.  Only in this case they will give you a drug for double your actual weight and it kills you, and they’ve even invented a new disease to go along with it.  Then it was something on two and I switched to the Simpson’s, which ran past eight thirty.  How do they keep coming up with new shows?  Then it was another show briefly.  Finally I got my sleeping medication and all the rest of my meds.  I rang the bell and came down but was told to go back to my room.  I was told there was some big emergency that apparently lasted two hours because that was the delay.  It was close to twenty to nine.   After a while I went out and smoked and I even made coffee not knowing how long I was going to be staying up.  Taking Ambien late like that has the advantage though because it means it doesn’t wear off as fast as normal. 

The vaccine is on it’s way.  Last week it was rolled out in England and we all cheered.  This week it’s being rolled out in the U S.   It’s a good thing too because the death news couldn’t get any worse.  Today they say we will surpass three hundred thousand deaths in the US.  Just last week it was 275,000.  They made the decision to confine us apparently in the dead of night on Saturday.  And it took effect immediately.  News from Orange County is bad.  They say that the growing surges of the viruses are only going to get worse and are no where peaking.

I made coffee when I got up for my cigarette at ten till two.  I actually made the coffee before I went out for the cigarette.  I believe coffee increases serotonin, which creates a sense of personal confidence and helps relieve anxiety.  That’s why I take it.  This was a morning to try our patience.  I rang the bell for service at not quite five thirty.  Almost immediately Alex came in and turned off the light and said Christian would be up in a bit to give me my Ativan.  That “bit” turned into nearly a three hour wait where my tension only grew.  The hours passed and I wasn’t worried at first.  But it became clear their timetable for today was not like yesterday.  Yesterday I got all of my medication at twenty to seven.   Today they didn’t come for the early cup of coffee that they do till nearly seven thirty.  Nothing was going on in the building.  I had KNX ratio on and off during the morning but got bored with the news.  I had this odd feeling of being abandoned and trapped.  We got our breakfast a little past seven thirty.  By then I was pretty jittery.  We got milk and OJ and coffee and out main tray but they could have thrown in a box of Raison Bran just as easily and they didn’t.  We had French toast and butter and syrup and two sausages for the main meal.  I also ate Joe’s sausages.  Earlier Joe gave me potato chips.  I wandered around the building.  I came across that lady with the accent downstairs on the east hall after eight.  She gave me my medication then but she didn’t have to.  She could just as easily told me to go back to my room.   She told me she would get the Ativan as soon as she was done with that hallway.  I went back to my room.  A few minutes later when I had about given up hope the redhead showed up with the Ativan.  It was eight fifteen.  The drug takes over an hour to take effect.  My other symptons this morning included inflamed sinuses and feverishness. 

The Presidential Situation Today

Today is Sunday November 29th and it's the nineteenth anniversary of George Harrison's death in 2001.  He died of cancer but I don't know what kind except that it was a lingering illness.  Breakfast with the Betles played all George Harrison songs and about half were from All Things Must Pass" and that album is experiancing an anniversary today.   The Chargers lost another game they could have easily won.  They lost to the Buffalo Bills 27 to 17 or something.   Meanwhile let's talk about the Presidential situation.  Keep in mind that a lot of Republicans would be happy about a victory whether it was Trump or no matter what Republican they put up.  Because they want to get rid of homosexual marriage, and I agree with them in this, even though it would seem that ship is sailed.  Homosexual is too entrenched in society today to ever get rid of.  A six to three conservative majority could easily overturn Roe verses Wade at the drop of a hat and I'm surprised they don't have that case as number one on their agenda.  Then there is the matter of doctor assisted suicide, which is another sticking point for fundamentalist Christians.  Suicide is seen as a mortal son, one which can't be forgiven in the next life.  We then have the matter of the economy.  We need to give Trump credit for this economy being as strong as it is.  Certainly the President has fought for a strong economy all this year.  That's one thing he's been consistent about.  It's a little disingenuous for Biden to now say he'll stand for a strong economy AND bold steps to cure the COVID 19 virus.  The two things are kind of contradictory.  Trump was right that all of the tax cuts and deficets did not crash the economy as people like me feared.  I feared that a deficet would put us in such a hole we would never be able to dig our way out of.  As to the power play moves done by President Trump, I'm not going to pass judgement on them.  Yes he has fired people and done other stuff to try and hold on to his power to the very last moment.  If you don't like that you should see what state legislatures of the other party do to hinder the newly arrived- - -usually democrat but sometimes Republican.  They will issue new regulations they never would apply to a person of their own party.  Not to change the subject but the relation between me and God is still a little tenuous.  I know if I am to be truely in the will of God I should be experiancing things like Love and Joy and Peace, as well as a rather fearful obediance.  I wish I could live up to that end of the Christian gospel but I can't at the present time. 

We haven't talked about the Orion Federation in ages.  They certainly haven't chimed in all of these many troubling messages I've gotten from God this past year. I don't even know for sure where they stood on the recent election.  Of course we can now speak of it as a past election.  Even the most die hard out there is not saying President Trump will win in his lawsuits in the courts. That's not exactly true.   I will say however that the majority of Republicans in congress are still supporting Trump in his battles for vindication as he sees it.  So it's not as though everyone has abandoned him. The media has long since turned against Trump and points it out every chance they get.  You should just be glad Trump has made the cnsession that if Biden wins in the electoral college vote next month than the President will leave office on January 20th.  Even Trump has his limits.  There were no repeats of Florida in 2000 much against Republican hopes.  The race truely appears to be over.  The general services administration made Biden president a week or so ago.  Sincee then he has appointed a lot of his cabinet, most of the people being undamiliar to me.  In keeping with my deal with God I am unhappy about Biden being declared President.  

Keeping the Faith in God and President Trump

 It’s long overdue for an update from me.  There has been a lot of news developments on the political front in the past several weeks.  Joe Biden won Georgia by twelve thousand votes and so they did a recount and he won that one too.  If I know Trump it’s only evidence that the election is rigged just like he said it would be.  Trump is challenging in Wisconsin.  In keeping with my deal with God I am one hundred percent behind the President in any legal venue he chooses to pursue.  If he gets lucky or so Trump’s hope was, that the counts would intervene and atop any more recounts and we’d have a replay of Florida in 2000.  Shawn Hanniday is convinced from reports he has received that there is widespread voter fraud.  Trump fired the guy in charge of monitoring elections because he didn’t come up with a report that Trump agreed with.  This is his perrogitive, after all he’s still the president.  He fired his defense secretary for reasons not clear to me but if the President wants to explain it, I’m all ears.  They say the media is surpressing successes Trump has had in the courts.  Chris said that.  When I talked to Paul today I did not weigh in on any of this and neither did Paul express his opinion.  Joe Biden has 309 electoral votes now, if we can believe the numbers, which ironically is the same number that Trump got four years ago.  It’s not right to refer to Joe Biden as President elect, because that won’t happen till the electors meet in December and all sorts of things can happen between now and then.  I’m trying hard to be a Born Again Christian for Trump like all my associates are around here.  I promised God I would “eagerly” look for any and all chances to express my support for the President.  You can boo Biden’s name whenever it comes up.  And you can feel genuine disappointment when Trump undergoes a setback, because when he undergoes a setback, I undergo a setback.  And I’m sticking to my guns.  If people are not convinced I have really changed, that’s my fault.  It’s a failing of human flesh, an we are all flesh.  If God has truly announced that Trump will continue to be our president, we should not lose faith in that belief.  We should as it were “Keep the Faith, for in God and in President Trump you can trust.

The quarantine has been reinstated by our chief administrator around here as of yesterday afternoon.  The move was done very suddenly so as to catch people by surprise before they could stock up on things they might want to.  Rumors are that he never liked lifting the quarantine in the first place but that he was put under presssure from forces beyond his control.  Now that we and all Southern California counties are back in the purple,  the axe just fell.  I am getting pretty sick of all of this virus stuff and even listening to it on the news makes me want to turn the TV off.  .

Say Hello to President Elect Biden

Joe Biden was officially declared the winner of the presidency yesterday morning when the Associated Press declared that he had won Pennsylvania.  That would give him 274 votes.  It seems likely Biden will take Nevada but the others are less likely.  Joe gave his acceptance speech.  But even before and after then there was major celebration in the streets with a lot of horn honking and stuff in West Hollywood and other places.  It was reminiscent of the evening that Obama got nominated in late August of 2008.  Back then you had to beware of bad news just around the corner.  I was intending to blog yesterday but I never got around to it.  I can only guess whether I’ll be blogging today.  Biden was introduced by Vice President elect Harris, who who should rightfully have had someone introduce her also because she had a speech to make in her own right.  They both talked their families and the support Biden from Black people who came through for him.  It was hard to contain his enthusiasm.   Trump is still going to sue in the courts but the media doesn't give him much chance of success.  If you're a Christian and you want to pray for Trump to pull off a miracle and pull this one off, then be my guest.   We should pray for all of those who were disappointed with the results.  They're going to need a lot of consolation.

Sorry for the brevity of these posts but things are disorganized in my life now.  This is Sunday Nocember 9th and the weather turned cold two days ago.  It went from about 87 degrees on Thursday to 57 degrees and windy on Saturday and today is if anything worse.  We Californians aren't used to that.