Monday, December 11, 2006
3261 Editor and Publisher
is a magazine you probably don't come across often, but I like to read it (or did), and sometimes find information about a magazine or a writer or publisher to use with by hobbylog. But lately, seems they've gone the way of the MSM, so I wrote to them:"I could swear that I used to read Editor and Publisher for information about, well, publishing, but now when I scan your stories all I see is Bush administration bashing. Have you changed direction? Did you think that the main stream media, all losing readership, weren't doing enough of that?"
Thank goodness for talk radio, or conservatives would have no voice at all. And they aren't in lock step and are positive and upbeat. How refreshing. Right now I'm listening to News Talk 870 (California).
Sunday, December 10, 2006
3260 The importance of exercise
"When astronauts come back to earth after extended space missions, they sometimes can’t walk or perform other physical activities very well, at first. Because the weightlessness of space makes it possible for astronauts to push and pull objects without effort, their muscles become weak. Back on earth, the same principle applies to the muscles of sedentary older adults: If you don’t use them, you lose them. The good news is that, at any age, almost any older adult — or astronaut — can improve strength through exercise."The National Institute on Aging has a very nice 86 page guide to exercise you can download from the Internet, titled Exercise; a guide. Maybe you think you're too young to benefit from this, but I doubt it. Or maybe you've been looking for ideas for Mom or Dad or Grandma. It wouldn't hurt a 30 or 40 year old to know some of these tips about stretching and warm ups and good nutrition.
My husband has been in a regular exercise class either as a participant or instructor for over 2 decades. Now he works out with 25 ladies 3 times a week--he's no dummy. I've tried a variety of things, but usually stick to walking if I can find a surface that isn't too hard, and lately have been using some resistance bands. There's no one more resistant to exercise than I.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
3259 Less and fewer
This is probably as lost a cause as diagramming sentences, but at a blog I was reading tonight I saw a phrase that was like fingernails on a blackboard, but I had no idea why. "I think that less and less people have other people in their lives enough." So I just punched it into Google and found a blog called Pedant's Corner, who wrote that you use fewer with countable nouns, and less with noncountable:"The most important thing to appreciate here is the distinction between countable and non-countable things. This distinction is not always clear, but it usually is. If you consider people, you can always count them. (Even conjoined twins count as two distinct people.) There is always a distinct number of people in any given group. Contrast this with a quantity of water. Water is not a countable thing, even though it is measurable. You could try to confuse this by saying that even water is made of discrete molecules that can be counted, but in practice you don't usually think of water that way: instead, you measure it on a scale like gallons or litres."
Think of many or much: too many (implying few), or too much (implying less).
Seeing the sign at the check-out, "Ten items or less" doesn't help. It's grammatically incorrect, but it's everywhere.
3258 Absolutely
Lake Superior State University, the smallest state school in Michigan, has issued its 2006 list of banished words (and phrases), including "an accident that didn't need to happen" (are there accidents that need to happen?); "first time caller" (who cares?); and "talking points." I have submitted a word for 2007--ABSOLUTELY. I am really sick of hearing this word every time a simple YES would do the job. In fact, sometimes people will say, "Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely," when they agree, pausing and emphasizing along the way. I hear it in ordinary conversation and on TV and radio. It is also said with a very solemn face, as though the speaker were saying something incredibly wise. Anyone else sick of this?3257 Three reasons I love language
Phonics. Diagramming. Latin. And I learned in that order from age 6 to 16. I really enjoyed the review of Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog by Kitty Burns Florey in today's WSJ. I think I want this for Christmas (someone who reads this blog has been asking for ideas).
I don't know how children are taught to read and write these days in public school. Someone is doing a good job because I've found some amazingly good writers on the internet, and they can't all have been home-schooled or have attended private schools. Perhaps it is self selective--if you hate to write, know you're a poor speller and can't make a sentence sound right--you take up another hobby. Or you type with your thumbs and can only text message.
Were you taught to diagram sentences when you were in school? Were your classes called "language arts," or "communication," or "English?" Were you taught "whole language" or phonics? Did you have instruction in penmanship (cursive) after the early grades?
Friday, December 08, 2006
3256 The monetary returns of a college degree
I've said this for years, but no one wants to believe it. They shift the topic to other values. But dollar for dollar for many students, investing the college fund and just getting a job would pay better over a 40 year career--probably 9-10%. What's interesting about this article is that it shows a public education gives a better return (4.42%) than a private college education (1.9%).3255 Why he gives away his e-books
Cory Doctorow's first novel, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, has been downloaded 700,000 times--it's free on the internet. But he's made a lot of money:"Most people who download the book don't end up buying it, but they wouldn’t have bought it in any event, so I haven’t lost any sales, I’ve just won an audience. A tiny minority of downloaders treat the free e-book as a substitute for the printed book--those are the lost sales. But a much larger minority treat the e-book as an enticement to buy the printed book. They're gained sales. As long as gained sales outnumber lost sales, I'm ahead of the game. After all, distributing nearly a million copies of my book has cost me nothing."
Full story at Forbes. HT Bibliofuture at LISNews.com
3254 Darfur
"A stunningly diverse range of individuals and organizations are pushing for the United States – and the world – to put a stop to it." Religion Link.Whoa! Isn't that the drum beat for war we heard in the 90s about Iraq? Evil government. Democide. UN waffling. Torture. Suffering. . . The US needs to DO something.
3253 Garbled, inflated and pretentious
While browsing a thesis database for something else, I came across a master's thesis on public library architecture. I didn't want to download 23 MB to my computer, but I think architecture students and their advisors need more English classes if the abstract is an example of their writing."Contemporary society is gifted with the ability to retrieve the world’s wealth of information from anywhere, to anywhere, at any time. However, this ability calls into question the continued relevance of the special places that first rose to prominence for their once-unique ability to provide that information. Despite serving as the heart of many communities, the public library building is faced with questions of its purpose and utility in a networked society. Rather than attempting to combat positive change, the library must instead reform itself around the mission that begat its creation - enhancing the lives and freedom of the common citizen through culture. In this sense, the building will shift -- from simply being a repository of information to serving as an agency for the development of creative skills. Though still housing books, the building is focused on delivering experiential, collaborative learning, organized around the psychological flow of creativity." After Books: Re-Imagining the Role of the Public Library Building Hines, Scott Alan, Master of Architecture, 2006, University of Cincinnati.
I think it says The modern public library building design needs to accomodate both digital and print resources within its traditional role of acquiring, storing, preserving and delivering information. I simply have no idea what "psychological flow of creativity" is, or how you "re-imagine," so I won't touch that. And any student today who thinks a public library was ever just a "repository" within his lifetime, hasn't been in one for awhile.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Thirteen Things I've been Wondering about This Week
This is the season of wonder, so I've been wondering, in no particular order, while you've all been fighting the crowds at the mall:
1) Have Catholics advanced spiritually more with the vernacular rather than the unifying language of Latin?
2) Do Lutherans, Methodists and Presbyterians have a better grasp of the gospel with loud rock music?
3) If every household now has 2 or 3 fuel efficient cars, are we really better off, environmentally speaking, than when we had one gas hog that could hold six people comfortably?
4) Has bussing children for 45-60 minutes to and from school ever improved the quality of education or even built friendships and understanding among the races and income groups?
5) How many lawyers will get rich from restaurant operators (passing the costs on to us) trying to figure out compliance with Ohio's new minimum wage law (now part of our constitution) and the anti-smoking bans?
6) What do little children strapped into safety seats in automobiles think about or learn listening to mommy chatter on the cell phone while ignoring them?
7) Do restaurant employees really "lávase las manos" before leaving the restroom?
8) Do baseball caps on guys really hide thinning hair, or do they increase the fallout and make it difficult to give their wives a kiss?
9) Will Nicole Kidman change Keith Urban's drinking behavior or has she made another bad marriage?
10) Will the visual quality and intellectual content of YouTube be a passing fad?
11) Do gun enthusiasts, hunters and collectors really need assault weapons?
12) Did George Clooney really share his bed with Max his 300 lb. pet pig and could this be the real reason he's not married?
13) Does sloppy, loose clothing hide weight gain or does it visually add pounds?
Visited and visitors today:
3250 Head for the Resale Shop
if you've gained or lost weight. Today I went to the American Cancer Society Shop up the street and bought 4 pair of slacks, black, brown, navy and tweed. Not terribly exciting, but they were all lined, 100% wool or wool blend and better quality than I usually buy; they appear to have been shortened just a bit which is great, all the buttons are sewn on and they cost between $8-10 each. But here's the best part. Because they are several years old, all had natural waists! I hate the pants style that rides below the waist--your shirt won't stay in, it won't stay flat across your tummy, and they gap big time when you sit down. I also bought a navy muted plaid suit with a pleated skirt--haven't seen one since the mid-90s, so that's probably the vintage, but it didn't have huge shoulder pads and the jacket was nicely fitted. Somebody my size up in Dublin must be cleaning out her closets!And before I could even think about it, I bundled up about 7 pair of slacks that are either too big, or so old that the linings are ripped. I never take anything to a resale shop because I buy for value, not quality, so these will go to the church for our urban ministry to be redistributed to people who need them. And just a little of the cat is going with them since I didn't notice she'd been sleeping on the bed before I put them down.
If you need a party dress, Oh My, this place has them--and lots of cute fancy jackets to wear with dressy slacks or a velvet skirt. I just didn't need any bling this year.
weight loss
women's fashion
resale shops
3249 Of Cabbages and Kings
And Poles. A cancer study of Polish women in Warsaw and Polish-American women in Chicago, showed that the European Poles have much more protection against certain cancers because of . . . CABBAGE! Yes, they eat a lot more cabbage in Poland, including sauerkraut, but immigrant Poles tend to eat more like Americans. I just had no idea.I fixed cooked cabbage last night for dinner--really just to use it up. I'd had a small head in the frig for about two weeks, and didn't want to make cole slaw again. I've found this really great site on the Internet called "The World's Healthiest Foods," and when I'm curious about the nutritional value of something, I look it up. This site has what every librarian loves--hundreds of references to refereed and scholarly journals, and what all non-nutritionists need--translation into a language we can understand. The site is well-designed and easy to read and print--also a big plus for me. Reading about cabbage I learned that it is a cruciferous vegetable with phytonutrients which "initiate an intricate dance inside our cells in which gene response elements direct and balance the steps among dozens of detoxification enzyme partners, each performing its own protective role in perfect balance with the other dancers."
Wow! It's romantic to eat cabbage! We've been "dancing with the stars" and didn't even know it.
Also, I learned that my mother probably did it right (this really isn't news to me). She used to give us children a wedge of raw cabbage for an after school snack or let us finish up the core if she was making slaw. We thought it was a wonderful treat. According to the Polish study, women get the most life time protection from raw cabbage if they eat it during childhood. The article also reports that I left mine in the refrigerator too long, so it probably lost a lot of the nutrients, especially Vitamin C. It quickly degrades once it has been cut, and I also didn't have mine tightly wrapped. Although I did lightly saute the cabbage, I overcooked it when I reheated it. Apparently, there's not much left when you make cabbage rolls.
Unfortunately, the site says 3-5 servings a week of cruciferous/brassica vegetables to fight cancer, and there's not much in this family. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are the only ones we eat. So even if you eat each just once a week. . . your house will always stink. I suppose I could break away from white and red and try some of the Asian cabbages--there are many of those.
cabbage
vegetables
cruciferous vegetables
healthy foods
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
3248 Chef training for the homeless
is the topic of Roger Thurow's lastest installment in his series about creative ways to address poverty and hunger in the Wall Street Journal. The devil is in the details, as usual. Although he describes an innovative program to train chefs, his story is a reminder that if you think low wages or poverty can be addressed by adding an amendment to raise the minimum wage, or consciousness raising among the middle class, think again.Eighty-four low wage and homeless people signed up for the chef training program, of which half didn't show up the first day. Thirty-eight completed the interviews. Twenty were dropped after a battery of tests and a 3 day kitchen trial. Finally, they had a class of 17, of which 14 completed the course and 12 found jobs.
As I've said many times, homelessness is not the correct term. These people suffered from lack of a sense of responsibility, absenteeism, health problems, poor math skills, and test anxiety. If there is a chance of overcoming these life long habits and problems, it is in the small programs that Thurow describes.
3247 Straight-from-the-book classes are history
was the headline of the Columbus Dispatch story on Monday. Actually, they were history when I was in elementary school in the 1940s, and when my parents were in school in the 1920s, and when my kids were in school in the 1970s-80s. Except my parents and I also studied real "history." My children's teachers didn't want to load up their impressionable minds with boring facts, so they never knew which came first WWII, Korea or VietNam.How I remember building walls for a medieval fort by cutting up bars of soap (the whole class worked on this plan), and making a poster of Georgia showing all the agricultural products with my friend Nancy. And I also remember the less able students who were part of the team and learned nothing--not even how to cut up soap. Whatever. Each generation of journalists and teachers seem to think they invented hands-on, group learning.
However, this article in the CD was about teaching teachers who had no required history courses in college--how to teach children what the teacher doesn't know. It's a program--funded with federal money, of course--by the Ohio Historical Society, Ohio State University and the Columbus Public Schools called "History Works II." Seventy-five Columbus teachers have been through the $1 million dollar program to teach creative ways (costumes, journals, mock-government) to teach history.
Here's an idea. Let's reset the college requirements with more history courses for education majors, so we don't have million dollar programs to correct the oversight later on (federal site says $119,790,000 for 130 programs). I was a foreign language/education major and was within about one credit hour of a history minor, with some political science courses, too. So, how are ed majors filling their class time these days?
Check here for Jennifer Smith Richard's article.
New drug pulled from trials
Yesterday the big story was that Pfizer's experimental cholesterol drug, torcetrapibhad had been removed from the clinical trials because 82 people had died. A woman guest on Cavuto's show on Fox (I think) commented that if Michael Fox were told today that there was a cure for Parkinson's Disease that didn't require research for a new drug, would he pursue it? Then she went on to say that there is help for cardiovascular disease and no drugs or clinical trials are required. We already know what works. I agree with her 100%. For every drug we take, no matter how helpful, some chemical reaction not so helpful will also be happening. Why not correct the problem yourself?Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women in the United States and most other developed countries, exceeding the number of deaths in men. Two thirds of the women who die of coronary heart disease have no previous symtoms. The road to a cure involves lifestyle changes and interventions available to any woman.
This is reprinted from "Evidence-Based Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women" (Circulation. 2004;109:672-693) describing what doctors should be doing for their female patients. It is a long list, but the first five items pretty much say it all, and four of the five are completely in our control. Ladies! Take back your health!
Cigarette smoking: Consistently encourage women not to smoke and to avoid environmental tobacco.
Physical activity : Consistently encourage women to accumulate a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (eg, brisk walking) on most, and preferably all, days of the week.
Cardiac rehabilitation : Women with a recent acute coronary syndrome or coronary intervention, new-onset or chronic angina should participate in a comprehensive risk-reduction regimen, such as cardiac rehabilitation or a physician-guided home- or community-based program.
Heart-healthy diet : Consistently encourage an overall healthy eating pattern that includes intake of a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, fish, legumes, and sources of protein low in saturated fat (eg, poultry, lean meats, plant sources). Limit saturated fat intake to <10% gi="1">
Weight maintenance/reduction : Consistently encourage weight maintenance/reduction through an appropriate balance of physical activity, caloric intake, and formal behavioral programs when indicated to maintain/achieve a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2 and a waist circumference <35 in.
3245 When my husband does this
I know he's asleep.
The following is the reply of John Hogan, Commonwealth Edison Supervisor of News Information, to a charge by a Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector that two Dresden Nuclear Plant operators were sleeping on the job:
"It depends on your definition of asleep. They were not stretched out. They had their eyes closed. They were seated at their desks with their heads in a nodding position. "
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
3244 The Christmas Meme
I saw this at Gracey's.1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog, definitely. I purchase it, then cut it in 1/2 with skim milk. We can't tell the difference.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? We wrap--my husband always gets his under the tree first. My daughter's gift wraps are really elaborate and artistic. Mine are reused bows and paper.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have white lights outside, and colored on the tree.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. We have open season on kissing in this house.
5. When do you put up your decorations ? Ours are up from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? It depends if I'm doing Christmas Eve or Christmas day. Lately it's been boneless pork roast with an orange cranberry glaze.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child The excitement. Particularly to see what doll clothes my mother had made.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Santa wasn't part of our tradition--I always knew the story, and sort of hoped it was true, but realized about age 7 it wasn't. My husband, however, was a true believer, until he noticed that under Santa's red suit was a shirt the same as his uncle's (Santa used to stop at his Grandmother's.)
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We did when I was a child, and when our children were young. Now we open them all on whatever day they are with us.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? No theme except tradition. We have very old decorations--some from our first Christmas in 1960; some handmade by our children. I used to buy one or two each year and date them, but don't any more.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? It's fun to see it fresh and white around Christmas, but I'm always anxious for it to melt to make better driving conditions.
12. Can you ice skate? No. I tried it a few times as a child and found it very difficult. Spent a lot of time sitting on the ice.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My father was discharged from the service in December 1945, and I remember that Christmas Mother got us (my 2 sisters and me) a doll house. It continued well through the grandchildren, and maybe great granchildren, being redecorated many times.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? The coming of Christ for our salvation.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Although I don't make them anymore, my husband's grandmother, Neno, made a fabulous sugar cookie cut-out.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve services at our church with lighted candles singing "Silent Night."
17. What tops your tree? An angel.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving presents? Giving.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Although it is secular, I love "White Christmas" sung by Bing Crosby. I heard it first in California where it was damp and foggy and we were homesick for Illinois. It makes some sense because it was written by a Jew, Irving Berlin, about a Californian.
20. Candy Canes Yuck or Yum?OK for decorating, but I never eat them. Fudge would be my choice for Christmas candy.
3243 130,000 but who's counting
The site meter rolled over at 2:14 p.m. today to 130,000; someone from Madrid clocking in at 8:14 p.m. their time. Of course, a ping doesn't necessarily mean stopping to read. Last week my "how to unstick a car door" was really busy. . . beat out the "how to fix a broken zipper." One would hope you wouldn't have two disasters in one day.I downloaded IE7 today, unfortunately in the middle of attempting labels and Christmas letter with my new printer. I had time to unload the dishwasher and complain to my husband while it struggled through its paces. I try to keep the Christmas letter to one page, and found some nice paper with a tree in the corner, then had to squeeze the text a bit.
I had lunch with a friend today who's recently had cataract surgery. Thinking she'd be delighted with her new found clarity, I discovered she now can see wrinkles she didn't see before, and is very upset! Cataracts don't need to "ripen" like they used to, and when you get tired of halos around the street lights and on coming headlights, then you have it done. I've always had poor night vision so I'm not sure it would help me.
3242 But is it comfortable?
The reason I always buy a Dodge/Plymouth mini-van. Well, that and I am a value shopper. I'm also confident and don't have a need for people to look at me and drool.Giugiaro’s Mustang
automobile design
3241 Visit my new link
This blogger is in my book club, and I just found out last night that she has a blog. Life of a Domestic Disaster reports, "My blog is inspired by my niece's blog called "Life of a Domestic Goddess." At the end of the day at our house, if no one has been to the emergency room, Children's Services has not called, my sweater wasn't on inside out at work, and we have eaten something other than poptarts and donuts for at least one meal, I call it good!"She's wonderfully talented, has a great sense of humor and is a loving, caring mother. Stop by for a visit and tell her Norma sent you. We all love to get comments.
Monday, December 04, 2006
3240 How many hours are wasted
messing with new software and technology? I should have been prepared; this is my fourth printer, more if we count the ones I had to hook up when I was working. Last week I pulled a jammed piece of paper from my HP 5550 and apparently ran the print heads off track. My daughter worked on it and couldn't get the case off to get to the belt; then my husband tried it, but managed to really break it.I called around and discovered that labor costs are about $70 an hour to fix printers, and there was no guarantee they could fix it. So off to Staples I went to shop for a new printer. First, however, I did look for a cartridge for my old, reliable workhorse, the LaserJet 4L, gasping on it's last taste of black-only ink, but the cartridge was over $90 (it lasts forever). Now that I'm used to color with my blogs, I really needed the color.
I picked one out, an HP C3180 that will print, copy and scan. Fine, I had 2 printers and a scanner on my small desk, so I figured I'd replace them with one machine. I'm a value shopper, not a quality shopper, and it had a floor discount of $20, making it $79.99. But I did go home and look on the internet for reviews. They were pretty good. So I took back my unopened $45 print cartridge (for once in my life I found the sales receipt), and my 6 used print cartridges which are good for $3 off a new purchase. It doesn't come with a USB cord--but I already had one. "Won't do," said the salesman, "the data will travel very slowly and you'll miss the best features," so without really thinking that misinformation through, I paid another $20 for a USB 2.When I finally got it all hooked up I discovered my computer is old enough that it won't take a faster data transfer, and the USB 2 cord is doing nothing the old one wouldn't have done. Then I spent about 10 minutes in the cold garage going through the garbage and bags of soiled cat litter looking for the USB package, finally finding it in the kitchen trash.
I didn't check ahead to see if it would take card stock, and although it will, it is very cranky, and wants to reformat to note size cards, and I'm not doing that--I'm printing my own on 8.5 x 11. Also, if you don't put the little extender out on the paper tray, it shoots the paper across the room like a paper airplane.
When I tried to scan a photograph, I could find no command to "Save" or "save as" to MyPicture file on my computer. Oh, it scanned fine--but then proceeded to create a whole new set of photo files (hundreds) already stored on my computer which I didn't want and so far the only way I can figure out how to get to them is to send them to myself with e-mail. Why do these people think we want digital scrap books everytime we hook up new equipment. I have them in my genealogy file, my digital camera file, and something else, now here's a fourth one.
Also, discovered I can't turn it off (lots of lights eating up electrical current), or it will run through its color testing when I turn it on. I'm sure if I call the 800 number I'll sit and wait for an hour.
So I hooked the old scanner back up until I can figure something out that makes sense, and am rethinking my desk arrangement. Right now I have no place to put down anything I'm copying.
So don't cross me, folks. I'm really, really crabby tonight.
Monday Memories
Have I ever told you why my mother was a Democrat (according to my father)?My parents were married over 65 years. My mother died in 2000 and my father in 2002. When cleaning out Dad's desk, I found a small notebook which he used to jot down phone calls, addresses, appointments and lists (he had worked in sales into his 80s). Leafing through it, I found a "memory" written on the date of their 66th wedding anniversary, 7 months after Mother's death. So I brought it home, and came across it while cleaning my desk last week. I hardly ever had letters from Dad, so I enjoy looking at his handwriting.
He wrote about how they had met the summer after high school and he changed schools to attend Mt. Morris College so they dated during the academic year 1930-31; how he had returned in the fall of 1931, but she had gone to work as a domestic for a Jewish family in Chicago (it was the Depression and she had no money to continue, but he had a football scholarship). He wrote, "I had to stay with dad and mother during the summer of 1932, but in the fall I got a job at Kable News Co. I remember getting her (my mother) a job as a housekeeper for one of the execs, which later turned into a job also at Kable News. It had to be during the winter because Roosevelt had been elected Pres. and one of his edicts got her a raise from $8.00 weekly to $10.00. Thus, she remained a Democrat the rest of her life."
My visitors and those I'll visit this week are:
3239 Dress up for Jesus, pt. 2
Over a week ago, I wrote my little hymn to women's fashion, "Dress up, dress up for Jesus," to be sung to the tune of "Stand up, stand up for Jesus." It's my social comment on the sloppy way women appear in public and at church.In today's Columbus Dispatch (B1) there is a large photo of a marriage recommitment ceremony at Highland Baptist Church. Sixty couples renewed their vows as part of the church's Winter Wedding Spectacular.
From what I could see, it appears that the women are wearing slacks and sweaters or jackets, except for a fuzzy view of a woman in the background who is standing beside a man in a clerical robe (the pastor and his wife?).
Ladies. God is great. God is good. But he's not THAT good. He has not yet created a woman who looks more graceful and feminine and ready for true commitment in slacks than a dress or skirt. I began wearing corduroy slacks in third or fourth grade under my skirts in winter to keep warm, and have yet to find slacks that fit me. And you're kidding yourself if you think it's any different for you.
It gets worse as we get older; the waist expands which leaves baggy material in the back (which is what all the rest of us see), unless you compound the problem with a baggy sweater. This also happens with the men, who are gaining more girth and more baggy seats in their jeans. I don't know what body type the designers have in mind when the patterns are cut, but the rest of us would be out of work if we failed that miserably.
A banquet. A ceremony. The party season of the year which even pagans celebrate. A church that calls itself the Bride of Christ. And still we show up looking like we're going to an OSU tail-gate party?
Sunday, December 03, 2006
3237 Dropping in on strangers
Most of the blogs I read are written by strangers. If I return often enough, there is a sense that I at least know their stories even if I wouldn't recognize them on the street. Some are very sad; some happy; some are people of deep faith; some are strange beyond belief. I almost linked to a woman whose blog came up in a search I was doing--she had two really good posts on marriage, both copied from other bloggers, and her own comments exhibited skill with words. Then I clicked to her "main" page just to see if there was a bio or something. There I was horrified to read her recounting of picking up an affair she'd had a few months ago. She wasn't unhappy; her husband was a nice guy; and she wanted to stay married. The families I know whose lives have been destroyed by this kind of idiocy spun through my mind like the dead leaves blowing around our yard this afternoon. Sometimes it involves 4 generations and goes on for decades.But this careless airhead isn't what I wanted to talk about. You've heard the expression "Happiness shared is doubled; sadness shared is halved." I think bloggers live by that. When they are happy, they want to share and their happiness is doubled or tripled when the comments roll in--"Way to go," or "I'm so pround of you." When they are grieving--and I've read some really heavy, heavy blogs of chronic illness, death, job loss, crashing friendships, etc.--you can almost see the spirits lift on the screen when there is a kind or thoughtful response.
Now someone has written a paper on that to try to find out if it is true. "Is Happiness Shared Doubled and Sadness Shared Halved?: Social Influence on Enjoyment of Hedonic Experiences," by RAJAGOPAL RAGHUNATHAN, University of Texas at Austin and KIM CORFMAN, New York University. I'd share the authors' conclusions, except it's written in academese, and made little sense to me.
3236 Greg Oden
We finally got to see Greg Oden play, Ohio State's 7' freshman basketball player. He looks twice his age--like he's 35. Makes you wonder if when he's 35 he'll look 70. OSU won over Valparaiso 78-58."Shorter stature and smaller body weight appear to promote better health and longevity in the absence of malnutrition and infectious diseases." Height, body size and longevity, by TT Samaras, Acta Med Okayama. 1999 Aug;53(4):149-69. In another article the same author suggests "that the differences in longevity between the sexes is due to their height differences because men average about 8.0% taller than women and have a 7.9% lower life expectancy at birth." Life Sci. 2003 Mar 7;72(16):1781-802.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
3235 Working for the Fed
"New data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis confirm that the average federal civilian worker earns $106,579 a year in total compensation, or twice the $53,289 in wages and benefits for the typical private worker. This federal pay premium costs taxpayers big bucks because Uncle Sam's annual payroll is now $200 billion a year. No wonder that, with a per capita income of $46,782 a year, Washington, D.C. is the fourth richest among the nation's 360 metropolitan areas."Full story at WSJ Career Journal.
Columbus' per capita income is $35,226. Check out your city here. It would seem to me that the DC area would be a tough place to live and keep up if you're not working for the government. Especially if you are competing with 2 income households where both might be government workers.
Some of these workers spend time doing this, and this, and this, and this.
federal employment
government workers
3234 New art show going up
If you're in central Ohio and enjoy attending art shows, please stop by and see the Winter show of the Pump House Guys, which we're hanging today at The Church at Mill Run, 3500 Mill Run Drive, Hilliard, OH 43026. The reception will be next Sunday, 2-4 p.m. If you attend church there, I know it is a mob scene on Sunday, especially if you're getting your kids from the 2nd floor classrooms, but stop for a few peaceful moments and enjoy the show.
Upper Arlington Lutheran Church
art shows
Church at Mill Run
Friday, December 01, 2006
3233 Go to Flopping Aces
for the run down on "Who is Jamil Hussein," the AP informant who apparently doesn't exist. Sort of makes you wonder how many other sources our media have been using that are frauds. The links are all listed at his site--so I'll refer you there.Friday Family Photo
Look at these little sweethearts, all dressed up in their caps and gowns to move up to the primary Sunday School class. I'm not sure of the year--maybe 1944 or 1945. We are standing there on the steps of the Mt. Morris Church of the Brethren, squinting into the sun. I'm the one with brown shoes and no curls, sigh. It really stunted my fashion sense. It was probably the only pair of shoes I had, and Deb and Barb and Diane also in the front row, being the only girls in their families, probably had two pair of shoes. All except Dick finished grade school and high school together. His father died and his mother remarried and moved away. My family moved away too in 1946, but came back when I was in 6th grade, and this is where I was baptized when I was 12 years old.
By the mid-1950s the church was bursting; the baby boom and a talented young preacher brought in many new members, especially young families. Our Sunday School class probably tripled. So a decision was made to build a new facility with a large sanctuary and 3 floors of classroom, a chapel, special youth room for the CBYF with a fireplace, a big commercial grade kitchen, fellowship hall, a library, offices for the staff, lots of parking and so forth. My parents were in their early 40s and were involved in every stage of building the new church, from raising money to sewing drapes and picking out paint colors. The building where this photo was taken was sold to a small group just getting started in Mt. Morris, the Evan Free.
Their roles are reversed now. The Evan Free is filling the old church, and the big Church of the Brethren has many empty pews and classrooms and an aging congregation. The young people who built it are now the elderly with special needs. I'm not a member there, so I have nothing to say, but I have heard many good things about their new pastor who just started a few months ago and that is hopeful.
Church of the Brethren
Mt. Morris, Illinois
Sunday School
vintage photographs
3231 An Internet Quiz that is educational
Sure, we all like to take those quizes that say we're fascinating and look like a movie star, but here's one that's educational and fun, and one we sort of play each time we go to the grocery. It's the US FDA Food label quiz. Don't try to answer the questions without reading the labels! The whole point of it is to read the entire label before giving your answer. You might be surprised at what you're getting and why people make such poor choices even though the government has required manufacturers to put it on the label. A lot of us (I raise my hand) don't think about the total day's requirements when we make a food choice.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Thursday Thirteen
Since September 25, I have not eaten the following 13 foods. Most were part of my TT list of triggers that make me hungry. The flat out toughest to resist have been #1, #5, and #9. I think I would mug someone for a bag of Fritos. We were at a buffet luncheon [buffets were on the list, but we were invited] to celebrate a wedding anniversary at the Scioto Country Club Sunday, and there was a table of desserts to die for--which included not only pecan pie (my favorite next to apple sour cream which no one but me makes), but also cheesecake, which I love. I selected instead, the pumpkin cream cheese roll. The point isn't the calories, but the trigger, and pumpkin cake doesn't stick up my tastebuds and kill my resolve, even if it is delicious.1. Pizza, I particularly miss pepperoni with extra cheese from Rotolo's.
2.
3. Ritz crackers
4. cheddar cheese
5. pie crust or pastry, whether main dish or dessert
6.
7. free sample bread and bagel snacks at Panera's
8. potato chips
9. Fritos
10. carbonated beverages (easy to give up--don't think they were on the list)
11. dip or sauce
12. gravy
13. cheesecake
I haven't had a beer either, but that's not much of a sacrifice. I've never even tasted beer. Imagine the calories I've saved for enjoying something that doesn't smell like rotting grain!
Visited and visitors today:
3229 Smoking bans and children
We're sure to see more laws created to protect children from their parents' smoking, both in the home and in automobiles. USAToday carried the story that a number of states already prohibit foster parents from smoking around their charges. But I'm sure it is only a matter of time before it will be considered a form of child abuse to make children breathe cigarette smoke--from your mouth to their lungs. Although I don't think smoking should be illegal, I do believe children need to be protected, both in the womb and in the room."Former smoker Bob Mathis, a Democratic state representative in Arkansas, sponsored a law that bars smoking in a car carrying a child young enough to require a car seat. It took effect in July. A violator can be fined $25 but can get out of it with proof of participation in a smoking-cessation program. A similar law took effect in Louisiana in August.
"We have laws on the books in every state of the union against child abuse," Mathis says. "This is a form of child abuse."
At least six states and some counties prohibit foster parents from smoking when foster children are present, says Kathleen Dachille, director of the Legal Resource Center for Tobacco Regulation, Litigation & Advocacy at the University of Maryland School of Law. "There are times when it's appropriate to regulate what people can do in their home," she says. "The state is responsible for that child."
Some courts are ordering parents in custody and visitation disputes not to smoke around their kids."
I think I noted before at this blog that my husband, who has never smoked, coughed like a smoker every morning for several years into adulthood, after living for 18 years in a home where both his parents smoked, as well as all their friends and relatives.
I had lunch with a friend today, and when I turned down a bite of brownie dessert, I compared it to some people and cigarettes. She nodded and said she had quit smoking 15 years ago, and knew if she smoked even one, she would start again, the addiction was that strong. Her husband also quit 15 years ago, but too late and has COPD.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
3228 Pandering to special interests
A medical examiner, Dr. Charles Siebert, in Florida is being maligned because he determined that the cause of death of a young black man, Martin Anderson, in a military style boot camp was "complications of sickle cell trait," and the manner natural. Bill Oliver is a pathologist and writes about the medical literature that has shown for over 20 years that young black men with sickle cell trait collapse and die at a high rate in boot camp and athletic preseason workouts."The Attorney General, and soon to be elected Governor, Charlie Crist decided to make an example of Dr. Siebert. After all, who was this little guy who thought that practicing medicine was more important than getting him elected? It was, I suppose, a no-brainer. Pandering to racial special interests is always a win when it can be done at no cost except for ruining the life of some cog in the machine."
Part 1, Part 2.
3227 High School science way back when
Although I didn't know it until a few minutes ago, my high school science curriculum was similar to my grandmother's and was established by The Committee of Ten back in 1893. It seems I had a lot more science instruction than many students get today. Freshman: General Science; Sophomore: Biology; Junior: Physics; Senior: Chemistry. Even over 100 years ago, there was a debate on the amount of "hands-on" time and lab work a student needed for a good science education. The authors propose that biology has become so complex that it needs some understanding of physics and chemistry and needs a different spot in the sequence. However, they point out:"The Committee of Ten report may be considered an "old document" by many contemporary players in education, but it holds an important place in science education history as a reform document that brought science teaching and learning to the forefront of education. More than 100 years after the report was issued, most of our schools still offer high school science courses in the sequence suggested by the Committee of Ten. Science education is still debating what criteria should define the coherence of our science curriculum to lead to scientific literacy for all. If there is one lesson to be learned from my argument, it is that the Committee of Ten did not anticipate that more than 100 years later its recommendations would continue to be a matter of dispute and that one of the subjects proposed to improve the learning experience of our high school students is still a subject of plasticity in the reform efforts during the twenty-first century."
This is a very interesting article in a great on-line journal, CBE Life Sciences Education. Browsing the 2006 issues, I see an article on best web sites for science in each issue, as well as great book reviews.
See the article about the Committee of 10 at High School Biology Today; What the committee of ten did not anticipate
3225 A reminder about colonoscopy
Yes, it's expensive and not pleasant, but it's the only procedure that can actually prevent cancer. Plus, if you go with one of the less intrusive tests, and they find something, you'll have to have the colonoscopy anyway. So start at the top, or the bottom, as it were. Haven't looked at this yet; it's probably at your public library.Colorectal Cancer Risk Following a Negative Colonoscopy, Robertson and Sirovich, JAMA.2006; 296: 2437
Murray sent me this list, but it also appears on some websites and blogs, include RangelMD.com
Comments heard during a colonoscopy
1. "Take it easy, Doc, you're boldly going where no man has gone before."
2. "Find Amelia Earhart yet?"
3. "Can you hear me NOW?"
4. "Oh boy, that was sphincterrific!"
5. "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"
6. "You know, in Arkansas, we're now legally married."
7. "Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?"
8. "You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out. You do the Hokey Pokey...."
9. "Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!"
10."If your hand doesn't fit, you must acquit!"
11. "Hey, Doc, let me know if you find my dignity."
12. "You used to be an executive at Enron, didn't you?"
13. "Could you write me a note for my wife, saying that my head is not, in fact, up there?"
3224 Visit and comment day
Today I visited Heretical librarian, who's writing about censorship in a Muslim country; this librarian recently joined the National Guard and has returned to duty protecting our freedoms at his library. Jack Stevens is writing about conflicting articles on President Bush's presidential library; Jack's always a good read, but because he's a conservative and gets a lot of grief from liberals, he's turned off comments (at least I think that's the reason). Shush is writing about Kinky People's needs; do you know what the QQ in LGBTQQ stands for? I didn't. Florida Cracker continues her fascination with Duane Allman, a hobby I haven't grasped. She also has an item about a cartoonist in trouble.Blonde Librarian didn't seem to be home, or else is revising her very attractive template again. Christian Librarian ponders why she got an MLS after a conversation with a student who was printing webpages rather than bookmarking them. Several folks, librarian and teachers, put together American Presidents, and today feature advice. Through book club I've read quite a bit now about our presidents, their mothers, their times--always an interesting topic. Jane of Art seems to be working on a novel, as well as her poetry, blog, and job but real life keeps getting in the way. I try to follow along, but get confused when I'm in the novel and when I'm in her life. Tomeboy, one of my favorites ('cause he likes me), sighs that he's getting older--got his degree in the early 90s. Groan. Matthew's asleep at the switch again--hasn't updated since Yom Kippur and Ramadam. My favorite cellist/librarian, Mustang Mama, has jumped into Monday Memories, and has the same problem as my kids--a Thanksgiving birthday. Liberry Juice and his wife just got back from Thanksgiving in Missouri.
Krafty Librarian reports on a study about e-mail overload. E-mail archives have grown 10 fold in 10 years, so I'm not alone. Library Marketing has an interesting item about word-of-mouth. WOM about libraries is usually positive--unless you listen closely. Keptup Librarian seems to be reporting what he reads in USAToday. Not sure the story is researched any further, but maybe that's not the intent--to do the journalist's job, I mean. Annoyed Librarian is really getting a following, liberals and conservatives seem to read her, but says it is hard to find something to satirize because it is all so meaningless to start with. Carlos at Biblioblog actually mentions a Christian review source, Books and Culture; my public library rejected this when I requested it. Feel Good Librarian who always posted happy, interesting stories, must not feel so good--nothing since mid-October, and Paul's last post was about beer, in September! Guide to Etiquette last post was in poor taste, in my opinion. Greg is over my head and techno-level, as usual. And finally, some ideas for your book loving friends at Robin's site.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
3223 A year without pork?
Did you see the editorial in WSJ today? "Will the loss of both houses of Congress be enough to shock Republicans into the Hazelton rehab center for spending addicts."It goes on to report that if they can hold spending at 2006 levels (which some Republicans are trying to do) instead of passing spending bills with 12,000 earmarks (special interests), the taxpayers will save $17 billion.
It's no wonder these guys lost. They've come a long way since they got mad at Bush I for raising taxes.
3222 Over rated, over hyped snacks
Seen at the ConAgra site, "According to IRI Data, sales of packaged snacks foods in the United States topped $32 billion in 2006, up 3 percent since 2002. Health-oriented items have been experiencing the steepest growth in the category. Given the new portion-controlled, healthier snack trend, food manufacturers are launching 100-calorie packages of popular cookies, crackers and chip products in hopes of answering consumer needs."However, most of these snacks, with the exception of popcorn, are empty calories. [Popcorn is promoted in this press release.] In my opinion, snacks just make you hungrier. If they're salty, you reach for something for thirst, which probably also has calories, or more sodium. If you have these empty calories right before meals, it might keep you from eating something healthier. Even magazines that promote healthy eating seem to devote a lot of space to snacks.
And over to the side is this snack item.
Be still my heart. Bite into an apple.
3221 Why does Charlie Rangel want to destroy the military?
Because he's a Democrat? Because he hates the United States? Because he's an idiot? Because it gets him a lot of publicity (this one gets my vote)? He's the black congressman who wants to reinstate the draft. When he first started chattering about this a few years ago (I heard him on Fox), he got so much attention that he's kept it up. He even introduced a bill a few years back. Now it is part of his comedy routine, only it isn't funny anymore, Chuck'ems. His thinking, in my opinion, is that this would cause a lot of outrage by young people, who would then become more fodder for anti-war protests, not for a giant war machine. It certainly isn't because the military is relying too heavily on the poor and uneducated, which he claims. A Heritage Foundation study last year found just the opposite. Our recruits are better educated than the general population.". . . if we consider the education of every recruit, 98% joined with high-school diplomas or better. By comparison, 75% of the general population meets that standard. Among all three-digit ZIP code areas in the USA in 2003 (one can study larger areas by isolating just the first three digits of ZIP codes), not one had a higher graduation rate among civilians than among its recruits."
"Allegations that recruiters are disproportionately targeting blacks also don't hold water. First, whites make up 77.4% of the nation's population and 75.8% of its military volunteers, according to our analysis of Department of Defense data.
Second, we explored the 100 three-digit ZIP code areas with the highest concentration of blacks, which range from 24.1% black up to 68.6%. These areas, which account for 14.6% of the adult population, produced 16.6% of recruits in 1999 and only 14.1% in 2003."
So, the number of black recruits is going down. Just what are you saying Charlie? Not more rural, not more blacks, not more uneducated. Back to the socialist/anarchist playbook.
Charlie Rangel Kerrys the troops on a slow news day.
military recruitment
Charlie Rangel
military draft
3220 Photo of ferried swans
According to a photo in today's paper of a boat pulling two craft filled with swans, they have been ferrying swans since 1674 from a river in Hamburg that freezes to a pond that doesn't. Does this remind you of anything? The thought occurred to me that this effort continues to produce a strain of swans too dumb to get out in bad weather.Monday, November 27, 2006
3219 Using reverse psychology on teen-age smokers
The Cheerful Oncologist has found some discouraging news about advertisements and slogans telling teens not to smoke--it apparently makes it more appealing, especially if it comes from parents.
"If I was in charge I would require all cigarette packs to have the following message printed on them:
I WANT TO TURN UGLY AND DIE A MISERABLE DEATH
Or perhaps teens should be inundated with posters showing some of the consequences of smoking, like this one, or this one.
Then again, since teens are supposedly stubborn and resistant to authority, why don't we yell at them to start smoking and keep smoking? "Goddammit I told you to smoke, now either you get in there and light up or you will lose the car for a week!"
Monday Memories
Celebrating birthdays fifteen years agoOur children's birthdays are a year apart, and fall during Thanksgiving week. Even in their 20s, we tried to offer each a special day, but eventually getting together 3 times in one week got to be a little too much togetherness. This year we just handed out cards over the Thanksgiving dinner.
Fifteen years ago we went out to eat after church to celebrate their birthdays at "The Cooker," one of our favorites which served attractively prepared, regional American food. As we chatted in the booth, the hostess dropped a jar of catsup which shattered at my feet and I had catsup up to my knees and in my shoes. I was wearing white slacks, something a bit unusual for me. So, after wiping up, I got a free dinner and a ticket for dry cleaning. Then when the waiter found out we were celebrating birthdays (he thought they were twins and guessed their ages as 24) he gave us 2 free desserts. Their desserts were fabulous (like brownie decadence, a meal by itself) and cost about $4.00 (would be much more now). So I think we had at least a $17 credit on the bill.
After dinner our daughter, who wasn’t married at the time, spent the afternoon at our house and did her laundry. About 6 p.m. she was chatting on the phone with her boyfriend and I heard her holler. The neighbor had backed her van out of her driveway into our daughter’s car parked on the street. It had been stolen and vandalized the previous January. The neighbor was very apologetic, standing there in her full length fur coat with her big travel van, but we practically had to restrain our daughter. Her car, so recently restored, was her one nice possession.
After it was stolen in January, she had an alarm installed, so it was shrieking and flashing its lights, sort of like a chicken with its head cut off--but the damage was done. The police came and cited our neighbor and when our daughter calmed down, she drove home. It was driveable, fortunately. So why was it a birthday worth remembering? We had a lot of really good laughs, despite the catsup on the white slacks and the car mishap.
Visited and visitors: Chelle Y., Irish Church Lady, Ma, Melli, Janene, Internal Expert, Susan,
3218 How's your hygiene?
Today Medscape.com and a lot of other sources reported:Staph Infections Rise Among Athletes
"An alarming rise in cases in the general population and athletic community of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus has led to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue warnings about the dangers of staph infections. Staph has long been a health hazard for athletes who share towels, whirlpools, and common areas like locker rooms. The CDC is working closely with several sports organizations, including the NFL and NCAA, to educate athletes on hygiene and preventive measures to stop the spread of MRSA that has increasingly found its way into locker rooms, weight rooms, and athletic training facilities."
Guess I'll just keep walking around the condo grounds for exercise.
Here's a link to the CDC page on staph infections and MRSA
Tundra Medicine Dreams has a very interesting MRSA story about an Alaskan Native who used an unsanitary steambath.
3217 Catholic radio in central Ohio
I've mentioned St. Gabriel, 1270 a.m. radio before, but I must say it is such a blessing--even for Protestants. I think I'll add them to my Christmas donation list. No loud music, no bombastic shouting, no convoluted theories about end times, just excellent Bible based sermons and stunning interviews. Particularly now during the Christmas season--if they are playing Christmas carols, I haven't heard any. Even if you find a station with good music, a lot of it is secular.This morning I heard a discussion about Vietnamese Catholics who first fled the communists in the north, then the south, then relocated again either to Canada or the USA and have chosen religious callings. I also heard an interview with a woman who is part of a Christian prayer chain organization in Hollywood, who says there are wonderful changes in the industry and that we need more Christians in the film and entertainment business. She was so hopeful and positive, I just stopped what I was doing to listen to her.
Then there was a sermon on the 5th commandment, I think by a local pastor. We never hear a thing about abortion, euthansia or life issues at our church. He said the unborn is not a potential human, but a human with potential. But he also preached about forgiveness for this heinous sin, that God's mercy is greater than our sin.
Where I change channels is the discussion of Mary. Those of you who say Catholics don't worship Mary, aren't listening to this station. But so far, that's been the only turn off for me. So I do. When it comes to radio, I'm pro-choice.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
A caution for people still looking
"A fellow told me he spent twenty years looking for the perfect woman before he finally found her. The only problem was that she was looking for the perfect man." Attributed to Warren Buffet.I've heard that before, but saw it today at Maggie's Farm, and thought it a good reminder for a certain someone waiting for 40.
3214 Dress up, dress up for Jesus
Last Sunday I wore my "little black dress" to church. It was a bit dressy, but then even pressed jeans and a holiday sweater are dressy these days. I suggested to my husband that he wear his suit--neither one of us dress up much these days, especially since everyone else is dressing down. He said he was ushering, and a suit wouldn't look right--so he wore a sport coat, slacks, dress shirt and tie. During the service, I noticed that the woman he was paired with for the offertory, was wearing blue jeans. I see why he would have felt a bit self conscious in a dark suit. Remember, we attend a traditional service, not the contemporary or rock 'n roll.For you younger women, let me retell the old, old story of how we got here, because you may not remember when people enjoyed looking nice, when clothing enhanced women (and men) instead of ridiculing them. In the 1960s, middle class and college educated white people began showing up at civil rights marches in the South. They tried to fit in and look like they cared more than the other whites by wearing blue jeans--sort of sharecropper chic. Most of the blacks were dressed well, except for a few civil rights leaders who also wanted to fit in by wearing cover-alls.
Also in the 60s the hem lines started to rise, until by the early 70s, women couldn't cover their rears when they sat down. This started a rush by women into pants suits--in a wide variety of colors--I had yellow, green, fuschia pink, lime, navy and orange, and even my mother and mother-in-law started wearing pants suits. Really, it was the only way to be modest in those dark days of material deprivation. Feminism came in there someplace and that increased the shift to wearing pants, since the leaders thought that might be why men made more money (they were wrong). Now that was 30 years ago, but it convinced millions of women that they looked better in pants than skirts--a HUGE problem which coincided with the trend to obesity with bigger bottoms and BMIs.
Once pants suits had made their way into the doors of work and church, there was no stopping the jeans and shorts. Computer geekdom contributed to some of this, especially the baggy, rumpled look and baseball caps. Everyone wanted to look like a nerd even if they didn't know what to do with a USB. Then someone decided there needed to be a "casual Friday" and it eventually slopped all the way over through Sunday evening, and is showing up on Monday. Soon, even ministers began preaching in torn jeans and dirty t-shirts with back up from guitarists in shorts. Our pastors at UALC haven't gone that far, but I've seen them change clothes between services (we have eleven services at 3 locations) so they won't be too much dressier than the congregation (you could wear a bathrobe and still be dressier than some I've seen).
So I've composed a hymn which can be sung to the same tune as Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus.
Pack up designer blue jeans, it will not be a loss.
From picnic unto ball game His army you can lead,
But please for Sunday meeting, let Christ be Lord indeed.
Dress up, dress up for Jesus, don't let me be alone;
Your flesh I'm tired of seeing, you cannot trust your own.
Put on a suit or dress, each piece put on with prayer;
When playground duty calls you, then let your jeans go there.
Dress up, dress up for Jesus, each fam'ly to its post
Go forth into the conflict, and shout with all the host
You will not look so casual, from head unto your toes
Let grace and taste and beauty, give strength to trend oppose.
Dress up, dress up for Jesus, the skirt need not be long,
But please a little coverage, will be this matron's song.
You think you look so humble, I see a sloppy mess,
You're with the King of Glory? Why should we have to guess?
hymns
Worship services
women's fashion
Columbus, OH
3213 Black Friday and Black Days
This is a tradition I've never observed. If I can't find it on December 20 or 21, it doesn't get bought. Last year I was at least in a parking lot, when I went to a Panera's that was in a shopping center. This year, remembering that experience (exhausted and battle weary people coming in for coffee and a bagel), I went elsewhere. Did anyone else brave the crowds?And how callow is that Al Neuharth of USAToday? I noticed in yesterday's paper he commented on Bush's visit to Vietnam and wrote, "his followers forced us to cut and run 31 years ago." Well no, actually, it was our own homegrown war protesters, that built up the communists' will and encouraged them while demoralizing our troops. Read their memoirs. So when millions died after we pulled out, more deaths than the whole war period, the blood of our allies in that nasty, unpopular war became embedded in our history and on America's hands, especially those of our weak politicians and the scruffy, marching, unwashed protesters.
Newharth seems jubilant that we might do it again. The Islamic terrorists and insurgents are already celebrating the victory of the Democrats with increased violence and assassinations. Happy Killing Days, Al. Black days ahead.
Al Neuharth
war protests
Democratic congress
Black Friday
Friday, November 24, 2006
3212 Holiday Reading from the Public Library
If the adult services librarian, Wendy Bethel, had listed 10 titles instead of 9 for recommended "holiday reading" in the Nov/Dec 2006 Upper Arlington Magazine, p. 29, maybe she could have included Christians and Christmas? What a concept! Wouldn't that be trendy? But no, although her list includes Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, the suggestions of new titles at the library that include the story of a holy savior who becomes a baby, the son of God, the eternal King, are non-existent. Probably because she hasn't purchased any, or never reads a review publication that includes them.How about the book Yule: A celebration of light and warmth, by Dorothy Morrison. Would that apply? Well, no. Here's a peek from Amazon: "Those who yearn for spiritual meaning but aren't strongly affiliated with a specific religion sometimes feel left out of winter holidays. Yule is like a hot toddy for these chilled and isolated souls. From mistletoe to gift exchanging, Yule explores and exalts the pagan and regional roots to many of our contemporary rituals and celebrations." Doesn't that just tug at the old heart strings--if they want something spiritual, don't give them the meaning of the coming of the Christ child, give them pagan myths and legends that Christians scooped up along the way to becoming a world wide religion of all nationalities and languages.
What about The Winter Solstice: the sacred traditions of Christmas by John Matthew, a folklorist, packed with cute stories of the birth of different gods, what's the significance of mistletoe, Santa's evil twin, Bob, Shamans and little green men. Isn't that just so touching?
And what Upper Arlington homemaker doesn't need another theme to decorate her home? So the library offers Christmas style by Debi Staron and Bob Pranga, where we learn of trees that look like Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe and 10 other "Dames of Christmas" to make this one a real hit.
Was there not even a nicely illustrated book about a Christmas hymn, or a sweet little shepherd story, or something about mean old Herod killing babies and Rachel weeping?
Shame on the Upper Arlington Public Library, and shame on the Upper Arlington Magazine for ignoring the Christmas story.
public libraries, Upper Arlington Public Library, Christmas reading, reading lists, book selection
3211 Another meme
Sure are a lot of these. I noticed this one at Jane's blog, and thought I'd try it--nothing too heavy or earth shaking.From Monday Madness.
1. In order to protect my computer from viruses, I use _______. Mcaffee
2. I also use _______ for protection from spyware. Whatever Roadrunner provides and another program that I found on the internet.
3. I don't spend nearly enough time _______. Exercising, volunteering, checking in with friends, reading, painting, etc. Too many blogs--10.
4. The first person I usually talk to in the morning is _______. The clerk at the coffee shop--Panera’s or Caribou, depending on where I go. Except on Wed. or Thurs. I get up an hour earlier than my husband, but on those days, I wake him up because he also leaves the house early.
5. It takes me about _______ to get ready in the morning. 15-20 minutes--shower, make-up, dress, but I like to ease into the morning without anyone around and just hate to rush. I select my clothes the night before.
6. I keep all my appointments in/on _______. The kitchen calendar, and/or my purse calendar (paper). If I’m late, I’ve forgotten or not looked at the calendar. Usually, I'm early.
7. It takes me about _______ to fall asleep at night. 30 seconds.
Friday Family Photo
This photo was taken the day after our daughter's wedding--the best party of my life. We had all the out of town wedding guests for brunch--the bride and groom were on their honeymoon. This was perhaps the fourth time our mothers were together, and it was the last. They were 76 and 81. My husband's mother (on the left) died in 1998 and Mom died in 2000.
My mother was rather short--maybe 5'1"--medium complexion, just a bit plump, intellectual, bookish (she wanted to be a librarian), shy, sweet, iron-willed with a missionary spirit, who quietly went about making changes in her sphere of influence to make the world a better place. She was a saint, in the best meaning of the word--and most who knew her say the same. My mother-in-law was tall and fair--maybe 5'7", glamorous, outgoing, stylish, funny, spirited, loaded with charm with "Betty Davis eyes." She was a party girl--and there was never a dull moment when she was around--and most who knew her say the same. Both had grown up in the church with devout parents who were Sunday school teachers. June was a city girl and a good athlete when young; Mom grew up on a farm and preferred to curl up with a book. When I first met June (I think she was 42), she lived in shorts--she had long slender legs. I don't think my mom ever owned any. June made a spaghetti dinner that couldn't be beat, and Mom's pies were to die for.
My mother was five years older, and at the time this photo was taken, both women were about the same height, but my mother looked 10 years younger, in my opinion. Mom could still mow the lawn, work in the garden, walk briskly, and run circles around her daughters--that's a real garden tan you see. My mother-in-law in 1993 could barely hobble from the car into the house, and had a little hop like a wounded sparrow from an improperly healed broken leg. Her moments of clarity were infrequent although we still could see flashes of humor and personality.
My mother-in-law was an alcoholic, a heavy smoker and a picky eater; my mother didn't drink or smoke and was always pushing a second helping of her home grown vegetables and watching everyone's weight, including her own. However, I think it was cigarettes that really destroyed my MIL's health. Fair complexioned, thin women have a problem with osteoporosis, but if they are also smokers, the damage to their bones after menopause is just horrifying. Heavy smokers, women and men, have lower bone density and are at higher risk for fracture. She had several fractures, shoulder, arm, leg, after age 50, and the bones of smokers, women or men, do not heal well. She began smoking as a young teen which means she may have started the damage to her bones in their developmental stage. Older smokers' risk of fracturing a hip increases with age and is about a 71% increase over non-smokers by age 80. Thin men and women who smoke really have a problem. I don't think my mom ever had a broken bone or even a sprain. She hardly ever had a cold. Even photos of June in her mid-50s, show her loss of height.
By the time this photo was taken in 1993, my mother-in-law was sober--she had actually forgotten that she ever drank, and her mind recovered considerably. Although her memory wasn't great, it was possible to have a conversation and enjoy her company. I never heard her say she wanted to quit smoking--she loved it. However, she stopped smoking the last two years of her life, probably because it hurt. And by not polluting her small assisted-living apartment with smoke (she was a widow by then), she again had an improvement in alertness. But sadly, alcohol and cigarettes had stolen the last 30-40 years of her health and ravaged her body, and we grieve for that loss for her and us. We miss them both, especially now during the holiday season.
cigarettes
smokers
osteoporosis
Women's Health
ageing
3209 Fixing the slow load
This blog is so large, it's difficult to know how to get it to load faster. So I've shortened the number of days to 5 instead of 7; I've removed the link to Monday Memories because it was no longer a functioning blogroll, but valiently kept trying; I've deleted the Family Friendly blogroll (which I'm suspecting was the problem); I've deleted about half the immigration list; and some dead links. I've pulled the Victory Wing since the Democrats are going to have their way with us and will cut and run anyway, killing thousands of Iraqis who trusted us. I hope it moves better now. Any code that has an "rpc" in it seems to get stuck. I don't know who owns that service, but it doesn't work for me.Also if anyone knows how to move 1/2 a blog in the blogger.com system (I don't want to change the URL because the old entries still get hits), let me know.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
3208 An odd experience in church today
During the sermon this morning in the Thanksgiving service, my attention was drifting a bit (see last week's Thursday Thirteen). I'd had some upsetting news by phone right before we left the house, I had a guest with me, we were singing old familiar hymns, the scripture selections were excellent, and so forth, and all of a sudden I heard the pastor call out my name. I sort of jumped, then wondered if it had really happened or if I imagined it. You know how sometimes you think a pastor is speaking directly to you? It was a reference to Christ's work on the cross for our salvation, I think--like I say, my thoughts were drifting. But when I greeted the pastor on the way out he sort of apologized and said he had no idea why he mentioned my name. I think our congregation only has 2 or 3 women with my name, and one died a few weeks ago. I said, "Well, we go back a lot of years."We were actually in the new members class together back in 1976. He was a school teacher then and I was a homemaker. I witnessed to him, and for some reason, everything he'd been learning over the years in church, from his parents, in Sunday school, confirmation classes, in life, sort of clicked. I'm not a particularly effective Christian witness--tend to be a little too wordy and heady about faith matters. But it made sense to him. Four of us couples from that new members class continued to meet for Bible study for several years. He eventually decided to leave teaching and go to seminary, and about 22 years ago became an ordained Lutheran pastor. After serving for some time in another state, he was called back to our church as an assistant pastor. If I never witness to another person, this was a good choice. But I suspect it wasn't my doing.
A new blog for the growing years
This year, the oldest Baby Boomers turn 60, and, as of July 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 78.2 million Americans are counted among that generation. They are still influencing styles and thought because of their sheer numbers and they are used to being catered to. Yesterday I heard on Paul Harvey that they aren't happy with the movies and have enough ticket purchasing power to influence some changes (I wish them luck, but they'll probably have to undo some other changes). Also, I answered a poll on a blog yesterday about "do you like the trend back to wearing dresses" and about 85% of the readers answered yes (I haven't seen the trend in Columbus, OH, but did notice it in Europe). I hope this catches on at church.
Anyway, I've started a new blog--Growth Industry which is for bloggers and readers over 50. Topics will focus on interests and stories for those over 50--investments, health, retirement, leisure, travel, spirituality, friendships, grandchildren, fashion, pets, hobbies, and memories. I'm linking to mature, wise, and friendly bloggers and so far they range from 50 through the 80s. I met a woman at the coffee shop on Saturday who told me about buying a second home in Florida and how she did it which will be a great topic if I can get her to write it up. My own real estate purchases tend to be a bit on the emotions side of the equation, so I thought I needed another viewpoint. And she is 49 3/4.
I hope you'll stop by for a visit, and let me know if you'd like to offer a thought or essay (use the above e-mail). I can post the whole thing, cross post, or summarize and link back to you.
I'm sticking this at the top for today, so scroll down for the rest.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
