Puffs

I’ve heard over the years that trying to tell the future of anything can be an inexact science. For this year of 2023, when talking about the weather, trying to forecast the weather is almost impossible.

For some time now, we in southcentral Nebraska have come to know that most all “rain forecasts” are anything but true. How many of you are now familiar with the National Weather Service’s radar, and take the time to watch it?

I have, at times, watched and followed it. The forecast is for rain to come to Nuckolls and Webster counties and the radar image shows the rain coming right at us . . . .

However . . . something always happens (at least for 2023) the rain seldom comes, or very little comes.

NOW . . . what about the temperature forecasts ? ? ?

When they forecast temperatures to reach 102 degrees or 82 degrees quite often they predict it correctly.

It’s one of those years . . . more and more dryland corn is being cut for silage; insurance predictions for corn are around three to seven bushels an acre; I think this past weekend killed any hope for a soybean crop and farmers are selling cattle because grass in pastures is nil.

I can’t predict what the rain will be for the rest of the year, but whatever comes, it will do the current crops no good.

A O

Socialism . . . it’s one thing to talk about different types of social and economic societies. It’s another thing to read of actual examples of what it would be like to live under such a system.

In the past I have hinted that my belief right now is that the Democratic political party in the U. S. is closer to the promotion of Socialism than the Republican Party is. The Democrats’ persecution of others in the political arena is one thing, but just what come after that is another subject to consider.

Well, over the weekend I read a story in the Lincoln newspaper concerning religion in Russia. It might just be a lesson to learn of what might be coming to America if Socialism gains much more strength.

In Russia it seems that the Russian Orthodox Catholic Church (Patriarch Krill) has agreed with the Russian president, Putin, in regard to its current war against Ukraine.

Last September when Russia called up reserve forces for the war, the head of the Orthodox Church in Russia required his clergymen to pray for ‘victory’ in the war against Ukraine.

Standing in front of the altar in his church, Rev. Joann Koval decided to put ‘peace’ above the patriarch’s orders. Rev. Koval felt that praying for ‘victory’ was simply political pressure from the hierarchy.

In his prayers he recited multiple times, he changed but one word, replacing “victory” with “peace” – but it was enough for the church court to remove his priestly rank.

There are an estimated 40,000 clergymen in the Russian Orthodox Church. Only 300 priests signed a public letter calling for peace in Ukraine. Thirty priests faced pressure by religious or state authorities to adhere to the Socialistic government. Priests who publicly support the war in Ukraine do not face repercussions and are supported by the state.

Socialism is not simply an economic system, it is a system where the government “has” to be in control of everything. We can look to see where we are at this time in our history.

The U. S. economic system is far from a true Capitalistic system. It is far from a Socialistic system as well. Democrats seem to object to killing people, except . . . it’s OK to kill babies and maybe old people. That’s only a short jump to killing people because you don’t like what they are saying in the public arena. The Democrats seem to be happy to have a president who says he is a “Catholic.” However, being Catholic doesn’t mean you get to pick and choose what you want to believe in and follow. Etc.

Those Democratic ideas either are what Socialists believe in, or are close to that.

Democrats . . . please be careful in your support of them. It seems to me that some Democrats on the local level are good people. However, somehow those Democrats on the national level leave much to be desired.

A O

Out here in the middle of America maybe we (at least I do) forget happenings around the U. S. But, how can a person forget all of the Black Lives Matter “protests” of 2020 or so.

Mr. Tyler O’Neil recently reminded many of us of those days as a court case moves through it process.

In the District of Columbia (DC) the Democrats (who control the local government) took sides in an active political debate, joining ranks with the message that rioters proclaimed as they broke glass, looted stores, started fires, and put other citizens’ lives in danger. At least 26 died in the mayhem.

Meanwhile, a group of pro-life protesters decided to spread their own related message. They aimed to write “Black Pre-Born Lives Matter” on the sidewalk and asked the D.C. government for a permit to paint or chalk the message on the street or sidewalk.

After obtaining verbal consent from a police officer ahead of time, the pro-Life protesters asked police officers at the rally if they could chalk their message on the sidewalk. The police refused.

The Students for Life sued D.C., but a judge dismissed the claim. However, an appeal was partly successful and that is what brought up this comment now.

The action of D.C. is how socialism works my friends. You can do what they want you to do, but if you don’t agree with them, don’t try to do it, you will get arrested.

It is our American history that all get equal chances from the government, but in recent years it seems that is no longer true. • The right to protest is equal to all, not just friends of the government. • Religious freedom is open to all, not just friends of the government. • The opportunity to become president is open to everyone and not be hindered by many lawsuits designed to limit your ability to become president.

Socialism takes so many twists and turns, most of us don’t even begin to understand it. However, it doesn’t seem to me to be a form of government and society I’d like to live under. As I understand them, the Democrats are trying to get us to that point.

A O