Don’t believe the leftist chefs cooking the economic soup with jiggered figures about the suffering middle class

“Measured in 2013 dollars, after-tax median income rose briskly from $46,998 in 1983 to $70,393 in 2008 but remained below that 2008 peak in 2011. The sizable increase before 2008 is partly because the average of all federal taxes paid by the middle fifth has almost been cut in half since 1981—from 19.2% that year to 17.7% in 1989, 16.5% in 2000, 13.6% in 2003 and 11.2% in 2011.” Because people have lost income under Obama, he wants it to look like a 40 year tradition. Nonsense.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/alan-reynolds-the-mumbo-jumbo-of-middle-class-economics-1425340903/

My 100% remission from Rheumatoid arthritis, by guest blogger Gerhard Maroscher, Circleville, OH

In the summer of 2006 I suddenly came down with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  The only warning I had that something was amiss prior to 2006 is that several years before, for a nine month period I had muscle pains and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I started anti-inflammatory drugs in 2006 and did my best to stay active from 2006 to 2012, but always had some pain.  At times the pain was debilitating. 

In July of 2012 I contacted a woman whose RA had gone into remission through a special diet.  She told me she had gone 100% dairy free and 100% gluten free, and within a short period of time she was pain free.  I believed her story, and I had nothing to lose and decided to follow her diet.

July 25 of 2012, which was one of my cycles with severe pain, I began a new diet.  I eliminated all dairy and gluten from my diet.  Regarding dairy, I even avoided anything where dairy was even a minor or even minuscule ingredient.  I stayed on my meds because I did not expect the diet change to have any impact.  Amazingly I was totally pain free in two weeks.  I then began to taper off my medicines over the next three months.  I continued to improve until about December.
 
I began to educate myself and read two books she had recommended.  From my reading I think the most likely reason I am in remission is the elimination of all dairy products, but I‘m not willing to risk adding back in the gluten. 

In December 2012 my joints were in better shape than one can expect at 69, but I felt there was room for improvement and I modified my diet again.  Of course I stayed dairy free and gluten free.  I then went on The China Study diet which is a whole plant food diet.  No processed foods and no animal protein.  The change was not dramatic, but my joints improved nevertheless.  I am now 71 and have zero joint issues and zero joint pain.  I have now been blessed for almost three years with 100% remission from RA.

My current diet is 95% in keeping with the China Study diet.  The whole plant food diet is modified a bit by me occasionally eating fish or meat, but never very much.  By the way the China Study diet does not see a problem with gluten in the diet. What it does recommend is whole plant foods and of course zero dairy.

The take way from all this?  Diet is more important than we realize.  One is never too old to make a good decision. 

For anyone considering a diet change test, based on my experience and my reading, if there is going to be a positive result, it will be seen within four weeks.  Such a diet change as mine will not help everyone, and certainly will not help many as dramatically as it helped me, but even it there is a little bit of improvement, that is a good thing. 
My qualifications for discussing the above?  I have absolutely no nutrition training and no medical training.  But I have the real life experience of a miracle healing.  
 
I recommend reading “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell.    There are a number of opportunities at this website for more research. http://www.thechinastudy.com/the-china-study/about/

Dr. Pamela Popper wrote a book suggesting whole food plant based diet with very little fish and meat. http://wellnessforum.com/
 
Dr. McDougal also wrote several books.  McDougal recommends eating no animal products.  http://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/health-science/featured-articles/articles/diet-only-hope-for-arthritis/

After reading the above I also recommend reading “The Inflammation Free Diet Plan” by Monica Reinagel and she also has a blog and is on Facebook. http://inflammationfactor.com/monica-reinagel-ms-ln-cns/

La Raza’s has always lobbied for open borders and amnesty—long before Obama—their goals meet

President Obama’s stunning reversal of his own views on deportation policy is only the most prominent example of influence enjoyed by the National Council of La Raza, which calls itself “the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.” In addition to its sway with the president, the group has seen its government revenues rise with help from a high-level White House staffer and also seen a former member be named to the Supreme Court.

http://capitalresearch.org/2015/02/la-razas-growing-influence-gaining-clout-and-tax-dollars-in-all-branches-of-government/

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2011/06/nclr-funding-skyrockets-after-obama-hires-its-vp/

For Democrats it’s about votes; but for La Raza it’s about Reconquista.

Obama goes after the second amendment

General Eric Holder's Department of Justice has used its "Operation Choke Point" to manipulate banks and third-party payment processors to drop whole categories of businesses the Obama administration disfavors, such as online arms and ammunition sellers, tobacconists, and payday lenders. Left-wing nonprofit allies of the Administration like the Center for Responsible Lending and Americans for Financial Reform have provided media support.

“This is not law enforcement. It is intimidation backed up by the might of the government.” http://capitalresearch.org/2015/03/operation-choke-point/

Manipulating lending institutions to achieve social ends.  Who would have thought?  Isn’t that how we got the housing bubble and bust beginning with the Community Reinvestment Act in the 1970s and ending in the Great Recession of 2008? (Actually, it isn’t over; you can still get zero down home loans).

And isn’t that how we’re accumulating mounting college loan debt—to achieve social ends by paying universities through the back door while unprepared students enter through the front? Sallie Mae is like Freddie Mac.  Equal opportunity.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/01/29/fdic-retreats-on-operation-choke-point/

http://dailysignal.com/2015/03/02/newt-gingrich-choke-point-beginning-real-tyranny-united-states/

http://spectator.org/articles/42211/true-origins-financial-crisis#!

http://www.inc.com/mark-cuban/video-student-loans-bubble.html

The wall of shame has 60 names

Sixty Democrats didn’t show up (may have been one Republican—not sure) to hear Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who had been invited by the House Speaker to address the Congress of the U.S. Democrats made up this yahoo charge that it was political and Israel was having elections. What a crock. What isn’t political these days? Since when have we cared about anyone else’s elections? Do we even know when Canada or Mexico is having an election, and they are our next door neighbors!

Why would any leader of a modern, non-Islamic country under threat of extinction refuse such an invitation? Why would he insult Congress by saying, “Well, I’ve got to run this past your president to see if it’s OK.” Or,  “Maybe I’d better wait until after the elections when Iran will be an even bigger threat.”

According to our 3 part system of government, the House is the most powerful part of Congress, and Congress is a bigger deal than the presidency. Yes, it’s become screwed up in the last 100 years, but that’s the way our Constitution is written. Article I, Section 1 starts with Congress, not the Executive or Judicial branch. Section 2 of Article I begins with the House, not the Senate. The idea of those crazy founders climbing out from under a Monarchy system was that the people, through their elected representatives from their communities, should have the biggest say in governing other Americans. They would originate the laws and apportion the taxes. The Senate was supposed to represent the interests of the individual states, so it was further removed from the people.

Through the leader of our most important branch of the government the people of the U.S. wanted to hear what the tiniest country in the middle east had to say about the threat to its existence. And wow. What a speech. It could make me cry (and almost did) to hear what a real leader sounds like.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31716684

Meeting Jesus, Matthew 25

At UALC this past month we’ve been meeting Jesus as he promised us in the Gospel of Matthew by feeding the hungry .

• Souper Bowl Sunday 2015; thank God for a successful event at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church that resulted in $5,716 in cash and 2,796 donated cans of food being collected for Lutheran Social Services food pantries. That translates to 242,868 cans of food for hungry people!
• Community Meal Packing Project;  thank God for anointing those who gathered last week to pack 763,320 meals for hungry people both locally and in Haiti, and for the opportunity we had to share Jesus with those who came to Mill Run to help pack food.

We worked in groups of 10-12, in 30 shifts, packaging, weighing and sealing 3 different types of meals that will be distributed by Meals from the Heart.   Close to half the meals will go overseas to programs like the Andrew Grene School near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The remaining meals will stay in this country to be distributed through the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, Lutheran Social Services and the Salvation Army. Each bag contains enough dried food for 6 meals.

“Meals from the Heart is a division of Mano Amiga, a 20-year-old 501c3 non-profit company organizing and facilitating mission trips for youth organizations from churches and schools is based in Minnesota. Mano Amiga works to help people in need. Homes get roofs, schools get built, lives get changed. Workers return from the trips with a new outlook on life.”

Spineless, gutless Republicans—a challenge for the electorate

I noticed this editorial comment in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons (outspoken opponents of Obamacare).

“On Nov. 4 the electorate spoke and awarded the Albatross Award to President Barack Hussein Obama and his socialist colleagues in Congress who voted for “ObamaCare.” The midterm election was not just a referendum on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but a referendum on the President’s other harmful and failed policies, and the bureaucratic incompetence that is the hallmark of his administration.” Obviously, written before January and passing the baton.

Now that the Republicans have the House and Senate they are dithering as though they lost. I don’t know why they can’t take advantage of their win—it never stops the Democrats from playing dirty and smart. The Net has been neutered; the illegal gifts from Obama to the illegal immigrants are still in place; softening opposition to Obamacare; Hillary’s being given a pass on her illegal behavior and lack of a record; Keystone—on and on.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/us/congress-budget-debate.html?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/technology/path-clears-for-net-neutrality-ahead-of-fcc-vote.html?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/03/02/obamas-claim-that-keystone-xl-oil-bypasses-the-u-s-earns-four-pinocchios/?

http://poorrichardsnews.com/post/112342727813/repealing-obamacare-not-included-in-jebs-list-of

There are so many scandals and bad, anti-American policies in this administration, it should be a piece of cake, but instead the Republicans just have egg on their faces.

Buck v. Bell Supreme Court decision, 1927

Some of the most egregious moral errors in U.S. history have come through the Supreme Court. Dred Scott. Separate but equal schooling. Interracial marriage outlawed. Japanese internment during WWII. Sodomy laws upheld. Dirty words ruling. Roe v. Wade.  Obamacare is legal because it is a tax.  And then there is sterilizing people thought to be substandard humans—like Carrie Buck.

“The plaintiff, Carrie Buck, a 17-year-old girl from Charlottesville, was the first person chosen for sterilization. Carrie had a child out of wedlock—likely as the result of a rape by a friend of her foster family. Since her mother was a prostitute, the Virginia Colony Asylum decided that Carrie should be institutionalized because she and her mother Emma shared the hereditary traits of “feeblemindedness” and sexual promiscuity. . .

“On appeal to United States Supreme Court, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., a student of eugenics, wrote the formal opinion for the Court:

Carrie Buck is the probable potential parent of socially inadequate offspring, likewise afflicted, that she may be sexually sterilized without detriment to her general health and that her welfare and that of society will be promoted by her sterilization…. It is better for the world, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes. Three generations of imbeciles are enough.”18, p 208

School records prove that Carrie’s daughter Vivian was not feebleminded. Her first grade report card showed that Vivian was a solid “B” student, received an “A” in deportment, and had been on the honor roll.8, p 190 Sadly, she died at age 8 from enteritis—probably a preventable childhood disease. Carrie was released [from the asylum] and became a housekeeper and an avid reader, and she married a carpenter in 1932.

The Buck v. Bell precedent allowing sterilization of the “feebleminded” has never been overruled.”

Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Volume 19 Number 4 Winter 2014,  The ‘Science’ of Eugenics: America’s Moral Detour Marilyn M. Singleton, M.D., J.D.

Rasheed Sulaimon—where is the crime?

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, neither female student at Duke filed charges or talked to the police.  Sulaimon may be a scum bag, but aren’t there some rules to follow here?

Separate allegations of sexual assault by Sulaimon came from two female students in the 2013-14 academic year. Both students voiced allegations publicly, but neither filed a complaint through the Office of Student Conduct or took legal action through the Durham Police Department. The students declined to discuss their allegations with The Chronicle.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2015/03/02/duke-reportedly-knew-of-sexual-assault-allegations-against-rasheed-sulaimon-since-march-2014/

http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/2015/03/02/rasheed-sulaimon-center-sexual-assault-allegations-prior-dismissal

Neither paper gives the names of the women who heard the allegations at a diversity retreat not the names of the women who said it happened.  In another life with fewer stakes we’d call that gossip or bullying. How does an employee of Duke report an assault that wasn’t reported?

Christianity by the numbers

Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians:  There were 981,000 of these souls in 1900; there are 643,661,000 of them today; and there are projected to be over one billion Charismatics and Pentecostals in 2050. In raw numbers, then, Charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity is the fastest growing phenomenon in world religious history.  And there are many more numbers in this First Things article.

Our aging brain—you’ll need about 70 minutes to watch this

Free radicals, anti-oxidants, mitochondria, effects of exercise, energy, toxins, role of stress, different nutrients and so forth. Dr. Russell Blaylock writes The Blaylock Wellness Report newsletter and has authored four books, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life, Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients, and his most recent work, Cellular and Molecular Biology of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49RRFs8qIVE#t=962

Writes a column for Newsmax.

Food additive excitotoxins and dementia

Kitchen sink spirituality

The new kitchen counter tops are in; the appliances are working after several false starts and installations; I’m planning on some different accessories and paintings.  We also had to do some kitchen repair at our lake house, which I haven’t seen yet.  We don’t have a dishwasher there, and we enjoy the time we spend doing dishes together (my husband likes to wash). And although I certainly didn’t appreciate doing dishes with my Mom when I was a child (a rotated task for 3 daughters), I look back on that time fondly now and the talks we had.   Now what? Perhaps some prayer and praise while cleaning up?

http://www.lisadeam.com/kitchen-sink-spirituality/

Asian students file law suits over affirmative action

Asians score higher than any other group, so colleges have to handicap them in order not to have a disproportionate minority group.

“In a tutoring center’s workshop on college admissions in the valley, Ann Lee tells Asian-American parents about a Princeton study on how race and ethnicity affect admissions. Being black is worth 230 SAT points, according to the study. Hispanics receive a “bonus” of 185 points. Asian applicants are penalized by 50 points, says Lee. “Do Asians need higher test scores? Is it harder for Asians to get into college? The answer is yes,” Lee says.” Joanne Jacobs

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/11/18/rejected-asian-students-sue-harvard-over-admissions-that-favor-other-minorities/

On time from Haiti

There goes our internet—along party lines, of course

The Democrats on the FCC did Obama’s bidding.

Flavonoids found in many foods

Flavonoids are a group of plant metabolites thought to provide health benefits through cell signaling pathways and antioxidant effects. These molecules are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. The abundance of flavonoids coupled with their low toxicity relative to other plant compounds means they can be ingested in large quantities by animals, including humans. Examples of foods that are rich in flavonoids include onions, parsley, blueberries, bananas, dark chocolate and red wine.

http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-are-Flavonoids.aspx

Quercetin and epicatechin are examples of flavonoids, essential pigments found in many fruits and vegetables.

Quercetin is the aglycone form of flavonoid glycosides such as rutin and quercitrin which are found in buckwheat, citrus fruit and onions. Quercetin is thought to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and to protect against some forms of illness such as cancer. However, the clinical evidence to support this claim is not yet available, despite promising initial research findings. Quercetin is found in various types of fruits, vegetables, teas, wine and many other food items.

Catechins are important flavonoids abundant in the leaves of the tea plant.* Examples include epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate. When oolong tea or black tea is prepared, the leaves are allowed to oxidize. This causes conversion of some or all of the catechins to larger molecules and reduces the flavonoid content. White tea is tea that has undergone even less processing than green tea and therefore provides the highest catechin content.

http://www.news-medical.net/health/Quercetin-and-Epicatechin.aspx

http://www.ihealthdirectory.com/flavonoids-rich-foods/

*All teas from the Camellia plant are rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that detoxify cell-damaging free radicals in the body. Tea has about eight to 10 times the polyphenols found in fruits and vegetables, and the longer you steep the tea, the more flavonoids you'll get in your brew. Some believe white tea can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure and acts as a blood thinner and contibutes to bone density, all because of the falconoids (there are thousands of falconoids, and it’s a great word for Scrabble).

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-tea
http://www.whiteteaguide.com/whiteteahealthbenefits.htm

DIY decaf white tea (because it can have a lot of caffeine): "Just brew a cup as normal, leaving the leaves in the hot water for about 30 seconds. Then drain the tea leaves and rebrew... The caffeine content is almost completely lost with the first brewing (in fact, just as much caffeine is equal to any commercial decaf!)." From a non-working website.

http://directorsblog.nih.gov/2014/11/04/could-flavanols-reverse-age-related-memory-decline/

Green tea extract and cognitive functions

Cocoa Sustainability—what is that?

This is Hershey’s statement about its farmers who grow the products:

Hershey’s 21st Century Cocoa Sustain ability Strategy seeks to modernize cocoa farming to increase farmer incomes, attract new farmers and improve cocoa growing communities. The 21st Century Cocoa Sustainability Strategy will also help accelerate Hershey’s commitment to purchase 100 percent certified cocoa by 2020 for all chocolate products around the world.

Hershey is currently focusing its initiatives in West Africa – Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana – because cocoa farmers there have the greatest need to improve their farms and raise living standards for themselves and their families. Hershey is working on similar farm improvement projects in Indonesia and Latin America, including an innovative project in Mexico to restore the disease-ravaged cocoa crop. . .

Hershey has already committed to source cocoa through three of the world’s most recognized cocoa certifying organizations: UTZ, Fairtrade USA and Rainforest Alliance. As Hershey’s buying volume increases, the company will be working with other well-established certification organizations to expand their capacity to certify more cocoa farmers globally.
Hershey-supported sustainability and certification programs will benefit more than 750,000 cocoa farmers by 2017.”  (statement originally reported in October 2012) http://www.thehersheycompany.com/pdfs/21st_Century-single_page_final.pdf

http://3blmedia.com/News/Campaign/Hersheys-21st-Century-Cocoa-Strategy

Some background: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/activists-protest-hershey-times-square-calling-chocolate-giant-stop-child-labor-article-1.127762

http://3blmedia.com/blog/Larry-Graham/CSR/History-Commitment-West-African-Cocoa-Communities

Watching Grease on a Saturday morning

I’m watching Grease (1978).  Hard to believe it’s been almost 40 years. Of course, the stars are all much older than the characters they portray—Stockard Channing was 34!  I’d forgotten how campy it was.  Goodness that dance scene was incredible.  Beautiful clothes too.  Not exactly 50s, but close. How about those pink socks on Travolta.

Last night I watched Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side, also a really good movie.

More brain volume shrinkage with aggressive blood pressure treatment

People with type 2 diabetes may lose more brain volume than is expected as they age, new research indicates, but treating for cholesterol and blood pressure didn’t benefit diabetics with cognitive problems, and the aggressive BP treatment actually is linked to more brain atrophy. This study suggests that chronic high levels of insulin and sugar may be directly toxic to brain cells.

“Both heart disease and diabetes are closely linked to cognitive problems (see Jan 2014 webinar; see AlzRisk analysis). To learn what is gained from treating these disorders, the ACCORD trial recruited more than 10,000 older people with Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors. Nearly 3,000 of them participated in the MIND substudy. Their average age was 62 and they had struggled with diabetes for about 10 years, with poor control of blood sugar and blood pressure. The researchers split the cohort in half to test two interventions, one targeting blood pressure and the other, cholesterol. In the hypertension study, half the participants received high-dose medication that dropped systolic pressure below 120 mm Hg, while the other half received standard treatment aiming for the 130-140 mm range. In the cholesterol study, the control group took statins while the rest took statins plus fenofibrate, a drug that further lowers cholesterol and other fats in the blood.

After 40 months of treatment, all participants performed worse on cognitive tests than they had at baseline. There were no significant differences between standard and treatment arms in either study.

More than 500 MIND participants volunteered for MRI as well. These scans showed that whole brain volume shrank over 40 months in all participants, but the intensive blood pressure-intervention group had significantly more atrophy. Although treatment has since ended, the researchers continue to follow the cohort to see if cognitive differences between arms will show up over time, and if such changes will reflect the alterations in brain volume. Participants recently completed 75-month follow-up cognitive tests and brain scans; those results may be available within the year, Williamson told Alzforum.”

http://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/aggressive-hypertension-treatment-accelerates-brain-atrophy-diabetics

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2085525

32,000 “lost” e-mails found

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20150227_Investigators__32_000_IRS_e-mails_found.html

Of course, the election she was trying to swing for Obama is over.

WASHINGTON - Investigators said Thursday that they have recovered 32,000 e-mails related to a former IRS official at the heart of the agency's tea party scandal.  But they don't know how many of them are new.

The e-mails were to and from Lois Lerner, who used to head the IRS division that processes applications for tax-exempt status. In June, the IRS told Congress it had lost an unknown number of Lerner's e-mails when her computer hard drive crashed in 2011.

At the time, IRS officials said the e-mails could not be recovered. But at a congressional hearing Thursday evening, Timothy Camus, IRS deputy inspector general, said investigators recovered thousands of e-mails from old computer tapes used to back up the agency's system.

I wonder is anyone will be prosecuted?  Probably not.  They are Democrats.  They get to lie with impunity.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2015/02/27/investigation-into-irs-scandal-now-a-criminal-probe-n1963260

Not surprisingly, in order to stonewall the congressional investigation into the targeting of conservative groups, IRS officials never asked IT professionals to look into gathering back-up tapes or recovering emails requested by Congress.

Despite IRS Commissioner John Koskinen repeatedly saying under oath in previous hearings that Lerner's emails could not be recovered, Camus and investigators have been successful in recovering nearly 33,000 emails relevant to the IRS investigation.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/lois-lerner-irs-emails-113124.html

It was actually reported in November. But I’m guessing it was known before the election, and news was put on the back burner by media.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/11/21/irs-inspector-general-finds-up-to-30000-of-lois-lerners-e-mails/

The GOP-controlled House oversight and ways and means committees have sought the e-mails as part of their investigations into the IRS targeting scandal, which involved screening nonprofit advocacy groups for deeper review based on their names and policy positions. Most of the affected groups were conservative, although a small number of them were left-leaning.

Republicans have alleged that the Obama administration used the IRS and other enforcement agencies to silence conservative critics during the 2010 and 2012 election cycles, when the targeting occurred.

And to this we add pot

I've had conversations with people whose brains were damaged by alcohol and those who have Alzheimer's, and trust me, there's very little difference. Why are people (usually liberals and libertarians) so eager to see the population further downgrade their intelligence?

http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/news/2014/11/long-term-marijuana-use-affects-brain-function-structure

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201403/heavy-marijuana-use-alters-teenage-brain-structure

The number one song the day I was born

What about you? http://playback.fm/birthday-song

Bad news for smokers—it’s worse than you thought

The study of more than 200,000 people, published this week in BMC medicine, found about 67 percent of smokers perished from smoking-related illness. That rate is higher than doctors previously estimated.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/26/the-terrifying-rate-at-which-smokers-die-from-smoking/

Besides lung cancer, smoking also increases the risk of at least 13 other cancers including cancers of the larynx (voice box), oesophagus (gullet), mouth and pharynx (throat), bladder, pancreas,  kidney,  liver,  stomach,  bowel,  cervix, ovary, nose and sinus, and some types of leukaemia. There is also some evidence that smoking could increase the risk of breast cancer.

Rudy was right

“There is very little that a man with Barack Obama’s views and proclivities should love about the country, beyond the fact that its people are so vulnerable to insipid sentimentality that they twice elected him president.”

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/414112/rudy-right-kevin-d-williamson

Pastor Buba (North American Lutheran Church evangelist)

https://vimeo.com/117041982

Always happy to find his program in English—he travels all over the world.

Just because it’s funny

Health benefits of decaffeinated coffee

Decaf coffee reduces the risk of incurring diabetes.

The high anti-oxidant levels of decaf will protect the cells from damage that can lead to diabetes. The decaffeination process will not eliminate chlorogenic acid which is the substance that helps regulate blood glucose levels

Cancer prevention.

Decaf still contains high levels of anti-oxidants that can prevent conditions associated with the aging process and cancer. Studies show that regular decaf drinkers have reduced risks of incurring colon cancer. For female drinkers, the risks of breast cancer are also reduced.

Decreased risk of heart problems.

Caffeine has been linked to heart conditions like irregular palpitations, heart attacks, and strokes. Since it has been removed, drinkers are less likely to develop any heart conditions

Prevention of mental decline due to old age and Alzheimer's disease.

The polyphenols found in coffee beans are not lost during the decaffeination process. These substances are responsible in boosting the brain's cognitive abilities, thus further improving memory.
These health benefits of decaf coffee cannot be dismissed as mere theories because proofs have been established with the studies that have been conducted. It may not be able to perk anyone up as effectively as regular coffee, but it will ensure good health and long life.

This article also cites sources. http://www.naturalnews.com/041333_decaffeinated_coffee_health_benefits_healthy_beverages.html#ixzz3SyMNOW6T

I resisted giving up regular coffee for years and would order half caf half decaf, but after my hospital stay in the fall of 2013, I gave up all caffeine. Also learned to brew my own, which I've gotten used to. My favorite decaf story: I ordered a cup of 1/2 regular coffee, 1/2 decaf, and the clerk asked if I wanted the decaf on the top or the bottom. This is why we have minimum wage jobs.

Habitual chocolate users perform better

“Cocoa products are particularly rich sources of flavonoids, although this is influenced by the processing during manufacture (19). Due to a high antioxidant capacity, cocoa products have been promoted as having several beneficial properties (mainly cardiovascular). Even very modest consumption of chocolate may significantly contribute to total polyphenol intake (38). However, a recent clinical trial (39) did not find any beneficial effects of short-term (6 wk) dark chocolate and cocoa consumption on cardiovascular outcomes or on neuropsychological tests. In our study, we found that habitual chocolate users performed better in all cognitive tests and had significantly reduced risk for poor test performance in most tests, whereas the mean intake of chocolate among users was as little as <8 g/d. Moreover, a maximum beneficial effect on cognitive performance was gained at a mean intake of chocolate of ∼10 g/d. The real effect of polyphenols in chocolate may be even stronger, because not all chocolates are equally good sources of flavonoids and the type of chocolate consumed was not specified in our study. In the US and Europe, milk chocolate is the most popular form, but this contains less cocoa mass than dark chocolate and therefore contains fewer polyphenols (40).”

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/139/1/120.full

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Cocoa-flavanols-may-improve-elderly-cognitive-function-Mars-study

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2012/02/hot-chocolate.html

Must be dark chocolate, not milk chocolate. I use Hershey’s 100% cocoa with the brown label, not red.

American atheist blogger hacked to death in Bangladesh.

“Avijit Roy was a Bangladesh-born U.S. citizen who proved a prominent critic of ideological hatred in his native country. He and his wife, Rafida Ahmed, were attacked as they returned from a book fair at Dhaka University in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, as the Associated Press reported. Some outlets reported that the weapons used were machetes; others reported cleavers. Roy died at a hospital after the attack. His wife was seriously injured, losing a finger, but survived.” Washington Post.

No word if the killers were Islamic extremists, but the country is 90% Muslim and he urged a secular democracy.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/27/american-atheist-blogger-hacked-to-death-in-bangladesh

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/28/world/asia/bangladeshi-american-blogger-avijit-roy-killed.html?

http://heavy.com/news/2015/02/avijit-roy-dead-killed-murder-stabbed-islamic-critic-funeral-tribute-rip-wife-rafida-bonna/

Age can slow you down

Eugenie Clark, a marine biologist and prolific author credited with profoundly contributing to researchers’ understanding of sharks, has died at age 92.  When she was 85 she told a journalist that she could only dive once a day instead of the 4 or 5 when she was younger.

http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/42287/title/Prominent-Marine-Biologist-Dies/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WIe9FUMYwk

A 20 billion lawsuit against big media shutting out blacks

Sell out Al Sharpton is part of a law suit by blacks in media. http://josephcphillips.com/2015/02/the-future-of-black-media/

“Of course, some of us have known for a long time that Sharpton was a pawn and a sell out, offering his racial blessing for a price. We also knew that for all the appeals to race pride, this administration has been no friend to Black businesses or Black people. We knew that what Sharpton and others care most about is lining their own pockets. What is different is that right now, someone with some clout is speaking out. And speaking loudly. Right now, someone with a record of providing jobs and opportunity to Black people is speaking out. Right now someone who is self made and not a product of “the Right wing” is speaking truth to power. Maybe now someone will listen.”

Fake extra virgin olive oil?

From this health website with which I’m not familiar, comes this warning.  Many brands of olive oil are fake. http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/12300-is-your-olive-oil-lying-about-its-virginity.html  Where is the USDA which consumes billions of our tax dollars to promote safe food and accurate labeling?

Independent tests at the University of California found that 69% of all store-bought extra virgin olive oils in the US are probably fake.(3) This study reported that the following brands failed to meet extra virgin olive oil standards:

• Bertolli
• Carapelli
• Colavita
• Filippo Berio
• Mazzola
• Mezzetta
• Newman’s Own
• Safeway
• Star
• Whole Foods

The same University of California study listed the following brands as having met their standards for being true extra virgin olive oil.

• Corto Olive
• California Olive Ranch
• Kirkland Organic
• Lucero (Ascolano)
• McEvoy Ranch Organic
• Pompeii

Note: although I found the UC Davis Olive Center, I haven’t found the actual study so I can look at it.  It does produce its own olive oil for sale and is industry funded.  That’s not necessarily bad, but should be noted. So now I’m looking through the Olive Center’s FB page.

http://www.boomcalifornia.com/2015/01/new-missionaries/

The latest report on President’s Malaria Initiative

U.S. aid devoted to malaria increased from $149 million in 2000 to $1.2 billion in 2008.
In June 2005, President George W.Bush launched President’s Malaria Initiative PMI, “a major 5-year, $1.2 billion initiative to support a rapid scale-up of malaria prevention and treatment interventions in 15 high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa.The Initiative is led by the U.S.Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented together with the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).When it was launched, the goal of PMI was to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50 percent across the 15 PMI-supported countries through a rapid scale-up of four proven and highly effective malaria prevention and treatment measures: ITNs; IRS; accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment with ACTs; and IPTp. [insect treated nets; indoor residual spraying; artemisinin-based combination therapies;  intermittent preventive treatment of pregnant women . ] http://www.pmi.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/pmi-reports/president's-malaria-initiative-strategy-2015-2020.pdf

But as you can see from this graph in 2012, the rates and deaths from malaria are still much higher than when DDT was allowed.  This chart starts with 1983, and DDT ended in the 1970s after Silent Sprint written by Rachel Carson, a non-scientist, became popular.     She may have killed more people than WWII.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/feb/03/malaria-deaths-research

 http://journalistsresource.org/studies/international/development/global-malaria-mortality-1980-2010-systematic-analysis#sthash.pTcujSy1.dpuf

• Global malaria deaths increased from 995,000 in 1980 to a peak of 1,817,000 in 2004, and then decreased to 1,238,000 in 2010.
• In Africa, malaria deaths increased from 493,000 in 1980 to 1,613,000 in 2004, and then decreased by about 30% in 2010 to 1,133,000. Outside of Africa, malaria deaths have steadily decreased, from 502,000 in 1980 to 104,000 in 2010.
• The majority (65%) of all malaria deaths occur in children under age 15. Individuals ages 15-49 years, 50-69 years, and 70 years or older accounted for 20%, 9% and 6%, respectively, of malaria deaths in 2010.
• Overall, 433,000 more deaths occurred worldwide in individuals aged 5 years or older in 2010 than was suggested by official WHO estimates In 2012 an important research report on malaria was published pointing out serious errors in the tracking of malaria deaths. (The Lancet, “Global Malaria Mortality Between 1980 and 2010: A Systematic Analysis,”) Their figure of 1.2 million deaths for 2010 is nearly double the 655,000 estimated in last year's World Malaria Report.

"You learn in medical school that people exposed to malaria as children develop immunity and rarely die from malaria as adults," said [Christopher] Murray, IHME director and the study's lead author. "What we have found in hospital records, death records, surveys and other sources shows that just is not the case."

Most deaths are still in children, but a fifth are among those aged 15 to 49, 9% are among 50- to 69-year-olds and 6% are in people over 70, so a third of all deaths are in adults. In countries outside sub-Saharan Africa, more than 40% of deaths were in adults.

In Africa, though, the contribution of malaria to children's deaths is higher than had been thought, causing 24% of their deaths in 2008 and not 16% as found by a report by Black and colleagues, whose methodology was used in the World Malaria Report.

The current PMI funding and goals ended with 2014.  The only budget information I found for post 2015 is a draft.  Don’t know if it was approved, but it does report a funding gap.  Since 2009 the funding definitely has not kept up with the initial push.

http://www.pmi.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/tools-curricula/pmi-strategy-2015-2020-draft-for-external-review.pdf?sfvrsn=6

http://reliefweb.int/report/world/president-s-malaria-initiative-strategy-2015-2020

http://www.fightingmalaria.org/

Plans to fight terrorism

The rule of law

Word of the week—reboot

Numerous things have gone wrong here, but I think everything is working again—the car, the garage door, the phone and the TV. Our son (manager of a dealer Quick Serve) put my car up on the rack and found a huge chunk of frozen ice and dirt in the wheel well hitting the tail pipe causing  a loud noise,  and he fixed the “low tire” dash light which had been on for 4 months and inflating the tire didn’t seem to fix it; then the garage door wouldn’t go down when it was 10 below zero, and our son stopped over, got a ladder and unplugged it (rebooted) and it started working (had not gone down during our 2 coldest, below zero nights causing the neighbors to call and remind us to close the door); then the phones stopped working with a message, “no line,” so I thought well, if it worked with the garage door maybe it works with the phone, so I unplugged it, and they started working; then the TV quit, so I couldn’t reach the plug and turned off the surge protector to reboot, and then everything quit even the cable box, but it was working this morning after rebooting.  So the word of the day/week is “reboot.”

I agree with John Kerry, the world today is less violent than the 20th century

John Kerry is wrong about a lot, but I think history proves him correct about the 21st century being safer than the 20th, at least so far, although we’re only 15 years into it. It's aggravating that conservative talkers and news shows jumped on that as somehow downplaying what we face now.  Obama has still made a mess of things--we would have been much safer if he hadn't blown up the pull out from Iraq which allowed ISIS to expand, but at least in 2015, the world is safer than in 1970 or 1944.

"Our citizens, our world today is actually, despite ISIL, despite the visible killings that you see and how horrific they are, we are actually living in a period of less daily threat to Americans and to people in the world than normally, less deaths, less violent deaths today than through the last century." John Kerry

Governments killed their own citizens in the 20th century to the tune of about 100 million--and that's not counting the world wars--and there is nothing around today, not ISIS, Taliban or al-qaeda that can match the cruelty and killing of the Communists of USSR and China, the North Koreans who starved millions of their citizens and the National Socialists of Germany or the Turks who killed millions of Armenian Christians under their control.  I think he said it poorly in light of the current news about various threats, but even a few months a go I blogged on this topic, and I think I was using conservative sources.   The jihadists are trying to build up steam for their Caliphate, but so far are no match for the terror and crime of the 20th century.  Because the Democrats are being eaten from the inside by their own radicals and Communists, Kerry probably doesn't dare mention the history behind those words, or that it was the president [Reagan], the pope [John Paul II] and the prime minister [Thatcher] who made the 21st century safer for all of us by bringing down the Soviet Union.

But, the 20th century looked pretty good and progressive until 1914, so maybe we’ll have to wait and see about it being safer today.  So far, I think we are.

Collard greens soup and baked butternut squash

with a side of black beans and brown rice.  That’s the sort of things I’m eating these days for lunch, along with fat free feta cheese (bleh) and fat free yogurt (also bleh).  (Feta cheese is made with sheep's or goat's milk and it has a bold and tangy flavor. The cheese supplies key vitamins and minerals, but it can also be high in saturated fat and sodium.) The secret to my loosing weight is to not eat things I love and which will encourage my taste buds to ask for more.  I’m a sucker for cheddar cheese, peanut butter, Fritoes and potato chips.  My daughter has been known to accuse me of “grazing” at her house. Also cookies.  Love cookies.  I can avoid candy and cake with no problems. After a week of no weight loss, I finally see a little progress.  I bought a pair of navy slacks Tuesday at VOA for $.50.  They fit great and I think a touch of Lycra and a good brand is the secret to a good fit—like Docker’s or Talbot’s .  I also bought Pendleton blue jeans for $.50 but they are still too tight.  I didn’t know Pendleton even made jeans, but they are awfully nice. About a year ago I had given away all my 8’s and 10’s, so yesterday I took some cotton jeans of various colors and sizes, washed them, and put them in the dryer.  They fit now.  Usually I never put jeans in the dryer.

It wasn’t curried, but this is a possibility.

Parks and Recreation ending and I’ve never heard of it

“The writers worked hard to make sure that not one citizen of the fictional Pawnee, Ind.,was left with a dream unfulfilled. The finale, packed with inside jokes and guest stars, showed multiple flash-forwards of the characters through the years. The end result? Every character ended up exactly where they were meant to be, except about a hundred times better”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/02/25/parks-and-recreation-series-finale-the-wildly-optimistic-show-stays-true-to-its-roots/

Net Neutrality is a "Solution That Won't Work to a Problem That Doesn't Exist"

Ajit Pai is an oustpoken opponent of expanding government control of the internet, including FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's plan to regulate Internet Service Providers (ISPs) under the same Title II rules that are used to govern telephone-service providers as public utilities. Under current FCC regulations, ISPs are considered providers of "information services" and subject to essentially no federal regulation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqnnsFiiIwY

Bye, bye internet freedoms

In a commentary, “Neutralize Obama’s Hijacking of the Internet”, Judi McLeod, the editor of CanadaFreePress.com, said “Forget NSA, the FBI, the CIA, and all warnings sent by Edward Snowden. They’ve got nothing on how Net Neutrality will silence you.”

“Someday in the near future when you type in the words “Islamic terrorists” in an Internet post, you will be knocked off the Net and find it all but impossible to climb back on again.”

Both ObamaCare and “Obamanet” submit huge industries to complex regulations. Their supporters say the new rules had to be passed before anyone could read them. But at least ObamaCare claimed it would solve long-standing problems. Obamanet promises to fix an Internet that isn’t broken.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/l-gordon-crovitz-from-internet-to-obamanet-1424644324

Stacy Dash hasn’t changed her mind

“I didn’t know anything about [Obama] when I voted for him in 2008. My choice to do so was purely because he was black,” she admitted. “Naively, I thought he would be the right person for the job but unfortunately it didn’t turn out that way. Obama had the opportunity to really unite this country in such a profound way, but instead he has done the opposite. We are so divided right now, everything has become about race, more than I’ve ever known in my lifetime.”

Stacey Dash, a black actress,  was quoted in Huffington Post in 2012 as supporting Romney, and admitted to Fox News (and again today) that she voted for Obama because he was black and sincerely hoped he would bring the country together.  Her Twitter account was swamped with hate.  It’s hard for blacks to live outside the Democrat party.  I’ve yet to see a conservative black guest/talking head on any show not say he/she voted for Obama with that hope.  They are admitting those hopes have been dashed. (Pardon the pun).

An Iraqi-Assyrian speaks out after the burning of the Mosul public library

“When ISIS first attacked Mosul, we Assyrians living in America protested and begged for help. We have lived as a minority in Iraq for hundreds of years, we have faced oppression, but when ISIS came we knew this was unlike anything we have ever faced before. Far worse than anything Saddam himself could have imagined. People counter protested us said it was not America's problem, citing the Iraq war. This is nothing like the Iraq war and I think now people are starting to understand why it is our problem. This isn't some backwards, stupid terrorist group. The leader of ISIS is CIA trained; he is smart unlike anything I've ever seen in the middle east before, and he wants to establish a caliphate. He won't stop until he wipes out the US and other westerners off the map. Now, he may very well be in absolutely no position to do that ever, but at the rate he is going he will be strong enough to cause us a lot of problems very soon.” Commenter at the article on burning the library, a Christian church and a theater.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/isis-burns-8000-rare-books-030900856.html

“The library was looted in 2003 and the citizens of Mosul restored it. During the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the library was looted and destroyed by mobs. However, the people living nearby managed to save most of its collections and rich families bought back the stolen books and they were returned to the library, All Faraj added.”

I lay the ISIS problems—the killing, torture and building of the caliphate--at the feet of President Obama, who could have prevented all this loss by leaving minimal armed U.S. military in the country.  ISIS flooded in even before our pull out which had conveniently been announced with a time table. And if he were a secret Muslim, what would be different? As it is, he is just another just-us social justice Christian.