The government's thrifty plan for food

Food stamps are issued based on the USDA's calculation of what a family of four with an annual income of $26,856 would need to eat nutritiously. AP writers, like the one who misled you all in the Tribune's May 16 article (Columbus Dispatch May 17) on Chicagoans using food stamps, say this can't be done with today's rising prices. Hogwash.

First of all, any family of 4 can eat on that plan even without food stamps, and the stamps will get them $542 worth of food a month. Buried at the bottom of the article (which is where truth is always found in an AP story, if it's there at all) is the crux of the matter: "carts filled with soda pop, bags of cookies, potato chips" because its cheaper for low income people to feed their families bad food than good food. Lie upon lie! Get this journalist to a library, or at least show him how to Google a dot gov site. Then have him walk the aisles of any supermarket with $500 in his hand and have him purchase ONLY real food--flour, sugar, shortening, apples, potatoes, tomatoes, rice, beans, oatmeal, peanut butter, milk, eggs, etc.; he'll be be stunned at how much food he can buy.

In the early 1980s I was writing about food budgets, coupons, sweepstakes, and other ways to play with your food, just as I do today in my blog, but using an electric typewriter, a bottle of white-out, research in the OSU Agriculture Library, and a photocopy machine to issue my own newsletter, No Free Lunch. I was interviewed on a local TV talk show, spoke to women's book clubs, a faculty lunch group at OSU, and I was featured in the local suburban newspaper. However, because my theme was in some ways anti-business and chiding the consumer for poor planning, I was not in great demand as a speaker or writer. You can't tell business that their methods are suspect and consumers that they are not behaving rationally and expect to be popular!

I was just as opinionated then as a liberal Democrat as I am today as a conservative Republican. I wrote a lot about how government and food conglomerates worked together to confuse or hurt the consumer and put the local food companies at a disadvantage (and I hadn't heard of a Wal-Mart). Actually, I still feel that way, but now wonder why Democrats continue to lull voters into thinking even more government control of their lives and wallets is beneficial. And I see how increased regulation of business hurts the little guy, and especially the poor.

In issue 8 of No Free Lunch I wrote about how the government determines the Food Stamp benefits and then I compared that to my own food purchases. I was a SAHM (I think I worked three hours a day at OSU on a temp contract), with 2 elementary school aged children, living in an upper middle class suburban neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. Here's what I wrote (all figures based on food costs in 1980, almost 30 years ago):

"Benefits on which the Food Stamp Program are based are adjusted to changes not in the Consumer Price Index, but in the cost of the "Thrifty Food Plan."

In January 1980 this plan allowed $49.60 for 2 parents and 2 elementary shcool aged children per week. My own food bill at that time was about $45 per week, including paper products and non-food items, not included in the government's Thrifty Food Plan.

How can my food bill be lower than "thrifty?" First, I don't use the menu on which the government's plan is based. A second consideration is "economy of size" (a misuse of the term)--my husband and I are not big people, so we don't require as much food as larger people.

I don't do any of the usual things promoted as cost saving--I don't comparison shop, I don't shop at a major food chain, and I try not to use coupons and refund schemes. I avoid highly promoted, expensive new products.

I do buy a higher proportion of my food fresh and unprocessed than the average shopper, and I contribute my own labor (which is not taxable). I do not buy prepared desserts and snacks, and that was the big jump in food expendistures in the last 15 years. We drink orange juice and egg nog instead of soft drinks. A garden or a freezer would help, but I'm satisfied that food in America is a very good buy."

So what does the AP writer in today's paper say about Food Stamps and the Thrifty Plan? Here it is, full of half-truths, myths, and gotcha's. The truth is our government has been crippling poor people for generations now with the best of intentions. Enmeshed with subsidized housing, government funded school breakfasts, lunches and after school snacks, summer lunch programs, food stamps, SCHIP health plans, church food pantries (almost all getting government grants to purchase food to give away) combined with an education system that expects failure, little or nothing from the students or parents, unmarried families (that's a huge penalty for the poor), and more and more "green" regulations that the poor can't even use or which will destroy their neighborhoods for redevelopment. How in the world do these people ever hope to climb out of this government made mess?

What using less than the thrifty plan looked like in 1981

NARAL supports killing babies

Why would these women be surprised and outraged that NARAL aborts the Clinton campaign as it hops a ride on the Obama bandwagon?

"NARAL blogs are being overwhelmed, and many state affiliates are angry at the national group’s decision [to go with Obama].

Emily’s List is furious. And Martha Burke, former chair of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, tells Stein she is “disappointed”: “It feels like they are abandoning a known ally for a less committed candidate because they want to jump on a bandwagon. I think the pro-choice community should stick by a woman who has stuck by them.”" Huffington Post

Why call it Burma?

According to the State Department, the official name of the country hit by a disastrous cyclone last week is "Burma."

The Union of Burma (or Myanmar as it is called by the ruling junta) consists of 14 states and divisions. Administrative control is exercised from the central government through a system of subordinate executive bodies and regional military commanders.

Power is centered on the ruling junta--the State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC--which maintains strict authoritarian rule over the people of Burma. The Prime Minister is appointed directly by the SPDC. Control is maintained through intimidation, the strict censuring of information, repression of individual rights, and suppression of ethnic minority groups.

The SPDC continues its harsh rule and systematic human rights abuses today, and insists that any future political transition be negotiated on its terms. It proclaimed a seven-step roadmap to democracy beginning with a National Convention process, purportedly to develop a new constitution and pave the way for national elections. However the regime restricts public input and debate and handpicks the delegates, effectively excluding pro-democracy supporters.

Although the SPDC changed the name of the country to "Myanmar," the democratically elected but never convened Parliament of 1990 does not recognize the name change, and the democratic opposition continues to use the name "Burma." Due to consistent support for the democratically elected leaders, the U.S. Government likewise uses "Burma."

So there you have it. The liberals will call this junta run, unrecognized, rogue government Myanmar, and the conservatives will call it Burma. Regardless of what you call them, the Burmans, Shans, Karens, Rohingya, Arakanese, Kachins, Chins, Mons, non-indigenous Indians and Chinese, and many smaller indigenous ethnic groups are dying by the thousands because of the inaction of their government.

Update about that cyclone: "Citing the deadly Burmese storm and recent storms in China and Bangladesh, [Al Gore] declared on National Public Radio: "We're seeing consequences that scientists have long predicted might be associated with continued global warming." There's just one problem -- it's not clear there's any link between climate change and hurricane numbers or intensity. The number of big storms has been falling, not rising." Best of the Web, Joseph Sternberg, May 12

Feast in a Flash Falls Flat

This must be why a lot of "new" time saving recipes don't appeal to me: "Caramel Apple Burritos" for dessert. (p. 11, Quick Cooking Annual, 2002) You need 3 large tart apples, peeled and sliced, 10 caramels, and 5 flour tortillas, warmed. You peel and slice the apples, cook them, add the caramels and put that on the warmed tortilla, rebaptize it a burrito, fold and serve. Call me crazy, but a burrito instead of a wonderful flaky pie crust drooling and oozing apple juices smelling of cinnamon and nutmeg? With a dollup of ice cream or whipping cream? Thanks, but no thanks.

You make a delicious apple dumpling the same way you make a delicious apple pie--my Mom could make these blind folded.

A terrific crust (2 cups of flour, 2/3 cup of shortening, 1 teaspoon of salt, 5-6 tablespoons of water, lightly mixed and rolled out) cut into squares, a little thicker than if going into a pie tin

a halved or quartered, peeled apple on each square

covered with a bit of sugar/flour/cinnamon mix

bring up the edges of the square and seal in the middle

brush it up with a bit of milk to make it brown

bake at 425 for 15 minutes and reduce the temp to 350 for 30-40 minutes

get to work on the rest of the meal while it bakes, and call one of the girls in to set the table.

At our house they were served warm in a bowl with milk on top. (About the same number of calories, but a heaven's width difference in taste and tactile satisfaction.)

Although I've lots of memories of Mother with her rolling pin, I have no photos. This one was taken about 25 years ago when we lived on Abington Road. Friday Family Photo.

Really big price

Over $33 million for Benefits Supervisor Sleeping. Realism is coming back in a really big way.

Grow up, Mr. Obama

This speech was about Israel, now 60 years old. Stop trying to crash the party. Your whining and hiding behind your supporters' skirts and Soros' money are really irritating. Your tantrum is an embarrassment. Run a FIND check on that 5 page speech. You aren't in it, neither is Democrat, neither is candidate, nor any mention of our campaign. Your political views and values have excluded you.

"Ultimately, to prevail in this struggle, we must offer an alternative to the ideology of the extremists by extending our vision of justice and tolerance, freedom and hope. These values are the self-evident right of all people, of all religions, in all of the world because they are a gift from Almighty God. Securing these rights is also the surest way to secure peace. Leaders who are accountable to their people will not pursue endless confrontation and bloodshed. Young people with a place in their society and a voice in their future are less likely to search for meaning in radicalism. And societies where citizens can express their conscience and worship their God will not export violence, they will be partners for peace."

President Bush has never backed down on his belief that democracy is the best system--for everyone. You might disagree, some in his own party do too. You might call it cowboy diplomacy, but as Daniel Henniger pointed out today in the WSJ, even when the democracy isn't very good or stumbles, it's way ahead of what the people in Burma and China have as we see their totalitarian, marxist governments turning down aid.

Instead of looking for yourself in the "some" comments, why not find yourself in the "we" comments? Tell us exactly what you think of democracy and the value of every man, woman, and child. Are you picking on the word "some" because you don't see yourself in the "we?"

"We believe in the matchless value of every man, woman, and child. So we insist that the people of Israel have the right to a decent, normal, and peaceful life, just like the citizens of every other nation.

We believe that democracy is the only way to ensure human rights. So we consider it a source of shame that the United Nations routinely passes more human rights resolutions against the freest democracy in the Middle East than any other nation in the world.

We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to civilized society. So we condemn anti-Semitism in all forms – whether by those who openly question Israel's right to exist, or by others who quietly excuse them.

We believe that free people should strive and sacrifice for peace. So we applaud the courageous choices Israel's leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction.

We believe that targeting innocent lives to achieve political objectives is always and everywhere wrong. So we stand together against terror and extremism, and we will never let down our guard or lose our resolve." Bush speech

Update: Michelle Malkin writes: "He could be talking about Jimmy Carter, Cindy Sheehan, the White Flag Democrat leaders in the House and Senate, or hell, his own State Department," I wrote, but concluded that “if the shoe fits,” Obama should wear it and stop whining.

Today, the White House says Bush was talking about That ’70s Appeaser, Jimmy Carter, not the Messiah.

Doesn’t matter who exactly Bush had in mind. The shoe still fits Obama’s delicate foot, but he refuses to slide into the glass slipper of appeasement and own it." There's more.

Update 2: Heard on the radio today (paraphrase) and I don't recall where: "for a guy who sat in the pew for 20 years and didn't hear the racist, anti-American sermons of Rev. Wright, he sure didn't have trouble hearing his own name which was never used in the President's speech."

Update 3: "It was remarkable to see Barack Obama’s hysterical diatribe in response to a speech in which his name wasn’t even mentioned. These are serious issues that deserve a serious debate, not the same tired partisan rants we heard today from Senator Obama. Senator Obama has pledged to unconditionally meet with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — who pledges to wipe Israel off the map, denies the Holocaust, sponsors terrorists, arms America’s enemies in Iraq and pursues nuclear weapons. What would Senator Obama talk about with such a man? It would be a wonderful thing if we lived in a world where we don’t have enemies. But that is not the world we live in, and until Senator Obama understands that, the American people have every reason to doubt whether he has the strength, judgment and determination to keep us safe.” —Tucker Bounds, spokesman John McCain 2008 via the Page

Update 4: Neo-Neocon "It has now become a low blow to strike any blow at Obama. It has now become officially an “attack” to campaign at all against him—or even to suggest opposition to something he may have done or may have said, whether you mention him or not.

Case in point: President Bush is not allowed to allude to appeasement as a bad thing without Obama (and many Democrats) getting into an outraged hissy fit about it."

Update 5: "But it's also possible that Obama & Co. are sincere--that when they hear the president talking about countenancing hatred, appeasing terrorists and breaking ties with Israel, they think: He's talking about us!" James Taranto, Best of the web, May 16

Update 6: " Since the end of 2002, the Democrats have turned hard to the left on foreign policy, with Lieberman a rare dissenting voice. The Connecticut senator praised President Bush for his Knesset speech last week, and said that Bush's criticism of those who advocate appeasement applies to Obama, whether the president meant it to or not." James Taranto, Best of the web, May 19

On the Home Front

When you have a kitty, you've got to expect a little clean up. Not as bad as dogs, but some. For some reason, she feels the urge to urp a hair ball after using the litter box, but doesn't want to use the box. Usually, supper comes with. So she looks for a pile of laundry. (The box is in the laundry room.) This morning she managed to deposit last night's supper in the change pocket of my husband's work jeans.

Yesterday my husband came in the kitchen when my hands were in a mess of meatball mix. He saw the Quick Cooking magazine (recipes) on the counter. A flicker of hope flashed across his face as in, Oh wouldn't a new recipe at our age be fun? But no, I was just fixing my favorite Sweet Sour Meatballs (clipped from the paper in 2000), and the magazine was for my hobby bloggy on premiere issues, In the Beginning.

I've started the audio book "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks about an Australian rare-book expert who has the opportunity to restore and preserve the Sarajevo Haggadah in 1996. I had planned to read this book for book club suggestion for 2008-2009, but there was only one copy with 12 saves at UAPL when I first inquired, and then it slipped my mind. So maybe for next year. The audio performer--Edwina Wren--is excellent with all the accents.

My husband has a cold so I've moved into the guest room. I woke up about 3 a.m. and flipped on the little TV and got to watch Secrets of the Dead on WOSU, "The Fall of the Minoans."

Five thousand years ago, the Minoans, Europe’s first great civilization, flourished on the island of Crete. The sophisticated inhabitants, named after the legendary King Minos, were the first Europeans to use a written language, known as Linear A, and the first to construct paved roads. They were an advanced society of highly-cultivated artisans and extremely skilled civic engineers. The Minoans were excellent ship builders and sailors, and their maritime empire was so vast, it rivaled that of the ancient Egyptians. They were an enigmatic people, worshiping snake priestesses and engaging in human sacrifice with origins not linked to Europe as expected, but to ancient Iran, which may explain why they were so different from the Greeks who rose to power after them.

It would be nice to see the art, but that's not on our itinerary this Spring. It was so interesting, I didn't go back to sleep. The civilization disappeared apparently after an enormous tsunami following a volcano eruption.

Tomorrow the retired OSUL librarians are meeting for lunch. There are so many of us now that I'm surprised the place can function without us! Not really. I had a lot of special contract positions and various appointments in my library career and I learned years ago that no one is indispensable.

Speaking of sleep, a member of my family who was told her aches, pains and restlessness at night might be fibromyalgia, bought a sleep number bed. She said the first night felt a little strange, but since then it's been the sleep of the dead. When the alarm rings in the morning, she thinks she just fell asleep. Also, no stiffness or pain in the morning. Maybe I'll have to try that. I think our mattress is about 11 or 12 years old.

Terri and Gerry mow the lawn

Terri is a columnist for the WSJ (Fiscally Fit) and yesterday posted her "how we're dealing with the gas crisis" obligatory article. It seems that a few years back she and her husband were having regular battles about upkeep of the lawn--he enjoyed doing it but just found better things to do with his leisure time. Finally, they agreed on a lawn/edging service, but the husband continued to do the weed and seed part. Each year the service went up about $5, but this year, due to gas prices it went up $10 (apparently Terri and Gerry's incomes didn't go up during the same time period to cover increases in cost of living--or did it?). Enough of this, said Gerry, I'll do it myself, and began looking at $2500 riding mowers. Terri panicked and went online and found one for $1750. So now Gerry and their 8 year old are bonding on the mower ($11.50 for 3 gallons of gasoline to run it.)

Call me crazy, but this doesn't strike me as a sound financial idea if you factor in trips to the ER. It's not a safe way to bond with a small child; it's eating up time they could be doing something else; we all know Terri will end up mowing the lawn when the novelty wears off the new pet. Terri needs to click over to the left and check out my posts on finances. We're obviously different generations. Letting an 8 year old mow the lawn with a power mower isn't a good idea. Let them sort laundry or run the vacuum cleaner.

That's not Terri in the photo; that's Sandra of Tedandsandra.com. But you can hardly tell the difference, right?

4853 New twist on an old myth

When I was a little girl, children were told to clean up their plates because there were starving children in China (or India or Africa depending on where your church had missions). Most of us were skinny and baffled how that would help other kids--but guilt never makes much sense. Today I heard some expert say that if Americans would just eat less, Indians would have more. The reason people don't have enough food has nothing to do with available calories in their own country. Since the 1970s all countries, even the poorest, have been self-sufficient in food. The problem is corrupt governments that let it rot, or who steal it, trade it or control people with it, or don't build roads so poor, rural people can get to it. When the Irish were starving in the 19th century, Britain was exporting their food. When the Ukrainians were starving in the early 20th century, they were living in the bread basket of the world. Those were political, not agricultural, famines. Right now people are starving in Burma after a natural disaster, but they were probably awfully thin going into it; U.S. and U.N. food aid has been stolen by the military-communist controlled government. There are calls for the U.N. to DO SOMETHING besides form a committee and write a report!

Burning food stuffs to run cars does change the balance of trade and supply, and even if it never got to Burma, wouldn't you feel better if you weren't burning it?

SAM is carbon neutral

SAM means Sustainable Asset Management. I didn't know these folks, who manage other people's assets, even had a carbon footprint; they have no product. But I suppose they have to turn on a light every now and then, feed the monkeys in the back room peddling to keep the computers running, give a bowl of rice to the slave girls fanning them (in place of air conditioning), or even occasionally send their CEOs someplace beyond the Alps via pack animals. They can trade their emissions from funny looking, low energy lightbulbs from China (highly recommended by John McCain) and be neutral. Isn't that nice? From their webpage.

SAM – TACKLING CLIMATING CHANGE

As a forerunner in creating and managing sustainable asset management products and services, SAM also strives to ensure that its day-to-day management and operations are sustainable. Having witnessed the great challenges arising from global climate change, SAM has adopted a clear climate change policy in 2000. In line with Switzerland's Kyoto Protocol commitment, SAM has set its target to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) by 8% per employee by 2008 (compared to the base year 2001). Moreover, beyond the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, SAM commits to neutralise its nonreducible GHG emissions. To achieve these goals, SAM adopted the following measures:
1. avoid greenhouse gas production;
2. reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
3. neutralize all remaining greenhouse gas emissions through investments in alternative energy technology or clean development projects.

Who said it's not easy being green? Kermit?

KISS: The rules of supply and demand

Yesterday gasoline jumped twenty five cents between the time my husband filled up in Bucyrus, and when he came back through 3 hours later. Thomas Segal says no blog he's ever written generated more comment than the one he did on the ethanol hoax. His is not a blog I regularly read; someone sent it to me. His follow up to those who say he's clueless is about what we all know

"We all know there is abundant oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. We know more oil is in the Dakotas and even Wyoming. We know there are huge deposits of oil off the California and Florida coasts. We know there are tons upon tons of oil shale in the West. We know that thousands of oil wells were capped and are no longer in production. Deep deposits of oil at up to 16,000 feet and natural gas, more than 3 miles underground and off shore await us… and we know the technology exists to bring them to the surface.

We know that in the past three and one half decades no new oil refineries have been built, nor have the existing ones been modernized due to the restrictive rules and regulations placed upon the industry by governmental agencies.

While people are forced into making choices between buying gasoline to drive to work, or placing food on the table for their families, a few of our capped wells in California and other locales are being reopened. In California alone, there are currently more than 3,000-capped wells and many have seen only between 20% and 25% of their oil extracted. Some were capped just waiting for new technology and higher prices. Many were capped due to environmental objections. To be completely objective, we must also admit a large number were capped because they had turned into dry hole."

Our bold and brave Democratic Congress stand between us and the gasoline pumps. Tell them to move over.

Will the New Green just be a shade of Cabrini Green?

When city planners, social workers, developers and architects start eyeing the neighborhood and deciding that they know best how Americans should live, hang on to your wallet. You might get the Cabrini Greens of the mid-20th century, or the paradigm-shift-responsible-growth green designs of the 21st century. What we've got going up on Tremont Road here in Upper Arlington isn't exactly a Cabrini Green, but it's ugly as hell and is euphemistically called "mixed-use development." That means the developer was allowed to tear down four family units inhabited by modest income elderly and young couples, and put up four story, half million dollar condo units sitting on top of a Walgreen's or Starbucks.

Cabrini Green for those of you who didn't grow up near Chicago is the infamous public housing complex that was going to fix slum housing and crime through regulation and relocation of the poor. When I was a teen and we would drive past those shiny new developments, I probably believed that new bricks made new people. I was so open minded you could have driven a loaded dump truck through my brain. Even though I could hear my dad grumbling in the background about what a waste it was and how it'd be a slum within a decade. He was right (he was a Republican and my mother a Democrat and they regularly cancelled each others' votes on election day). Didn't work. Stacking 15-20,000 poor people and welfare families into high rises creates a high rise slum. Imagine! In fact, it probably contributed to more gang violence and white flight than anything else social scientists have pushed Americans in to over the years from their protected ivory towers and government buildings made of pork. Then when they decided to tear it all down 40 years later because it was so unsafe and unsightly (not to mention sitting on increasingly valuable land), the poor had to be uprooted again, just a different generation and a different ethnic mix.

The Green Alphabet Soup

Here's the green alphabet soup of code words for the New Green, minus the Cabrini. Keep in mind that asbestos in insulation and lead in paint were the best ideas of the smartest people of an earlier generation. A generation from now your grandchildren might be ripping out extruded-polystyrene foam and collector panels with glycol. And if you thought your local zoning board was tough, just wait till you encounter the green czars of building regulatory agencies.

LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

USGBC - United States Green Building Council

CNU - Congress for the New Urbanism

NRDC - Natural Resources Defense Council

ND - Neighborhood Development

You may think you have the right to vote, that we have a representative form of government, and that there are courts to whom you can take your case as an American citizen, but regulatory agencies and groups can snatch that away from you faster than you can say "endangered species."

Here are the non-acronym code words and phrases that I see in all my husband's magazines and newsletters. Some can be mixed and matched, not that I'd suggest that just to take it to your community's zoning board.

sustainable

alternative

renewable

payback

energy efficiency, energy costs, energy investment, energy footprint, energy security

ecosystem, eco-friendly

wetlands

recycled

effects of global warming

green choice

safe environment

high performance replacement [fill in the blank]

drought resistant or drought tolerant landscaping

smart growth, responsible growth

access to transportation (public), walk to the grocer (this is code term for keep out big-box stores), bicycle paths, footpaths

best practices

benchmarks

neighborhood design, mixed-use design

geothermal, solar, photovoltaic, window film

How to have an award winning home

Here's how to have an award winning design that will get past your regulatory and zoning commissions and get your home into the latest building magazines.

1. Buy a lot that is near public transportation, a bike path, and within 1/2 mile of the nearest store--even if you'd never shop there. But look out for places like Ohio State where the bike path ends for 100 ft. under a bridge and the city and university can't agree on whose responsibility it is.

2. Use photovoltaic panels on the roof. Have a battery back-up if you live in a low sun area like Columbus (37% sunshine) or Seattle.

3. Collect rain water and heat it with solar panels. Keep an eye on the mold problem.

4. Use paint that has one of the approved, seal of perfection from one of the above groups. No one knows how long this stuff will last or what the long term affects are to your health, so be forewarned.

5. Make-up for the cramped square footage by having high ceilings (steep roof helps those panels). Spiders love it.

6. Don't attach your garage to the house so you can avoid all those environmental codes about fumes. Live in North Dakota? Tough.

7. Use less wood by not using headers of traditional framing and pray for no tornados in your life time. Or, don't build in tornado alley.

8. Site the house on the lot to take advantage of the sun, even if you're facing the free-way or the landfill and missing the forest, the view for which you bought the lot.

9. Don't build on a compacted landfill like just off Trabue Road in Columbus, Ohio. Something might ooze up later. (I watched them create that.)

10. Choose a climate for your lot where you won't need air conditioning. Like Huntington Beach, California or Bainbridge Island, Washington.

If you had to do all this, when would you do the rest of your job?

Dicentes enim se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt

Darwinistas
Global Alarmists
Pantheistic Feminists
Gay Marriage Gestapo
Emergent Pastors
Liberation Theologians
Postmodernist Panderers
Diversity Distortionists
Technology Utopians
Just-Us Justice
Culture Supremacists
Thought police
Abortionistas
(Romans 1:22)

Now this is low

Seen at the home page of the Order of Discalced Carmelites

Information pirates have recently robbed e-mail addresses, especially those who use the server gmail.com. They either create new addresses in the name of a friar or sister and, pretending to be in difficulty, ask for financial help. NEVER BELIEVE IN these messages, and never send the money they asked for or give your own bank account details.

Looks pretty normal to me

Last night my husband called me into the living to see the video that's going around the internet that was shown on and commented about during O'Reilly. I looked at the fuzzy video which seemed to be two kids stretched out on the floor having an epileptic seizure. "Looks pretty normal to me," I said. "Dancing has always been about imitating the movements of sexual intercourse." He was not pleased. He loves to dance. But even the waltz was once considered an outrage by the old timers watching the young people dipping and doing. And the jitterbug? Oh. My. Goodness. And have you ever seen old footage of Soul Train--say about 30-35 years ago. Lawdy, Lawdy Miss Clawdy (1952, 1941). It's hot. And the old Elvis Presley footage on the Ed Sullivan show. Parents and grandparents were screaming--and so were kids, although for different reasons. Nope, I didn't see anything new. Not the kids. Not the outrage. I tried to locate the video to provide a link, but the old computer just froze and burped overheated.

The health and wealth justice scam

Lance Armstrong has an opinion piece in the WSJ today. To promote his foundation he gives a nod to the current health justice line, which is really an insult to common sense. Which is going to help the poor more, leveling out and dumbing down all the health care services, or basic research which benefits everyone?

A leading cancer specialist, Dr. Harold Freeman, says there's a disconnect between what we know and what we do. On many levels, we know how to defeat cancer; we just don't do it. Funding for cancer research. Investment in prevention programs. Access to screening. Early detection and effective treatment for everyone. Support for people living with cancer. Personal commitment to healthier living. These are the priorities we must pursue.

Social programs, prevention, screening and education, those are the elements of the walks, runs, and marathons, but yet all we hear is that we're losing the battle. Obviously, siphoning more off for social goals isn't going to keep anyone alive, is it?

When I count the members of my own family who have had cancer--my daughter, my mother, my father, my grandmother, my aunts, my uncles and one sibling--I can't find a single one who didn't have access to the best in whatever medical care was available at the time their illness was diagnosed. And with the exception of my daughter and my mother, all are on my paternal side of the family genealogy. Of the three who were still smoking when they were diagnosed (the only ones who actually died from cancer), you can't tell me they didn't know! These were bright people. It was the diagnosis, not education or screening, that stopped that behavior.

Before we let the liberals, progressives and marxists dismantle the research, academic and commercial powerhouses which will provide the basic research and technology we need to fight cancer, let's really look at all these media "gap" stories coming at us from all sides, whether in education, health care, legal system, housing, or nutrition. Let's stop turning health care into a big political battle that ignores that there are issues other than income that determine the state of our health.

I'm waiting for the research team brave enough to play the race card, to compare the health statistics of say, a lauded socialized system like Norway, with the health statistics of the American scrambled and cobbled together system for Norwegian Americans who have not married outside their ethnic heritage. Of course, they'd be unlikely to get a grant, and then probably couldn't get JAMA or NEJM to publish it.

Welcome to vacation land

In today's USATody a Brit complains that his Florida property taxes in Palm Beach have risen from $4,500 to $20,000 in 4 years. A "homesteader" Floridian pays $3,000 for the same unit next door.

Yes, Mr. Rich European, we've experienced that at our second home, too, although Danbury Township would sock it to us even if we lived there 6 or 7 months of the year. Lakeside, Ohio, is the golden goose in that taxing district, and it makes no difference that we send almost no children to the schools--the fact is, we can't vote. This is the rub in all 2nd home communities. Celebs like the McCains, Kerrys and Clintons who have multiple homes have enough money that it doesn't matter. It really is taxation without representation. The children of Marblehead, Ohio should be using gold plated computers and swimming in diamond studded natatoriums courtesy of the vacationers who don't live permanently in the area. I could move 100 ft. to the west and lower my taxes. If the children who attend Danbury schools aren't excelling in every academic area, leading the state in testing and contests, then it's a sure sign that money isn't what makes a good school.

Dear Carly

Thank you for your "Dear Friend" Victory 2008 letter dated simply "Tuesday Morning." Nice, personal touch.

I filled out your CRITICAL ISSUES SURVEY, although I hate those kind of "when did you stop beating your spouse" questions whether done by Republicans, Democrats or Libertarians. However, I didn't enclose any money, the purpose behind the survey (when a politician asks for my opinion, I know the next question will be about money). We gave during the primaries--which were not apparently decided by conservatives, but by RINOS and Democrats in cahoots with the media. Right now we have a RINO/Democrat, a Socialist, and a Marxist (and now a Libertarian who will drain votes from both the final 2 candidates) running for the White House. Your survey did indicate that McCain has learned to mouth the global alarmist rhetoric, and that he is ignoring the serious border security problems funneling drugs, disease and dysfunctional racists into our country. When you send out some literature explaining how he will help our energy situation by using the vast resources we already have, and how he'll respect the sovereignty of the nation, issues important to conservatives, maybe I'll open my wallet.

Recycle your greeting cards

Here's another way to put fuel in the gas tank without burning corn and creating food riots. Recycle your greeting cards and spend that $4-5.00 on gasoline! On Saturday I got the box of cards out from under the bed and my husband had a selection of 20-30 Mother's Day cards, and he picked one from 1990, which of course, I didn't remember and enjoyed just as much as if he'd gone to the card store. In 1990 this card was $2.00, so I figure it would have been about $4.00 in 2008.

It gave us an opportunity to remember our own mothers, who were both alive in 1990, and also how he used to tape (VCR) the Blondie movies (although we had a break-in in 1986 and our VCR and tapes were stolen). Our son-in-law was just a future dream at that time, and my husband hadn't started his own business, and I probably didn't have tenure yet at OSU. I think Mystery our first cat was 14 and still alive and our Lynxpoint not yet born. I was driving my first Chrysler product van and loving it--now I'm on my third.

We enjoyed church with our children, and many stopped to admire my Mother's Day gardenia corsage--not too common these days at a service where many of the women are in jeans or slacks (contemporary service, 9:45). Then we came back to the house for a wonderful dinner prepared by our daughter (lasagna and lemon pie) and son (salad and Texas toast). She had purchased a pasta maker so this was really a fresh item. I think this is much better than going to a restaurant. I don't mind providing the tableware if everyone else brings the food. The tornado warnings sent them all home to check on their pets.

Also on the week-end I think I put about 50 miles on my car just running back and forth across the river to the Mill Run Church where we hung the Spring Show for the Upper Arlington Art League. That's actually what gave me the idea that we could recycle a card. UALC members on this side of the river could probably save gas just by switching back to Lytham. The grandchildren will survive, which is usually the excuse given for those who live a mile from Lytham driving over there.

Although, to tell the truth, the expensive part of the art show wasn't the gasoline, but seeing a piece of art by Jeanie Auseon that we agreed to buy. I don't think I could explain the medium because it is some type of photographic print on fabric stitched with a silver thread. If you see the show I think it is #45.

The Upper Arlington Art League spring show was judged by Tracy Steinbrook who is an instructor at the Cultural Arts Center in Columbus. The UAAL is one of the oldest community art groups in the NW area. The show runs until June 12 and can be viewed at The Church at Mill Run, 3500 Mill Run Drive, Hilliard, Ohio 43026. The show is sponsored by the Visual Arts Ministry of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church. Come out and support your neighbors.

Be a good neighbor, screen your trash containers

Since noticing that Upper Arlington Lutheran's Mill Run Campus has an Abitibi* recyclables green and yellow trash container in its front yard instead of at the back of the SW parking lot where it would be screened by trees, I've been looking at other commercial and church buildings in our area.

Our UALC campus on Lytham Road screens (or hides) its regular brown dumpster from view by location and landscaping at its service drive (you'd have to be looking for it to see it), but has the green and yellow dumpster across the street in an open parking lot, quite visible from Lytham Rd, and even Middlesex, on the east side, rather than in a corner on the west side where the vans are parked. The Christian Church on Haviland, two blocks away, has only the brown dumpster, and it sits in the parking lot not screened by anything. It's visible from the street and from every adjoining property.


St. Andrew's Catholic Church on McCoy has its regular dumpsters unscreened on two sides, but they are snuggled in close to its utilities building at the edge of the south end of the McCoy parking lot which is a similar color. They sort of blend into their environment. The green and yellow dumpster at St. Andrew's is barely visible from the street because of its location at the west side of the McCoy parking lot, but it does greet the parishioners as they come for worship. The neighbor's trees and landscaping screen it from their view.


Advent Lutheran on Kenny Road doesn't screen either its brown dumpster or the green and yellow dumpster, but puts them as far away from the church as possible on the SE side. That puts the green and yellow one, unscreened, next to their apartment complex neighbors. However, the almost spectacular, prominent position of Advent Lutheran at that intersection makes both visible at the Tremont/Kenny intersection.

Commercial and municipal neighbors take much greater care of the visual environment than churches. It's not clear to me if churches have different zoning codes because of the way they are (not) taxed, or if they don't have the same sense of propriety that businesses have. There are two shopping centers at Fishinger and Rt. 33. Some of the fast food firms are free standing, like Arby's and McDonald's and I'd give them both a A for being good, hide-the-trash neighbors.


They've built special enclosures and painted them to be unobtrusive. The owners of these small shopping centers which lease to a variety of businesses--coffee shops, pizzarias, restaurants, pet food store, dry cleaners, gift stores, etc.--have provided screens for all the dumpsters, and they are all placed in the back where the customers and the passing traffic don't see them. Then there is additional screening either by privacy fencing, a brick wall or landscaping so they aren't displayed to the residences next door. I am wondering if the green and yellow guys aren't allowed in commercial spaces. That probably has a history that goes back 30 years or so, because I've seen news stories about problems in recyclable drop off areas that weren't maintained properly.

NIMFY
* (From their web site) The Abitibi-Consolidated Paper Retriever® Program promotes recycling by placing Paper Retriever bins, at no-cost, in highly visible areas at schools, churches and other non-profit organizations in the greater metro areas . . .

Update: Meijer's between Bethel and 161 has three Abitibi containers parked along side their brown dumpsters, all nestled at the south end of the parking lot under a screen of trees. They are good neighbors--they also have a container as you go in to leave plastic bags, provide alcohol handwipes beside the grocery carts, and employ handicapped. They also have friendly, well-trained staff, so if their values and prices meet your needs, drop off your newspapers and stop to shop.

More ways to save for your gas tank

I've been making little suggestions (eat at Evelyn's at Lakeside instead of Rusty Bucket in Columbus) on how to save money so it can go in your gas tank, or how to spend it so you don't mind (drive to Chicago to the Art Institute). Now as a public service, I'm going to send you over to Deborah, who is a quilting librarian, a very crafty, talented gal, and she will save you money by reviewing the movie The Messengers, which she saw via Netflix. Not only creepy, but dumb and predictable she says; but a very well written review. Librarians are such a talented group!

On Wednesday I saw gasoline for $3.47/gal at a Speedway on Rt. 33 (Upper Arlington). Across the bridge about a mile (Hilliard), I passed another Speedway and it was $3.79/gal. I don't know if the guy on Rt. 33 was asleep or what, but a $.32 difference in one mile seems a bit over the top even for the day before the prices always go up.

Happy Birthday, Minnesota

It must have been a fairly low key celebration--150 years old on May 8, 2008. They're pretty liberal up there and a bit embarrassed. Lars Walker, a Lutheran and writer of Christian fantasy, a genre I've never read, and who writes at the blog for Brandywine Books, wrote this poem reflecting how things have changed in his life time (I'm guessing he's in his mid-50s).

I’m from Minnesota.
Where brave Paul Wellstone took a stand.
We stole it from the Native Americans,
Except for that little pointy chunk at the top,
which we stole from Canuckistan.

He thinks he might have stolen some ideas from James Lileks, and I think I'm not supposed to post the whole literary masterpiece here, but go and look at his stuff--looks like he's a great writer.

Lars says that the only reason they don't all crawl back to Europe (he's Norwegian American) ". . . is because nobody would know what to do with the Hmong and the Somalis." Ohio had its bicentennial in 2003; I don't remember if anyone tried to give it back to the Indians or not. Mainly, I remember the barn paintings.

"Ohio, my own state, "The Buckeye," you know
The only State starting and ending in O.
It's hi in the middle and round on each end;
The State of Ohio I do recommend."
Nellie Dennis Root

4838

Gas costs squeeze daily life

USAToday headlines on May 9. But only for some. I'm retired, so gasoline price increases affect my leisure, hobbies, relationships and service opportunities, and increasingly my food costs, energy costs and anything that's moved by truck drivers. But not so much my cost to get my check, which is a fixed amount. Indirectly, it is reflected on my investments which I will need later on.

Some retirees know what's important--and that an extra dollar per gallon is worth it to. . . see art. It would be more painful not to have art in your life than to have high gasoline prices.

On Monday our friend, a member of several local art activities here in Columbus, noticed he was running out of time to see the Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper exhibits at the Chicago Institute of Art. His wife is a cancer survivor and they've recently lost a dear friend of 50 years--so in a sense, I think they feel that time is short in many ways. So he and his wife drove to Chicago (300 miles). On Tuesday they took in the Robie House and all the great walking tour stuff (Oak Park) of Frank Lloyd Wright, and on Wednesday they stood in line at the Art Institute to get in to the exhibit, and spent another four hours touring. On Thursday they drove back to Columbus. Counting the tickets, housing and food, I'm sure the gasoline was a minor cost.

But oh, I wish I'd thought of that!

Mine is bigger than yours

My instruction manual, that is.

"Chromosomes contain the set of instructions to create an organism. Men have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, the latter being responsible for the characteristics that make men male, including the male sexual organs and the ability to produce sperm. In contrast, women have two copies of the X chromosome. But, because the X chromosome carries a bigger instruction manual than the Y chromosome, biology's solution is to largely inactivate one X chromosome in females, giving one functional copy of the X in both men and women.

'Our study shows that the inactive X in women is not as silent as we thought," said Laura Carrel, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. "The effects of these genes from the inactive X chromosome could explain some of the differences between men and women that aren't attributable to sex hormones.' "

Read about it here, although it won't answer the question why one woman would have eleven blogs.

Put those scissors down, babe!

Clipping coupons will not put money in your gas tank. But that's what I heard on a TV feature last night. Even in tough economic times, it's hard to convince Americans that food companies, health and beauty industries and super markets, to say nothing of the airlines, are not in business to SAVE you money, but to get you to SPEND money. Coupons, loyalty cards, sweepstakes, green stamps and wooden nickles are just flip sides of the same pancake--marketing. What is the purpose of marketing? Right. To get you to spend money to support a business and its stockholders or investors. It's not evil at all. In fact, in the long run, marketing is a good thing. But right now, until someone comes up with a decent energy plan that allows new refineries or drilling for oil (we've got plenty) or cutting regulatory red tape, you may have to let go of some favorite shibboleths. Here are the basics.

1. Before leaving the house to shop, check your refrigerator or pantry. Make a list if you're a list maker (I'm not), but have an idea what you NEED. A NEED is not a WANT. Repeat that several times as you enter the store.

2. Go to one store where you know the layout, the quality and the staff.

3. Pick up the weekly flyer on the way in, look at the loss leaders, but buy them only if you've done #1.

4. Do not buy in quantity (for more than 2 or 3 weeks) unless you live 50 miles from the store and need to save on gasoline. Most people who regularly buy in quantity also have a weight problem. Your extra pounds will add to the gas bill and health costs. There are psychological reasons people buy in quantity that have nothing to do with saving money, but it's a good excuse.

5. Shop the walls, although this is harder to do than it used to be (creative design and moving merchandise to make you wander around is one method used to separate you and your money). Buy fresh if you can; if you're cooking for one or two, sometimes frozen is more nutritious because fresh will lose its nutrients sitting around waiting for you to get an inspiration.

6. Don't use a coupon unless it is attached to the item, or you ALWAYS buy that product. For instance, I just love Era laundry detergent and I buy it whether or not it is on sale. But I would use a $.50 off coupon, realizing that it means the price is going up and this is to ease the pain.

7. Stay out of the snack food section. There's not a single item in there you or your family need. Snacks are all empty calories, high sodium, high fat, delicious and guaranteed to make you want more and spend more. Just don't go there. Don't even accept a sample! In some stores this will cause several detours (but exercise is good). I've been shopping at Marc's recently, and you can't get to the real food without going past the snack aisles which are huge, or detouring through cheapy remaindered stuff, which is as addictive as snacks, at least for this shopper.

8. Make your own low fat items by adding water to the jar and shaking. That doesn't work with cookies or pudding, but you get my drift. Low fat almost always means the first ingredient is water.

9. At home use 6 or 8 oz. glasses instead of 12 or 16. You'll never notice the difference or miss the calories. It's not so much the size of the container you buy as it is the portions you put on the table that save you money.

10. Shop on Monday if you can. Lots of markdowns for meat that haven't passed the due date for freshness and safety.

11. Shop early in the day.

12. Don't go to the store hungry. A fist of coupons and no breakfast is a recipe for disaster.

13. Keep in mind that coupons and loyalty cards are supporting a huge industry--and those workers might suffer as you cut back--it involves investors, executives, middle management, designers, office staff, ink suppliers, paper goods, newspaper and magazine companies, the people in 3rd world economies who make their living counting them, and even the stores who may have to hire an extra part timer to account for the slow down of the other staff who have to pause and examine your coupon or card. But be firm--right now it's your family or theirs. Stand tall and put down those scissors.

Have you ever wondered about all those negative health stories in the news?

"Is it possible that the constant drumbeat of negative news stories — the dire state of our healthcare system and need for a massive overhawl, the epidemic of obesity and chronic diseases in need of "disease" management by a third party, errors in need of a nationalized electronic database to improve safety, and the crisis of uninsured necessitating mandates requiring everyone to purchase health insurance — might not be entirely objective, accurate portrayals and that certain interests might, instead, be working very hard to convince us of all this? Can we trust that their new healthcare delivery system will deliver care that's in our best interests, or their's?" Read Sandy's take on the "Medical Home" concept.

Karl Rove's Advice for Barack Obama

Democrats hate Karl Rove, but he's declared Obama the victor. And Dems do think he's the genius behind George Bush--that Bush is much too stupid to be president, or win reelection without Karl. So maybe they should pay attention to this genius pulling the strings for the last 8 years, putting words in his mouth and steel in his spine. He advises Obama to do nothing and say nothing that could appear he's pushing Hillary out of the race, because she's as good as gone. That shouldn't be hard. This man Obama does less and says less than any politician in my life time. Rove also says Obama is unbeatable in November, but also said in six months, everything could change.

If he's elected, I can only pray he continues on his path of doing and saying nothing.

Pantheism, The Earth Charter and the Election

If the Earth Charter looks as familiar as an old family photo album, or sounds like a warm, fuzzy spiritual guide to Earth Day that demands nothing, then you're probably under 40, received 12 years of public school education and are a Democrat / Progressive / Socialist and/or Marxist. If you are horrified reading the 14 points, you just might be a Republican, a Conservative, a libertarian, or just an old fogie 60-something Democrat or old fashioned liberal, and possibly an evangelical Christian or an observant Jew. The key words and phrases are

global interdependence
sustainability
cultural diversity
ecological integrity
dialogue
biosphere
affirm
uphold
spirituality
community and
blah, blah and blah, zzzzzzzzz.

1. Earth worship (global warmism/pantheism).
2. Evolution, broadly defined.
3. Socialized medicine.
4. World federalism.
5. Animal rights (animals are seen as our brothers and sisters).
6. Income redistribution among nations and within nations.
7. Eradication of genetically modified crops.
8. Contraception and “reproductive health” (legal abortion); every small and weak creature except the human fetus is protected in the scheme.
9. World-wide “education for sustainability” which includes spiritual education.
10. Debt forgiveness for third-world nations.
11. Adoption of the gay rights agenda, including gay marriage in the churches.
12. Elimination of nuclear weapons and the right to bear arms.
13. Redefining the media so it will support the environmental agenda, not report on it.
14. Setting aside biosphere reserves where no human presence is allowed.
(America’s School: Battleground for Freedom, by Allen Quist, Chaska: EdWatch, 2005.)

I know it sounds a lot like the Hillobama political platform, but its base is religion, its core is Pantheism. These are the principles that will or now guide your children's teachers, your legislators, your journalists, your social workers, your medical researchers, and unfortunately, some of your pastors. But don't take my word for it, read their web page. And if you can stand it, don't miss their call to action.

"In order to build a sustainable global community, the nations of the world must renew their commitment to the United Nations, fulfill their obligations under existing international agreements, and support the implementation of Earth Charter principles with an international legally binding instrument on environment and development."

In other words, the Earth Charter must take precedence over the U.S. Constitution which guarantees all our freedoms, including religious.

BTW, I read in today's paper that France's foreign minister called on the United Nations to consider FORCING Myanmar's military rulers to accept relief shipments. Yeah, two moral midgets making demands of a military, Castro-marxist-style government. The UN will have to meet in committee for 3 or 4 months objecting to everything sensible, and by then they'll mostly be dead (the victims, not the UN). Meanwhile, Bush will send in the troops and get the job done.

Barbara Walters and Miley Cyrus

Show and tell. More than we needed to know. They didn't need the money, or the fame. I guess it's a mystery why some women do this.

What if?

Big 10 schools had to racially balance their football and basketball teams--the group actually on the floor, field or bench during the game instead of factoring in everyone in the department?

"The Ohio State athletics department has been selected to receive a Diversity in Athletics Award in the category of Overall Excellence in Diversity, to be presented Wednesday (6/11) at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, site of the 2008 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Convention. Using independent research conducted by the Laboratory for Diversity in Sport at Texas A&M and supported by the NCAA, the award winners are those that have achieved the highest total combined scores in the areas of diversity strategy, gender diversity of departmental employees, racial diversity of departmental employees, value and attitudinal diversity of departmental employees, graduation of African-American female and male student-athletes, and gender equity compliance." OSUToday, May 6

A very lucky daughter

Your heart (if you're a book lover) has to leap a bit at this post by Semicolon about her summer reading challenge for her children--completing a list of 10 books plus memorizing two poems. Reading through the list for the 13 year old almost gave me a heart attack! I've read about half of them, but certainly not as a 13 year old. I think she's a homeschooler.

The Bible. Romans.

The Bible. I Samuel.

Costain, Thomas. The Conquering Family. .

Hale, Shannon. Book of a Thousand Days.

Little, Paul. Know What You Believe.

McKay, Hilary. Forever Rose.

McCaughrean, Geraldine. The White Darkness.

Malley, Gemma. The Declaration.

Marshall, Catherine. Christy.

Richardson, Don. Peace Child.

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice.

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein.

Sire, James. How to Read Slowly.

Stevenson, Robert Louis. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Two poems to memorize:

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.

Macavity by T. S. Eliot.

But as much as I admire her encouragement and support her challenge, I know that you can lead children to a book, but you can't make them like it (or even read it). Semicolon and her daughter are cut from the same cloth--a perfect fit. And aren't they both fortunate!

4829

Visual pollution

Most people recognize this kind of pollution

as seen from the north side of our Mill Run UALC campus
but they'll walk right by this disaster sitting in our front yard on the south side of the church.
Let's not put in place environmental solutions that cause more problems at the local, national or global level.

From Petrarch: "It occurred to me to look into my copy of St. Augustine's Confessions. . . where I first fixed my eyes it was written: “And men go abroad to admire the heights of mountains, the mighty waves of the sea, the broad tides of rivers, the compass of the ocean, and the circuits of the stars, yet pass over the mystery of themselves without a thought.” "

From the Brazil [Portuguese] journal Cad Saude Publica Nov-Dec 2002: "Interviewees defined garbage as anything useless and considered it a problem whenever it accumulated in the surroundings producing a bad smell or visual pollution, attracted animals, caused disease in children or adults, or was shifted from the individual to the collective/institutional sphere of action to solve the problem."

Update: One commenter asked if I had picked up the trash I photographed (in the park that adjoins our church property), and the answer is YES! I took a plastic bag with me, and one of those long grab hooks and cleaned up quite a bit that I could reach--I also do that along Kenny Road because people throw things out of cars, and along Turkey Run. I hope someone else will remove the UALC VBS signs at the street intersections on public land. They are a safety hazard.

Oops of the day

When I left the house this morning, I picked up the bag of scooped, smelly kitty litter to deposit in the trash can. But when I opened the car, I still had it with me. Oops.

I was looking at a blog today that had a big clickable photo on the side column entitled: Astrology photo of the Day. That's odd, I thought. I clicked on it and Yes, it was Astronomy photo of the Day. Oops.

Orlando repackages its bakery overages under the word "Oops," and I saw them at Marc's today. Got 6 huge freshly baked sandwich buns for $1.00.

The polls have closed in Indiana, but a judge has ordered them to stay open in the Chicago suburban area of northern Indiana--Obama territory. Oops.

Marc Dann hasn't resigned, that I know of, but the Ohio Dem webpage has removed his name. Oops.

Dinner on the deck

What a gorgeous day! The photo is April 2006, but it looks much the same today. 79 degrees this evening. We had dinner on the deck--roast pork, brown rice with mushrooms and onions, peas, and sugar free chocolate cookies and ice cream. We saw yellow warblers, robins, cardinals, mallards and a hawk. Usually a few bees try to join in, but this evening they were out chasing their own dreams. Our neighbor was planting flowers down by the creek.

I think our nearest tree, a locust that shades the patio and the deck, is about to give up. It's probably about 35 years old, and we can see that about 1/3 is not leafing out this spring. Most of our neighbors have taken theirs out and replanted. But you sure hate to lose a mature tree even one that is messy in the fall. Storms moving in tomorrow--the forecast is for 2-3 inches of rain on Thursday. Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Fixing up the United Nations building

One thing we can do in the United States to improve skylines (visual pollution), meet energy regulations (green goals) and politics (Marxist doublespeak) is knock down the UN building instead of restoring and repairing it. The building (in New York) is aging--it's now about 60 years old--and although in Europe that wouldn't mean much, in the United States, it doesn't meet code. I visited it in 1954 or 55, I think, with a Church of the Brethren youth seminar group. That's back when the youth were going to save the world. Dag Hammarskjold was told he had won election to Secretary-General on April 1st, 1953, and his first reaction was it was an April Fool's joke because he didn't know he was a candidate. It was and still is a joke. But the joke is on us. The organization is worthless and is a hole into which pour money.

Fixing a 60 year old building to bring it up to current standards? Keep in mind by the time you have to pay off all the crooks, the cost overruns should double or triple this figure.

"The contract for construction management was awarded to Skanska USA Building Inc. in October 2007. Under the accelerated strategy, the entire project would be completed within five years, so that construction costs ($195.4 million), as well as the swing space cost estimates, would be reduced. This led ACABQ to recommend on 18 October the approval of the accelerated strategy and the appropriation of $992.8 million for the biennium 2008–2009 budget." UN Chronicle

The US contribution to the UN budget is 22%. "The US budget is determined by Congress after the president makes initial requests. The Bush administration, for example, requested $1.26 billion for mandatory contributions to the UN, UN agencies and other international organizations for the Fiscal Year 2007 (October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007). Included in this request was $422.7 million for the UN regular budget and $1.13 billion in peacekeeping dues." Fact sheet

Green Continuing Ed

I don't know what you have in your profession, but I must see dozens of this type of continuing ed, workshop, conference, and license points stuff every month addressed to my husband (who doesn't do e-mail). This one is from the US Green Building Council. For a lot of bucks, they'll keep architects, engineers and builders up to the minute, month after month, class upon class, on how to market their company as a greenie.

Go Dann Go!

Ohio's Attorney General is refusing to resign. He says he's rolling up his sleeves, zipping up his pants, and now he's ready to do the work of the people (Democrats ought to ban that phrase from their guide book for political hacks). Ohioans haven't had an impeachment since 1808--200 years. Our guys don't even know how to do it! Wonder what this will cost the taxpayers in lawyer fees? So the Democrats, the guys who wet themselves over former Governor Taft's unreported golf outings, are pulling out all the stops, pressuring him to resign. Things are so murky in the OAG's office that they definitely don't want a public trial bringing up all the dirt. Short of calling in the Clintons to knee-cap him, I don't know what else they can do.

Go Dann Go
by Norma Bruce

You're so defiant
You're not compliant
with standards and oaths
You're such an oaf
Go Dann Go!

You're ready to joust
Strickland wants to oust
from his party with pleas
and he's won't say please
Go Dann Go!

From 1808
to 2008
and now we've got Dann
who's everygirl's man.
Go Dann Go!

My Bob Taft poem

Book Club selections for 2008-2009

Last night our book club (now in its 26th year) met to discuss "Inside the Kingdom; my life in Saudi Arabia" by Carmen bin Ladin (Warner Books, 2004). Several of our members have been missionaries or have traveled extensively, so we had an interesting fashion show and delicious treats to reflect the theme.

We voted to start our meetings at 7 p.m. to get us home a little earlier (a quarter of a century ago most members were still putting children to bed), and at least for January and February, 2009, the meeting will be in a church lounge just to see if we like that, and if it will help in finding locations in the dark and snow! Changing the day of the month and from evening to afternoon didn't fly. All meetings are the first Monday, except September and January, when they are second Monday.

We also selected our titles for 2008-2009. A very strong field of 15 titles was voted on and the winners are:

September: Faith Club--3 women talk about their faith, what they learn about themselves and each other, non-fiction

October: The shack by William P. Young. This is an allegory, and we were warned that this book is so good, "You will read this, even if you don't read it now."

November: The Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi. A Sudanese woman, formerly an emigre to the Netherlands, now living in the U.S. "A good follow-up on lives of Muslim women to the bin Ladin book," said a member.

December: Once upon a town by Bob Green. A story about the little town of North Platte, Nebraska, that fed 6 million GIs during WWII. Easy to read for a busy month.

January: Educating Alice by Alice Steinbach. Reporter for Baltimore Sun talks about what she learns on assignments. Travel and diary.

February: Blood of the Prodigal by P. Gaus. Our mystery genre reader recommends a mystery about the old order Amish by an Ohio author. She said it isn't the strongest in the series, but it's the first and that's a good place to start.

March: Shaping of a life by Phyllis Tickle. Devotional material especially for women--growth and transformation. Some heard her at the Faith writers conference.

April: Two old women by Velma Wallis. Story of two Alaskan Athabascan women left behind so the rest of the tribe could survive. But they don't die. . .

May: Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. This will be our "classic" for the year--or a 2-fer, because some times we read a children's book. Two members actually recommended this. May is the meeting where we will select the next year's titles, and we'll meet at my place with Marcy being co-hostess. I'll add the other locations when I update.

We also had some terrific titles recommended that didn't make the cut, but I'll add them so you know your colleagues have found them enjoyable.

Three cups of tea, non-fiction; King Leopold's ghost, history; Gilead, contemplative; 90 minutes to heaven, autobiography; To kill a mockingbird, classic; Autobiography of Henry VIII, really fat novel.

How your body works

This is fun, animated and informative. "Getting Older"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23958246/

Subtle deficits in memory begin in the 40s; nerve clls for hearing don't regenerate; body fat doubles between 25 and 75. . . fun stuff.

Derek Jeter is boring

he says in an interview for Players Club magazine, my newest premiere issue featured at my hobby bloggy In the Beginning. He stays home and watches movies, and he'd like to get married and start a family. You may never read this article--it's a niche publication--intended only for athletes. Also, the magazine will have a shorter than usual life span. Lenny Dykstra, the founder of the magazine intended to help athletes with their wealth, is suing and being sued by his publisher, Doubledown Media.

Mandates driving up health insurance costs

As a state senator in Illinois, Barack Obama "voted to require that dental anesthesia be covered by every health plan for difficult medical cases. Today, the requirement is one of 43 mandates imposed by Illinois on health insurance, according to the Illinois Division of Insurance. Other mandates require coverage of infertility treatments, drug rehab, "personal injuries" incurred while intoxicated, and other forms of care.

By my count, during Mr. Obama's tenure in the state Senate, 18 different laws came up for a vote and passed that imposed new mandates on private health insurance. Mr. Obama voted for all of them." “Obama's Health Care Record” By Scott Gottlieb

Some bloggers

really have the touch. I was glancing through "Stuff White People Like," or something like that, and found some really interesting. . . stuff. Like 200-500 commenters on posts that don't say much, but are well written. I have no idea who writes it--white, black or brown, team or individual, male, female or transitioned, employed, on-the-dole or retired, rural, ex-pat or urban. The posts I read where intelligent, witty, observant, well constructed and illustrated. Whoever does it has a good eye, sharp wit, and writing skills that should demand a good salary. The website, however, can't handle traffic. I went upstairs, sorted the laundry, then went to the basement and loaded the washing machine; I fiddled with the dial on the radio to get Rush; reheated my coffee; made some notes on paper; all while waiting for the "about" page to load. No thanks. That's why I'm not linking.

Spring 2008 at Lakeside

Lakeside was a hopping place this past week-end--must have been a lot of boards and committees meeting, despite the heavy rains. We bought gas in Bucyrus at $3.46, compared to $3.65 in Columbus, and I picked up my Saturday coffee on the way in saving a 15 mile round trip and $.50 on the coffee. But our best way to make up for the higher cost of this trip over Spring 2007 was enjoying our first dinner at Evelyn's, spending about $14 less than our usual Friday night date in Columbus. That's the new name of the Abigail Tea Room, a Lakeside gathering place for over 50 years. Apparently everyone else had the same idea, because by 6 p.m. on Friday there was a line standing on the porch waiting to get in. What fabulous food! We started the season with perch sandwiches, not unusual for a restaurant on Lake Erie, but there were many wonderful items. We particularly enjoyed the warm, fresh baked potato chips, and the salads with crisp fresh ingredients, and the freshly baked, warm bread and rolls. Yes, the prices are a bit higher, but everything was so fresh and delicious. The new owners are Mary Martin and Peg Walsh, and if I heard the story correctly, they fell in love with Lakeside on their first visit, and Abigail's had just gone up for sale. According to their flyer, their mom, mother of 10, was a terrific cook, so some of the items I'm guessing reflect that love and interest. The adjoined cottages that make up the restaurant will remain this season, but I believe there are plans to separate them, using the one on the north as a residence, and rebuilding the other for the restaurant.

Other changes I noticed: the house across the street from Evelyn's, which I think used to be called Knight's Rest or something like that, is now a shrimp/coral color instead of white. I see there is an efficiency for rent for $395 a week. Couldn't read the price on the larger apartment. I think it is owner occupied, with two rental spaces. There was no shortage of cottages being fixed up. Jan's on Oak Avenue and Second is finally almost finished (huge problems with her first contractor), but painted a surprise robin egg blue--at least a surprise to my husband (her architect) who had selected a very different color scheme.

I stopped on Second to say Hello to Marilyn at her new location for Marilyn's Too. Last year she lost her lease, and had combined her two stores. This one has sweaters and carpets, some angels, Christian gifts, stationery. I stepped over the carpenter tools and new front door and took a peek inside. This shop is next door to Coffee and Cream.

And Third Street will certainly be more pleasant now that the couple who own Toys on Third and Home on Third have purchased the huge lodging at the corner of Third and Maple that had all the porches closed in to create more rooms, and it looked like an ugly box filled with old couches. It is being beautifully restored working from old photographs.

The Greening of the Rich

Andie MacDowell (movie star, 50) is taking a page from the home and gardening handbook of Al Gore and John Edwards, trading her 2.5 acre lot in the Blue Ridge Mountains (354 homesites) for one 3.5 acres. This way she can have a pasture and barn and more sq. ft. than she can possibly use. Of course, it wouldn't be Hollywood if it weren't eco-friendly. . . with riding trails and a golf course designed by Arnold Palmer. Seen at "Private Properties" in WSJ, but is also at Ecorazzi which seems to track this behavior by celebrities.

My great grandfather used to own land in the Smokies area (Dandridge), but sold it for a chance to make a living for his large family in Illinois. Back then (very early 20th century) it was just a hard scrabble living trying to farm on the sides of mountains. The story I was told, which might be apocryphal, was that he knew someone in Texas and someone in Illinois, but the train to Illinois came first.

The browning of green

"Kyoto has emerged as the single biggest threat to the global environment. Thanks to Kyoto, we are seeing a revival of megadams that threaten to destroy many of the world’s remaining river valleys, we are seeing a renaissance of nuclear power, which remains a costly and dangerous technology, we are seeing our foodlands turned into fuel lands, and people in the Third World rioting because they can’t afford the doubling of grain prices that has resulted."

Many scientists "who didn’t toe the government line lost their funding, were drummed out of their jobs, found it impossible to publish in crucial journals, discovered that they were pariahs in their academic departments, or were exposed to furious criticism in the press of a sort most research scientists will never encounter, including being compared to Holocaust Deniers by quite mainstream-media figures like Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes. That is certainly quite enough persecution to have a chilling effect on debate." Read the rest of the interview with the author of The Deniers.

Ohio's Attorney General is

Disgusting! His behavior, his apology, and his refusal to resign! This guy is unbelievable--or worse--maybe he's too believable. He's a man of the day--the rules are for everyone else, but not him, especially politicians. Marc Dann, it's time to get out of Dodge and let our former-pastor-Governor who ran on Christian values 2006, appoint someone who knows what an oath and vow mean, to say nothing of the laws about sex with your staff.

Is it only the Republican gay public servants who are held accountable? This is a heck of a lot more serious than text messaging house pages or a wide stance in the men's rest room! His office is described as a regular "animal house" by state employees.

Dispatch editorial: Scram Dann

The more things change. . .

This morning while waiting for my husband to finish his meeting, I opened the Wall St. Journal before using it to wrap the pizza to help keep it cold for the trip home from Lakeside. The articles included

soaring gasoline prices

food price inflation

consensus of 55 economists for gloomy report

Olympic athlete training was helped by new technology

newly started security firm in Iraq was struggling to find enough employees

Hollywood celebrities, joined at the hip with the Democrats, were reliving 1968 glory days in this election cycle

But wait! The date on the paper which I'd pulled out of the kitchen cabinet was August 13, 2004!