Diane's question about Presidents Obama and Trump

"Here's a question for all of my Democrat/liberal friends who are decrying the US capture of Maduro in Venezuela. What’s the difference between President Obama ordering US forces to enter a sovereign nation, without their permission, to intentionally kill Osama Bin Laden, who was under a US indictment (issued in 1998, under the Clinton administration) and President Trump ordering US forces to capture Nicolas Maduro—unharmed--to prosecute him under a US indictment for narcotrafficking issued in 2020? If you have a cogent answer other than “Orange Man Bad,”

I would be delighted to hear it.

Don't forget Manuel Noriega in Panama when George HW Bush ordered troops on the ground to capture him."

Did Santa bring you any good books?

Did you get any books for Christmas? I got one--an ESV archeology Bible. My NIV was lost in the move, so rather than fret every day I just asked for a different one. But here's what Bob got. I'm reading the one on the far left, "An inside job" by Daniel Silva (2025). It's not a genre I like, but I'm really enjoying it. He's a good writer.

As I age, I read less and less, although I have plenty of time. I just can't find a comfortable place with good light.

Mamdani tries to make NYC Venezuela

Not my words, but exactly my thoughts from the newsletter of investment advisor Joel Ross:

"Mamdani has only been in office a few days and each day it gets much worse as he announces his appointments. They are all far left radicals who will destroy the city. Their policies are socialist to communist and anti-capitalist and anti- landlord. The result will be a much worse education for poor kids and a far worse rental apartment situation. No developer is going to want to start a new multi project. Dealing with evictions has just become totally impossible. Schools will experience a downgrade in education in the name of diversity. The homeless will begin to reappear in parks and on the streets in spring. Tisch as police commissioner is all that prevents crime from going way up again, and we will see how long she lasts. Now Mamdani has lashed out at Trump for arresting Maduro. That is right out of the Socialist manifesto. He already is virulently anti-Israel. He knows nothing of how to run the city but suddenly he thinks he knows about geopolitics. He is dangerous because now he has a bullhorn and will be read and followed on social media. We can expect much more of that. He abolished the Adams committees and definition of anti-Semitism. His father is a rabid outspoken anti-Semite who actually is a professor at Columbia-where else. This is going to bad or worse than we all expected."

So true about Mamdani's parents. All bad ideas come from academe, and it's probably worse when they are Communists who flee from India via Uganda.

He's appointed a "tenant advocate" who thinks home ownership is "white supremacy." Landlords should be fleeing the city. Zohran Mamdani’s new NYC tenant advocate called to 'seize private property,' blasted homeownership as 'white supremacy'

This corruption didn't begin with the Somalis

Before tracking down "root causes" and supply chain history of the Somali day care fraud, I hope Congress stops and looks at two basics: Head start (turned 60 in 2025 in the failed War on Poverty which we lost ) and the corruption in the nonprofit arena (got really bad during Bush I who wanted to reduce federal employment with "faith-based" solutions).

By any definition and all the studies, Head Start has failed miserably--40 million children, their parents and the tax payers. Not every daycare is a head start model, but it's been ingrained in generations that children will be better off if mom leaves home to work and someone not family takes care of the kids. That's the old south slavery model, isn't it? By 2nd grade all academic gains are lost.

 
The whole nonprofit grants from the federal government model so the money is controlled locally is riddled with corruption, nepotism and graft, The Somali thing is the tip of the iceberg, and it's not just day care. It's good intentions gone bad.

https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/fbci/qr3.html?

Some think the Head start failure is a result of this year's fraud investigation (60 years), but it was declared a failure at 50 years and 40 years,  It's never passed the smell test. Head Start is in turmoil - The Hechinger Report

Epiphany, January 4

I remember when I first learned about Marco Polo, the 13th century Venetian diplomat who lived in China as a young man. I was about 10 years old and we were living in Forreston, IL so it was probably 5th grade. I just loved history. And it was about that age and this time of year we were also singing, "We three kings of Orient are," the hymn that tells about the 3 Magi arriving to worship the new born king led there by a star. I learned about 50 years later, there weren't 3 kings, but 3 gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh, so no one knows how many Magi showed up. The 19th c. hymn writer wrote it for a children's play.

 
We celebrate that event on January 4, so I was reading today about an illuminated French manuscript of 1410 of "The Book of the Wonders of the World" by Marco Polo written in 1298. The original no longer exists, but there were hundreds of copies and translations and it was a best seller, some beautifully illustrated. Over the years, many people have doubted certain stories in Polo's travel account.
I was quite surprised to read that while traveling through Persia (Iran) the locals told Polo a "true story" of the 3 Magi and told him to visit a fortress to see their tombs. The 3 bodies were together and still intact with their hair and beards. The story known in that area was "they set out for a distant land in order to adore a prophet who had been born and to offer him 3 gifts--gold, frankincense, and myrrh. . ."

Of course, even as a teen, Polo knew the Bible story, and perhaps he wanted to enhance it--but still, he thought there were 3 Magi just like the guy in Pennsylvania who wrote the hymn hundreds of years later.

  

Cover, Magnificat, January 2026

Ending the old, beginning the new--while sick

 We had plans to go to a friends' home for dinner last night (prime rib and the trimmings) but Saturday I felt a cold coming on and by Wednesday it was really out of control. So Bob went alone. He also went out for orange juice and kleenex this morning, but I'll be down probably the rest of the week. I've watched some Hallmark movies but am too tired to read. Bob is sleeping through all the football games, so it's not an exciting New Year. Back to bed.

Happy New Year anyway! May 2026 be good to you.

The $9 billion fraud in Minnesota "for the children"

I've heard but not researched that some MSM are complaining that MAGA type citizens are overly concerned about $9 Billion fraud in child learning scandal in Minnesota. But I do know that the investigation began during the Biden administration, that the NYT has had a story about it, that local watchdog groups were investigating and the buck didn't stop at Walz's desk. He says he's been working on it, so why is $9 billion the tip of the iceberg and the learning centers are still open?

Hey, that's Bill Maher

 Bob has taken to watching old reruns of the TV series, "Murder She Wrote," and today I looked up from my blogging and said, "Hey that's Bill Maher, the late night political commentator."  "You mean the one who got fired and then rehired?" "No, but it's Bill Maher with long curly hair,"

So I looked it up and sure enough, it's "Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble" Episode aired Feb 19, 1989.

Is it affordability or the economy?

Steven Moore said on Fox News the U.S. has 4% of the world's population and 1/2 of the wealth. So, I looked that up (separate sites) and it's true. It's called capitalism, ambition, hard work, entrepreneurship, and wealth accumulation through family networks (i.e. marriage). Other sites quibble. I looked back 20 years in my blog (Dec. 2005) and the Democrats were saying the same ugly things about the George W. Bush economy, only then we called it BDS. Democrats prefer Communism so 99% of us can be poor at the same time and they can acclaim a victory for equity and inclusion.

"The United States 2025 population is estimated at 347,275,807 people at mid-year, equivalent to 4.22% of the total world population." Worldometers.info

 
Aljazeera wants to quibble with Moore using a figure of "adults" but I'll take Moore's word for it. His books explore the impact of taxes, energy, and worker freedom on economic outcomes. The U.S. is the land people are dying to flee to for opportunity. Maybe people are sneaking into China or North Korea and the media just don't report it?

Why is there a Bye Week?

I hear a lot about bye/buy/by week in football chatter. So today I asked the coach at our breakfast table. And he explained it, but I wanted to know the origin, not the meaning. I've seen it spelled three ways.

This is what Why Do We Say Teams Get a 'Bye'? | Merriam-Webster site says:
"In sports, bye refers to a team automatically advancing to the next round of tournament play without competing and bye week refers to a scheduled off week for a given team. The term is not related to goodbye but is instead believed to be an alteration of by, as in the team is "standing by" to play later, or "bypassed" while other teams play. One early sport to feature a bye is coursing; the b-y-e spelling is likely influenced by an existing term from cricket in which a wicket-keeper misses a ball."

By vs. Bye: What's the Difference?: Grammarly says:
"The term bye is commonly used in informal conversations as a short way to say goodbye. Additionally, it has a specific application in sports, referring to a situation where a player or team advances to the next round of a competition without having to play."

So "advancing without playing" (which still doesn't make sense to me) seems to be the meaning of "bye" in tournaments, and it's not just football.

Where I live, I hear more sports talk in a week than I used to hear in a year,

Phillip Markwood, architect, 1937-2025

I see that local architect Phil Markwood died December 20. He was well known for his churches in the Columbus area and was a Christian. I seem to remember that he may have been the architect for a past remodeling of UALC. Bob knew him through AIA. I liked this testimony in his obituary,

"During the firm’s 47 years existence, Phil was always designing a faith-related project. He described his passion for church design as follows: “I gravitate towards church work for two reasons. I am a believer, so I get a chance to work for ‘The Big Client’ while working for His servants and I get to create spaces that touch the spirit. We’re all spiritual beings and churches are places that prepare you for your own experience with God.” He said he found that what he was doing was bigger than the project, the people and himself and that the main authority is God. He always felt like he was working for Him.

Those who knew Phil recognized him as a man of humility, patience, kindness, and selflessness. He was a deep thinker, a wise counselor, and a committed man of faith. He connected with people through compassionate listening, always more interested in learning about others than talking about himself. He led a purposeful life evidenced by a deep devotion to wife and family, commitment to his relationship with Jesus and studying His word with close friends for years, and application of his God-given abilities to create enduring spaces to enjoy life and worship. And if he was at a gathering where a prayer was required, he was inevitably asked to speak, as he was also informally known as Pastor Phil to many." 

Phillip Markwood Obituary - Columbus, OH

What's for Christmas Eve dinner tonight?

 What's for dinner tonight? "Holiday foods are especially powerful because they’re tightly bound to episodic memory – the brain’s record of personal experiences. “When we taste those foods again, the hippocampus and amygdala bring those emotional memories back to life,” said Traster. Experiences encoded in childhood are particularly durable, especially when they’re paired with strong emotion and repetition. Christmas foods often meet both criteria, becoming deeply embedded early in life."

Maybe, but we're having Italian restaurant take-out for Christmas Eve dinner from DaVinci's in Upper Arlington, not traditional (in our family). We're living in a retirement facility called The Estates (formerly The Forum) so hosting is a bit difficult for us. But we do have our 1963 dining room table that has a leaf on which we can eat our non-traditional dinner. On Christmas Day we'll all be eating in the dining room for a traditional buffet with Italian left-overs for the evening.

Why Christmas Food Tastes Better – The Brain Science | Technology Networks

https://youtu.be/y1xFD89xio0?si=Tzchxn8caMBsORra  Holiday dinners in 1961 -- remember Jim DeMott's oyster dressing and deviled eggs?

Sharing Legacy Recipes: A Holiday Potluck in Memory – Oaktree Memorials

The Epstein puzzle

Why do Democrats get so excited about underage women being sexually abused by Epstein and politicians and entertainers, but cared not at all or would not even admit to the crime of young women and girls that were trafficked over the border during the Biden administration? They don't seem to worry about the sexual abuse in the trans activist movement where body parts of the underaged are mutilated or removed by university hospitals and doctors. But oh the outrage at the Epstein name.

"According to Pew Research 79% of Republicans now support making it illegal for health care professionals to provide medical care for a gender transition for minors. This compares with 72% in 2022. On the same question, 35% of Democrats now express support, up from 26% in 2022. (These figures include independents who identify with or lean toward each party.)" Pew Research Center Feb. 26, 2025

"Demands by [California] Democrats on an Assembly committee that people who solicit 16- and 17-year-olds for sex be treated less harshly than those who target younger teens marked the second time in two years that Democratic state lawmakers, who firmly grasp Sacramento’s levers of power, were caught on the defensive as Republicans lambasted them for blocking or watering down bills addressing sex crimes against minors. Democrats tried to parry the assault, saying a solicitation law that treats younger and older teens equally would do more harm than good, tying the hands of judges and others." Politico, May 2, 2025

Frustrations mount among survivors about House Democrats’ selective releases of Epstein files and photos | CNN Politics

Charles Schumer accuses Justice Department of violating Jeffrey Epstein disclosure law

Trump supporters angry over Justice Department's Epstein memo - ABC News

On policies restricting trans people, Americans have become more supportive | Pew Research Center

California Dems’ crime problem is coming from inside the house - POLITICO

Hilltop Lutheran Church, gone but not forgotten

Today we'll be attending our final noon Advent/worship/lunch service at our church, Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, UALC. I had a few minutes last Thursday and put my coat and purse down in a pew near the front and noticed something I hadn't seen before. Hymnals with a red stamp on the top edge from Hilltop Lutheran Church (west side of Columbus) that used to be part of UALC, but which is now Veritas Community Church. I walked between several pews and checked the hymnals and the memorial plates inside--each had been purchased and plated long ago. Those hymnals (green, Lutheran Book of Worship) came out about 1978. Some were dedicated to deceased parents, or an anniversary or a member of a women's circle. I didn't recognize any names. I saw Becki our congregational care staff member who also selects the hymns we use for worship and asked her about it. She said that so many of our hymnals were worn out that we used the LBW from that building when it was moved to another congregation. Sitting there I felt I'd been joined by a whole congregation that had never worshipped in our building.

Collecting My Thoughts: The long good-bye

Collecting My Thoughts  Hilltop Lutheran

"Elvis" sang for us at the Estates

Elvis [Lonnie Jay Freeman] came to The Estates to entertain us yesterday afternoon. I won a scarf for knowing the name of his first movie. . . Love me Tender.

Ginny (97) and I both got scarves. She was an M.K. born in India and went to a British run boarding school, went to college in Wheaton, IL and settled in the Cleveland area to raise her family. She still drives--never misses church or our local Bible class. We are 3rd floor neighbors.

I really didn't care much for Elvis when I was in High School but over the years and I've seen so many shows by reenactors he's grown on me. There are quite a few Christmas and holiday songs.

  

10 Best Elvis Christmas Songs of All Time, Ranked

No fake civility from Trump for Rob Reiner

 This was written by Carl and appeared on Facebook comment.

"Trump issued a statement that did two things at once, and that’s what broke people. He acknowledged the tragedy, and he told the truth about who Rob Reiner was and how he lived. He didn’t sugarcoat it. He didn’t play the fake civility game. He didn’t suddenly pretend the last ten years never happened. People on the right wanted Trump to give them a pause button. A soft moment. Something they could hold up to the media and say, “See, we’re better people.” Not because it mattered, but because they’re tired. Tired of defending. Tired of being attacked. Tired of living in a constant political war they never signed up for. That exhaustion is real. But it’s also part of how we got here. For decades, many of us trusted institutions that didn’t deserve it. We believed in a two-party system that wasn’t real. We believed wars were necessary because officials said so. We believed men like Romney and McCain were opposition when they were just controlled alternatives. We went along to get along, and the country paid the price. Trump didn’t create this mess. We did, by falling asleep at the wheel. He forced us to wake up and see it. And when he speaks plainly, especially in moments where polite fiction would be easier, it makes people nervous. Not because it’s wrong, but because it removes the comfort blanket. It reminds us that this fight never pauses just because tragedy happens."

And it's not even the first day of winter yet

Our Christmas programs at the Estates are coming fast. We had two! today. I think I know all the words now for Frosty and White Christmas. Earlier today it was a couple—baby boomers, I think—spreading holiday cheer, except it was billed as Hanukkah, which was sort of ironic considering the tragedy yesterday in Australia. This evening we enjoyed a 13 piece band in the lobby which has soaring ceilings. Bob took out his hearing aids because it’s dangerous to have them in when it’s so loud. The singer was really talented and cute as a button. She was a great MC and knew all the history and back ground of the songs. It really brings back memories of caroling in the snow and junior choir and singing at “the old folks home” in Mt. Morris. And who could forget those 4 cute Corbetts singing for the women's club in Forreston. 

Yesterday we had “Mrs. Oppenheimer’s Piano class” Christmas recital—each child had 2 songs plus a duet with the teacher, and then we all sang Christmas carols accompanied by the teacher. Last week we had a kindergarten class from a Christian school and also a men’s quartet, except the trumpet player may be permanently out of a career—I didn’t know that a trumpet can cause a retina problem from the pressure, and he was at the doctor as the rest played and sang.

Saturday there was a party for children—breakfast with Santa. Pancakes and presents. I’m not sure where the children came from—maybe from the staff? I did skip that one, but Bob went and had several photos taken with Santa, one on (her) lap. And of course, there have been some fund raisers, like bake sales and the money raised is used to buy presents for kids, and a present drive where someone takes new things to an organization.

Our snow over the week-end has kept us inside (5” of snow on top of the car) but by Wednesday it should be about 50 degrees and we’re just going to let it melt off. We’ve been seeing a lot of Christmas movies too. Yesterday it was "The Christmas Story," and although I’ve seen it many times, it’s the only time I saw it all the way through in one sitting because I was always leaving the room for something. We saw two really forgettable Dolly Parton Christmas special movies. We also saw Bing Crosby (and Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Allen) in "White Christmas" (1945).

Getting my fall letter out early with address changes was a good idea because all the cards are coming to the right address, along with some long emails from those who probably wouldn’t have written before. Our apartment was on a “home tour” last week so people could see the decorations. Ours were somewhat limited since the space is small, but it looked cute and we have an unusual number of paintings—maybe 65.

Rogan interviews Jelly Roll again

 https://youtu.be/UWz6_CXt5T8?si=n9qLfNCCq-psBiRW

Several years ago, I had a subscription to a streaming service called Hulu and one night I watched a documentary about Jelly Roll, a rock n roll, CW, funky fat performer.  It was an engaging story--fat kid grows up to be a modestly good performer and along the way becomes a felon.  Fast forward, he became obese, but still quite popular.  He had periodically dieted but the first time he appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast he had lost about 120 lbs--now he's lost over 300 and so this interview is about how his life has changed and how he's controlled his addiction.   I'm not sure when it was recorded, but it aired around December 10.

I asked Co-pilot what his style is called: "Jelly Roll is a multifaceted performer known for his unique blend of country, rap, gospel, and Southern rock music. He has gained significant recognition in the country music scene, winning awards such as the CMT Music Awards for "Son of a Sinner" and "Need a Favor" and being nominated for a Grammy Award for his album "Beautifully Broken". Additionally, he has made appearances in WWE, showcasing his passion for the sport and performing at major events. Jelly Roll's music often reflects his personal experiences, resonating with fans who appreciate his authentic storytelling and soulful delivery.

Poor Michigan fans

Poor Michigan fans. Heads must be exploding. This coach Serrone Moore disaster is worse than the last scandal. What did the administration know and when did they know it? Her raises should have been a clue. How does this affect the athletes? And how crazy can this guy be to throw away a 30 million salary and an incredible wife and kids? Dump wife Kelli, who is also a soccer star athlete for another blonde? Was the girlfriend black mailing him? And the media? "Inappropriate relationship"-- Is that like the congress member who called an assassination of a national guardswoman "a tragic accident?" This guy was an unfaithful husband, making the other woman a slut, and he fires her when he's caught and she spills the beans and he's suicidal? Good heavens.

Sherrone Moore's Family: All About the Ex Football Coach's Wife and Kids

Today's Public Service Announcements from me

Here are my 2 PSA for the day.

1. If you have a Roadrunner account for your email, migrate now. Some people still have my old columbus.rr account because of group chats. At first (August) I could get it, but with some delay. Now, not at all. Don't use it. New Spectrum users don't get it at all, some older ones are spotty, but mine was probably from the old Time-Warner days and it's totally gone. Unfortunately, for some people my record of your email address is gone too because I can't get into my old archived e-mails.

2. Don't pay any attention to the on-line gossip about celebrities; especially Erika Kirk. And she should also stop defending herself online or on talk shows like Fox's Outnumbered. Not that she'll take my advice. It just fuels the fires under the folks who hated Charlie. And the mainstream media are probably as unbiased as the latest "influencer." 

You noticed I hope that TDS used to be BDS and anyone who supported W used to be a Nazi or racist. Now they love Bush.