3966

A common language

In developing her theme on why Americans can't afford to lose their common language, Peggy Noonan lost me with this phrase:

"She's one of a small army of advertisement giver-outers in New York."

Giver-outers? Surely a professional writer can do better than that. "She's one of a small army which gives out advertisements in New York," or "She's one of a small army of advertisement distributors in New York." And she used the phrase twice. Ah, New York, New York.

"Europe is lucky: All those different cultures and languages are bundled up all close to each other and next to each other. They learn each other's languages with ease."

Oh really? "Close to and next to." With ease? In Denmark, I had to use my hands to order a cup of coffee in the airport; in Estonia, I found people who spoke Russian much better than Estonian. In Finland, the Vietnamese and Somali immigrants can speak Swedish because Sweden controlled the country for so many years and it is still required in the schools. But the Finnish Laplanders (Sami) aren't necessarily happy about speaking Finnish since their people reside in four countries.

I personally think it is great to learn several languages-- the children in Haiti learn four, not that it has stopped endemic corruption or built a decent infrastructure. But which languages should they be? Do our illegal immigrants speak decent, educated Spanish, let alone understandable English? Yes, a common language would be great. Starting with our best known writers.

3965

The world's most active poet?

In the late 1970s I worked in the Agriculture Library in an agricultural credit program at Ohio State University. It was a terrific job--I think I worked 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., had summers off, and got full credit towards retirement. The job lasted about 3.5 years, and then I moved to the Latin American Studies library (I think that was the name then) in the Main Library (Thompson Library, now closed for remodeling), where I worked with John Bennett. He had a PhD in Romance Languages, was working in the library, writing and publishing poetry in his off hours. He was a good companion and interesting co-worker, even if I didn't understand his poetry. It seemed he had something new every week--or at least month. I looked at the OSUL NewsNotes today, and he's still at it.

John M. Bennett, Rare Books & MSS Library, has published a book of collaborative full-color visual poetry, D RAIN B LOOM, Puhos, Finland: xPress(ed), 2006. 147 pages. Co-author is Scott Helmes.

I found NewsNotes by browsing Knowledge Bank, a digital archive of things published at and by OSU.

3964

Would your dog walk under an umbrella?

IPWatch offers an obscure patent each day, and I thought this dog umbrella (2003) had possibilities--not for any dog I've ever known, but someone might have one. Take a look.

According to the site, the term intellectual property is now commonly used to refer to the bundle of rights conferred to owners by each of the following fields of law: (1) patent law; (2) copyright law,; (3) trademark law; (4) trade secret law; and (5) the right of publicity. The About Us page says: "IPWatchdog.com is dedicated to providing a free, reliable and easily understandable resource on intellectual property law and related topics. We promise to demystify intellectual property and explain to you what it is, why you would want to consider obtaining intellectual property and how to go about obtaining worthwhile protection. We also explain various pitfalls to avoid, as well as what you can do to help yourself."

Today's cartoon really speaks truth to me.

3963

Run Cindy, run

Cindy Sheehan needs media attention the way the rest of us need oxygen. Since she "resigned" and "sold" her Crawford property, she's been out of the lime light. Her big mouth and her deceased son are her only claims to fame, but I think there are politicans in both parties who have less going for them. At least she is passionate. So she may run against Granny Nancy, the rich, smooth, slick Californian just a few heartbeats from the presidency.

Good luck, Cindy. What you lack in smarts, you make up in guts.

What we learn from nature about God

I love a visit with Pastor Brad. He's been on vacation, backpacking in the wild. His spiritual refreshment was not what you might expect.

Since the advent of the car and paved roads, it is fairly easy to get a good view from a mountain top somewhere. You can simply drive to some "Look Out Point," put the car in park and enjoy the view. You cannot do that in the wild. In one day, my friends and I had to walk over four mountains, carrying 35 lbs. on our backs, fighting the heat and exhaustion just to get to a decent campsite. Not only did we have to contend with heat and fatigue, we had to fight ticks, chiggers, biting flies, and even snakes. And it rained. In fact, the wood was so wet that we could barely build a decent fire.

So what did I learn from nature? It's fallen. Instead of fruit trees, the ground grows thorns and prickly things. There is almost nothing edible in the forest, and even that which is edible is fairly lousy. Except the occasional blackberry, but even that gift comes with thorns. Even clear mountain streams can prove lethal if the water is not filtered and treated before drinking.

The Bible teaches that "the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Rom. 8:20-21). So even the beauty of nature is tainted with the corruption of the fall. I could not see God as clearly as I wished in nature because it is fallen as I am fallen. Sin permeates the natural world and obscures the glory of God.

So as I walked over the cursed land I dreamed of a day when the Creator will liberate His creation from bondage. I imagined a day with no more thorns, chiggers, mosquitoes, and ticks. Even the earth longs for the day of redemption. Together we groaned for the return of the King.

Monday Memories--the old oak tree

Last week when we were in Illinois we visited the woods where my cousin and her husband are building their retirement home. As my aunt and uncle aged, it became difficult for them to care for the property which can become overgrown in just a matter of a few years. But Frank had been patiently reclaiming it, just as they had done over 30 years ago, and we were able to walk back to an area where our families had breakfast in the woods under a beautiful oak some 30 years ago. 50-100 years ago this wooded area was pasture, and the soil is packed hard by cattle hooves. We found our opening, but the magnificent oak was dead. It was alive last summer, Frank said with a final glorious burst of color in the fall. The extension agent thought perhaps it had been struck by lightening. So many happy memories here. Good-bye old friend.

3960

The Flowers of Lakeside

Yes, our streets are really this close to the houses, and people do rest in hammocks.
A walk along the lakefront.
The Patio Restaurant, where fresh donuts are made every morning.


This is a WWI memorial for the soldiers from the township, but I suspect the cannon is from the War of 1812, because there was a famous battle on Lake Erie.

3959

The Four Freshmen and Kelly Crum Delaveris at Lakeside

Saturday night the crowd at Hoover Auditorium were enchanted by the mellow jazz renditions of the latest reincarnation of the Four Freshmen, who were big stuff (remember "Graduation Day?") when I was in high school. This group actually began in the late 40s, were really big in the 50s and early 60s, slipped out of sight but continuted performing. I think the last of the original group retired about 10 years ago. But they were fabulous. Then on Sunday at Family Night in the Park, we were treated to the Latin sounds of the 50s-70s of Brasileira with Kelly Crum Delaveris, a graduate of Upper Arlington High School who sings in Portuguese. She and the Four Freshmen recently performed with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra in Columbus at a Stan Kenton salute. You probably know what the FF sound like, but here's a link to listen to Kelly.

Updating genealogy

I don't have my genealogy database with me on my laptop, but today I noticed at the Brethren Genealogy listserv that the FamilyHart database had been updated--524,488 people and 182,471 families. It is a Pennsylvania Dutch family, so I took a peek at the list of surnames. Yup. We're there. Well, not me personally, because only one of my grandfather's brothers (George d. 1944) is listed. But if you are related to any Shirks or Wengers, you'll find family there. My great grandmother, Nancy J. Wenger is (according the the FamilyHart DB) a 10th generation descendant of Hans SCHÜRCH. The Schurch family originated in Sumiswald, Bern, Switzerland. There are many spellings of the family name in America including Shirk, Sherk, Shoerg, Schrock. And a lot of Hans! I think I tracked Nancy back to Anna Burkhart Shirk, then sort of lost Anna in the mists of time. I think Anna married a Wenger and they had a son who immigrated. I'm not a real genealogist, I only have copies of a few wedding certificates, death notices and draft records. I rely on the kindness of strangers who do the heavy lifting.

3957

U.S. military deaths

According to a story in the Plain Dealer (AP), as of Saturday, 3,603 members of the U.S. military have died since March 2003, 2,952 in hostile action. Most of the Iraqis who have died, have been killed by other Iraqis, or other Muslims passing through who don't like their fellow faith members because of something in the 7th century. Iraq's boundaries, by the way, were drawn up by a woman who thought they could all just get along. But back to Americans. In that same period of time, over 5,500,000 American babies have been legally aborted (estimation based on Planned Parenthood statistics for 2003 and 2004). Even if you figure 1/4 may have miscarried or died of problems in utero even if not disturbed by the medical profession and their mothers, that's a lot of little people. It's a future city, isn't it? In a generation, it could be a small country. And also, during that four years, over 24,000 teenagers have died in automobile accidents, and over 1,200,000 were injured. That's how AllState figures it--and just changing the legal driving age to 18 so their brains could mature could eliminate a large number of those deaths. Why doesn't AP make little gray boxes in newspapers for our dead children?

More on talk radio and fairness

After some excellent links to commentary (Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was a keynote speaker at ALA recently and beat the Fairness horse for applause) Heretical Librarian pretty much sums it up

Whatever form it takes, it is clear that the Democrats' impending assault on talk radio has nothing to do with "fairness" or "diversity" or "media consolidation"; rather, it is a naked attempt to silence conservative talk radio. After all, why is there all this concern about ensuring a fair representation of views on public airwaves, yet no concern about the equally one sided dominance of liberal and leftist viewpoints at public universities? Besides, does anyone really think that liberals would even be making an issue of talk radio if Air America had been a roaring success instead of a bankruptcy ridden failure?

Tech alums are teaching at Lakeside

Duke Low, class of '56, is teaching a poetry class at the Rhein Center this coming week, and my husband, Tech class of '57, will be teaching perspective drawing.





Update: 14 signed up for perspective drawing yesterday, so there will be a lottery (and at a Methodist camp!) for seats in the class; Duke has 5 or 6, which is just perfect for a writing class.

The porches of Lakeside

Our neighbors enjoying their porch. This is an early 20th century 4-square.
In the 19th century, this cottage had a view of the lake, but now other cottages and trees are in the way.
This bed and breakfast is at the crossroads of activity. A movie was made here a few years ago.
Saving Grace is the name of this peaceful spot. Lakeside began as a Methodist campground. This is a condo in the former "Poor Richard's" rooming house.
This couple was having such a relaxing time at their B & B on Walnut that they fell asleep on the porch.
Popcorn Palace has one of the prettiest porches in Lakeside.
This is a "healthy house" designed by my husband, and has a lovely porch. This cottage was featured in the book, "Cottage."

3952

Saturday jobs

My husband spent about 2 hours working in the yard (at the lake house) today, raking, sweeping off the roof, mowing the yard and chopping away at a Japanese-something-bush (with yellow flowers) which wants to take over the yard. About 50 years ago one of the neighbors gave a sprig to the former (and first) owner who just loved to plant things everywhere, so there you have it.

Now he is fixing the kitchen sink. I kept finding water on the floor, and at first thought I was just being careless. Fortunately, I didn't slip and break a leg, because yesterday it was was a puddle! I dragged everything out from under the sink, and still couldn't see anything, but felt the pile of dusting rags and they were soaked. Apparently the elbow was leaking and because I have a rubber drain mat under all the cleaning supplies, the water eventually flowed out on to the floor after it filled up a package of paper towels. After 20 some years, we don't know if one of the periodic blasts from the quarry in Marblehead jiggled something, or if one of the Methodists who rent from us in June decided we had a garbage disposal (we don't) and tried to undo the mistake (he found piece of something like a pen lodged in the elbow).

Also, having my van back, I traveled outside the gates for groceries. I admit I'd been stopping at the Wal-Mart superstore which opened last summer, but today I went to Bassett's Market at the corner of Rt 53 and 163. Ah, now there is a store! You get treated like a queen, or at least a valued customer. When I stared glassy eyed at the peanut butter selection, a staff person asked if he could help, and directed me to the organic section. Sometime later, he saw me in another aisle and inquired if I'd found what I needed for peanut butter. Was I impressed he remembered not only me, but what I was looking for. You bet! Also, they offered free sample, small bags of freshly popped corn which I happily munched on. The bagger noticed my ice cream was soft and rushed someone back to pick up another one before I even noticed. When I asked the produce guy about the advertised turnip greens (I was so happy to see that), he knew right away that they didn't have any and that the tag was a mistake. I love it when a plan comes together, don't you?

3951

Why we have minimum wage jobs

A fella that helps me keep my html and css coding straight is Boogie Jack. If it's not right, don't blame him--I came to computers late in life. In his latest newsletter he reports this story from one of his readers:

Recently at McDonald's I ordered a half-dozen Chicken McNuggets.

"We don't have them by the half-dozen," said the teen counter-jockey.

"You don't?" I questioned.

"We only have six, nine, or twelve," he answered.

"So I can't order a half dozen McNuggets, but I can order six?"

"Yeah."

So I ordered six McNuggets, whatcha gonna do?

Reminds me of the time I ordered a cup of 1/2 regular coffee, 1/2 decaf, and the clerk asked if I wanted the decaf on the top or the bottom.

3950

How to kill a lobster and choose a wine glass

Coffee with the Wall St. Journal is so educational. Today I learned how to make a lobster stop breathing and how to choose a wine glass so your wine can breathe.

I thought you just raised the heat slowly--sort of like increasing regulations and taxes to kill the vibrant economy, but I guess that is cruel. The suggestion was to first chill the live critter for 15 minutes, then stab it. It is interesting to me that people who worry about cruelty to animals and crustaceans, do not bat an eyelash at dismembering a baby in the birth canal or experimenting on human embryos in the name of science.

Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher in today's Food and Drink column discuss the proper wine glass for reds, whites, dessert wines, younger wines, etc. You won't catch me serving with the wrong wine glass. I own 12, 10 oz. stemmed water goblets--cost about $6.00, and they work for anything, especially 3-buck chuck, or ice tea or soft drinks. The wine experts suggest that you use a 20 oz. wine glass so the wine can breathe. Be kind to your wine and your lobster.

By the way, have you seen those ratings for your blog? Mine got a "G" rating, but it did get flagged for the word "abortion." Apparently, it's a bad word not just for the unborn, but for children reading blogs. Then when I ran my class reunion blog through, it got flagged for the word "Dick," the name of several classmates. This is why public librarians say they don't like filters for pornography aimed at children--might filter out some innocent words for a health assignment on body parts that get cancer, or a recipe for chicken breasts. Yeah, sure.

3949

The minimum wage increase

It's a battle we never win, a battle to fight economic illiteracy among Americans, according to Government's helping hand also hurts. If the minimum wage increase is so terrific at reducing poverty, why hide it in the war supplement bill and delay and stagger the increases? Because the negative affects are easier to hide. It reduces productivity and employment opportunities at the bottom, and also affects very few employees, who are often young and/or part time.

One economist reports that for every 10% increase in minimum wage the poverty rate increases by 3/4 of 1%. Law makers understand this, but they know the American voter doesn't, so it is always a big issue at election time, like 2006.

3948

There's a reason for income inequality

It's called a pay off for education.

"In 1980, an American with a college degree earned about 30 percent more than an American who stopped education at high school. But, in recent years, a person with a college educa­tion earned roughly 70 percent more. Meanwhile, the premium for having a graduate degree increased from roughly 50 percent in 1980 to well over 100 percent today. The labor market is placing a greater emphasis on education, dispensing rapidly rising rewards to those who stay in school the longest." The upside of income inequality

And how do liberals want to "correct" this income inequality, which is really the result of having a better educated populace? They want to tax people into staying at a lower level of achievement.

"raise taxes on high income households and reduce taxes on low-income households. While this may sound sensible, it is not. Would these same indi­viduals advocate a tax on going to college and a subsidy for dropping out of high school in response to the increased importance of education? We think not. Yet shifting the tax structure has exactly this effect."

3947

This non-crime needs a real pardon

It's been interesting to see the left go crazy over the commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence, to allow him to stay out of jail while he appeals. Many conservatives think it didn't go far enough, and I'm one of them. Usually, whining that so-and-so did much worse isn't much of a defense, but when I think of Sandy Berger and this theft of documents from the national archives and the little wrist slap he got, I'm just stunned by this injustice. And the out and out crooks that Clinton pardoned! Oh my gosh--and for what--money for Hillary's campaign?

Here's the take at Opinion Journal about the lack of courage in the Bush administration:

Joe Wilson's original, false accusation about pre-war intelligence metastasized into the issue of who "outed" his wife, Valerie Plame, as an intelligence officer. As the event unfolded, it fell to Mr. Libby to defend the Administration against Mr. Wilson's original charge, with little public assistance or support from the likes of Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell or Stephen Hadley.

In no small part because of these profiles in non-courage, it was Mr. Libby who found himself caught up in prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's hunt for the Plame leaker, which he and his masters at Justice knew from Day One to be State Department official Richard Armitage. As Mr. Fitzgerald's obsessive exercise ground forward, Mr. Libby got caught in a perjury net that we continue to believe trapped an innocent man who lost track of what he said, when he said it, and to whom.

One other thing that puzzles me is our prosecutor system. These guys are given way too much power. Whether it is Nifong, or Starr or Fitzgerald, the system stinks, because you are obviously guilty until you've spent down all your funds, or the public gets tired of reading about it.

And Joe Wilson, the biggest liar of them all, goes free, the darling of the MSM. I'm baffled by Washington.

3945

Do you wash

Your hands before eating? Yes.

Apples before eating? Yes, and I also scrape off the wax.

Raisins before eating? Yes, removes the twigs and bugs.

Peanuts before eating? No, I like the salt.

Bananas before eating? No, but it might be a good idea.

Walnuts before eating? Yes, 3 rinses will do it.

Feet before eating? No, except at communion at my former church.

Face before bedtime? No, but I do change the pillow case frequently.

Bagged and pre-washed salad greens? Yes.

Cut and bagged "baby carrots?" Yes. They are slimy.

Glasses or dishes for holidays that have been stored for some time? Yes.

And what do you do about that door handle in a public restroom? If there are paper towels, I use one, which is why I hate hand dryers--they are very unsanitary.

My son tells me that some supermarkets supply alcohol wipes for grocery cart handles. I've never seen them, have you? I'd use them. Nothing spreads a cold like a toddler.

I'm not a fanatic about cleanliness, but dirt, dust, chemicals and fecal matter I prefer not to ingest.

3944

This 'n That 'n Those

If you are a regular, you may have noticed that my e-mail address has changed to prontomail from medscape. It seems to be moving nicely and medscape will be forwarding for some time. I'd never heard of this mail service before. I was hoping to lose the spam, but it was forwarded, too. I finally got my OSU mailbox cleaned out--had about 1000 spam. Doesn't give me much faith in OSU's OIT.

I'm loving being back to my regular coffee spot, Coffee and Cream, here at Lakeside. But while in Oregon I did visit Mudd Puddles (great lunches there too if you're tired of the Macedonian restaurants in the area) and Casey's. Last night I got the munchies and walked "downtown" to a little shop to get a bag of pretzels and heard someone call my name. Donna and Bob from Columbus were at the coffee shop having an ice cream. Donna and I had met in the park at home one day and I told her about Lakeside. They brought the grandchildren up, and they've had a fabulous week.

I've heard from a few classmates about my class reunion blog--still waiting for some more photos to post.

Since I use a different computer at Lakeside, I'm not sure what I'll post for Family Friday--maybe something from last week. I thought I had a great photo of my brother and me, then realized it is on my niece's camera. She's getting some photos from cousin Margaret to scan and send to me while she's in Illinois.

The auditorium was packed last night for illusionists, The Spencers. I only stopped by for a few moments, but it must have been one of the most popular programs of the summer.

Temperatures are supposed to get into the 90s today, so I walked early along the lakefront. Still listening to Guitar; and American Life by Tim Brookes. I see it is over 105 in Montana. My friend Carol may want to extend her stay in Illinois where it will only be in the mid-90s until it cools down out there.

3943

Conservatives and Talk Radio

Liberals can't walk the talk on freedom of speech. Particularly when it is talk radio. Liberals don't do well in competing for listeners in talk radio--can't get the advertisers (they are anti-business) and they are boring (haven't had a new idea since the Johnson administration). So they want to reinstate the "fairness doctrine" which would so tie up the radio stations in regulations and law suits that they would drop that format. Imagine if every time you spoke about marriage between a man and woman you had to give equal time to gay couples, or polygamists, or man-boy-love groups. Or if you interviewed a veteran of WWII you had to also interview a Nazi veteran, or an anti-war Mennonite or if you did that you had to also give the same number of minutes to the fanatical types who blow up little children in government buildings in Oklahoma. What if the host of the show was pro-choice--he'd have to give equal time to pro-life groups; or what if the host didn't like President Bush and had to give equal time to Cheney or Rove? No, the programmers and producers and owners would just throw their hands up and we'd go back to dead air, endless NPR type programming or musak 24/7. And the people who want something other than what the MSM spew and spit at us on TV would find another way to get information from Gallager, O'Reilly, Malkin, Hannity, Ingraham, Beck, Medved, etc. Read Adam Theirer's article on The Media Cornucopia.

"That leftist media critics start sounding so authoritarian is no surprise. In a media cornucopia, freedom of choice inevitably yields media inequality. "In systems where many people are free to choose between many options, a small subset of the whole will get a disproportionate amount of traffic (or attention, or income), even if no members of the system actively work towards such an outcome,” writes Clay Shirky of New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. Overcoming that inequality would require a completely regulated media." "

Democrats and talk radio.

Top 100 talkers.

Thursday Thirteen about our trip

1) Last Thursday we left Lakeside, OH for Oregon, IL around 7 a.m. arriving about 2:30 at my sister's home, returning to Ohio on Tuesday.
2) We had fabulous weather the entire time, 5 days--cool mornings, sunny days. They needed rain, but it held off until we were gone.
3) On Friday I walked with my high school friend Lynne, about 4 miles, past the home where I lived and out into the country. A lovely day for a long walk.
4) Also on Friday my sister and I visited the new veterans' memorial in Forreston, where we lived when we were children.
5) We found our father's name, and talked about all the surnames we recognized, even from the Civil War era (we're really not that old, but recognized the names).
6) Touched base with my high school friend Tina (California) and her sister Valerie (Florida) at a restaurant and made plans.

7) Went to a restaurant for dinner and surprised my great niece, a college sophomore, who was working there.

8) Attended the annual Ladies' Breakfast of my high school class at the White Pines State Park.
9) Visited with neighbors of my sister who had been our neighbors in Mt. Morris.
10) Attended Saturday services at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mt. Morris where my sister is the organist and choir director. We had communion and enjoyed the service and Pastor Erickson.
11) Enjoyed a family dinner at my sister's home with aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, great-nieces and nephew, siblings, and in-laws on Sunday afternoon. Slipped away for an hour to attend the memorial service at the cemetery for Tina and Valerie's mother.
12) Visited the site on Monday where my cousin is building a new home in the woods, getting a nice tour and update, and visited with my uncle and his wife who is in the nursing home in Mt. Morris. Had lunch at my sister's home with Tina and Jack, enjoying Sunday's left-overs on their lovely deck.
13 Attended on Monday evening a very fine 50th class reunion at the White Pines State Park.

Progressive and radical librarians

aren't very different from any progressive and radical fill-in-the-blank folk. They are political first, second and third, and librarianship, if it exists in their thought process, ranks somewhere below. I don't know how many of the PARL are out there on the fringes of the profession, but their noise level is high because so many in the profession are liberals and Democrats, sort of the first cousins of the Progressives. However, like those food/drug reform groups (Center for the something of the something) or church committees (Council of the whatever for the thingamajig) they make a lot of noise and put out tons of announcements and pack their party faithful on the faculties of our tax supported institutions.

They are joining us with the United States Social Forum. They are against "value-neutral" libraries, whatever that is, because they sure want to see their values well represented on the shelves, like the 16 copies of a popular anti-Bush title, or 25+ titles of everything Michael Moore ever produced on film or in print at my public library, or fighting community groups trying to keep pornography out of the hands of children using libraries.

PARL never asks what can be done for the working librarians, the profession or the library user, only how can they mold the library culture into meeting their social reform goals. Annoyed Librarian has renamed them the Regressive Librarians, and it does beg reflection on just what the word "PROGRESSIVE" means when used by any American political group. Progressive does not mean better benefits or unionization of retail employees of very large companies, because they really want the company destroyed; progressive doesn't mean a safer and healthier environment if that means the US economy could survive; nor raising the income of the bottom quintile but bringing everyone else down to their level, and if that isn't successful, import more poor people (illegal immigration); a progressive value is not saving wild animals or habitat, but valuing animals above humans. It's not about cooperation among religious groups, but destroying any faiths and putting Marxist principles first. Their plans, methods and goals have brought misery in every country that tried them, but they are so progressive they are desperate for it to work here in the U.S. Now, what's so progressive about these folks' tired, failed ideas? Nothing that I can see?

Celebrate our Freedom and Independence!

Happy July 4. I posted this photo of my neighbor and her dog last July 4, but I think it is so cute, here it is again.



Lakeside, Ohio

3939

We're back in Lakeside

We had a peaceful trip back arriving about 2:30 p.m. Traffic was light and there weren't too many construction slow downs. Weather was terrific. I've been updating the class reunion blog. My husband was able to get in an hour or two of sailing and tonight we're going to Hoover Auditorium to hear the Brass Band of Columbus. "The band’s instrumentation is brass and percussion only, following the tradition of British brass bands. Membership of this 45-piece ensemble includes over thirty active or retired music educators and a wide range of other professions."

We're off again

We're heading for Illinois to visit family (brother, sister, aunts and uncles, a few cousins, nieces and nephews) and to attend my high school reunion here. The worst part of the trip is getting around Chicago. We'll be back at the Lake in time for the Fourth celebrations. Bev will stay in our cottage and keep the kitty company. See you all when I get back.

3937

We're haters and xenophobes

According to today's WaPo:

"Under attack from talk radio, unions, xenophobes and others, the White House and reform-minded Republicans have maneuvered to salvage legislation that would address the core problems of tightening enforcement of existing laws and providing a legal future for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country."

One of the core problems is our legislators haven't even read the bill. They have no idea what is in it. One "prominent" Republican hung up on a radio interview when asked if he'd read it. I've read some of the suggested admendments (haven't seen the bill, but neither have my senators), and if the bill is as bizarre as they are, we're in deep doo doo. The 1986 IRCA is a mess, always has been; now we're trying to make it even worse. Can Ted Kennedy get anything right?

"The enemies of immigration reform remain unable to articulate a realistic alternative to the Senate legislation that would address the plight of the 12 million undocumented immigrants. They seem to imagine that by ignoring them, or harassing them, they will simply fade from view. They won't. If it's not resolved in this congressional session, the problem will come back again and again. Better to fix it now."

Americans who want our employment laws enforced, our borders secure from drug dealers and terrorists, are now "enemies" in the marxist-think of the MSM. At least WaPo acknowledges the 12,000,000 illegals--usually the liberal press overlooks that. Well, how do the august, so-smart editors think they got here? IRCA. Don't fix it. Dump it and start over.

3936

If you're a parent

of one of the 600 teenagers from the Methodist Lima District (now called something else), I must say these are some of the nicest, well-behaved kids I've seen in years. Maybe ever. Certainly better behaved than my generation. We were in the Hoover Auditorium when they came in last night for the program, and when the lights went down, you could have heard a pin drop, they were so quiet. Earlier in the day we had talked to a group of them on the dock who were on a scavenger hunt. One of them recognized us at the program and stopped to chat. This is the 80th year that this district has sent its youth to Lakeside. That could mean some of the these kids' great-grandparents might have done the same. Wow.

3935

Memorial Dinner

I fixed Bob Evans bratwurst, potato salad and tossed salad with a dish of fresh blueberries/raspberries and a peanut butter/ chocolate dessert. Ohioan Bob Evans died last week. Thanks for the memories. And I was wearing Liz Claiborne khaki jeans. She died Tuesday at 78.

3934

No dog in this fight

There's a discussion going on at BeliefNet's blog by Kuo on whether Apple users are "religious" about their Macs and devotion to Steve Jobs. David Kuo writes as an "Appleist." One commenter writes that they do have cult like behavior:

"They all tend to be the edgy, artsy, wanna-be SEEN as mad-genius types who want power over others so that they can 'teach' that person how to live / eat / dress / what to smoke and what not to smoke / etc. Ergo, an overwhelming portion of liberals (not classical liberals, mind you) use Macs and worship its creator.

Of course you can't convince them of this. Have you ever had a conversation with a cultist of any stripe? No matter what ground you are standing on, persecution is to be expected and re-inforces their identity with the group. You are a labeled an outsider who does not have their special knowledege of salvation. Likewise, when they have a problem with their religion/cult, it is instinctively their own problem and not due to anything on Apple's behalf."

I guess everyone I know is just a stodgy, frumpy ol' PC user. I do resent the Apple ads, but insulting your competition is old stuff in advertising. I'll stay out of this one, but if you're using a Mac and causing me problems, now I know why.

3933

Vacation Bible School

Our church (UALC in Upper Arlington, Hilliard and Columbus, OH) always has a huge Vacation Bible School--about 2500 kids, and this is the first year since 1994 that my husband hasn't participated as a teacher. I'm always surprised by the number of families who visit their Columbus relatives that week so their kids can go to Bible School. They come from all over the country.

But apparently we aren't unique. Fat Doctor tells about an inner city Church of the Brethren congregation that provides this opportunity too, only it is the staff who travels there, and one with an unusual past. She says her mother was Church of the Brethren and her father Catholic--they became Presbyterian, socially liberal enough for her mom and enough guilt for her dad.

I grew up in that denomination (CoB) and would have left a comment at her blog, except she requires registration. She's got a great blog.

Excuse my appearance!

Today's temps are predicted for the mid-90s, which next to a large body of water like Lake Erie means way-too-high humidity, so I walked along the lakefront early (ca. 8 a.m.). Two miles with my Guitar audiobook. I'm wearning my stretchy what-evers pants, and my t-shirt that says, "Try to keep up, I'm walking." There's something in small print too, but when I look down, it's upside down and I'm wearing tri-focals, so it makes me dizzy. My sister gave me this years ago along with a walking tape. Jenny Craig possibly. It's from the days when huge t-shirts were popular and you weren't expected to wear skinny midriff thingies with your muffin top lopping over topped with the icing of cleavage. This could fit a woman 8-mo pregnant or an Amish woman with plenty of fabric leftover for the bonnet.
Purple Martin house at the end of our street. It is designed to look like our movie theater, Orchestra Hall.
I think this is "Wellness Week," and there are Yoginess classes in the Upper Room. I can't figure out the 9 a.m. lecture which is supposed to provide "tools and strategies to enhance and enrich lives." I've got a lifetime bushel basket of new leaves I've turned over, so I think I'll skip whatever this psychologist from Canton is offering. There's an herb garden lecture this afternoon, but I have a brown thumb, and won't even attempt this one. The closest I get to an herb is a can of black pepper on the stove. At 10:30 there's a seminar on WWII. This afternoon the Women's Club is going to have someone portraying Amelia Earhart, but I'm not a member. The Wooden Boat Society is having classes and restoring a 1952 13' Lyman, so I'll probably pass on that too. I see Lakeside has an Environmental Stewardship Society that is selling compact flourescent bulbs, but I'll pass on that until someone determines the unintended consequences of outsourcing all our energy needs to China and how to dispose of the mercury both we and the Chinese factories are going to be putting out.

3931

Monday Memories--A day on the island

"A quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem" is a saying you see on the souvenir t-shirts of South Bass Island, or Put-in-Bay. And if you are intent on pub crawling on the week-ends, that might have some truth, but visiting on a glorious Monday is another story. A story of beautiful blue skies, pleasant breezes, beautiful gravel country roads through green wooded areas and vineyards, and old cemeteries. We had a wonderful time visiting Joyce and Bill at their cottage, and they gave us the insider's tour, including the Historical Society and the back roads.

We caught the Miller Ferry at Catawba which runs every 1/2 hour, except after 7 p.m. it's on the hour. It's a pleasant 18 minute ride. It is $12 round trip. When you get to the island you can catch a bus to town for $2.50 or hire a golf cart for $10/hour or $55 for the day. Or, if you are meeting friends, they pick you up in an old car, which all the residents keep on the island. The Jet Express leaves from Port Clinton and it is $24 round trip. When we made this trip about 20 years ago, we brought our bikes over.

Bill's grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles and cousins have all owned property on the island, but they bought this cottage some years ago, and are now renovating it so they can enjoy more time there during retirement. The view from this glassed area is sort of northwest over the water and is just delightful.

This view from their front yard is "Green Island" which is a wildlife sanctuary owned by the state. If you turn your head a little to the right, then you see Rattlesnake Island, which I think is privately owned. It was a little hazy, but I suppose on a clear day you might see a Canadian island.

The housing on the island includes everything from wonderful 19th century mansions to little fishing trailers with a canopy built over it. Real estate and renovating is a bit higher than the mainland because everything, including the workers, are brought over from the mainland.


There are wonderful places to eat in Put-in-Bay, and this area was new last year--a "boardwalk" with lots of shops and restaurant with a great view of the water and monument. We all had perch sandwiches and enjoyed a stroll through town.

Because so many people leave their cars on the mainland, you see a lot of golf carts.

Put-in-Bay has a wonderful historical society with an introductory film and many exhibits about the schools, businesses, wine makers, and various boat services.

Perry's Monument (War of 1812 with England) is closed for repairs, but there is a new visitors' center which has wonderful exhibits. We watched a film about the war and learned a lot. War is never pleasant and there are always the families left to grieve on both sides.


We enjoyed dinner at the cottage overlooking the lake as the sun settled lower. A lovely day.

3930

Put-in-Bay

We're off today to visit our friends Bill and Joyce at their summer place on Put-in-Bay (island in Lake Erie). Hope to have some good photos when we get back. It always depends on my connectivity here. Also, I hope for calm water. I tend to motion sickness.

3929

Miss Potter

Last night we went to Orchestra Hall (the movie theater) to see "Miss Potter," with Renée Zellweger. It was really delightful; even my husband enjoyed it. It is a film for adults, not children, however. At the end with the rest of her life scrolling across the screen, the audience applauded. Someone who apparently worked on the movie (don't know who) kept at two month blog--wish more had been written.

"Pleasant and unadventurous, MISS POTTER offers a fictionalized life of famous Peter Rabbit creator Beatrix Potter. In an unusual life path for her time (the early 1900s) she pursues a career as a children's book author and illustrator, her affection for her creations indicated on screen by her interactions with their animated forms. As ducks in bonnets and bunnies in brass buttons wiggle their tails at her or scamper about their pages, they represent Beatrix's own feelings -- most often mild defiance or frustration at her parents' hopes that she'll "settle down" by marrying a man within their class." reviewed at Common Sense Media

Lakeside has the only movie theater in the county. Movies at a theater are much more entertaining than in the living room on DVD.

You Are 89% Real

There's hardly a person on this earth more real than you are. You have no problem showing people who you are, flaws and all. For you, there couldn't be any other way. Because it's way too stressful to live an inauthentic life. You're very comfortable with yourself. And because of this, you're able to live an exciting, interesting, and challenging life.

How Real Are You?

HT 2nd cup of coffee

3927

Silver pony tails and hot cars

As we walked down to the artists' shop today to take in some more prints, I noticed something . . . seemed to be some. . . non-lakeside types in town. Loud shirts. Silver pony tails. "I'll bet the program tonight is Phil Dirt and the Dozers," I whispered. I picked up the weekly Lakesider, and sure enough--they are the opening act. They do vintage rock and have been performing for 20 years.

Also, Lakeside is having its 2nd Classic and Antique Car Show. Great fun to see these old cars.



This 1940 Ford looks a lot like the one my mother drove to California with 4 little ones in the back, although I think ours was a 1939. What an adventure we had.

3926

Real estate in Lakeside

The WSJ on Thursday featured real estate vacation homes. The taxes were breath-taking. Supposedly these places were "kid-friendly," but you don't know what that means until you visit Lakeside, OH, a Chautauqua gated community with no alcohol sold on the grounds (i.e., no drunken sailors wandering the streets like some other Lake Erie hot spots). WSJ reports that sales of vacation homes rose 4.7% to a record 107 million in 2006. However, if it is convenience, accessibility, great entertainment, educational opportunities, supervised playgrounds, an arts center and family recreation and activities you're looking for, consider Lakeside.

It's not usually this peaceful--but it was before 6 a.m. and most of the kids were still asleep while parents slipped out for a cup of coffee

Isn't this little "doll house" sweet? But $209,000? That's California prices!

Two families selling their vacation homes. The 2-story is a new one designed to look like a 19th c. home. I walked around it--has some great features.

If you buy this one 3 blocks from the lake, you'll have terrific neighbors (red house) next door and also across the street.

Children under 10 get in free at Lakeside. Now that's kid-friendly.

It's back!

The immigration bill is back with a new number, S. 1639. Time to e-mail, call or write snail mail the earmarkers, tax spenders, and border wimp-outs we elected. Sigh. No amnesty for illegals. Remember, IRCA (1986) was written by Ted Kennedy. It never worked; fixing a flat on a 4-wheel truck with only 2 wheels driven by a drunk still won't get you anywhere.

Email the offices of both of your senators asking them to vote NO on cloture for S. 1639. Web pages for all of the senators with email contact forms are listed here.

Email the White House. Let the President know you aren't happy with this give-away of our country. He may think Texas is part of Mexico like La Raza, but the rest of us don't.

3924

Guitar; an American life

About 25 years ago I thought I'd get a jump on my mid-life crisis by doing something different, deciding to take an aerobics dance class, pierce my ears (I have no discernable ear lobes and don't wear earrings), and learn to play the guitar. I did take the exercise dance class, liked it even though it meant sweating and over about 6 months I lost 20 pounds and went to work for one of my instructors. A story I wrote about it was published in the Columbus Dispatch. But poke holes in my dainty, tiny ears? No way. I did actually borrow a guitar for awhile from our friend John who told me he'd give me lessons, but memories of the trombone and piano failures came back to haunt me, and I don't think I ever even went plunkity plunk.

Yesterday at the library I was looking for an interesting, non-fiction audiobook to listen to while I walk and discovered "Guitar; an American Life," by Tim Brookes, a British ex-pat who lives in Vermont and is a commentator on NPR and writes for various magazines. I just had no idea that the history of the guitar would be so interesting. And when you start with almost no knowledge on a topic, you are soon 1000% smarter than you were a day ago! 24 hours ago I would have thought "luthier" was a misspelling of Luther, but it is someone who makes guitars. Here's a nice review by ricklibrarian with bibliographic details about the book and the audiobook.

Here's Brookes' list of 100 guitarists who weren't on Rolling Stones list.

What to do when you turn in your dissertation

I don't have a PhD and was never even remotely tempted to try it, but Susan is writing a History of the Whole World, and here's what she's doing now that the dissertation has been turned in.

1. Watched all three seasons of The Office twice.
2. Reread the entire ouevre of Dick Francis from beginning to end.
3. Run about a zillion miles on deserted country roads while listening to the entire collected works of Sophie Kinsella. (I wish I were a shopaholic. If you’re going to obsess over something, wouldn’t it be more fun to obsess over shoes than over the exact ways in which Frankish kings were recognized as legitimate?)
4. Viewed the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy from beginning to end. The expanded DVD versions. With all the extras. The Two Towers, twice.
5. Worked my way from Mr. Midshipman Hornblower all the way up through the final book in the series. For about the twentieth time in my life.
6. Baked forty batches of cookies. (Approximation.)
7. Ate a significant portion of those cookies all on my own. (See #3, above. This is why boosting my average mileage-per-run from five to nine or ten miles has NOT dropped me a dress size.)
8. Sat and stared at the thousand pages of formless, shapeless medieval history on the left side of my desk.
9. Moved my chair to the other side of my desk and sat some more and stared at the manuscript of my revised dissertation, which is almost but not quite ready to send off to the university press which might publish it.
10. Read the first page of about a dozen new novels which, somewhere deep down, I really want to finish.
11. Read the flap copy of five or six really fascinating new history books which, even deeper down, I really want to start.

She also has a great story about a trip to the dentist with her kids, things I never thought about because I didn't home school.

Friday Family Photo

Summer is tick season, so I want to tell you about "my tick." When I was in elementary school, my family lived in Forreston, IL, but we went back to Mt. Morris for our dental appointments. It was either the summer of 1947 or 1948, and I probably had a tooth ache, because in those days, I don't think we went to the dentist unless something was wrong. While I was in the chair, Dr. Boyle (I think that was his name) noticed something in my hair when he was leaning over me to examine my mouth (dentists loved my mouth because it is big). My mother was horrified (in those days moms were allowed to stay in the room with the child--I don't think they do that now). I was old enough to be combing my own hair, but she still washed it on Saturday nights in the sink for me. So the tick probably hadn't been there too long. The ticks are tiny, unless getting a meal of your blood, then they are big. Dr. Boyle removed it with a heated tweezers being careful to get all the mouthparts out. Mother took it home and looked up the critter in our encyclopedia (I get that from her--she always wanted to be a librarian) and pronounced it a "Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Tick."

Both the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (Dermacentor andersoni) are vectors for Rickettsia rickettsii, the causative agent of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, D. andersoni is much more common from the east coast through the plain states and western California, and D. variabilis for the most part is in the mountain states.

I probably did get my tick from a dog, because not only did we have dogs which stayed outside all the time, but I was a fearless dog hugger, and would wrap my arms around one and lay my head on them. I also played outside constantly, and we lived in a rural area where hiking or biking outside the town limits to visit friends or just to play was pretty common.

I didn't get sick, but ticks are really dangerous. I have great respect for them, and you should steer clear! They can cause Lyme Disease, which got its name when an unusual number of children near Lyme, Connecticut came down with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in the 70s, caused by the bite of a tick (Ixodes scapularis, also called Blacklegged Tick) carrying Borrelia burgdorferi. (I think when I was a vet librarian I actually met Dr. Burgdorfer, for whom it is named.) Now there's a entity caused by ticks (Amblyomma americanum, also called Lone Star) which hang out in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri, termed STARI, or Master's Disease. Symptoms are similar, but it's not Lyme Disease.

The reason I'm telling you all this isn't because I know a lot about ticks, but because there is a clinical article in JAMA 297:23 (June 20, 2007) about Erythema Migrans. That's a rash that is associated with tick bites. There seems to be quite a bit of overlapping of this rash, depending on which tick has bitten you, and the right antibiotic is important. And you don't always have erythema migrans with Lyme Disease, or with the other tick bite diseases, but you might.

As a librarian I always read the authors' method, because this is the type of thing I helped researchers with. For this study they examined 1266 articles in the medical literature with a very specific set of criteria, narrowing the search down to 53 articles. I won't repeat everything the authors report, only that they weren't thrilled with the inconclusive evidence currently reported and seem to suggest that the doctor will need to eyeball it (my non-medical term) which means you need to have some experience with these rashes.

"Physician education should emphasize the wide variability in the clinical presentation of erythema migrans and the need to factor in multiple components of the clinical examination and epidemiological context into clinical decision making."

If you live in a tick area (which seems to be every state except the extreme southwest), you might pick up this issue at your library and photocopy p. 2664, which is the JAMA patient page for Lyme Disease. Moms need to know a lot. And it doesn't hurt to have a sharp eyed dentist.

Thursday Thirteen--13 Singers I didn't know I missed

On Monday we got a digital box for our cable TV and some new features, including the music channels. One is classic country. It plays, without voice overs or advertising, C&W songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s. I'm hearing singers I didn't know I'd forgotten. Most of the time I recognize the voice and song, but sometimes I have to walk into the living room and see who's singing. Guess I don't listen much to music radio any more. A few I've enjoyed this afternoon

Charley Pride
Tanya Tucker
George Strait
Crystal Gayle
Jerry Reed
Tammy Wynette
George Jones
Roseanne Cash
Floyd Cramer
The Judds
Hank Williams, Jr.
Waylon Jennings
Ronnie Milsap

3920

Bush vetoes stem cell bill

Bush has been such a disaster on the border security issues, amnesty for illegal workers and wimped out on social security reform, that it's a pleasure to see him standing fast on something important. I wrote about this for last year's veto. Yes, I'm just a wacked out fundamentalist on creating human life in order to diddle it in the labs of America with my tax money. It's not illegal you know--the US is producing most of the scientific research in this area. All you evolutionists should just wait around and see if some mold in the corner that the janitor missed turns into a highly developed, functioning human being. If it happened once without help from the big guy, you should be able to do it with a few spores, some ammonia and fairy dust.

3919

Marriage and poverty

If a child is poor, her mother is probably not married, had her children without a husband, didn't finish high school, or had her first child before her 20s. That's why I say women can virtually eliminate poverty in the USA by doing the right thing in the correct order.

Yesterday I was reading a senior thesis from Ohio State University about bilingualism in Lorain, Ohio. So the author tossed in some interesting statistics for the metropolitan area that weren't directly about language (Lorain has a significant number of Puerto Ricans). The national family poverty level is 10.2% in the U.S. and 14.9% in Lorain. Now, let's look at the marriage stats in Lorain. Never married--higher than the national average; married--lower than the national average; separated--higher; widowed--higher; divorced--higher. However, in education levels, Lorain does quite well, exceeding the national average in a number of categories. Getting an education won't necessarily undo other mistakes made young. Unfortunately, girls won't learn this kind of "radical math" in school.

3918

Wanted: a full time trouble maker?

Why does Columbus, OH need a full time "Mexico Solidarity Network – Activist?" Hmmm. Solidarity. Where have we heard that term before (definition)? I was just browsing the OSU publication Que pasa (translation: wha's happening bro?) and saw this job opening for a position that reports to the "Executive Director," and "Maintains regular communication between the Commission and the vast array of Hispanic/Latino-serving community based organizations (CBO’s) statewide." I'm not sure which "commission" is referred to, but there is a link to Amnesty International for the application materials.

"The Mexico Solidarity Network struggles [oh yeah] for democracy, economic justice and human rights on both sides of the US-Mexico border [you need to try a little harder in Mexico]. Civil society must take the leading role in fomenting [we hear ya] social change by developing democratic spaces [i.e. the southwestern USA then north to Ohio] and empowered communities that are outside of party/establishment structures, but always interacting with those structures. The Mexico Solidarity Network is a grassroots-based organization [I'll bet!] dedicated to profound social change [you mean like in Russia and China in the 20th century?] that challenges existing power relationships [US government] and builds alternatives."

This isn't the only job opening with Marxist red flags (no pun intended) listed in Que Pasa, but you can check it out for yourself.

3917

Death by Chocolate

New York Board of Health is trying to require big fast food chains, but not deli's or pizza shops, to include calorie count for every item on the menu and get rid of trans fat*. "The proposals are winning plaudits from health advocates, including the [phony as a $3 bill] nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which has been urging cities, states, and the federal government to take both of those actions." Some of the companies are going to fight it--is it even legal for the Board to pass these laws?

These food nannies won't stop at the door of the pizza parlor owned by your Uncle Vito, you know, nor at the fancy restaurant where you need a reservation and pay $50 just to sit down. It will go on and on.

Let's give New Yorkers some credit. They probably can figure out that eating a big mac at McDonald's is about as healthy as having a Death by Chocolate Brownie with a double scoop of ice cream at a full service restaurant. This is racist, classist and elitest regulation. Middle class and wealthy people are not as overweight as working class and poor people. Caucasians are not as overweight as minorities. We could probably improve the obesity rate of the nation just by closing the borders to illegal immigrants.

Americans are fat, yes, but they got that way bite by bite, calorie by calorie, gene by gene, and for being inactive slugs sitting at computers. The Women's Health Initiative study published in 2006 in JAMA spent $700,000,000 of our money, used 7.5 million forms, clocked 1 million clinic visits by almost 50,000 postmenopausal women all to discover that lowering dietary fat and eating more fruits and vegetables for eight years didn't affect breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or cardiovascular disease in women. That won't stop the CSPI. It's like the global warming fundamentalists. Norma's advice: Move more, eat less. Eat all the colors. Say no to seconds.

*"The reduction of trans fatty acids in the food supply is a complex issue involving interdependent and interrelated stakeholders. Actions to reduce trans fatty acids need to carefully consider both intended and unintended consequences related to nutrition and public health. The unintended consequence of greatest concern is that fats and oils high in saturated fats, instead of the healthier unsaturated fats, might be used to replace fats and oils with trans fatty acids. Many different options of alternative oils and fats to replace trans fatty acids are available or in development. Decisions on the use of these alternatives need to consider availability, health effects, research and development investments, reformulated food quality and taste, supply-chain management, operational modifications, consumer acceptance, and cost." American Heart Association Conference, Circulation, Apr 2007; 115: 2231 - 2246.

3916

Not peaceful around here today

It's a fabulous day after being in the 90s. Clear sky. Cool. However. It is trash day; lawn maintenance day; and the condo road is being resurfaced. A good day to keep the car in the garage and take my walk somewhere else.








Catch that pony tail. Missing the 80s?

3915

The retirement experts

Jonathon Clements reports that "Experts offer all kinds of advice. Mostly it's ignored." [WSJ 6-20-07] I know how you feel, Mr. Clements! I give such excellent advice, yet everyone is hell bent on making their own mistakes!

Actually, we did pretty much what he suggests the experts tell you to do in planning retirement, except the one about saving diligently from a young age. All experts agree on that one. We didn't save a dime toward retirement until our kids were gone from home. But since I was 46, that gave me some time before retirement. He suggests three things experts advise that most workers ignore (I didn't, but I also didn't know they agree on these three).

1) Rereading an old 1999 letter to my children I refreshed my memory that I had notified both my OSUL and Prior Health Library bosses that I would retire in the fall of 2000--about a year in advance. (I don't think that's such a great idea, but you can squirrel a date away in your head. You are a lame duck from that time forward if you let your employer know.)

2) From 1986, when I went back to work full time, through 2000 I put the maximum allowed in my 403-b tax shelter, and fortunately, when I took out my retirement money after leaving to have a family, I had tucked it away with interest so I could buy back my retirement time (it would not have grown if left in the system because I wasn't vested).

3) When my stocks began faltering in 2000 (before Bush, BTW, if that economic myth is important to you), I changed my investment mix, from aggressive to low risk/moderate risk. Apparently the experts suggest retirees need to do this, but it was really instinctive for this lily-livered investor.

However, I could have never guessed ahead of time how expensive retirement would be--actually I'm still surprised. Our "retirement condo" is bigger than the house we lived in for 34 years. Need a bathroom? I've got one where I hang our winter clothes in the shower stall. Travel? For years we went nowhere; now we get 10 brochures a week from travel companies.

I thought our second home on Lake Erie, purchased in 1988 and paid for since 1998, would be a nest egg because home values absolutely soared in Lakeside--moreso than in Columbus. Of course, we all know what's been happening in the real estate market, especially vacation home areas.

I couldn't have imagined what would happen to the cost of health care. My pension plan spent like crazy in the 90s on real estate and fancy offices for its employees, and then had to do some serious cut backs on health benefits for retirees in the 21st century. For some reason, those boomer staff people had never heard of a bust and were way overinvested in high tech. And we're healthy!

And cable. Our cable bill is higher than our gasoline bill for 2 cars--and we lived for the first 26 years of our marriage perfectly happy with 3 broadcast and 1 public channel, and no computer broadband. In order to get our phone service deal and a digital box, we just added about 50 new channels. More ways to sleep in front of the TV.

And taxes! OMG! Was I stupid to think that once we were on pensions the government wouldn't want so much of our money? Apparently. Do you know if every American had to write a check to the government each April instead of having taxes sneakily withheld by their employer, we'd have a tax revolution immediately? We pay quarterly, and even that is a huge reminder of how our government mismanages our money just because we aren't paying attention.

Clements says the most important rule to remember is save diligently. Everyone agrees on that.