We Are All Wimps

 compared to Mary. They told us in the church that she had to travel 140 km on foot to Bethlehem, while being nearly 9 months pregnant. I do remember in some movie (Nativity Story?) they showed her on a donkey, but still, I doubt the journey would be very comfortable. And then they had to sleep in a stable, too. Somehow I can't imagine a modern Western woman doing anything similar, and then without moaning and complaining:) But then, how many men would be up to the task, either?

Modern civilisation has spoiled us all rotten, I guess...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

 And all glory to God

 

We always sing it standing after the Christmas sermon. This year we aren't allowed to sing in church, due to corona virus. We have two soloists who do all the singing. And yet, after a couple of lines, everybody joined in. They weren't singing very hard, just under their noses, but still - singing! I had tears in my eyes. It felt like a statement. So many begrudge Christians coming together in these times, but here we were, united in our act of worship. And it was beautiful.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

(For the scrooges among us, we were with less than 30 people and they opened all the doors in the end for better ventilation).

A Feel-Good Christmas Eve Post

 Canadians invent a new sport: deer curling:)

There Is More Support For Homemakers Than You Think

 Even in Sweden:

 "half of 9,000 surveyed women said they wanted to become housewifes if they had the chance, but 7/10 said society shouldn't accept this"

Cognitive dissonance much?:)

The 4th Sunday Of Advent

 

My Thoughts On Corona Virus

 Is corona virus a conspiracy? I don't think so. It definitely exists. I also don't believe "it's just a flu" or "it's just a cold". That is, the virus is tricky. For many people, especially young healthy ones, it IS just a cold. For others, it's more like a (heavy) flu. For the elderly and sick, it can be deadly.

Do the government measures and lockdowns really help? It depends. There is nothing wrong with keeping distance, not hugging strangers and washing your hands regularly. As for lockdowns, we all know by now that the majority of cases are in the educational system and in healthcare. Nursing homes and social workers going from house to house definitely add to the spread, and children, while not being sick themselves, can spread it, too. 

One of my husband's colleagues, for instance, got it from his son, who in turn, got it from his minor school-going kids. The colleague is back to work now but still very tired and not able to work full time. I should add that he is in his sixties and a smoker, though.

Personally I don't believe that the virus really spreads through the stores. Like in our town we have many small shops with regular customers and yet none of the owners got sick. Big supermarkets which are always busy also don't seem to have any problems, either; so closing all non-essential businesses looks rather disproportional to me, especially the manner in which it was done, without any warning, just like that. 

Do the masks help? Several months ago we were told no, then suddenly it became yes. I think keeping your distance makes much more sense. 

People continue asking why would the government do it? Is it a great reset? Do they want to take our freedoms away? I think many governments across the world are simply scared. Let's be honest, an average Western country has about 20% of the population above 65 plus many with chronic diseases. Someone estimated that about 1/3 of  Dutch population falls into a risk group. All these people have family who vote. You get my point?

So I guess they have to act and do something. On the other hand, the MSM-created paranoia about the situation isn't really helpful. Yes, if you don't lock yourself at home, you take a risk. Even a young healthy person could get very sick and even die. But living in constant fear will mentally destroy you. And not all of us can afford to shelter. Some have to go to work every day (not everybody is an office worker), some have small children, elderly relatives, we need to buy food etc etc.

I mean, imagine if during war people who work in a factory were told every day that the enemy could bomb them any minute and then they all would die. How many would even show to work? This constant fear-mongering is extremely bad for mental health and general morale and I wonder that so many government officials seem not to understand it. 

About closing of churches, I guess you know my opinion already:) Luckily, we still have a Constitution which protects our freedoms though some appear to resent it. It has been a crazy year so far and I guess we are all tired. I know I am. I'm still looking forward to going to church on Christmas Day and celebrating with a couple of relatives.

Least but not last, about the vaccine. If people feel safer with it, of course, they should take it. On the other hand, there are all sorts of info about side effects going around, including infertility. Personally I will first wait and see. What about you?

Lockdown N2

 As of today we are officially in a new lockdown. Schools are closed till mid-January. All "non-essential" stores are closed, too, something they didn't even do the first time; the dentist is open, though, which was not the case then. 

We had to follow the great leader Germany, of course, but at least Mother Merkel gave her subjects an extra day for their Christmas shopping. Here most stores got closed at midnight Monday on Tuesday. My husband still managed to get a haircut, otherwise I would have had to do it. Actually I have been doing it since March but the results were never entirely to my satisfaction, lol!

He also managed to get us a Christmas tree ( a big department store was giving them away for free) and visit his shooting range, and I bought Christmas cards and some kitchen stuff. There was a lot of uncertainty yesterday. Flower and plant stores were allowed to sell their produce outside, so many did just that. Christmas trees apparently fall under the same category so maybe, they'll start seling them again, but we saved 22 euroes:)

Some stores which carry a broad range of products just covered half of their stuff. Action was closed yesterday, but opened today. Nearby supermarket ran out of toilet paper (yes, this idiotic behaviour started again and canned tomatoes were also rather scarce), so they right away announced sale on it. (Action is a German chain store which sells everything from cookies and aspirin to paint and antifreeze. Antifreeze was deemed essential, paint not).

Just got an email from a Do-It-Yourself store saying they are also busy making themselves essential:) I guess lockdown lovers of which we have many are fainting right now. For them it's never strict enough. Also local heathens were collectively frothing at their mouths because churches (and mosques) were allowed to stay open. 

Some did close on their own, though, haven't heard anything from ours yet. There was a lively discussion on the topic. Someone said, why does it matter to you, you don't go there, and you won't get sick and the other answered that these church women all work in nursing homes and will infect his Grandma whom he loves dearly.

That's not often that I would say it, but seriously, to anyone who thinks like this, F**k you! A church woman isn't obliged to take care of your family, if you love them so much, f***ing take them home and change their diapers yourself. Most of Southern and Eastern Europe don't even have nursing homes and yes, their women would quit working and lose the income to take care of their loved ones. Heard it first hand from my Southern Euro neighbour. (End of the rant).

Enfin, at least we are still allowed to leave our house whenever we want unlike those poor Frenchies:) And hotels are open, too, though restaurants will stay closed. Ah, there is always a Chinese takeaway, I guess...

Is Yoga Heathen?

 Greek Orthodox Church (and some others) think so: 

Downward dog, sun salutations and all other yoga practices are "absolutely incompatible" with the Christian faith, the powerful Greek Orthodox Church has said.

Yoga has no place "in the life of Christians," the governing body of the Church has ruled.

It said it intervened after Greek media recommended yoga as a way to combat stress during coronavirus quarantine.

Other religions have also advised against the practice in the past.

I would agree about spiritual stuff and meditations, but I also heard one preacher explain that most of what passes for "yoga" nowadays in the West are actually physical exercises developed by Lutheran missionaries in India in the 19th century for the soldiers to keep fit and they have very little to do with Hinduism thus we are free to practice them.

What do you think?

Of All The Weird Things...

 I've seen lately, this one takes the cake:

Wine for dogs:)))

But not allowed for puppies under 3 months, lol!

The Undomestic Goddess

 A book review.

The Undomestic Goddess is a  book by Sophie Kinsella, a British author famous for her Shopacolic series. It first came out in 2005 but I only read it last week. 

It tells us a story of an ambitious young career woman, a lawyer working for one of the most prestigious City firms Carter Spink whose only dream is to become a full partner there (I think that's how it's called in English since I only read a Dutch translation). On the first sight, Samantha Sweeting should be an object of everyone's envy. She's only 29 but is already well know for her talents, earns huge salary etc etc. 

Yet, the author shows her as entirely miserable. She lives in a trashed up apartment, eats alternatively a Chinese takeaway or pizza and doesn't even have time to visit a beauty parlour. She has to work overtime, never takes a vacation, has no hobbies and only one old school friend. Her family don't care for her, either. They don't even bother to come to her birthday party. Her mother is a typical bitter divorced career woman who hates men and have pushed Samantha to "make something out of herself"  since she was a little kid.

It's hardly surprising then that she's close to a nervous breakdown which promptly happens when she discovers that she made a mistake which will cost her company lots of money, and that on the day of her promotion, too! While the colleagues are popping champagne, Samantha literally runs away, catches a train to the middle of nowhere, gets drunk and ends up in the house of a wealthy but not very bright middle-aged Geiger family who think her to be their new housekeeper and are delighted she isn't at least, a foreigner and speaks their language.

When Samantha gets sober, she somehow decides to take up the challenge and stay, though she hardly even knows how to cook an egg, or start a washing machine. Luckily, the Geigers have a very handsome muscular gardener working for them whose mother is an experienced cook. This is only the beginning of a romance, as you well understand, but then Samantha finds a chance to clear her name and get her old life back. Will she do it or not?

The book doesn't pretend to be serious, but the message is quite clear. Housekeeping IS a real job which takes commitment, running the house can be more satisfying than having a high powered career, having friends who really care for you is more important than making lots of money, etc. 

I was pleasantly surprised that we still have modern fashionable authors defending more or less traditional values. However, there is one serious drawback, that is rather typical for modern literature which isn't explicitly Christian: a casual and flippant attitude to s*x with some rather graphic descriptions, too. While the characters are talking of love, the word "marriage" isn't even mentioned, though probably hinted at. 

So would I recommend it? Yes and no. Read it at your own discretion!

Men VS Women

 About half of the women (49%) don't trust Covid vaccine vs only 1/3 (31%) of the men. Source. 

Please meninists tell me again how all women are compliant Karens and rule enforcers while men are rugged individuals and free spirited rebels? Who is the captain now???

Something about the beam and the mote comes to mind:)

Everything What's Wrong With Modern Women

 In one picture.

How To Have A Chaste Courtship

This book was written specially for young Catholics, but would probably be of interest to other Christians as well. It's quite vintage (I think 1930s-40s, judging by the fact that movie theaters and driving around for fun are mentioned, but TV is not) but I heard it's still recommended in more trad Catholic circles even though some parts of it could possibly offend modern sensibilities.

It goes into great detail about dangers of s*xual sin, while the last chapter is all about choosing a mate. I guess the idea of never marrying outside the Catholic faith could be offensive to some, but if you extrapolate it to never marrying unbelievers, you'll realise that the author isn't really that far from the truth.

This is an interesting piece of advice: 

Refrain from  beginning to keep regular company too soon. If you begin to do so at sixteen or seventeen years, you expose yourself either to the danger of a premature marriage with its frequent mistake of poor choice or you court the hardly lesser evil of an immoderately long courtship with the attendant disadvantages. You tie yourself down to one person and thus lose the social advantages and contacts that will have a great influence upon your later life. You expose yourself in a special way to temptations against chastity, because this love affair may be a very prolonged one, and the danger of violating chastity increases as the affection is prolonged.

 If you begin “to go steady” while you are a student, you will find it almost impossible to do justice to your studies. Since courtship limits your interest to a single person, it should not be undertaken until you are in a  position seriously to consider marriage in the not too distant future. This presupposes that you have attained the age to understand the great responsibilities of marriage and that you have enough financial resources to establish and maintain a home.

It goes contrary to what some Christians online teach about every young girl needing to marry at 18, doesn't it? 

 Marrying in haste nearly always means repenting bitterly at leisure. Do not prefer to be sorry to being certain. 

(emphasis mine)

 

What The Heck???

 You learn something new every day:) Apparently, gladiators ate a high-carb diet which was predominantly vegetarian and also consumed a sort of vitamin drink to assist with healing of injuries. This news made all the proponents of paleo and keto very nervous, while vegetarians and even militant vegans right away started claiming gladiators were part of the club (the 2nd link has a really cool video and great discussion in the comments section).

If you look at the original study called Stable Isotope and Trace Element Studies on Gladiators and Contemporary Romans from Ephesus (Turkey, 2nd and 3rd Ct. AD) - Implications for Differences in Diet (which by some reason I couldn't link to, so that you have to search for it on your own) right there on page 13 it says: In this study, the isotopic data suggest a mixed diet with a high share of vegetables.

  I think it's quite obvious that they weren't really vegans or vegetarians in the modern sense of the word, and their eating patterns are actually quite typical for an average Roman, though they consumed more barley than wheat. Like it or not, meat was a luxury back then, but fish sauce, for instance was put on absolutely anything. 

Mediterranean diet is more or less a continuation of the trend, and its Greek variety which encourages periodic fasting excluding all animal products except some seafood (the kind which doesn't bleed red like squid) is probably the closest to the ancient pattern.

Has anyone tried it? Feel free to share!

Thanksgiving 2020

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!

 

Image courtesy of this website.

Are You Ready For America's First Dictator?

 This is funny:

The Lie Of Neoliberalism

 After the WWII Western elites more or less started promoting the idea that all society problems came from "authoritarianism" which became associated with both extreme left and right. Supposedly we moved beyond it to a neoliberal society where everybody has equal rights, including minorities, and the government rules only by consensus.

Well, corona virus has finally put this fairy tale to rest and various governments demonstrated that they are perfectly capable and willing of wielding hard power when soft power fails. All this for a relatively mild virus with a mortality rate only slightly higher than that of a bad flu season. You can be sure that if smallpox made a comeback, they'd patrol the streets with machine guns and forcibly vaccinate everyone. 

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That's why libertarian ideology doesn't really make sense. The state always used coercion when necessary and it always will. That's not the real problem, the problem is in whose interests it's used, we the people or the financial elites.

12 More Days Of Freedom

 Before masks become mandatory, which kinda s*cks. Some people swear resistance. Do face masks really help? I don't think so, however, they make your shopping experience utterly unpleasant which prevents you from spending much time inside, which is, imo, the point. On the other hand, the big group of fear-paralised citizens (some of whom have locked themselves in since early March), will probably finally dare to go outside. 

And, of course, we still have the great vaccination debate. I have come to the conclusion, that for some, "science" and "vaccines" is a matter of faith and they become VERY upset when others disagree. What about you? Are you planning to get vaccinated against coronavirus? Feel free to share!

Autumn

 In no particular order, some of our vacation pics:

All Nice Things Come To An End

 We have been very busy lately, working in the house of my parents-in-law, hence the (relative) lack of posting. And now it's so far - the house is empty and bare, furniture, floors, ceilings...everything taken out. It's not home any more, just an average apartment. Today we said farewell to it and gave away our keys. Tomorrow the papers will be signed and it will go back to the housing company. My parents-in-law spent 58 happy years over there and now it's time to say good-bye. Honestly, it feels like a second funeral by some reason.

And here is something which I was thinking about. Houses should stay in the family. Of course, it was a rental, but even when it's someone's property, due to inheritance laws and taxes most houses nowadays get sold, and people will often change their houses during their lifetime, too, something my parents-in-law never did. We all have become quite nomadic, but is it a good thing? 

 If your adult child is single or widowed, it's not a bad idea to live all together. They can later play a caregiver's role and inherit the property. I actually heard of someone who was married with children and moved in with his widowed mother to help. After her death, they got the house. He doesn't have a mortgage to pay and his wife can stay home and be a mother. 

Modern way isn't always the best!

Woke Mobs On Internet

I've seen some pretty nasty attacks lately and I guess it'll only get worse. Imo, the correct answer to an accusation of any  -ism or similar nonsense, should be, "F*** you get lost!" As long as you aren't breaking the law, you should be fine. Also, anyone taking part in these witch hunts, especially those who consider themselves Christians, should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves, though I doubt they have any shame left. 

As for the rest, I hope my readers won't get blackpilled. Remember, what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!

Congratulations, Mr. President?

Whoever he may be! I came home late this evening and it's still undecided? Weird stuff...What's going on?

France

 "Secularism has never killed anyone". 

Friendly reminder:

 

R.I.P. James Bond

Sean Connery is dead.

In other news, it's  Halloween today. For those who celebrate it, I hope you all have had a nice time with your family and friends, insofar it's still possible under the circumstances!

 

The Way We Used To Live

 

Which Country Is The Most Liberal?

 Sweden, according to this diagram from the World Values Survey. Somehow I'm not surprised! I do still love IKEA and Swedish meatballs. Just ate them today. Yeah, I get in touch with my bugman side now and then:) Honestly with ALL the Christmas markets cancelled this year, the only place to visit in the Advent period is IKEA so I'm planning to go there soon...

A Public Health Crisis Nobody Wants To Talk About

 A couple of weeks ago we went to the zoo (probably last time this year, as I fully expect them to be closed after the school vacation is over). We drank tea and coffee with some cake. The stuff was prepackaged and when I looked, I discovered that mine had more sugar than a Magnum (ice cream), it was like 36g. 

A grown up of an average weight isn't supposed to consume more than 50g added sugar per day, and WHO even recommends to further cut your consumption to the half of this amount. Guess who's eating the most of these cookies, cakes and sweets? Since kids weight less than adults they should eat even less sugary things, because the upper limit is supposedly tied to your weight. No wonder we have this obesity problem in the West!

There is much talk about the problem, but no action. Yet now we have a virus among us which is (I hear) especially dangerous for overweight people, but again, we are looking for a quick fix for our problems, like mass vaccinations, instead of promoting healthy lifestyle, of which nutrition is a very big part.

This Is Really Funny

 Just to cheer you all up:

If Your Home Is A Mess

 so is your life, said someone famous (I think it was Darla Shine). As we are being busy in my parents-in-law house, I once again have realised the importance of regular decluttering, but as usual, I'm running short of time. We are officially in a semi-lockdown right now, and it'll probably get worse after the school vacations are over, as of now you can still visit a zoo, for instance, though all bars and restaurants got closed.

However for me, life is pretty hectic at the moment, though I have done an attempt to organise my own household, which in combination with all the other things I have to do, nearly cost me a burnout. Anyway, I turned to FlyLady for ideas and that's what I would like to talk about. Is there anyone of my readers who uses her system? What do you think about it?

In my opinion, she has some great advice and her detailed cleaning lists and the concept of zones are very helpful tools, however...

However, you can't really clean your house well in 15 minutes blocks. In her schedule example, she suggests that on Mondays you should vacuum, mop AND dust your whole house in 1 hour. Well, if you live in 1 small room, it's doable, but otherwise...It would take me more than an hour just to vacuum mine, for instance. 

I found a more realistic schedule example over here, but it's a lot of work, and some ladies were complaining that even FlyLady is too much for them to accomplish, and I can sympathise:)

Well, how about you? Feel free to share in the comments!

The End Of Privacy

 What can happen when you use track-and-trace app:

It’s now been revealed that private firms are collecting UK government NHS ‘track-and-trace’ data taken unknowingly from visitors to pubs and restaurants, harvested and then sold on to marketing firms for profit.

New reports this week reveal how mobile apps using quick QR codes operating under the auspices of the government’s COVID surveillance operation – are trafficking customer data through opt-in clauses baked into the terms and conditions of data storage services. Some firms state how they will use details scanned in by customers for marketing purposes and even keep your personal data for up to 25 years.

Through this corporate backdoor, aloof customers would have their personal data passed on to corporate clients such as advertisers, big data brokers and insurance companies, to name only a few.

It's interesting that though these are private businesses using your data libertarians at ZeroHedge somehow blame only the government for all that. A typical lolbert appears to be as ideologically dogmatic as a hardcore commie.

Comments Moderation

 I just now finally got to managing old comments. All comments on posts older than 2 weeks (I think) automatically go into moderation and I often forget to check them. Apologies to those of my readers whose comments got stuck in blogger limbo! I am incredibly busy right now, we started emptying my parents'-in-law house, I had dentist's appointments and some social stuff going on and now I'm getting someone to stay with us next week, too (at least, if nobody is quarantined, lol). 

I'll try to write a normal post this weekend, or at least, Monday, stay tuned!

They Aren't Invincible Yet

 Netflix is indicted in Texas.

A Fresh Take On Pro-Choice Position?

Harsh but logical? Watch at your own discretion!

Target Practice

 

I had luck one time:)

Corona Saga Continues

 So we are currently in a semi-lockdown, starting 6 p.m. tonight, due to the number of infections and rising hospital/IC cases. Bars and restaurants have to close at 10 p.m., takeaways aren't allowed to sell alcohol after 10 p.m., sport events will go on without public etc etc, you all know it by now. Places of public worship (i.e. churches/mosques) are excluded which caused a lot of bitterness  for some, especially in combination with closed pubs, which kinda shows where the priorities of certain persons lie.

There is a lot of uncertainty about wearing masks. It's not mandatory still, but the store owners can deny you entrance if you don't wear one, but only in big cities, but also in the (parts) of the nearby regions, but also in all public places? Personally I can't imagine that a big supermarket won't let you in without a mask, because virtually no one wears them where I live. I guess I'll find out tomorrow!

The discussion is still going on, 1/3 of the population think corona is a conspiracy, 1/3 would rather prefer we were all locked up inside and not allowed to leave, 1/3 follows the required minimum of rules and is content with that. I guess I'm in the 3rd group.

So here are my thoughts on the issue: I do think corona really exists and the cases are rising, though some tests are probably false positives. We also know by now that though it can be dangerous,  the overwhelming majority of the victims are very old and infirm. Does it justify the restrictions? I can't say but I do hope the second lockdown will be avoided.

How are things in your neck of woods?  

 

Land Of The Free

 

It's still allowed over here.

This Is Very Funny

Was it worth it??? 

 Warning: language. Don't forget to put the sound on!

 

How To Increase Your Testosterone Naturally

 Working with your hands and being outside a lot appears to help:

The Nobility Of Manual Labor

We are experiencing the last days of the most beautiful Indian summer over here, hence the lack of proper posting. Trying to get as much vitamin D as possible before the rain season hits!

Gender War Is Stupid

 Young men and women should meet each other, get married and have kids:

How Dangerous Is Corona

When my mother-in-law was first taken to hospital, she had a slight fever, so the doctors said it had to be corona (because that's obviously the only reason one would develop fever nowadays) even though she had no symptoms such as coughing or sneezing and didn't complain about sore throat, either. They also said she would die very soon.

Not satisfied with 2 negative test results, they made a lung scan which came out clean. Yet, her prognosis didn't change, and she passed away about 2 weeks afterwards. My mother-in-law had several serious health issues, including metastatic cancer, which all contributed to her death. Yet, if she had had corona, she probably would have died a week earlier and contributed to corona statistics and people would read about another virus victim and get scared.

This experience made me think, how dangerous corona really is and for whom? And how do we know it hasn't always being around since there were no tests done in the past? My own Granny, for instance, died from pneumonia 4 years ago, but really from old age. She got pneumonia after she collapsed and became bed-ridden for several days, which the doctor had said was exactly what would happen. Frail elderly people with chronic diseases are prone to lung infections and that's what many of them die of  (I could give you more examples, but you get my point).

Until March 2020, nobody was getting hysterical about this fact or tried to test dying people for virus or forced the family to wear full protective gear while visiting them. So what the heck is going on? Thoughts?

If You Still Have Netflix

It's time to cancel it. Now.

R.I.P.

My mother-in-law died yesterday evening peacefully in her sleep. I'd like to thank everyone who prayed for us, and tell you how much I appreciate it. Faith is what gives you comfort and strength in times like this.

Vacation Impressions

We still got a couple of nice days:

The trees on that field were full of mistletoe, and yes we did kiss under it!

Real Resistance

A great post:

How To Support Real Resistance

I'm trying to live in a similar manner more or less, but am by no means perfect (only today I bought a new skirt and some Nestle product which I really don't need).

Things that I do: we hardly ever use the credit card and I try to pay cash whenever possible. I try to shop locally, especially for food (we have some great farms close by). I do visit big supermarket chains, but also patronise small ethnic shops and try to avoid buying "made in China" when possible

 (I do have a weakness for IKEA though. The thing about IKEA is that they have really cool ideas for people living in small apartments/houses and a small house means a small mortgage. They show that you can do it, even with kids. In one of their catalogues, they even featured a young family living together with Granny).

We  have a community garden though we hardly have succeeded at growing anything edible yet, except lemon balm. I also regularly visit Goodwill type of stores and try to recycle. We usually don't eat at fast food stores, either. I do know my neighbours but it mostly stays by talking a bit outside.

The problem with his last point is that most people nowadays prefer to lock themselves up in front of the TV. I've heard similar stories from others who tried to be friendly with their neighbours. We used to have some neighbourhood events before but ever since this corona stuff began, things kinda stopped happening.

In addition, I went caveman routine last year as in not using any commercial styling/makeup product any more (I still own a lipstick, btw). Which means that I wash my hair with plain water, use soap from the health store, brush my teeth with a wooden tooth brush and charcoal powder and use neither makeup nor any form of skin care product. My skin and hair only got better because of it. I'm not against makeup in principle, I just feel that I don't need it and its producers make huge contributions to woke causes.

 Oh and I hardly ever turn the indoctrination device aka TV on. We mostly watch old TV shows, too.

Do you do any of those things and what do you think about it? Feel free to share!

I'm Back!

We came home yesterday. Though the weather was colder than the original forecasts, we still enjoyed ourselves, but returned just in time as my mother-in-law condition is rapidly deteriorating. I'll post some pictures when I'm more in the mood.

Second Attempt

I do hope it will be more successful than the 1st one. Seeing that my mother-in-law now appears to be more or less stable, we decided to still go away for a couple of days. I was lucky enough to find a reasonably priced hotel which is close enough to where we live so that we could quickly return if necessary. I'm planning to come back on Wednesday and will live the comments as they are now. The weather has changed abruptly and now it looks like autumn but we did manage to swim on Friday, which was really great.

See you all later this week, cheers!

Attention Pregnant Ladies

After a certain age expectant mothers are usually encouraged to undergo screening for chromosomal abnormalities which nowadays often takes a form of a blood test done in the 1st trimester that is considered less invasive and dangerous than amnio. If the results come back showing high probability of certain genetic disorders she could be advised to terminate.

Yet, recent research shows that at the early stages of development (1st trimester), the foetus is capable of restoring itself and eliminating abnormal cells:

Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz underwent a standard test that showed 25 per cent of the cells in her developing embryo could be abnormal.

Under traditional medical thinking, such an outcome could have resulted in a termination. However, she went ahead with the pregnancy and after her son, Simon, was born healthy, she was inspired to research how the developing foetus can heal itself.

 Prof Zernicka-Goetz, 52, found rogue cells revealed by such tests are often killed off by their healthy neighbours. The mother of two said older mothers should be 'reassured' because even levels of up to 50 per cent abnormal cells can be eliminated by the body's repair mechanisms.

Read the whole article over here.

Family Update

My mother-in-law was transferred to a local hospice yesterday. Her condition is more or less stable right now, the doctor in hospital wasn't talking about days any more, but possibly longer? We have a tiny but of hope left yet.

Thank you everyone who prayed, I really appreciate it!

Sad News

We had to cancel our vacation. My mother-in-law suddenly became unwell yesterday evening and at 2a.m. this morning we were told that she was dying and there was nothing left to do.

Even though she had been sick for a long time, it came totally unexpected as only a couple of days before she had a health check and seemed to be OK. The doctors say it could be over in the course of this week.

Please pray for us, at the moment we really need it.

It's This Time Of The Year Again

When folks are going on vacation and so we are planning to spend a couple of weeks with our Eastern neighbours. I bought a whole pack of face masks yesterday because they say in Germany you need to wear them in stores, we'll see how strictly it is enforced. Anyway, it's their country their rules, I guess, I'm glad we are still able to go anywhere abroad.

The heat wave is more or less over, it was rough this year, my small airco hardly cooled at all in the end and the temps in our bedroom probably never fell under 28*C. Yesterday I went and visited a couple of friends and everybody looked like they were hit by a truck, I looked (and certainly felt) the same:) Makes one think hard about installing a split system, but they use 5 kwh I heard which is insanely expensive so I guess we'll just have to grin and bear it. May be, it will be colder next summer.

The comments will be switched to moderation tomorrow, until we return, so see you all later!

Should You Always Trust Medical System?

Because your doctor is always right, isn't he?

A report by Milliman and Robertson, Inc., published in 1995, concludes that 60% of the surgeries performed are unnecessary. When you are in a situation where the doctor tells you that surgery is the only way, do not work up a panic. Stay calm and seek a second, third, and if required, even a fourth opinion, till you are convinced that surgery is the best solution for your ailment. At no cost must you agree to go under the knife, till all your doubts are satisfactorily answered.

The article below has a list of unnecessary surgeries:

Most Common Surgeries that are Unnecessary

A Short Personal Note

We are in the middle of a heat wave right now. My computer is upstairs (it's a notebook but it's hooked to the printer and things) and I have no airco in my bedroom, so it's pretty uninhabitable during the day, and in the mornings and evenings I have other things to do, hence the lack of posting. I'll try to update tomorrow though.

See you all later!

Speaking Of Personal Responsibility

This lady  raises an important issue. It's not only "American" mindset, btw, it's typical for the majority of "developed" aka Western countries. I've seen it with my own eyes.

With the corona debate still raging (since now on the catering sector are supposed to write down your personal info just in case) there is much talk about "personal responsibility" towards others. I should say, that personal responsibility should first be directed towards oneself. Start taking responsibility for your own health, lose weight if necessary, exercise, get enough vitD etc. Years of unhealthy lifestyle can't really be corrected by surgeries, pills and vaccines.

Woke Corporations Strike Again

It was sugar after all.

Coca-Cola's work with scientists to downplay the role sugar plays in contributing to obesity has been called a 'low point in this history of public health.'

The beverage company donated millions of dollars to a team of researchers  at a non-profit claiming to look into causes of excess weight gain in the US.

However, the team ended up being a 'front group' for Coca-Cola and promoted the idea that it was a lack of exercise, not a bad diet, that was the primary driver of the US obesity epidemic.

Read the whole article over here. 

Was It Really, Sweden, Yes?

 The big corona debate continues.

Here is the link to an article praising Swedish approach to dealing with the virus, though I'd like to call your attention to the discussion below it which is probably more interesting (and at times, quite heated) than the article itself.

The situation in my neck of woods at the moment is as follows: everything got opened, though to attend many places like some zoos, for instance, you need to make an appointment online beforehand. Restaurants are open. You are asked to wash your hands before you go inside or you are at least, given such a possibility in many places. You are still expected to keep 1.5m distance everywhere you go, which many people don't do. All touristic places are full of tourists.

The new cases started surging, but they are also testing more so it's not clear what's going on. The numbers are updated once a week and the media are getting quite hysterical about the 2nd wave though our Center of Disease Control say that they aren't currently worried.

Now about the big mask controversy. The chief of our CDC has basically said many times that wearing mask doesn't really work yet they have been required in public transport since June. Now the mayors of two major cities where the cases continue growing have decided to make masks mandatory in busiest areas which many people are against, while others are for, while law professors say it's unconstitutional.

I haven't used public transportation since February and have never worn a mask so far though I bought a pack when they started selling them back in May. I probably need to buy more because I've heard that in Germany which we are planning to visit soon they are apparently required in restaurants. Some people come from a bus/metro stop and keep wearing them but most don't. People I talk to are all skeptical about the vaccine, many say they will refuse it.

How are things going in your place? Please feel free to share!

Making A Eunuch Out Of Your Daughter

I realise that some nowadays do it literally, but I'd like to talk about a more garden variety, that is putting your daughter on the pill. Around a certain age (mostly 15) many girls suddenly develop "cycle problems". Of course, I'm quite aware that it does happen, yet for thousands of years and even until quite recently, most women managed to somehow survive without the need of taking the synthetic hormones, which they aren't apparently able to do now.

Let's be honest, we all know the real reason for this. It's so much easier to medicate your child instead of raising her properly. Some girls will become very promiscuous as a result (yet the parents forget that the miracle drug doesn't protect against STDs), while others will turn into obsessed career women. Here is one testimony from a site dedicated to helping women quit hormonal contraception:

I turned into a different person. I went from planning baby names and teaching Sunday School to being extremely focussed on academics, running every club in the school, and became an atheist. I was well on the careerist path by the time I was 16-17. I went to university, all the while still on the pill, and graduated and actually landed a career doing deals between big pharma companies.
  
(Read the full story here)

I'm quite convinced that the pill is one of the vehicles which makes modern "liberated" society possible. It's one of the reasons so many young women seem to totally lack maternal instinct, or that they often use their younger years "to play around", the way only men used to do. Sometimes they hook up with total losers just for fun and then the pill fails them  (or they forget to take it or they were too drunk to begin with) and they still end up a single mother or find their way to an abortion clinic.

I understand not everyone is Christian. Stuff happens. Sometimes people can be married and have a perfectly legit reason to avoid having (more) kids. I have never subscribed to the "quiverfull" mentality. Yet, there are other methods besides poisoning yourself with synthetic hormones, because that's exactly what women are doing.

The site I quoted from has an overview of other anticonception methods. Here I noticed an interesting thing. For instance, they state that FAM (fertility awareness method) could be 99% effective when used correctly and yet the official website of the American Pregnancy Association says it has 25% failure rate.

The same is true about "withdrawal method". The AP association states it has 22% failure rate, while the other side cites studies showing that withdrawal could be 96% effective when used correctly. Could there be an agenda at work here? Now if you do a search on "when a woman should stop using oral contraception" they will tell you at 50!

Yes, you heard it correct. While all women are supposedly infertile after the age 40 and need expensive medical procedures if they still desire to get pregnant, they still need to use the Pill until 50. No, it's not all contradictory. Stop noticing right now. I mean it's a pretty lucrative market, if every female aged 15-50 needs to take your product (nearly) every freaking day of her life unless she's trying to get pregnant (since most couples only want 2 kids and many younger women get pregnant quite easily you'll only lose several years income at most).

Yet the Pill has many proven side effects including suicide attempts. Here is one young woman's testimony about how the Pill messed up her health (btw, I highly recommend her YouTube channel). Most medication has side effects, even something as simple as synthetic vitamins, let alone stuff which so drastically impacts your reproductive system.

Again, Catholics appear to have been right on this one, too. And for all the  "traditionalists" out there, instead of writing how everything in the world is the fault of the women, may be take a better look at the woke corporations and government officials in bed with them?

It Was Great While It Lasted

I could have easily stayed there for a month, but...

We still enjoyed our short vacation, and in 3 weeks we are going on a real one abroad. Valkenburg was FULL, crowds everywhere:

We could hardly find a place to eat, and had to sit inside.

This is close to our hotel, beautiful neighbourhood, isn't it?

And we visited a French-style chateau by Maastricht as well:

a kitchen garden

The hills on the other side is Belgium

The park was closed was visitors, unfortunately.

Inside is a hotel:

They kindly allowed us to use their bathroom so we took the chance:)

The kitchen garden once again

And the park

May be in autumn we can spend a couple more days over there...

A Disordered Mind Creates A Disordered Society

An interesting article about Plato's critique of democracy as it applies to the present day situation in the USA:

By “democracy” what Plato has in mind is a libertarian and egalitarian society in which “every individual is free to do as he likes.” Bourgeois restraints on appetite disappear, so that desires are checked only by competing desires rather than by reason, spirit, or even the oligarch’s middle-class stolidity....

Democracy on Plato’s account is characterized by the “diversity of its characters” and “treats all men as equal, whether they are equal or not.” In particular, it treats all ways of life as equal, no matter how puerile, irrational, or immoral.
The young “throw off all inhibitions” and celebrate “insolence, license, extravagance, and shamelessness...” 

Sounds rather familiar, doesn't it?


In general, the young set themselves against their elders, while elders fear being thought “disagreeable or strict” and are reduced to pathetically “aping the young and mixing with them on terms of easy fellowship.” The teacher “fears and panders to his pupils” but the pupils despise him anyway. Democratic man insists on “complete equality and liberty in the relations between the sexes,” and on drawing “no distinction between alien and citizen and foreigner.” Plato tells us that license is extended even to domestic animals, who freely roam the streets of the democratic city.

The man must have looked into a crystal ball, lol! I mean how could he otherwise have predicted the phenomenon of "dog's moms???"

...egalitarian societies...are dominated not by reason, not by spirit, not even by the more governable appetites of the oligarch, but by the lower and unruly appetites for sex, food, drink, and sensual pleasure in general, which are most prone to blinding reason. The very idea of a natural order of things that determines that some desires are disordered and forbidden by reason becomes hateful to democratic man.

S8x, drugs and rock-n-roll anyone?

Plato warns that art and music characterized by “ugliness of form and bad rhythm and disharmony,” and a popular culture that glorifies “bad character, ill-discipline, meanness, or ugliness,” do “cumulative psychological damage,” corrupting moral sensibilities and capacity for rational argument.

 Wow, he did predict it, too, together with the modern movies and TV shows!

The culture of a healthy society must accordingly celebrate reason, beauty, goodness, and restraint.


I had to take philosophy classes at the Uni and yet never learned all this. Now I wonder why?

Read the whole article over here.

A Short Personal Note

I've had it very busy so far. The vacations have started and we booked a weekend away, then my mother-in-law was suddenly taken to hospital, and it's in another city, too, so takes time visiting (please pray for her quick recovery!) That's why I didn't have  time to write a proper post (but will do next week).

So I'm leaving you all with an interesting docu (unfortunately on YouTube, lol!)



See you later!

Modern Art Isn't Always Degenerate

"Beatiful Summer" by Reza Rahimi Lasko. Check out his other works over here. 

Leaving Your Smartphone Behind

Here is a fascinating story of one guy who decided to live without modern technology. He grows his own vegetables and does his washing in a tub. A funny thing is that he used to be a militant vegan (aren't they all?) but the reality of living off the land made him an omnivore:

My relationship to food, and thus the world around me, has changed dramatically. When I lived without money, I was an animal rights activist, and strictly vegan for over a decade. These days I live from the landscape around me. Most dinners consist of the pike or trout I catch, the greens or berries I forage, the potatoes and vegetables and salads I grow, and any roadkill – mostly deer, pheasant, or pigeon – that I come across.

What he describes is probably the healthiest diet there is. 
  
That change wasn’t easy. I love wildlife, and so I take life with the reluctance of one who needs to eat. But I harm more life in the soil from one morning’s gardening than I do in a year’s fishing. While I’m as opposed to cruelty as ever, I no longer have a problem with death. Death is life, and nothing exists without it.

It's not exactly a Christian sentiment, I guess, but he has understood something many liberal urban city dwellers forget. This side of paradise, sometimes you need to kill in order to survive. 

I also felt my previous, so-called vegan life wasn’t even vegan. Cars aren’t vegan. Phones aren’t vegan. Plastic isn’t vegan. Tubs of vitamins aren’t vegan. Protein bars, chickpeas, soya and hemp seeds – none of it is vegan, not really. It’s all the harvest of a political ideology that is causing the sixth mass extinction of species, one that is wiping out one habitat after the next and polluting the world around us, making the Earth uninhabitable for much of life – even ourselves. 

There are examples of healthy vegetarians around us,  one guy  even ran a marathon being a 101 years old, but all of them eat some animal products (mostly dairy, especially yogurt which proves that unless you are severely lactose intolerant, dairy is good for you), but a lifestyle which demands "tubs of vitamins" for a person to function properly, is simply artificial. 

I do think he's taking it too far, personally, but to each his own, I guess. We still can learn a lot from his story.

I’ve found that when you peel off the plastic that industrial civilization vacuum-packs around you, what remains couldn’t be simpler. Healthy food. Something to be enthusiastic about. Fresh air. A sense of belonging and aliveness. Good water. Purpose. Intimacy. A vital and deep connection to life. The kind of things I did without for too many years.

I think the most important lesson is that empty consumerism doesn't make anyone happy in the end, outside of woke corporations which use our money to destroy us. Reducing your level of consumption is an efficient manner to fight back. Many of these people hate you, think twice before giving them your hard-earned money...

The Tunnel 2019

A review. The Tunnel is a Norwegian movie which came out somewhere around the Christmas 2019, or at least, I think so because the events of it take place on the Christmas Eve. It's a disaster film with a more or less predictable story line, though we still enjoyed it.

The main character called Stein Berg is a widower with a teenage daughter Elisa. He works as a technician maintaining a 10 km mountain tunnel but apparently used to be a part of the rescue squad/fire brigade before his wife's death. Three years have passed since she died and he wants to move on and begins a relationship with a woman called Ingrid who is a waitress in a nearby road restaurant.

His daughter can't accept what she perceives as the betrayal of her mother, and when Stein suggests that they spend Christmas with the three of them, she runs away and unbeknownst to him, takes a bus to Oslo to spend the holidays with her Granny.She has to go through the same tunnel she visited so many times with her father. Little does she know that in a couple of minutes a horrible accident will happen.

One of the trucks which carries petrol will crush against the wall and explode. While the tunnel is being filled with smoke and people around are panicking and losing their minds, the specialised fire brigade is delayed by an avalanche and the rescue squad coming from the opposite side isn't allowed to enter without them. But when Stein (who was called up by his former boss as the best of his team) hears that Elisa is inside, nothing can stop him...

Another plot twist deals with a couple and their two daughters who are going home for Christmas and are stuck in the same tunnel and several other minor characters.

The movie is a typical European drama, and is quite different from an average Hollywood production. It doesn't have superheroes, and in some aspects is more like a documentary than an action flick, with the result that it's much more realistic and believable. It does have some liberalism in it (I hardly expected otherwise) but it's not overtly obnoxious. The rescue brigade consists of all men, btw.

It touches upon the modern destruction of the family and loneliness it brings, and praises self-sacrifice, courage, and women standing by their men. The bonus point is some beautiful views of Norway. Would recommend to anyone.

Here is the trailer.