So Many People Pray During Difficult Times

But does it ever really help?

Photo by Ismael Paramo on Unsplash

In times of need and grief, most people turn to prayer. After each of our mass school shootings, politicians ask for thoughts and prayers. After natural disasters, community leaders ask for prayers. If we or a loved one is seriously ill, we pray to God for assistance. But there is something about this phenomenon I don’t understand.

I was raised a Catholic and attended Catholic schools. We constantly prayed for world peace, and people still do. People have prayed for world peace for thousands of years, but it has never happened.

People are still dying from mass shootings and natural disasters, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, as people continue to pray for their safety. People pray for their favorite sports team to win and continue to pray, even when they lose.

Perhaps the situation that is most perplexing to me is when people pray for their loved ones who have been diagnosed with a fatal disease. It is a shock for anyone to hear that a loved one or ourselves has been given a diagnosis that could end our life. Understandably, many people turn to prayer to spare one’s life from a deadly disease. A person would believe God could make the disease disappear if they prayed hard enough.

What I don’t understand is that God gave the disease to the sick person in the first place. Shouldn’t people pray that God doesn’t give us a disease instead? And if we are diagnosed with a fatal disease, shouldn’t we accept it because it is what God wants?

I feel the same about natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes. God created them, so He must want them, regardless of whether or not they kill people. There is no use in praying for the victims because God wanted them to happen.

After every mass school shooting in this country, people pray for the victims and also pray that it doesn’t happen again, but it does. If it keeps happening, maybe it’s what God wants. But why doesn’t He want it to happen in other countries?

I know that some people reading this will say what all clergy and religious people always say when they can’t explain something about religion, “It is God’s will.” This leads me to ask, “Why should people pray if it is God’s will?”

Maybe we should be praying to God for help at all. Perhaps we should be doing something about the problems, like living healthier lives or taking better care of our environment. Maybe we should stop playing politics and bowing down to the almighty gun lobby to save the lives of our children instead of praying that God save them for us.

I am not really sure prayer helps other than giving desperate people hope. Yes, even though I am not religious, I still sometimes pray, in case it does work. I believe in the old saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” I also think we should help each other as well.

I am not entirely sold on religion, and I will always have questions about some aspects of Christianity and other religions. I only wish people would believe in each other as much as they believe in what they can’t see or understand.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.

I Checked My Social Schedule for the New Year

And I realized I am officially a senior citizen

Photo by Diogo Cardoso on Unsplash

It’s only the second day of the new year, so I checked my calendar for upcoming events. I never did this when I was younger because I had no problem remembering what I had planned for the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Back then, my social schedule consisted of my Mother’s and Father’s days, my parents and brothers’ birthdays, term paper due dates, the occasional wedding, and maybe a concert or two. I had no problem remembering the dates of keg parties, beer blasts, or other drinking events, primarily because they happened almost every weekend.

Today is different. Looking ahead to the next 264 days, I found one wedding anniversary party and one air show my husband has booked in advance. However, plenty of other appointments are scattered throughout the next 12 months.

Each of those appointments is a doctor’s appointment or appointment to have my blood drawn. I have appointments with my primary care physician, cardiologist, urologist, pulmonologist, and gastroenterologist.

I can’t remember having a doctor’s appointment other than a yearly or employment physical when I was younger. As I aged I acquired a series of badges of the old age process, I began to have fewer social events and more medical-related appointments.

To make things a bit more confusing about having so many doctors’ appointments in our “golden years,” we also have more of a problem remembering those appointments. If I don’t write it down immediately, there’s a good chance I’ll forget it. Fortunately, my healthcare system does an excellent job of keeping track of my appointments and reminding me of them as they are near.

Checking my social schedule has become a tradition for celebrating the New Year. I am not complaining because to remain healthy, it has to be done. The time to worry is when I check the schedule and see an appointment for the undertaker!

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.

Happy New Year 2025

The year of the billionaire

Photo by Jacob Vizek on Unsplash

New Year’s Eve celebrations are many of us have made our New Year resolutions for 2025. Some have chosen to lose weight, some to stop drinking, some to join a gym, and others to work harder. In a few weeks, those resolutions will all be broken and abandoned. Oddly, these resolutions are the only parts of our future we can control.

Because almost half of all Americans thought a racist old white millionaire felon and former President would improve their lot in life more than a Black woman, they gave their future to Donald Trump. In reality, their future is in the hands of Elon Musk, who purchased the presidency and allowed Trump to be president by name only.

Trump’s choices for his new cabinet are all billionaires or, at least, millionaires. Musk, aiming to be the first and only billionaire in modern history, has already flexed his newly purchased muscle.

He attempted but failed to have Congress shut down the government and significantly shut down the government. However, he did succeed in eliminating money for research into childhood cancer and raising the salaries of Congressmen.

Musk’s latest endeavor is to significantly increase the number of H-1B Visas. This is something that Trump was dead set against during his campaign, but he has since come into complete agreement with Musk. Musk has a history of laying off workers at Tesla and hiring H-1B visa holders at a lower pay rate, who cannot ask for a raise or unionize.

American workers can now expect a somewhat shaky employment future, knowing foreign workers can easily replace them, something Trump promised he would not allow. So much for Trump’s promises.

Speaking of promises, Trump said, during the campaign, he would lower gas and grocery prices. He has since walked back that promise, admitting he couldn’t do that. This doesn’t bode well for the future many of us will be experiencing soon.

Musk and Rivik Ramaswamy, Trump’s picks to head DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, a non-existent agency to cut government spending. The billionaires naturally have targeted government spending essential for the most vulnerable Americans, such as Social Security and Medicare. By cutting these two programs, the government can give much-needed tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.

Don’t think for a minute your healthcare will get better or cheaper. Cost reductions in some drugs, such as insulin and asthma inhalers, passed by the Biden administration, are future targets for President Musk and his loyal servant, Donald Trump.

The traditional greetings for the new year include, “Have a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!” Thanks to the idiots who voted to return to office the worst President this country has ever had, the new year will not be healthy for millions, nor will it be prosperous, except for the uber-wealthy, so I hope you’ll be happy for the choice you’ve made.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.

How Much Money is Enough?

Will our new billionaire administration steal us blind?

Photo by Rob on Unsplash

It’s no secret that multi-billionaire Elon Musk bought the presidency and has allowed billionaire Donald Trump to merely act as President. As of this writing, every cabinet member of the new administration is at least a millionaire. Trump received overwhelming support from those Americans in MAGA who considered him one of their own who supported their interests.

Surprise! You’ve been had!

Trump has named Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to be the heads of a new agency that will oversee government spending. According to Rolling Stone Musk has announced one of their top priorities is to cut Social Security and Medicare, so Trump will be able to give his promised tax cuts for millionaires.

For all of you MAGA members who voted for Trump because he understood your needs, now you know he may have understood your needs, but he doesn’t care. It looks like you’ll never get that invitation to Mar-a-Lago.

Have you ever wondered how much one billion dollars is? If you had a billion dollars and you spent $1000 each day, it would take 2,740 years before you went broke,

Now, let’s look at how much Elon Musk is worth. Musk is worth 449.5 billion dollars! He could never be able to spend his fortune. But he could make life better for millions of poor and suffering people all over the world. Unfortunately, that is not how Elon Musk is wired. 

I think if most people had a million dollars, they would spend a lot on themselves, but they would spend much of the money helping others. It’s hard for me to comprehend how a person is so greedy that he is willing to make others suffer so he can acquire more wealth. But I guess that’s just me. 

Millions of people voted against their best interests in the last elections, believing a con man would give them a better life. They voted for a man because he hated the same people they did. But what they didn’t know was that he hated them too.

We may be in for four years of economic distress while the ultra-wealthy pillage the Treasury and force us into poverty. We can only hope our billionaire masters will not have taken away our right to vote. But, I am not sure many Americans will have learned their lesson if there is another election.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.

If You Were in Nazi Germany in the 1940s

What would you have done?

Photo courtesy World History Encyclopedia

It’s the 1930s in Germany, and Adolf Hitler has come to power. You see nazi stormtroopers goose-stepping in the streets. You see the swastikas hanging from buildings and lamposts all over where you live. You know Hitler is firmly in power.

You see massive rallies with Hitler spouting hatred against Jews, blaming them for everything that is wrong with Germany. You have listened to him call for the extermination of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and the handicapped. You’ve heard him proudly proclaim the purity of the Aryan race as the superior race.

You have seen massive bonfires where books that the Nazi regime has banned are summarily burned. You have seen The words “Juden” painted on the storefronts and homes of your fellow citizens of the Jewish faith. You have seen some Jewish-owned businesses destroyed by your German neighbors.

You have seen fewer and fewer of your Jewish neighbors and friends. You know where they have gone because you have seen them loaded on cattle cars heading towards concentration camps, never to be seen again. The few Jewish people you have seen are forced to wear a large yellow Star of David that identifies them as Jews.

You have seen young members of Hitler’s Youth acting like their adult counterparts, proudly displaying the Nazi salute and screaming “Heil Hitler,” parading in front of Hitler as he smiles and salutes the future of Germany. You knew these little Nazis would soon turn in their parents, teachers, or neighbors to the Gestapo for the slightest indiscretion.

You have seen smoke rising from the concentration camps, but even though you suspected what was burning, you didn’t want to know. You once again ignored the trains, full of your Jewish neighbors, constantly arriving at the camps outside your town. Let’s face it: you knew what was happening.

It is now the 1940s and Hitler’s war is not going well. The Allies were moving toward Germany, but Hitler only ramped up his plan to eradicate the Jews and other undesirables. How much longer can this genocide go on?

You knew about the assassination attempt at Wolf’s Lair in 1943 by some of Hitler’s staff that was meant to kill him and bring an end to the war. You knew the war was lost, and the longer it dragged on, millions more innocent people would be killed. Could you do anything about it?

Even though you supported Hitler, you now realize he was a monster. You and millions of ordinary German citizens allowed him to take power and carry on his mass exterminations. Better late than never, you decided you must do something.

You are a crack shot with a rifle, and you can easily obtain a high-powered rifle with a scope. Hitler is speaking at a rally near where you live, and you have easy access to the stands surrounding the podium where Hitler will speak. You know you have an easy shot. You also know you may not escape alive.

You were raised a Christian by your parents, and you know it’s a sin to take the life of another person. You know, according to your religion, you will go to hell if you kill people. But you also know Hitler was responsible for killing millions of people.

Hitler begins to speak as you raise your rifle and have him in your crosshairs. You pray and think of the Fifth Commandment, “Thou Shall Not Kill.” Your finger is on the trigger. What would you have done?

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.

Will There Ever Be a Cure for Cancer?

Or is there already a cure?

Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash

I spent many years in pathology, as a Cytologist, searching for cancer cells in a variety of specimens. I saw cancer every day, but fortunately, I didn’t connect the cancer to a person, just a name I was not familiar with most of the time. I knew I would always have a job, as long as I wanted one because there was no cure in sight.

I have been retired for many years, and since then, I have seen many advances in the treatment of various types of cancer. Notice I said treatment, not cure.

I am sure many have seen several ads from various pharmaceutical companies touting their newest drugs that promise a longer life living with cancer. That longer life is a matter of months or perhaps five years, at tops. The ads always show patients swimming, hiking, dancing, or being involved in other physical activities, suggesting that someone suffering from this particular type of cancer could do the same. There is no mention of the tens of thousands of dollars in cost to get the drug.

For those suffering from cancer, being able to live a few months more is worth the cost or the side effects. I am sure thousands of patients would love to spend just a bit more time with their families.

In a way, these advances and this type of advertising seem cruel. If you can’t afford the drug, you don’t get a little extra time to live. I wonder, if a drug company can develop a drug that will allow a cancer patient to live a few months longer, why can’t they develop a drug that will eradicate the cancer for good?

The answer to my question can be associated with the legislation signed by Biden last year, which lowered the cost of insulin to no more than $35 a month. Every single Republican voted against it. Republicans have promised to repeal that bill once they take over Congress and the Presidency. Why? Millions of Americans depend on insulin to stay alive; thus, drug companies can rake in billions of dollars at higher prices.

In recent Congressional hearings, a question asked in 2018 by Goldman Sachs analysts in a report to biotech companies was referenced in a discussion of high prescription drug costs. That question was, “Is curing patients a sustainable business model?”

Do drug companies value profits over human life? And do some politicians value drug company donations over the lives of their fellow Americans? I think the evidence from the past actions of both politicians and big pharma is a resounding yes.

Just a couple of days ago, Donald Trump and Elon Musk wanted a proposed spending bill to avert a government shutdown that would eliminate spending for childhood cancer research. Luckily, every Democrat in the House and 34 Republicans voted against it. What can we expect in the future regarding drug costs and healthcare?

I have long felt that there has been a cure for some types of cancer, but the pharmaceutical companies have managed to silence the science behind the cures. People dying from cancer put a lot of money into the pockets of big pharma. If everyone lived longer, drug companies would make millions instead of billions.

As long as we allow the drug companies to buy and maintain politicians, we will not have cheaper drugs, and there will be no cures for cancer or other diseases affecting millions of people.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.

Trump Voters Just Got a Big Surprise

They won the election, but Trump won’t be President

Photo by Daniel Páscoa on Unsplash

Trump won the election by one of the lowest margins in history, but like he always does, he says he won in a landslide. Except for the MAGA cult and others who are not aware that there is any other news network than Fox News, everyone knew that Trump had two reasons for running for President: to stay out of prison and to steal as much money as he could from the government and his supporters.

What none of us suspected, though, was the lengths Trump would go to for a second term. But he realized that he could sell the Presidency to the highest bidder. And that was the wealthiest man in the world, Elon Musk. According to CNN, Musk spent $260 million to help Trump win the election. In return, Musk received a promise from Trump to name him to head the non-existent advisory board called DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which would determine where the government would spend its money.

Musk has moved into Mar-a-Lago and been by Trump’s side since the election. He has appeared at news conferences with Trump and has participated with him in calls with Vladimir Putin. Interestingly, Trump’s Vice-President Elect, JD Vance, has been missing in action.

The extent of Musk’s involvement with the Presidency became evident recently when a bipartisan agreement to avert a government shutdown over the holidays was set to be voted on. Musk, with Trump at his side, led the opposition to the bill, warning any Republican who voted for it that they would be primaried in the next election.

Musk insisted the bill could wait until Trump took office on January 20th. He disregarded the fact that millions of seniors, the disabled, military personnel, veterans, and government employees would financially suffer over the holidays. And MAGA thought Trump was one of them!

Trump hasn’t even been sworn in yet, and Musk is taking the reigns of office. As long as Trump can fly on Air Force One, sit in the Oval Office, stand for Hail to the Chief, and be called “Mr. President” while avoiding prison, that’s all he cares about. He sold the United States to Elon Musk, who, with the help of Vladimir Putin, will determine the future direction the country will take.

MAGA voted for Donald Trump, but elected Elon Musk as President, but we all will suffer.

Image created by Magic Studio.com AI Image Creator

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.