The Price of Panic: How Much Were You Willing to Pay?

The following article is my “Cliff’s Notes” version of The Price of Panic by Axe, Briggs, & Richards. It was published in mid-2020. The book is about 200 pages long. It’s heavily-endnoted. This version is only about 3000 words long, and I make no attempt to cite any of their endnotes. My additions for clarification are in [brackets].

I tried to snag all their important points, but if something seems missing, you’ll have to read the book yourself. I’ll even send you my copy, if you promise to pass it along to someone else when you’re done.

As Easy As Falling Off a Log

My wife and I spent the last week of October, 2020, making a trip to South Carolina to visit our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. We had a thoroughly enjoyable time with them.

Congaree National Park

Four of us took a day trip to Congaree National Park just southeast of Columbia. Congaree is basically a swamp that some people wanted to keep in that condition, rather than have it drained and developed. (Nothing wrong with that.)

Maskerade II

Maskerade is a fantasy book about the Discworld written by Sir Terry Pratchett in 1995. I only mention this to let you know where the title of this article originated...and that it's not misspelled.

Earlier, I thought about posting an article simply called Maskerade, but later I decided not to. So you'll likely never get to read Maskerade I.

The first several parts of Maskerade II are my delving into the research and suggestions (as of late June, 2020) into the wearing of face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

The last part will be my own thoughts about the matter put forth as logically as I know how.

COVID-19: Keeping It in Perspective, As Much As Possible

UPDATE 10/31/20, 7:50 PM: I just checked the three video links below and found (not surprisingly) that YT had deleted them. Sorry.

UPDATE 4/9/20, 12:24 AM: I added links to 2 additional videos by qualified persons. You'll find them at the end of this post.

Are you sick and tired of your new life under COVID-19 restrictions? 

If your life has changed at all because of the new rules, I’m pretty sure you are.

I’ve had the feeling for some time that what we’re doing just isn’t right - and not just because it’s different and because I don’t care for it. There’s this other feeling deep down inside that I’ve found hard to explain. Part of the problem is that I don’t have enough knowledge about all that’s going on.

The Simplest Alternative to Going to Church

"These are the times that try men's souls."

I'm sure you've heard that quotation before, but I bet you don't know who wrote it. (Don't Google it now; I'll tell you later.)

I'll give you a hint: It was written just before Christmas in December of 1776.

The reason men's souls were being tried back then isn't the same as the reason that is trying many people's souls today, but much soul-trying is happening and not in our country alone.

One of the consequences of COVID-19, which is the ultimate source of the soul-trying, is that we can no longer meet in our churches for worship services.

You Want to Legalize What?

First, I apologize for another click-baity headline. Once I thought of it though, I just couldn’t get it out of my head. (I have the feeling that others have used it - probably successfully - before me.)

Later this year (2020), you’re going to get the opportunity to vote for the next President of the United States. Now, I know our votes don’t actually determine who the President will be - that’s left to the Electoral College - but somehow it still feels important.

You’ll have a choice from several candidates - Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, and others. In all but the 2016 election, I voted for the candidate from the same party. Since 2016, I’ve become more educated about political parties. Maybe you have too.

The Stewardship of Your Baptism

The stewardship of your baptism. Now there's a topic you probably didn't expect to see here. It's one that only applies to you if you have been baptized. If you haven't (or aren't sure if you have) been, you might still find some good in reading what follows. If it prompts you to get baptized, so much the better.

What follows is the transcript (mine) of a sermon that was preached at Faith Lutheran in Sussex, Wisconsin, during Advent (2019). It is short (for a sermon) and to the point and is the best sermon I've ever heard on the topic. (I told the preacher so afterwards.)

Here it is.

Visit Lookout Mountain, If You're So...Inclined

Looking up from the bottom

There's a place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, called Lookout Mountain. Actually, the whole of the mountain crosses the border into Georgia, but the part I'm dealing with here is north of the border.

Google tells me that the highest point of the mountain is 2388 feet above sea level. From the base of the mountain at street level to the top is a distance of about 1532 feet. At least, I assume that's what it means by "prominence".

If you lived in this area before about 1895, getting from the bottom to the top was probably quite a chore. But for those of us living in post-1895 times, there's been a nifty method for getting up and down the mountain. It's called the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway.