Look where “wantedness” got us. 55 million dead.

Amy Grant at Lakeside, June 29

A great concert by Amy Grant last night at Hoover Auditorium in Lakeside. Except for a few of her Christian favorites popular early in her career, it was a secular concert for some very loyal fans. Can't believe she's 52. She must work out. She has great rapport with her audience and seemed to genuinely enjoy Lakeside. We were packed in cheek to jowl, and the doors opened at 7:30 (for 8:15 concert).

Lakeside Foundation had a dinner last night where we were updated on last year's projects (splash park and memorial garden) and the upcoming plans for the lakefront. $688,000 was raised in 2012, and the goal now is $700,000. We sat with 3 other couples, married in 1950, 1957, and 1960. Among us we had 222 years of marriage. I thought that might be a record, but looked over at the next table and I'm sure they were over 240.

Greenland is huge!

Have you ever looked at a globe or map – Greenland is enormous, and it only has about 56,000 people.  Right after WWII the U.S. offered to buy Greenland from Denmark for $100 million, but no deal.  We could have had 51 states!

 

Between 1989 and 1993, U.S. and European climate researchers drilled into the summit of Greenland's ice sheet, obtaining a pair of 3 km (1.9 mi) long ice cores. Analysis of the layering and chemical composition of the cores has provided a revolutionary new record of climate change in the Northern Hemisphere going back about 100,000 years, and illustrated that the world's weather and temperature have often shifted rapidly from one seemingly stable state to another, with worldwide consequences.^[46] The glaciers of Greenland are also contributing to a rise in the global sea level at a faster rate than was previously believed.^[47] Between 1991 and 2004, monitoring of the weather at one location (Swiss Camp) showed that the average winter temperature had risen almost 6 °C (11 °F).^[48] Other research has shown that higher snowfalls from the North Atlantic oscillation caused the interior of the ice cap to thicken by an average of 6 cm or 2.36 in/yr between 1994 and 2005.^[49]

Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland

 

 

Insurance for what? Votes.

And Paula Deen gets fired for what she said decades ago?

First, Minnesota State Rep. Ryan Winkler calls Justice Clarence Thomas an "Uncle Tom." Now MSNBC contributor has jumped in comparing the Justice to a Nazi. One thing about the far Left: Their blood-dripping hatred of minority conservatives knows no bounds.(Flyover Country)

Because he agreed that a 1965 voting law has outlived its legitimate lifespan, Justice Clarence Thomas is akin to a Jewish Nazi collaborator.  Michael Dyson -- a Georgetown professor -- explicitly invokes the holocaust in drawing his comparison. Appalling. Host Martin Bashir responds to this venom with a calm "thank you."

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/msnbcs-michael-eric-dyson-on-clarence-thomas-symbolic-jew-who-sided-with-hitler-to-commit-genocide/

I hope you can see the double standard.  If not, you are a Democrat.

Two large silver maples lost in one week

It’s been a bad week for silver maples at Lakeside.  The one on the lakefront was rotten inside, and the one at Second and Peach had a wide but not deep root system.

This home was a classic Dutch Colonial style, with mansard roof.  Air conditioner in the bedroom window  was still running when I walked past on Sunday morning. The tree appeared to be held up by the bark.

The angle at which it fell missed the house and little porch in the front.  Hollyhocks still blooming.  It fell Thursday evening during a storm. Also missed the house across the street.

The root system was very broad, but not deep.  Seemed to be on solid rock.

Rules, rules and more rules

We have a new baby pool and children’s splash park at Lakeside.  Lots of rules for parents to follow.

Evan Sayet on liberals

“Evan Sayet: How Modern Liberals Brainwash People Into Hating America” http://bit.ly/19xMqv7

Religious freedom and the founders

The founding fathers spoke eloquently, passionately, and frequently about the importance of religiously grounded morality to the success of their new republic. They provided governmental aid for religion in a variety of ways. The current effort to exclude religious perspectives and ideals and ensure a naked, ideologically "neutral" public square is at odds with their views, the history of our country, and the well-being of our society--a society that still, in many ways, sees itself as a "nation on a hill." Gary Scott Smith, Christian History, Iss. 102, p. 31.

The founders believed in religious liberty, not in kicking out religion. Fortunately, after Massachusetts and Connecticut set aside state churches, religion, primarily Christianity, flourished and Christians tackled slavery eventually abolishing it, creating public schools for factory children, closing saloons and ridding communities of public drunkenness, creating penitentiaries to replace cruel physical punishments for crimes, demanding rights for women so they could retain custody of their children, establishing the first public libraries, and pushing literacy for all so all could read the scriptures. Now Christians are in the forefront of saving the unborn, in a country that is disparaging marriage with a birth rate below replacement level. We weren't on the wrong side on those other issues, and we're on the right side now.

Families of Seal Team VI file law suit

Seal Team 6 families file $200 million law suit against Biden and Panetta and others. “It is hypocritical and outrageous that while the Obama Justice Department can criminally charge Edward Snowden for allegedly disclosing classified national security information and wage an international manhunt for his arrest, Biden and Panetta get off scot free for their callous, cynical, opportunistic illegal release of the identity of SEAL Team VI in the Bin Laden killing – allegedly orchestrated to boost President Obama’s and Vice President Biden’s reelection prospects in the months leading up to the 2012 November 6 election. This underscores how the nation’s ‘leaders’ in Washington are not held to the same standards as are other citizens. It therefore falls upon the families of Navy SEAL Team VI and special ops servicemen to seek justice in the civil courts, as Biden and Panetta are ‘not above the law.’ The hard reality is that Biden and Panetta are alive ‘feasting’ on their ‘political notoriety,’ power, and wealth, while the brave heroes who gave their lives for our nation’s security are dead, thanks to them! “ Gerard Direct, June 27, 2013.

Their deaths in Afghanistan was the subject of a one hour special on Glenn Beck last evening, which featured the story and families of 2 of the men. It was excellent.  Some of the best TV out there is produced by Glenn Beck’s company.

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130627-906917.html

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, four families of Navy SEAL Team VI and special ops forces brought suit in federal court in Washington, D.C. (Case No. 13-cv-974) over the death of their sons, whose helicopter was shot down by Taliban jihadists on August 6, 2011 in Afghanistan. Among those who died in the crash were 16 Navy SEALs and 8 special ops servicemen, including the sons of Charles Strange, Doug and Shaune Hamburger, Sidh Douangdara, and Billy and Karen Vaughn.

As alleged in the complaint, the disclosures of classified information by Vice President Biden and then newly sworn-in Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta that SEAL Team VI was responsible for the killing of Osama Bin Laden, put a "target on the backs" of the now fallen heroes and their families. Predictably, the Taliban retaliated by blasting the helicopter out of the air and killing all on board.

The George Zimmerman trial

If Trayvon Martin had been Hispanic, would you have ever heard of this tragedy? Or if he'd been white? Or if George Zimmerman was black? The media chase these things. Here in NW Ohio we're watching another murder trial. Victim is a black baby girl, killed in a drive by shooting and her 2 year old sister was wounded but survived. But it's local news, not national. There's no one to agitate because the men who killed her are also black. http://www.northwestohio.com/news/story.aspx?id=914545

Act like a pinata, GOP

We can save both babies and women

Designs by Birgit.

Natural wood repair

I haven’t tried this yet, but someone on FB says, “Naturally Repair Wood With Vinegar and Canola Oil. So, for a super cheap, use 3/4 cup of oil, add 1/4 cup vinegar. white or apple cider vinegar, mix it in a jar, then rub it into the wood. You don’t need to wipe it off; the wood just soaks it in.

We have a maple dresser here in Lakeside that could use some help.  I’ll let you know.

Many women choose based on gender

If we can't give them "liberty and the pursuit of happiness" at the fetal stage, I'd settle for life.

A noose of snooping gets tighter and more expansive

If there were ever a federal agency misnamed, it’s the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

“(Washington, DC) - Judicial Watch announced today that it has obtained records from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) revealing that the agency has spent millions of dollars for the warrantless collection and analysis of Americans' financial transactions. The documents also reveal that CFPB contractors may be required to share the information with "additional government entities."

The records were obtained pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed on April 24, 2013, following the April 23 Senate Banking Committee testimony of CFPB Director Richard Cordray. The documents uncovered by Judicial Watch include:

Overlapping contracts with multiple credit reporting agencies and accounting firms to gather, store, and share credit card data as shown in the task list of a contract with Argus Information & Advisory Services LLC worth $2.9 million

Deloitte Consulting: solicitation issue date 11/30/2011, award effective date 05/29/2012;

Argus: solicitation issue date 02/14/2012, award effective date 03/15/2012;

Experian: solicitation issue date 07/03/2012, award effective date 09/24/2012

An "indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity" contract with Experian worth up to $8,426,650 to track daily consumer habits of select individuals without their awareness or consent

$4,951,333 for software and instruction paid to Deloitte Consulting LLP

A provision stipulating that "The contractor recognizes that, in performing this requirement, the Contractor may obtain access to non-public, confidential information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), or proprietary information."

A stipulation that "The Contractor may be required to share credit card data collected from the Banks with additional government entities as directed by the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)."

The full extent of the CFPB personal financial data collection program is revealed in a document obtained by Judicial Watch entitled "INDEFINITE-DELIVERY INDEFINITY-QUANTITY (IDIQ) STATEMENT OF WORK." According to the IDIQ document's stated Objective: "The CFPB seeks to acquire and maintain a nationally representative panel of credit information on consumers for use in a wide range of policy research projects... The panel shall be a random sample of consumer credit files obtains from a national database of credit files."

To accomplish this objective, the CFPB describes the scope of the program accordingly:

The panel shall include 5 million consumers, and joint borrowers, co-signers, and authorized users [emphasis added]. The initial panel shall contain 10 years of historical data on a quarterly basis [emphasis added]. The initial sample shall be drawn from current records and historical data appended for that sample as well as additional samples during the intervening years [emphasis added] to make the combines sample representative at each point in time.

The CFPB data collection program has been highly controversial since the April 2013 hearing, when Cordray disclosed elements of the venture at a Senate Banking Committee hearing. At the time, the US Chamber of Commerce accused the CFPB of breaking the law by demanding the account-level data without a warrant or National Security Letter.”

http://washingtonexaminer.com/feds-collecting-personal-confidential-data-on-consumers-credit-cards-bank-transactions/article/2532467

The IRS will be in charge of our health needs

And this is what we will get.

Remember, Krauthammer is a psychiatrist. He doesn’t throw these words around the way other political commentators might.

 

Snowden and Davis

We have strange heroes these days. Edward Snowden and Wendy Davis. Texas State Senator Wendy Davis, the woman they are cheering and admiring her shoes: "The law that Wendy Davis and her fellow “pro-science” acolytes so bravely stood against would have rendered it illegal to kill the child after this point [after 20 weeks]. And when I say kill, I mean kill. I mean break bones, rip apart limbs, crush skulls, drain fluids, still a beating heart, annihilate a brain that is capable of dreaming, and crush a nervous system. I mean: Kill. As David Freddoso put it yesterday, “Wendy Davis can now say, When the moment came to stand up for smashing the life out of a baby 6 mos into pregnancy, I was up to the task.” This is not an accomplishment of which she should be proud." http://www.nationalreview.com/article/352146/stand-death-charles-c-w-cooke/page/0/1

Paula Deen and the race card

"Yet, here is the reality: Deen told the truth about her past. Knowing everything: her empire, her contracts, and sponsorships were at stake–she told the truth. She was more honest under oath than at least 3 US Presidents, several dozen Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, and Non-Denominational preachers and countless business leaders. Unlike the Pope, Joe Paterno, or Donald Trump, she acknowledged she hadn’t always gotten it right but that she and her company was committed to doing it better and were doing better."

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/mariadixonhall/2013/06/saying-grace-paula-deen-progressives-and-race/

The SCOTUS DOMA Decision by the Numbers

Sharing this analysis of the SCOTUS decisions 'by the numbers':

50 The number of states whose marriage laws remain the same after the Court’s marriage decisions.

38 The number of states with laws defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. That includes California, where the scope of today’s Prop 8 decision beyond the specific plaintiffs will be the subject of ongoing debate and, most likely, further litigation.

12 The number of states that can now force the federal government to recognize their redefinition of marriage. The Court struck Section 3 of DOMA, which means that it must recognize same-sex marriages in states that redefine marriage.

1 The number of sections of the Defense of Marriage Act struck down yesterday (Section 3). Section 2, which ensures that no state will be forced to recognize another state’s redefinition of marriage, is still law.

0 The number of states forced to recognize other states’ redefinition of marriage.

Seen at Maggie Thurber’s Face Book page.

Saturday night program at Lakeside, Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood

We had a great time at the opening program at Lakeside, June 23. Laughed ourselves silly. Sat with an OSU colleague from my library days, Lynda, and she took our photo. We’re really not that pale—the flash washed out what color we do have.

New Lakeside logo is wisely withdrawn

Although I'm not sure how a logo unveiled a few days ago became "iconic" (there are 3 buildings in Lakeside with a southwest mission style architecture from which the logo was drawn), but most didn't think it should replace the cross, which had 140 years history here. But this should save the expense of a copyright infringement case by Taco Bell.  Besides, “maize and blue” are not popular in Ohio.

 

For the coal miners union that supported Obama

I attended 2 Shakespeare lectures today by Ruth Gerrard Cole. Heard a great line for the coal miners who supported Obama. "Made I him king for this?"

“The only thing bold about a carbon tax is how much it would cost Americans and how little the environmental benefits they would gain in return. Even if America stopped all carbon emissions—no cars, trains, or planes; no factories, homes, or businesses that run on anything other than nuclear electricity; no manufacturing of plastics, which use oil as a feedstock, and so on—the global temperature would decrease by 0.08 degrees Celsius by 2050."

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/06/21/climate-change-the-cost-of-bold-action/

On DOMA

• If marriage isn't about one man and one woman, it is also NOT about two people--and this battle will continue for "equal rights and benefits." Could be 5 or more, or people related by blood (2 sisters and their first cousin), or people of a certain age (14 year old student and 32 year old teacher), or one person already being married wanting some legal status for the lover, or one or both having a serious disease, or anything that history has devised to protect the continuance of the human race. And then there's the divorce laws...imagine wife number 3 deciding she wants out of the clan and her share of the estate and the children she has birthed or cared for.

• There are thousands of laws concerning marriage and children. The GLBT community had an opportunity to go with something different without all those economic and political entanglements. But they wanted to be on the Me Too Train.

A little humor

Dismal news on the Middle East

Yesterday’s Chautauqua lecture at Lakeside was on the Middle East, specifically the Arab uprisings of 2011. Although a liberal academic (but I repeat), Lebanese American professor at Case Western Pete W. Moore gave one of the best and most balanced presentations I’ve heard on the subject, and of course, two years have passed in which they’ve been able to evaluate Morsi of Egypt and adjust for religion, poverty, government control, etc.  He was excellent in pointing out the differences among the many fighting factions of Islamists.  Also, since the situation has now been Obama’s for almost 6 years, there was only one mention of Bush, and the unspoken blame for our role in the increasingly explosive middle eastern battles and civil wars was squarely on our current administration (which is Bush-lite if you are on the right, and Bush on steroids if you are on the left).  But he gave one interesting example of how irresponsible behavior higher up affects the young.  He said 80% of the male citizens of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) do not finish high school.  They are virtually illiterate in Arabic except for speaking it.  They have been coddled by both their parents and their government, which will provide them with a cushy, do-nothing government job.  The citizens are so wealthy that all meaningful labor is imported, and those people have no rights at all.  It is a mirror image of what the United States does to its low income and welfare classes. He showed genuine grief in what is happening to the Syrian culture, a country where he has spent some time.  He talked some of their minority populations, many different Christian groups that have lived side by side with Muslims for centuries, and how they support Assad and will probably be wiped out if the Islamists succeed. The income level and education level in all these countries differ as does the type of government ranging from elected, to monarchy to dictator.  But what has happened in recent years is “rising expectations,” and a growing sense of being humiliated by their leaders and the very wealthy classes.  He also posted the trillions we’ve spent since 1979 in the area for the military and aid, including aid to Israel. Today’s lecture will be on Europe.

Modern medicine confirms biblical principles, again

JAMA Pediatrics 2013; 167(4):217-222

One hundred six (106) 10th grade high schools students who were fluent in English and free of chronic illnesses volunteered weekly with elementary school aged children for 2 months vs. a control group that did not but were on a waiting list (so their hearts were in the right place, so to speak).  After 4 months, they were tested and their cardiovascular risk facts had been reduced, compared to the control group.

The study suggests that those who increased the most in empathy and altruistic behavior also decreased the most in negative mood, and thus improved their cardiovascular risk profile.

The only problem I have with the study is the concept of “volunteering” now used in public schools.  It is required in many schools and thus is hardly volunteering.

Proverbs 11:17;  A man who is kind benefits himself,  but a cruel man hurts himself.”

This will be my summer reading—The Greater Journey

For our first meeting in the fall, our book club group usually choses the largest one, and McCullough always writes whoppers. I love non-fiction, and this one sounds fascinating.

In The Greater Journey, he tells the enthralling, inspiring—and until now, untold—story of the adventurous American artists, writers, doctors, politicians, and others who set off for Paris in the years between 1830 and 1900, hungry to learn and to excel in their work. What they achieved would profoundly alter American history.

Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female doctor in America, was one of this intrepid band. Another was Charles Sumner, whose encounters with black students at the Sorbonne inspired him to become the most powerful voice for abolition in the U.S. Senate. Friends James Fenimore Cooper and Samuel F. B. Morse worked unrelentingly every day in Paris, Morse not only painting what would be his masterpiece, but also bringing home his momentous idea for the telegraph. Harriet Beecher Stowe traveled to Paris to escape the controversy generated by her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Three of the greatest American artists ever—sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, painters Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent—flourished in Paris, inspired by French masters.

Almost forgotten today, the heroic American ambassador Elihu Washburne bravely remained at his post through the Franco-Prussian War, the long Siege of Paris, and the nightmare of the Commune. His vivid diary account of the starvation and suffering endured by the people of Paris is published here for the first time.

Telling their stories with power and intimacy, McCullough brings us into the lives of remarkable men and women who, in Saint-Gaudens’ phrase, longed “to soar into the blue.”

                  

Some pro-abortion folks just don’t get it

"From the stage at the recent Women Deliver conference, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s daughter Chelsea revealed that her much-admired maternal grandmother was the child of unwed teenage parents who “did not have access to services that are so crucial that Planned Parenthood helps provide.”

Chelsea’s grandmother was born of an unintended pregnancy. And new research shows that her family is not alone in treasuring a person who – if Planned Parenthood had been successful – would not have been born."

Seems like she hasn't put it together that if her maternal grandmother had been aborted that she, and her mother too, wouldn't be here. Wonder if NBC is proud of their 'Rock Center' "special correspondent" now? Actually, they probably are.

http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/20/chelsea-clinton-laments-my-grandmother-did-not-have-access-to-planned-parenthood/

Oven baked chicken breasts

MELT IN YOUR MOUTH CHICKEN

1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup Greek yogurt -plain
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Spread mixture over chicken breasts, bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes

Oven baked Tacos

It looks like you have to guess at the amounts. 

(from Facebook)

Brown your ground beef and drain completely - then add refried beans, taco seasoning and about half a can of tomato sauce. Mix together and scoop into taco shells, (stand them up in a casserole dish).

Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

The Gang of Eight plan

Any immigration plan the Republicans come up with that is enthusiastically accepted by Democrats, and especially the President is a trick. Democrats are not necessarily smarter than Republicans, but they certainly are sneakier, and have a bigger bag of tricks. They have been pulling this scam about how they care about the little guy and the poor for so long, while lynching blacks, passing Jim Crow laws, aborting babies that could live outside the womb, keeping the poor out of their neighborhoods with strict zoning and EPA, and condemning generations to live the welfare plantation, that one could assume we have a very dumb electorate. One of their favorite heroes is FDR who kept the country in a Depression for almost a decade and imprisoned Americans according to their race.

Ask yourself why Democrats want lax border security, or no borders. Who benefits? Unions? Big business? Mexico? Democrat voter rolls? Why are rules or fences different than check points that currently exist between all countries?

Reread the 1986 immigration law that they say doesn't work. Enforcement is the key. It provides for guest workers, border security, rules for employers so American labor doesn't suffer, amnesty for "3 million" and guess what the Democrats got--amnesty for those already here.

Shopping for summer clothes

I found some bargains at Volunteers of America yesterday.  I bought two colorful summer skirts and three tops that will work with both skirts.  The tops all have sleeves, which is important for 2 reasons—upper arms aren’t what they used to be, and many restaurants and meeting rooms run the AC too high (also nice for walks at night along the lake.

                       

This outfit cost under $4.00. The sandals, however, are new—Sears, and will only work if I don’t plan on a lot of walking.

I also found a pretty Longaberger plate of a little girl looking for shells on the beach for $2.92.  I’ll keep that at the lake house.

               

Friday family photo—Lakeside

Nice article in the WSJ about Lakeside and the other Chautauqua communities. When my parents were young children, there were traveling Chautauquas that settled for about 2 weeks at camp grounds near their homes. There was one in Franklin Grove, IL, and one in Dixon, IL (with permanent buildings), and although my parents didn't know each other then, they both attended the one closest to their home. The photo with the hollyhocks is from the end of our street.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323393804578555481007477890.html?utm_source=The+Wall+Street+Journal+2013&utm_campaign=Wall+Street+Journal+2013&utm_medium=archive

The one in Dixon: “Rock River Assembly was formed in 1887 to train Sunday school teachers in an outdoor education format. The first, formed in 1874 at Chautauqua Lake in New York State, was the model for many Chautauquas throughout the United States. Classes in art, bible study, gymnastics and oratory were included in the curriculum along with games and outdoor activities.

Visitors enjoyed a large hotel, a Bible hall, a Sunday School and a bath house. Many rented tents for their stay. World renowned speakers and star performers both enlightened and entertained large audiences.”

The peak year of the traveling chautauqua was 1924 when over 10,000 little midwestern towns hosted over 40 million people who came to be educated, entertained and uplifted. (American Midwest, 2007, p. 692). In fact, this is where I first heard of the Chautauqua movement because my grandparents had helped with the local organization. I didn’t know there were permanent Chautauqua sites like Lakeside, Bay View, Boulder, and Lake Chautauqua, NY until we first visited Lakeside.

Did you help reelect Obama?

An Associated Press article said: "Since World War II, 10 U.S. recessions have been followed by a recovery that lasted at least three years. An Associated Press analysis shows that by just about any measure, the one that began in June 2009 is the weakest.  Economic growth has never been weaker in a postwar recovery. Consumer spending has never been so slack. Only once has job growth been slower. More than in any other post-World War II recovery, people who have jobs are hurting: Their paychecks have fallen behind inflation."  According to Wall Street Journal economist Stephen Moore, "We've had the worst, by far -- not by a little bit, by far -- the worst recovery from a recession since the Great Depression."

Thanks, Democrats.

If they won’t tell you the risks, I will

The National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and other cancer non-profit/research organizations won't tell the public about the high risks to women for breast cancer, hormonal changes that affect their immune system and sex drive, and suicide caused by abortion and contraception. They won't tell the public about the risk for premature babies with altered health outcomes.

But I will.

Hormonal contraceptives affect women’s preferences in men and their children’s immune system. http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/275/1652/2715.full

Early, pre-term babies http://www.jogc.com/abstracts/full/201302_Obstetrics_5.pdf

Increased health risks for  babies

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22933527

Triple negative breast cancer risk

http://authors.fhcrc.org/236/1/MaloneKCEBP030909.pdf

The Democrat policy of pushing contraception and abortion even on very young girls is not only a war on the unborn, particularly African Americans, it is also a war on women's health.

Obama again dabbles in someone else’s business—Irish education this time

The best schools in Ireland are historically Catholic, and their Constitution supports "choice" by also funding Protestant schools.  At the rate Irish Catholics are abandoning their roots, I don't think Protestants need to worry if they send their kids to a Catholic school.  Obama needs to stay out of local affairs, whether it is his buddy and the Boston police, or schools in Ireland, or squabbles between a Muslim dictator and Muslim al-qaeda rebels.

If Obama thinks it is divisive for Catholics and Protestants to have separate schools, does he also think private schools like where his daughters and the children of other politicians attend because of their parents' wealth are divisive?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/kathyschiffer/2013/06/obama-calls-for-end-to-catholic-education-in-northern-ireland/

“If towns remain divided,” said the U.S. President, “if Catholics have their schools and buildings and Protestants have theirs, if we can’t see ourselves in one another and fear or resentment are allowed to harden—that too encourages division and discourages cooperation.”

Obama, who arrived in Northern Ireland this morning to attend the two-day G-8 Summit at the Lough Erne resort in Enneskillen, made the disproved claim on Monday, speaking before an audience which included many Catholics. -

In the Irish constitution, “State aid for schools cannot discriminate between schools of different religious denominations. Every child has the right to attend a denominational school receiving State funding without having to participate in religious instruction in the school.”

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/irish_constitution_1/constitution_fundamental_rights.html

What does she say in confession?

Nancy Pelosi supports abortion after 22 weeks and calls the recent House bill to let babies live, "disgraceful." She claims to be a "practicing and respectful Catholic." Sorry, ma'am, that would make you a Protestant. We get to declare own personal beliefs are above the church, scripture and tradition; you don't.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/pelosi-banning-abortion-post-22-weeks-disrespectful-women

The irony of Obama’s speech in the former East Germany—behind a very thick wall

From the east side of the Brandenburg Gate, President Obama gave an extraordinary speech today sketching out his plans for a new global order in which traditional national security interests will be replaced by a collective approach to everything from global warming to nuclear weapon capability.

The irony, of course, is that President Obama was free to stand on the formerly-Soviet side of the Brandenburg Gate and opine about global peace with justice because of the strength of the very nuclear arsenal he now proposes to dismantle. While the President claimed today that at the end of the Cold War, “Openness won. Tolerance won. And freedom won here in Berlin,” the reality is that the United States of America won. The Berlin wall did not come down simply because the German people dreamed of freedom. The Berlin came wall down because an American President distilled his policy towards the Soviet Union into a simple formula: “We win, they lose.”

If history be our guide, although the notion of “peace with justice” that the President mentioned ten times in his speech may sound appealing, we will be far better served by President Reagan’s policy of “peace through strength,” which cannot be achieved by appeasement or yet another round of nuclear cuts by the Obama administration.

Guest blogger Murray tours the home town—Mt. Morris, Illinois

Our favorite home town hasn’t changed much. On my first bike trip around the town after winter in Florida I did take note of the fact that the residents do a damn good job of keeping their homes up. Thank goodness for vinyl siding. There are some in a state of disrepair or abandoned, but considering the situation the town looks pretty neat. Whitmer, who farms the field back of our house, usually alternates between corn and soybeans but has elected to go for the ethanol crop again this year. The land around the airport outside of the village that had 5 acre lots for sale has utilized the land for an ethanol crop also while waiting for lot sales to pick up. We now have a new Dollar General Store located just before you get to the trailer court on Rt. 64. This was badly needed as the little discount store located in the old Brass Rail closed down after a year or so of opening although there is a sign painted on the window glass, "New Business Coming."  I stopped by on my bike trip and was able to talk to the owners. They are going to modify the store with a lunch counter and gift shop. They are aiming to reopen during the 4th so drop in. They are located in the old Brass Rail. Unfortunately, we lost the remaining ( Hough) hardware store that has been one of the town's mainstays. That store building plus the old Hough house is for sale. Probably the best news is the Kable Printing Company's building has been sold by Quad Graphics to a business out in California. It's my understanding this business does not operate any type of business of their own. They buy property, renovate it and rent or resell it to others. Part of the selling contract allows for Quad to use it for storage for 3 years. After that, hopefully Mt. Morris will see a new business startup. Here's the story: http://www.oglecountynews.com/2013/04/26/quad-graphics-plant-in-mt-morris-purchased-by-california-company-few-details-available/asa5iy0/

Our golf course is doing well and is in great shape so if you visit bring your clubs and call me cause I'm still whacking the ball around. Right now they are busy getting ready for the 32nd annual Old Home Week Golf Tournament. They are calling it the 32nd but I remember playing in it back in the 60's and 70's. Click here for tournament info: http://sunsetgolfmm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013-Old-Home-Week-Entry-Form.pdf. The group from the Rockford Country Club did not sign up this year therefore leaving the tournament a few teams short. Some of the area courses aren't doing as well as Sunset. Oregon Country Club has been sold and is currently closed. The new owner is trying to resell it as a golf course. Good luck with that one. Silver Ridge closed last fall but has a new owner this spring and is open for play. Sterling Country Club closed and was sold. It is now farmland. Looks like more ethanol on line. As of now I don't know what's holding the Polo course together. Dixon and Lost Nation are still going along with Prairie View in Byron.

In spite of the fact that small town America is disappearing, Mt. Morris refuses to give up on it's traditions and way of life. They held their memorial day festivities as usual with a good turnout at the Band shell and Memorial fountain. The Band shell has been renovated complete with a cement pad to hold the new park benches out front. The Kable Band has given concerts for the last 117 years. Click here: http://www.mtmorrisil.net/Blank.html Somebody needs to call Guinness on this....could be a record! And of course, as many of the natives count on, our annual 4th of July celebration will draw people back home from all over the country. I'll be at my usual spot out in front of the old Brass Rail hopefully along with the usual old friends that annually check each other out during the parade. If you come bring a few tall tales to add to the ones you'll be hearing from the "old regulars" They have a million of them that get better each year!

The Blackhawk statue is soliciting for donations for badly needed renovations. You can help. Go here for information about the restoration: http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1503808519/Summer-2014-repair-expected-for-Black-Hawk-statue-in-Oregon#axzz2WO4dE7M4

Pinecrest Manor continues to expand it's facilities. Everybody's little buddy Jimmy "Lil' Pete" Smith from the class of '55 is now a resident. Besides the facilities to house the elderly requiring assistance, they now have a small village of their own called Pinecrest Grove. The plans call for 42 duplex homes with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms. They already have 10 built with 4 of them sold. They really look nice and the prices range from $50,000 to $167,000 depending on the type of "plan" you subscribe to. Click here to have a peek. http://www.pinecrestcommunity.org/lifestyle/pinecrest-grove

The biggest bummer is our main drag. Starting at the corner of Wesley & Center going north there are 10 store fronts in the first block with 3 empty. Not too bad. But, the next block that includes Felkers Drug is completely void of any businesses. The final block shows Zickuhr's Corner Drug empty and with just a tavern plus gas station. (Dewey's old place) The recent closing of the  old hardware store renders that side of the block empty now . So the heart of the town is pretty quiet most days.

Here are other websites that will provide you with just about anything you want to know about your favorite hometown:

http://www.mtmorrisil.net/Tourism.html

http://www.mtmorrisil.net/Mt_Morris_Updated_Businesses_6-25-12.pdf

They did the boss’s bidding

So they got their bonuses.  During the last election they managed to really cool down conservative donors and board members with threats and audits.  Works every time.  The big guy was reelected.

Checking on the non-profits

Probably someone should look into charitable non-profits.  But maybe not waste IRS resources on the mom and pop tea party groups the IRS was harassing.  How about the largest public charity in the country, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan.  The CEO George Halvorson makes about $8 million a year (2009). Kaiser paid its six top executives a combined $16.6 million (2009) and provided them with executive perks like first class air travel, forgivable home loans, and multiple pension and bonus plans. Of the top 10 public charities, 8 were health systems.  I'm guessing they are all on board for Obamacare. Non-profits are very profitable and have a revolving door with the government.

http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/412228-nonprofit-government-contracting.pdf

http://nccs.urban.org/statistics/quickfacts.cfm

10 important points about the Senate immigration bill S.744

Sara Brenner suggests you keep these 10 points in mind.

1. This bill is amnesty. In 1986 we saw what happened. The 3 million illegals were given amnesty with a promise that the borders would be secured later. The borders never were secured, and we now have at least 11 million illegal immigrants. . .

2. Democrats want this for politics. Senator Chuck Schumer said that if there is not citizenship (i.e., voting rights), there cannot be reform. Why not? Why must the illegals be given citizenship, and is that even what they want? . . .If they wanted citizenship, they know how to come through the front door.

3. Latinos will not support the Republican Party if the Senate immigration bill is passed. Senator Ted Cruz today explained a poll recently taken in Texas. Among voting Latinos, 68% support more border security — they want to make sure that legal immigration (the immigration they had to go through if they’re voting) is what is furthered in this country. In addition, Cruz explained that 46% of Latino voters in Texas supported a work permit without citizenship and only 35% supported a pathway to citizenship. Over 40% of Latinos in Texas voted for Ted Cruz in the Texas Senate race, the race in which he was very clear that he did not support amnesty. Rather, he supports legal immigration.

4. Republicans will not win by passing the Senate immigration bill. In fact, if the Republicans would take a firm, predictable stance on immigration, Latinos who are citizens would likely be supportive, according to the above poll numbers and Cruz’s own race. What the illegals think is irrelevant — they aren’t citizens, and they aren’t voting (yet).

5. The House does not have to bring this bill to the floor. Congressman Trey Gowdy is working on his own immigration bill. According to his official web site, the “Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act, the SAFE Act, introduced by Immigration Subcommittee Chair Trey Gowdy (R-SC) … improves interior enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws.” Let’s see the House pass their own immigration reform bill and send it to the Senate.

6. This bill will not stop illegal immigration. The new CBO scoring  that was released Tuesday says that the Senate immigration bill will decrease illegal immigration by only 25%. Since we’re all math whizzes, that means illegal immigration levels will remain at 75% of what they are today.

7. The Senate immigration bill will lead to 46 million new citizens and immigrants — possibly more. Where are all of these people going to find jobs (see bullet point #9 below)? These are all low-skilled workers, who are going to take the jobs that our high school students and college students can and should be taking (or anyone else for that matter). . .

8. The “Gang of 8″ Senate immigration bill allows the 11 million here illegally to be immediately eligible for state welfare. The CBO estimate that says that this will reduce the deficit is based only on federal dollars, not state and local. . .

9. This bill makes the normalized illegal immigrants less expensive to hire. They all receive waivers from ObamaCare, so the employers will have an incentive to not hire Americans in favor of those who are here illegally because it will be a huge cost savings — at least $2,000 per year for the ObamaCare fines — to the employer. . .

10. Republicans supporting this bill will go nowhere. That includes Senators Marco Rubio and Rand Paul. If either of them are nominated in 2016, you will likely see more conservatives stay home from the polls yet again, rather than going to support another squishy Republican . . .

For full explanation see this page.

About the current immigration bill

“On Friday, Evangelicals for Biblical Immigration, an informal group of well-respected evangelical Christians announced its opposition to the Gang of Eight immigration bill. The group, recently organized by Kelly Monroe Kullberg, founder of the Veritas Forum and co-author and editor of Finding God at Harvard, featured a letter written to members of Congress by Kullberg outlining the Biblical principles on which opposition to the bill is based on its website and Facebook page. . .

Evangelicals for Biblical Immigration's opposition to the Gang of Eight bill comes just two weeks after a George Soros-backed group, the Evangelical Immigration Table, launched a $250,000 media campaign in support of the bill's passage.” (Summary from Briebart.com)

And I say with Kelly:

“. . . as a citizen in the Heartland, I have a simple request of the Senate: Please stop. Please, no more surprises. Rather, rebuild our trust. There seems to be great confusion about what the bill means and how it will be implemented. Rushing to a vote, once again, is not wise.”

- See more at: http://evangelicalsforbiblicalimmigration.com/#sthash.mI0tkYmt.dpuf

Do you know which side in the Syrian civil war is killing Christians?

The rebels, supported by our President.

Oil and gas production is increasing—on private land—new technologies make it cleaner and a smaller footprint

We could have a booming economy with enough gas to export, if Obama would just allow drilling on federal land (half of the western U.S.).  But rabid environmentalists gum up the works with mountains of paper work. Since 2007, natural gas production on federal lands fell by 33 percent while production on state and private lands grew by 40 percent. According to Congressional Research Service, the average time to process an Application for Permits to Drill (APD) on federal lands increased 41 percent from 2006 to 2011, extending the process by nearly 90 days. The sale and profits could lower our taxes and countries now enslaved economically by China and Russia's high prices for fuel could enjoy the benefits. Instead, he allows the greenies to keep him on the plantation of failed 19th century socialism. They don't care about the earth; they care about destroying the country.

http://energycommerce.house.gov/brand/new-report-chronicles-oil-and-gas-production-federal-lands-declining-under-obamas-watch

Background checks would be good

The rebels Obama is arming are a branch of al-qaeda.  Also they are murdering Syrian Christians.

What difference does it make if they hardly knew each other?

Ayers, the former Weather Underground member and University of Illinois at Chicago professor, told Real Clear Politics that Obama is “absolutely” engaged in terrorist activity by using drones and “absolutely” should be tried for war crimes.

“Every president in this century should be put on trial,” Ayers said. “Every one of them goes into an office dripping with blood and then adds to it. And, yes, I think that these are war crimes. I think that they’re acts of terror.”

Ayers said he would give Obama a failing grade for his presidency but praised his personal style.

“I like him personally,” Ayers said. “I mean, he’s a really good guy.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/06/18/bill-ayers-obama-should-be-tried-for-war-crimes/

Analysis of how Obamacare will affect Ohioans

January 2014 will usher in multiple changes to health insurance plans for Ohio residents from the Patient Protection and Affordable Act Care (PPACA or ACA), popularly known as ObamaCare. The ValuePenguin analyst team dove through pending health insurance rate tables filed by health insurers with the State of Ohio's Insurance Division to get a preview of what premiums residents could expect. We compared the costs of health insurance today to costs expected under ObamaCare for three sample demographic profiles (27, 40, and 55-year old non-smokers) to give you a sense of how much health insurance costs would increase in Ohio. Unlike some gender neutral states, these premium costs are not the same for men and women as health insurance companies do factor in gender to more accurately price their products. -

See more at: ValuePenguin

Why is it a good idea to arm these guys?

These are the rebels Obama wants to arm.

"The video shows the teenagers shooting handguns at a large photo of Syrian leader Bashar al-Asad. It also shows them stating that their leader is Abu Bakr al Baghdadi (the head of al Qaeda in Iraq), and then singing joyfully of their desire to overthrow both Asad and his sister Bushra, of the valor of al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri and of al Qaeda’s success in blowing up the World Trade Center towers. "We destroyed America with a civilian airplane,” the young Syrian rebels sing. “The World Trade Center was turned into rubble. The World Trade Center was turned into rubble. -

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/syrian-rebel-teens-sing-al-qaeda-camp-we-destroyed-america-civilian-airplane

Guest Blogger Joan—she is no longer naïve, believes she must speak out.

“For a number of years, I allowed myself to naively believe that individual citizens couldn't make any difference in our country's destiny and that surely those in charge had our country's best interests at heart and would take care of things. I believed that all the heated political debate was useless and that no one was going to change anyone else's opinions on any political topic. While I still believe that last sentence, I have finally grown up enough to realize that a responsible, patriotic citizen cannot sit on the sidelines and watch his/her country be totally destroyed without at least speaking up and taking a stand, for whatever it might be worth. We have elected leaders who do not share typical, traditional American values and who do not have the experience necessary for the job. We have elected leaders who have no depth of character from which to draw for decision-making. This link is to an article that gives a morsel of hope to those of us who realize the jeopardy our country is in and hope to avoid losing our treasured way of life."

If the Nixon era should have taught politicians anything, it is that trust and credibility are essential to the presidency. Nixon's downfall was not so much in the petty thievery of his campaign researchers; it was the lying and cover-up that brought him down. With Obama, abuse of trust is the theme running through all the scandals. Ironically, the shear number of scandals is helping the president in the short term - there is scattershot investigative coverage rather than focused probing. The cumulative effect, though, is beginning to show. Americans bought into the president's campaign image of "hope and change," but lately, they instinctively know that "where's there is smoke, there's fire" and the "smoke" of all the scandals seems to come directly from fires at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In the Internet era, doubletalk doesn't work; there've been too many side-by-side comparisons of truth versus White House spin.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/06/obamas_loss_of_trust_and_credibility.html#ixzz2WaDlKgdu

Today’s House hearings on the NSA phone surveillance and PRISM

This morning I've been watching representatives of the NSA and FBI describe at Congressional hearings (House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence) the details of the NSA phone and Prism programs. It all sounds benign and necessary--claims of 50 attacks thwarted. Deputy Attorney General James Cole, Deputy FBI Director Sean Joyce, Deputy Director NSA Chris Inglis, and Robert Litt, general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (addressing misconceptions).

Two questions. Then why were the details so secret and our Congress so uninformed (it's been upgraded and approved twice once under Bush in 2005, once under Obama in 2011) and how can we trust the assurances of any agency after the IRS scandal? Cole says collecting and analyzing phone metadata does not violate the 4th amendment. NSA Director Keith Alexander will bring information on the thwarted attacks on Wednesday. Stay tuned.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/18/live-blog-nsa-hearing/?hpt=hp_c2

How Obama stays popular with the uninformed

Obama has two very successful methods for staying popular as a leader. 1) Focus on Bush's mistakes, and 2) ignore his own.

Which was a bigger error, the Abu Ghraib abuses by military guards which Bush probably knew nothing about, or the fumbling of the closing of Guantanamo prison on which Obama campaigned in 2008?

Which is a bigger scandal, the passing of the Patriot Act after 9/11 with bipartisan support and debate under Bush, or its expansion in secret under Obama?

Bush supported traditional marriage and was consistent regardless of political attacks; Obama publicly supported traditional marriage until he was pushed into applauding same sex marriage in order to get gay support for the 2012 election.
Bush expanded government health care (Pt. D drug coverage in Medicare for 40 million seniors) with strong bipartisan support; Obama got no support from Republicans for Obamacare (estimated to eliminate employer coverage for 40 million), which increasingly is proving to be horribly more expensive and invasive to privacy (IRS) than he promised.

Bush was criticized for not offering war time detainees at Gitmo protections afforded American citizens; Obama has been slicing, dicing and trashing those freedoms we all should have as Americans. He and his cronies not only claim the 5th (the only amendment they like), they claim ignorance, absence and Cincinnati for their illegal behavior.

Why are Democrats and Republicans pushing us into war in Syria?

In 2002 President Bush took his case against Iraq and WMD to Congress and the U.N. He had bi-partisan and international support; he had intelligence going back years into the Clinton Administration. Obama has done none of that except to draw an imaginary red line about WMD and he's been fuzzy about that. Yet Democrats who originally supported Bush and later lied and feigned outrage, have been silent about Obama's duplicity, lack of leadership, and now arming rebels who are al-qaeda lite. Obama is taking us into another war, one in which we have no national interest. Where are the outraged Democrats? Why are Republican hawks like John McCain and Lindsey Graham playing along? Where are all those Republicans who switched parties so they could vote for Obama because Bush had failed them?

Google visits me regularly

Justification, justice, just us.

The shoe hunt

I drove to Tuttle Mall today to look at Ecco brand shoes. The Walking Company had four, none in my size and in bizarre colors. So I browsed a few other brands and had my feet measured. I have extremely high arches and according to the picture, no toes on my left foot. Anyway, the only pair that didn't slip or rub was $189. So I left the store and walked over to Sears. I bought a pair there that cost $20. Not any more uncomfortable than all the $120 styles I tried on in the other store. It looks a little odd in the photo because it is a soft fabric and sort of folds if your foot isn’t in it.

Ask the NSA

Keeping cool in Arizona, equine style

We have guests from Arizona this week, a Methodist minister and his wife who giving several presentations.   We tell them that Ohio is always this green--it's the greeniness that they comment on the most. And last night they were like little kids when the fireflies (lightning bugs) came out.

Obama is taking us to war

If you switched your party allegiance from GOP (Bush) to Dem (Obama) because of the two wars (which had bipartisan support and WMD intelligence from the Clinton years), then you’re just out of luck—or justifications. You fell for a slick speech and a pretty face topped off with a smattering of white guilt.  Obama’s red line has gotten very smudged.  We have no national interest in this civil war in Syria—and even if you say, “what about the slaughter of Syrian Christians,” keep in mind the rebel forces (which Obama is backing) are the ones killing the Christians.   Now we find out the decision was made weeks ago.

U.S. officials said that the determination to send weapons had been made weeks ago and that the chemical weapons finding provided fresh justification to act.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/decision-to-arm-syrian-rebels-was-reached-weeks-ago-us-officials-say/2013/06/14/3cc2d372-d51a-11e2-8cbe-1bcbee06f8f8_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines

You’ve been had.  The rest of us knew it back in 2008. He’s a liar; liars lie and then tell more lies to cover up the lies they told to get elected. Liars hang out with other liars—or even confirmed, unrepentant terrorists.

Sometimes he’s been right

Bush 41 is 89 today

In his honor, people are wearing loud, outrageous socks.

Ted Cruz on “help” from liberals

“Fifty-five years ago, my father fled Cuba, where he had been imprisoned and tortured—including having his teeth kicked out—as a teenager. Today my father is a pastor in Dallas. When he landed in Austin, Texas, in 1957, he was 18. He couldn’t speak a word of English. He had $100 sewn into his underwear. He went and got a job washing dishes and made 50 cents an hour. He worked seven days a week and paid his way through the University of Texas, and then he got a job, and then he went on to start a small business.

Now imagine if, at that time, the minimum wage had been two dollars an hour. He might never have had the opportunity to get that dishwashing job and work his way through school and work his way up from there. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve thanked God that some well-meaning liberal didn’t greet him when he landed in Austin and put his arm around him and say: “Let me take care of you. Let me make you dependent on government. Let me sap your self-respect—and by the way, don’t bother learning English.” “

Graduation speaker at Hillsdale College, “The Miracle of Freedom” May 11, 2013

This is most certainly true

In 2006 I jointed the choir at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church on Lytham Rd.  Alas. I only lasted about a year. My voice didn’t return. I had only four notes, and they weren’t in a row. But I certainly enjoyed it, and am so glad I tried. It gave me a new appreciation for our choir at UALC.

Thirteen things I liked about singing in the choir

Choir is hard work

Trying to keep up

Help Doma fight sex slavery

Human Trafficking is the THIRD largest and fastest growing international crime industry generating $32 Billion every year. $10 billion dollars in revenue comes from the US alone. We are 1/3 of the problem here. We can’t stop it alone, we need all of your help and support. Are you ready to help? Support Doma in the Fight - http://www.domaconnection.org/funding-freedom/

The Democrats’ War on Girls

Why wring hands over sexual assaults on military women, who at least should know how to protect themselves, physically, emotionally and sexually.  Plan B, a powerful hormone with complex directions that need to be followed exactly, is now available for girls of any age without medical or parental supervision, even though sex with a minor is against the law. The war against women is now the war against young girls.

How’s your trust level these days?

We’ve had these laws since the late 1970s

Privacy of phone records? Surveillance of foreign agents inside the U.S.? We've had the laws on the books for some time. What we've learned in the current Obama scandals is we can't trust government agencies not to misuse the guarantees. It’s disturbing that opinions on the law change among the electorate depending on who is in power.

Smith v. Maryland, 442 U.S. 735 (1979) was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the installation and use of the pen register was not a "search" within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment, and hence no warrant was required. The pen register was installed on telephone company property at the telephone company's central offices. In the Majority opinion, Justice Blackmun rejected the idea that the installation and use of a pen registry constitutes a violation of the "legitimate expectation of privacy" since the numbers would be available to and recorded by the phone company anyway. [Wikipedia]

The United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA court, AKA FISC) is a U.S. federal court authorized under 50 U.S.C. § 1803, Pub.L. 95–511, 92 Stat. 1788, enacted October 25, 1978. It was established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA). The court oversees requests for surveillance warrants against suspected foreign intelligence agents inside the United States by federal law enforcement agencies (primarily National Security Agency and the F.B.I.). FISA and its court were inspired by the recommendations of the Church Committee. . . It is also rare for FISA warrant requests to be turned down by the court. [Wikipedia

People don’t care about snoops

I'm shocked by the people who will accept the explanation that if you're not doing anything wrong why care if Google is passing your information along to the NSA. Tell that to the supporters, donors and board members of conservative groups who had their private financial information passed along to the Obama reelection campaign by someone in the IRS. We didn't think that would happen either. Hey, Chad Johnson is in jail because he didn't know he wasn't supposed to slap his lawyer's butt in front of a female judge. How many laws are out there you don't know about and are violating and perhaps blogging about or discussing

You are public, not private

Phone records are public information; many companies do data mining, plus every time you use a "loyalty" card you are giving away your privacy. Ever read a HIPAA compliance statement? Everyone but the janitor gets your information--same with credit card agreements. Librarians know what books you've checked out (even 25 years ago we knew which professor had what in his office at just a glance). There's a GPS thing in your smart phone. PRISM seems to be the item in question. It is beyond what the Patriot Act allowed--and many Republicans left Bush because they didn't like the Patriot Act. Many in the government have decided it is illegal, but I'm guessing half of Congress haven't read the Act.

A 29 year old high school drop out says NO to PRISM, flees to China, and we have no idea what he might reveal tomorrow that hurts our security. I don't call him a hero, I call him a traitor. I also think a President who calls Ft. Hood "work place violence," but thinks PRISM is our security against terrorists, is really screwed up. PRISM didn't find the Tsarnaev brothers, or even Edward Snowden and even the fact they gave him a job, any job, makes the NSA look pretty ineffective.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/06/09/edward_snowden_why_did_the_nsa_whistleblower_have_access_to_prism_and_other.html

The author of the Patriot Act says it was not intended for data mining. PRISM goes far beyond the original intention. That said, Snowden broke the law. And what about our Congress? Do they break the law by not knowing what is in the Act? Is it like Obamacare--they just don't bother to read it? Obama is defending the actions of the NSA which is violating the intent of the law.

http://www.ibtimes.com/jim-sensenbrenner-republican-author-patriot-act-says-nsa-prism-surveillance-goes-too-far-1297697