Why are Democrats so inconsistent—power. Michael Smith, guest blogger

How can one justify a city-wide ban on E-cigarettes and fund "safe injection sites" for drugs?

How is it even remotely logical to ban cigarettes and promote legalization of marijuana?

What sense does it make to ban private assistance to feed the homeless and then complain that there isn't enough funding for food programs for them?

How can you argue for free healthcare for illegal non-citizens when American veterans can't get help?

How can you argue that it is discriminatory to refuse to bake a cake for a same sex wedding but forcing a baker to do so against their will is not?

How can you cry about the sanctity of elections and then refuse to put measures in place to validate the eligibility of the voters?

How can you argue that a particular redistricting is unconstitutional and then promote open borders?

How can you argue argue for background checks and restrictions to own a gun and ammunition because "if it can save one child, it is worth it" and then say that abortions should be free without restriction?

How can you argue that school shootings are aberrations when more children are aborted each day in abortion clinics than are killed in all school shootings?

This is your modern Democrat party.

They no longer are required to make sense.

This is all about power and pandering to anyone who will vote to give it to them.

Michael Smith, guest blogger.

Michael Stanley at Lakeside

Last night the program at Hoover was Michael Stanley and friends. ?? No, we'd never heard of him, but he was big in the late 70s and 80s, disbanding his MSB in 1986. He's sure popular around here (Hoover was packed) and he's still working in the Cleveland area on TV and radio. The group had a fabulous pianist, 3 guitars, 2 drummers, and our own wonderful Eddie Caner on violin who grew up in Lakeside. I'm surprised that violin didn't catch on fire he was so hot.

For years the rules at Hoover were no food or drink, but icy bottled water was being sold--perhaps because of the heat. First time I'd seen that. Not sure that's progressive or regressive. It's a huge clean up problem when that starts, and bottled water can't be good for the environment.

Tulsi Gabbard—is she too conservative for Democrats?

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii seems to me to be the only Democrat candidate with brains, biology and charisma. Noticed her on TV interview with Fox a few weeks ago.

She " caught the attention of American voters during Wednesday's first 2020 Democratic presidential primary with her remarks on foreign policy and the military. Here's what to know about the 38-year-old Hawaii lawmaker and military veteran...On foreign policy, Gabbard is opposed to "regime change wars" and wants to pull U.S. troops out of Syria and Afghanistan. Unlike many of her Democratic peers, Gabbard has said she is against impeaching Trump after former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election found "no collusion" between the president and Russia." (FoxNews)

Not much is known about her. Watch for clues. Even if she climbs no higher in this campaign, she's young enough to keep going. She is multiracial and a practicing Hindu. I think that gives her more intersectional points than Kamala Harris or Mayor Pete.

The Democrat platform

Poverty, then and now

"The problem of the poor is not the availability of jobs, for the economy has generated so many new jobs during the past decade that anyone who can't find a job just doesn't want to work. And the problem isn't taxes because most poor folks don't pay taxes, and many actually receive checks from the government in the form of the earned income-tax credit. No, to close the income distribution gap, the next president will have to have the courage to say that the path to upward mobility for the nation's least-well-off begins at the marriage altar." Joseph Perkins, Jan 26, 2000, black columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune (now retired)

And 19 years after this column and 55 years after the trillions spent on the War on Poverty, politicians don't want to believe it because they need the issue for votes, money and power.

There are 92 major government programs providing cash, food, housing, medical care and social services to poor and low-income people at a cost of $1.1 trillion per year [2017 figures]. But only 4 of those programs have work requirements, and even those have gaping holes. Yet to listen to Democrats running for the highest office in the land and Socialists in government, honest work has no dignity (i.e. doesn't buy votes). Only give a-ways matter. Let me give you free stuff and keep you poor. Vote for me.

https://www.heritage.org/welfare/commentary/encouraging-work-lifts-people-out-poverty-the-green-new-deal-wont-do

Why does the left lie about poverty? Because they can. It's like lies that police shoot blacks and women earn less than men. We don't have a responsible media to call them out, to research it or correct the lies.

This report on the results of welfare reform is from 2016--before Trump was elected. But they were screaming lies then too, just like now. They were probably preparing for a Big Clinton Win and raising taxes for another battle in the 50+ year War on Poverty, our most expensive war in history. Politicians, non-profits, churches, authors and academics all "need" the appearance of poverty so they can make more. The wealthier got richer due to increased regulations and over sight by their friends in government, the poor got more transfers and paid no taxes, and the middle class got screwed.

https://www.heritage.org/welfare/report/did-welfare-reform-increase-extreme-poverty-the-united-states

Since 50% of Americans don't pay federal taxes (they are too "poor" unless you add supplemental sources transferred from others, then they are too well-off to be poor), you can see why Democrats have to shout out "free stuff" and "raise taxes" to the middle class in order to get votes. Thus, they plan to impoverish about 3/4 of the nation so politicians can be the only ones with wealth.

Lakeside 2019, Week 3

I loved our cute hydrangeas that Loretta planted for us last summer, but they didn't make it through the winter.  She said she had something that would work better, but it was such a cold and rainy spring, they didn't get planted.  Well, the first day of summer came, it was getting hot so I took things into my own hands, which have 2 brown thumbs, and I fixed those hydrangeas with $5 blooms from Wal-Mart.  I'm also wearing my $5 hat from Wal-Mart to shade me on my walks and protect me from dive-bombing mother birds that attack.  However, about 3 hours later, Loretta showed up with two new bushes (I have no idea what they are), so I've already had to transplant my fake flowers to the back of the house.

2019  

 

2018

The rest of the plants are doing so-so, but since July is almost here, I was hoping for more oomph.

 

 

Tonight's program is Michael Stanley and band, a Cleveland group from the 80s which our daughter has heard of but we haven't.  Last night was "Six Appeal" an a cappella group from Minnesota. This is the week of July 4 and this year we won't have anyone with us.  Bob is thinking of marching in the parade with the Guys' Club.  It's a long walk. And not much fun to watch alone.

The programming for the lecture series is on Artificial Intelligence with David Staley, Director of the Humanities Institute, OSU and something on capitalism by same speaker.  We'll be gone Tuesday for a quick trip back to Columbus.  Chef Stacy will be back on Friday for another cooking lecture. 

David Staley giving a Ted Talk about Columbus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=SXYh3F4-_ko

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

This title is on the review list for the Lakeside Women’s Club this summer, so I decided to check it out.  I’ve been reading it on the porch in the evenings and at the wellness center in the morning.  I’m about 1/3 finished and not sure I’ll go on.  Ng is a good writer, but stories about bio and non-bio mothers and babies, and predictable criticisms of suburban families and their life styles (in this case Shaker Heights, Ohio) are just not comfortable for me.  I’ve read several reviews, from wildly enthusiastic to I-just-didn’t-care. There is a movie in the works since it’s got all the ingredients – teenagers in the 1990s, racial tensions, adoptions, surrogacy, frustrated homemaker, and do-gooder Democrats.

Spoiler:  Ng has a motherhood problem, in addition to her angst and guilt about being wealthy and a successful Asian American. (Wealthy, professional parents, raised in Shaker Heights).  One mother is a surrogate who stole her child and raised her on the run, one mother abandoned her child and kidnaps her back from the adoptive parents, one mother wanted her child but resents all the problems that child represents from  preemie to rebellious teen, one mother had an abortion but used someone else’s name.

What to do with stuff

We had an interesting program at Lakeside this morning on "Organizing 101: Simplify our Stuff" by Chris Perrow. One member of the audience commented that the people who needed to be there, weren't. "No one wants our stuff," was a common complaint.

For old family photos, scanning was the suggestion. One woman used the app Photomyne and found it very useful. Some suggested saving just a serving piece of two of that china you inherited but don't use. Lots of suggestions for various donation sites and sales. My suggestion is that if you like the china use it and don’t be afraid to put it in the dishwasher (although not the microwave since most have silver or gold trim).

For 34 years we lived in a house with no basement and no attic. Now we have both, and have more "stuff." Definitely a first world problem. Since I have a number of blogs I can write about things I donate or give away, and still retain the memory.  Doesn’t always solve the problem, but at least I know I’m not alone.  A number of people mentioned the emotional attachment to their stuff.

Wired for wealth

I'm getting ridiculously low offers for subscriptions to Vanity Fair ($8) and Wired ($5). (Both owned by Conde Nast). Magazines are vehicles for ads for expensive products, always have been. They are capitalism on steroids. Country Gentlemen (1831-1955) had a huge subscriber base, but the ads for farm equipment just didn't move city folk mired in nostalgia for the "old days." Vanity Fair insults probably 90% of the country to attract rich people or their wannabees as its editorial policy gallops leftward, and Wired does the same but without make up and fashion ads.

http://www.magazineart.org/main.php/v/farm/countrygentleman/Country+Gentleman+1924-10-04.jpg.html

This is an adorable cover of a teen girl in 1924 with headphones!

My bursitis has flared

So I whined on Facebook. Dianne Orr McDermott (from Mt. Morris, now in NOLA area) replied:

“I'll call your bursitis and raise you a torn rotator cuff. . ..can we exchange pity parties? That said:

Medications

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

Relieves pain, decreases inflammation, and reduces fever.

Self-care

RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)

Cold compress

Reduces inflammation and dulls sensation of pain.
Physical exercise

Aerobic activity for 20-30 minutes 5 days a week improves cardiovascular health. If injured, pursuing an activity that avoids the injured muscle group or joint can help maintain physical function while recovering.”

That’s good advice, so I’ll leave it here.

  When I first developed bursitis in winter 2013-14, I didn’t know what it was—thought maybe arthritis, so I used heat.  Bad idea—it’s an inflammation of the bursa, and can happen on any joint.  So yesterday I looked up the exercises and sat on an ice pack (my gel filled ice packs are at home). I couldn’t imagine how it started, but then remembered that on Wednesday while walking to a program, I misjudged a dip in the sidewalk and stumbled.  It doesn’t take much.

https://gethealthyu.com/best-exercises-hip-bursitis/

Japan. Brazil. Germany. India

I was reading over the President's schedule for the G20 meeting, amazed that anyone can keep a schedule like this (the time change alone would do me in), all while being berated and criticized by an army of bot-like professional media know-nothings attacking his every move and policy as they intend on destroying our country. May God protect and energize our President.

8:30AM EDT / 7:30PM The President participates in a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan

9:15AM EDT / 8:15PM The President participates in a trilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan and the Prime Minister of the Republic of India

9:35AM EDT / 8:35PM The President participates in a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of India

10:30AM EDT / 9:30PM The President participates in a bilateral meeting with the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

11:15AM EDT / 10:15PM The President participates in an official welcome and family photo

12:00PM EDT / 11:00PM The President participates in the G20 leaders’ special event on the Digital Economy

12:20PM EDT / 11:20PM The President participates in a G20 working lunch on the Global Economy, Trade, and Investment

2:00PM EDT / 1:00AM The President participates in a bilateral meeting with the President of the Russian Federation

3:30PM EDT / 2:30AM The President participates in a bilateral meeting with the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil

6:35PM EDT / 5:35AM The President participates in the G20 cultural program

Elizabeth Warren thinks the economy needs to be fixed.

True, librarians are a poorly paid group, but I'm earning more now than I did when I was employed, and many retirees say the same thing. And my 403-b is invested conservatively—about 60-40. I see hiring signs everywhere I go, and I see a number of new employees who have been put on the job floor a little soon.

Recessions come and go so I don't expect it to last, but Obama did everything wrong, and took what should have been a brief recession and extended it with clamping down on the very people who could have created the jobs. That recession was over in June 2009, but he had so flogged and discouraged American investors and businessmen we limped along in "recovery" for 7 more years while the rich came back with his bail outs. In fact, as soon as he was nominated by Democrats in summer 2008 things started to take an ugly turn.

The mega-wealthy like Bezos and Gates can withstand the crazies in Congress and the White House, but the rest of us have to wait for a Reagan or Trump.

The debates—the American people lost

I didn't watch the so-called debates (I watched a dog act at the auditorium), but I did see snippets on CNN and Spectrum 1 at the wellness center this morning. I determined the general idea of the Democrats' program, but there were no surprises.

Kill the insurance companies.
Open the borders to all illegals.
Impeach.
Tax. Tax. Tax. More Taxation.
Lie.
More hate.
Kill the economy.
Speak Spanish because you're Irish and have a Spanish nick-name.
Speak Spanish because you think you're Spartacus.

No answers in any language.

Lakeside Women's Club, 2019

Last week I was a hostess at the Lakeside Women's Club program "A Photographic History of Knitting: 1900to 2019" presented by Gretchen Curtis, LWC President. Gretchen used to be the Heritage Museum archivist and always presented such interesting programs.  She was also one of the Porch Stories presenters its first year.  This week's program was "Here comes the bride and bridesmaids, 1940s - 2010," although one dress was from 1909 and one was from 2018.  It was a fun program, and one woman who talked was 100 years old.  Made me think I should go back to coloring my hair, because she looked terrific--not a day over 80.

I did feel sad knowing my wedding dress, made by my mother in 1955 for my sister, had been given to the Discovery Shop (cancer) when no one in the family wanted it.  I was trying to pare down our stuffed closets, but I wish now I'd kept it--maybe for a style show to be used one more time.

One woman modeled her "mother of the bride" dress from 1984, and it was lovely--could go anywhere today, and she said she bought it for $1.00 at a resale shop. Several women in the audience were married 60 years or more, and they received a small gift.

The photo is my co-hostess Barb Hoffman and I on June 18 although she brought some lovely little fruit snacks on skewers which don't show, and all I did was open two packages of sandwich cookies and make the ice tea.  In the background is the LWC library, which I've been using this summer to do some porch reading--just about finished with "Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century by Jessica Bruder" which will be reviewed on Friday by the ladies who run the bookstore.

Book review “Nomadland by Jessia Bruder

This Friday the Lakeside Women's Club book review is "Nomandland; surviving America in the 21st century" by Jessica Bruder. (2017) I'm about 1/3 finished, but I get the drift. Convince the readers there's something terribly wrong with the USA instead of the poor decisions, divorces, childhoods and investments of selected people interviewed for the book. So far, although the "great" recession of 2008 is noted as a cause for the white collar workers, the underlying factors in many of these cases are divorce, and/or an unhappy, abusive childhood that also included divorce, disruption, and frequent moves. I've been skimming or reading books like this for 4 decades. And since the so-called War on Poverty and the disintegration of households of married couples and families, the discussion doesn't get more positive, but the journalists/fabulists don't seem to catch on.

We first met nomad retirees in 2003 in Glacier Park. They were quite happy with their lives, moving with the tourism industry, northwest in the summer and south in the winter. According to Bruder, this movement has drastically increased as boomers hit retirement age, the internet glamorized it, and Amazon and other suppliers began to encourage a new migrant class of elder workers in RVs, vans and campers.

However, since the 1950s, our culture has glamorized the freedom of the open road, living off the grid, and personal liberty without family responsibilities in our films, theater, TV, literature or even neighborhood gossip. We shouldn't be surprised if a tiny percentage tried to grab this fading brass ring on a merry go round and found it a struggle of clunker RVs and difficult physical labor in warehouses.

So readers have a rich stew of anecdotes sprinkled with statistics about the history of retirement (it's a relatively recent concept). The reader can blame evil capitalists, bad government programs, Amazon, shrinking pensions, and overall malaise.

I'm shocked, shocked that aliens are flooding our borders. They need to read sad best sellers and then they would stay home.

Democrats espousing socialism, guest blogger

"I have seen some pretty strange things in my life and travels but nothing so blatant as Democrats openly and directly campaigning against the rights of American citizens, openly espousing socialism, flagrantly conspiring with illegal immigrants by teaching them how to evade arrest and so openly making common cause with the sworn enemies of America.

I mean they have done a little of each but never all at the same time and so arrogantly in the run-up to a presidential election year.

I haven't seen anything like this since the anti-Vietnam ethos of the 60's. Democrats say the GOP wants to take America back, but it appears they want to go back to the Fritz Mondale era.

This is on what they are going to run. This is their platform.

I don't want to jinx this but this is beginning to feel like 1984 (the year, not the book) when Reagan beat Mondale like a red-headed stepchild."

Michael Smith

I don't own this t-shirt, but I should

Bernie's immoral theft

Ilhan Omar needs to resign

Minnesota media and Democrats have failed miserably in uncovering, or reporting on Ilhan Omar's illegal behavior and tax evasion. It appears she may have married her brother, and then later filed income taxes with a man not her husband.   Not only does she hate the country that gave her refuge, she is in Congress making decisions about how the rest of us are allowed to live.

https://pjmedia.com/trending/new-documents-released-regarding-rep-ilhan-omars-possible-bigamy-and-incest/

Although with Democrats changing all the rules and then promoting reparations, perhaps incest, polygamy and filing as as household could become retroactively legal.  Elizabeth Warren wants gay couples to get reparations, although since so many never took advantage of the laws to protect their partners, don’t see that as anything other than to get more votes for Democrats.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/06/20/warren-introduces-bill-to-allow-wedded-gay-couples-to-amend-tax-returns/

When Mark walked away, guest blogger

“So, I walked away in the 80s. Before, I had been a raging liberal. Born and raised in DC, so politics was in my blood. What caused me to question the Democrat party was that I had a small screen printing business in college. Printed a lot of local band shirts as well as some political shirts that I sold during rallies at the mall. Mostly conservation stuff as I was deeply involved in Sierra Club. I printed "Flaming Liberal" shirts for the DNC and printed shirts for the National Coalition to Ban Handguns. One of my shirts even made it into People Magazine. (see below). So, I had just printed a bunch of shirts for DNC rally and went into their office to get paid. The director at the time, I forget his name, Michael something or another, asked me if I wanted to donate the shirts to the "cause". I said, "I already do 'em cheap, and I need to eat, so not really."

He then told me that my contribution would be greatly appreciated by not only them, but by other organizations in town.  I got a little nervous. Asked him what he meant, and he said that the DNC has long fingers in the lobbying groups in DC and it would be a shame if I found myself without clients. I asked him if this was a threat, to which he denied. I asked him how I was supposed to eat and he said that I could make more money off social services than printing shirts.

Well, I told him no, and that I had delivered 250 shirts and expected to get paid. He had someone write me a check and I left. The whole thing unnerved me. The next day, the director of the National Coalition to Ban Handguns called me and said that my services were no longer needed. I also had a bunch of shirts for sale at a local liberal bookstore and was told that I couldn't sell there anymore. At the time, I was also doing all the design and layout for the Sierra Club's Legal Action newsletter, which ended just as abruptly. I was creating posters for a group called "Liberation Graphics", mostly pro PLO stuff and pro Sandanista stuff. Yeah, that ended too.

The next day I went back to the DNC and asked what the heck they were doing to me and why? I was told to leave or they'd call the police. I was told that I couldn't be trusted. I remember so clearly the following week was the Rock against Reagan at the Washington monument. I was into punk (still am), so I wanted to make a statement. I first sent a certified letter to the DNC stating that any images of mine were not to be used in any print or video publications. This included my Flaming Liberal shirt. I then printed a bunch of them and overprinted "Destroy" in bright red. Took them to the rally and sold them to the "other side". I was amazed at how accepting Reagan supporters were to me when I told my story.

I lost a lot of friends that day, but made even more. I realized that the "cause" of the left wasn't anything more than money and an agenda. It took me a few years to fully embrace the right, but that day in the DNC opened my eyes. It was actually heart breaking to lose so much, so many friends, and to realize that I had basically been taken by the Democrats because I was young and stupid. I walked away and never looked back.”

Democrats—destroy small businesses before they can become capitalists.  Look at the larger scene and it’s done with regulations and taxation.

Summer school of Faith, 2019

I've been following Charles Craigmile's  summer lectures for 5 or 6 years. This summer's program will address many of the issues facing us in our culture. He's interesting, has a sense of humor, and is well prepared. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcS6WXVr6GU  He's not a priest, pastor or professor, and instead is a businessman. I've watched the first lecture--outstanding, and the 2nd is on line, they will be off during July 4 week.

Saying good-bye to Joe Schappa

We returned to Columbus on Sunday for a memorial gathering in the ballroom at the Southern Hotel for Joe Schappa, who died in Florida in March.  He was my husband's partner when he was an owner at Feinknopf, Maccioce and Schappa.  Bob was with the firm for 18 years and left in 1994 to being his own practice, so we had an opportunity to see many old friends and colleges--and especially enjoyed seeing again Joe's wife Ruth, and his sons Noah and Caleb who were just little boys the last time I saw them. Now we saw them with Joe and Ruth's grandchildren.  What a delight. When enjoyed hearing the memories and eulogies.

I remember when my parents were in their 80s and their social life seemed to revolve around going to funerals and memorials.  There was no spiritual component to this event, but seeing the photos, his friends and family were worth the trip.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thisweeknews/obituary.aspx?pid=193152836

Lakeside 2019, Week 2

This morning on my 2 mile walk I was counting bicycles—0ne house had 13—all sizes and colors.  That must have been a challenge to load and haul here.  Then I also counted Canada geese—36 in one area, but in 3 groups.  One group of 10 or so was parents (and maybe aunties) with adolescents.  It’s always fun to see them upside down having an underwater snack.

The first two morning lectures (Monday and Tuesday a.m.) are about my nemesis—EMR or EHR. Ever since they were foisted on us during the Obama years with promises of both improving outcomes and reducing costs they have been shown to be neither.  The topics are “Using big data from Electronic health records for clinical discovery” (the primary use of them so we pay so they can mine our health records), and “Personal electronic Health records; advantages and concerns.” Two years ago my husband’s medical records—all on line--in Columbus were hacked—God only knows who now has his social security number, mother’s maiden name and next of kin.

Wednesday and Thursday morning programs are on Lake Erie. Unless you get someone who wants to get spiritual about climate change, these are usually interesting. There are also afternoon programs on Lake Erie—something about Mayflies on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the pavilion.  I crunch those underfoot on my morning walks—they only live a day, but reflect the health of the lake.

Afternoons we have an author visit by Scott Longert, and the women’s club is having a “Here comes the bride” program with Polly Albrecht.  I think it features wedding gowns from 1940-2010. It grieved me to give up the lovely dress Mom made for Joanne in 1955 and I wore in 1960 (and used at our 50th celebration at Phoebe's on a mannequin, but no one in the family wanted it, and Julie who had stored it all these years didn’t want it back.

It looks like the Herb group which I enjoyed for about 10 years has finally folded its tent and put away the gardening tools. We had some fabulous times either down by the lake or at the train station.  In its place there is a gardening program.  That ship has sailed for me.  I was never a gardener, and never will be.  Even flowers started and planted by someone else don’t flourish for me.   And I see there are some Wellness seminars, but I think I know what is needed, “Eat less, Move More,” or ELMM.   Friday there is a seminar I think I can use—“Organizing 101: Simply Our Stuff.” Maybe it will tell us how to say "good-bye" to junk we don't need.

I used to take advantage of the 3 p.m. Friday seminar on World Affairs, but that became a chore with the various problems being discussed on TV and social media.  Families and best friends are taking sides and accusing each other of being racists or communists and anarchists.  It’s just too painful to witness.

Argument with a liberal--Turning Point USA

Lakeside 2019, week 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=I1ZgaQNp4Is  Gary Lewis and the Playboys was our Friday night program at Lakeside.  This clip is from 2016, and the band looks the same, and he sounds much the same.  He’s just as skinny as he was in his 20s.  He was born in 1945, so he’s up there in years for live performing.  When his career was going strong in the 1960s he was drafted during the Vietnam War, and the career never really recovered, and for the teen market, you can’t let them forget you.  According to several bios I’ve read, singing wasn’t his strength even in the 1960s, and he started performing as a drummer. Most of his performances today are for the nostalgia market.  We noticed a number of boomers really enjoying themselves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAf3VavcVj4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XXIJx4HmnY

Jerry Lewis, his father who died in 2017, disinherited all his children from his first marriage. Gary mentioned during the show that is mother is still alive and he dedicated a song to her.

Special treatment for illegals with gender dysphoria

Thanks to an Obama policy continued by the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) gives transgender illegal aliens special treatment, including their own detention center in New Mexico that offers hair and makeup classes, a recreation area, gym, television rooms, a lab and pharmacy. Also free hormone therapy and legal services. Does this sound like a concentration camp? 
https://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2019/06/transgender-illegal-aliens-get-special-treatment-hormone-therapy-under-policy-issued-by-trumps-border-czar/

Lakeside 2019, week one

Yesterday and today's programs in Lakeside are on the Little Free Library movement, begun by Todd Bol and now international. I think there are at least 4-5 in Lakeside, but not sure I've seen any in Upper Arlington. https://littlefreelibrary.org/ On my way to yesterday's lecture by Margaret Bernstein a Channel 3 Cleveland reporter I stopped at one and picked up a Jessica Fletcher mystery and replaced it with an Agatha Christie.

Tuesday’s Lakeside Women’s Club featured Gretchen Curtis on the History of Knitting in Photography, and I was the co-hostess providing and serving refreshments. That evening the Patriots Symphonic Band performed “Sounds of Summer.”  The band members are drawn from more than 25 communities across northeast Ohio, and I think this was their third performance in Lakeside.

Wednesday evening was the opening of the weekly community picnic, and we had a day of glorious weather, which has been in short supply this week.  Same menu as the previous 26 years--hot dogs, baked beans, macaroni salad, potato chips, water melon, and sandwich cookies. This year there are many new picnic tables in the park, so we finally left the lawn chairs in the car.

Janet Whitlatch, Lakeside neighbor

Janet, my neighbor on Oak St., died recently.  I didn’t know her well, having met her maybe in 2017 or 2018.  We walked to some programs together, both belonged to the Lakeside Women’s Club, both attended herb group.  She was 77.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newarkadvocate/obituary.aspx?pid=191305926

Democrats’ tiresome Hitler theme

In my opinion, referring to one's enemies and petty crimes as "Hitler" or "Holocaust" or concentration camps as AOC did recently and Democrats do very often in referring to Trump is a subtle but noticeable form of anti-Semitism. It's a tiresome way to both diminish the pain of European Jewry in the 20th century and to enlarge one's outrage footprint in the 21st.

A very successful animal rights magazine "Animals Agenda" (published for 22 years) died in 2002 after it superimposed a photo of a "final solution" concentration camp with a chicken farm on its cover. But in those days, I suppose it was considered bad taste. Today, if the Left didn't have bad taste it would have nothing in its lunch box of bigotry and hate.

Communism is another terrible evil, one which the Left proudly extols even though that political/economic system killed 100,000,000 of its own citizens in Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia in the 20th century and is still making headway in Latin America. AOC and her ilk are silent. Like socialism, its daddy is Karl Marx. Communists had concentration camps, killed Jews, Christians and Muslims, starved people to death, destroyed cultures and economies, and turned churches into government buildings, warehouses or morgues ( Церковь Спаса на Крови), but when do Democrats call an opponent Marx, Stalin or Lenin? It's always their fallback, Hitler.

Oddly, they are obsessed with Vladimir Putin.

American citizens. . .

A lively blind rescue

I've been on two lakefront walks this morning, so I'm 4 miles good for the day. Noticed a lot of toxic white masculinity--roofers, carpenters, heavy equipment operators. Thank God for men doing the jobs women don't want. That wage gap is a total myth--feminists like to whine and compare salaries of part time baby sitters with engineers. Suing is a cottage industry in the grievance groups. Men had to give up private associations, but women didn't.

Also, stopped to talk to a woman walking a cute little white fluff ball dog--not a poodle, but the dust mop style. We stopped to chat and she told me the dog is a rescue. Her husband had died, and then later her dog. Because this adorable little piece of fluff was blind she was considered unadoptable, but the woman's other dog had been blind, so an exception was made. She's very lively--and although blind, she certainly can smell another dog and keeps her new owner on her toes. I think she said the rescue was Safe Harbor  https://islandshas.wixsite.com/ishas/large-grid

Our Lakeside stove

About 5 years ago our 20" electric stove at our lake house, probably 50 years old, went ka-boom and died. We went shopping in Sandusky and bought the cheapest possible model (about $370, and in 2019 it's $450) at ABC Appliances we could find. An odd size appliance like 20”  always costs more than standard and this one was a little like our 1963 Plymouth that had no radio and no AC. We were cheap then too.

So I've been shopping for something like I should have bought then--glass window in the oven door, drawer for storage and oven light. In 2013, I could have had all that for an additional $25, and now I'll shell out close to $600 for a 24" with delivery, cord and installation. Or, if my math is right, about $1,000 to replace my little old stove that came with the cottage in 1988. We went to Lowe's, Home Depot, ABC Appliances, and Frank’s. I finally ordered on-line from Sears.

To forgive myself for my foolish mistakes in money, I always reflect on the time we bought a lot about 30 years ago next to my sister in law when they lived on a lake in Indiana for $10,000 and sold it the next year for $20,000.

I’ll check around here and see if anyone in Lakeside has a small apartment and need a 20” stove, or when our niece and nephew come to visit in July, I’ll see if they want to take it back to Indianapolis.

An Illinois Catholic on the new abortion bill—guest blogger

“Our priest spoke about it numerous times, as did others. . .  The diocesan office encouraged everyone to pray, fast, and act.  For those who were able, many trips were taken to Springfield to protest this hideous legislation.  We were encouraged to spread the word about these bills.  Many wrote letters, many called. . . .  The judicial process allowed us to protest the bills via an online vote. 

It's saddening to realize we have people who do not value life.

In the recent newspaper from our Diocese, a priest has made it known that all legislators who voted for these bills and reside in his deanery will be denied holy communion (I believe it was a priest, might have come from another Bishop) . . .  until that person has made his/her confession.  And interestingly, both Madigan (Speaker of the House) and Culverton (Head of the Senate) are both Catholic.  The denial of holy communion is powerful.”

Robert Royal on freedom

Our notions of freedom come from self-indulgent entertainers, self-interested politicos, self-absorbed academic eccentrics, self-referential media. Yet despite celebrations of identity, individuality, diversity, uniqueness, the result is not a rich and harmonious social fabric and freedom, but obvious chaos and conflict in private and in public, for those with eyes to see." -- Robert Royal

Week 1 in Lakeside, 2019

It's chilly in Lakeside this week, and we brought mostly summer clothes with us. But, I didn't even have to go to a thrift store, and under the bed packed away I found a turtleneck cornflower blue long sleeve t-shirt about 20 years old, and am wearing it under one of my new purchases. I love it when a plan comes together.

The 10:30 lecture today is on F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald: A Literature of Romance and an Age of Jazz with Taylor Hagood, Professor of English and Director of the Study of the Americas Initiative at Florida Atlantic University.  This afternoon at 1:30 he’ll lecture on What makes American literature American.  https://taylorhagood.com/

Here’s a link to the entire summer series. https://www.lakesideohio.com/education/lecture-series
Bob is having breakfast today with the Guys’ Club at the Patio where his paintings for this season are displayed. This is a club whose motto is “We’ll get around to it,” and they have no agenda or plan, they just get together and enjoy each others company.

Tonight is a silent movies organist program by Clark Wilson at Hoover. http://www.clarkwilson.net/.  We might stop in.

This morning on my walk along the lakefront I stopped to look at some of the new improvements finished since we left last Labor Day.  The Steel Memorial Bandstand where so many have been married and where we have some evening concerts and vespers had a complete facelift, thanks to "Giving Tuesday of 2017" which raised about $450,000.  The seating area is no longer gravel, it's been graded and paved with pavers, and has all new "attached" benches, with some open space where I assume people who bring their own lawn chairs, baby strollers or wheel chairs can sit. The bandstand is a memorial to Fritz and Karlyn Steele, Lakesiders who were killed in an auto accident in August 1978, so the memorial is now 40 years old, and needed some renovation.

Then I went over and looked at the new basketball courts--maybe six of them.  Also sand volley ball courts.  This is primarily to serve the teen-agers, although you often see little ones and older adults playing too. The money for this was raised on "Giving Tuesday 2018," so you can see things move very quickly once the money is available.  I needed to take this detour because the main dock is closed again due to high water--even a little wave action and wind stirs up the lake and it has to be closed.  The two side docks, called L dock and I dock (due to shape) are under water even without wind.

I heard from the Barris'  https://www.idlewyldbb.com/ when we visited there last evening, that the pool was being used yesterday despite the cold and wind.  It is heated and has good handicapped access. It opened the summer of 2017, and is getting heavy use.  And we're so fortunate it's there--and I was one of the nay sayers who said, "Why do we need a pool when we have Lake Erie?"  But donors smarter and richer than I knew--in 2017 the swimming area of the lake couldn't be used for a few weeks due to bacteria and algae bloom http://lakeeriealgae.com/, and this year the lake is too high to be safe.

Eating their young in academe

"Researchers, scholars and scientists in multiple countries have offended the arbiters of academic groupthink and suffered censure, social ostracism or expulsion from the ranks." Sir Tim Hunt, Jordan Peterson, Michael Rectenwald, Rachel Fulton Brown, Bret Weinstein, Paul Griffiths, Nicholas and Erika Christakis, Jeffrey Ketland, Rick Mehta, Jeff Muehlbaur, Allen Frantzen, Richard Ted Lebow, Mark Silinsky, Nigel Biggar, Noah Carl, Alessandro Strumia and Rebecca Tuvel." (Michael Rectenwald on Facebook)

So true, and even getting P & T in academe is a struggle because there are so few conservatives in any department, so they have come to prominence quietly, or by converting later and recognizing the evils of Marxism, socialism, and communism, or by simply asking logical questions about dogma. Tuvel is a radical feminist and untenured philosophy professor who simply suggested that transracialism and transgenderism are based on the same theory of biological change. For that heresy published in a peer review journal, the editorial board was threatened (they apologized) and Tuvel's dissertation committee caved. The power of group think. In her case, it was a social media mob -- and you just never know where the bots are.

Of course, it's a shame that Tuvel has worked so hard to even get a job in academe to then have her reputation smeared by nobodies and her career dismantled, but she only had to look around her as she was coming up, doing the research, attending conferences or going out for a drink with colleagues to see that when the confederate statues are knocked down, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson would be next, and then some poor anonymous figure representing a pioneer.

The Next Generation Leahy

Last night's program at Hoover in Lakeside was the Next Generation Leahy from Canada--what a talented family. Oldest child performing was 17, 2 boys 14 and 15 who are now taller than their parents, a 12 year old girl, 10 year old boy and 8 year old girl. Wonderful talent, and great stage presence. All play the fiddle, and then each has a special talent--drums, cello, accordion, piano, and all do a very athletic French-Canadian step dance. This family has the longest legs I've ever seen.
Adele – fiddle, piano, cello, step-dance, vocals
Gregory – fiddle, accordion, piano, step-dance, vocals, drums
Angus – fiddle, piano, guitar, step-dance, vocals
Cecilia – fiddle, piano, step-dance, vocals, mandolin
Joseph – fiddle, step-dance, accordion, piano, vocals
Evelyn – fiddle, step-dance, piano, vocals

Imagine trying to get this many kids to practice. And there were 3 more back state--two of whom came out and did a quick step-dance. They also have a YouTube channel which shows them performing together in their home.

We're here at soggy, wet Lakeside

We left Columbus about 10:30 and were unpacked and settled about 2:30.  We're nursing along one of the two potted flowers (impatiens) we brought along, because it apparently hadn't been watered at home! The one we had on the deck looks fine.  Loretta (gardener) has put in some lovely plants along the east side of the cottage, but some of the plants didn't make it through the winter that were put in Spring 2018. We always put impatiens along the street, but this year also turned that over to Loretta. Bob's knees just can't handle it anymore, and besides, ours never looked good until about October.  She brought in a lot of additional soil, but as I look out the window, I think it looks about the same they did for the last 30 years when Bob planted them.

We didn't stop down at the car show on the lakefront--it was just too wet.  In the evening we attended a "Hawaiian" event at Wesley Lodge for donors and heard a nice pep talk by Kevin the president of Lakeside.  Things are moving briskly--the pickle ball courts are finished, the new Lago café across from the pool and exercise gym which opened in 2017, is open, the "front door" of Lakeside has a new fence and all new landscaping, the gazebo in the park, a favorite spot for weddings, has been completely renovated and a concrete base for all the new park benches installed, the park itself was renamed for the donors who supplied the funds and it's getting a face lift with new basketball courts and sand volleyball courts plus more landscaping, and there are unseen things being done to the infrastructure.  The terrible spring storms have held back some of the grass planting, so there's a lot of straw around.  Kevin says the section on the back of the Hoover auditorium needs to be replaced.  It's where all the back stage magic happens, and it was a "temporary" structure--now 91 years old. There is an old school house in south Lakeside, which has been boarded up for years

Even with all the rain, there's no way to be bored in Lakeside.  Kevin says there are over 4,000 distinct programs and activities to do here in the summer, or 6,000 if you add all the classes at the Rhein Center where Bob teaches for 2 weeks.  And you can still do nothing. . . but that's becoming harder all the time.

Illinois is the shame of the nation

I’ve looked over the latest abortion initiative for Illinois and am shocked and horrified. Particularly at the cheering! What has happened to the people? It is now the most radical, the bloodiest, the most dangerous (to women), the most ghoulish, and deeply disturbing abortion legislation in the nation. God have mercy on the people who came up with this evil. https://www.liveaction.org/news/illinois-house-passes-abortion-worse-new-york/

There was a time when only a man called Obama of all the local, state and federal politicians supported (publicly) such radical, anti-human and anti-humane actions. Now it’s half the nation. What a legacy. And what has Illinois given the nation.

On the radio today I heard a broken hearted director of a pro-life pregnancy center in Illinois—they counsel women in bad situations, give them material aid, education and employment opportunities and save their babies—say that she and her husband have moved to another state rather than pay Illinois taxes,* and she is doing her job at a distance, trying to keep a brave face for her staff and volunteers.

* I think your state taxes follow you even if you move to Tennessee but earned it in Illinois, so she’ll probably be looking for work.

FBI Lovebirds premieres today

The forces of censorship have been defeated. "FBI Lovebirds: UnderCovers" is a dramatized stage reading of text messages between Trump-nemesis and senior FBI Agent Peter Strzok and his mistress and fellow FBI operative, Lisa Page, and their subsequent interrogation by a congressional committee. Dean Cain (Gosnell, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) and Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Pretty in Pink) are set to play Strzok and Page. It is 100 per cent verbatim - using only the text messages and their congressional testimony to reveal the Truth about the FBI’s investigation into the Trump candidacy and Presidency."

The first venue backed out due to pressure, now it has a new location in Washington DC and will open at the Amphitheater at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 7:00 June 13.

It will be filmed and made available.

Cheering on the next recession

When Trump got the nomination in 2016 the experts (mostly Democrats working in non-profit "think tanks") predicted economic disaster. Since early 2017, the same "experts" have been predicting a recession. Our local news channel took the time out to announce one last night. Since they come around about every 10 years, someone will eventually get this one right. OTH, it seems some in media are pushing for economic failure so Democrats can have a crisis they will resolve by taking over more of the economy. They were doing the same in 2007. Remember the ARRA? The last recession was over (June 2009) before the first dollar to pay off Obama supporters was out the door. Then like the LA homeless, the Democrats relieved themselves on every effort of Americans to rebuild. They particularly enjoy terrorizing the little guy just building her business; after all, they've got the giant corporations on their side, like big tech and big pharma, who have the bucks to finance their campaigns and lobby for more regulation (keeps the up and coming stalled).

Here’s a really safe December 2016 prediction—maybe good, maybe bad.  World economy could suffer if Trump makes America great again. https://www.moneytips.com/what-economists-are-predicting-for-2017-under-president-trump

Predictions from June 2018—things are good now, but look out. http://fortune.com/2018/06/04/recession-2020-trump-trade/

Many forget the recession of 2000. How did President Bush handle that with the 9/11 disaster? Lowered taxes. Quick recovery. Congress enacted tax cuts to families in 2001 and investors in 2003. EGTRRA saved taxpayers $1.35 trillion over a 10-year period. Democrats hated this one. Said it decreased the government's "income." Note the cons in this article. https://www.thebalance.com/economic-growth-and-tax-relief-reconciliation-act-3305764

Abortion isn’t always a choice

This was seen in a Facebook comment (I'm not adding the name for obvious reasons):

"I have four children. First was in 88, my son. The second and third in 89 ... twins. When I let my Mother (a devout Democrat) know we were expecting again, her first words were "Really? Get an abortion." Loved my mother, but I didn't always like her. That statement made me hang up immediately on the phone. We had another in '91, and I didn't tell her for months ....

She loved all my kids. I have never told them about their Grandmother's first statement about them, and won't. But it was cruel, and so wrong. All my kids, 33 months between the first and the last of four, have turned out to be freaking AMAZING to me. Abortion was NEVER an option, despite how hard it was on a struggling young couple. We ... overcame. Because it was worth the effort."

I have a Facebook friend (whom I know from real life) who wanted his wife to abort their second child (now an adult), and got very angry when she refused. I hope he never told her, but he's still a pro-abort. I also know a woman who when her daughter was expecting her third child, wanted her to abort. Now she adores the delightful child. I know another woman who was told the baby was deformed and was offered abortion by her doctor. She refused; the child was perfect.

They call it "pro-choice," but in fact something like 65% report pressure to abort either by boyfriend, husband, parents, or peer group, and methods involve emotional or physical abuse, withdrawal of financial support, and shunning.

Do native born Americans use more welfare at a higher rate than illegal immigrants?

Have you ever wondered where some anti-Trumpers and Leftists come up with their "native born Americans use more welfare than illegals" memes and mottoes? Just read such an article today by a very sound research organization, Cato, which is libertarian. "Immigration and the welfare state: immigrant and native use rates and benefit levels for means-tested welfare and entitlement programs." Alex Nowrasteh and Robert Orr, May 10, 2018.

Here's the reasoning. First of all, toss in Social Security, SSI and Medicare into the pot and call that welfare. I know more than a few Americans who would object to calling the retirement plan and insurance they paid for "welfare."

Second, don't distinguish among green card holders, permanent residents, temporary workers, students (F-1, F-2, F-3 visas) refugees and naturalized citizens and illegal border crashers from 84 countries pouring through our southern border. It wouldn't shock me too much if green card computer employees of Google, Amazon and Microsoft from India and China earning 3x the wage of the average American don't use welfare. Just chatted with a 20-something recent OSU graduate (probably Indian, but could be Pakistani) on my walk yesterday, ready to take off for Seattle to work. From student visa to work visa (H1b).

Third, neglect to point out that virtually all the in-kind benefits that come from the 50 states, originate at the federal level--the National School Lunch Program, WIC, Head Start. Since those are available to all regardless of immigration status, that's also on the wrong side of the ledger.

Fourth, ignore that no one actually has a figure on how many illegals are living among us, working 2-3 jobs, being paid under the table, and sending remittances home to Ecuador or Honduras or Kenya. The churches and non-profits who receive government grants do not ask questions--they serve all.

Table 1 in the article disproves Cato's thesis by using what most Americans would define as federal "welfare." Percentage using Cash assistance, 0.7 by natives, 0.8 by noncitizens; SNAP 9.6 by natives, 14.6 by non-citizens; Medicaid 12.3 by natives, 18.9 by non-citizens.

The article is really loosey-goosey when it comes to the children. It has a category for "child immigrants" (which could be children of green card holders, work visa holders, naturalized citizens, temporary workers) and for "citizen children of noncitizen parents." Duh! I'm not too shocked if the immigrant child of a Filipino computer programmer working for Google is less likely to be using welfare than the child of a coal miner in West Virginia whose parents lost their jobs because of a clean air regulation.

It's not fake news, just government statistics with no agreement on terms.

Vast majority like their health-care

Great news, right?

80% of Americans rate their health-care quality as excellent or good. Except it was 76% under Obama in 2015, and 83% under Bush in 2007.

All studies showed before Obama decided to take over health, that nearly 85% of Americans were satisfied with their health insurance (which is not always the same as health care), in fact, some didn't want insurance, others just hadn't signed up for state or federal government plans. Didn't matter. He wanted the power. Jail or fine if you didn't have the level of insurance the government demanded. So what if you're happy with what you have? It wasn't what Yo'mama Obama wanted.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/245195/americans-rate-healthcare-quite-positively.aspx

You have to ask for this; expect resistance.

I noted this study about women doing their own breast compression during mammograms in WebMD with no citation except to JAMA Internal Medicine. So I looked that up, "Self-compression Technique vs Standard Compression in Mammography A Randomized Clinical Trial," Philippe Henrot, MD1; Martine Boisserie-Lacroix, MD2; Véronique Boute, MD3; et al., a French study using 549 women.

The results of this study echo earlier research that found allowing women to control compression during a mammogram doesn’t reduce the quality of the image but does reduce the level of discomfort women report during the procedure.

In September 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave clearance to a digital mammography system that allows women to increase or decrease the amount of compression applied to the breast before the mammogram starts.

But before I located it, I found a 1993 article published in Radiology, vol. 186, no. 1 with the same results, using 109 women. And it may have been referenced in the literature—I don’t have access to the full text.   Think of the pain women could have avoided for 25 years if someone had paid attention and followed through. "Impact of patient-controlled compression on the mammography experience." P J Kornguth, B K Rimer, M R Conaway, D C Sullivan, K E Catoe, A L Stout, J S Brackett

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2723076

https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/less-pain-when-women-control-mammo-compression

https://www.radiologybusiness.com/topics/quality/self-compression-mammography-image-quality-pain

Why are Democrats against school choice?

Every student in the Milwaukee Cristo Rey Jesuit High School graduating class will be the first in their family accepted to college. All 85 graduates received at least two acceptances to four-year colleges. Almost all the students are Hispanic, and almost all attend the school on taxpayer-funded vouchers through the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Why are so many on the left against choice in education? Is it because it succeeds?

http://jesuitsmidwest.org/news-detail?TN=NEWS-20190607125636

http://jesuitsmidwest.org/news-detail?TN=NEWS-20190529042416

The Columbus Cristo Rey opened in the renovated old School for the Deaf building in September 2014. Preserving buildings and saving children.

https://www.traditionalbuilding.com/projects/historic-high-school?

Perhaps it’s because about 99% of teachers’ unions support the Democrat party?

Is there womb discrimination?

Democrats are OK with discrimination because of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, or disability as long as it results in the death of an inconvenient baby in the womb. Democrats have been brutal to Justice Clarence Thomas as long as I can remember, but it has only made him stronger.

https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/06/05/clarence-thomas-shows-lefts-hypocrisy-on-discrimination/

"Gibson's Bakery v. Oberlin College” comment by Michael Smith

If you haven't followed this case, you should take a look. Legal Insurrection has been on it from the beginning. https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/06/verdict-jury-awards-gibsons-bakery-11-million-against-oberlin-college/

Three black students were caught shoplifting, then claimed they were targeted due to their race (they later admitted to the crime), and SJW professors and administrators at Oberlin immediately assisted in organizing protests in an attempt to destroy the business, targeting the white family who owned and operated it.

It is a perfect example of how progressives can't deal with their own irreconcilable and conflicting feelings, the dead-end nature of their own reasoning and a need to signal just how awesome and virtuous they are while being neither. It's an example of how they project their own failures onto others, making enemies where there were none and the weaponizing of some group or organization against those imaginary foes - this time a college, Oberlin, was the weapon.

Perhaps the tide is turning - but not without pain. This family never should have faced the three years of hell they have had to endure."

Netflix suicide series “13 Reasons Why”

Should the entertainment industry be held accountable? The Netflix series examines the suicide of 17 year-old Hannah Baker, who made 13 cassette tapes prior to her death.

"According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, United States youth ages 10-17 had a 28.9% increase in suicide rates in young males in the month (April 2017) following the debut of the show."

www.ncregister.com/daily-news/study-finds-nearly-30-spike-in-male-teen-suicide-following-netflix-release?

https://www.phillyvoice.com/netflix-13-reasons-why-teen-suicides-increase-study/

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2019/release-of-13-reasons-why-associated-with-increase-in-youth-suicide-rates.shtml

The entertainment industry, specifically TV and film, is a powerful mind control group whose representatives love to lecture the rest of us on man caused climate change, racism, sexual issues, gun laws, etc., yet are the most consistently violent, abusive, and life threatening force in our lives. It also brought us the MeToo hypocrisy, black performers as servants, criminals and/or dancers, and all the shoot 'em up car chase themes which they now decry as toxic masculinity.

“Time to Get Tough” by Donald Trump (2011)

Yesterday I picked up a remaindered copy of President Trump's "Time to get tough" (2011). I've been browsing--and it's actually shocking to see that he was the same guy 8 years ago (or 9 if you count the time to write it). And it's exactly in his style.

Trump was running in 2011 (announced he was dropping it in May 2011)--and didn't have wonderful things to say about Obama. "Obama's popularity in America may be at rock bottom levels, but I know one place his ratings are likely sky high: the Kremlin. Russia's leaders can hardly believe their luck. Never in a million years did they think America would elect a guy as ineffective as this. Obama's pretty-please diplomacy and endless American apology tours have served Russian interests extremely well. . . No sooner did Obama move into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue than he began making concessions and sacrificing American power on the Altar of "improving relations" with Russia." (pp. 93-94, PB)

Called that one.

There is effectively an oil spill every day at Coal Oil Point (COP), the natural seeps off Santa Barbara, California, where 20 to 25 tons of oil have leaked from the seafloor each day for the last several hundred thousand years. Keep that in mind when you hear about man made environmental problems like oil spills. Research is on-going. https://www.msi.ucsb.edu/current-projects/effect-hydrocarbon-production-offshore-natural-seep-rates-coal-oil-point-area-santa?

Donald Trump mentioned this in his 2011 book, "Time to get tough," as he commented on the amount of oil and gas the U.S. has, but because of the environmental lobby and Obama's weakness and messing around with the free market economy, there was no leadership.

"Here at home, he's kept in place the bans on drilling off our coasts. But he goes to Brazil, gives them $2 billion through the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and brags that he's proud and excited to make America one of Brazil's "best customers." . . . It's the most ludicrous, anemic leadership anyone could imagine."

How the Census over counts poverty

Are you surprised if our borders are flooded with illegals who ignore our laws? They know the Democrats will protect them, pay for college, let them vote, not require citizenship, and even supply pro-bono lawyers for crimes, and it must look like the streets are paved with gold for the poor.

In the United States, in 2015, there were 43.1 million people the Census said were living in poverty (a very misleading figure).

Poor households routinely report spending $2.40 for every $1 of income the Census says they have. (Some figures are from 2009 even though article is 2016) https://www.dailysignal.com/2016/09/13/15-facts-about-poverty-in-us-government-buries/

"The average poor American lives in a house or apartment that is in good repair and has more living space than the average nonpoor person in France, Germany, or England.

Eighty-five percent of poor households have air conditioning.

Nearly three-fourths of poor households have a car or truck, and 31 percent have two or more cars or trucks.

Nearly two-thirds of poor households have cable or satellite TV.

Half have a personal computer; 43 percent have internet access.

Two-thirds have at least one DVD player.

More than half of poor families with children have a video game system, such as an Xbox or PlayStation.

One-third have a wide-screen plasma or LCD TV." . . .

"In 2014, government spent over $1 trillion on means-tested welfare for poor and low income people. (This figure does not include Social Security or Medicare.) Welfare spending on cash, food, and housing was $342 billion.

The cash, food, and housing spending alone was 150 percent of the amount needed to eliminate all poverty in the U.S. But the Census ignored more than four-fifths of these benefits for purposes of measuring poverty. Effectively, the Census counts poverty in the U.S. by ignoring almost the entire welfare state."

UA CARES

Our program at the UALC Thursday Bible study lunch [delicious, btw] was UA CARES, which stands for Community Assistance, Referrals and Education Services. A representative from the Fire Division of Upper Arlington explained many services they offer to make our homes safer ranging from home assessments, coordination with care providers and medical services, to grab bars to a handy little feature I'd never heard of called KNOX.

"Knox Box is a mini, lockable steel vault that provides firefighters and paramedics access to keys for entry to a residence or business in an emergency. Only the UA Fire Division can access boxes in Upper Arlington. The vault is installed by the resident or business owner on the structure’s exterior near the entry. In an emergency, the dispatcher tells first responders if a Knox-Box is onsite for easy building access, without forcing a door or damaging the building.’

Many communities have similar services.  The speaker said 80% of what the Fire Division does is NOT fighting fires.

Spring cleaning before it's summer

It's hard to grow flowers when you're gone so much, but we're attempting again.  Most of our neighbors have such lovely blooms.

And then I finally finished cleaning the green crud off the deck.  It's made of Trex, but the green mold on the north side of the house loves it just as much as it did our wood deck which we replaced a few years ago.

Gender wage gap

We had 6 mature trees removed today. Some were in the oval which was built up with soil dug for our basements in the mid-70s and probably other fill. Wrong nutrients for trees, and by middle age (they were about 45 years old) they were struggling.

I call this photo "Jobs American women don't do." Oh sure, you'll find a few female tree maintenance workers, but mostly it's a high risk, dirty, difficult job, with 3x the fatality rate of other jobs, and it's rough on the manicures. According to BLS this guy makes about $20/hour--a school teacher, $64/hour. That's a gender wage gap.

Transwomen are biologically men

When I scroll through various news sites I see on the side bar, "Another transgender woman found dead." 1) That is not a woman, but a biological man. 2) Women are found dead often in those same cities, and there's no headline story for them. I heard about Samuel Little, serial killer of 93 women, for the first time this week.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/03/samuel-little-serial-killer-indicted-ohio-cold-cases/1335133001/?

Illinois perfect storm (Gene Kollack)

The 'Perfect Storm' descended with full force on the citizens of Illinoi this week. Your Governor and legislators (both sides) thank you for allowing them to go 'full Venezuela' on you. . .

This week in Springfield the following legislation was passed.

1. Expanded abortion up to birth.
2. Expanded gambling with up to 6 new casinos.
3. Allowing inmates to vote including establishing a polling place at the Cook County Jail.
4. Removing $5 co-pay for inmates making medical and dental completely free.
5. New law passed regarding Driver Licenses. When completing your drivers application you can identify as Male, Female, or Other (non-binary).
6. Legislation to extend voting rights to non-citizen student trustees in Illinois.
7. Passed legislation preventing law enforcement from enforcing the law and making Illinois a Sanctuary State.
8. A bill that requires all Refineries in Illinois, all petrochemical plants, all ethanol plants, all basic organic chemical plants must become union.
9. Last night passed legislation for a $40 billion budget (a billion more than the governors proposed budget) and $45 billion capital bill, raising license plate fees to $199, legalizes sports betting, higher taxes on video gaming and an expansion of video gaming, a tax hike on cigarettes and vaping, a new tax on parking garages, and raises the gasoline tax to $.38 a gallon.
10. Passed a constitutional amendment to go from a flat tax to a progressive tax.
11. Increased minimum wage to $15.
12. Legalization of marijuana.
13. Last but not least legislators gave themselves a 2.5% salary raise, a 25% and 33% increase in mileage and per diem.

Pastor is criticized for praying for the President

https://www.mcleanbible.org/prayer-president? Some have tried to make political hay of the McClean Bible Church pastor's prayer and didn't like it that Trump asked for prayer. The pastor has been criticized, and I see no reason for him to explain his prayer. It's Biblical. It's a beautiful prayer--scroll down to see the video.

The pastor is now finding out what thousands of us have experienced--if you don't say something negative and hateful about President Trump, friends, family and parishioners might be upset.

Beyond Burger—the plant based burger

We tried this last night. Ours wasn't as expensive as what this YouTuber says—we paid $3.99 for 8 oz. John thinks they taste good--I'd say, tastes "OK," my husband said, “Don't do this again.” Left a lot of residue in the pan even with a spray. But if you're desperate for a burger experience--it's made with pea protein isolate, canola oil and coconut oil. We didn't add cheese or catsup or pickles. I think he was tasting memories.

https://youtu.be/_pRP3-SyzT0

We both felt uncomfortable later in the evening. But for people who don't want/tolerate beef, it's pretty close. . . especially if you add cheese, pickles, lettuce, sauce and can only taste that. I bought mine at Marc's.

2 million children visited an ED because of a TBI sustained over 7 years

An estimated 283,000 children seek care in U.S. emergency departments each year for a sports- or recreation-related traumatic brain injury (SRR-TBI), according to a new MMWR Report. TBIs sustained in contact sports accounted for approximately 45% of all SRR-TBI ED visits. Activities associated with the highest number of ED visits were football , bicycling, basketball, soccer and playground activities.

Injuries differed by sex and age of the child. "SRR-activities associated with the highest percentage of ED visits varied by age group and sex. Football was associated with 26.8% of all SRR-TBI ED visits for males aged 0–17 years. Among males aged <5 years and 5–9 years, playground activities accounted for the most ED visits (38.2% and 19.6%, respectively). Among all females aged 0–17 years, soccer, playground activities, and basketball were the most common causes of SRR-TBI ED visits, contributing to 13.1%, 12.6%, and 11.9% of all SRR-TBI-related ED visits, respectively. Playground activities led to 42.3% of SRR-TBIs visits among females aged <5 years.

In all sports and ages, twice as many boys are injured than girls. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6810a2.htm?

Jeanellen grieves the loss of a friend

This happens far more often than it should—bigotry and intolerance in politics. She writes:

“Feeling a heavy heart tonight as I may have lost a friend due to politics. Had dinner with a few friends that came into town who I haven’t seen in years. They all are very liberal, but one in particular looked at me & said, “Please tell me you would not vote for Trump again”. I was trying to keep it light but it just degenerated with her bringing up the abortion debate and acting like I was utterly ridiculous for believing that life begins at conception.

This is a person I like and respected who always agreed to disagree with me. Even though I was calm & respectful during the discussion she was barely speaking to me at the end.

This is not the first time this has happened and I really avoid bringing up politics but the media has poisoned the waters and makes people in the left feel like they have the right to take the stance of righteousness and unfettered disgust towards those who don’t agree.

How did we get here?”

Constant anti-Trump drumbeat

I am so sick of the anti-Trump drivel in every media source--this in "Architect," which awards issue (336 pp) is the size of the old Penney's Christmas catalog. President Obama was known as the "deporter in chief," turning back hundreds of thousands of illegals, and the so-called child cage photos were from his administration. Only because he was dealing with fewer illegals crossing the border has Trump passed Obama on numbers and Soros funded non-profits are assisting with the onslaught. Why is it journalists in all media are all progressives? Why is it "anti-immigrant" to protect our sovereignty which is the #1 job of a President?

Author Jacobs brings up his grandmother, a Polish immigrant, who opened a Kosher restaurant in Hoboken to first drum up sympathy with readers, but of course, there weren't 22 million illegal Poles storming our borders after WWII, were there Mr. Jacobs? "Make the Road New York" is an immigrant rights group and it has a building designed and out sourced to a Mexican firm hired while Obama was president (I suppose there are jobs American architects won't do in a struggling economy?). I'm betting there are walls, doors and locks in this building.

https://www.architectmagazine.com/design/ten-arquitectos-designs-a-beacon-for-the-resistance_o

Over half of this issue is devoted to advertising, indicating a booming economy. I hope Mr. Jacobs takes notice.