‘Let the sun shine in…’

solar installation Jenera, Ohio

I just interviewed a man who has had a solar energy company in the area for the past 13 years. During this time, he’s done some 60 solar installations. These have included: at residences, at businesses, at farms… He said this year, he’s seen a marked increase in demand for these. Why? Well, in part apparently, Putin and OPEC have their respective feet on the brake pedals in regard to oil and natural gas. So, in the face of rising prices, and possible shortages/rolling black outs/and such, people are turning to alternative energy sources — like solar. In doing research for the article, I learned the world has just passed the 10% threshold for solar for the first time. For a look at how our administration would approach energy in general, and alternative sources in specific, see…

a flaming sword and a flying missile

Fatima’s “flaming sword”

At Fatima in 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary showed some young children there a vision of an angel with a huge flaming sword. He was about to hurl it toward the earth. As mentioned in the last post, Mary had previously told the children that mankind was tremendously offending God, and this flaming sword deal seemed to be a warning about how dire it all was, and how imminent a major chastisement was (even beyond a looming World War II). With a glance from Our Lady, the angel held back the sword, but bellowed to mankind: “PENANCE, PENANCE, PENANCE…” Now, over 100 years later, virtually everything has gotten exponentially more sinful. And “penance,” except for in a small remnant of people, isn’t anywhere to be found. Popes, during the last century, have said the flaming sword could be what befell Sodom of old, with God sending ‘…fire from the sky.’ Or, well, these same popes have said mankind is fashioning its own ‘sword,’ in the form of nuclear weapons. Don’t look now, but what was reported on in the last post, could be the latter starting to graphically play out. Just sayin’.

specter of war and ‘offending God’

the specter of war increases…

In this last week, Russia illegally annexed more of Ukraine and Putin threatened to use limited nuclear weapons in these regions. This could, of course, escalate into full-blown, world-wide nuclear war. What’s more, North Korea just launched a missile over Japan, as, not only Japan, but South Korea, are now on “high-alert,” and the U.S. has moved an aircraft carrier into the region. And all sides are responding to this high-stakes, geo-political chess match in conventional ways. Akin to, in essence, “…re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” In 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to some children at Fatima and told them that if mankind did not stop “offending God,” there would be a 2nd World War as a “punishment” for man’s sins. Why would that formula be any different today? What’s more, mankind’s sins are tremendously more egregious today (abortion, gender fluidity, media entertainment that’s off the charts sinful, trashing God’s environment… to name just a few). No, if we want the specter of war to stop, we have to stop doing the stuff that “offends God.” And it wouldn’t take a moral theology rocket scientist to figure out the things I’ve listed, and much more, is what is offending God. And as president, I’d say the exact same thing from the White House.

The name Ian means: ‘God is gracious.’ Hmm.

hurricane approaches

Yesterday, a catastrophic hurricane (“Ian”) swept through Florida, leaving massive swaths of destruction. Today, Ketanji Brown Jackson was officially “sworn in” as the country’s next Supreme Court Justice on the White House’s South Lawn. Is there a connection between what’s happening on the ‘South’ Lawn today, and what happened in the ‘south’ yesterday? The woman being sworn in amidst a gala atmosphere in D.C., is, as just one liberal, ‘woke’ example: for the wholesale slaughter of babies in their mothers’ wombs. And a majority in this nation, at this point, back this woman and that ideology (the Catholic Catechism doesn’t call it an ideology, it calls it: “murder.”) Conversely, what’s the possibility God ‘RAGES’ against such unbelievably blatant sin? Headline from Florida yesterday: “People tempt fate at St. Augustine Beach as Ian ‘rages’ on…’ This is, exactly, what America is doing waving blatantly woke ideology in God’s face, and in a major way: “tempting fate.” And, frankly, based on Biblical history, it never, oh, works out too well for these types of societies. Just try Googling the zip code for “Sodom,” as just one example. Note: The name “Ian” means: “God is gracious.” And God, indeed, is being ‘gracious’ sending us these natural disaster warnings (*and they are increasing considerably of late), in regard to giving us time to repent — before, well, it becomes too late altogether.

‘nuclear madness’ in Ukraine, and everywhere

nuclear plant

With all eyes on the nuclear power plant in the Ukraine, which is currently caught in the crossfire of war, I interviewed a professor at Ohio Northern University who teaches a “Nuclear Physics” class. He said what is going on in Ukraine is a highly dangerous geo-political chess match. That is, if a weapon(s) breaches the water-cooling system at the plant, there could be a meltdown similar to Chernobyl or Fukushima. What’s more, he said that since Fukushima in March of 2011 (an earthquake, followed by a tsunami, struck the plant causing huge radiation releases), countries have been, incrementally, starting to phase out their nuclear power plant programs. Our administration would concur in regard to phasing out America’s nuclear power plants. On a research stop in Luck, Wisconsin, I met with a representative of “Nuke Watch,” and environmental watchdog agency. She said nuclear technology is, indeed, way too dangerous. Example: The Chernobyl nuclear plant meltdown, also in Ukraine, released more radiation than all the atomic and nuclear bomb tests, ever, worldwide. For more on our policy around nuclear energy, see (item 9.)…

bicycles and bucket brigades…

…e-bikes …photo by Joe

With all the climate chaos catastrophes going on worldwide now, I have focused some of my reporting, of late, on alternative energy solutions, and such. For instance, I recently did a story on e-bikes. While researching, I learned that in Denmark, some 37% of the working populace there bicycle to work. Impressive! A local college here recently put in a 1,800-panel solar field. Continental, Ohio (pop. 1,408) just put in a solar field as well. This was being discussed at a council meeting I was covering in a nearby the town. That town was considering a solar field as well. It will be these local, alternative energy initiatives, which are now gaining steam across the country, that will be at the heart of the shift… I’ve also reported on the Northwest Ohio Volunteer Firefighters Association. It was established in 1874 (when they still used ‘Bucket Brigades’), has grown incrementally ever since, and is a first responder lynchpin throughout rural Ohio…

T-Minus… never again?

Artemis One countdown…

All eyes this week are on “Artemis One” and the beginning of manned flights back to the moon, and eventually Mars. The NASA Program had been in relative limbo, in regard to these manned flights, until President Obama, channeling his best JFK in 2010, said it was time to get the rockets firing on these new goals. But it would be going back into space in a “smarter way,” he added. Trump and Biden have been ‘on board’ with this as well. As president, I wouldn’t be. We have pumped $90 billion, and counting, into the Artemis Program so far, to take ‘man’ to the moon and Mars — where there is no gravity, no breathable air, no water (to speak of), no soil to grow crops in… I mean, if God would have wanted us in these places, He would have made them, well: readily habitable. Meanwhile, on this planet, two billion people are food insecure; one billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water; one billion people live in deplorable slum conditions… What’s more, climate change catastrophe is everywhere now. As president, I’d take this money, and technological genius, and funnel it into projects to help our world become much more sustainable. Note: If one looks up at that rocket on the launch pad, and squints, he/she might even be able to see a version of the “Tower of Babel,” fueled, of course, by modern man’s tremendous hubris. Note 2: “But Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or without adequate shelter…?”

How far, really, do we need to see?

C-14 telescope at Lima, Ohio Observatory

In recent weeks, I wrote a two-part article series, interviewing a local astronomer about the new James Webb Telescope. It sits 100 million miles out in space, and, in all, the project price tag was $10 billion. While I’m all for astronomy, I’m for astronomy within moderation/reason. This telescope (photo), which is in a local observatory, can’t see as far as Hubble, or the James Webb, but it can see pretty far. And on Friday evenings, local astronomers open the observatory up for parents and their children. They put on astronomy educational programs, let the kids look through the telescope, and so on. Sure, we’re curious about what’s beyond, but what’s near, as just one example, is the country of Afghanistan, which is economically collapsing and on the distinct brink of famine. And we don’t need a telescope to see that. Think how far the $10 billion we spent on the James Webb Telescope would go toward helping Afghanistan become sustainable again. America, and the “free world” in general, needs some level-headed, spiritual leadership that could realign things in a much more common-sense fashion.

“You think it’s hot here!”

sun beating down …photo by Joe

The big news this week is the persistent “heat dome” over America’s south, and record shattering high temperatures, wildfires, et. al, in Europe. I recall traveling during the summer in America’s south a number of years ago and seeing a marquee in front of a church in, I believe it was Alabama, that read: “You think it’s hot here!” Our First World energy gluttony (a sin, by the way) is, apparently, majorly fueling (no pun intended) what’s becoming catastrophic climate change. The Catholic Catechism says this type of gluttony is a sin against the 7th Commandment: “Thou Shalt Not Steal.” See, our use of natural resources, and such, according to the Catechism, should reflect “…concern for the quality of life of one’s neighbor — including generations to come.” Our, again, First World gluttony (central heat, central air conditioning, driving everywhere, etc…) is not only destroying the planet for future generations, but it is creating catastrophic havoc (much more drought, famine, super-charged storms…) for many living on the planet now. When is the last time a spiritual leader in America called their congregation on this? Probably not often, if at all, huh. Yet, ultimately, it’s this type of sin(s) that could end people up in a place, well, much hotter than here.

Roe v Wade overturned

standing in solidarity with abortion protestors in Ocala, Fla. …photo by Joe

Today, “Roe v Wade” was overturned. It’s been 50 years in coming, and the result of accumulative prayer, fasting, pro-life advocacy… During our travels, I talked in some 1,000 churches about abortion. We stood in solidarity with people protesting abortion on the streets. We toured many crisis pregnancy centers, and I wrote about what we saw to inspire others to set up similar centers. Yeah, we’ve had “pro-life presidents,” so to speak, but how much, really, have they done to impact this issue. Trump did appoint those three conservative Supreme Court justices. And that, indeed, was good. But there is so much more work to do to stop the killing. And I would be the country’s best bet for that. See…