Our God will have the last word

Pastor Dave Mann and his wife Pam of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church are teaching in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. This is where my husband will soon go on his fourth short term mission with other members of our church. This area was not damaged by the earthquake, but the school, Institution Univers (private Christian), has taken in over 300 new students as relatives and friends take refuge in Ouanaminthe, an 18% increase using every available space. Dave writes on his Facebook page:

"This morning as the students lined up in the lobby before going into their classrooms, it was easy to recognize the new students. Not only did they wear a Univers t-shirt instead of the full uniform, but there were also many other tell-tale signs – arms wrapped in gauze, wrists banded between splints, arms resting in slings, bodies balancing on crutches, eyes downcast. It was a moving sight. Two of my top English students who often come to practice English over the lunch break shared that they saw a girl who just cried all morning.

The day began with an all-school worship service. I was privileged to give the message. It was not difficult to find the word that would be right – Ours is a God who knows how to transform evil into good. The story of Joseph which is a key piece of my Bible curriculum in the 10th and 11th grades demonstrates this teaching. As I began to quote Genesis 50:20, many of the students completed the verse with me aloud. And, of course, the cross of Jesus is the ultimate proof that our God is a redeemer. Joseph’s story was not finished when he was in prison. Jesus’ story was not finished in the tomb. Haiti’s story was not finished on January 12th. Our story is not finished today. Our God will have the last word."

Friday Family Photo--Mother's girl friends

September 18, 1995

[This letter from my mother begins with a story of my birth, which was induced with some castor oil so the doctor could go fishing. However, Mother said I came so fast I wasn't wrinkled and red, so I became "Peachy" at a very early age.]


"We have had a busy week-end with the 150th celebration of the Church of the Brethren at Franklin Grove. Saturday morning we went to the Pinecrest sale and then at noon we grabbed a sandwich and hurried to the celebration at the Emmert Cemetery on the highway to Franklin. [There are nice photos of the building and "Dunkard" cemetery at Flickr, but I couldn't download.] It was a nice meeting. Lucile Kinsely and Arlene David were there. Ada Blank, who is 93, recalled memories and Lucile spoke about her father's ministry of 37 years. That was the period of the free ministry. We had three pastors and they all made their living as farmers.

The church at the cemetery was the original building with a start of 13 members. There must have been a fast growth. Annual Conference was held there in 1865 or 67. The railroad track was on the other side of highway 38 and the train stopped there for people to get off or on as they needed. That was service.

When that new church was built in Franklin after the old one burned at the edge of town, boards were taken from the Emmert Church since there were no longer services held there. It all makes an interesting story and is the story of many small communities."

Lucile Buck and Arlene Beachley, 8th grade graduation photo, Pineview School. Mother and her girl friends went on to graduate from Franklin Grove High School in 1930, and all started that fall at Mt. Morris College. Arlene died a few years ago and when I looked up her obituary I learned her first name was Norma.

Thursday Thirteen--Norma's Laundry Tips

Recently the Wall Street Journal had an article on home laundry. It seems 78% of households do approximately 9 loads of laundry a week, and 1,100 washloads are started every second! Wow! The first 5 tips on this list came from the article; the other 8 are mine, from over 50 years of doing my own laundry mistakes.

1. Don't use too much detergent. Read the directions.
2. Sort by color.
3. Close all zippers and hooks.
4. Pretreat stains. [I use green handsoap--works great on fast food synthetic uniforms.]
5. Don't stuff the washer.
* * *

6. If you are retired, a couple, or live alone, have at least 2 weeks of underwear; launder less often.
7. Always, always check pockets for tissue. You might even find money, but dollar bills don't disintegrate and Kleenex does.
8. First and second floor laundry space is nice until something (roots in the drain 50 ft. from the house or too much soap) causes an overflow. Everything that backs up ends up in the living room. Trust me on this one. If you're slab on grade, you have no choice. Just get a root service out once in awhile.
9. Keep a suspended rod from the ceiling over head for hanging some items right out of the dryer. I use the brackets and dowel rod from kitchen cafe curtains we no longer use.
10. If your pet uses the laundry room (kitty litter), be careful about scented products. Their little noses are much more sensitive than ours.
11. Clean your lint trap after every use.
12. Pay attention to your warranty. Appliances produced in the 21st century are junk. Especially Maytag.
13. In addition to sorting by color, I sort by fabric. I don't put synthetics in the dryer unless they are a blend with cotton for shaping. Some time ago I read a laundry page that said oxygen bleach works better in cold water. It really works!

Someone thought this was a clever logo

I don't. I remember when you didn't dare mess with it. It stands for Quarter to Semester Update. Ohio State uses the quarter system, now it's converting to Semester. When you glance at this logo you think it's OSU, or Ohio State University (or Oregon State University or Oklahoma State University, etc.) It's a big job--and has been discussed, and voted down for years. There are advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage is 85% of colleges and universities use some form of the semester system.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Specific Calendars

Reports from the University of California at Davis and Ohio State University that examined the merits of calendar system use addressed the issue of quarter versus semester system advantages and suggested the following. Some of the advantages of the semester calendar cited are that: (1) it provides an opportunity for more thorough examination of subjects, research assignments, and term papers; (2) it increases time spent in each course, making it possible to receive in-depth learning and a better opportunity for students to "rebound" from a poor start in a course;(3) it promotes greater interaction between faculty and students; (4) it reduces the tendency towards course fragmentation; and (5) for transfer students, it offers greater compatibility with other institutions' calendars and curriculums.

Some advantages cited in favor of the quarter system include its ability to: (1) afford departments greater flexibility in providing course offerings and availability; (2) allow students increased flexibility in selecting majors and arranging class schedules; (3) allow fundamental, introductory courses to be offered more frequently, making scheduling easier and classes smaller; (4) allow students to receive instruction from more instructors; (5) provide opportunities to retake failed courses sooner; (6) allow students who miss terms to resume college enrollment sooner; and (7) provide more opportunities for students to drop in and out, possibly shortening time-to-degree for part-time and transient students. Answers.com

Not if Obama keeps this up

Maybe we'll just move in with the kids. Got this in my e-mail today.

DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO LIVE THE RETIREMENT LIFE YOU WANT? Merrill Lynch invites Ohio State faculty and staff to attend a free retirement seminar; “Planning for Your Retirement Lifestyle,” on Wednesday (2/17) or Thursday (2/18) at the Fawcett Center.

Love or hate Glenn Beck, recently he's been lecturing on the debt our states are in due to some of their pension plans. As California goes, so goes the nation.

After being smacked around by the SOTU speech, the stock market went up a little when the government was so snowed in by this last global warming blizzard they couldn't do anything. In November 2008 everything started to nose dive because business sector knew more taxes and regulations were coming even before he took office. It accelerated the drop that began when Democrats took over Congress at the beginning of 2007.

Text messaging won't last

I'm going through some old boxes of cards and letters looking for valentines to use. Found some 20-30 years old. One was hand-made by one of my children, but I can't tell which one. Hint to moms: I know you think you'll remember, but jot the name on the back anyway. And I came across a 1951 letter from a friend. We'd moved (15 miles) and she was missing our friendship. No text message will ever last 60 years like this pencil and note paper plea. Today's children will not be able to get misty eyed or chuckle over life's little problems of 60 years ago.

"You've just got to come up Xmas vacation and keep me company before I crack up. Because you are my very dearest friend and even if you lived 111,912,345,678,910,000,000,000 miles away you'd be my best friend.

You come up Xmas vacation and tell each our troubles and cry on each others shoulders.

Your friend till eturnity."

Why Americans are fat--cream cheese

Last night I put on my jammies and robe, and curled up on the couch to glance at TV and read a good book--the 2004 Taste of Home Annual, purchased at a library sale for $2.00.

"What are you planning to make?" asked my husband. "And why are there all those cook-books in our the bedroom?"

"Those are Martha Stewart. I never use them and I needed more room on the kitchen shelves so I shifted everything."

"Why are you looking at that book if you're not going to cook?"

"People who read mysteries aren't planning to kill anyone; women just like to read cookbooks," I replied, completely baffled that after 50 years, he understood so little about women.

After browsing several sections before I nodded off, I decided Americans have been made fat by a conspiracy to add cream cheese to everything from pastry dough to potatoes to salad dressing. And what doesn't get two 8 oz + one 3oz package of cream cheese, gets half a cup of sour cream, or a fourth a cup of butter (no substitutes, please), or all three! In my grandmother's day, women were fascinated by Jello. Just look at the recipes in the women's magazines of the early 20th century. Then when I was a little girl, it was cottage cheese on lettuce with half a pear and melted Velvetta and grilled Spam. My generation 30 years ago was discovering condensed soup mixed with any frozen vegetable and calling it a casserole for the church pot luck.

I did find a very tasty recipe in this volume (p. 91) that I modified yesterday, "Pumpkin Cheese Coffee Cake." Instead of mixing all that flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, etc. and spices, I used a box mix of Carrot Cake that I had on hand. I didn't use the package directions for oil, water and eggs, and instead used the recipe from the book.

1 1/4 cups of canned pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs

The filling which is cut through the cake batter, uses

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
1 egg
1 TBSP sugar (I used Splenda)

The topping which called for pecans (didn't have any),

3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (mine was loose)
1/4 t. ground cinnamon

You still make a mess in the kitchen and use three bowls. It's also very messy to have the nut chopper jar slip out of your hands and throw walnuts for 20 ft.

Bake in 9 x 13 greased baking dish at 350 for 35-40--and I suggest 35, because 40 made it a bit dry. I taste tested it twice, one warm piece and one cool, and yes, it's just fine. It's the cream cheese, I think.

The Gorewellian truth in the Audi Ad

"It will be interesting to see whether the ad actually sells cars. The premise only works if you take it as a given that this Gorewellian nightmare is inevitable. But the commercials arrive at precisely the moment when that inevitability is unraveling like an old pair of hemp socks. The global warming industry is imploding from scientific scandals, inconvenient weather, economic anxiety and surging popular skepticism (according to a Pew Research Center survey released in January, global warming ranks 21st out of 21 in terms of the public's priorities)." Jonah Goldberg

Earthquake awakens Chicago suburbs this morning

About 4 a.m. central time a 4.3 earthquake awakened the suburbs.

The USGS listed these major population centres distance from the early morning 4.3 earthquake February 10 2010.

* 6 km (4 miles) WNW (292°) from Virgil, IL
* 8 km (5 miles) E (94°) from Sycamore, IL
* 8 km (5 miles) N (1°) from Maple Park, IL
* 14 km (8 miles) ENE (67°) from DeKalb, IL
* 35 km (22 miles) NW (315°) from Aurora, IL
* 77 km (48 miles) WNW (282°) from Chicago, IL

Better to be tied to a teleprompter than read notes

So thinks Gibbs. This is unbelievable! Robert Gibbs needs to open his eyes and ears watch his boss' head swivel during a speech and listen to his stumbles, stutters and mispronunciation when he's untethered.

"Even the White House's top spokesman is getting in on the act of mocking former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin for looking to talking points written on her palm during a speech to "tea party" activists." Link

Rush Limbaugh isn't going to let the Commander in Chief's mispronunciation of "corpsman" as "corpse man" three times in the same speech go. Today he called the media the "news corpse." If the left treats that jab as they did his using "retard" immitating Emanuel's perpetual garbage mouth, this could have a long life. Gibbs is so dense he doesn't even realize that "hope and change" have become the punch line in a huge joke.

Democrats still get hysterical over Dan Quayle spelling potato with an e--but at least he didn't pronounce it pota-toe. I googled this topic, and now Obama supporters are criticizing the critics. They've fallen off the edge of reality going after Hannity. But in my entire life, I've never heard that word mispronounced, even though it's spelled with two silent consonants. Especially not when it has a military modifier.

Job killers in the second stimulus

If you needed any additional evidence that Obama has no intention of rescuing the economy, that it's right where he wants it:

"The Las Vegas Sun reported this weekend that big labor leaders are pushing to include their long-sought "card check" provisions into Obama's Second Stimulus. This legislation would effectively end a worker's right to fight unionization through secret ballot elections, would give the federal government the power to run small businesses and would cost the American economy thousands of jobs.

The other major provisions of Obama's second stimulus are also job killers. The $5,000 new worker tax credit does not create any incentive for already-struggling companies to begin long-term hiring. What's worse, it could even increase unemployment; companies would delay existing plans to create jobs so they could take advantage of the tax credit. And it would add to our national debt. Then there's the TARP-funded government-subsidized loans for small businesses. It's a big-government program destined to fail since the Small Business Administration has a terrible record of effectively allocating capital to the private sector." Morning Bell

It isn't that he's stupid about free markets and what it takes to turn this around--lower taxes and less regulation and interference by the federal government--it's that he knows exactly what works. That's why he won't do it.

There is another sector growing besides the federal government in this economy--lobbyists.

Left overs tonight

Chicken fettuccini primavera. That's what I'm calling it. So sue me. I was enticed to buy a package of "tuna helper" or something like that at the store yesterday. I'd already cooked some chicken breast and needed to use it up, so I combined them. Made enough for an army. He said it wasn't too bad. But really. I felt sort of silly. You don't save any time with these mixes and I usually have all the ingredients. Then today at the "parent page" of my blog, Cutest Blog on the Block, I saw an ad for "quick recipes" and found these lovely photos of Italy, and this. So I'll just chop up a few broccoli florets, some pepper and carrots, mix in a little more milk, and we'll be good to go.

The snow has stopped for now, and it's just beautiful, as long as we're in here and it's out there. But it is suppose to return tonight. Exercise class and morning Bible study cancelled. The plow boys have been by. Love condo living! That drive-way on Abington (34 years) was a killer.

You can de-clutter in 15 minutes a day

That's what Fly Lady says. I thought it was a fifty-fling, but after checking the site, I see it is 27. "Take a garbage bag and walk through your home and throw away 27 items. Do not stop until you have collected all 27 items. Then close the garbage bag and pitch it. DO NOT LOOK IN IT!!! Just do it." But I had an entire box to empty. I pitched 67 things. It took much longer than I anticipated. Some of the forms I'd set aside asked for things like my doctor's name, address and phone number; or my husband's SS; or my daughter's, or the pharmacy's phone number. And the returned Christmas cards. Oh my. I had to fire up the database and change or add addresses. I had to take some things to the basement, like my husband's tools because I never could figure out how to fix the exercycle so it wouldn't sound like a small plane taking off, and last year's calendar that had some great flower photos for when I get inspired to paint again. Then there was the laundry to put in the dryer while I was down there, and yesterday's loads to take upstairs. Yes, de-cluttering takes much more time than you think. Fortunately, the cat hadn't become excited and used the litter box like she usually does when she sees me going to the basement. But with 5" of snow expected today, 2" this evening, and another 5" possibly tomorrow, this is a good day to do de-cluttering.

Wexner Center on Google Earth

I don't understand how Google Earth works, but here is the Wexner Center on the campus of The Ohio State University.

To create a model in Google SketchUp (which is primarily used for concept sketching) is a test, especially for a building like the Wexner Center. Diagonal axes, broken forms, and exposed scaffolding, just to name a few, provide enormous challenges.

Yup. That pretty much describes this buidling. Post modern, ugly as sin, and anti-people. Here's what I had to say about this building about four years ago during a big renovation.

"The Wexner Center didn't work from the get-go and the $15.8 million upgrade (on our dime) should be laid at the feet of the review committee that selected this design from a competition that would have served our campus better with a far more practical and beautiful building suited for our climate and geography." Link

How children can help with housework

Recently the Work and Family Mail Box at the WSJ had this complaint from a father of 3 and one on the way. "My wife is busy and I work long hours, so it's embarrassing when people drop by."

My first thought was, Oh, oh, I'll bet that's the mother-in-law "dropping by."

I have no small children and my personal areas of our home (my office, the kitchen, the laundry room) are much messier than when I did. My children were my main focus in the 60s and 70s--I wanted to be a good example, I wanted to teach them life skills, and I was a bit fussy about hygiene and good health, probably more than I needed to be. So therefore, my children "helped" with housework without actually doing the work.

When they were toddlers I vacuumed and picked up toys once a day--usually about 4:30. One tip my Mom (married 65 years) gave me was always look good for your husband when he walks in the door--and that includes the house. Put on a fresh dress, straighten your seams (her era), comb your hair and powder your nose.

My children were bathed daily before bedtime, and since I was already on my knees, that meant the tub was cleaned daily, and the floor mopped up. Toilet training meant special attention to hygienic facilities. In those days, I ironed weekly, not bi-monthly. Shopping was once a week--alone--not every other day like now when I have plenty of time and no schedule.

My parents had four children within seven years, and I can't ever recall a time when the house was messy for long, even during the time when mom baked and sold pies (although I wasn't tall enough to see the kitchen counter then). Neither had mothers who put in a lot of time on "keeping a house" so a pleasant, clean house was important to them. However, we were free to rearrange the furniture and drape blankets around to create houses, drag out the Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, dolls and trucks, or set up an art studio on the dining room table. I can't recall anyone stopping me from running through the house pretending to be a pony, using the beds as a trampoline, (or falling down stairs frequently). So Mom must have started picking up the mess and putting the furniture back about an hour before Dad's return in the evening.

The WSJ columnist suggested to the reader that he find a "household coach" to help his wife with organization. I've seen this done on TV, but wonder how long it lasts. I think of my own efforts to keep my personal space clean--it's not exactly like I don't know what to do or why! Today we have on-line helps like Fly Lady (today is zone 2) where you tackle one area a day and do a 50-fling/pick up or something like that.

I tend to think you either see it and it bothers you, or you don't. In that family, unfortunately, the husband could see it, the wife couldn't.

Monday Memories--So what else is new in the labor market?

My cousin sent these stats--I'd just seen them Saturday in another communication. Then I started counting my own work experience, and came up with ten jobs plus two unpaid positions by age 21.

"The U.S. Department of Labor says that: “Today’s learner will have 10 to 14 jobs by age 38.”

First (paid) job: babysitter, Forreston, IL, 11 years old, through teen years

Second job: corn detasseling, DeKalb seed, Polo, IL, age 14

Third job: Mt. Morris Public Library, student clerk, age 16

Fourth job: Foxbilt Feeds, office clerk, age 16

Fifth job: Zickuhr’s Pharmacy, counter, age 16-20, high school, then college breaks

Unpaid BVS summer volunteer, age 17, Fresno, CA

Sixth job: Manchester College Library, Librarian's student assistant, age 18

Seventh job: Green St. Pharmacy, Champaign, IL, counter and cashier, age 19-21, various times, undergrad and grad, University of Illinois

Eighth job: University of Illinois Library, student assistant, age 19

Ninth job: General Mold and Engineering, Indianapolis, secretary and payroll, age 20

Tenth job: Russian Language and Area Studies, office clerk, age 21

Unpaid student teaching in Spanish, Urbana, IL high school, age 21

Eleventh job: Graduate assistant, Dept. Sociology, U. of I. translator of Soviet medical newspapers, age 22

Oops. Thought of another one. I had a paid paper route for about 13 homes (2 farms) in the SW end of Forreston when I was age 7. It was a very long walk, especially on Sunday morning when the papers were very heavy and the snow very deep.



1961 and ready to enter the "real" world of work as a college graduate

The Pelosi Pole Vault

Nancy Pelosi has promised (Jan. 28) that the health care bill written by lobbyists and leftists that Americans don't want will be snuck into other bills.

"We will go through the gate. If the gate is closed, we will go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we will pole vault in. If that doesn't work, we will parachute in. But we are going to get health care reform passed for the American people for their own personal health and economic security and for the important role that it will play in reducing the deficit."

This is not new--think of all the times social programs or other pork have been tacked onto troop funding. She's being honest about what she thinks of the American people for once in her life.

Recently we've seen the EPA just go right around our elected Congress to do their own pole vaulting for Cap and Trade, a boondoggle that will probably give us a higher tax bill than "health care reform." I have difficulty reading the research articles in JAMA, but the social and political stuff isn't too hard. In the January 13 issue (Vol. 303, no. 2) there is an interesting article on "Human, animal, ecosystem health all key to curbing emerging infectious diseases" (p. 117-118). Yes, the 2006 spinach e coli outbreak can be tied to global climate change (OSU researchers found E coli in domestic and wild animals linked to unusual weather conditions contaminating irrigation systems). So at a November conference hosted by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council it was recommended that we must have new strategies locally, nationally and globally because our surveillance system is inadequate.

Keep an eye on cross fertilization of your tax health dollars and regulations among US Department of Agriculture (USDA), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the US Agency for International Development (USAID, the National Institute on Environmental Health Services, wildlife management, all universities and research dealing with veterinary medicine, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and "global effort." Cha-Ching. Of course, compared to billions and trillions, an initial investment in this system of $800 million is a drop in the government bucket which has a hole in it. It's those 12 recommendations that came out of the conference that include the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Office International des Epizooties and the goal of creating a funding stream that worries me. That and Nancy's pole vaulting skill.

Drawing on a promise. . . that isn't there

In last week's State of the Union address, President Obama said,

"Abroad, America's greatest source of strength has always been our ideals. The same is true at home. We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution, the notion that we're all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law, you should be protected by it, if you adhere to our common values, you should be treated no different than anyone else.

We must continually renew this promise. My administration has a Civil Rights Division that is once again prosecuting civil rights violations and employment discrimination. We finally strengthened..."

First of all, it's not in the Constitution. The Constitution had 7 articles and was dated September 17, 1787 at a Constitutional Convention. Then it was amended with 10 amendments known as the "Bill of Rights" on December 15, 1791, and then an additional 17, the last being ratified in 1992. The Declaration of Independence was much earlier, July 4, 1776, and it has the words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. . . " Most of the Declaration is about reasons for independence from King George of Britain, listing all the bad things he'd done to the American people. It's the Constitution that tells us about the separation of powers, another thing Obama seems to have co-mingled.

Second, it's very clear, that the reason the signers of the Declaration of Independence were willing to put their lives on the line was that they believed their Rights came from their Creator and not by abiding by the law, another mistake Obama made, even if he'd found his way into the right document.

For me, "finding unity in our diversity" is a very awkward phrase, especially since "diversity" has come to mean in recent years separating a national people into little fractured groups and interest blocks to get social and educational programs passed. It certainly doesn't seem to have the same ring as the motto on the seal and our money, "E Pluribus Unum," Latin for "One from many" or "One from many parts" with the emphasis on the ONE and not the MANY. It meant creating a federal state from a group of individual states--formerly colonies.

What year was he born? Forty years ago Fifth Dimension even had a fairly popular song about the Declaration of Independence. So did his speech writers just make a mistake? Surely a constitutional lawyer has read the Constitution. It's not very long.



And we won't even go into the never ending straw men slams against the Bush administration with the nonsense, ". . . once again prosecuting civil rights violations and employment discrimination. We finally strengthened . . .blah blah"

Tebow Super Bowl Commercial

And to think the pro-abortion people got their shorts in a knot over this!

Good-bye Bob

Bob Connors of 610 WTVN radio has been doing the morning drive time as long as I can remember, and I'm really not in the car all that much. But I think I heard him say 30 years, 6 days a week. Saturday as I was heading out for coffee, listeners were saying good-bye, because he's giving up Saturdays, his call-in program. Bob said he'd like to be able to take his wife out on Friday night like other people do and not worry about getting up early for the program. People call Bob and in a few minutes, report on kittens that need a new home, or a spaghetti supper raising funds for someone who's had a fire, or a political event, or just opining on the week's events. Some people only hear him on Saturday, so I suppose those were the ones most upset. In my opinion, he's got the best voice in radio, and John Corby, the afternoon guy, is running a very close second.

There's something really special about Bob, though, and I think this caller summed it up nicely, and I'm paraphrasing:

"Most people can hear, but very few really listen. We're going to miss you."

Do you remember "The Rules?"

I don't. I was busy working on my career reading up on exercise therapy for horses and kidney diseases in dogs (Veterinary Medicine Librarian, Ohio State University). This book was a big hit in the 90s. If you followed "The Rules" you were all but guaranteed a husband (if you were a girl). One of the authors got a divorce, and remarried but they both are doing well. Apparently you can sign on to become one of their counselors. I've been married close to 50 years, my parents were married over 65, my grandparents' combined years of marriage were 133. Maybe I should apply. But it's been so long I don't remember what the rules were back then (1960, 1934, 1912, 1901).

These days the authors are also giving advice on nose jobs and closet cleaning. Woot!

Bovine End Product

A response to a discussion on learning from President Obama’s speeches to improve your own abilities, at Higher Ed Morning dot com.

“Mr. Obama is, at the very least, a very facile speaker. What offends my sensibilities is the monotonous overuse of what I would call cheap rhetorical tricks (e.g.: "There are those who say-" leading into a classic straw man argument; "Let me be perfectly clear-" leading into obfuscatory weasel-wording; among other offenses, including false dichotomies, illicit redefinitions, et cetera). Yes, other Presidents have been poor speakers, but I'm sorry - after the umpteenth hearing of a rhetorical catchphrase, it begins to grate. Out here in Flyover Country, most of the citizens Mr. Obama has been trying to persuade have long ago learned to dismiss his arguments as, if I may be forgiven the Bowdlerization, "Bovine End-product."“

Note: My spellcheck still tries to change “Obama” to “Osama.”

And from Murray, who would be in Flyover Country if he weren't playing golf in Florida, on the repetitious speeches:

"When Obama speaks it doesn't matter whether it's his State of the Union address, speaking to the Republican or Democratic caucuses, at a town hall meeting or news conference, the SELLING is exactly the same. One campaign speech fits all. Without fail he always blames the Bush administration for the economy and then picks his latest enemy and demonizes them. He always tries to "sell" HIS health care bill plus HIS cap & trade. When the Republicans invited him for a question and answer meeting, what does Obama do? He gives them a start off speech where he both scolds and ridicules them! Now remember, this is the guy who campaigned on bringing the two parties together including the whole world. When questioned about his promise to not have lobbyists in his administration (he has 40) he corrected that by saying he meant there are none in a advisory position. (He must have misspoke.) Well, that's a lie anyway because 3 of those 40 lobbyist do advise!

Now this is a weather report!

We've had snow in Columbus. A few events cancelled. Maybe some drifting of our 6-8 inches. But I really got a good laugh out of this guy. Baltimore and DC are apparently getting hammered.

First Lady criticized for discussing her children’s weight in public

Bloggers and talkers left and right (Glenn Beck mentioned it, and he seems overly concerned about his own weight, IMO) are saying she did a bad thing, using her own children as an example of poor eating. Well, I don’t think it was any worse than complaining to blue collar workers in Ohio (during the campaign) about paying back her college loans and the cost of her kids’ piano lessons. That was a 21st century "let them eat cake" speech.

"We went to our pediatrician all the time," Obama said. "I thought my kids were perfect -- they are and always will be -- but he [the doctor] warned that he was concerned that something was getting off balance."

"I didn't see the changes. And that's also part of the problem, or part of the challenge. It's often hard to see changes in your own kids when you're living with them day in and day out," she added. "But we often simply don't realize that those kids are our kids, and our kids could be in danger of becoming obese. We always think that only happens to someone else's kid -- and I was in that position."

Obama said the doctor suggested she first look at her daughters' body mass index (BMI). The minor changes she subsequently made in their daily habits, Obama said, made all the difference.

What is important about childhood obesity is ignored in this story.

1) No one knows what the “right” BMI is for children--those studies haven‘t been done. It's age, it's ethnicity, it's genes, it's gender, it's growth spurts. I was almost my adult height and weight by the end of 7th grade. One girl in the class got her growth spurt after high school graduation. At our 20th reunion I didn't recognize "Pee Wee" because he was over 6' and quite filled out. If Obama's pediatrician mentioned BMI, then it was observational, not research;

2) studies don't show any change in obesity (except upward) with government intervention--and believe me it has been tried many times with the CDC and foundations throwing billions at it, and not just our country;

3) it‘s frequent dieting that seems to be dangerous;

4) older people who carry extra weight live longer than thin people with terrific fitness scores or obese people;

5) studies do show that low-fat diets for children are bad for brain development, especially in infancy.

CDC in 2004 announced that obesity was the nation’s number two killer (cigarettes were #1) causing 400,000 deaths a year. It's own data can't find an association between BMI and cancer. But oops. Their own data indicated the true average is 112,000 per year. But never you mind--it’s a fabulous draw for tax money.

Here’s some cost figures for “fighting” obesity from the 2010 budget as broken out by program at JunkFoodScience.blogspot.com even though there is no evidence these programs and partnerships work, prevent disease, or reduce mortality.

● The budget for obesity programs under the Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity department totals $44.4 million; which includes “developing innovative partnerships,” such as with the Healthy Eating Active Living Convergence Partnership and with the Produce for Better Health Foundation (where the CDC co-chairs the National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance). PBH was honored at the Weight of Nation conference, by the way, with an award for its work “advancing policies and environmental strategies to prevent and control obesity.”

● The $62.47 million budget for REACH, which targets minority communities for intervention, is part of its Healthy Communities Program which, it says, is an integral part of CDC’s response to the epidemics of obesity and chronic disease.”

● $7.3 million is for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

● $12.3 million for Genomics is described as “opportunities for public health and preventive medicine, which support the President‘s Healthier U.S. Initiative and the Secretary‘s Personalized Health Care Initiative.”

● $65.99 million is budgeted for diabetes surveillance, prevention and education (such as its Diabetes Primary Prevention Initiative which is “focused on approaches that identify people with pre-diabetes... to adapt lifestyle behaviors aimed at reducing modiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes” – i.e. obesity).

● $341 million is for cancer prevention and control programs, such as WISEWOMAN (Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation, which targets low-income women “to improve diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle behaviors to prevent, delay, and control cardiovascular and other chronic diseases”) and NCCCP (National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, which “provide a blueprint to encourage healthy lifestyles, promote recommended cancer screening guidelines and tests,…[and] education programs about cancers or their associated risk factors”).

● The $62.78 million budget for School Health is focused on physical activity, nutrition and tobacco use prevention and other priority health risk behaviors, most notably obesity and type 2 diabetes (which it says “has become increasingly prevalent among children and adolescents as rates of overweight and obesity rise”) and funds 22 state agencies “to focus on reducing chronic disease risk factors such as tobacco use, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity” and funds 29 NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to “promote healthy behaviors for the nation’s youth.”

● $22.8 million is for its Healthy Communities program for “community leaders and public health professionals to equip these entities to effectively confront the urgent realities of the growing national crisis in obesity and other chronic diseases in their communities.”

Go to her page and check the links. The scientific evidence she writes, "often from CDC statistics itself, fails to support any of these programs. That’s why it’s never been more important for us to remember those fallacies of logic and to think and look deeper than the headlines."

This is my favorite "anti-anti-fast food" photo. Peasant women in a Romanian village which doesn't have running water let alone processed food or a McDonald's!

All this talk about food has made me hungry. Time out for Ritz and cheese. Also, did you know that Gerberding, Bush's head of the CDC, is now head of vaccines for Merck? What do you bet they'll develop a vaccine to fight obesity. She certainly laid the ground work during her years at CDC.

From Robert Redford to Yoda

Barry Shanley woke up one morning in 2001 missing part of his moustache. Then his hair and eyebrows disappeared. Doctor after doctor as he went up the specialist food chain said they’d never seen anything like it. But they think they know what may have caused it. After weeks of testing and checking his medical records a team at Cleveland Clinic decided it was the steroid shots for severe allergies from the age of 4 to 18. The specialist said he was a time bomb that finally went off. Now many years later, his immune system thought his hair--all of it--was a disease and was destroying it. Oddly, since this affliction began in October 2001, he has not had a headache, cold, the flu, or sore throat. Nothing. After eight years, they still don’t know exactly why, but he has finally had a new photo taken for his newspaper column.

Chef-O-Nette in Tremont Center

Our apartment on Farleigh
We moved to the Columbus area in late June of 1967. I had taken a position as a cataloger of Russian materials at The Ohio State University Libraries, and my husband had been hired as a draftsman at Urban, Calabretta and Lewis downtown. After unpacking a few things at 2120 Farleigh Road that first evening, we walked through a neighbor's drive way through a gate and into an alley where we found a small shopping center and the Chef-O-Nette restaurant. (We were so unfamiliar with the area I didn't know we weren't living in Columbus). Best food in town. I recommend the Hangover and the tapioca. For many years I was an early morning regular at the second bay. To sit at the first bay was like sitting in the wrong pew in church. Our bay even had parties at private homes we knew each other so well.



I found this video on a Chef fan page on Facebook.

Hypocrite in Chief

He's already Narcissist in Chief. Glenn Beck reports he's had a photo taken with his feet on the Resolute desk and has graced the walls of the White House with hundreds of photos of himself, and has them frequently changed.

Beck on radio: "Now, I just got a note from a friend of mine who said, Glenn, I was just in the White House for three hours. Inside, the walls are covered with 11 by 14 framed photos of the president in various activities. According to the Secret Service they are taken all of the time and changed weekly. I would estimate there are 300 photos around the White House now east and west wings, and they are changed weekly. Wow! Wow."

Now Hypocrite as well. He was probably not the all time blocker of Bush nominees, but that may have been because he was such a light weight with so little time in the Senate to do anything while running for President. The Washington Post points out some big glaring holes in his complaints about Republicans blocking his choices.

In 2005, a year after his election to the Senate, Obama placed a hold on Susan Bodine to lead the Environmental Protection Agency office that oversees Superfund and emergency cleanup programs because the agency had missed a deadline on new regulations for lead paint exposure.

In September 2006, Obama and Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) blocked Robert L. Wilkie's nomination as a Defense Department assistant secretary over a long-delayed Pentagon report on Midwestern wind farms.

And Obama joined with other Democrats in October 2007 to block the nomination of Hans von Spakovsky to the Federal Election Commission. Von Spakovsky later withdrew; Wilkie and Bodine were eventually confirmed.

Obama and Faith based organizations

For once I agree with the ACLU, although for different reasons. Christians should not be fooled. This is a deal of Faustian proportions. And we were losing at this one under the Bushes and Clinton. What's different now is Obama has promised to restrict our religious freedoms, and I believe it’s a campaign promise he will keep--most likely through a faith czar so he won’t have to take the heat. Don't let the prayer breakfast fool you.

“President Barack Obama's willingness to keep Bush-era policies on government-backed religious charities opposed by many liberals is helping to woo traditionally Republican evangelical leaders who can influence key blocs of voters.

The approach, according to conservative leaders and liberal critics alike, is part of a broader strategy by Mr. Obama and fellow Democrats to regain credibility with centrist and conservative voters who tend to be more religious and have supported the GOP in recent polls and elections.” WSJ story

After churches have been weakened by accepting government money for everything from summer lunch programs for children to housing renovations in declining neighborhoods to work release programs for prisoners, they are at risk of having their "missions" dictated or coming to a screeching halt at the whim of a government bureaucrat.

We do not worship good works. Even successful ones. Leave that one for the people who have a heart for social programming and no faith in Jesus. We worship Jesus. Not an idea. Not an -ism. Not a government program. When the government can tell you where and whom and how you can evangelize, it's time to stop the grant writing, send the volunteers home and to get back in the business of telling the good news. Jesus never took tax money to feed the poor or to provide a job. Churches shouldn't either. He never robbed Peter to pay Paul. If he had, Peter probably would have gone to his grave denying him instead of founding the church.

"You should grasp Christ, his words, works and sufferings in a twofold manner. First as an example that is presented to you which you should follow and imitate. . . However this is the smallest part of the gospel, on the basis of which it cannot yet even be called gospel. For on this level Christ is of no more help to you than some other saint. . . before you take Christ as an example, you accept and recognize him as a gift, as a present that God has given you and that is your own. . . .when you have Christ as the foundation and chief blessing of your salvation, then the other part follows: that you take him as your example, giving yourself in service to your neighbor just as you see that Christ has given himself for you." Martin Luther

Churches provide millions of unpaid laborers in the form of "volunteers" to run these government programs. This is not the Gospel of Christ. This is not the harvest. By accepting grants from USDA, Dept of Labor, HHS, Dept of Ed. etc., the real figure for federal and state workers is kept artificially low. It is just government "out sourcing." It's time for churches to reread Matthew 25 and then rewrite their mission to the poor, sick, widowed and imprisoned.

Time Warner Cable helps Haitian customers

"In an effort to relieve at least a small measure of worry for our customers with friends and family in Haiti, Time Warner Cable will immediately make all calls placed by its Digital Phone customers to Haiti free of charge through the end of February 2010. This program will be retroactive to January 12, 2010 and includes calls to both landline and cellular telephones.

If you make direct-dialed calls to Haiti during this period, you do not need to do anything to receive a credit. The program will cover any Time Warner Cable Digital Phone customer. If you made calls to Haiti in the days after the earthquake, Time Warner Cable will issue credits to your account, with no need to call a customer service representative. It’s automatic — so you can rest easier as you talk to your loved-ones — whenever and as often as you’d like." More here.

The vilification of Pat Robertson

When the 700 Club Host referred to an old story that Haitians had made a pact with the devil 200 years ago for help in driving out the French and therefore had suffered greatly over the years, Christians and non-Christians, liberals and conservatives reacted in horror. This was a bit surprising to me. Western literature, music and folklore is filled with this story. Why should the Haitians have not known the story? Their masters were Europeans; their religion was Christian mixed with elements of African pantheism. This story was not original with Robertson--was this black Haitian preacher also vilified for telling the myth and then unpacking it biblically? What sort of reverse racism, and anti-western thought is this? Or, conversely, why is it that poor descendants of slaves can't get as caught up in this story as sophisticated, educated Westerners?

The idea of making a pact with the devil is deeply ingrained in our culture--Theophilus, Solomon, Virgil, Simon Magnus, the Faust legend and the literature, music and poetry that surrounds it, and of course, the real Doctor Faustus, who was a contemporary of Martin Luther and Melanchton. And let's not forget Louisa May Alcott, Pushkin, Liszt and Berlioz. And what about Hollywood? Isn't much of that or any modern entertainment just a pact to postpone death in a never ending quest for youth, money or fame?

Lunch out today

Usually on Fridays we go to the Rusty Bucket, but I'm eating lunch out today, and in an effort not to go up yet another size, I'll stick with that as my adventure of the day. Lunch with retired librarians. Yes, I know--you yawn--but really, that's a lot of smarts sitting around nibbling sandwiches or pie sipping decaf. And today it's at the MCL at Kingsdale, what the kids in the 70s and 80s (or maybe today) called the Medicare Lounge. I am one of the lesser stars in this constellation--most of them have a lot more education than I do and participate in many more activities. Adrienne, for instance, searches out organ concerts and special music events--and actually attends them! Susan, as I recall, is a master gardener or at least a wannabee. Chuck and his wife bicycle around the country, or at least the county. Eleanor is always on a cruise to interesting places. Jim is an expert on pottery and writes for archeology journals. Ruey has an advanced degree in piano, although I've never heard her play. Hardly anyone I know says at age 6, "I want to grow up to be a librarian." I told people I was going to be a missionary-doctor. Later I said I'd be a veterinarian. I think I know why. Most of the people you see behind a desk in the library, aren't librarians. The other day I got a complaint about a grumpy unhelpful librarian at Ohio State from a total stranger. I actually knew this guy, so I set him straight--that's not a librarian, but he was indeed the crabby face of the library.

It would also be a big help if the profession would settle on a name. I vote for "librarian."

Update: Our snowstorm rolled in about 9:30 a.m. The view from my office is now a delight of beautiful fat flakes--to watch, but not for driving. So lunch has been cancelled.

The Addiction Report

Here's an odd site to stumble into--The Addiction Report, with Tiger getting almost a perfect score. I was following a different lead--why 40 years after the current women's movement began major news stories are all about men especially athletes (9 headlines) when I came across this one on addiction, featuring Tiger Woods. Pretty interesting. If you've known any addicts or attended any 12 step programs, you've heard about the cross addictions, risk taking behavior and rage incidents.

"Read and learn through real life Runners Up for Stories of the Month from Doug Thorburn's January-February 2010 Thorburn Addiction Report, which can also be accessed at http://www.preventragedy.com

Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods, involved in a 2 a.m. accident that seemed inexplicable, until the world learned of:

(1) his serial adultery with more than a dozen women (sexually compulsive; borrowing the methodology from Drunks, Drugs & Debits, 50% odds of alcoholism),

(2) the fact that he seems to have met most of these women in nightclubs and that most if not all of the women appear to be "party" girls (addicts often hang out with addicts; by itself probably 20%, but add 20% of the remaining 50%, or 10%; see "enablers of the month" below for the luscious details),

(3) that with at least two of the women he not only didn't use condoms, but didn't even ask if the women were using birth control (signs of a sense of invincibility and unnecessarily reckless behaviors; 50% by itself, but, sticking to the methodology, add 50% of the remaining 40%, or 20%),

(4) reported tantrums on the golf course (rage; by itself, 50%, but we can't go over 80% without proof of addictive use; so this simply provides more evidence that the odds of addiction are at least 80%),

(5) a report that he "had been drinking alcohol" before the incident (evidence of addictive use when combined with a misbehavior such as possible DUI; we've now exceeded 80% odds), and

(6) prescriptions to Ambien and Vicodin (which puts the odds of addiction at well over 90%). The fact that one of his mistresses reported he likes to have "Ambien sex" suggests he combines drugs, which with serial unethical behaviors ups the odds of psychotropic drug addiction and, therefore, an explanation (but emphatically not an excuse) for his extra-marital misbehaviors, to nearly 100%--or close enough to make runner-up for top story rather than merely "under watch" (whose denizens display behaviors suggesting 80% odds of addiction, but no greater due to the absence of proof of addictive use)."

But like the aide who covered for John Edwards' spooky behavior and make-believe liberalism, you do have to wonder about what was wrong with all the other golfers and hangers-on, friends, trainers and coaches, sports writers, doctors and club owners who watched all this and kept quiet. But having enablers around them, is also part of the scenario, and if you throw in a huge pot of money and a sense of power, you've got a very toxic mix more addictive and explosive than any drink ever could be.

And by the way, one of those nine stories actually was a woman--the death of Casey Johnson, daughter of Jets owner and heiress of the Johnson and Johnson fortune--a sad conclusion that the news is still all about men and sports.

217 Democrats committing suicide

When I got back from church tonight, I checked my site meter, and my blog about the Morgenthau quote had suddenly gone off the charts, so I back tracked through referrals and found I'd been cited by Roger L. Simon.

. . . the substance is true. The New Deal made the Depression worse – and we are doing it again, only with bigger numbers and more zeros. Furthermore, now the Chinese own us. We enact this nonsensical budget and we might as well give them the whole thing – the Statue of Liberty, McDonald’s and Apple Computer. No backsies. They can have Steve Jobs’ next iPad extravaganza in Shanghai. They build everything over there already anyway.

But unfortunately this is no joke. The passing of this budget is a straight out act of economic insanity. Everyone knows it. The 217 Democrats who passed it surely know it too. Only they are too corrupt to face it honestly. Shame on them. Shame on them. Shame on them.

Gays in the military and other hot, hot issues

Some of my views aren't shared with other Conservatives; that's because we don't have to march lock step like the Liberals. For instance, I think Ohio's drug sentencing laws are too harsh; I think there is an advantage to medical marijuana over more harmful "legal" drugs and it should be legally prescribed by doctors; and I think gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military. But the rules will need to be just as strict for men who sexually and verbally harass men as they are for men who harass women. If a gay soldier causes a problem within the unit in which he/she serves, he's history. If a straight soldier can't accept that a gay guy will be watching his back, he's history. And none of that nonsense about victim perception. Let's not have careers and reputations ruined by hearsay and innuendo. The idea that today's young adults can't serve together in the military despite differences in sexual orientation when they've been taught nothing else but acceptance and kum-ba-yah since pre-school would mean an absolute failure of our school system. I may have my doubts about the reading and 'rithmatic, but they usually get the warm fuzzies right.

Brown, Becker and Card-check

“By being sworn in today, a week earlier than planned, Senator-elect Scott Brown has put himself in a position to help fellow Republicans scuttle a hotly disputed Obama administration nomination to the National Labor Relations Board next week.

A vote to appoint the prominent [SEIU, AFL-CIO] lawyer, Craig Becker, appears to be the only one in coming days in which Brown’s early arrival could make a crucial difference by giving Republicans their 41st vote in the Senate, allowing them to deploy the filibuster to block the nomination.” Boston Globe.

“Critics fear Becker would come to the board with a mission to implement the Employee Free Choice Act, using the board's regulatory powers to achieve in what Congress has not been able to do through legislation.

Unions favor the Employee Free Choice Act, which would substitute a "card check" procedure for secret balloting on union representation. Opponents say the card check approach would make it easier for union organizers to coerce employees into voting for union representation because the open process of checking to see if employees have signed union cards would replace voting in secret.

The U.S. Chamber of Congress, which represents more than three million businesses, had urged the Senate committee to reject Becker. The recommendation is only the third time in more than 30 years that the Chamber has opposed a nominee to the NLRB.” Dow Jones

"In a letter to key senators, the Society for Human Resource Management and 22 other organizations ask legislators to reject the nomination of Craig Becker for a seat on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Becker was nominated by President Barack Obama to the five-member board in 2009 and again in early 2010, after the Senate rejected the nomination. He has been criticized by some business and employer organizations because of writings that suggest that he would take an active role in increasing the power of labor unions on the NLRB, possibly bypassing the legislative process. Becker serves as counsel to two organized labor groups—the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the AFL-CIO—and has taught and practiced labor law for more than two decades. He helped draft the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, which would give workers the choice of how they would want to vote for union representation—by a card-check process or a secret-ballot election." SHRM

Rush, Rahm and the R-word

Media Matters and lefty journalists fall for Rush's phony outrage every time! I think it's just a way for all concerned to boost their ratings and then they all go out for a beer and chuckle at all their listeners/readers who flush and rage.

Yesterday Rush had a longer than necessary monologue about Rahm Emanuel calling members of his own party F-ing Retards. Well, as you can imagine, this didn't go over well with people who look out for our citizens with special needs--people who have a bully pulpit and a personal interest like Sarah Palin who's youngest child has Down's Syndrome. But, as usual, Rush just couldn't let it go and went on and on, using the R-word, stopping to say it was Rahm's term, not his. Nevertheless, now the lefties say Palin should smack Rush around for using "retard" even though he was clearly referring to Rahm. So today, he's on it again, this time with the number of times "retarded" is used in the current health care legislation (I'd wondered about that myself) and Obama's use of the word in his autobiography. For some reason, Rahm promised he will get the offending word removed from all legislation.

I don't know how old Emanuel is, but I first noticed "retard" being used casually as a joking pejorative and put down in the early 80s. Kids have been saying it for years. And I agree with Governor Palin, that no public official would be shouting "nigger" at people he disagreed with, and it's time for Emanuel to clean up his language. Also, I've long believed that men that scream "fuck" as a verb, adjective and adverb, are doing so to intimidate women, not men. Nothing about the F bomb though in the media outrage. That's apparently OK.

Rahm Emanuel is known as having the biggest, meanest, filthiest garbage mouth in government. Someone should wash his mouth out with soap and not just for being out of step with current acceptable language.

How to talk good while navel gazing and finger wagging

Be sure to read the comments. Link.

Champions for Life

101,603 people were in attendance at the SuperBowl game in 1987 and it is estimated that another 87.1 million watched. Maybe you were one of them.

Champions For Life from American Life League on Vimeo.

NFL Stars and Athletes For Life Mark Bavaro, George Martin, Phil McConkey, Phil Simms, Chris Godfrey, and Jim Burt are true champions in promoting the Culture of Life.

Footage from Superbowl 21
Date Played: January 25, 1987
Teams: New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos
Winner: GIANTS
Final Score: 39-20
Location: Pasadena, California

You lie--again

Organizing for Obama has changed its name. It's now Organizing for America. Since it is an organization to re-elect the President, I don't understand the name change. This isn't for America; that's a lie. He launched his presidency going after socializing health care, cap and trade, and major butt and cheek kissing and bowing, instead of rolling up his sleeves and restoring the economy the only way that works--letting business get down to the business of America--capitalism. Instead, he grew the government. He's increased government jobs more in one year than Bush did in eight--and Bush was the all-time big spender on social programs until he turned the White House over to Obama.

"Organizing for America, the successor organization to Obama for America, is building on the movement that elected President Obama by empowering communities across the country to bring about our agenda of change."

I'm sure children will be suckered into "volunteering" for America through this organization.

Evolving online business, from books to writing

Today I stopped by an online book selling business blog (the blog was about the business which was at another site) that I sort of enjoyed, and discovered the owner had discontinued that effort, but is now writing for other online businesses. She'd become successful enough at finding and selling books, that she had begun to outsource, which cut into her profits and her fun. Story here. Now she's created a new site for her new business as a copywriter.

Are you looking at retirement homes?

We're not, but we thoroughly enjoyed visiting the new Willow Brook at Delaware Run in Delaware, Ohio yesterday. If you or your parents are at a stage where you're starting to think about this, I'd certainly schedule a visit. We visited our former neighbors, had a personal tour with them, and ate in the lovely dining room, The Water's Edge Restaurant, which incidentally has a French chef and is open to the public. The food was as good or better than any restaurant I've enjoyed recently.

Although this is not my favorite architectural style, nothing has been overlooked on the inside for tasteful decor and comfort of the residents. This facility just opened, so these owners/residents got to pick cabinet finishes, and extra features. A number of residents already had plans for the Erickson facility in Hilliard that went into bankruptcy, so there were some last minutes changes, and fortunately they got their money back. As I understand the plans, the area you see in this photo will eventually have buildings all around the little lake. Our friends' apartment faces the highway and a residential neighborhood (not all that close), which they just love because there is so much to look at from their large windows or balcony. They have an alcove in the living room which accomodates their grand piano--so you can see these are not small units.

At this time Willow Brook has 1 and 2 bedroom apartments and twin singles, and our friends also had a study so they were using the 2nd bedroom as a TV room. On the 3rd floor they have vaulted ceilings with gives a nice feeling of openess. There is an assisted care wing and a "memory care" wing on the first floor. There's a lovely library in the balcony area over the lobby, and we stopped by and chatted with the volunteers who were working to get the shelves stocked under the supervision of a retired librarian. There's an artists' workshop, an underground garage, exercise facilities with the latest in equipment, a chapel (not much there yet except chairs despite all the retired preachers), and a very large activity/banquet room.

We met a number of the pleasant staff including Larry Harris, CEO, and the chef, and some of the residents, many retired pastors and professors and business people. Willow Brook is part of Christian Communities (Church of Christ). There is also a Willow Brook Christian Village (about 20 years old) and Willow Brook Christian Home (skilled nursing and rehab).

So if you're starting to look, or you have a parent thinking of moving closer to the children, this facility is about a 45 minute drive from Arlington if you use Rt 33 and about 35 using Rt 315 (we tried both). Delaware is a college town with a nice business district--however, I'm sure there are so many activities planned for the residents they don't have much time to take in the local sights. We heard only two very mild complaints from two couples we know there--they haven't found a local church and haven't changed doctors, dentists, hair dressers, etc., and are still driving back to Columbus.

Added a new widget--a Google search for my blogs

Trying to remember what is where in my twelve blogs is a bit of a challenge. Each blog has a little search window at the top, and that is useful, and I can go into edit and look at all my subject headings (tags). However, while poking around the widgets I found I could the Google search. At first, I couldn't figure out what it would do, but I added it anyway (it shows at the bottom of this page). With this search feature, I can search any topic I may have written about, for instance "Lutheran" that I may have posted here or at one of my other blogs. Try it with "Mt. Morris" and quite a bit comes up.

Sally Jenkins on the Tebow Super Bowl Ad

It's easier to just provide a link rather than copy the whole thing (which is probably in violation of copyright). But Sally Jenkins, Sports writer for WaPo, is one tough dude!

"I'm pro-choice, and Tebow clearly is not. But based on what I've heard in the past week, I'll take his side against the group-think, elitism and condescension of the "National Organization of Fewer and Fewer Women All The Time." For one thing, Tebow seems smarter than they do.

Tebow's 30-second ad hasn't even run yet, but it already has provoked "The National Organization for Women Who Only Think Like Us" to reveal something important about themselves: They aren't actually "pro-choice" so much as they are pro-abortion. Pam Tebow has a genuine pro-choice story to tell. She got pregnant in 1987, post-Roe v. Wade, and while on a Christian mission in the Philippines, she contracted a tropical ailment. Doctors advised her the pregnancy could be dangerous, but she exercised her freedom of choice and now, 20-some years later, the outcome of that choice is her beauteous Heisman Trophy winner son, a chaste, proselytizing evangelical.

Pam Tebow and her son feel good enough about that choice to want to tell people about it. Only, NOW says they shouldn't be allowed to. Apparently NOW feels this commercial is an inappropriate message for America to see for 30 seconds, but women in bikinis selling beer is the right one. I would like to meet the genius at NOW who made that decision. On second thought, no, I wouldn't. . . If the pro-choice stance is so precarious that a story about someone who chose to carry a risky pregnancy to term undermines it, then CBS is not the problem." Read the whole thing.

Remember the Sears catalog in the outhouse?

It's back!

The mighty queens of Freeville

Our bookclub meets tonight and we will be enjoying together a great read--The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson. Amy replaced Ann Landers as "Ask Amy"--and after giving advice to others based on experience and small town values, she collected the snippets and pieces of her own life and put them in this delightful book. Although each chapter has a theme and could stand alone, Amy wanders in and out of her marriage, divorce, her parents' divorce, child rearing, location, age, church, house and career but manages to hold it all together. It's an adventure just following her train of thought.

I just clicked over and looked at her Feb. 1 "Ask Amy" column. Yup. Women are still dumb, after all these years. And I don't mean Amy. They still move in with a boyfriend when they have a primary responsibility to a child; they still can't come up with a put down for a fresh, married man. Don't want to lose the friendship. Duh! Doubt that is his concern.

Read the book. I recommend it. You don't have to be divorced or a single parent to get a lot out of it, but if you are, you'll love it even more.

Herb Garden Ciabatta

Click to enlarge so you can read the recipe.
From the article, "Bread for the soul" by Lisa Kingsley and Wanda J. Ventling, Lily; beautiful living through faith, Spring 2006, pp.86-93.

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35 (NIV)

Notice the Italian parsley has the symbol of the Trinity, unlike the more familiar curly parsley.

Looking for Lily

It seems that Lily never made it, poor thing. Lily; beautiful living through faith is a magazine in my premiere issues collection. For some reason, I didn't code the template of that blog to alert me when there were comments. Maybe I figured no one would comment? Anyway, that entry has had more comments than any other because people are looking for it. Because I need to start cleaning out (I should write a Thursday Thirteen meme on my odd ball collections, some of which have only 2 pieces)--and my first issue hobby which used to fit in the back of a closet until the mid-80s, is totally out of control. So the most persistent one will get it. She e-mailed and left a Facebook comment, plus a comment at the blog. The problem with sorting and arranging them either by size or topic is I always open one up and start to read.

Knowing it would be leaving me soon, I decided to reread Lily (I usually don't read my first issues, just examine them for bibliographic data and research the provenance a bit). There's a very nice story about Laurie Smith, one of the TLC channel decorators. So I blogged about that at my faith blog, Church of the Acronym. She compares the goal of home decorating with that of maintaining and enhancing the soul. There's a yummy bread recipe I might copy, too.

Ellie Light meet H. L. Harris

Ellie Light (I first heard this on radio and thought it was "L.A. Light") is now claiming to be a Californian--a guy--who sent letters to the editors of many major newspapers in the U.S. supporting Obamacare--42 newspapers in 18 states, as well as Politico. Here's the Cleveland Plain Dealer story. Who knows. Maybe this guy is just trying to cash in on Ellie's fame and mystery. However, it happened 100 years ago too, according to the Jan. 6 issue of JAMA, which always has a "JAMA 100 Years Ago" feature in each issue.

"Many and devious are the ways by which those who would "doctor" our food attempt to create public sentiment in favor of chemical preservatives. During the last few months a harmless looking letter signed "H.L. Harris" has appeared in the newspapers of those cities and towns in which deaths from ptomain poisoning have recently been chronicled. This letter--we use the singular advisedly--does not vary in its wording in different papers, except for the opening sentnence. . . Not only in the form of letters do we find these much-reiterated sentiments of Mr. Harris. Overworked editors occasionally use them en bloc to fill a gaping void on the editorial page." (Reports an incident in the Alliance, Ohio Review, Dec. 4, 1909.)

It seems that H.L. Harris was an advocate of using boron compounds as food preservatives, and it turned out he worked for the Pacific Coast Borax Company and sometimes used the name H.H. Langdon. He referred to himself as a food expert, but seemed to have only one topic--attacking pure-food legislation. Harris-Langdon differed from Ellie Light in that he focused on and fooled smaller town newspaper editors. 100 years ago there was no way for small town editors to check these things. Not so today. With Google, there's no excuse for editors, with their leftist bias and custom of carrying Obama no matter what, to not do a bit of checking when something seems "too good to be true." I do it with viral messages sent to me, and I'm just a blogger. Give those unpaid college interns something to do.

If you play you pay--Infections of Leisure

When I was a librarian at Ohio State's Veterinary Medicine library, I would buy textbooks for our reserve collection. Many academic libraries don't--in some fields like education or history that could break the bank. However, there's nothing like a good, solid, frequently revised and updated textbook to save you hours of time both in research and reading. What you'll find in chapter bibliographies, notes and illustrations could save you hours of searching on-line databases or poking around in Google, plus there's been expert editorial review for quality. Let's face it, most of us aren't writing or reading for publication but for information.

I won't request the 4th ed. of Infections of Leisure from my public library--I know what the response will be--you have an OSU address, get it from them. Well, no library in OhioLink has a copy; OSU has the 3rd (2004), parts of which have been digitized. Maybe it's in the pipeline, or maybe it's just the old librarian's prejudice against textbooks in their collections. But read this MD reviewer in the Jan. 6, 2010 JAMA:

"As one who has completed an infectious diseases followship, I was astounded by the amount of new material I learned from this book--even gleaning one particularly salient fact from a table comparing infections acquired from hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs."

So what are infections of leisure? For a huge number of us that means our pets--dogs, cats, birds, horses, rodents. Or even our neighbors' pets who are burying their feces in our garden, or dropping them where birds can help spread the problem. For others it is combining the ancient practice of tattooing and body piercing with 21st century pathogens or cruise ship travel. Titles of the 19 chapters are:

At the shore / Mark A Clemence and Richard L Guerrant
Freshwater : from lakes to hot tubs / Bertha S Ayi and David Dworzack
The camper's uninvited guests / Gordon E Schutze and Richard F Jacobs
Infections in the garden / Burke A Cunha and Diane H Johnson
With man's best friend / Julie M Collins and Bennett Lorber
Around cats / Ellie J C Goldstein and Craig E Greene
Feathered friends / Matthew E Levison
Less common house pets / Bruno B Chomel
With man's worst friend : the rat / James G Fox
Closed due to rabies / Jesse D Blanton and John W Krebs
Sports : the infectious hazards / Arezou Minooee, Leland S Rickman, and Geeta Gupta
Traveling abroad / Martin S Wolfe
From boudoir to bordello : sexually transmitted diseases and travel / Jonathan M Zenilman
Infections from body piercing and tattoos / Mukesh Patel and C Glenn Cobbs
Infectious diseases at high altitude / Buddha Basnyat, Thomas A Cumbo, and Robert Edelman
Infectious risks of air travel / Alexandra Mangili and Mark Gendreau
Perils of the petting zoo / John R Dunn and Frederick J Angulo
Infections on cruise ships / Vivek Kak
Exotic and trendy cuisine / Jeffrey K Griffiths

Humans are surprisingly smug about being able to control the planet or finding miniscule dangerous amounts of a chemical in processed food. Yet they can't control their own dangerous personal behaviors like oral/anal sex or cleaning up after their pets. We'd rather pass legislation costing billions but remain ignorant of many novel pathogens that jump from animal to man which we encounter every day--an area we could control. Maybe the library could buy one less book on global warming.

If you're interested, I've seen book sites selling this book for anything from $66 to $150. So shop around.

O wert thou in the cauld blast

Tonight we're going to a Robert Burns dinner, and the hosts provide the food and the guests the entertainment. I will be reading this poem/song. He wrote it during his final illness for Jessy Lewars who helped the Burns family during his illness and his wife's confinement. The melody most commonly used for this song is by Mendelssohn, but I won't sing it, for which everyone will be grateful. I used to be a soprano. Now I have 4 notes--but they aren't all in a row.

O wert thou in the cauld blast,
On yonder lea, on yonder lea,
My plaidie to the angry airt,
I'd shelter thee, I'd shelter thee;
Or did Misfortune's bitter storms
Around thee blaw, around thee blaw,
Thy bield should be my bosom,
To share it a', to share it a'.

Or were I in the wildest waste,
Sae black and bare, sae black and bare,
The desert were a Paradise,
If thou wert there, if thou wert there;
Or were I Monarch o' the globe,
Wi' thee to reign, wi' thee to reign,
The brightest jewel in my Crown
Wad be my Queen, wad be my Queen.

cauld = cold
lea = grassland
plaide = length of tartan cloth
airt = direction
aroond = around
blaw = blow
bield = shelter

In writing about Bobby Burns, Elbert Hubbard says (1916), "Poetry and love-making should be carried on with caution: they form a terrific tax on life's forces. Most poets die young, not because the gods especially love them, but because life is a bank-account, and to wipe out your balance is to have your checks protested. The excesses of youth are drafts payable at maturity. Chatterton dead at eighteen, Keats at twenty-six, Shelley at thirty-three, Byron at thirty-six, Poe at forty, and Burns at thirty-seven, are the rule. When drafts made by the men mentioned became due, there was no balance to their credit and Charon beckoned. Most life-insurance companies now ask the applicant this question, "Do you write poetry to excess?" " Link.

Another Obama scandal--mirandizing Abdulmutallab

"We have since learned that the decision to Mirandize Abdulmutallab had been made without the knowledge of or consultation with (1) the secretary of defense, (2) the secretary of homeland security, (3) the director of the FBI, (4) the director of the National Counterterrorism Center or (5) the director of national intelligence (DNI).

The Justice Department acted not just unilaterally but unaccountably. Obama's own DNI said that Abdulmutallab should have been interrogated by the HIG, the administration's new High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group.

Perhaps you hadn't heard the term. Well, in the very first week of his presidency, Obama abolished by executive order the Bush-Cheney interrogation procedures and pledged to study a substitute mechanism. In August, the administration announced the establishment of the HIG, housed in the FBI but overseen by the National Security Council." Read Krauthammer's column