How to tell a real peacemaker

Check out their beliefs. Statement on the War in Iraq by the Mennonites (Mennonite Church USA), at the Global Anabaptist Encyclopedia On-line. Also useful for doing some genealogy searches if you have Mennonites in your family tree.

Cha-Ching a ring ding at Christmas

This is the time of year that every household that has donated in the past, ends up on the mailing list of charitable organizations. They know, as retailers do, that we're feeling a bit more generous, and that some even plan ahead for deductions on the income taxes in 2007.

Here's 3 that we support--Lutheran Bible Translators who put scripture in the "heart language" of millions; Pregnancy Decision Health Centers which helps save babies' lives and gives women in distress support when their parents or boyfriends pressure them to abort; and Pinecrest Community, a retirement complex, nursing home, and Alzheimer' care facility in the town where I grew up, affiliated with the Church of the Brethren. My parents, the parents of my friends, my grandmother and her siblings, and my aunts and uncles have all resided or been treated here at some time in their lives.

The middle class and poor give much more from the heart and wallet than the rich, and the working poor more than the middle class. I checked our zip code. We have almost double the median income of the rest of Ohio, but are just slightly below Ohio's average in charitable giving. And it's not just Ohio. In a very similar spread, families in San Francisco give about the same amount to charity as families in South Dakota: $1,300. Yet the SF families have average incomes of about $80,000, compared to only about $45,000 in South Dakota. Evangelical and fundamentalist Christians give much more liberally than mainline, liberal Christians.

Conservative Christians will be blamed

As the election heats up, we'll hear all sorts of nonsense and sneaky asides about the power of the Christian right. I'm sure Huckabee will get a few slurs just because he was a Baptist minister in his past life. I guess it brings out voters, because it sure worked in Ohio in 2006. We elected a liberal governor, a former Methodist minister. Oh, that it were true that Christians stood on biblical principles--or that they even flooded the polls on election day. Christians haven't been able to roll back anything. Here's what I wrote in March, and so far, no one has challenged it.

. . . liberals try to put up conservatives, particularly Christian conservatives, as some sort of powerhouse bringing down the government. No one has been a bigger spender on social programs than the Bush administration (especially education). Medicare. Biggest gains under Republicans. Illegal immigration. Huge muck job by Republicans--who was president in 1986 for IRCA? Social Security. Reagan was President when I lost mine. Legal abortion. Last time I checked, we're still killing babies--what--25-35 million since Roe v. Wade? If Christian conservatives manage to roll back a week or two in a sparsely populated rural state, the Dems go crazy ("oh no, a baby's made it out alive"), but the law's still there. DDT. Last time I ran the numbers, we'd killed more Africans with malaria in the last 30 years than died being shipped across the Atlantic as slaves in the 18th century, but not a single bird, let alone human, ever died from spraying DDT on mosquito eggs in standing pools of swamp water. . . Clean air laws. We've got bunches of empty factories in Ohio that have no smoke belching from the chimneys--the jobs went first to the southern U.S.A., then to Asia. Women's Rights. Leading cause of poverty in the U.S.A. is unmarried women having sex and babies before finishing school. The poverty gap is no longer racial, it is marital. And Democrats have a fainting spell if someone introduces an abstinence program or a chastity pledge

I'm waiting for someone to outline all the programs demanded, introduced or defeated by conservative Christians which have changed our culture as much as the above items.

How to get a driver's license in Mexico

No biggie. No test or hassle. Of course, driving is a bit more "intuitive," and you might want to think twice before taking your life in your hands. Just have the right papers. I wonder why Gov. Spitzer and Mrs. Clinton didn't think of that.

"When it comes to acquiring a Mexican drivers license, you can do so without any exams or tests, even if you have never had a previous license. Just take along your passport and your FM-2 or FM-3 and you will be issued a license within an hour at the Secretaria de Transportes y Vialidad. Tourists may drive with an international license or the drivers license of their own country. If you would like to bring your car into Mexico from the U.S. you will need to acquire a permit at the border by leaving a deposit the amount of which corresponds to the model and type of vehicle you're driving. You will also have to buy insurance. Make sure you have an international credit card otherwise you'll find this process a big nuisance. You may then gain entry into the country for a period of up to six months after which your permit (along with your FM-T tourist visa) will have to be renewed." Transportation in Mexico

But don't even think about trying to vote in Mexico using your DL. To vote, you need to be a citizen, and the requirements vary depending on which country you were born in. In some states of the U.S., a driver's license is a passport to voting, which is why so many politicians are lusting after DLs for illegals. It has nothing to do with safety on our highways.

4323

Fire your accountants, Warren

Buffet, the second wealthiest men in America, thinks that rich people like him don't pay enough taxes. Testimony. There's an easy solution. I'm just a pensioner, but even I know that raising taxes on the rich is full employment for accountants and lawyers, and that while we'll all pay more and the value of our IRAs and 401-ks will shrink, they'll pay less.

It's a shell game, folks. All rich Democrats should fire their accountants and lawyers who see to it that they take advantage of every loophole in the tax code the ordinary worker can't use. Don't claim any deductions for contributions (the wealthy never pay the percentage of their income that the middle class do). Get rid of those investments that hide your wealth. Mr. Buffet, you will see how quickly you are able to pay your "fair share."

4322

Support your candidate

Before the Christmas [aka holiday] rush, why not send a small check (or however you do it these days electronically) to the candidate of your choice? Campaigns are about money, no use moaning about it and sitting on your wallet. Some like Clinton and Edwards are personally extremely wealthy. Others need to raise a war chest. If Obama or McCain is your man, send a contribution. It might buy a fraction of a TV minute or buy a few posters. Today I'm sending my contribution to Mike Huckabee. He most closely lines up with the experience, personal integrity and moral clarity I think are important. I would not be unhappy with some of the other Republican candidates, but I'd sure have to hold my nose if Rudy is the choice of the party (seems like a sweet guy with loads of experience and charisma, but way too much personal baggage for my tastes).

I don't do electronic transfers and I think all these campaign websites are designed by people who are 18-19 years old, so you may have to poke around a bit to find the U.S. Mail address.

To contribute by mail, please send to:

Huckabee for President, Inc.
P.O. Box 2008
Little Rock, Arkansas 72203
"When discussing faith and politics, we should honor the "candid" in candidate - I have much more respect for an honest atheist than a disingenuous believer." Mike Huckabee

4321

How will liberals respond if there is victory in Iraq?

If headlines in the Nov 15 USAToday are any indication, here's how it will go: big headlines for anything not going well, tiny print for anything that is.

"Taliban fighters escalate attacks in Afghanistan"
"The increased activity comes as security in Iraq improves."

I've never heard a liberal or Democrat or Progressive even suggest that victory would be a good thing. So it will be "improved security," or "surge draw down" or "withdrawal of troops," but you'll never hear them claim victory.

If your company ignores Christmas--Plow & Hearth

Dear Jim McCann, CEO and
Chris McCann, President
1-800-Flowers
Carle Place, NY

You didn't ignore Christmas! Good for you! I see that you now own Plow & Hearth. I just may send an order, because it's a neat holiday catalog, and they managed to insert the word "Christmas" into several descriptions of gifts. The word Christmas is actually on the cover of the print edition (even if it is an adjective modifying delivery) and on the verso where it appears on musical miniature music boxes. There's a tiny mention of what it's all about in "Star of Bethlehem" bulb garden on the back cover. On page 11 they also advertise that if I order a live fir sapling ($24.95), they'll send me a tree-shaped ornament engraved "Merry Christmas 2007" along with planting instructions. There are 11 pewter ornaments on this page, and for each one sold, a tree will be planted by the Canadian company that creates them. I'm guessing there are at least a few million Canadians who know the real meaning of Christmas, and perhaps next year Plow & Hearth could request a religious symbol of the infant Jesus and his mother be included along with the secular, like the baby penguin and its mother.

I wish you could have done more for the millions of Christians who might be potential customers, but so far, you are definitely winning in my Christmas Catalog competition!

In 2005, Plow & Hearth celebrated its 25th anniversary. It was sold to 1-800-Flowers in 1998. It has grown from a small country store into a multi-channel retailer, a leader in the catalog industry and the premiere source of products for the home, hearth, yard and garden. It participates in and has won awards for many state (Virginia) and local projects that help people and the environment.

Barnes & Noble
Lowe's

Ohio State hires aide to General Petraeus

From OSU Today

"The Mershon Center for International Security Studies and the Department of History have selected Col. Peter R. Mansoor as the next Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair of Military History. Mansoor, currently executive officer to Gen. David Petraeus in Iraq, will begin his duties at Ohio State in September 2008. He was one of the major authors of the report on the situation in Iraq, delivered by Petraeus to Congress on Sept. 10-11. He also served on the Council of Colonels that assisted the Joint Chiefs of Staff in reassessing Iraq War strategy and devising the surge strategy currently being employed. Mansoor is also the founding director of the U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Story here.

In addition to the endowed Mason chair, the center also has an endowed Woody Hayes chair(former football coach who loved military history, and a peace studies chair.

If your company ignores Christmas--Barnes & Noble

Carolyn Brown
Director of Corporate Communications
Barnes & Noble.com

Dear Ms. Brown,

I'm looking through your on-line holiday catalog (for something to blog about or purchase on my membership card), and I see that you ignore my holiday, Christmas. There are many items for an unspecified holiday, a winter event, a joyous memory, and a seasonal gift, but nothing about Christmas, which millions who receive your catalog celebrate every year. Can you account for this? Why should I support you if you don't support me?

Thank you,
Norma Bruce

See also letter to Lowe's

4327

Ethnic differences in surviving Alzheimer's Disease

The on-line edition of Neurology (Nov. 14, 2007) reports that Latinos live about 40% longer than whites after being diagnosed with AD, and blacks live about 15% longer. Asian Americans and Native Americans appear to have about the same survival rate as whites.

"The 30,916 AD patients in the NACC were followed up for 2.4 ± 2.9 years (mean age 77.6 ± 6.5 years; 65% women; 19% nonwhite [12% African American, 4% Latino, 1.5% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, and 1% other]). Median survival was 4.8 years. African American and Latino AD patients had a lower adjusted hazard for mortality compared with white AD patients (African American hazard ratio [HR] 0.85, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.96; Latino HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.69). Asians and American Indians had similar adjusted hazards for mortality compared with white AD patients (p > 0.10 for both). African American and Latino autopsied AD patients had similar neuropathologic characteristics compared with white AD patients with similar clinical severity.

Conclusions: African American and Latino Alzheimer disease (AD) patients may have longer survival compared with white AD patients. Neuropathology findings did not explain survival differences by race. Determining the underlying factors behind survival differences may lead to longer survival for AD patients of all race/ethnic backgrounds."

Some researchers suspect underlying ethnic or cultural differences in the higher survival rate for minorities. Isn't that fascinating. Usually, if whites survive longer, poverty and access to health insurance among minorities are to blame; but when minorities live longer, there might be an ethnic difference in severity of disease?

4326

New magazine for secular homeschoolers

I collect first issues, and I'll probably miss this one since I usually go for news stand magazines and journals, but the first issue looks really good whether you're secular or religious. In fact, The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List is priceless. And the editor has a blog. A two-fer.

HT Dancing Boys Mom

If your company ignores Christmas

don't expect my business.

Dear Melissa Birdsong,
Vice President,
Lowe's Companies, Inc.

Thank you for sending our household "Lowe's Creative ideas for Home and Garden." Winter 2007-2008. I noticed you had a lot about "holiday season," "winter season," "holiday trees," and "holiday cheer," etc. Fine, but the holiday we celebrate in this house is known as Christmas, a time when we celebrate our Savior's birth. The only nod you give to my holiday is an article about how a family can blend Hanukkah (listed first) and Christmas traditions in one unique decorating scheme where your decorators have cleverly mixed blue and green (sorry, but I missed the importance of this). And then in the next article you feature a Kwanzaa celebration. It's so little known, you actually explain what it is in a specially highlighted spot. It might have been nice if you had done the same for the Christian holiday, since it looks as though you might need to research it to learn what we celebrate.

Thanks, but no thanks. Maybe I'll stop by the store in the spring when it's time to clean up the yard, but if you don't recognize Christmas, I'll skip your promotions.

"With fiscal year 2006 sales of $46.9 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 50 company that serves approximately 13 million customers a week at more than 1,450 home improvement stores in 49 states. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world." Stock price today (Nov. 15) is $24.81.

DDT is no panacea

and is not always appropriate for every exotic disease, but neither does it kill millions of people every year the way the environmentalists do. Yes, people die when politics gets in the way of saving lives. I urge you to read the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Health Policy Outlook No. 14, November 2007 "The rise, fall, rise, and imminent fall of DDT."

The modern environmental movement began with concerns about DDT. Rachel Carson's 1962 book Silent Spring questioned the effect that synthetic chemicals were having on the environment. Her argument was that DDT and its metabolites make bird eggshells thinner, leading to egg breakage and embryo death. Carson postulated that DDT would therefore severely harm bird reproduction, leading to her theoretical "silent spring." She also implied that DDT was a human carcinogen by telling anecdotal stories of individuals dying of cancer after using DDT.[19] . . .p.3

The delisting of DDT as the method of choice in many countries was a direct result of Ms. Carson's book and resulted in years of death and injury of millions, mostly in Africa. DDT was reintroduced in South Africa in 2000, and in just one year malaria cases fell nearly 80% in one of the hardest hit provinces. In 2006, malaria cases in that province were approximately 97% befow the high of 41,786 in 2000. Zambia too had great success when a private mining company restarted a malaria program reducing malaria incidence by 50%. But that's all about to change. Environmentalists are again raising their voices exaggeratimg the dangers.

Bias in the academic literature is accelerating. A recent article in The Lancet Infectious Diseases alleges that superior methods for malaria control exist--without providing a single reference for this claim.[52] The authors claim that DDT represents a public health hazard by citing two studies that, according to a 1995 WHO technical report, do not provide "convincing evidence of adverse effects of DDT exposure as a result of indoor residual spraying."[53] Furthermore, the authors misrepresent those defending the use of DDT. They claim that supporters view DDT as a "panacea"--dogmatically promoting it at every opportunity--yet they do not provide any evidence to back up their opinion. . . p.7

DDT has a better record than any other intervention. Every day people die. Someday another method might be developed. But meanwhile, environmentalists might be killing the very people who could do the research.

Does anyone remember MaryRose?

There doesn't seem to be a photo of this fashion statement of the 90s, although while looking I have found photos of dresses and jackets made of Tyvek, the home insulation wrap, of all things! Perhaps too old to wear, and not old enough to be trendy. But I loved my two Mary Rose dresses. One was aqua and the other deep fuchsia. They were made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester in a heavy t-shirt knit type fabric, one-size fit all, big shoulder pads, and were incredibly comfortable. Somewhere I have a photo of me in the beautiful aqua colored MR taken one Easter when I was visiting my parents (I have dozens of photo albums, and increasingly can find nothing in any of them). The key to looking fabulous in a MaryRose was the accessories--huge scarves, enormous necklaces, and snarky belts. Ah, the memories. The colors changed according to the season, but the fabric was the same in all of them.

And mine probably won't go into my archive of old clothing (I have kept favorites from the 1950s-mid 1990s). When I was looking for storage space about 2 weeks ago, I pulled out a suitcase and found my two MaryRose dresses. I decided I wash them before I hung them for storage. The aqua dress was wet when I hung it up, and there was printing on the paper cover of the hanger, and it bled through. So I decided to run it through again with just a touch of Clorox in the water. The ink stain faded a bit, so I ran it through again, but forgot about it. About 24 hours later I remembered, and when I pulled it out, I could see that although the stain had lifted, so had some of the aqua. So now I have a ruined dress.

I'm thinking of crocheting it into a rug. I used to watch my mother do that. She'd cut material on the bias about 1" wide, roll it in a ball, and then in the evening while we did our school work or listened to the radio, she'd crochet an oval rug. They were quite pretty and very useful, easy to wash. Everything we wore as children--t-shirts, dresses, socks, blouses, even Mom's nylons--eventually saw a second life as a rag rug.

Cut up a MaryRose? Walk on it? On second thought, I think I'll just put it back in the suitcase.

Planted Questions

What's the big deal? Why shouldn't a candidate, Mrs. Clinton or someone else, have people from the audience who are prepared to ask an articulate question that will help move the discussion? If not carried to extremes, I have no problem with this method of getting out the message. I don't know why she needs to explain this one unless

the Democrats lie about it

or say everyone does it

or she doesn't really answer the planted question even when she knows it ahead of time

or she flip flops, denying what she said last week or last year

or she opens with, "I'm glad you asked that," which sounds a bit tacky, given the circumstances of the question

or says "Many are wondering about that. . ."

or she screens out honest, hard ball questions about illegal immigration, tax increases, victory in Iraq, etc.

4321

Small waist, full hips

My husband stuck his head in my office tonight and said, "Did you hear the news? Women with small waists and large hips are smarter. Something about omega3 fatty acids." I thought he was kidding, but the story was on the evening news. Of course, I always sensed that women with my body shape were smart, but I thought maybe they just didn't have as many dates so they stayed in the dorm and studied more. I did both. Studied a lot and dated a lot.

"In the research, scientists at the Universities of Pittsburgh and California, Santa Barbara, used data from a study of 16,000 women and girls, which collected details of their body measurements and their scores in cognitive tests. They found that those women with a greater difference between the waist and hips scored significantly higher on the tests, as did their children."

"A number of scientific studies have shown that men are “hard-wired” to find women with a greater waist-hip differential the most attractive. No one has yet been able to explain this, although theories include enhanced fertility, better childbearing abilities and longer life expectancy."

Reported in Evolution and Human Behaviour

Myth Under Standings

Some of my favorites. I would've made this a Thursday Thirteen, but there were too many of them.

FDR got us out of the Depression with all his social programs for recovery and reform. He probably delayed recovery, but we still have the vestiges of these programs today.

America is a Christian nation. If by that you mean a Biblical worldview on which people base their decisions, it's a myth. And everyone has a worldview.

A college education is a good investment. Compared to what other investment? The return on a public school like Ohio State is 4.2%, and on a private school like Harvard, 1.9%. The stock market averages about 10% over the same amount of time. Take a look.

Global warming is created or stopped or controlled by people. Next time this idea tempts you with self importance, look up at the stars and think about how insignificant you are. Or, try to look at the sun without going blind. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?" Job 38

There are two Americas (according to a certain presidential candidate). Actually, there are 5 quintiles. Read about the most recent Treasury report on the upward mobility by 90% of the poor (bottom quintile) and the downward mobility by the extremely rich from 1996-2005--and its been the same almost as long as they've been studying it--at least since the 1960s.

There was a housing shortage after WWII. There was government created rent control which took housing off the market which created the appearance of a shortage. It did however create the need for Lustrons. About 20 were built in my home town, one by my grandparents. A sweet little house.

Rachel Carson was a wise oracle who saved the world from being harmed by DDT. Her well-intentioned, unscientific book actually resulted in the death and injury of millions of Africans.

Our health care system is a mess. There is no system, so how can it be a mess?

Teachers are underpaid. Their hourly wage ($34.06/hour) is far higher than many professions that require more education.

The Federal Reserve System is a system.

Women earn less than men . Not for the same work load, responsibilities, and education requirements. "Discrimination occurs when people are barred from professions for which they are qualified, or paid less for doing the same job. It is not discrimination to freely make a choice that has an undeniable economic consequence." CNN Money

It's the quality and not the quantity of time that matters in raising children. How low can you go? 5 minutes a day as long as it is quality time? 5 hours? Split the difference? Would you put up with that attitude from a task force member or your doctor?

Ratings on movies and music benefit the public. Which way is the entertainment industry moving--to more or less violence, sex and degradation of basic values and common sense? "Age-based ratings alone do not provide good information about the depiction of violence, sex, profanity, and other content, and the criteria for rating movies became less stringent over the last decade." Medscape General Medicine

There is a shortage of . . . name your field, but there isn't a shortage of librarians. If a shortage is reported in the media, stay away from that profession. It's a marketing move by the profession to fill seats in the colleges that churn them out.

There is an easy way to lose weight and keep it off. Eat less, move more. It's the only way.

Books with "secrets" in the title, actually contain something new and never before revealed. Open one (or 10) the next time you're in the bookstore.

The death penalty deters criminals intent on acting in evil ways. It's far more likely that their evil thoughts are influencing their behavior. Think about it. Has the awareness of the death penalty ever kept you from killing someone one, or is something much deeper and more spiritual causing you to behave rationally?

4320 Will illegal immigration be a wedge issue for the GOP?

Dental Flap thinks it will be and that Mort needs to get away from the Beltway for a few days. Great license photo, btw.

This prayer wouldn't have occurred to me

Barbara Nicolosi at Church of the Masses supports the Writers' Strike and is praying for reconciliation.

She comments that one estimate is the Church of Scientology owns 60% of Hollywood.

Monday Memories--the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Last week was the 18th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. In a rather odd sequence of events, we watched it on TV with my parents, who were visiting us in the off-season at Lakeside, Ohio (the only thing more off, gray, damp and chilly at Lakeside is February). They had driven out from Illinois to see what we had purchased in September 1988--a tiny, 750 sq ft home built in the 1940s, still known today as the "Thompson cottage." Dad walked around the almost deserted town looking at the 19th century summer cottages/houses with crumbling foundations, dead flowers, and windows sealed with plastic. I'm sure he thought we were crazy and wondered why he had made sacrifices to offer me a better life than he had. We had a tiny 9" screen TV (broadcast only, with rabbit ears) and the four of us sat on the uncomfortable furniture (45 year old couch, wooden nursery rocker, and a $10 chair I bought at a yard sale) and could hardly tear ourselves away. It was an incredible sight, full of so much hope. I also remember when it went up in 1961.

I'm pretty sure none of us watching that historic event at Lakeside were crediting President Reagan--Mom, my husband and I were all Democrats, and Dad was a Republican who didn't seem to like him much (local football rivalry from their youth). However, "On the anniversaries of the Berlin Wall’s collapse, we should do Reagan the honor of recognizing his prescient leadership that helped to produce that marvelous event." Dinesh D'Souza

If taxpayers question subsidizing casino tribes' gaming interests

they are called racists and hate groups. Indian casino gaming is expanding across the nation, including new sites in urban areas driven by "landless or rural area tribes shopping for land in or near cities that can be put into trust and used to site huge new casinos." Stop urban casinos

"Bottom Line: The American taxpayer and the growing number of disenrolled tribal members have become collateral damage to our government in a disastrous experiment that began with a train called the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) and given “run away status” when the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) was passed in 1988. Promoting inequality and separatism through granting gambling monopolies and allowing tens of thousands of acres to be placed into federal trust status to expand “sovereign” tribal territories within our borders because of past persecution is misguided at best and at worst will undue the constitutional protections secured to all people, tribal and non-tribal." Story here at Capitol Weekly

Gambling as easy money for the state is always a false promise whether it's in Mississippi on floating cruise ships or California eating up thousands of acres that could be producing something worthwhile and honest. Throw in a lot of guilt and greed, and you've got a volatile mix.

Veterans' Day

Today is the 89th anniversary of the end of World War I--the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. I've told this before, but on that first armistice day the signal in the rural areas of Illinois was the bells ringing. My parents were both little children living on farms in adjacent counties (Lee and Ogle) in Illinois. Both had exactly the same memory--as each farmer heard the bell, he'd start ringing his bell, then the next farm would pick it up, and thus the whole countryside learned the war was officially over. Now it is a memorial for veterans of all wars (Memorial Day in May is for those who died in or as a result of battle).


Google, which often dresses up for other occasions, finally acknowledged it--the helmets are definitely WWI vintage.


When I was in Illinois over the 4th, we found our father's name at the new veterans' memorial in Forreston. We talked about all the surnames we recognized, even from the Civil War era (we're really not that old, but knew the family names).

The U.S. Army in WWI, 1917-1918
Army Art of WWI

My other blogs about this day
Veterans' Day 2006
Uncle Clare
Happy Birthday Marines
Armistice Day, 1918
List of US military conflicts

4315

Watching Norman's Ark on Sunday morning Hallmark movie

What a travesty. Noah (1998) with Tony Danza. Fortunately there is a commentator on board at Hallmark, Kenda Creasy Dean.

For this morning's movie, I had to do more than suspend disbelief; I had to shackle it. The special effects look like my daughter's 7th grade science project: Heaven is a sexist phone company; the lion lies down with the lamb in cages that would send the SPCA into spasms; and nobody follows the Biblical script, starting with God.

That makes the story of Noah a perfect example of our tendency to tell the story of God in a way that will make us human beings look better. Norman may be a dishonest contractor; but God is the bad guy in this story, bent on an irrational flood to destroy petty people. That makes Norman the savior, not God; in fact, you could easily conclude that Norman saved his community from God-which is fine, if the movie had been named "Norman" instead of "Noah."

For Jews and Christians, the story of Noah isn't about God's meanness; it's about God's promise. In Genesis, after the flood, God sets a rainbow in the sky and tells Noah: "This will be a sign of my covenant between me and all creation. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." My recommendation on NOAH? Read the book instead.

Yes, read the good book!

It is not the correct thing

are little items that comes from my grandmother's book, The Correct Thing in Good Society, by Florence Howe Hall, c1902 (daughter of Julia Ward Howe). These guide and manner books were very popular in the 19th and 20th century, with about 5 or 6 new ones published each year. Writing and etiquette guides are still popular today, particularly as people struggle with new technology. Some of this advice holds up in cyberspace, the mall, the airplane or the office. The page on the left had the correct thing, the one on the right, the incorrect. It is not the correct thing

to be quick to take offence where one is not recognized, since elderly, near-sighted or absent minded people often fail to observe those whom they meet

to carry bandboxes, bird-cages, newspaper bundles, growing plants, or more than one basket or numerous package of any sort when travelling

for young ladies to enter into conversation with or accept favors from strangers, especially if these by young men

to tread on other people's feet or deposit baskets or bundles on them

to be untidy and careless, as if one were a royal personage on whom domestics would never tire of waiting

to look down upon your parents, because they know less Latin and Greek than you or are ignorant of modern science, forgetting that they stand high in a school on the threshold of which you have set your foot--the school of life

for the women, when newly admitted to a male institution, to ask for unnecessary innovations or to interfere with time-honored customs

for employees to talk to each other while customers are awaiting their attention

to let the door of a shop slam in the face of another person

to buy very cheap goods presumably made up in sweat shops, thus endangering one's own health or even life, as well as helping to perpetuate a cruel system of human slavery

4313

Flat Panel TVs

The other day we saw our neighbors' children haul away their TV armoire. They have a new flat panel TV which fits in their den (I use our den for my office and a 12 year old TV is in the living room in a nice cabinet and a 21 year old TV is in the family room).

The WSJ suggests as many as 40,000 armoires may be looking for new homes by the end of the year as they are moved out of hotels. Craig's List is loaded with them. Some liquidators have dropped the price to $50!

We have a cable box for that TV, so I think we can keep our living room set, although it's not HD. We watched a few minutes of a football game on an HDTV flat panel the other day, and I must say the picture was spectacular. But it still invades the room, so I don't mind keeping it behind closed doors. Maybe we could have someone remodel the back so it would be the same depth as the side units. I use the side units for displaying glass and pottery items and the drawers for table linens. I really need this unit!

Check out ACLJ to know your rights

The American Center for Law and Justice works to protect your religious and constitutional freedoms. They have an excellent website, and regular radio shows that will take calls and e-mailed questions. Right now I'm listening to the November 9 broadcast which explains the recent Supreme Court decision on partial birth abortion. One caller wanted to know his rights for distributing religious literature at a court house. Another caller wanted to know why the ACLU wouldn't take her case if they care about civil liberties. The discussion moved to ACLU defending convicted felon/pedophiles using parks where children play. Another call from Ohio was about vanity plates with religious words which was denied by the BMV.

Locally, this is broadcast on 880 am (WRFD) at 1:30 p.m. You can check their listing for your area, or go to the website and download the current program or something from the archives. This is news and information you probably won't uncover in the mainstream media, or if you do, it will be so slanted it won't be of much use to you.

4311

Geographical Terms

The University of Illinois, whose football team* will be in town today along with fans, has an on-line writing guide. I see I've been doing a few things wrong, at least according to today's standards. Somewhere I might have learned not to abbreviate the word "Ohio," but I certainly didn't remember that rule, probably because I lived in Illinois when I was learning the rules.

When they stand alone, spell out the names of states and U.S. territories and possessions.

Spell out the names of states, territories, or possessions when they follow the name of a city or other capitalized geographical term. Example: Chicago, Illinois. When it is necessary to save space, the abbreviations listed below can be used. Do not abbreviate Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, or Utah:

Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif, Colo., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kan., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Neb., Mev., N.C., N.D., N.H., N.J., N.M., N.Y., Okla., Ore., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.D., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., Wash., W. Va., Wis., and Wyo.

Only use post office abbreviations in complete addresses that contain a ZIP code. See the current ZIP Code Directory for official Postal Service abbreviations. Example: Champaign IL 61820.

Spell out the names of countries. The abbreviation U.S. is acceptable when used as an adjective. Examples: foreign policy of the United States or U.S. foreign policy.

*Illinois (7-3, 4-2) at #1 Ohio State (10-0, 6-0)

4310

Women of the Me Generation--focus on self instead of others

I suppose it's the logical result of the constant drumbeat of the importance of self-esteem we've been hearing for 35 years.

The not-for-profit National Women's Health Resource Center's (NWHRC) new third annual Women Talk survey has uncovered a newfound sense of self-empowerment in regard to women's health and their priorities. An overwhelming ninety-four percent of women state that "Making time for myself is one of the best ways I can help to take care of me and my family" and seventy-five percent of women went a step further to say that "Taking care of myself is my top priority."

Read about it at It's a Survey

Even though most of the women taking the survey rated their physical and mental health to be good to excellent and rated their physical health very high and older women actually rated their mental health higher at a 9.1 verses 7.9 for women aged 18-39, the article still includes mind-shattering breakthroughs like having a cup of aromatic tea instead of a latte.

What would we do without surveys?

4309

Sunday Trolls

Sometimes when you are attacked by left wing trolls, it just bumps up the stats. They didn't like flaws I pointed out in the Clinton team.

Friday Family Photo--Summer of '63

If I knew where this photo was, I'd rescan it because I think I could do a better job. However, I think it is the summer of 1963 and we were probably in Indianapolis because my husband's sister (far right) was visiting from California. Last Friday I showed the Goff family, and the young teen on the far right, is the older woman in her late 70s on the left in his photo, my husband's grandmother, his beloved Neno. I'm not sure why we are "dressed up," but perhaps we weren't--it's possible we just dressed better in those days. Even if it was a Sunday afternoon, I don't recall ever attending church there except when we were dating. You can't see our feet, but we all had on high heels--mine were white.

The smiles look a bit forced. I don't think it was the sun. I'm second from the right and in the middle of what was the worst two years of my life (although I didn't know it that summer, thinking things couldn't get worse) and my sister-in-law wasn't in a good place either, as things would turn out which I didn't know then. Neno had been a widow for 7 years and still grieved her loss, and Aunt Marg, a nurse (2nd from the left), was slipping into poor health and would soon retire and move to California to live with her widowed sister as an invalid.

4308

Lions for Lambs

The reviews have been underwhelming.

Windbags of War--Columbus Dispatch
"Lions for Lambs plays like an off-off-Broadway workshop production assembled by a committed liberal troupe with more interest in expressing its agenda than in involving its audience in human drama."

Lions for Lambs will have you counting sheep--Joe Morgenstern, WSJ

Film Flim Flam--me

Dumpster Diving for Doves--me

And I haven't even seen it. Redford, Cruise and Streep--caricature, hot shot and media babe. How original. It's a no brainer for politics-on-the-left 101. That Redford says he made it "to get people to think," is almost laughable. People who support the mission don't think? Think his way, he means, and if you don't, you're a tool for big oil and that wealthy guy [whoever that is].

"I don’t know [how audience will react] but I think I know what will be pretty predictable–pathetically predictable–and that would be the people in charge of the Swift Boat stories or Sinclair Oil or that institute that wealthy guy has in Pittsburgh. You know where they are going to go and it will be predictable because they will have decided already–in fact, that has already happened on their blogs." Bitchslap

I wonder why reactions are so predictable? Couldn't be that it's a predictable, boring film. Isn't it predictable also that the left has appropriated "swift boat" as their own verb, when all the guys who served with Kerry called him a liar.

4307

Unintended consequences of over protecting children

Yesterday there was an article in the WSJ about "the bubble wrap generation." Using that article, plus my memory of being in public school in the 40s and 50s and having children in the public schools in the 70s and 80s, I came up with a list of what may not be allowed anymore (can vary by district).

dodge ball
tag
chatter on the baseball diamond
chasing on the playground
running in the halls
swings
teeter totters
hugs between classmates, same sex or opposite sex
sand boxes
cops and robbers
cowboys and Indians
touch football
junior ROTC
prayer
moment of silence
Bible reading
Pledge of Allegiance
Christmas programs
Halloween parties
single sex sports
chastity
creation
walking to and from school
unshaded playgrounds
any words that could be perceived as harming another’s self-esteem
pranks of any kind
sharing an aspirin or Excedrin with a classmate (zero tolerance)

Teens are bringing alcohol and drugs to school in candy dispensers and water bottles, but being expelled for sharing an aspirin. I asked a teacher why the zero tolerance rule, and she said school administrators refuse to make judgement calls--they won't accept the responsibility since parents blame them for everything, big or small. What does that teach the kids about personal responsibility and making choices, I asked. She just shrugged.

And yet, on the far side of overprotectiveness--all the way to harmful to the environment--are the blue dyed, shredded and mulched automobile tires spread on the children's playground where we voted on Tuesday. When it rains, the 1/2 inch dyed chips wash out under the fence into the parking lot, get on our shoes, tracked into our car, and I'm guessing animals might eat them, or even small children. All to protect kids from a few bumps and bruises. Green greed turned blue.

Thursday Thirteen--13 warnings

1) For the last four days a "low on ink" reminder from HP pops up on the screen in the morning. Actually, I think it's zip, nada, zero ink in the black cartridge. The questions for Monday night bookclub were printed in royal blue.

2) And the microwave beeps to tell me my coffee has finished reheating. If I don't press the off button, it will beep from here to eternity, waiting for me to do something.

3) The other morning about 5 a.m. the microwave started randomly beeping about every 5 minutes--no reason, I hadn't even used it, so perhaps it had started doing it during the night. "Hello--anyone home? Can I help?"

4) The dryer calls from the laundry room when the clothes are not quite dry--just about. I suppose that's for women who plan ahead and already have hangers ready to whisk a few things out at the last minute to hang out the wrinkles. I hear it, but usually don't stop what I'm doing.

5) There's a light on my van dash that warns me when I'm low on gas. My husband responds immediately because he only drives it occasionally, but I know that it is just teasing and it will be a few more miles until we're on fumes.

6) A mild twinge in my lower back warns me that I've been stepping over the baby gate instead of releasing it. It belongs with all the paraphernalia for puppy-sitting. When the children were toddlers, I had a similar gate and tore up my back for several months executing this same maneuver.

7) There's a little 4.5 lb. Chihuahua here in my office, just visiting for the week, but our cat in the hall is issuing warnings. "Hissssss, Hisssss, Arrrrh. Don't you even think of sitting on her lap, that's my lap, you worthless bag of doggie bones." The pup wags her tail and ignores the warnings.

8) Every morning since returning from Ireland in September my bathroom scales has been warning me that I need to get back to a healthier routine like I did last year at this time. Otherwise, all the new clothes are not going to fit by Thanksgiving.

9) I drove my husband's Explorer to the coffee shop today. It doesn't like me. On the dash a red warning light was flashing, "theft, "theft."

10) I have double ovens, but I've never been able to figure out how to set the digital timer, so I have no warning when something is done--like last night's roast, which could be called, "tender crisp." I just have to pay attention to the clock.

11) But the oven also will start beeping on its own--sometimes for a long time--warning about what, I don't know. Usually about 3 a.m. I push a lot of buttons--so many I have no idea why when it finally stops.

12) My PC is making crunching, grinding, moaning noises, and taking longer to boot up. This is a warning I need to heed. Time for service, or time for a new computer. And if you have lots of ads on your TT, or music, or winky-blinky things, it just sighs and won't load.

13) Our investment adviser has never said anything political in the 7 years we've known him, but as we discussed the required draw down of our investments yesterday, he warned us the Democrats will raise taxes (because that's just what they do). When the economy is getting soft (the spreading mortgage meltdown, the cost of oil, etc.), he said, that's the absolute worst thing for recovery. Retired people don't have the time span for recovery when we also have a required withdrawal from our accounts. There's more revenue for the government with lower taxes, so why would they do this? Because they can. A warning, indeed.

Check out Karen's site for TT banners.

I have visited Sandee; Denise; Vicki; Mark; Home with the kids;

Thursday Thirteen

4305

The Writers' Strike

Warnings of the Writers' Strike have been coming for weeks. But I'm ahead of the game (unless the writers contribute to the evening news, radio talk shows, and Book-TV). Except for re-runs, I stopped watching most of our cultural wasteland years ago. Dancing with the Stars was a top rated show on Monday and Tuesday of this week, and I did watch the first season, which was a summer replacement, and the second season. Not sure they use writers. I wouldn't watch Desperate Housewives even if I were desperate, but obviously many people do. John Corby (local radio) suggests they go back to the first season of shows like 24 so that people who joined the series late can get caught up.

I'm sure all the writers make more than nurses, librarians or teachers who contribute much more to society. And they probably don't even have to attend workshops on multi-culturalism or recruiting minorities for writing jokes for white performers. Which makes me wonder, how many in this union are actually minorities? Women? Over 55? Normal? Anyone know?

And what will happen to all the little guys, who probably make much less and may not be unionized, like the caterers, chauffers, parking lot attendants, make-up artists, hair designers, clothing alternations, set designers, or the stores and restaurants where these strikers shop and eat, etc. You gotta hope these folks didn't have adjustable rate mortgages.

4304

The Robber Barons

Good observation, but I think they were called that even 50 years ago when I was in school--

After seeing a piece of my son's history curriculum at school, I realized for about the hundredth time just how poor an understanding most people have about the great industrialists of the 19th century, so unfairly painted as "robber barons." While it is said that "history is written by the victors," I would observe that despite the fact that socialism and communism have been given a pretty good drubbing over the last 20 years, these statists still seem to be writing history. How else to explain the fact that men who made fortunes through free, voluntary exchange of products can be called "robber barons;" while politicians who expropriate billions by force without permission from the most productive in society are called "progressive." Coyote Blog

4303

Two words sum up crazy politics

Pat Robertson. Not to say anything negative about Rudy, I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he's beyond RINO--he's a conservative Democrat. He is not pro-life, pro-marriage (except for himself--3 times married), pro-secure borders, or anything else conservatives admire in a candidate--except he's strong on security (just not at the border) and did a wonderful job in his city after 9/11. The only explanation I can come up with is that Robertson is more afraid of an honest, conservative Mormon than he is a controlling, conniving, liberal Methodist. Not that he's said much worth listening to in the last 10 or 15 years, but this was a huge surprise, and if he has a "base," I'm guessing they feel dusted and kicked.

Campaign for Children and Families
Wildmon endorses Huckabee

4302

Liberals and Uppity Blacks

Liberals turn up their noses at Clarence Thomas' autobiography, "My Grandfather's Son." Thomas says it was all about abortion, and I wish it were so, although I'm pro-life. It is racisim, pure and simple. Look out Obama--don't you dare go after Hillary. Daniel Henninger in today's WSJ writes about Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" which has sold 30,000,000 copies. She has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award.

"By now, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is wholly folded into the political life of the country. It is safe to say that most Democrats would consider the book to be an iconic testament to their legacy, liberalism's greatest achievement. One imagines that Harper Lee would agree with this. . ."

"But as with Justice Thomas's famously sphinx-like demeanor during oral arguments at the Supreme Court, there has been nary a peep in more than 40 years about the book's meaning from Miss Lee (it would sound absurd to refer to her as Ms. Lee). While schoolchildren today are assigned the book as an exercise in the formation of social virtue, Harper Lee herself saw the novel as about more than that. Indeed, one reads nearly 90 pages into the novel's account of Scout and Jem Finch in Maycomb before the racial drama arrives.

"We may assume that Harper Lee composed her remarkable story about the unjustly accused and gunned-down Tom Robinson so that some day a Clarence Thomas could rise from Pinpoint to the nation's highest Court. If so, we then have to account for this famous and still-astounding statement by Judge Thomas toward the end of his corrosive confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court:


"From my standpoint, as a black American, it is a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas, and it is a message that unless you kowtow to an old order, this is what will happen to you. You will be lynched, destroyed, caricatured by a committee of the U.S. Senate rather than hung from a tree."

4301

She must be my age

My husband and I almost always go out to eat on Friday night. If he wore a baseball cap and athletic shoes, even to a sports bar like Rusty Bucket, I'd take it personally. It doesn't flatter me or our relationship. For a picnic with friends, or a walk along the lakefront it would be fine (although I just can't wait for the day when the baseball cap for adults will be history for anyone off the diamond). Now a reader of WSJ has expressed my thoughts on today's casual dress and behavior and what it says about the people you're with or the event you're attending. It's all about expect and respect.

"Envision a 50th anniversary party where the husband plays video games with his buddies and the kids lounge in front of the TV, because that's what they want to do.

I want to get dressed up and be taken to my favorite restaurant, and that's what I get. But I started this pattern 60 years ago." Judith Martin, WSJ 11-07-07

Huckabee on Health

When Mike Huckabee was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he took charge of his health, began to eat a more healthy diet, and started an exercise program. Whether it's his personal health, or the nation's health, he says there is no quick fix. He was a big loser in weight loss; let's make him a big winner for the White House.

The health care system in this country is irrevocably broken, in part because it is only a "health care" system, not a "health" system.

We don't need universal health care mandated by federal edict.

We do need to get serious about preventive health care.

I advocate policies that will encourage the private sector to seek innovative ways to bring down costs.

I value the states' role as laboratories for new market-based approaches.

When I'm President, Americans will have more control of their health care options, not less.

As President, I will work with the private sector, Congress, health care providers, and other concerned parties to lead a complete overhaul of our health care system.

Our health care system is making our businesses non-competitive in the global economy. It is time to recognize that jobs don't need health care, people do, and move from employer-based to consumer-based health care.

Details at his web site

Mike Huckabee

Mike is now third in the polls

From the POTUS Blog (over 2 years ago): "Four out of the last five presidents elected were governors. (President George H.W. Bush was VP). Of the four last presidents, three where southern governors. He has a truly successful record of accomplishments in Arkansas. He has demonstrated his ability as a communicator. Gov. Huckabee also has the proper perspective on leadership."

Photo from POTUS Blog
Huckabee is now ahead of McCain and Romney in the Rasmussen poll. Among Republicans, Rudy is first, then Thompson. He was 5th until October 25, then he moved to 4th, now to 3rd.

Mike Huckabee

4298

Planned Parenthood's Plans for Denver

Deception or just clever tactics for meeting a goal? Probably makes no difference, because we know the outcome. Story here about creating a corporation to purchase the property, then lying about ownership on the construction permits by the company that is a donor to PP. Go to a PP website that is advertising for positions--I'm assuming their new employs have to be clear on their own values and support the goals and mission of PP. I wonder if the construction workers and subcontractors had a right to know that they were building a clinic to take the lives of the unborn?

Here's an organization I've been supporting about 20 years, Nurturing Network--a plan that benefits both mother and child.

4297

I voted today

but not for this, "#1 Referendum on Substitute Senate Bill #16." I read through it (very long) several times and couldn't figure out the wording, so I skipped over it, and went to the next issue. When I got home I looked it up on the League of Women Voters website, thinking that if I had no distractions and figured out which verb went with what, I would understand it. Nope. So I read the League's summary and explanation and what would happen with a Yes, and with a No. Still don't understand (not the issue, but the wording). This isn't the first time I remember an issue being written to confuse voters--especially referenda--so the vote count is low, and then the supporters can slip it through. Still, it would be nice to know what I didn't vote for.

Update: The exterminator-guy at the coffee shop explained it to me this morning (Nov. 7). Because it dealt with touching and strippers, apparently it had been discussed at his church (Heaven forbid Lutherans would do that!). The Senate Bill would have put a few strippers out of work since fewer would have been needed if bars closed earlier (there had been some murders or assaults at various places around town where stripping was involved). However, because so many of the signatures were bogus on the petition to get it on the ballot, it was invalid, but by then the machines were set to go. No votes were even counted, and it would have cost the state about $330,000 to advertise that, so it was just left on the ballot. So Senate Bill #16 has passed (the referendum was to remove it).

What's on your pantry shelves?

Lots of NOINFOCO--no information on country of origin. Have you noticed how many canned and prepared food items say only "distributed by" instead of "product of USA" or product of any country? If I choose to buy banana chips, as I did this week, I know the package says "product of the Philippines," and I can decide if I trust our long relationship with that country, and are the standards for pesticides, herbicides and cleanliness the same. Many of the items I put in the basket say, "product of Canada." I'm OK with that. What's more American than pumpkin pie in November? But do you know from the Libby's label? "100% pure pumpkin produced and distributed by Nestle USA." That really doesn't tell me where the pumpkin was grown, stored, cooked, canned or shipped does it? NOINFOCO.

This week I had one clear winner for clarity in the grocery cart. The bag of Eagle Eye Idaho Potatoes said "grown in Idaho" 3 times, as well as "produce of USA," and "packaged in Idaho." Can't be anymore forthright about their product than that.

Compare that to these Meijer brands I bought: Select Black Beans, Chunky Applesauce, Lite Pear Halves, and Cream of Mushroom Soup. All are "Distributed by Meijer of Grand Rapids, MI" with no information on where they were grown, produced or packaged. I'm told on the label percentage of calcium and Vit. C, the mg of sodium and cholesterol, the grams of fiber and protein, the serving size, how many servings in the container and the calories, how many calories are from fat, what ingredients are inside the can or package, how to cook it or serve it, how to store it after it's opened, and a "use by" date. And depending on the company, I could practice my Spanish, or have a label so cluttered, I can't even find the English words. Even the Meijer Organics Golden Sweet Corn with a seal that reads "USA organic" just may be saying there's a standard in the USA for certifying something is organic. It doesn't really say it was produced here.

Now that we're seeing corn being grown everywhere so we can burn it in our gas tanks, I think it's time to make sure you know where the food is coming from that used to be grown in Ohio or Indiana or Iowa. This is a safety issue just like the lead paint in toys or the salmonella in lettuce greens. Anything can happen even with locally grown produce, but the USA does have standards and regulations governing production and distribution. We learned from the China toys and pet food fiascos that neither the corporations nor the US government were checking to make sure those products were produced the way they were supposed to be. (China has no tradition of contract law and feels no obligation to do what they say they will do.)

So why can't we consumers be a bit more proactive, why doesn't the FDA and the USDA require "country of origin" or "product of. . ." which would be more helpful than having everyone switch from transfat to palm oil? Ask your congressional representative to . . . represent YOU. This is not a liberal or conservative issue. It's about being an informed consumer. Let's not have another food scare which will create another layer of bureaucracy after finger pointing and hearings with movie stars giving us advice. Act now.

We need Mike in the White House!

"Governor Huckabee cut taxes 94 times in Arkansas; championed the first broad-based tax cut in Arkansas history; led the charge to implement pro-family policies by protecting the sanctity of life and traditional marriage in Arkansas; cut welfare rolls by nearly half, and believes in a strong national defense, beginning with sealing America's borders. Furthermore, he does not support "sanctuary cities." Chip Saltsman, National Campaign Manager.

The Presidential election is a year off, but today is the first Tuesday of November. Across the nation people are going to the polls. Get some practice; exercise your vote. Don't neglect your rights and duty as a citizen and sit around and whine about what's going on locally, state-wide, or nationally. And don't let illegal aliens get drivers' licenses so they can become motor-voters while you sit at home.



Mike Huckabee

4294

Driver has no money

As I was returning from the super market this morning I passed a bread truck with "Driver has no money" painted on the side. I know just how he feels.

Checking out the religion blogs

I saw this at WDTPRS, a Catholic blog. The California Catholic Daily reports on a refresher course on the Latin Mass and Sacraments.

"The Tridentine Mass for Joe Sixpack” is the name for the first class, to be held Nov. 7. The titles for the classes to be held over subsequent weeks are “Getting Married the Way Grandpa Did It” (Nov. 14), “The Requiem Mass” (Nov. 21), and “How to Baptize Babies the Old Way” (Nov. 28)

They're expecting 200+.

Story at The Evangelical outpost Why is the Club for Growth trying to derail Huckabee?

"If the Club for Growth had been around in 1980, Reagan might not have become President. The influential fiscal conservative group would surely have done everything in their power to prevent the Gipper from gaining the nomination. They would have attempted to derail Reagan's campaign just as they are now doing to Gov. Huckabee."

He concludes, after 5 pages of analysis: "I've always considered The Club for Growth to be a respectable conservative organization. But their attempts to deceive their fellow conservatives by misrepresenting Huckabee's record have proven they are unworthy of such trust. Pat Toomey and his organization owe Governor Huckabee--and the rest of us--an apology for their attempted deception."

Rebecca is using November to post something at her blog she's thankful for every day. Then if you contribute what you are thankful for in the comments, she'll add you to her next "thankful for" entry. She lives in the Yukon and writes wonderful posts on theology and hymns. Even if you don't comment, her blog will bless you.

4292

Punishing the married, college graduate for her success

After reading 1776 [David McCullough, 2005], I've been thinking a lot about taxes--how they are used for many things other than raising revenue for the common good--like the so-called sin taxes and luxury taxes and success taxes. Charlie Rangel's latest proposal is just one example, but the Brits were doing it to the colonists back in the 1760s too. The economic system in those days was called "mercantile." After repealing the Stamp Acts because the Americans raised such a fuss, they came up with some minor taxes, for the sole purpose of showing them who was the boss, so they wouldn't get too cocky. Edmund Burke in the House of Commons, with a passionate, long-winded 18th century speech, essentially said, "Are we crazy? Why are we killing our golden goose (obviously a very loose paraphrase)?"

So a letter that appeared in the Nov. 3 WSJ written by Steve Walde is instructive. Why, he asks, is our government punishing people who went to college and married each other? Well, Steve, that's the "close-the-gap" mentality of most Democrats, but a lot of RINO's think along those lines, too. First tax parents/workers and force them to send their kids to government schools, then add in some regulations that will assure that female students soon outnumber the male students, and if they meet a future spouse and marry, since that's what young people with common interests do, tax the graduates even more. It's only fair, the liberals reason, because they are more successful than the people who didn't go to school, didn't get married (but had babies) and pay very low taxes.

What's happened is that women entered the workforce and in the past few decades educated women have had their incomes match or even exceed that of men. Educated and upper income people have a tendency to marry one another. And because lower-income people are less likely to be married than upper-income individuals, the statistics are skewed even more. To have an honest discussion on this subject you first have to start out with honest statistics.

I know it's a waste of pixels to ask why either party does anything, but sometimes you've just got to smack them when they are trying (and succeeding) to steal your wallet.

Are these quotes by Hillary real?

This e-mail is going around. Giving dates isn't exactly references. She sort of said them, but the lines are usually out of context. Like the first one--she said to rich Democrats at a fund raiser. Check all the quotes at Urban Legends.

Always check out the forwarded e-mails you get--most aren't worth passing along, whether on health, immigration, religion or politics. At least google it to find out the origin. The real Hillary is probably much scarier.

Guess Who Said:
1) "We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.”

A. Karl Marx
B. Adolph Hitler
C. Joseph Stalin
D. None of the above

2) “It’s time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few, and for the few…and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity.”

A. Lenin
B. Mussolini
C. Idi Amin
D. None of the
Above

3) “(We)…can’t just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people.”

A. Nikita Khrushev
B. Josef Goebbels
C. Boris Yeltsin
D. None of the above

4) “We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own…in order to create this common ground.”

A. Mao Tse Dung
B. Hugo Chavez
C. Kim Jong Il
D. None of the above

5) “I certainly think the free-market has failed.”

A. Karl Marx
B. Lenin
C. Molotov
D. None of the above

6) “I think it’s time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in (the) entire economy that they are being watched.”

A. Pinochet
B. Milosevic
C. Saddam Hussein
D. None of the above

Answers:

(1) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/29/2004
(2) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 5/29/2007
(3) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(4) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(5) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(6) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 9/2/2005

4290

Callow, crude, childish crumb crunchers

I'm leaving the rude, childish comments on my Hilliam entry, although I could delete the insulting and derogatory, so you can see the level of conversation from the left wing blogfesters.

Here's one bellyaching, whiny response, written by "anonymous," of course, who can't handle the content, so goes to personal attacks on my typo: "Not that grammatically rewriting your post would mitigate the idiocy of its content, but the past tense of "lead" is "led." Most third graders have mastered this one." I would match my third grade teacher, education and experience against anon's any day. Miss DeWall even had time to teach us good manners (missing from the life experience of anon), respect, kindness, orderliness, thrift, consideration for others, basic principles of good health, care for the environment and our community, in addition to all the basics like reading, writing, math, geography, and civics. All without a federal requirement in sight. Thanks for the memories, anon.

Whiny, sniveling, unhinged bloggers here.

Friday Family Photo--The Goff Family

This week we've been bustling about trying to create more storage space. I know none of you ever have this problem. My husband had already talked to one of his favorite contractors about building a slotted storage file to fit in the down stairs shower for our art work. Usually I'm aware of pending projects, but this one I didn't know about until Mark knocked on the door on Tuesday. I was horrified--where would I store our off season coats, I asked. Plus, we've actually used that shower once in 5 years for guests. I launched into planning mode, rushing around looking at all the nooks and crannies. I was completely successful and the shower has been saved. I have one large empty shelf; I've taken two sacks of books to the library sale I would probably never read; some suitcases are under the bed; and I found the photograph of my husband's great grandparents, Sarah and Herbert Goff.

Back: Charles, Herman, Walter; front: Edna, Sarah, Herbert, Eula, Irma
I checked my FamilyTreeMaker database and I did have all but one of these people, but other than their last known address, Crown Hill Cemetery, 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis where they are all awaiting the resurrection, I knew very little, and my husband couldn't remember much. I asked him why his grandmother and one of her sisters had the same married name, but he didn't know. I asked him if he could remember meeting any of them, but he wasn't sure. So, I'll need to call my sister-in-law who is a little older and probably hung around when the relatives were visiting, or maybe might have gone to funerals. From the sleeves, I'd date this about late 1890s. The photo is in very poor condition and appears to have been enlarged from a smaller one maybe 10 years later from notes on the back.

Just by chance, I googled "Herbert Goff + Vernon Indiana" and found this article at a website for the Ironton, Ohio Register, and I'm pretty sure I've found him, plus the name of his father.

Ironton Register, clippings from Oct. 25, 1888: "In a private note from our old friend, S. W. Goff, who is with his son Herbert, at Vernon, Indiana, he says "my first vote was in 1836, when I voted for Harrison. I, also, voted for him in 1840, and will vote for the grandson in 1888."

Isn't the internet amazing?

"Crown Hill is the third largest cemetery in the United States at 555 acres (2.2 km²). It contains 25 miles (40 km) of paved road, over 150 species of trees and plants, over 185,000 graves, and services roughly 1,500 burials per year. It sits on the highest geographic point in Indianapolis. (Wikipedia)." "Crown Hill Cemetery was constructed in response to a movement for a new cemetery in the 1860s. Unlike the tidy rows of pioneer cemeteries, Crown Hill was large in scale and picturesque in appearance. Its massive stone gates and Romanesque Revival waiting station gave the cemetery an imposing quality. The individual stones and mausoleums provide a remarkable collection of sculptural work.[National Park Service]" If you think you may have family there, the data base is terrific. I've only been there once that I can remember, in 1996 for Aunt Babe's funeral, but it is lovely.

I know just how he feels

This blogger was writing about comments that go off-topic here,

"That actually validates my thesis. When you read my blog, you read what you want to read, or what you think I ought to have written, rather than what I actually said"

but what blogger hasn't experienced the same results regardless of the topic (his is "sacramental magisterial authority" and I have no idea what that is).

Scrolling down to his bio, I read

I've been blogging for a long time. Since any other detail I could put in my profile would either offend somebody or be used as a launch-pad for personal insults, that's all you get to know.

I should have thought of that. Too late now.

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Should women look to the government to be a sugar daddy?

This has to be the dumbest survey I've ever read about gimmee women.

"In an electorate that is hungry for change, this cohort [unmarried women] is the hungriest, with 78 percent saying the country is on the wrong track. Unmarried women’s ire is focused firmly on the Republicans, and this is reflected in new poll findings that show Democrats poised to blow Republicans out among this group in 2008. In a generic presidential match-up, unmarried women favor the Democrat by a 70 - 24 point margin." Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner report in my mailbox today

With Democrats in charge of every major city in the U.S., sinking under the weight of their own failed social programs, why would any woman with half a brain look to Democrats as a sugar daddy? Women can solve the poverty problem in this country all by themselves by finishing high school, marrying the father of their children, and not starting a family until they are adults. Unless you want the government making those "intimate" choices for you, ladies, I don't think I'd ask the government for any more help than they are already giving you with Title IX, affirmative action, extra time for tests and tenure, welfare, special housing allowances, women's studies programs, sexual harrassment laws and speech codes. Someone might conclude you're the weaker sex.

About that poll and those scary numbers? Librarians vote 223:1 Democrat to Republican, and no one's afraid of them.

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Hilliam Clinton

Today's WSJ has an excellent editorial on the candidacy of Mrs. Clinton--the name, the dodge, but no pizzaz.

"The political strategy is clear enough. Mrs. Clinton wants to roll to her party's nomination on a tide of "inevitability" while disguising her real agenda as much as possible. But Democratic voters ought to consider whether they want to put all their hopes for retaking the White House on Mrs. Clinton's ability to obfuscate like her husband without his preternatural talent for it. Aside from lacking her husband's political gifts, Hillary's challenge is that we've all seen this movie before. And performances like Tuesday's might be enough to convince voters to opt for a candidate who is his own man."

We know the Clinton years' incompetencies lead up to the Iraq War; let's try something--someone--fresh. Like Mike Huckabee or Mitt Romney or Tom Tancredo.

Late October Walks

In Ohio we had a very late spring, and a rainy August, and that has made for an interesting mix of colors this fall. No frost and not many storms have kept the leaves on the trees, although not as vivid as some years, with some still being completely green today. The maples are coming through for us, however. Our hydrangea bush didn't bloom all summer, then budded in September, and gave us 3 small blooms in October. The flowering crab apples, which usually drop their leaves in August and messy fruit in September are green and fruit-free. I've had some beautiful walks.

Maple on Lane Road

Late for the party?

Not so crabby and still green on Nov. 1

Along the creek
Now aren't you sorry you don't live in the Midwest?