Astrobilogy and a profound waste of money and research smarts

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article on astrobiology

I just re-read an article on astrobiology in this edition of National Geographic. I like to think of my political orientation as “commonsenstrist.” (*My spell check is saying that’s not a word. But it is. Anyway…) Scientists, astronomers, et. al., are spending millions and millions of dollars on research on earth, in places where (frozen arctic lakes, steamy tropical caves…) they believe conditions might match the atmospheric and geological conditions on other planets in order — to prepare for going to these planets and looking for “life.” And the “life” they are zeroed in on? Exhibit A. Hydrothermal vents on some of these planets, might “…nourish a rich ecosystem of bacteria.” SO, WHAT! In the face of “life” (read: billions of people) on this planet living in deplorable slum conditions, without access to clean drinking water, with little food… and we’re spending millions and millions of dollars (and research smarts) hoping to find bacteria on the planet Europa, or wherever? Insane! Absolutely insane! I recently heard a modern-day Catholic theologian, Daniel O’Conner, say that, based on scripture, the teachings of the Church Fathers, and divine revelations to some Catholic saints… There is no life on other planets, we’re it. What’s more, he continued, the reason for the vastness of the universe, etc., is to give man some concept of the vastness, and wonder, of infinity. Now, that made sense.

more mental health coverage for first responders

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elawtalk.com photo

I was recently talking with a local law enforcement officer who is in the early stages of trying to develop an initiative to get statewide mental health coverage for all first responders. He said that currently, some municipality insurance plans cover mental health services, and some don’t. This officer said he sees it as essential that every first responder has access to these vital services. He noted, as just one example, that statistics show that every three days in America, a first responder will take his life. Concurrently, statistics also show some 22 military veterans take their lives every day in America. Our administration would concur that stepped up mental health coverage, for both first responders, and for military veterans, should be a ‘front and center’ priority. Note: Our family spent five years doing outreach work in a hardscrabble area of Cleveland. And those police officers, for instance, are regularly confronted with life and death situations. And it only stands to reason, as with war veterans, that incidence of PTSD would be high among these officers. For more on our position paper around crime/law enforcement, see… And for more on our time in Cleveland, see…

Alarming youth mental health decline

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blackenterprise.com photo

While listening to a recent news broadcast, I heard an alarming, yet understandable, statistic. One in seven American youth (or probably even more) has a mental health issue. Why it is understandable, to me, is because I have a background as a counselor, and I worked consistently with people coming out of dysfunctional family backgrounds. Kids in these are abused physically, or emotionally, or sexually — or a combination thereof. This, in turn, leads to all sorts of mental health complications in the kids. Then there are the “screens.” A majority of kids, at this point, are addicted to their phones, to social media, to video games, to media entertainment in general. The brain atrophies with this. Then there’s the demonic component. That is, if these kids are consistently watching sinful stuff (sexual imagery, violent imagery, vulgar imagery…), it opens the door to just as consistent demonic oppression. And in some cases, it opens the door to demonic possession. It’s no wonder that many of these modern-day kids are mentally/spiritually messed up. This is not psychological/spiritual rocket science. For an in-depth look at these dynamics, including solid answers to all this (based on my years as a counselor working with this), see…

South Africa dilemma and the United State’s spiritual malaise

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Trump just hosted the president of South Africa. During a press conference, the president said that his country is replete with poverty (…a 40% unemployment rate currently), and as a result, riddled with gang violence, and such. *It was noted that some 75 people are killed in that country every day now. That’s more fatalities than some war zones. The Catholic Catechism explains that First World countries have a grave responsibility to help Third World countries which are struggling. This is Exhibit A, with an exponent… American lifestyles, as a whole, revolve around nice, well-appointed houses or apartments. We eat three square meals a day, with snacks, and with, often, never giving a second thought about eating out regularly — as many of these Third World people are tremendously food insecure. We purchase the latest in automobiles, with all the options. And I could go on, and on… with all this. In modern day apparitions from the Blessed Virgin Mary, she, regularly, talks about “unbridled materialism” plaguing the First World. We (many of us), in turn, default to looking at Elon Musk, Jeff Bazos, Warren Buffett… as being plagued with “unbridled materialism,” without looking at ourselves in the mirror. And that is especially germane in comparison to our lifestyles versus the abject poverty lifestyles of many of those in, say, South Africa. *See: Luke 16:19-31. Hint: Many of us are the “rich man,” and many in South Africa are “Lazarus the Beggar.” Our Foreign Policy spins around carrying out the essence of what the Catechism calls for. See… *Note: The reason for the photo of the baby in the womb with this? With abortion, the killing around the world is absolutely off the charts. Concurrently, and as a result of abortion, it seems God is incrementally taking His protective hand off the world, as we devolve into war in Gaza, Ukraine, the Sudan, Haiti (gang war), South Africa (gang war), and on, and on… Stay tuned for full-blown World War III.

“smart” energy use

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Neptune 360 water meter

I just wrote a newspaper article about a village in our circulation area that’s going to these “smart” water meters. And part of this includes an app. that allows the resident to track the level of water use from day to day. Likewise, there are energy meters that do, basically, the same thing. Our administration’s paradigm would be about promoting America becoming a “Society of Conservers.” And these kinds of energy tracking tools, in combination with target consumption goals, and so on, would go a long way in moving us toward that type of orientation — as it would enhance individuals taking more responsibility for energy conservation. Each home/business would become, in essence, its own individual ‘power plant.’

Disarm our nuclear ‘charioteers’?

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worldatlas.com photo

Our Bible Study last night looked at Isaiah: 31. The cliff note is God tells the Israelites He’s going to protect them supernaturally against the formidable Assyrian Army, but the Israelites collectively don’t trust and look for help from the Egyptians. God, in turn, says to them: “What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers, and depending on the strength of human armies, instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Isreal…” And later: “The Assyrians will be destroyed, but not by the swords of men. The sword of God will strike them, and they will panic and flee.” And that’s exactly what happens… Modern day corollary: In our travels, I met Fr. Tom McCaslin, who was the Social Action Coordinator for the Omaha, Nebraska Diocese at the time. He said that America spends $50 billion just maintaining its nuclear arsenal each year, while meanwhile around the world, 24,000 people starve to death each day, and some two billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water and live in deplorable slum conditions. The priest continued that America should unilaterally disarm its nuclear weapons, take the massive savings and help the poor worldwide. “We should do the right thing, and trust God,” he said. [*Instead of relying on the modern-day chariots (nuclear missiles), well, you get the point.] “America First,” as a sound spiritual principle? Hardly. For more on our Foreign Policy, see…

Black Museums; Black Amends

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National Geographic

The International African American Museum opened in Charlston, SC, in June of 2023. The museum is located at Gadsden’s Wharf, which, from 1783 to 1807, “…was the largest single point of entry into North America for enslaved Africans.” The article notes that an estimated 80% of all African Americans can trace at least one ancestor to the area. Spending $100 million on the museum, according to the article, is, to a degree, part of a larger “reckoning” going on in South Carolina around the slavery issue. In my opinion, this is long overdue, but at least it’s happening. And here’s the kicker… Besides spending the millions on this museum, and other African American museums, another pool of federal/state money should be developed — to pay reparations to “ancestors” of this atrocity. Especially those ancestors who have, for generations now, been trapped in poverty loops in our inner cities, and our rural areas. For a look at the reasoning for this, and how reparations would work, see our position paper on Black Amends…

Common Sense & Mars Madness

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National Geographic excerpt

In Trump’s address to Congress the other night, he said America will be aiming at Mars “…to plant a flag there.” During the same speech, he said he was bringing “common sense” back to the government. Okaaaay… The temperature on Mars averages below 0 degrees. There is very limited oxygen on Mars. The soil on Mars is basically clay and silt-sized particles, but it’s mostly made of sand. None of all this, oh, is all that habitable for humans. My sister just went on a missions trip to a village in rural Cambodia. The village has no electricity, no running water, little food. Wouldn’t it make sense, (spiritual) common sense, to take the billions of dollars being wasted on going to Mars, and use it to help people in desperate straights on this planet? This would be a “Cambodia (El Salvador, Ethiopia, Biafra…) First” paradigm. One much more in line with the Gospel message — if anyone is reading the Goslpel anymore, that is. Apparently, Trump (…and many of the ‘Trumpian Puppet Republicans’) aren’t, much.

Fill ‘er up? Not.

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old Ohio service station, circa 1925

I recently wrote a newspaper article about an old area service station. The interview subject said his father used to work on Model T’s and Model A’s “…back in the day.” The Model T was billed as the first “…mass-affordable car in America.” But should we have hit the “pause” button before producing these. Our position paper on transportation makes a good argument that we should, indeed, have paused — and approached it with much more prayerful discernment, like the Amish did. Also… In the last couple weeks, I also wrote an article about a mayor in a small town close to here, who has been mayor 49 consecutive years — second longest serving mayor in the country. I also wrote an article about a woman who was in the Navy squadron that carried out the ill-fated “Eagle Claw Operation” to rescue the 53 US Embassy hostages in Iran in 1980. And… I wrote another newspaper article about a small-town village administrator who was retiring. The amount of multi-tasking with a job like that is pretty extensive. You’re orchestrating street improvement projects, water tower projects, water treatment plant workings, the village road crew, parks projects… What’s more, you’re continually interfacing with contractors, village officials, the public… If done right, it’s all pretty impressive. Note: The current USA mantra: “America First.” The age-old Biblical mantra (so to speak): “The first shall be last.” Salient spiritual question: Will ‘last’ coincide with being stopped, and turned around, at the border of Heaven?

charismatic species and not so charismatic ones

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giant carrion beetle

I just read a National Geographic article titled: “The Conservation Popularity Contest.” The crux is that advocacy groups have a tendency to focus on saving “charismatic species,” like the panda, the polar bear, koalas… Yet there are other species that are not that glamorous, or attractive even, but need saving just as much because of their roles in the overall eco-system web. For instance, the American giant carrion beetle — described as the “…vulture of the insect world.” This beetle is currently assessed as “critically endangered,” due to habitat loss and pesticides. The article notes that there are now some 35,000 endangered species. It would be our administration’s take that God set up this complex, creative, interdependent eco-system. And being good environmental stewards means doing everything possible to maintain that eco-system being as healthy as possible. That simple. For more on our stance on the environment, see…