Mmm…bias?

Can we please call an end to 2020? Hurricane Zeta just hit the Louisiana coast. Fortunately for my corner of the universe, it wasn’t bad here (in spite of the dire warnings of meteorologists and the Weather Channel). “Life threatening conditions!!” while thousands of residents must make costly decisions. Sadly, this is just one more area where we have to sift through “fake news.”

These storms CAN be bad, and often are (in certain areas), especially if they spawn tornados. But like everything in life, one must weigh the odds and make the best decision possible with the information at hand. This is getting harder and harder; while information is almost always filtered by the time we get it, it is also usually biased – and incomplete. For example…

Monday night, after the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY ) commented that this was “one of the darkest days” in Senate History.

Really? Really? The confirmation of an incredibly qualified, brilliant jurist to the Supreme Court is one of the darkest days? I can’t imagine why. Oh, wait – it’s a “filtered opinion.”

Could it be because she’s an originalist? A Roman Catholic? She might not be in favor of abortion on demand? Could the fact that she was nominated by Donald Trump have anything at all to do with it? Could this be a biased opinion?

Sorry, Chucky baby, the days leading up to her confirmation were far darker. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) asked questions about sexual harassment – did Judge Barrett ever sexually harass anyone? Some senators used their time to pontificate. The vote itself was split almost completely among party lines. Because, heaven forbid, the fact that she is a faithful, practicing Catholic might interfere with her interpretation of the law – even though her record indicated otherwise.I’m beyond sick of division and hatred like this. During the vote, some senators were quite rude in the delivery of their votes – “hell, no” said Hirono. Others gave a nasty, flamboyant thumbs down – or worse. This, the response from many who constantly state that Donald Trump is rude, crude, and generally socially unacceptable. Ah, the irony.

Examples of “filtered information” are countless. Tuesday night I watched Tucker Carlson (Fox News) interview Tony Bobulinski, former business partner of Hunter Biden. That name may not ring a bell with some, although it should be on the lips of every American.

In case you don’t know, Bobulinski was approached by the Biden family (yes, that Biden family) to be CEO of Sinohawk Holdings, a partnership with the Chinese. Bobulinski is a legitimate businessman with experience in international partnerships. (This is simplifying things, but there ARE details available.)

Equity arrangements included Joe Biden, even though Biden has denied that he “never took a penny” from a foreign government. Biden has stated again and again that he has never discussed business with his son Hunter. Bobulinski stated that this is simply not true; he was present at two meetings where this business was discussed in depth. There were plenty of discussions.

It’s not simply a case of he-said-they-said; Bobulinski has presented all documentation, emails, texts, and even recorded conversation that clearly show the Bidens’ corrupt business practices. Bobulinski, not intending to make waves, became a whistleblower when Representative Adam Schiff (D-Ca) stated that implications of the Bidens’ deep ties to the Chinese government (the business they’re involved in is controlled by the Chinese communists) were part of a “Russian-orchestrated smear” on Joe Biden.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty tired of hearing “the Russians! The Russians!” every time I turn around. Seriously, are we in the McCarthy era?

Bobulinski is a navy veteran, and held very high security clearances. He is clearly a patriotic American and a solid, factual witness (and by the way, a Democrat who has supported and donated to Democrat candidates), and he was, essentially, accused of treason by a United States Representative. He contacted one of the business partners and demanded a retraction from Schiff. The response was basically ain’t gonna happen.

Now, Bobulinski had already questioned the ethics of equity being “held” by Hunter for his father. About 3 years ago, he asked, basically, won’t your involvement with a business so closely connected to the upper echelon of Communist China look bad if you ever decide to run for President?

Nah, he was told by Jim Biden. “Plausible deniability.” Heh heh heh.

Yep. Plausible deniability.

Bobulinski’s frustration is palpable in the interview, and I don’t blame him. He was brought into a business deal based solely on Biden family connections. They approached him because of his expertise. When details began to come out, we heard about it only through the filter of THE RUSSIANS, and this veteran (who comes from a military family) was basically accused of treason.

Does the term thrown under the bus mean anything to you?

I’m glad Bobulinski has the courage – and the evidence – to show these shady dealings of the Biden family.

You can learn more here:

https://nypost.com/2020/10/27/hunter-biden-emails-tony-bobulinski-says-he-was-warned-about-going-public/

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/10/27/tony_bobulinski_my_meeting_with_joe_biden_at_the_beverly_hilton_hotel.html

“[Vice President Biden] is lying about the fact that he said he never spoke to his son Hunter about his overseas business connections.”

“What we’re really finding out is Hunter really cracked the code somewhere around 2013, 2014, in terms of how to really vacuum up these dollars and how to attract money from people that wanted to have influence, and utilize the Biden name.”

“Take a look at all of these glaring conflicts of interest, all these foreign entanglements. At a minimum it is grotesquely sleazy and that’s who the American people are going to polls voting for or against: somebody like Vice President Biden who’s involved in incredibly sleazy, possibly illegal dealings.”

–US Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis)

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The interview with Carlson (OK, link blocked because of copyright. It’s on YouTube.)

Most of the media is ignoring this story (there’s another biased filter for you), brushing it off as “Russian interference.” After all, it may be unethical, but is it strictly illegal? After all, no one is “bribing” Joe Biden. Sure, there are emails that show “influence peddling.” These are old tricks in Washington. Route the money through the spouses and children. Why should this matter?

It matters because this would influence Biden’s dealings with China.

And good grief, peddling influence?

We hear about “fake news,” and this isn’t “fake news,” but it is irresponsible reporting. So is the glossing over of riots in many of our larger cities, describing them as “protests.” Philadelphia has seen “protests” destroy and loot businesses, with several deaths. As I write this, the riots continue. Oops, I mean “protests.”

I know there are people who cannot stand the thought of voting for a Republican. Personally, I can’t stand the thought of voting for these people – who happen to be Democrats. I can’t support a party that supports this kind of corruption…that supports abortion-on-demand…that would smear anyone for no good reason (think Coney Barrett, Kavanaugh, Bobulinsky for a few current victims)…that supports socialism. If you don’t know what I mean, review the party platform. This is NOT the party of JFK. This is not classical liberalism.

Put party aside. The Biden family members (and particularly Joe, the “Big Guy,”) have made fortunes from corruption and peddling influence. To anyone with money.

I usually stay away from politics in this blog, but I can’t shut up if I want to sleep tonight. I woke up at 3 AM with this in my brain, and finally got up at 4 AM to start writing. I let things sit for a while, then post.

Those who disagree with me (or think I’m overreacting) are welcome – URGED – to INVESTIGATE some of the links above, and review Biden’s record. I have a fair number of dear, very beloved friends that are Democrats and tend to vote that way, and we often avoid discussing politics too much because hey, there are more critical things in life, right?

But…sigh. Do you want to keep living in a free country? I know you, like my Democrat friends, are smart, caring, and want the truth. Seek it out. You don’t have to tell anyone how you vote if you don’t want to.

But…do you want to become a country where people of faith (such as Amy Coney Barrett) are attacked because of their faith? Don’t we Americans support the free exercise of religion? As an individual, I cannot be “me” without my faith. I cannot separate that from who and what I am. I trust the moral character of such a judge – and what is more sacred in choosing a judge?

America isn’t perfect – far from it. Our elected representatives aren’t perfect (pardon me while I laugh hysterically), and some are downright rotten and corrupt to the core. Some are trying their best to do the right thing in the quagmire of Washington, DC, and I support and salute those that do.

So…as you cast your vote, remember that elections do have consequences. Please, think long into the future as to what those consequences may be.

I can contrast four years of progress (in spite of ZERO positive media coverage, unbelievable circumstances, including a “faux impeachment” – remember, there was NO (zip, zero, nada) evidence of “Russian collusion”) against 47 years of doublespeak, flip flopped issues, and yes, corruption.


I can contrast someone who, in spite of being occasionally “rude” and “unpresidential,” made his money in business and then came to politics with someone who got rich on a Senator’s salary.

Shouldn’t that tell ya something right there?

A Samaritan Woman is a graduate of Loyola University, New Orleans with a BA in Mass Communications, and a graduate of Louisiana State University with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. She is licensed in the practice of Clinical Social Work.

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Delta Force

Be careful what you ask for; you may get it. Perhaps too many of us have been wishing for a break from the nonstop news of violent protests in major cities, Coronavirus, elections and candidates. If 2020 hasn’t been fun enough already (NOT), we have yet another hurricane breathing down our necks. Or should I say, up our bay.

After a storm in the early 1960’s.

The past 24 – 48 hours have been filled with the autopilot exercises – literally, battening down the hatches and prepping home and office for high water and heavy winds. The most difficult thing for many on the Gulf Coast, though, is the question: Should I stay or should I go?

I have friends (who live on higher ground and much farther inland) who will scream (or text, or message, or email) “YOU CAN’T BE THINKING OF STAYING!!” and then quote the weather channel, the local news, etc. “Life threatening storm surge!” “Deadly winds!” “You could die!!”

Well, that’s true. But for those who think that we along the coast take such things lightly, let me tell you: It’s a tough decision, and not one made lightly or in ignorance (regardless of what some in the media will imply).

Hurricane Hilda. This is how the National Weather Service used to track hurricanes. 1964.

I’ve always said I prefer a hurricane to an earthquake, because at least you know a hurricane is coming and you can prepare for it. You watch every update carefully, compare it to other storms in memory, and hash it out again and again with family, friends and neighbors. “Remember when Rita came in right at Sabine pass?” “Yeah, but that thing was HUGE, and it moved slow. The winds blew for over 24 hours.” It gets a lot more detailed than that. Sometimes I think that those who live in hurricane alley have as good an instinct as professional meteorologists. After all, it’s our butts on the line. If they’re wrong too many times, they lose a job. If I’m wrong, I could lose a lot more.

We’ve left before. For Andrew, for Lily. It’s a sick feeling when you nail plywood over the doors of your house right before you leave and you wonder what will be there when you return.

What’s most important? What do you bring with you? Where do you go? We are fortunate to have a range of family and friends who offer their homes, but many people are stuck with shelters. CoVid has made that even more challenging. If you leave, you could get stuck in traffic for hours. If you leave, you may not be able to get back because the roads will be closed. Sadly, there are those who know that people have evacuated – and will take advantage of that fact.

If you stay, be prepared to be without electricity, water, and perhaps even without cell phone. If there is a storm surge, be prepared.

Making this decision is never taken lightly. But when you do stay, there is an eerie beauty to a hurricane. We’re powerless in the face of Mother Nature, and I have sat in awe on my porch as the wind bends the sugar cane and the trees. I have felt sick to my stomach watching the water rise higher and higher, with no idea of when it would stop.

There are funny things, too…like the time my brother, dressed in his nightshirt, carried his dog (a 60 pound pooch) alllllll the way out of the yard to the middle of the highway (the ONLY spot NOT underwater) so said pooch could go potty. And my husband “boatlifting” my parents with their cat to the house next door because it was a bit higher than their house, and the water was getting too close for comfort. (The cat was more freaked out than anyone.)

My husband and I spent our 18th wedding anniversary ripping up soaked carpet and throwing out ruined furniture from our office. Happy Anniversary, hon. We – with family and friends – went to Chili’s in town that night, as they had a generator and AIR CONDITIONING. Everyone in the place was grungy, sweaty, dirty because no one had electricity or water at home. No one cared. I still think that may be the best tasting margarita I ever had.

Anyone who lives through hurricanes on a regular basis has their benchmark storms. Hilda, Andrew, Rita. There were many others, but those three stand out in my mind.

After the storm surge passed, Hilda, 1964

Andrew tore our roof off, one year after we’d moved into the house. I was 7 1/2 months pregnant at the time. Every guy in the family came to the house the morning after the storm and got busy with solid-sheeting the room and covering it with tar paper.

My children remember Rita. We had fairly high water, and they enjoyed paddling the boat around the place. That was also the memorable 18th wedding anniversary.

The kids enjoyed the storm surge with Rita. BTW, that’s our yard.

Hilda – ah, Hilda. Winds of 125. It was a few weeks before my 5th birthday, and I vividly remember it. We left to go to central Louisiana to stay with family, but heard the storm had changed course so we returned home.

Then it changed course again. We went back home. (This was in the years before storm tracking apps and websites – we waited for the next coordinates and tracked the storms on a chart…using the same chart for years so as to be able to compare storms.

My aunt after Hilda

Then, Hilda changed course again and came right in our backyard. We were without power or water or telephones for two weeks.

I’m not sure yet exactly where Delta will show up, but I hope her wind speed drops. At the moment, it’s going for Cameron and Calcasieu parishes – which got the worst of Laura.

Praying for Divine protection of life, home, and property.