New books on my shelves (or couch)

After exercise class yesterday I stopped at the public library branch and found out the book I'd placed on hold had 9 other holds! Wow. It's called The Checklist Manifesto. It's been getting some buzz--the author was even on the John Stewart show. I'm not a list maker; I resist lists. But as I age, my internal list generator has sputtered. Freakonomics blog agrees. Even those of us who don't like to make lists, will probably like this book. JAMA reviewer wrote: ". . . is beautifully written, engaging and convincingly makes the case for adopting checklists in medicine. . . a direct call to action to change the way health care is delivered."

So while I was there I spent $7.50 at the used book cart--3 books and one genealogy journal. I like my vegetable grilled fresh in a little olive oil--maybe 4 or 5 mixed together. But I bought Sensational Vegetable Recipes anyway. Thought maybe the photos would inspire me. Good quality paper and excellent photographs. Filo vegetable pouches. Cauliflower fritters with tomato relish. Sweet potato muffins. Hmmm.


Then I picked up Taste of Home Annual Recipes 1999. It's always fun to read while watching TV, and I'll probably take it up to our lake house, because it's compact and won't take up much space. Peachy Pork Chops. Turkey Salad for 60. Chocolate-filled Cream Puffs. The calorie police are coming! Watch out.


The third book was Prevention's Ultimate Guide to Women's Health and Wellness. I think this is on the bargain shelf at major book stores now because it's 2002. But this one looks like it's never been opened. Must have seen what the author said about women and smoking! Lots of white space, colored boxes with anecdotes, decent photographs for the exercise section. One doctor says she tells all her patients this: 1) Exercise regularly, 2) maintain a healthful weight, and 3) use exercise to control moodiness. Advice for backs: bend your knees rather than your back--will reduce strain. Another doctor's advice on coughs: 1) try to avoid decongestant nose sprays, 2) use cough suppressants sparingly, 3) don't insist on antibiotics (I'm surprised that there would still be doctors that would give these out on request).

Cross posted on my book blog.

Registered voters for Obama--illegally

Still working hard for Obama and the Democrats, studying Muslim cultures at Oxford. I see he has a Facebook page. Don't think I'll "friend" him. A very temporary resident and voter in Columbus--just long enough to register voters.

"The house on Brownlee according to Malkin contains out of state folks here only long enough to register others, and vote absentee. They are Marc Gustafson, Heather Halstead, Daniel Hemel, Jen Kyle and Greg Nolan. Nice, clean cut looking Ivy League type kids (except Gustafson and Halstead (a couple?) are no kids) working for non-profits, government and businesses, all here to steal our election. Two Truman scholars and two Marshall scholars. Tell me again, Heather MacDonald what exactly you don't like about Sarah Palin's small town, western values and ethics? I'd put her up against these moral midgets any day." My blog, Oct. 15, 2008

Dogs will be dogs

IRS Publication 17, p. 172: "Loss of property due to damage by a family pet is not deductible as a casualty loss unless the requirements discussed earlier under Casualty are met." So I looked at that section, and it referred me to the above. The only example given is your new puppy pees on your oriental rug. Because it is expected and not unusual that puppies do this, you can't claim this damage. However, if the dog pees during a terrorist attack or government demolition of your home, you might have a case (IMO). But you might also have bigger problems.

Monday Memories--Bus Rules

Most of the away athletic and musical events I participated in when I was in high school involved car pooling. But somewhere along the way, the Board of Education decided we could use the school buses. So of course, a few rules were written up.

The Use of Buses for Athletic Games (1954)

1. Bus fees, 30 cents for short trips and 50 cents for long trips, will be collected before the bus leaves. There must be a minimum of 35 students in order to use a bus.

2. After signing to ride, no cancellations will be permitted later than 24 hours before departure. All students signing to ride will be liable for payment of fees, unless a cancellation is made in time.

3. Students must be ready to go at the time of departure. The bus will not wait on latecomers.

4. A faculty or adult sponsor must be on each bus, beside the driver [I think this means in addition to, not sitting with].

5. No moving about when the bus is in motion, no rowdy or boisterous behavior. Windows must not be lowered without permission and then not below the designated point. There must be no shouting or whistling to persons outside the bus, nor should arms or any part of the body be extended from bus windows.

6. Waste paper and other refuse must not be thrown on the bus floor nor from windows.

7. The driver and sponsor are to have absolute authority over students riding in the bus. If students wish the priviledge of using buses for transportation to athletic games and other school activities, cooperative and courteous conduct will be necessary at all times.

8. All students going in the bus must return to Mt. Morris in the bus.

Now compare those rules to the Renton, Washington school bus transportation handbook. Notice the difference in language. The "must" and "must not" has given way to "should" "may" and "is expected." Kinder, gentler--but far more serious problems are anticipated. Lots of "suggestive" phrases--not demanding obedience, but certainly hinting that there would be trouble (rarely specified).

Your child should appreciate the important part he/she plays in accomplishing SAFE and EFFICIENT district transportation.

Bus passengers should arrive at the bus stop no sooner or later than five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.

students are expected to stand a safe distance from the street and avoid activities that could injure themselves or others.

Safe, respectful conduct is expected of all passengers to insure safety

Certain activities may result in immediate suspension from bus riding privileges. These include (obscene gestures, pointing a laser, smoking, doing drugs, assaulting the bus driver. . . things we couldn't have imagined)

For reasons of safety and health and in order to comply with state law and district policies, the following items are not allowed on a school bus: (list included animals, guns, knives, open containers of food, cd players, etc.)

Our list at MMHS went to the students, who were expected to comply; the Renton guidebook was for parents, who are expected to explain the rules to the kids.

How's that working out?
-----------------
If you'd like to participate in Monday Memories, please go here.

What tax laws are new for 2010?

On p. 38 of Publication 17, it says, if you want to know what tax laws (affecting credits, IRAs, withholding and estimating) are new for 2010, look in the front of this publication (17). If you want to know what is expiring in 2010 you'll need Publication 505. Sorry.

How long should I keep my tax records?

"You must keep your records for as long as they are important for the federal tax law." p. 18, Publication 17. It could be 3 years, or 2 years, or 6 years, or forever if you've tried to evade taxes. For property, don't throw anything away. And if you plan to file for Social Security, it looks like you should be saving Copy C of the W-2 forever, also. Just in case there's a screw up and someone's been using your number. Looks like you need to keep the copies of your returns too, just in case. You can get a copy from the IRS (form 4506), but it will cost you. And it's not speedy, either.

The Pope wants to hear from you

Pope Benedict XVI says priests should start using web sites and blogs, Facebook and YouTube. At Pope2You.net you can go on Facebook and send the Pope a message. Since I'm a Lutheran, I probably won't do that, but it sure is a jazzy web page. And you can choose from 5 languages.

How can bankers justify outrageously high bonuses?

What an odd question!

How do you justify your work contract? Your "merit raise," your paycheck, your perks that others don't have, your nice office, your club membership, your four week vacation when new hires only get one or two?

Why are you paid more than the janitor, the retail clerk, the UPS driver, or your pastor? Who's flogging your greed? What did you sign on for?

Google was invented by a Russian immigrant. He hadn't even finish college. Why should he be incredibly rich and famous and you're flipping burgers, or teaching third graders, or mucking stalls. Got me. But it's a good place to start (by creating suspicion, fear and envy) if you want to destroy the economy. Figure it out.

It's morning in America

Thank you, Glenn Beck, for that inspiring keynote speech at CPAC. Loved the chalk board.

Update: I won't embed them, but Maggie's Notebook has the full 60+ minutes, plus two smaller 6-8 minutes videos. Particularly watch where he really lays it out for the Republican Party, comparing what they need to do with what Tiger needs to do.

It’s tax time

We pay for a CPA. Do you?



HT Taxman blog

The media's induction of Joe Stack into the Tea Party movement

Although there was no clue in his suicide note that Joe Stack (flew his plane into an IRS building in Texas) was anything other than deranged and unhappy with the government (also set his home on fire with his new wife and stepdaughter in it), some in the leftstream media immediately began linking him with various tea party groups. If anything, considering his Marxist and anti-capitalist remarks, he was left of center.

". . .the Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart wrote at the Post Partisan blog, "There's no information yet on whether he was involved in any anti-government groups or whether he was a lone wolf. But after reading his 34-paragraph screed, I am struck by how his alienation is similar to that we're hearing from the extreme elements of the Tea Party movement." NewsBusters.org

Regardless, he was first of all deranged, and those come in all political shades. But where is Capehart's analysis of the mental state and political biases of Amy Bishop, who killed her brother 25 years ago, then fled the scene and held people hostage trying to steal a car, assaulted a woman in a restaurant in 2002, fought with neighbors, planned a gender bias law suit, read aloud in class from textbooks instead of teaching, listed her children as co-authors of a paper, and finally shot a roomful of colleagues, three of the dead being minorities. According to people who knew her and spoke to the press, she was a leftist fanatic. Off-putting even to other liberals.

Capehart + Amy Bishop--I find nothing on Google that he's written about her political connections. I don't know. . . Does this seem a good way to build readership or save the dying newspaper industry? Capehart needs a new line of work.

The public employee retirement plans theft

Lately Glenn Beck has been focusing heavily on the economic problems of the various states. We hear a lot about California; not so much about Illinois. Last night he hit Illinois hard. The state has "borrowed" (stolen) money from all its public retirement funds to support and pay for other programs. I think he showed five. That's illegal to do if you're in business. But has it helped Illinois' budget? Apparently not. How many people do you know who got out of debt by drawing cash from their credit card? I know Pinecrest in Mt. Morris is in trouble because the state can't make its Medicaid payments. Here's the letter I got from the University of Illinois:

"Due to an excessive delay in the payment of our appropriation by the State of Illinois and uncertainty over what lies ahead, your university is facing unprecedented fiscal challenges. In the coming weeks and months, we will be taking a critical look at all aspects of our campus operations, re-examining everything from our administration to small academic units assembled years ago to meet specific needs. An extensive review process will underwrite each decision we make, and every decision will be strategic - designed to transform your university to meet the challenges of the future.

We know that you will have great interest in our work and the resulting decisions, and we invite you to stay connected to the process. Indeed, as we explore the options available to ensure our continued excellence, you may well hear that we are reviewing your college or program. We have created a Web site called Stewarding Excellence @ Illinois as a resource for everyone in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign community. By visiting the site, at http://oc.illinois.edu/budget, you can stay informed of the latest information and activities, and we invite you to offer your ideas through the site's virtual suggestion box.

A final note: we hope also you will urge the Governor and members of the Illinois General Assembly to reach an early solution to the fiscal crisis that now holds Illinois in its grip. As we move forward we pledge to you that all of our decisions on the financial challenges facing this campus and the University of Illinois overall will be guided by our land-grant mission of excellence in teaching, research and public engagement."

Unfortunately, what can the General Assembly do now but raise taxes during a time of high unemployment? A time when instead of focusing on jobs, our federal government just tried to grab more of the economy by taking over health care.

Several times, Beck said, "These people should be in jail," referring to the Illinois legislators who did this. Wonder if he meant Obama who was part of the Illinois General Assembly when some of the theft went on (although he probably wasn't there for the votes)? Beck also noted how many states and municipalities are in trouble because of unfunded federal mandates--and there will be more from EPA. No blame for the present administration for that--these go way back. But there are more to come as the EPA just by-passes Congress.

This study features Colorado and Kansas public employee retirement plans, so it's not just Illinois and California.

Friday Family Photo--Caleb's Graduation

Our great nephew, Caleb, grandson of my husband's sister, graduated from basic combat training on February 19. 165th Infantry Brigade at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. His brother, sister and family, his parents, and grandparents attended.



Here I am with Caleb about 20 years ago. They do grow up fast--and big!

Techno Jeep--Does this remind you of some church services?

This song is called “Techo Jeep” by Julian Smith. It was recorded live using only a 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. Not too hummable, but then neither is a lot of music these days. Might work for exercise class, though.

Hoover was hardly a conservative

He was a progressive, and FDR followed his path until it was set in concrete and took 10 years and WWII to recover. This letter was in today's WSJ by George C. Leef. According to various bios on the internet, he's a libertarian and did run for office in Michigan back in the mid-80s.

"The standard leftist narrative about our history holds that President Herbert Hoover was a die-hard laissez-faire advocate who wouldn't budge from his capitalist convictions even as the nation's economy spun into the Great Depression. The truth is that Hoover was a "big government conservative" who believed that aggressive federal economic intervention would speed recovery and reduce suffering. He specifically rejected the advice of Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon that the best policy would be the same as President Warren Harding had pursued after the sharp 1920-21 recession: to cut taxes, cut federal spending and allow market adjustments to proceed unimpeded.

FDR did not take the country down a different path, but accelerated rapidly down the failed, counter-productive statist path Hoover had chosen. The parallels between the Hoover-Roosevelt era and the Bush-Obama era are striking."

I've been saying this for years, and I'm not even a libertarian. George W. Bush spent like a Democrat, especially on social programs, and it took Obama to get even more reckless. But at least GWB had the economic sense to encourage more tax money for the government coffers instead of discouraging it with punitive regulations, cap and trade, higher taxes, and finger wagging threats.

Sky News Reporter Kay Burley

Not only is she a lapsed Catholic who didn't know why Joe Biden had a mark on his forehead on Ash Wednesday, the start of the most important Christian season, but she made things worse with her "apology" after staff explained to her what she'd done during a break. The commenters on this story are even more obtuse.

Amy Bishop file found

You can read the scan here. It's really chilling. One thing I noticed right away was that her mother called the police instead of an ambulence for the wounded (not yet dead) brother. Also, Amy Bishop was lucky (although not her colleagues 25 years later) to have not been shot by the police as they attempted to disarm her and she refused to put down the shotgun after she fled the murder scene (the family kitchen).

Update: From the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Her colleagues agree that she could be unusual. William Setzer, chairman of the chemistry department, recalls that she would interrupt meetings with bizarre tangents, “left field kind of stuff.” Robert O. Lawton, a biology professor who was in the room during the shooting but escaped unscathed, also thought she could be strange, but said she wasn’t the strangest academic he’d run across in his long career.

Another professor, however, has long been wary of Ms. Bishop. He asked The Chronicle not to use his name because, considering recent events, he is worried about his own safety. The professor, who was a member of Ms. Bishop’s tenure-review committee, said he first became concerned about Ms. Bishop’s mental health “about five minutes after I met her.”

The professor said that during a meeting of the tenure-review committee, he expressed his opinion that Ms. Bishop was “crazy.” Word of what he said made it back to Ms. Bishop. In September, after her tenure denial, she filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging gender discrimination. The professor’s remark was going to be used as possible evidence in that case." [Since she killed or critically wounded most of the people on her committee I doubt that he will remain anonymous for long.]

This really is delightful

Hmmm, hmmm, hmm. Chocolate raspberry. One of my favorite combinations. Lots of processed food doesn't live up to its advertising. Especially, low fat, low calorie. Most of it is also low taste. I bought Yoplait Delights Parfait, Chocolate Raspberry flavor, and I must say it really is very tasty and you'll feel like you've actually had a dessert instead of a cheap imitation that will leave you hungry.

Media got their talking points

It was announced on its one year anniversary that the stimulus is working--the Obama Biden dog and pony show said so. This morning the two newspapers I checked--Wall Street Journal and USAToday--obviously received their talking points. Both papers were just full of it--happy clappy, hopey changey articles. Whoopee. It's over. New housing starts. Our great leader has saved us from a Depression! More businesses hiring. They really spread it thick. Still, it's odd isn't it, that so little money has actually been spent, and yet they claim it's working? And didn't they say that in June and September too? I thought TARP was supposed to stop us from tumbling into the Depression. Oh, and USAToday threw in not one but two H1N1 articles about very serious complications for children with other health problems, just in case people were a bit suspicious of all the scare tactics and shortages in that program.

A great music blog

Music isn't one of my hobbies or strengths, but I still enjoy reading David Meyers' blog about the local Columbus music scene. Columbus is a musical crossroads (also the title of one of his books), and David is a meticulous researcher and entertaining storyteller. His recent reminiscences about Earl Wild formerly of Columbus and Ohio State who died January 23 at age 94, and Pat Wilson and her autobiography Yesterday's Mashed Potatoes which you can look through on Google, are a great read.

Partisan politics--Bayh's announcement

Apparently, a broken and dysfunctional Senate is a repeat theme, according to the Star Ledger editorial. Fifteen years ago Bill Bradley of NJ decided against a 4th term, citing the same reasons as Bayh of Indiana did this past week, although he leaned left (probably thought Clinton was too conservative) and Bayh leaned right (wasn’t an enthusiastic Obama team player). Forty three members of the the Senate or House have announced retirement, from both parties. It's always the other guys' partisanship when you're not the one winning. George Voinovich, a much criticized RINO from Ohio, being a good example from the other side.

A reader of the Star Ledger (NJ) writes in response to that hand wringing, pro-Democrat editorial: “There must have been no "mindless partisanship" when Hamilton and Burr dueled to the death over politics, or when the country near collapsed in civil war over trying to politically end slavery, or when the Republican Congress stifled Wilson’s attempts to start a congress of nations by personal attacks that caused him to have a stroke (or mental breakdown no one knows). Or when FDR attempted to circumnavigate the Republican senate by stacking the courts.”

Someone in la-la lib land needs to catch up on American history, and I suggest 30 days of watching Glenn Beck, or your ignorance back. When he recommends a book on history, politics or economics, it goes to the top of Amazon’s list.

The party of NO and the party of KNOW

The party of NO. That would be politicians and voters who support:

No life for those children who aren't perfect or wanted; or who are inconveniently conceived; or who have Downs Syndrome; or who are the wrong sex.

No life for the elders or parents who have outlived their usefulness to society and are gravely ill.

No freedom of speech except their own.

No freedom of religion except their own.

No need for the Constitution.

No need for trust or honesty, masquerading as moderates to get votes.

No need for free markets.

No need for capitalism.

No need for investment in business.

No need for private sector growth to employ more people.

No need to think about unintended consequences.

No need for border control.

No need for military courts for terrorists.

No respect for women politicians who didn't ride into town on their husband/father's coattails.

No understanding of history.

No right to decide how to use your own wealth.

No human of greater value and worth than any animal.

No school choice except for their kids.

The party of KNOW, on the other hand, is just about any other party--conservative, libertarian, Republican, Populist, Tea Party--who KNOWs what's going on in Washington, DC and will support candidates and legislation with their values.

Obama's stimulus is a dribble

It's awfully hard to find a WSJ news story critical of Obama's first year, or positive about Bush's 8 years. (Only the editorials are conservative in case you aren't a reader of this business periodical.) But today's U.S. News section (A2) is close--it actually points out the failures of ARRA without calling them that.

But think about the economy as if it were sex. Would you prefer the same old, same old (speaking of socialism here) that didn't work even when it was young, and now old and tired, dribbling out a little at a time? Or would you enjoy some focused attention with promises kept, not distracted by the condition of your health? And how well do you perform with constant threats and criticism?

Today is Ash Wednesday

If you live or work in the NW Columbus suburban area and wish to attend a service with communion and imposition of ashes, you're invited to one of the services at the three campuses of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church. The earliest, at 6:30, is over. At Lytham Rd. there is a 12:10 p.m. traditional service (liturgy), a 6:00 family service and a 7:30 traditional service. At Mill Run at 6:30 p.m. there is a family service, and a 7:30 contemporary service. At Hilltop at 7 p.m. there is a worship service with communion. Check the link for addresses, and maps.

Still providing misinformation on libraries

The Upper Arlington Progressives still don't understand that "free circs" are not the responsibility of public libraries to distribute. They are rehashing 2005 again. The public meetings in 2005 were "packed" with outside, non-tax paying (in UA) liberal interest groups to force the library to maintain piles of sex-peddling free circs in the lobby. For those of you not in the biz, a "free circ" is basically boiler-plate articles with some original content, and like all newspapers and magazines they are completely dependent on advertising, but they are provided "free." They are also known as "fish wrappers." The result? The libs won, and the situation made worse when the free circs were moved inside to specially made cabinets. The objectionable sex publications were already cataloged and available in the magazine/newspaper section of the reading room, proof the protesters were just making a political move.

Don't let the word "progressive" in the name fool you. There's never anything new or original in socialism. Certainly not progress.

Sadie's the total package!

The Scottie was judged Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club championship. "She's the total package," marveled Elliot Weiss, of Eagle, Idaho, who judged the Best in Show round before a cheering, capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden.

"This is the complete dog ... That's what you want a Scottie to look like," said Weiss. (Reuters)

Now if the rest of us could all look as good and behave as well as those dogs! But if you need a four legged friend and companion, consider a shelter dog. They will truly appreciate you! Don't forget the training, either, so others can enjoy your pet!

I'm not an early adopter

That's why I only recently joined Facebook. It sounded like junior high school to me--asking people to be your friend. Besides, with 12 blogs, who needed more on-line time? But, sign up I did, found lots of relatives, have put faces with names of church members, started a fan page, linked to news sources, and today I even tried to add the little widget thingy.

In 2009 Facebook went from about 54 million registered users to 110 million. And it wasn't just registered users. Unique visitors, page views, and total time spent all increased by at least double. That's big. It's experiencing Zuckerberg's law.

At the Web 2.0 Summit in November 2008, Facebook founder & CEO Mark Zuckerberg famously remarked “I would expect that next year, people will share twice as much information as they share this year, and next year, they will be sharing twice as much as they did the year before. That means that people are using Facebook, and the applications and the ecosystem, more and more.” In other words, once the network is in place and people are active and engaged, the dynamics of the social interaction taking place incentivize participants to share information about themselves more regularly, which in turn solicits more engagement from others, creating a virtuous cycle of interaction. With increased interaction comes newer and fresher content, which helps feeds the addiction to consume information about what’s happening with the lives of people in one’s social network. ComScore

2009 Digital Year in Review



Who knows, in a few years, I might Twitter!

A new element making the rounds

This can be found on the internet in a slightly different form three years ago or more, and it's making the rounds again, probably because it was posted on Glenn Beck's site.

Heaviest element discovered and named

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has now identified with certainty the heaviest element known to science.

The new element, Pelosium (PL), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Pelosium is inert, and has no charge and no magnetism. Nevertheless, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Pelosium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Pelosium has a normal half-life of 2 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a biennial reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

Pelosium mass will increase over time, since each reorganization will promote many morons to become isodopes.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Pelosium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalyzed with money, Pelosium becomes Senatorium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Pelosium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Time Shares--I've never understood them

USAToday on Jan. 18 had an article about a well-educated, wealthy couple who were apparently not real smart about money. Their marriage was in trouble. So they accepted a free week-end at a resort, and were "suckered into" buying a time share during a week (October ) they can't possibly use! They have school age children.

$18,000 for one week
$1,150 annual fees
$90 annual club fees
$200 trade fee for a different week

She blames the beauty, excitement and charismatic salespeople. I see her dilemma (divorcing while trying to cut expenses and sell it), but we did something slightly similar in the heat of the moonlight when we bought a lake lot in Indiana we really couldn't use. However, we paid $10,000 for it and sold it a year later for $25,000.

Tight pants and funny hair

That's what football looks like to me, a non-fan. So I was happy to read in the WSJ a few weeks ago that in a 3 hour football broadcast there is just 11 minutes 43 seconds of the ball in play and 67 minutes of standing around. No wonder I can't get interested and always go back to reading or blogging.

More snow--probably a February record

We're supposed to get about 9", although depending on whether you're north or south of Columbus, your inches will vary. I have a feeling I'll be drinking coffee at home tomorrow. Children around here went to school last Thursday, after being off 3 days due to weather and/or ice or cold, then Friday the teachers had a meeting and today, Monday, is a holiday. I'm guessing they'll all close tomorrow--Columbus already has. Parents must be going stir crazy. Many were kids during the blizzard of 78, so it's pay back time.

One bad winter doesn't make "climate change," but all the news about lost data, damaged reputations and moved weather stations isn't going well for the IPCC--and there never was a consensus. Just greedy politicians moving ahead with regulations and rubbing their palms in anticipation of the riches of carbon credits. The science definitely isn't settled. There have been massive cover-ups, see Mark Sheppard.

Amy Bishop and "true crime"

Mysteries and crime novels are not for me. "True crime," written like fiction telling more than the writer could possibly know, is more interesting. Will Amy Bishop's story make good "true crime?" She murdered or critically wounded her P & T committee at the University of Alabama, Huntsville. What little we know of her story is almost too bizarre, as are the hints, missteps, and keystone cops in her sad history.

She had wanted Harvard, and was cut from the team early in the game. U.S. News ranks Harvard as #1 (other rating systems have it much lower), and University of Alabama at Huntsville isn't rated (although it's much higher in other systems). Is it a stretch to imagine that she considered her university, her committee beneath her? That they were lucky to have her?

Getting tenure isn't just about execellent, ground breaking research, or a list of publications in peer review journals. It's about being able to work with a group of people whose own advancements in their field will be tied to yours. She wanted Harvard, and someone saw through her. She moved on, and they noticed something strange too. Probably from day one. Or so it will say in the book.

Government push back

“The year [2008] just ended was characterized by three trends: a growing worldwide demand for greater personal and political freedom, governmental efforts to push back on those freedoms, and further confirmation that human rights flourish best in participatory democracies with vibrant civil societies.” Introduction, 2008 Human Rights Report, U.S. Department of State, February 25, 2009

The assault and ridicule by the mainstream media and the Obama Administration attacking tea parties, talk show hosts, conservatives, Republicans, libertarians, and cable opinion shows, including targets as minor as notes for a speech, indicates that this trend--a demand for greater personal and political freedom--is continuing and growing. Especially here at home. The push back would seem they believe our own civil society is too fragile for the freedoms for which we go to war elsewhere.

Cost comparison of notes by Obama vs. Palin

"Barack Obama and Sarah Palin each have their own unique crib notes technology. The two diagrams analyze how much each type of technology costs per speech." This is really funny.

No snow in Vancouver, too much in DC

Blame global warming. Here's a list of all the problems it's caused. All you have to do to stop it is return to the stone age. Or maybe not. I think the climate was changing in those days too.

Ten churches burned, but "not a hate crime"

That's because most of the congregations are white. When small rural Christian churches are torched, and the congregations are black, then it's called a hate crime. At least in the media. If not, it's just arson.

""It doesn't have to be a hate crime," Crowley said, noting that a variety of denominations and non-denominational churches were targets. Most, but not all, have predominantly white congregations." USAToday

Something's wrong with our language.

Harry Reid's definition of the real world

He has accused judges of the Supreme Court and the American Bar Association of not living in the real world--you know--the one he experienced! James Taranto in Best of the Web [Feb. 12] takes a look at his resume.

Here is a list of the jobs Harry Reid has held, according to his congressional biography: U.S. Capitol police officer (1961-64); city attorney of Henderson, Nev. (1964-66); state assemblyman (1969-70); lieutenant governor (1970-74); Nevada Gaming Commission chairman (1977-81); U.S. representative (1983-87); U.S. senator (1987-present).

By our count, Reid's 50-year career spans some 33 years in elected office, 8 in appointed office (city attorney and the gambling commission), and 3 in a patronage position (the Capitol police). That leaves only about six years during which he might have been in the private sector, most recently in 1982, though during part of that time he must have been busy campaigning for his seats in the Assembly and the House.

Didn't his mother ever teach him that parable about stones and glass houses?

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.