Christmas shopping finished

It will be low key this year. Usually we've made a major gift to the children, but this year it will be a modest gift card and a book or two. Always a mistake, however, to stroll through Wal-Mart without lots of resolve. I went there to get my son's gift card, but wandered around finding things I didn't really need which almost doubled the bill. Like 6 kitchen towels for $5. My 40 year old towels are a bit faded and ragged, but they still work. I did find a floor mat made in the USA--"I'm proud to be an American." Didn't buy it. Found some wash clothes--those always get grungy fast--but passed on the towels. I was out of paper towels and some food items, so I picked those up. One bright spot--I had the most pleasant check-out person.

We haven't yet worked out how we're doing Christmas dinner--I think someone's waiting for me to act. Tomorrow we've got our couples group dinner and I'm taking my Christmas salad. I've had 3 hits on it today. So someone else is looking for ideas too--it's great--and very festive. The cards and letters are slowly coming in.

The Network

Usually I don't care for anything Chris Matthews does, but I think this MSNBC video of the Blago-Obama links is pretty good. He left out Patti's sister who is in the Illinois state legislature, but I'm not sure she was on the list to be considered for Senate. Also, Chris missed the opportunity to point out the other governors who went to jail were Republicans. Illinois is an equal opportunity state.



Also, I think the Illinois AG bears a striking resemblance in voice and face to that movie star formerly married to Bruce Willis. I've forgotten her name, she married a kid star, but remember she used to be on a soap, and I was always struck by her deep, husky voice.

Obama’s solution for corruption in government

The Blago story moves closer to BO with Rahm Emanuel's involvement (although I would be surprised if the Team O wasn't interested, money or not--appointment to open seats, usually through death or disgrace of the holder is hands in the cookie jar in every state that doesn't hold a special election). But Obama's ideas on how to reduce corrunption are instructive, seen at James Taranto's column.

It's just human nature, “making enough on the job” includes just about every official’s idea of his own needs, including Blagojevich, but I like Obama’s solution--more private sector jobs.

“We know that the temptation to take a bribe is greater when you're not making enough on the job. And we also know that the more people there are on the government payroll, the more likely it is that someone will be encouraged to take a bribe. So if the government found ways to downsize the bureaucracy--to cut out the positions that aren't necessary or useful--it could use the extra money to increase the salary of other government officials.

Of course, the best way to reduce bureaucracy and increase pay is to create more private sector jobs.”

Unfortunately, this speech was given in Kenya--I don’t think we’ll hear this theme at home. With so many jobs going to the non-profits and faith-based organizations who use government money to run their programs, the party in power doesn't have the patronage and control that a large bureaucracy does--and during the campaign, Obama promised to return that money to the government payroll. His handlers can see that this spreading the money around to the private sector through non-profits and government partnerships with business didn't bring the Bush Administration any loyalty or power base the way one would have if the government payroll had been engorged.

Why do they think they can make automobiles?

“The waste highlighted in this report is only a fraction of the more than $385 billion the federal government throws away every year through waste, fraud and duplication. Yet, each example in this report is a snapshot that tells a larger story, just as the Bridge to Nowhere justifiably became a symbol of the corrupting nature of earmarks. The story the American people already understand is that Congress’ inability to make common sense decisions about spending priorities is putting our children’s future at risk. Until Congress abandons the short-term parochialism that gives us LobsterCams and inflatable alligators, we will never get a handle on the major economic challenges facing this country,” [Senator Tom Coburn, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Relations]. See Full Report, "2008 Worst Waste of the year."

"We could say they spend money like drunken sailors, but that would be unfair--to drunken sailors. It would be unfair, because the sailors are spending their own money." - Ronald Reagan on Congress

Putting political pieces on the board the Chicago Way

Chicago Tribune writer John Kass writes on December 12 that Jimmy DeLeo is the real Illinois powerhouse who controls not only the governor, but Rahm Emanuel. Rahm is vacating a House seat, Rahm works for Obama, who is vacating a Senate seat. Why wouldn't Obama, or any incoming President, want a say in who gets appointed? Why shouldn't these guys trade favors for seats in Congress? These are politicians, for Pete's sake. The man behind the curtain

Other Tribune writers report U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. discussed raising at least $1 million for Blagojevich's campaign as a way to encourage him to pick Jackson for the job. Link.

The amount of money passing hands in Illinois is pennies compared to the give-aways in Congress. I don't know who DeLeo or Kass are, but do you feel like you're stepping in quick sand and afraid of what you'll find at the bottom? Is there a bottom? Or does it sometimes feels like a trick by the bailed out banks (remember those guys?) or the Fannie Mae execs or the Ben and Hank show so that we stay busy reading the headlines linking Chicago-Springfield-DC and not noticing what they did (or didn't do) with all our money?

Small business bears the brunt of regulatory costs

"The research finds (2005) that the cost of federal regulations totals $1.1 trillion; the cost per employee for firms with fewer than 20 employees is $7,647. . . Governement regulations cost more per household than health care.

Environmental and tax compliance regulations appear to be the main cost drivers in determining the severity of the disproportionate impact on small firms. Compliance with environmental regulations costs 364 percent more in small firms than in large
firms. The cost of tax compliance is 67 percent higher in small firms than the cost in large firms."

The 2005 findings were consistent with those of 1995 and 2001. So how will our government help small business in this time of economy strain? By adding more environmental regulations and higher taxes.

Read the full report for SBA here.

Serbs say he's forgotten his roots

Rod Blagojevich, whose first name is Milorad, son of Radissa, is a second-generation Serb-American. Blagojevich was the second person of Serb descent elected governor in the United States (after U.S. Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, who served as governor in the 1990s).

At Politika:

Miodrag writes: "Blagojevich asked American Serbs to help him financially but he's never done anything for Serbia. To the contrary, he voted for sharp measures against Serbia. ... He came to Belgrade in 1999 with Jesse Jackson to release four American soldiers captured in Kosovo [during the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia]. He did it only to promote himself. That person has never done anything for Serbs." Milos writes: "I'm glad that justice finally caught up with Rod Blagojevich. When he was a member of the Congress, he appealed to Serb Americans to give him donations because he was allegedly fighting for Serb issues. However, when he received thousands of dollars from naive Serbs, he never did anything positive at all for the Serb people. Rod Blagojevich always took care of himself and his pocket." Janko writes: "If somebody is not clear enough on what is a true American myth, the so-called American dream, he should look into the biography of Rod Blagojevich. He was always fighting for himself alone and went from zero to somebody. Serbs did not vote for him. He was elected governor of Illinois with the votes of African-Americans—that is Obama's voters." Slobo writes: "Well, one more piece of evidence that the Americans hate us. They don't let us steal."

Some people drop their middle name, some their first name. It's an American custom, and it's OK unless you're Joe the Plumber.

I didn't smell anything

The Jacksons vs. Obama

Remember last summer when Jesse Jackson didn't have his mike off and said he hoped for an Obama castration? Literally. I'm much too refined to quote him. You can just go to Google. So Blagojevich after the election finds out that he will get nothing for appointing Obama's favorite, Valerie Jarret, but can get a pay off from Daddy Jackson who has all that blackmail money from CEOs with the wrong number of minorities on their staff. The Obamarama Crowd then decided to pay Jackson back by turning on his son, the infamous #5. Now both dad and son have hired lawyers, Obama's still claiming to be tri-squeeky clean (heard nothing, saw nothing, said nothing), and the press is all shaking its collective talking head suggesting, "Oh well, we all know Blago was crazy." That way when he sings, as we know he will do to reduce his sentence (I've watched Law and Order for about 15 years), his reputation and credibility will be totally destroyed. Never you mind that Obama was on his team when he was running for Governor of Illinois--and didn't notice he was a few bricks short of a load. Jesse just needed that pay back. You just don't cross an Obama. After all, Grandma was a bank vice president and he's got all those Ivy League creds.

How do they find these sob stories?

My parents weren't wealthy, but they also didn't borrow money to send their children to college (I think one of us four were in college continually between 1953 and 1963). There were very few loans or scholarships in those days, and colleges weren't dependent on them as they are now. The more money is available for loans, the higher the costs go, is my theory. See the Measuring up 2008 report if you want to see how college costs have leap frogged over all other segments of the economy.


I went to a private Christian college, Manchester in Indiana, and then transferred to the University of Illinois; the costs at the two were comparable. I worked in high school and had enough saved ($1,000) for one year, but my parents covered the next two years. I got a small scholarship from my church, which embarrassed my father and he donated it back. I worked during summer break and about 10-15 hours a week while I was in school, usually either in the library or at a drug store near campus. I got married before I graduated and that was the end of the "gravy train," so I then had to borrow money from my father and pay it back, and I cobbled together some graduate stipends. I had to beg the powers at U. of I., as I recall, to be considered a state resident, because I'd married an out-of-state student, and like our names, the residency seemed to change with the spouse. I also got turned down for a better paid graduate assistantship because I was married, and had "a spouse who could support me." Ah those were the days!


Still, it doesn't sound as silly as one of the examples in today's WSJ, about a real estate agent working one of the most fabulous vacation spots in the country, San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington, who is struggling with her son's University of Chicago tuition as sales drop off. To add to the economic down turn stress, her husband has lymphoma. Someone in that family needs a spinal implant--either the mother or son. In a blink of an eye, I knew what my dad would have done. I'd be called home, the facts of life would be explained, and an offer presented--I'd either transfer to a state school, or I'd get a job.

Jane Sawyer, a real-estate agent in San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington, is struggling to keep her son, Michael Guard, enrolled at the University of Chicago, where he's now a sophomore. "I'm trying really hard so he doesn't graduate with a mountain of debt," she says.

As house sales fell this year, Ms. Sawyer says, her income tumbled to a third of what she'd made in previous years, while her expenses rose. Her husband, Michael's stepfather, recently had a stem-cell transplant for lymphoma. All of that has left Michael, 19, scrambling for money to stay at Chicago for the quarter that begins after Christmas. He already has some grants and student loans, covering about $20,000 of Chicago's $50,000-a-year bill. But he's been relying on his mother and savings from summer jobs to cover the remainder.

Michael, who studies philosophy and Spanish, is now considering asking his step-grandfather for a loan. He says he may skip the winter quarter and transfer to a cheaper school next year. "I hate the idea of having to borrow money," he says."

And to top it off, he's studying philosophy--what's the return on a degree like that? For this his mother lies awake at night trying to figure out how to pay his bills? Oh, yes, it is a very different time.

The PUMA's roar

There’s a big discussion on Rod and Patti Blagojevich and ties to Rezko who helped create the Obamaphenoma (she use to make really huge deals in real estate) over at PUMA P.A.C. (they call it Blagobamagate) where I saw this great old song by the Supremes. Sing it Blago!

Stress, work and health--of your baby

It's been a lot of years since I was pregnant--over 40, in fact. I do remember it being a time of some stress, although not from being employed. It wasn't all that easy to get or keep a job back in the 60s if you were pregnant. Some of the protectionist employment laws (there were special lounges and required work breaks for females--thinking I guess that men and women were different, something the feminists have tried to disprove) probably saved a lot of women. I do remember running the cash register at the Green Street Pharmacy and that my legs got really tired from hours of standing. However, emotional stress is probably just as damaging. I came across the following in "Take control of your aging," by Dr. William Marlarkey of Ohio State (Wooster Book Company, 1999). He did a lecture series at our church a few years back, but I didn't go--maybe didn't want to know? But this week I checked his book out of the church library.

"A study of pregnancy in attorneys noted that working a great number of hours during the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with a greater risk of miscarriage compared with lawyers who worked fewer hours. This study of 584 attorneys compared those who worked more than 45 hours per week with those women who worked less than 35 hours per week. The more hours a woman worked, the more likely she was to report feeling stressed. Those women who were partners or associates in a law firm were more likely to report stress, as were those involved in criminal law and litigation. Facts inducing stress were political intrigue, backbiting, lack of opportunity for promotion, advancement not determined by the quality of work, and lack of respect from superiors. Working more than 45 hours a week was associated with a three-fold increase in the miscarriage rate when controlling for other factors as age, smoking, and alcohol intake. Women who drank seven or more alcoholic drinks a week in the first trimester were five times more likely to have a miscarriage." p. 128-129

I don't like the bibliography in this book. Like many books that are written for a lay audience but contain technical material, there is a bibliography at the end, but no references to it in the text. So I had to go to Google to find the source of this article--in fact, as near as I can tell, his staff missed this one for the chapter on Stress, Emotions and Health. Here it is with the abstract, just so you know Dr. Malarkey isn't full of malarkey.

Self-Reported Stress and Reproductive Health of Female Lawyers.
Original Article
Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 39(6):556-568, June 1997.
Schenker, Marc B. MD; Eaton, Muzza PhD; Green, Rochelle MS; Samuels, Steven PhD

Abstract:
We studied the prevalence and relationship of stress and working conditions with adverse reproductive outcomes in a cohort of female US law-school alumnae. A total of 584 female lawyers (74% response), aged 25 to 63, responded to a mailed questionnaire. Job hours per week was a strong predictor of job stress. In a logistic regression analysis, women working >45 hours/week were five times as likely to report high stress as those working <35 hours/week. Marriage and length of time on the job showed a small inverse association with stress. Women who worked more than 45 hours/week during their first trimester of pregnancy were more likely to report high stress at work during pregnancy. After being adjusted for confounding factors, weekly job hours during the first trimester of pregnancy showed a strong independent association with spontaneous abortion risk (odds ratio [OR], 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4 to 6.6). Seven or more alcohol drinks/week was also independently associated with spontaneous abortion risk (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.5 to 18.1). Self-reported stress during pregnancy was positively but not statistically significantly associated with spontaneous abortion (OR, 1.4; 95% CI 0.8 to 2.3).

I mention this report because we think that being unemployed or having hours reduced is stressful, but based on what the workplace does to your emotions and body, perhaps it might be a blessing in disguise--especially if you are pregnant. But even if you're not pregnant, many things that happen in the workplace are not good for you. This layoff, cut back, job change just might save your life, or at least give you more years to enjoy your retirement when you've packed away the briefcase, locked the meeting room door, and sumitted your last report.

Cindy Hefner leaves Playboy

The photo I saw in the paper showed her in a business suit. Yes, although the women who work for her don't wear clothes, she does. Interesting that when you're head of a flesh for sale media giant that exploits both women and men, you get to appear in public fully clothed. Maybe it's the salary; maybe it's the brains; or maybe she's smarter than old dad (photos of him usually show him in pajamas or a robe)? Disagree if you wish, but it's been proven over and over that pornography and the exploitation of women are links of the chains that run through trafficking in humans, i.e., slavery, much of it for sex, an industry much larger in the 21st century than it was in the 17th and 18th. Ms. Hefner said she would like to engage in public service after she retires in January--maybe some non-profit work or serving on a corporate board. I have some ideas how she might expiate some of her sins:

• http://www.theirc.org/what/irc_antitrafficking_initiative.html


• http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/


• http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/


• http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2006/index.htm


• http://www.stopthetraffik.org/language.aspx


• http://www.freetheslaves.net/Page.aspx?pid=183&srcid=-2


• Red-Light Rescue

First Axelrod, now Emanuel, misremembered

It's getting so crowded under the bus with Wright, Grandma, Rezko, etc. The blog at ABC, also dancing around what is fast becoming obvious to everyone who is not on Obama's payroll

According to Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., Mr. Obama's incoming White House chief of staff, Emanuel, then-state senator Obama, a third Blagojevich aide, and Blagojevich's campaign co-chair, David Wilhelm, were the top strategists of Blagojevich's 2002 gubernatorial victory.

Emanuel told the New Yorker earlier this year that he and Obama "participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor. We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two."

Wilhelm said that Emanuel had overstated Obama's role. "There was an advisory council that was inclusive of Rahm and Barack but not limited to them," Wilhelm said, and he disputed the notion that Obama was "an architect or one of the principal strategists."

(An Obama Transition Team aide emails to note that Emanuel later changed his recollection of this story to Rich Miller's "CAPITOL FAX," saying, "David [Wilhelm] and I have worked together on campaigns for decades. Like always, he's right and I'm wrong.")

And have you seen the NYT chart of influence? Almost funny with the blank spaces.

Update: And now an Illinois a news source is not only pulling the story, but denying the meeting took place. "KHQA TV wishes to offer clarification regarding a story that appeared last month. . ." Funny they didn't correct it until today. And Jesse Jr. says he absolutely had no input. Personally, I think Blagojevich will really sing in order to get the charges reduced. You can't trust a guy with hair like that.

Laughing at Palin, but not Gore

This California wit twice mentions Sarah Palin in Alaska--three times if you count a reference to her husband--in writing about a coming snow storm for California. Nothing about global warming hype and Al Gore worship, however.

Shallow research

If it's possible for journalists to drown in a mud puddle, Cam Simpson and Jonathan Weisman of today's WSJ certainly fell in and died from lack of effort in this one, "Obama ties in the spotlight." Two sources are cited for the most part in this "investigation" written mostly in the passive tense: an Obama biographer, David Mendell, and an Obama mythmaker, David Axelrod. And so we get investigative depth such as

embarrassing the 2 aren't close no suggestion of inappropriate behavior public spotlight on the episodes highlights ties name will be linked little mud on his suit no relationship say aides unclear how much Obama worked on Blagojevich campaign not involved with Emanuel say transition officials gone separate ways (Axelrod and Blogojevich) says Mendell "I was mistaken when I said Obama spoke directly to Gov. Blogojevich about the Senate vacancy," said Axelrod.

Some articles are best left unwritten. The WSJ has the most liberal news coverage of any American newspaper, but this has to be an all time best obamapology.

Rod Blagojevich, Obama, Bush, Frank, Pelosi, et al

And these are the public servants who want to tell us how to run the economy? And the world? For four years they've been investigating Illinois' governor, while he told the Illinois tax payers to tighten their belts, make grandma hostage at the nursing home with unpaid Medicaid bills, and close the local parks, even the ones that were self supporting. And Obama, the man with change and hope in his belly, heard and saw no evil, and spoke only beautiful rhetorical phrases. Meanwhile Blagojevich (is that hair real?) is negotiating a cushy job for himself and his wife with the Obama/Pelosi crowd. Will children's services remove the kids from an unfit home? This place sounds more corrupt than a few renegade Mormans. Who knew what when? Does it really matter? So, do you suppose this is what Biden tried to warn us about? Or was it some other disaster we're suppose to ignore and trust that our leaders know best?

This post has a record number of question marks, at least for me. This Blagojevich story has left me only with questions. My condolences to the citizens of Illinois. I think it's time to clean up Chicago.

Censorship or common sense?

As a librarian I think I've seen or read just about everything that's out there (that's stupid) about digital porn, filters, libraries and access. It's always about freedom and never about protecting children or library patrons who have to sit next to the perverts. "Well, what if they are doing a school report about AIDS in Africa, and you've got a filter on the computer?" Yeah, sure. I know people who will not take their children to public libraries unattended--and that's just fine, indeed recommended, by some library directors. God forbid some slimeball should be prevented masterbating at the terminal or stacks while he views naked girls and women. Now it's Wikipedia. What? Librarians on their board/staff? Here's the story in E-Commerce News.

A decades-old record album cover showing a young girl posing nude may be illegal in the UK, but the controversial image has not been banned in the U.S., where Wikipedia is hosted. The user-created online encyclopedia has therefore determined it would be censorship to remove the image from its pages. Several British ISPs have restricted access to the page, however, in response to a complaint.

The Times of India

Here's another interesting video I saw at Rainy Day--how the Times of India, the world's largest English language newspaper, supported a campaign to find new, fresh leadership. It's fascinating--this is a reality show I could watch if we did this in the U.S. Considering the events of last week in Mumbai, it may be even more important to watch this video now.

New Christmas song about Joseph

With mixed sacred and secular images, this video presents a recording for this Christmas made by The Killers, Elton John and Neil Tennant. Proceeds will benefit Product Red, an AIDS benefit.



HT Rainy Day, for anything you need to know about Ireland.

The Freshmen of 2008

When I saw that I had a message from Mabel Freeman, I almost deleted it. Could have been anything--like a guy shoveling snow in the buff from a Floridian, or a Nigerian princess offering me a loan or ink cartridges. However, I'm glad I looked--at her message, not the guy. It was about the OSU class that entered in September 2007 (not sure why that is called the class of 2008 instead of 2007). It really is impressive. I thought they were fudging a bit on the stats for "students of color" since that includes Asians, and I think there needs to be a better term for students whose ancestors didn't come from Europe like SWANE, although eventually, I suppose if colonial emigres to Britain study in the U.S., even that one won't work. I thought this was impressive: "75% enrolled having earned college credit from AP performance, post-secondary enrollment, or international baccalaureate participation." It looks like the College of Engineering snagged most of this talented group, with business coming in second. I don't know what "exploration" means, but probably "still thinking," or "present." When I was at Ohio State, there was a lot of concern and effort about retention of minority students, because they were heavily recruited, but so many failed or transferred. Therefore, I was thrilled to see this: "African American and Hispanic retention reached a new high of 91%." Also foreign student enrollment is way up again, after falling off after 9/11 when security measures got stricter.

Good job, Ohio State University!

Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book

Sometimes I can't help myself. Not only am I addicted to reference books, I swoon over serendipity in the stacks. Yesterday I pulled off Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book, 680+ pages of unclassified documents about CIA, Homeland Security, counterintelligence, Patriot Act, detainee treatment, how to share information about terrorists, and information sharing, etc. Another thing that overwhelms me--how much Obama has to learn, if this is just the unclassified, imagine what else he's trying to take in. No wonder he's tracking to the middle, with all the Clintonistas standing around him like that TV ad for cell phone support.

Don't laugh. Have you ever read the National Security Act of 1947? You know, you go through life thinking you read, write and speak American standard English. . . and then you read a government document.

"Notwithstanding any provision of law identified in section 904, the President may stay the imposition of an economic, cultural, diplomatic, or other sanction or related action by the United States Government concerning a foreign country, organization, or person when the President determines and reports to Congress in accordance with section 903 that to proceed without delay would seriously risk the compromise of an ongoing criminal investigation directly related to the related to the activities giving rise to the sanction. Any such stay shall be effective for a period of time specified by the President, which period may not exceed 120 days, unless such period is extended in accordance with section 902."

Tipping has changed!

This morning I took a Christmas card and a $20 bill into Panera's, addressed to "The morning staff," and included a little note of thanks. It seems like a big chunk when you give it at once, but not amortized. I'm there about 4 days a week, 42 weeks of the year, so that's what, about a 12 cent tip per visit on a $1.69 cup of coffee with several refills, a seat by the fireplace, regulars and friends to chat with and 3 papers to read? Two of the staff members came over to my table later to personally thank me. That was nice--and it gave me a chance to share about "the olden days."

When I worked at Zickuhr's Drug Store in high school and a few weeks between college sessions between Manchester and University of Illinois, a cup of coffee was $.10 and the advice and kidding was free and never ending, as was the Monday Morning Quarter Backing all week long about the local sports teams. But it wasn't unusual to get a quarter tip. Dave Dillehay, the town clerk, was particularly generous. If I got on the honor roll, which was posted in the town paper each 6 weeks, I got a $5 gift certificate. And when I got married, he gave me a silverplate tea service, which now resides at my daughter's home. Yes, those were the days of tipping!

Both Dave Dillehay and Ralph Zickuhr have parks named for them, from a grateful community--they were good leaders and well liked.

Bankruptcy will be better than bailout both for Big 3 and American consumer

These points come from Don Weil, however, I've mentioned particularly the need for change in the auto industry going back to the 1970s. Ohio's economy is closely tied to the auto industry, as is my son's job, so I do have mixed emotions on the bailout, however, for the country and the global economy, a bailout is much worse than a bankruptcy. Overpaid unions, overpaid CEOs. Head-in-the-sand industry. Over regulated already with Congress trying to run the business and push cars no one wants. And who was it that allowed the loophole on gasoline efficiency so that light trucks became the rage? Congress, of course. Lame duck Bush will do nothing, although he'll get the blame either way; Obama will wait so he can be savior, and it will definitely be called a success no matter what the results. Even if we stay in a recession or fall into a depression that lasts over a decade like we did with FDR who grew it to massive proportions, Obama will be lauded and praised at least until Americans wake up a few generations from now. My generation won't live long enough to have history sort it out, and our "free press" will certain be no help, if it even survives

• If the companies go into bankruptcy and come out stronger, the industry will employ about the same amount of people. If not, foreign auto makers will produce more cars in the U.S. and pick up many of these workers.
• A prepackaged bankruptcy could actually leave the major auto makers in better shape than they were prior to the financial crisis. Since the mid-1990s, the Big Three made most of their money on gas guzzling SUVs and trucks. That simply won’t cut it anymore. Bankruptcy will force the auto makers to quicken their shift to smaller cars.
• bankruptcy would give the Big Three an opportunity to rework their labor contracts, cutting compensation, and to jettison incompetent executives.
• Plenty of companies have emerged stronger from bankruptcy. Nearly all the major airlines have gone through that process and came out stronger than when they entered.
• The Big Three have had so many opportunities to change their practices since the first oil crisis of the early 1970s, yet they have been reluctant to budge. GM still has eight brands of cars, even though critics have pointed out for years that’s probably about seven too many.
• this current "bailout" bears no resemblance to the rescue of Chrysler in 1980. In 1980, Congress passed, and President Carter signed, a law giving a U.S. government guarantee of a private $1.5 billion loan to Chrysler. Not one dollar of taxpayer funds was ever used in the deal. Chrysler also had a clear plan to make a comeback and the loan was relatively small.

Dan Weil - Dec 8 at Newsmax
.
For explanation of how UAW labor costs compare with other workers, see Heritage.

The CIA's art collection

Nothing about the government should surprise me, but I didn't know the CIA has its own art collection. Today I picked up the CSI's Studies in Intelligence Journal, vol.52, no.2, 2008, to read

"By the end of 2008, 52 percent of CIA’s workforce will have entered on duty since 11 September 2001. CIA’s history and museum programs provide institutional cohesion to communicate CIA’s corporate culture and identity during this demographic revolution. Recent additions to the Agency’s historical holdings include intelligence-themed paintings and sculpture that record for posterity the experiences of intelligence officers in peace and war."

It was a non-circ item (from OSUL), but it is available on the web, or at least parts of it. Here's a sample of the art. The painting depicts Virginia Hall, a Baltimore native who joined the State Department in the 1930s, with many assignments abroad until an accident cost her a leg and she resigned. At the outbreak of WWII, she "joined the British Special Operations Executive (SOE). . . Her fluency in French landed her a clandestine assignment in Lyons, where she went to work developing the area’s resistance operations. Over the next 15 months, every British agent arriving in France passed through her flat for instructions, counterfeit money, and contacts. In addition, she orchestrated supply drops and helped endangered agents escape to England. Betrayed in November 1942, she had to use her own escape route out of France, just steps ahead of her now infamous pursuer, Klaus Barbie, “the butcher of Lyons.”

Hall then joined the Special Operations Branch of the Office of Strategic Services in March 1944 and asked to return to occupied France. OSS promptly granted her request and reinfiltrated her aboard a British PT boat. Disguised as a farmwoman, she carried cheese to local villages to count German troops and identify drop zones for the Allied invasion to come." After the war she received the Distinguished Service Cross—the only one given to a civilian woman during that war. "Hall later worked for the CIA, serving in many jobs as one of CIA’s first female operations officers."

Throw in some romance (Branjelina?) and this would be a great movie. She married her husband, Paul, in 1950 who was also an OSS officer. Her story was told in The Wolves at the Door : The True Story of America's Greatest Female Spy by Judith L. Pearson, The Lyons Press, 2005. That left leg looks pretty real to me in the painting. Maybe the artist didn't know?

Manna Storehouse raids in Ohio

Usually, I wouldn't cite a Daily Kos entry for anything, but I think this one on what happened in Ohio to a small organic co-op (private membership) Manna Storehouse, is worth looking at. It provides a lot of links that I won't go into. Both left, libertarian and right seemed alarmed by big government interference in legal, but non-licensed, activities. I suspect the raids happened because we have no serious crime in Ohio, and all the authorities who protect our great state from the bad guys need to go to the rural areas and farms because things are so peaceful in the cities. Ya think?

Here's the story as it appeared in The Morning Journal:

Wednesday, December 3, 2008 6:42 AM EST
By MORNING JOURNAL STAFF
news@MorningJournal.com

PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP — An Ohio Department of Agriculture agent seized food, electronic devices and documents from a Pittsfield Township organic and natural food cooperative believed to be unlicensed, according to a search warrant filed yesterday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court.

Jacqueline and John Stowers, owners of the Manna Storehouse, 43565 SR 303, were inspected in November 2007 by the Lorain County General Health District, according to court records.

On Monday, ODA enforcement agent William Lesho confiscated hundreds of pounds of processed beef and large amounts of lamb, turkey and other perishable products in addition to office files, a computer, two cell phones and other electronic devices, according to the search warrant inventory. The items were taken to establish the Stowers' ownership in any property, records of hidden wealth or illegal income and anything that would establish illegal activity, according to the search warrant affidavit.

Jacqueline Stowers declined to comment because she had not seen the court papers yesterday evening.

A health district sanitarian and two other inspectors visited the cooperative on Nov. 30, 2007, to make observations and were told to leave. Jacqueline Stowers wrote in a December 2007 letter to the sanitarian that the inspectors never had permission to be on their property and that the Manna Storehouse is not operating a retail food establishment that requires a license.

"We declare now that we do not want to be a 'licensed retail food establishment' or a 'food service operation' and we do not plan to become one in the future and that we will not knowingly conduct any activities that would require that type of licensing," she wrote.

The matter was forwarded to the Lorain County Prosecutor's Office after the Lorain County General Health District received her letter, according to court records.

Ten big lies

I've been watching Michael Medved on Book-TV talk about his newest book, Ten big lies about America in which he discussed the most pernicious persistent America-bashing that we hear almost daily from the media and the children and college students learn about the economy, race, religion in politics, the Iraq war, and other issues.

These include:

"Myth: The United States is uniquely guilty for the crime of slavery and based its wealth on stolen African labor.
Fact: The colonies that became the United States accounted for, at most, 3 percent of the abominable international slave trade; the persistence of slavery in America slowed economic progress; and the U.S. deserves unique credit for ending slavery. [America-bashers try to say slavery here was unique--it wasn't--it was universal. And still exists today in many countries.]

Myth: The alarming rise of big business hurts the United States and oppresses its people.
Fact: Corporations played an indispensable role in building America, and corporate growth has brought progress that benefits all with cheaper goods and better jobs.

Myth: The Founders intended a secular, not Christian, nation.
Fact: Even after ratifying the Constitution, fully half the state governments endorsed specific Chris­tian denominations. And just a day after approving the First Amendment, forbidding theestablishment of religion, Congress called for a national “day of public thanksgiving and prayer” to acknowledge “the many signal favors of Almighty God.”

Myth: A war on the middle class means less comfort and opportunity for the average American.
Fact: Familiar campaign rhetoric about the victimized middle class ignores the overwhelming statistical evidence that the standard of living keeps rising for every segment of the population, as well as the real-life experience of tens of millions of middle-class Americans."

He also reminds us that what made the Great Depression "great" was its unprecedented length, caused by the bumbling foolishness of our two presidents, Hoover and Roosevelt. No other recession/depression in our history had ever had such interference, nor had lasted as long. Medved has a great radio show--and if you can't get it in your area you can listen via the computer. The Book-TV program will be repeated tomorrow and next Sunday.

P.S. Bush never said, "Mission accomplished," but I don't think that was covered here. He did a radio show on that myth/lie which is constantly repeated.

New Notebook Time

The "latte" journal I started October 28, and used the last page December 5.



The new one should be cheery. It's published by Legacy Publishing Group, the artist is Teresa Kogut. I bought it at the Shade Tree at Lakeside this past summer. The old one (I bought a bunch of these) was $1.00 at the Discovery Shop. The artist is Deb Strain, an Ohio artist (according to the back inside cover) who left the classroom in 1994 to devote herself to her family and art.

Lots and lots of notes here I never used. So here's what I didn't write about--but will briefly note it here.

Correction--California Teachers Association only donated $1.25 million to oppose Proposition 8, not $3 million as originally reported in WSJ. That was the ballot initiative to overturn the State Supreme Court ruling that allows gay marriage. Can you get a teacher's job if you don't join the union?

70% of subprime loans that defaulted before they reset contained some kind of misrepresentation by the borrower, lender, or broker, or a combination of the 3. (no source)

Hutu Tutsi conflict continues in Congo. Rebels advanced toward Congo's eastern provincial capital. U.N. is there. Wonder what they have been doing since the genocide in Rwanda 14 years ago?

Will the left be happy now? Wal-Mart will continue its international expansion, but growth is flat in U.S. NIMBY attitude in many communities, so we all lose. They didn't even wait for President Obama to add more environmental regs, higher taxes, restrictive hiring practices, more punitive health care demands. And we wonder why business leaves?

Hand washing--a cost cutting campaign years ago at OSUL--my idea, but it wasn't accepted. Notes on soap dishes, keyboards in libraries, tables, chairs, etc.

Obama's ties to ACORN, John Fund article WSJ October 30.

There are 39,000+ runners in the NYC marathon--26 in the 80-90 year old division. In my dreams!!!

Lake Geneva real estate ad--$4.5 million--looks like an Hawaiian plantation. I wonder why you wouldn't go to Hawaii and get a real one?

Theresa Hogan has an op-ed saying don't make this a single issue election--abortion. Why not? I might not word it that way but we do need a leader with character, not one who gets a 100% rating from NARAL.

Friend highly recommends Fireproof at the AMC Dublin 18.

Another icon the left hates--McDonalds. In France it is opening 29 stores in 2008--its biggest earner outside USA.

Bank failures in 2008--17.

When was the last time you changed your mind on something BIG? I listed 8.

Pat Wynn Brown "Love is in the Hair"--she's a local actress, writer, cancer survivor. I remember reading her columns when she wrote for one of the free-circs. The event helps women who have lost their hair to chemo.

I'd forgotten these guys--Ricky Nelson's sons, Matthew and Gunner. Playing at the Alrosa Villa.

The clerk had a terrible cold--please send her home.

50 women to watch world wide (WSJ) Only 3 appear to be African or African-American. 26 are over 50. Whoopee.

Abstinance is 100% successful in controling the spread of AIDS and in reducing poverty, but it's a political wasteland with the pro-abortion crowd. There's no money in abstinance.

I'm ignoring Peggy Noonan.

In NY the UN Secretary looks up from his latte and polished desk and says he's "concerned" that women and children are being raped; homes burned and sons murdered. Someone buy this puppet a ticket to the Congo.

I wonder why the more government funding a disease gets, the more it expands? New cases of diabetes--increased by 90% in 10 years. Spending on drugs to control diabetes almost doubled between 2001 and 2007 from $6.7 mil to $12.5 mil. Must be a relationship. Ya think?

Oxymoron--mandatory volunteer

Theodidacti--taught by God

Hunger--now "food insecurity"

Illinois leads the country in allowing retailers to keep some sales tax--$126,000,000. Apparently costs 3.1% of the sum collected for the retailer.

Sea lamprey has "evolved" and now makes Vermont its home in Lake Champlain. Havoc on salmon and trout. No one seems to know how it got there.

Recipe for Buckeye Pie

Book review of "Breathing the fire" by Kimberly Dozier, Meredith Books, 2008, reviewed in JAMA Oct 1, 1595-96. Looks really good.

Lies about stem cell research.

Hank Greenberg (AIG)--huge losses in his foundations.

Just one or two drinks can impair memory--seems to interfer with how memories are stored.

In Jos Nigeria clashes of ethnic violence have killed over 400 and displaced over 7,000--mainly Christians by Muslims. I'm not going to say it was buried in the back pages of the paper because the victims were Christians, but I will say it was because they were Africans. But when you've killed millions by taking DDT away from them, what's a few more? Where are the happy-clappy, sappy-crappy one-globe folks when you need them?

June Kronholz, WSJ 12-4-08, "Massive bureaucracy promises exciting new opportunity." Sigh. She notes: Workforce is older; only 17% of Americans trust the gov't; very sluggish; outsiders are not hired; it takes years to remove an ineffective worker; hiring one employee can involve 110 steps; pay and promotion are not tied to performance.

McCain was the creator of the system that brought him down--the McCain-Feingold. "By not trusting the American people he allowed the worst, most corrupt money machine in history to decide our election."

Gasoline in Ohio is around $1.50/gal. Auto dealerships are closing. Columbus mayor is closing eleven recreation sites.

That's a lot of not writing.

About to go to press

You would think a person who can churn out 5-6 blog posts a day, keep track of 11 blogs, and write other, non-web related things could at least put together a Christmas letter before December 1. Our cards have been ready for about 3 weeks. I wrote the letter on my lap top up at the lake, but we'd brought the printer back to Columbus, and I couldn't get a wireless connection, so when I got home, I e-mailed it from the kitchen to my office, copy and pasted it into word processing, and I think we're good to go to Staples this morning. My husband did a special watercolor--and I didn't like it. I'm his biggest fan, and biggest critic. So he substituted a wonderful painting from our Alaska trip in 2001. But the original one may show up next year. When he photographed and printed it to 4 x 6, it looked fabulous. Sometimes reducing a painting hides the little defects. I thought about offering to send one to some blog readers not on the list, but realized we'd only made 200, and who knows how many read this regularly enough to see the offer. Thousands? Ha.



This is a photo of the painting on this year's card, not a scan, so you're seeing a bit of the mat, plus I've had to reduce the whatevers to get it to load--it was too large. And the letter--well, it was the most uninspired, boring thing I've ever written--"we did this, then that, and so on." Blah, blah. So you're not missing much if you missed the list. I must say, I have friends who do some incredible things--both in travel and service. We used to get photos of the children, now it is the grandchildren. Sometimes it's a pet with no people at all!

I don't think anyone will beat Marie and Wayne's Christmas letter. Marie and I became friends living in McKinley Hall at the University of Illinois 1958-1960. We haven't seen each other since graduation in 1961, but have continued to exchange Christmas cards over the years. I still have the baby pictures of her kids. I'm always worn out by the time I finish their letter, but in 2008 I think they are going to out-do even Nelson Jr., the valedictorian of my high school class who is married to a librarian and is a Professor at the University of Nebraska.

This year Marie and Wayne had

2 more grandchildren--twins--since last year's letter

5th wheel camper Nomads mission project in Florida

summer in their cabin in the Northwoods boating, fishing, etc.

two trips to London to visit their daughter and grandchildren there

month long trip to Glacier, Yellowstone and Black Hills

2 weeks in South Africa as a birthday gift from their daughter and SIL in London--safari, national parks, history--the works

volunteering at the Northern Illinois Food Bank

ministry to the homeless through the Holy Casserolers

visit from their London family for Christmas next week

Really, even with a trip to Italy in June and a mission to Haiti in February, we look pretty stodgy compared to Wayne and Marie. Still, we're so very grateful to hear from far off friends at Christmas. I love Christmas letters and catching up, even though some people make fun of them. Isn't there a song to spoof* the Christmas letters? Our church is having a special "Blue Christmas" service for people who are having a hard time being joyful or thankful.

We know a couple who lost their daughter in October. It's going to be a tough time--worse than the day-to-day grief--getting through this. I've been there and remember. Holidays can be pretty awful when someone is missing--especially a child. As an adult I probably didn't spend more than 10 Christmases with my parents, but this time of year I miss them a lot. Probably will do a Monday Memory tomorrow about Christmas 1945, if I can scrape up the memories.

Time to head for Staples. Times's a-wasting.
---------------

*Looked it up--Ray Stevens' album

"Well, we still live in the double-wide,
but Bubba's added on,
A bass-boat shed and a workshop,
and new flamingoes for the lawn,
We took down the front yard tire swing,
now that Junior's in the pen,
But it looks like a happy new year:
they moved him off death row again!

Happy Holidays from Fred Thompson

Go ahead and spend--he's got it all figured out!

Old Time--my time--recipe collection

As we dashed out of the cottage this morning to return to Columbus, I grabbed my "Home Builders Treasure Chest" recipe collection of the Ogle County, Ill. Home Bureau. The group was formed in 1939 and the book was published in 1957, so I thought it would be fun to post some items on my class reunion blog. It was one of my mother's recipe books that I inherited after her death in 2000. She had joined Home Extension after all her children were grown and gone. I'm not sure what the group was doing by then, she could have "written the book" on being a good homemaker, although I think she did learn some crafts. This group changed its name in 1962 to Ogle County Homemakers Extension Association.



I enjoyed looking through it reading the names of the ladies from Mt. Morris and Forreston I remembered. Then I came across a recipe by Fran Babler, mother of one of my classmates, who died about two weeks ago at 95. I have pleasant memories of Fran and her children, and as it turns out I learned on this trip, that my husband and my classmate Mike were in the Air Force ROTC drill team together. Mike went into the Air Force after the U. of I. and later became a commercial pilot. So here's his mom's recipe for Oatmeal Cake.

1 C oatmeal
1 C boiling water
Let stand while you mix the rest of the cake.
1/2 C shortening
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C flour
1 t soda
1 t baking power
1/4 t salt
1 t vanilla
1/2 C nut meats
Cream shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients. Lastly add oatmeal mixture, nuts and vanilla. Bake at (350) to (375) for 30 to 40 minutes (loaf pan).

My family likes a caramel frosting but that is a matter of preference only.

Reading through this, it was clear ideas about good nutrition have changed in the last 50 years. Many of these recipes were probably family favorites and reflect an earlier time--like pie crusts made with lard--even by 1957 Crisco was probably preferred, at least that's what my mom was using. Scrambled brains and eggs; stag dinner (broiled t-bone, french-fires, french fried onions, chef salad, cheese-apple pie); parsnip casserole; and all manner of fish held together in a gelatin goo. Also, you can hardly find a vegetable that isn't potato or corn. There are over 50 pages devoted to sweets and desserts--but only 10 to vegetables--and those were mostly potato or cabbage casseroles. I could almost feel my arteries hardening as I read! Although crisp, cut vegetables were suggested for snacks and garnishes. I saw almost nothing using rice and very little on beans.

There was one recipe for pizza in this collection--under "foreign foods." Both my husband and I remember trying pizza for the first time when we were seniors in high school and didn't think it was too special, but by the time we met 2 years later, we were both fans of this "foreign" food.

And yet, people weren't as overweight in the 1950s as they are today. Probably they were just picking, cleaning and cooking right out of the garden and didn't put those dishes in the recipe collections figuring everyone knew what to do with a panful of green peas or fresh cut asparagus. This food wheel was published in the back of the collection (not in color), and was produced by the USDA in 1943, apparently still in use 15 years later. Pasta and rice aren't listed, although it would be in group 6.

Considering the obesity problem we have with the USDA pyramid, maybe we should go back to the wheel--or maybe the government doesn't have all the answers--ya think? Here's the dedication:
Here's to the Homemaker,
The mother, the cook
Who firmly believes
In a cookery book.

Assembled within
Is a very small part
Of secrets we've shared
Some close to the heart.

But sharing a secret
Or sharing a care. . .
The Best Part of All
Is learning to share.

Cover Title: Home Builders Treasure Chest
Inside title: Favorite recipes. Compiled by Ogle County Home Bureau, printed by R. Wallace Pischel, Marceline, Mo., 1957

Why they won’t change their ways--the big three

In July 1987 National Geographic published a map of the Great Lakes, 15th in a series of 17 maps, “The Making of America.” It is has very interesting information and we keep it at our lake house on Lake Erie. From 1890-1960 it reports that the “lake ports of Hamilton, Cleveland, Detroit and Gary emerged as steel making giants in the heart of one of the world’s greatest concentrations of heavy manufacturing. Lake side mills devoured iron ore shipped south from the Gogebic, Mesabi, and other Lake Superior ranges, as well as coking coal brought by railroad and lake boat from the coalfields of Illinois and Appalachia.” But there were hard times--some 225,000 were forced to leave the north country of Minnesota--the farms and mines--between 1940 and 1950 alone.

However, for the 1970s and 1980s, we see a turn down for this region--the area of the big three that now comes to Congress hat in hand, asking for a bailout. It says “in the 1970s U.S. manufacturing ran afoul of global economic ills, foreign competition, poor management and extravagant wage pacts (the pensions they are now worried about). Tens of thousands left the so-called rust belt for the Sunbelt. “Japan quick to adopt the latest technology, forged ahead of the U.S. as the world’s largest steel producer. The substitution of lightweight plastics and aluminum for steel hammered the industry harder. Meanwhile U.S. automakers floundered under an invasion of fuel-efficient foreign cars; in Michigan car and truck output halved between 1976 and 1980.” . . “Detroit’s population shrank from 1,514,000 in 1970 to 1,203,000 a decade later. . . Many migrated to the South and West, were the booming service and high-tech economy required them to learn new skills.”

So here we are, more than 20 years after this was written, 30 years after our auto industry and the UAW were put on notice that they absolutely had to change, to streamline and reduce wages. Did they learn? No. They survived making light trucks and SUVs with huge management and union salaries, wages and benefits and big profits for shareholders. Now they sit in front of sour faced congressmen, berating and ridiculing them, babbling about sharing rides, people with no business expertise such as Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi who haven’t a clue how to get us out of this mess, people who owe their own jobs to unions and big business both for more benefits and higher salaries. Those of us who didn’t make a fraction of the union wage or the CEOs salary, or a Congress salary, are expected to save them.

If you want to podcast

There's a neat little, easy to install thingy/widget for your written blog that turns it into a podcast. I don't listen to podcasts by amateurs because most people write better than they speak. But this feature is really amazing. It sounds almost like a real person--better than I could do if I read my own blogs aloud. Except. . . I can't get it to work correctly. I'm on my way out the door so I won't have time to fiddle, but if you find a blog that has one take a listen to that writer clicking on odiogo link. My problem specifically was that he/it would only read about 20 seconds, and also read some encoded huge number that I didn't know was there like 5 million 4 hundred thousand and 82. It could be because I html my topic headings with out of date code and it is trying vainly to read them. I don't think I have any fans who want my blogs on their i-pods, however, listening to the rhythm of your writing (I think) can make you a better writer. One of the reasons the KJV Bible is so elegant compared to today's plodding, English-as-it-was-never-spoken translations and paraphrases, is that it was written to be listened to--many people didn't know how to read.

Poking through the trash

Occasionally I look through spam/trash filter to see if I've missed anything. My osu address trashy writers apparently know I'm retired.

affordable meds
online pharmacy
off shore pharmacy
poker
blackjack
craps

Then my commercial e-mail address, although it has an excellent filter sends me the "extender/members" offers plus the items about work, diets and debt

flying monkey (?)
Official Barack Obama coins
low carb shakes and bars
work at home scams
debt reducer
top dollar for my unwanted gold
easy income with google
earn a college degree on line

What's in your trash?

Curses to use for those who might misuse a gift or endowment

At lunch today a group of retirees were discussing what becomes of gifts and endowments to universities and cities whether they be for a building, a library or landscaping. I for one wouldn't give a penny to any institution to name or build something, because as soon as the last relative who could object has faded from view, it is bulldozed, moved, renamed, or merged.

In the 10th century the Abbey of Cluny was established with donations from William I the Pious, duke of Aquitaine and count of Auvergne and his wife Ingelberga. You can see the charter at Medieval Sourcebook. It has some magnificent curses on those who might misuse the gift for anything other than his intent. Perhaps when you donate land, houses, or memorials to honor a loved one or yourself, you might throw in some of these curses in the agreement.

"If anyone - which Heaven forbid, and which through the mercy of God and the protection of the holy apostles I do not think will happen - whether he be a neighbour or a stranger, no matter what his condition or power, should, though any kind of wile, attempt to do any act of violence contrary to this deed of gift which we have ordered to be drawn up for the love of almighty God and for reverence of the chief apostles Peter and Paul; first indeed let him incur the wrath of almighty God;

and let God remove him from the land of the living and wipe out his name from the book of life, and let his portion be with those who said to the Lord God: Depart from us; and with Dathan and Abiron whom the earth opening its jaws swallowed up, and hell absorbed whill still alive, let him incur everlasting damnation.

And being made a companion of Judas, let him be kept thrust down their with eternal tortures, and, let it seem to human eyes that he pass through the present world with impunity, let him experience in his own body, indeed, the torments of future damnation, sharing the double disaster with Heliodorus and Antiochus, of whom one being coerced with a sharp blow scarcely escaped alive; and the other, struck down by the divine will, his members putrefying and swarming with vermin, perished most miserably.

And let him be a partaker in with other sacrilegious persons who presume to plunder the treasure house of God; and let him, unless he come to his senses, have as an enemy and as one who will refuse him entrance in the blessed paradise, the key-keeper of the whole hierarchy of the Church, and joined with the latter, St. Paul; both of whom, if he had wished, he might have had as holy mediators for him. But as far as the worldly law is concerned, he shall be required, the judicial power compelling him to pay a hundred pounds of gold to those he has harmed;

and his attempted attack, being frustrated, shall have no effect at all. But the validity of this deed of gift, endowed with all authority, shall always remain inviolate and unshaken, together with the stipulation subjoined."

Mama Linda’s Filipino Style Spaghetti

If you liked yesterday's recipe, you might try this one from Gerry Alanguilan, a Filipino cartoonist who has drawn for the X-Men, Wolverine, X-Force, Fantastic Four for Marvel, Superman and Batman comics. I saw this at Belmont Club (Richard Fernandez). It’s really funny. I don’t think I’d ever heard of banana catsup, although hot dogs with spaghetti sounds downright midwestern. Banana catsup apparently was developed during WWII when tomatoes in the Philippines were in short supply. I'll watch for it next time I wander into the international aisle at Meijer's.

Baked Orzo with Gruyere and Peas

I've been a bit under the weather today--had to skip the Advent noon services so my husband served Communion in my place. I've had ONN on, a channel I don't think I've ever watched because I don't get it in my office. I walked through the living room and saw Robin Davis of the Columbus Dispatch explaining how to make BAKED ORZO WITH GRUYERE AND PEAS--which is sort of macaroni and cheese, orzo being rice shaped pasta. It looked awfully good--but don't they always when the TV cooks make them? Here's the link. And I'm going to write out the ingredients since I print my blog:

4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 pound orzo pasta
1 cup milk
4 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 2-quart serving dish. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add orzo. Cook until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer orzo mixture to a large heat-proof bowl. Add milk, Gruyere, mozzarella and peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs. Toss to moisten with butter. Stir in cheese and thyme. Sprinkle over orzo. Bake until mixture is bubbling and topping is golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes.

PER SERVING: 374 calories; 19 g protein; 48 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 12 g fat (7 g saturated); 36 mg cholesterol; 231 mg sodium

Looks like a great dish for a pot-luck. She said the cubed mozzarella would melt but remain in cubes--offering a surprise when found by the eater. You can also use broccoli flowerettes in place of the peas.

Not much has changed in a thousand years

When you have access to a library of a few million books and journals just two miles away and freedom to browse in the stacks, it is easy to come home with topics about which you never gave a thought, such as The reformation of the 12th century by Giles Constable (Cambridge University Press, 1996). So far, I've only made it through the preface and introduction, the extensive bibliography and index, and skimmed a few chapters, but I've seen so much that looks familiar in the religious and secular life of the 11th and 12th centuries that reminds me of the 21st. Other names, titles, and concepts are totally unfamiliar like names of monasteries, phrases in Latin that don't translate well into English, places, and Roman Catholic theology. Even when I get out the dictionary, or check the extensive index, I don't have a frame of reference to understand. A Cluniac is not someone obsessed with movie star George Clooney, nephew of Rosemary, for instance. And black and white monks have nothing to do with race. And then there's the internet problem, always there when I read a book, finding things like The Medieval Sourcebook, which I didn't know I needed until I started browsing.

But before I run off on another tangent about medieval times I'll just note a few phrases that caught my eye, that reminded me that everything we (or at least I) think is contemporary, happened before, because human nature really doesn't change that much.

• . . . reform and revival was seen as a result of the increasing population and approaching end of the world. Whether you're a global warmist fanatic follower of Al Gore, holy Cap and Trade, robed in the vestments of green hype or a Christian dispensationalist scanning the headlines to compare with the Books of Daniel and Revelation--this should sound familier
  
• whether the reformers were from wealthy or humble origins, their followers were often well off [and from my cursory reading, feeling a bit guilty about it], but since it is the writings of the reformers that are available, the diversity and equality that is described may be the exception rather than the rule
  
• charismatic preachers [politicians] recruited actively for converts to their reform movement--transfers from one house or community to another created personal, legal and political problems
  
• rules circulated in written form, such as manuscripts and letters, but were carried out mainly through associations, personal contacts and visits--personal influence and connections were paramount
  
• opponents of reform were not necessarily bad men, but they were set in their ways and opposed to change in principle as well as in practice
  
• when faced with change, they resisted both passively and actively
  
• resistance to change has been recorded by the reformers, not the resisters so is distorted or left out of the record
  
• it was easier to start a new house than reform an old one
  
• reforms of existing institutions and communities almost always involved some pain and difficulty, occasionally with activie resistance and open violence
  
• an involuntary reform or change of order was a blow to the self-esteem of members and resistance was not always selfish or unreasonable
  
• even the poorest monastic community needed land, buildings, books, vestments and other supplies, thus it needed patrons as well as spiritual founders, and these patrons often claimed rights over the community so the interests often clashed
  
• even the most generous patrons hoped to get away as cheaply as possible
  
• some reformers removed existing settlers
  
• recruiting the next generation [of the reformed group] was always a problem when the first generation died out--newcomers didn't share the memories and ideals of the early years. The second generation was often the most dangerous period of institutional development
  
• almost every new, reformed house that survived and flourished later went through a painful period, even a crisis as it grew in wealth and numbers
  
• the new orders and reforms created diversity in the 12th century, with unforeseen consequences of competition and eventually greater uniformity and traditional solutions, so that as the age of experiment drew to a close, the traditional ideals and institutional patterns reasserted themselves within the monastic order and brought the period of change to an end.

Ah, change. It's an interesting concept, isn't it?

Other People's Children

A review of two books at Books and Culture.

“Population control carries the implication that it would be preferable for some people not to be. Whether these undesirables are defined as a Yellow Peril threatening to sink the West, hordes of the hungry ready to kill each other or you, or even just slovenly neighbors bullying your babies or absorbing welfare checks, fear of other people's children has been a powerful engine of public policy.”

Forced Altruism

With every public and private school in the country requiring "community service" hours, there just aren't enough projects for the needy--unless cleaning up your own bedroom, or sweeping out the garage for dad could get on the list. Don't bet on it. Colleges and schools are taking a second look. It's not "volunteer" if it's required, is it? Same way with companies or state agencies that require staff to "volunteer" at various community projects. It builds a "white man's burden" mentality (even if the student isn't white)--the teen version of foreign aid for Africa, causing more harm than good. Since when is the poor's responsibility to teach our spoiled suburbanites "good works?"

However, I do have a suggestion for my own community of Upper Arlington. Our city fathers years ago contracted to have the side walks built right at the street curbs, so when we get the occasional snow storm or blizzard, the plows not only cover the driveways, but they bury the sidewalks in about 4-5' of chunked snow, slush and salt. Northwest Blvd. is about a block from the high school, and many teens park their cars there. It is also a street lined with duplexes where many retirees live. It's a match made in "community service" goals heaven. Send about 10-12 students, short on service hours, over to Northwest Blvd. after the plows go by. Meet phys ed requirements and service requirements both. And the neighbors will be so happy they'll help you with the next bond issue.

HT Joanne Jacobs

I will try to resist

Today is my turn to volunteer at the lunch room at the UA Senior Center. They have great food, deliciously prepared, lovingly dispensed (by me and Harold), and quite tempting. I'm going to keep that picture of my turnip greens in my mind's eye, and try to resist the corn chips and desserts. My goal--my red jeans will fit again.
If not by Christmas, maybe Valentine's Day.

I worry about the losers in this contest

I realize that these days you have to have contests and rewards to encourage workers to do what's expected of them, but hand washing should not be negotiable!

"100 Percent Hand Hygiene Club Congratulations to staff on 8 Rhodes (Progressive Care and ICU) for 100 percent hand hygiene compliance in October. They were selected from inpatient units in UH, Ross, Dodd, UH East and outpatient areas that had 100-percent compliance. To properly wash your hands, wet them with water, apply soap and rub your hands together for 15 seconds. Rinse and dry with a disposable towel, and use the towel to turn off the faucet to avoid re-contaminating your hands. You can also use an alcohol-based hand rub for routinely decontaminating your hands." News story from OSU MEDICAL CENTER Today.

Here's what St. Raphael says about hand hygiene

Why do we need to improve hand hygiene practices?”
• Serious nosocomial infections
• 90,000 patient deaths per year
• Costs of treatment: $4.5 Billion per year in the U.S.
• Hand washing compliance rates are unacceptable (average 40 percent)

St Raphael is battling this problem at its web site on hand hygiene and bring awareness to the general public and other hospitals.

Dear Abby has gone soft

The "real" Abby would never have said, "Do not try to tell her how to live her life." She would have said, "Kick that roomie out immediately, and tell her to wise up."

Not that kind of girl writes Dear Abby to complain that

"About a year ago, a childhood friend, "Lindsay," came to visit. She loved the town so much she decided to move here and be my roommate.

At first I was excited at the prospect, but my enthusiasm has waned since finding out that Lindsay is very promiscuous. Since January she has had sex with seven men, sometimes dating more than one at a time."

She feared for her reputation, safety and privacy.

So what does Abby suggest? A huge wimp-out. Are women supposed to be assertive and strong in the workplace but not in their own apartments?

"Your letter brings to mind several old sayings. One: People are known by the company they keep. Two: Birds of a feather flock together. Three: People who lie down with dogs usually get up with fleas.

Do not try to tell Lindsay how to live her life. DO remind her that she is now living in a small town where tongues wag. Then explain that although you like her very much, your lifestyles are not compatible and you would like her to move. Your concerns about waking up to find strangers are valid."

Now, that's sure going to get the roommate to wake-up and change her ways. Explaining the obvious is sure to change her sleeping around behavior. And since when does Abby not know that reminding people with little proverbs and cutsy sayings comes across as "telling them how to live."

Run for cover

When an AP story doesn't mention the political party of misbehavior or ethical lapse, we can usually assume the people are Democrats, because if it involves Republicans, it will be plainly and repeatedly noted.

But what if it is about sex, and the gender of the perp isn't mentioned?

Supposedly there was a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" in the office of a Denver Minerals Management Service from 2002-2006 according to a story I read last week. During that period the Interior Department found some employees were getting drunk and having sex with oil-company personnel. The report also noted instances of cociane use in the office.

There were apparently 55 people employed in the office, so we have no idea how many were part of this "culture." But it would seem they were all women given there are only two choices, and most oil company personnel are men. Although it could be gay sex, I suppose. And what an interesting take NYT has--moving an unrelated story to the clause to introduce the story:

As Congress prepares to debate expansion of drilling in taxpayer-owned coastal waters, the Interior Department agency that collects oil and gas royalties has been caught up in a wide-ranging ethics scandal — including allegations of financial self-dealing, accepting gifts from energy companies, cocaine use and sexual misconduct.

After reading the NYT account, I was totally confused about who was zooming whom, and what was Royalty In Kind--an oil company exec, a government official or a quasi-government entity. "The Royalty in Kind (RIK) Program is responsible for managing Minerals Revenue Management’s (MRM) [Department of the Interior] commercial oil and gas commodity sales activity. Currently, the RIK Program is competitively selling over 800,000 MMBtu of natural gas per day and over 150,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Revenues from sales and other dispositions of RIK oil and gas in FY 2007 were over $4 billion." Link

My take-away is that when female officials or staff, whether working for the government, industry or some sort of hybrid contractor, are involved it is "promiscuity" and "unacceptable behavior." But when males did it, there will be hell to pay, careers ruined, and probably prison.

Watching TV to get a PhD

Someone came to my blog looking for something about "Mindy orange juice suit shrank," so I couldn't resist and back tracked--never finding the episode, but did discover an interesting PhD Thesis on TV comedy theme songs. I find that amazing. That someone spent all that time and our money watching TV and listening to the theme songs, and then gets to wear a cap and gown, and call herself Dr. Butcher.

"The purpose of this study is to examine the function of the bard in situation comedy theme songs. This study calls upon Fiske and Hartley's concept of television as a cultural bard, a singer and teller of stories that create and conserve community. The bard reaffirms the culture's
identity while delivering social and political messages relevant to the culture at specific times throughout history. . . The results of the analysis reveal that the themes address relevant cultural issues such as race relations, the role of the domestic woman, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, class conflict, and the construction of reality."

Didn't we already know that?

A lot of heavy, deep ideas in this thesis

• Many of us in the United States live and grow up in front of our television sets, and television theme songs become ingrained in our minds.
  
• While the 1960s was a decade of social upheaval and change, the 1970s appears to have been a decade of self-absorption.
  
• The primary function of the theme song, however, is to "hook" the audience into watching the show.
  
• Gomer joins a long-standing tradition of fools, clowns and other tricksters who, aware of their powerless position and out of fear or threat of punishment, do not voice their opposition in a forthright manner.
  
• and so on.

Still, it is fun to read. Maybe her committee liked it too.

Back to turnip greens

Two years ago I developed a taste for turnip greens and collard greens when I was looking for something interesting to eat while dieting that wouldn't get my taste buds excited. (That's half the battle, you know.) I hadn't had any for awhile, but bought some canned today. Seasoned with tasty stuff. Usually I buy fresh, but really, if they've been sitting awhile, they probably lost more vitamins than the cooked variety. The seasoned variety has about double the calories of the plain--but still only 40 calories for 1/2 cup--and I added an onion, a little rice, and sprinkled some parmesan cheese on top. Yummy.


A wonderful source of Vit. A, and a good source of Vit. C, calcium and fiber. Still, I don't think I'll get into my red jeans by Christmas. It sure goes on easier than it comes off.

Happy Thoughts, Happy Molecules

Dorothy Rabinowitz has an excellent review of the Deepak Chopra/CNN/Larry King discussion of the tragedy in Mumbai/Bombay in today's WSJ, "Deepak Blames America." If the topic weren't so serious, it would be beyond belief. But I want to tag along on her Deepak description and qualifications

healer, New Age philosopher and digestion guru, advocate of aromatherapy and regular enemas . . .If you have happy thoughts, then you make happy molecules. . ."

to launch my snark at Ohio Health Dimensions Winter Classes and Programs. It looks like a curriculum developed by Ms. Rabinowitz' caricature of Dr. Chopra it is so overloaded with new ageism and alternative eastern therapies and religions.

• Ageless beauty from within: incorporate self-healing practices to support your entire being with ancient wisdom of the East
  
• Alexander Technique--learn to rejuvenate your mind and body, enhance your thinking
  
• Bring your soul to work--connect your natural gifts and values to the demands and sacrifices of your job
  
• Enhance your wellness with guided imagery--create positive changes--bring a floor mat
  
• Green living--discover how easy it is--create a sustainable future for the seventh generation (indigenous people's concept)
  
• Learn hypnosis for a change--what? No hope too?
  
• Natural therapies for women's health issues--alternative remedies from irritable bowel disease to mood disorders
  
• De-stress with active relaxation
  
• Planting seeds of wellness--body, mind and spirit, culminating in the joyful group experience of Mandala
  
• Seasonal detoxification--season-specific herbal remedies, purifying supplments (colonics?)
  
• A lot of Yoga classes--too many to mention--chair, Hatha, baby, fertility
  
• Magical moves of NIA--this is yoga with low impact aerobics and a sweat
  
• Releasing Problems--blend a mind/body relaxation session with a land/water experience
  
• Tai Chi--ancient Chinese exercise
  
• Tai Kwon Do--fitness for self-defense
  
• MBSR--based on ancient practice of mindfulness--homework!
  
• MBSR graduate program--meditation, wisdom teachings
  
• Self-healing through classical meditation--guided exploration of techniques, Loving Kindness Meditations
  
• Taste of Mindfulness Meditation--individual sessions for only $50 a pop

And there are useful programs too like How to buy a home, Understanding auto insurance, digital cameras and retirement planning.

OhioHealth is Riverside Methodist, Grant, Doctors, Grady, Dublin Methodist, Hardin, Marion General, etc. Since they can't get you from ER to a room in less than 11 hours (which creates massive stress), I don't understand why they are offering yoga and guided imagery to reduce stress!