Just 1% of Seattle Marathon money goes to charity

Maybe you should ask before you volunteer, race, walk, or make a contribution, "What percentage of the take do the charity race organizers get?" You may just be paying $30 for a $5 t-shirt and a button saying, "I did my part to defeat (disease of choice)." I checked out Premier Sports of Columbus, OH which is handling the "39th Annual Memorial Day Run." You pay an entry fee ranging from $15 to $30, depending on what and when you enter. You sign away your right to sue if Premier Sports or the sponsor are negligant (although I don't think that stands up in court) and assume all risks if you are injured. This event doesn't claim to be charity. I think Premier Sports gets everything with a token going to the Upper Arlington Civic Association. However, many events do claim to support a charity--or research for a disease--cancer, heart disease, kidney, etc. Check it out first. This marathon in Seattle contributed only about $12,000 for an event that took in over $1,000,000.

Local News | Just 1% of Seattle Marathon money goes to charity | Seattle Times Newspaper

Gershwin's Concerto in F by Oscar Levant

Speaking of George Gershwin, when I was a young teenager--maybe 13 or 14--my sister and I went to Rockford to hear Oscar Levant play. It's possible my mom drove us--I don't remember how we got there. But it seems like we were sitting about 5 ft. from him. . . maybe I was just mesmerized. He was a fabulous pianist and appeared in American in Paris (1951). I was so fortunate to grow up in a home with an accomplished musician--God knows, He moved on after he gave that talent to her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wePBkW6WMM8

Musical bargain from the Discovery Shop

Yesterday I bought a great George Gershwin CD at the Discovery Shop (Cancer resale) for $1.00. The pianist was Eugen Cicero [Ciceu]. The first 7 items are from Porgy & Bess, [orchestral] and then that is followed by 8 piano medleys performed by Circero. I'd never heard of him, so I Googled. A Romanian genius in his adopted Germany, according to this writer, who spent too much time "in his cups" and died before his time. Here's a great article. ... I do love a bargain.

Nothing can beat my Urbie Green CD I found for a dollar, though. I've seen prices as high as $200 on the internet.

FTC to Look Into Copy Machine Privacy

The problem is leased copiers--who knew they were data storage devices? Well, the bad guys probably knew--if they didn't they do now.

"During its investigation, CBS [April 19 report] found a machine used by a police sex crimes division in Buffalo, N.Y., with information on criminal suspects and domestic violence complaints. It also found pay stubs with Social Security numbers and medical records from insurer Affinity Health Plan, including names and physician diagnoses."

I guess since most businesses don't know how to overwrite the data, maybe the criminals don't either?

Technology News: Privacy: FTC to Look Into Copy Machine Privacy Breakdown

Glenn Beck launches WeinerFacts.com

The Whitehouse dot gov link to immigration issues doesn't work (404 message), but the link to Weinerfacts.com has probably been hacked, or overrun by too many people trying to read it. Glenn Beck bought the domain name and is using the web site to fight a member of Congress using McCarthy type tactics to destroy a private citizen and his business. I had to go to 5-6 urls before I could get one to link. This one worked.

Another Black Conservative: Glenn Beck launches WeinerFacts.com

Today I also listened to a YouTube audio of Michael Savage taking a call from a Florida woman named Jo. I think it is a put-on. No one, especially a woman, could be that dumb. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMK9zxb5HyE&NR=1 I think her use of the word "stash" gives it away.

Let's elect Bill Davis

"There is no such thing as improved, enhanced, more efficient or streamlined government. We have one option: more government or less government. There are no natural predators of government." Letter to the editor, Wall St. Journal, May 21, 2010.

Deepwater Horizon record was exemplary--MMS

Out of 2,896 days of operation, Deep Water Horizon received 6 citations, and none of those were very serious according to Minerals Management Service (MMS). The Deepwater Horizon's record was so exemplary, according to MMS officials, that the rig was never on inspectors' informal "watch list" for problem rigs. But now there are charges and counter charges, and Associated Press who probably doesn't have anyone on staff who knows anything about these rigs, is asking a lot of questions and posing lots of possibilities. But whereever it goes, it always comes back to the responsibility of MMS and the Coast Guard, i.e., the federal government, and the fact that almost nothing was done by this administration for 9 days. The World Socialist Website see it all as BP and Transocean's fault, because how could it blame the Obama government when it doesn't believe there should even be a private oil industry? Unless it was the government of George W. Bush and a hurricane, and then the federal, not the state and local governments, are completely to blame. That too is the socialist way. . .

MMS declined to send a witness to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s hearing Monday on the federal response to the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said. I don't understand how the government can force automobile company CEOs and bank managers to show up to be grilled, and their own guys get to duck out!

Federal Inspections on Deepwater Horizon Not as Claimed - AOL News

On Oil, Mining and Banking Media Favor Regulation, Barely Notice Failures of Regulators | NewsBusters.org

Museums Get University Bailouts

Another segment of our society who thought the bubble would never burst--private art museums. In today's WSJ we find that Magnes Museum is giving away its entire collection of prized Jewish art. Judah Magnes, for whom it is named, was a former Oakland, California resident who became a renowned rabbi, lecturer, political activist, and co-founder of Israel's Hebrew University. It was started in 1960 by the Fromer family. There is an interesting timeline (leaving out the bubble and the endowment problems) can be found at the website.



"Many museums took on debt to finance these activities (expansions)—only to have the floor fall out from under their endowments in 2008 when the market crashed. Last year, the Gulf Coast Museum of Art in Largo, Fla., shut its doors and gave its 435-piece collection of contemporary Florida art to St. Petersburg College, after seeing its $8 million endowment shrivel to $500,000." You've got to have some pretty risky investments to have your endowment shrivel that much. So there's probably a lot more to be told about the investment advisors these museums are using.
The Magnes Museum in Berkeley, Calif., and the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Ore., Get University Bailouts - WSJ.com

Resurrgence of McCarthyism as Weiner targets Glenn Beck

Yes, I'm old enough to remember McCarthyism. I wouldn't recommend the methods, but he did ferret out a lot of active Communists. So we know from history it works. Now we see it's being used against a popular TV performer instead of movie stars and screen writers--Glenn Beck. McCarthyism is when the government tries to destroy the opposition by going after private citizens and their income. You can't accuse Rush or Glenn of McCarthyism (some confused liberals do) because they aren't members of the government. Obama has quite a stable now going after Beck--Van Jones, Jim Wallis, and Andy Stern, all advisors of the President (Jones has moved to a leftist think tank, but he's near by). Having all the broadcast news and most cable news in his pocket isn't enough. Maybe Congress could start having hearings for entertainers and talk show hosts and we could have a rerun of the 1950s. Its poll numbers could go even lower.

Disclaimer: I watch Glenn Beck, but I don't buy gold, or most of the products I see hawked on TV from beer to golf balls to Sleep Number beds. So obviously, this is motivated by politics, not by concern for the consumer, or we'd have Congress looking into a lot of advertisers.

Rep. Anthony Weiner targets Glenn Beck and Goldline International - Kenneth P. Vogel - POLITICO.com

Faisial Shahzad Planned More Attacks

Coleman bans city-funded travel to Arizona

Add Mayor Coleman to the list of officials who haven't read SB1070. Who is he in hock to? Probably the unions. They're helping with the Arizona boycott.

Coleman bans city-funded travel to Arizona | The Columbus Dispatch

Seth ponders what makes the elites

At Seth's Blog I read:

“In more and more societies, though (including my country and probably yours [and I'm including virtually the entire planet here, except perhaps North Korea] ), I'd argue that there's a different dividing line. This is the line between people who are actively engaged in new ideas, actively seeking out change, actively engaging--and people who accept what's given and slog along. It starts in school, of course, and then the difference accelerates as we get older. Some people make the effort to encounter new challenges or to grapple with things they disagree with. They seek out new people and new opportunities and relish the discomfort that comes from being challenged to grow (and challenging others to do the same).” Seth Godin (marketing guru).

In this country, in my opinion, the libertarians and conservatives are the ones doing the challenging and growing. The leftists, socialists, progressives, Marxists, etc. are lemmings, doing the same old same old that led to the enslavement and often murder of millions in the 20th century. By discouraging investment in new ideas, whether energy, education or money, they hope to retain power and squash individualism. Do they want to help the poor? Sure--until he gets to that 4th or 5th quintile and votes Republican. Then they demonize him. They haven’t had a new idea in over 100 years--it’s always, let the government do that. They don’t know how to harness the thousands of new ideas out there because it is so threatening to their political views.

The fight over Arizona's illegal immigrant law escalates to the power grid | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

Isn't it just wonderful how Obama has brought everyone together in this country as he chases after approval from foreign governments, like Mexico which has much more stringent laws than we have and deports more illegal aliens than we do? If Obama had been prudent instead of blabbing without reading SB1070, perhaps none of the state squabbles would have happened.

"President Obama, his Cabinet and other nongovernmental groups have strongly criticized the law, which takes effect in midsummer. They've threatened economic boycotts and canceled trips . . . The Los Angeles City Council voted 13-2 to boycott Arizona, . . .Now comes some hardball from a statewide elected Arizonan named Gary Pierce. He's a commissioner of the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities there. So what? you say. Well, as our beloved buddy Ed Morrissey points out over at HotAir, it seems that Arizona's power plants generate about 25% of the electricity that runs what Briton Eddie Izzard calls the City of Angles."

What do you think? Is it time for the President to read the bill and call for beer for all?

The fight over Arizona's illegal immigrant law escalates to the power grid | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

I've now read Arizona SB1070--have you?

The President hasn't. Eric Holder hasn't. Janet Napolitano hasn't. The governor of California hasn't. The principal of Highland High School in Illinois hasn't. Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner hasn't. But it was read aloud on the Glenn Beck Show today. Now millions and millions know what our federal, state and local officials don't--that it cites and follows the U.S. Code, that it prohibits profiling, that it comes down very heavily on human smuggling. Too bad our president is so quick to speak without knowing anything on the topic. Maybe he can have another beer party, this time with the governor of Arizona, to thrash this out?

Pimping the poor

Somewhere I read that 12% of Ohio's population were poor by the government's designation, but that no one can live on that amount. I think quintiles work better--so I'd put it at the bottom one fifth. A designation of poverty is a little squishy by any agency's rule book--I know a 40 year old man living on disability, unemployment and Medicaid whose "income" is higher than mine because of all the government programs for which he's eligible. It allows him to build up his 401-k, because he is allowed income from part time employment without losing his benefits. Being disabled doesn't mean he's stupid--even if he could work full time (and I don't think he is able), it wouldn't pay.

I began browsing through some of the non-profits, foundations, government agencies, faith-based organizations and community organizations that assist those we used to call "the down and out" with food and nutrition needs. That could be the poor, children, elderly, disabled, homeless, and anyone with a special health problem whether gluten sensitivity, diabetes, HIV, TB, etc. All social programs are intertwined since poverty is never simple, so it's not long before you're into the medical and educational and post-prison programs, too.

In the process I came across a jumbled alphabet soup of acronyms of government agencies and programs, like TANF, TEFAP, SFPP, SNAP, and OASHF. Then I realized that those groups, programs and agencies which all had directors, assistant directors, marketers, data gatherers, IT support, boards and researchers were yet again bundled into coalitions and super-organizations which also have directors, assistant directors, boards, etc.

I'll just highlight one coalition/organization because it had four name changes in seven years, The Coalition to Protect Ohio's Future, beginning in 2003 as The Emergency Campaign to Protect Ohio's Future. But after browsing the list of 127 agencies which supported it, and looking through their lists of staff and boards and community partners, I concluded that the ratio of poverty staffer to needy recipient must be about 1:1. Another thing I noticed was that many of these coalitions and non-profits organized themselves in the early 2000s. I suspected that had something to do with the change in the Welfare law of 1996; that instead of the check going to welfare mothers it was going into the accounts of middle class social workers, researchers, and academics who run these organizations. I didn't have to look too far because one of these organizations had in fact hired another sister organization (they are very good at recycling government grants to other agencies) to research why the poor were staying poor.

"In 1996, Congress transformed the nation’s welfare system to mandate higher workforce participation by program participants. The new program, named Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), imposed a maximum five-year limit for receiving cash benefits, but also permitted states to use federal funds for many types of assistance intended to aid a person in finding and keeping a job. Such assistance can include training, transportation, and child support functions." Staying Employed: Trends in Medicaid, Child Care, and Head Start in Ohio

I also realized that I couldn't tell what these groups/agencies/coalitions actually did even by carefully parsing their vision and mission statements! Here's the mission statement for The Coalition to Protect Ohio's Future:

"To ensure support from the public, the legislature and the administration for governmental services and government funded services that support health, human services and early care in Ohio."

It sounds to me like it exists solely to make sure their supporting agencies have a funding stream, to get money, a slice of which would go to the Coalition and keep it moving on into "Ohio's future." Not a word about ending poverty or hunger, or healing the sick, or anything as grandiose as those movie star challenges on TV. And what in the world is "early care," anyway?

And one last thing. No matter the date on the study or report, it was always "in these difficult times," or "during this economic downturn," or "in this time of growing need." Virtually all these reports were written during the Bush eight years, and until Obama came along, no administration had spent more on domestic social programs than George W. Bush. These programs had enormous growth under him, and because his tax programs brought in more money to the government coffers and even the state budgets were flush with full employment tax money, it was like fertilizer for the poverty gardeners (mixing my metaphors here).

Obama Signs Daniel Pearl Press Act--protects journalistic freedom elsewhere

Oh the irony. The president who has done more to target and malign freedom of speech, print, and internet (the press) in my memory, attacking Fox News as not being "a real news organization" and has his lackies and attack dogs going after the sponsors of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, signs the Daniel Pearl Press Act, requiring "the State Department to expand its scrutiny of news media restrictions and intimidation as part of its annual review of human rights in each country. Among other considerations, the department will be required to determine whether foreign governments participate in or condone violations of press freedom."

Obama Signs Daniel Pearl Law Backing Press Freedom - NYTimes.com

And it wasn't enough that he had every major cable and broadcast company and news organization under his control carrying his water and getting him elected--he's created yet another White House news company for sanitizing his activities even more than WaPo, NYT or Katie would do for him. I guess they didn't believe Glenn when he told them they would be next after he got done marginalizing Fox.

"The White House's media management practices have drawn quiet criticism from journalists in the past few weeks. Despite Obama's campaign pledge to be open with the media, members of the White House Correspondents' Association met with Gibbs recently to complain about limitations on their access. The group is mainly upset about the relatively few informal question-and-answer sessions Obama has held since taking office. Obama had 46 such encounters with the press during his first year, far fewer than Presidents George W. Bush (147) and Clinton (252) during their first years, according to Martha Joynt Kumar, a political science professor at Towson University. However, Obama gave many more media interviews (161) compared with Bush (50) and Clinton (53) in their first years. Kumar said Obama gave more formal news conferences in his first year (27) than Bush (19), but far fewer than Clinton (45)." WaPo.

More on the message machinery and spin.

White House message machinery spinning faster than ever - McClatchy

Obama doesn't point fingers at government or environmentalists

If you Google, "blame environmentalists for oil spill" you'll get a bunch of articles, essays, blogs, and whiners on the left bad mouthing Rush Limbaugh (as though he had an elected office or owned an oil company) and someone I've never heard of, for suggesting that there would be no deep water drilling if it weren't for the environmentalists. Oh, are they outraged. But they really don't have a good answer, because it's true. Nor does Obama, whose government agencies handle all the safety and regulation of this very risky (but rarely failing) operation. He, the master of the blame game, continues to blame every thing and everyone except his own administration.

They used to drill for natural gas in Ohio and oil in Pennsylvania. No deep water spills then. Maybe if they'd listened to Sarah Palin . . .?

The Gulf oil spill blame game - How the World Works - Salon.com

Limbaugh, Environmentalists Square Off on Who is to Blame for Oil Leak - ABC News

Book Club List 2010-2011

Each May our book club selects the titles for the next September through May book year. Our rules are you have to have read your nominated title, lobby for it for 1 minute, and agree to lead the discussion. Those who don't have a title, either contribute dessert, or host an event. This year's selections are:

September: The help, by Kathryn Stockett

October: American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, by Jon Meacham

November: Jungle Jack: my wild life, by Jack Hanna

December: People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks

January: Cranford, by Elizabeth Gaskell

February: The Glass Castle: a memoir, by Jeannette Walls

March: Animal, vegetable, miracle; a year of food life, by Barbara Kingsolver

April: The inextinguisable symphony by Martin Goldsmith

May: The year of living Biblically: one man's humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as possible, by A.J. Jacobs

Chick flicks and pop corn

My daughter and son-in-law are big movie fans. They both see them in theaters and also buy them. I still have many movies for VCR that were hers that I've never opened. So today after Sunday brunch, they sent us home with "The blind side" with Sandra Bullock, and "It's complicated," with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. I'd intended to see both when they got to the dollar theater, but I think I missed them. SIL says I'll need a few hankies for the Bullock movie.

Why Wonder Bread can save the world

Tonight for dinner we’re having home made broccoli soup and bread baked by my son last Sunday and put in the freezer (we’ve already eaten half of it). I found this wonderful message about being grateful for our food on Ted Talks.

Ted.Com is a wonderful website where you can find speeches by experts on anything and everything. (Except Glenn Beck--he lectures 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week on everything from Crime Inc. to George Washington to Miranda rights, employs a number of researchers, has written best sellers and speaks at many special events, so he would be overlooked by the organizers of Ted as too commercial.) Nevertheless, you can find others who don't have audiences of 30,000,000.

This lecture by Louise Fresco (Dutch) is no different than what I knew back in the 1970s when I worked in the Agriculture Library. But the ordinary person is even further removed from knowledge of food today than they were then. It's hard to know who is more naive--the kids who thinks meat comes in Styrofoam, or the college professor who thinks oranges are "locally grown." She provides a fresh, non-confrontational explanation about the important of modern agriculture. She talks about why the much maligned white Wonder Bread is the solution to world hunger, not locally grown, sustainable farmers markets. The mythical image of life in the rural past that rich Westerners have (particularly western USAns aka Californians) is false and will condemn millions to hard poverty if they succeed in returning us (particularly women) to that era.

I would just make one correction--although yes, there are very few farmers today (in industrialized nations), there are still many millions employed in the food industy, from production of inputs, equipment, buildings, transportation, processing, packaging, marketing, merchandising, kitchen equipment and on to restaurants and fast food, all the way to bus boy and dishwasher at the Rusty Bucket where we go every Friday night. They are all part of our food chain. As Ms. Fresco takes her bread out of the oven she encourages her audience to think about their own food chain beginning with the farmer and the wheat.

How to kill jobs the Obama way

Greyson Chance sings "Stars"

He's the 6th grader who's had 15 million uploads of his Lady GaGa song. This is one of his original compositions and it's about a woman who dies of cancer. He's obviously got talent. Hope the voice makes it through the male change.



YouTube - greyson97's Channel#p/a/u/0/emblM4a76jg

What's happening to teachers?

Are they going around the bend? Brain washed skulls of nothingness? We've got coaches in Highland, IL playing politics by deciding that Arizona is unsafe because the drug runners might be stopped; there was a teacher who beat up a student and was caught on cell phone video (both were black so at least we're being spared the whole media circus on that issue); and now a teacher tells a student who draws an American flag that "it's offensive" and she won't give a reason or apologize?

US agency admits lax enforcement of oil drilling

Let's ignore for a moment that we have a government regulatory agency watchdog (MMS) that is supposed to be keeping this method safe, and that we (humans) would be much safer if the drilling were on land, the fact remains we are still dependent on oil. It is the left that is keeping us unsafe. Their only aim is to destroy the industry, the faster the better. And it's working. Obama needs to stop wagging his finger at others and man up. It's absurd for him to complain about others passing blame when all he does is blame Bush for everything.

US agency admits lax enforcement of oil drilling - Yahoo! News

NASA Shuttle Program Winds Down

We watched the 32nd and final voyage of Atlantis today. Isn't it amazing what Obama's been able to do to take this country down down down in such a short time? Don't expect any analysis in this puff piece from ABC, however. But the photos are good.

Space Shuttle Atlantis: On Florida's Space Coast, Sadness and Anger as NASA Shuttle Program Winds Down - ABC News

President Obama, who wants to own General Motors and all your medical records as well as all media sources, has decided private companies can take over carrying astronauts to the space station so NASA can focus on getting astronauts to an asteroid by 2025 and to Mars by 2035. President George Bush, in 2004, had set NASA’s sights on the moon. But Obama axed that program — seemed too small I guess. Isn't that just like Mr. No Experience in Anything? Dump a government program which does require massive amounts of money and support and build national recognition so the gummit has enough to take over private industries like health care or automobiles which really don't need the government at all.

SPACE.com -- Neil Armstrong: Obama's New Space Plan "Poorly Advised"

Holder hasn't read the Arizona law

So why all the hype from the media? How can Holder "be concerned" if he hasn't read it?  He's only "gleaned" ideas from reading newspaper accounts. And this man is making judgements that will affect all of us. Do you suppose this has led to a lot of misunderstanding, like from Highland IL high school administrators not allowing athletes to go there (although they can go to Communist China), and the governor of California and our own President making jokes about it at the expense of Arizonans?

Sue Bock

This morning at 11 we'll be gathering again with UALC family and friends -- second time this week -- to say good-bye. Sue and I hadn't been friends a long time, maybe 5 yeyears, but she was the kind of person you always wanted to be with more. She loved people and was a very special friend and volunteer for shut-ins and the elderly, and just a really enjoyable person to be around. We had a lunch date planned for next week. Now we'll have to wait for the resurrection.

From the Dispatch: BOCK (LAMBERT) Susan Lambert Bock, age 70, passed away on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at home. She was a graduate of St. Joseph Academy and attended The Ohio State University. Susan retired from the insurance industry as a case manager. She was a long time member of the Upper Arlington Lutheran Church. Susan is preceded in death by her parents Edward and Rosemary Putnam Lambert. She is survived by her only child, Lisa Bock married to Pete Estler and grandchildren, Ty and Cole Estler. A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. on FRIDAY, May 14, 2010 at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, 2300 Lytham Road. Pastor John Stolzenbach, Officiating. Private family interment at Green Lawn Cemetery.

The GM spoof that tells the troof

A patriot's history of the United States

History hasn’t been this interesting since 5th-6th grade in Miss Michael’s class in little Forreston, Illinois. My husband and I are thoroughly enjoying A patriot’s history of the United States by Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen. And I’m still in the pre-USA days of New Spain, New France and New England, a period longer than our post-revolution years. An excellent reminder of how the colonial powers that searched for wealth and sent settlers all had very different systems. I love becoming reacquainted with all those names of the conquistadores we had to memorize and their incredible explorations, visions and dreams of wealth that lead them nowhere. Even the Italian Columbus died in poverty.

Spain stole gold mined by the Indians for their rulers and kept it all in the hands of the government. Spain was vastly outnumbered by the Indians, but it was able to defeat them through advanced technology and a superior social/cultural/political system which wasn‘t dependent of a rigid hierarchy of power. France too searched for a passage to wealth, but ended up bartering with the Indians for another kind, furs--so apparently even Indians could be influenced by greed (shock and awe!)--but didn’t do the hard work except for exploration and founding a few outposts along rivers. Also, France’s peasants were better off than those in England or Spain, so they had little interest in relocating to the unknown, difficult wilds of New France.  The few French Protestants that crossed seeking religious freedom were slaughtered by the Spanish even after founding colonies.

England got in the game late, and English pirates (I think in school these were called by the nicer term “privateers”) stole from the Spanish what they’d already stolen from the Indians. The authors don’t say it that way--that’s my interpretation. But the English had a different idea of wealth than the Spanish--grow it. They only of the colonial powers understood that wealth could be increased and developed, that it wasn’t a fixed commodity to be hoarded by the royal family. Hmm. Isn’t that interesting. Everyone’s wealth belongs to the government and don‘t take risks--a failed colonial (European) system except for a tiny island of entrepreneurs and investors that saw wealth differently.

From the publisher‘s page: “For at least thirty years, high school and college students have been taught to be embarrassed by American history. Required readings have become skewed toward a relentless focus on our country’s darkest moments, from slavery to McCarthyism. As a result, many history books devote more space to Harriet Tubman than to Abraham Lincoln; more to My Lai than to the American Revolution; more to the internment of Japanese Americans than to the liberation of Europe in World War II.”

Yes, since the 1970s when the homegrown, anti-American faculty wonks began to take over the college humanities and social science departments with the media and entertainment culture of TV and movies adding the icing, U.S. young people have been fed a steady diet of guilt, shame and lies. Marxists and socialists had been down this road in the 1930s and had to pause to fight the common enemy in WWII to save the Soviet Union.  But they had a vision, and it's coming to fruition today.  No wonder this book is a best seller and used by home-schooling parents whose children go on to out perform public school graduates. It’s a breath of fresh air.

Japanese skin care products coming ashore

According to an article in today's WSJ, Japanese women value their skin much more than we do. "Japanese women have long prized ageless, porcelain-white skin . . . [they] are the most sophisticated consumer in the world." It's called bihaku--"beautiful white." I didn't know that Japan's Shiseido Co. had purchased Bare Escentuals for $1.7 billion earlier this year. Japanese women spend 60% of their cosmetic budget on skin care--American women only 30%.
Japanese Makeup Companies Have Trouble Cracking the U.S. Market - WSJ.com
Hmmm. Like those annual soft drink consumption figures in the gallons, someone is obviously buying my share. I wash my face with soap and water once a day; moisturize; apply a small amount of Merle Norman foundation and a brush of coral tone blush. Whatever's still there at 9 p.m., goes to bed with me. My theory is that the less scrubbing, tugging and pulling on delicate facial muscles, the better. But even if my bathroom counter and shelves aren't loaded with expensive products, I do have my favorites--some cheap, some moderate. But ladies, nothing hides the wrinkles like a layer of fat.

The absolutely best thing for your skin is not creams, but avoidance--the sun (or tanning booths) and cigarettes. That way you'll pretty much avoid wrinkles, age spots and skin cancer until old age takes over. If you are 21, you think you'll enjoy that tight, perky look forever, but the next time you look you'll be 41, and then 61. That's when the "shoulda coulda woulda" complaints will be pretty empty. An ounce of prevention is worth a gallon of face cream. And regrets.

How to straighten curly hair

Years ago I got "curly perms." I could wash, moisturize, scrunch and air dry (about 5 minutes), or wash, moisturize and blow dry (about 20-30 minutes) with a strong, round brush. The blow dry took a lot of wrist and hand effort, but resulted in a smooth hair-do with lots of body and a thick look. If I did nothing, I had a very bad hair day--total fuzz ball.

So I was a bit surprised to read today's under the fold, front page article by Corey Dade in the Wall Street Journal about the styling salons of blacks from Dominican Republic undercutting and out performing African American traditional methods. Yes, I know African women have extremely fine hair, much more so than white or Asian women, but straightening with a hair dryer and a strong hand and wrist using a roller brush sounds a lot more simple than applying chemical goop and spending hours at the salon. This video has no instruction, but you can see how it's done.

Area studies that promote racism, separatism, and disrespect--look out

Arizona legislature is not only trying to clean up the border problem, the drug cartel problem and the diseases that cross over (TB, hepatitis, Chagas, etc.) but it's going after the hate mongers (school administrators and school teachers) who cross dress as agents of diversity and multiculturalism.

"THE LEGISLATURE FINDS AND DECLARES THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO TREAT AND VALUE EACH OTHER AS INDIVIDUALS AND NOT BE TAUGHT TO RESENT OR HATE OTHER RACES OR CLASSES OF PEOPLE."

House Bill 2281

The law prohibits any school or charter school from including in its program of instruction any courses or classes that:

•Promote resentment toward a race or class of people;
•Are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group; or
•Advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals

What is Glee's agenda?

Bruce and John are a gay couple (Republicans) who enjoy watching Glee, but lately Bruce has become disturbed by the anti-America agenda (including slamming small towns like Lima, Ohio) of the show.

"This week, I noticed something else about Glee I hadn’t before. The McKinley high school students are not complex and interesting as characters at all. In fact, there is a surprising amount of stereotyping given that the writers are all supposedly liberal and open-minded. There is the overweight black girl with a large voice who is picked on by the dumb blonde cheerleaders. The only “good girl” is a great singer, socially inept, and appears to be the only Jewish girl in Ohio – convenient for the cheap Jewish jokes that have popped up from time to time. The most ridiculous stereotype is, ironically, Kurt the gay Glee club member. Despite what Murphy said at the GLAAD awards, Kurt puts his full gay victimhood on display. Kurt demonstrates his complete lack of self-esteem and stereotypically effeminate ways in the episode called “Home” aired on April 27. Watching that episode made me cringe and wonder how liberal gays are not livid about this over-the-top caricature of a gay teen. Here’s a thought – why not make the gay guy a football player? Kurt makes Richard Simmons look like John Wayne. Oh yeah, did I mention the gym teacher is a manly woman? Sue Sylvester, the meanie of the show, is played by Jane Lynch who has become a poster child for the Gay Left’s push for marriage. Come on, how stupid do the producers of Glee think we are that we can’t see through this crap? For the sake of humanity and to shine the light on the Glee agenda, I’m going to force myself to continue watching each week. So for now, there is a temporary household truce on Tuesday nights.

‘Glee’ Is Leftist Propaganda Aimed Squarely At Your Kids

Mr. President, this is not material for a joke, although your border plan is one

Couldn't believe the USA Today headline

"Voters' anxiety clouds his [Obama's] historic successes"

What historic successes? I asked. I didn't even read the article but here's the list I thought of in 2 minutes.

1. Healthcare--lies, distortions, and 70% of the nation didn't want it, and now CBO is slowly, slowly feeding us the real costs.

2. Unemployment--ARRA has been a complete failure--it dribbled the first year, and is now about 1/2 doled out although not spent, and the rest will be used to buy votes for 2012. He said we need to throw more tax money at the problem without even thinking it through or reading the bill so that unemployment wouldn't go above 8%.

3. Racial unrest has been inflamed by his intemperate words--worse than I can remember since the Rodney King days.

4. Terrorist risk has increased by his ignoring jihadists and trying to redefine terror, and by going after Tea Party people and the only news source that will stand up to him.

5. Sycophant, bowing and scraping to foreign powers.

6. Failure to protect the border--in this he continues a long line of failures, including President Bush.

7. Failure to act immediately in the recent Gulf oil spill. Compared to his 11 days, the response to Hurricane Katrina was lightning fast.

8. Failure to act quickly with troop requests for Afghanistan, the place he said during the campaign was the "real war."

9. Pushing a steady flow of socialist and marxist appointees and czars through for appointments. As each socialist agenda is revealed, Obama announces plans to tackle jobs, but only the government is hiring. He believes in BIG POWERFUL government and more regulations to restore the economy.

10. Making a mockery of the "peace prize," especially since he's selling out his own country every day.

Jim Bracken appointed Dean of University Libraries at Kent State University

Assistant Director of OSU Libraries Jim Bracken will become dean of Kent State University’s University Libraries effective August 1, 2010, announced Kent State Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert G. Frank. Bracken replaces Mark Weber, who is retiring.

OSU Libraries Communications Department » Jim Bracken appointed Dean of University Libraries at Kent State University

International Man of Mystery: Who Is Maurice Strong?

Glenn Beck's topic today. Maurice Strong. This piece is from 1997.

International Man of Mystery: Who Is Maurice Strong?

Maurice Strong, The Earth Charter and the Ark of the Gaia Covenant

40 years ago he was whipping up fear that required "controlling human activity." He built his power base and wealth by trafficking in fear.



"Strong explained: "Licences to have babies incidentally is something that I got in trouble for some years ago for suggesting even in Canada that this might be necessary at some point, at least some restriction on the right to have a child."

But, if the world didn't follow his instructions - if governments didn't heed the warnings of the doomsayers - then "this is one of the possible courses that society would have to seriously consider." Strong himself has five children."
Maurice Strong

Artemisia - One-of-a-Kind Artwear and Accessories

If I were into wearable art, here's where I'd look. Lovely. Lovely.

Artemisia opened its doors in March 2002. It only happened because of a broken leg: When Annette broke her leg skiing in March 2001, it made her sit still for quite a while - long enough to start fantasizing about transforming her interest in fabrics and design into a career.

Artemisia - One-of-a-Kind Artwear and Accessories

I clicked on a Facebook ad. I understand they are doing very well.

Interview seen at another website

Hobbies: I didn’t have any until I retired in 2000. I was very concerned about that so I wrote a story and a plan about possible hobbies. Now I write all the time--12 blogs, poetry, essays, and I sometimes paint and draw. I’m a better artist than many people, even better than some who make a living at it, but not good enough to satisfy me, and no burning desire so I do less and less. These are interests I had before I started kindergarten. My mother used to bring home discontinued wallpaper rolls for me to write and draw.

In college I drove a: Whatever my parents owned, and Dad changed cars frequently--every year or two. That Ford red ranchero was great fun for a teen-ager.

My worst subject in school: Algebra II in 11th grade. Panicked and dropped it and took Psychology which I really liked. I did get a C once--in tennis. The teacher was pregnant and I couldn’t even keep up with her.

College, undergrad degree: University of Illinois, Russian and Spanish with a whole lot of history. Also attended Manchester College, and two small schools, one in Maine and one in Indiana the names of which I’ve forgotten. Oh yes, and I took some classes at Ohio State and Ohio Dominican over the years.

College, graduate degree: University of Illinois, Library Science. Great school. Opened a lot of doors.

Best advice I ever got: It probably came from my mother. She never ran out--I guess the apple didn‘t fall far from the tree--but I can’t place my finger on just one thing. Probably to marry my current and only husband. She was never that thrilled with the other candidates I brought home and I think she took one look and thought I had a winner. I know we feel that way about our son-in-law.

Favorite coffee: Whatever I don’t make as long as it’s brewed in a coffee shop, not kept on a burner, and not in someone else’s kitchen. For years I drank black coffee only, but must have started adding cream sometime in the 70s. No sugar. Yuck. I started "going out" for coffee when I was in high school and never looked back. I write a blog about people I meet in coffee shops.

It’s Close at Akron Art Museum

I have two friends who have prosopagnosia, or face blindness. Actually, there may be more but I'm just not aware of it. They have difficulty recognizing people's faces. I don't know if there are gradations of this condition. Chuck Close, a famous portrait artist with multiple disabilities, has this condition. Last fall, we went to an exhibition at the Akron Art Museum made up of pieces privately owned in Ohio. Be sure to watch the video--it's fascinating.

Western Reserve Public Media It’s Close at Akron Art Museum

Why God made Moms

Childhood friend Jon Martin sent me this. And I remember his Mom. She raised two nice sons.

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot
2.. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet; maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

NOW YOU KNOW WHERE AND HOW MOMS ARRIVED HERE !

Awards given by Center for Plain Language

This organization gives awards for clear language and language that makes you wonder, as in "I wonder what that means." I was surprised how short the "wonder" list was. I see many sites, particularly explaining government programs that make no sense, often because of double negatives. I was going to say absolutely no sense, but "absolutely" is a redundant word. Check the links: good information.

Awards | Center for Plain Language

And not a fast food restaurant in sight

The scene "Sunday on the banks of the River Marne (1938) may be idyllic, but they are all overweight. How can that be with all that healthy French food and no evil processed food? Apparently Americans didn't invent this problem.

Funny Illinois names

I was born in Winnebago County, Illinois. According to the National Geographic Blog,

"Winnebago: The name of Wisconsin’s lake means "person of dirty water" in Algonquin. The word was used to describe Siouan Indians who lived near the lower Fox River, where dead fish accumulated every summer behind a natural dam. And that's bad, but Chicago means, "At the skunk place." Ohio means nice river.

Happy Mothers Day

Caesar, and the Things of God

Jesus doesn't leave Caesar alone. He's Lord over all. Not sure how this flap about "National" Day of Prayer will end. I'm sure we can be national without involving the government. We just might be much better at it in fact just praying for government officials rather than letting them set the rules.

Time line for National Day of Prayer

Newsweek, Caesar, and the Things of God | First Things

Although I believe there has been abuse of "the establishment clause" to impede religious expression, I see nothing here that's going to prevent Christians from having a national day of prayer. There are many "national day of . . ." that do not take "national" to mean the government. And I see no reason why these prayer meetings need to be inside government buildings.

Newsweek lost $28 million in 2009 and is for sale. If it's knowledge of the world is anything like its reporting on religion, we may know the problem. So Joe Meacham, who wrote the article on Jesus and Caesar, may want to do a little praying himself.

The Great Global Warming Blunder: How Mother Nature Fooled the World’s Top Climate Scientists by Roy Spencer, Ph. D.

My public library hasn't ordered this--yet. Not that I would expect them to--librarians are 223:1 liberal to conservative and book banning begins in the back room. I suppose I could request it, although I'll probably be told there's no money.

The Great Global Warming Blunder: How Mother Nature Fooled the World’s Top Climate Scientists « Roy Spencer, Ph. D.

In today's OSU Research, there's a story about McCarthy type behavior by global warming deniers. Except, McCarthy was a member of a U.S. Congressional committee that hauled people before Congress to belittle and humiliate them, to gin up dislike and hatred. That sounds like what our current Congress is doing, but certainly not to scientists. The state of Virginia is asking questions about how professors are spending tax dollars. Has Michael Mann really been cleared of suspicion? If so, by whom? His peers? Would the same guys accept bank CEOs called before a panel of bankers? The state is doing its job. Even if he were right about CO2 is he right to deny others access to professional, peer-review publishing? That's not McCarthyism, that's called oversight. And it's about time.

On Research… » It’s about time . . .

Our garage

I'm not bragging. It's a fact. We live in one of the prettiest condo complexes in all of metropolitan Columbus, with beautiful vistas no matter where we look. And we work hard keeping it that way with a very involved community board, landscape committee and maintenance company. Unless of course, you're driving through our NORC (naturally occurring retirement community) and notice the Bruce's garage. Something, and we aren't sure what, causes the bottom panel on the garage door to rot and peel. We've been here 8 years and have replaced it once already and now it's worse than when we replaced it the first time. Then within the last 2 weeks, a bird has pecked a huge hole and a small hole in the decorative door (not sure what it's called, but it doesn't go anywhere) above the garage door. I assumed in that space there are baby birds.

Tim A. Schuler

We were saddened to learn of the death of our friend Tim Schuler. For many years he lived in the Greensview area of Upper Arlington and owned a flower shop, being well known around here. The visitation is Monday at UALC Mill Run Church in Hilliard, 2-4 and 6-8, and the funeral is Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Mill Run Church. We became acquainted with Tim and his first wife Doris through our son, when our boys who are the same age met at VBS back around 1974. Mark was the only little boy I knew then who had more energy than mine. And what a charmer! They remained friends all through their school years. Tim is survived by his wife Pat and his 3 sons, David, Mark and Chris and their families.

From today's Dispatch: "SCHULER Tim A. Schuler, age 69, of Columbus, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at Mt. Carmel East Hospital. Complete obituary to appear in Saturday and Sunday's Columbus Dispatch. Arrangements by SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST CHAPEL, 1740 Zollinger Road."

Turmeric

What do you do with turmeric? "Turmeric has a peppery, warm and bitter flavor and a mild fragrance slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger, and while it is best known as one of the ingredients used to make curry, it also gives ballpark mustard its bright yellow color."
WHFoods: Turmeric

While I was cooking lunch today (onions, green beans and corn), I looked through my spice shelf. Hmmm. Things were looking a bit long in the tooth. It's the ones without dates that I'm worried about--you know, the ones that cost less than a dollar, and are stamped with a purple stamp. How many years has that been? Some with dates were 2005. All in all, I removed 10 cans/bottles. What was I thinking? I'm a salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice type of cook. My former daughter-in-law was a fabulous cook and used interesting spices. Maybe she inspired me to try something different. Some may be from that era--others may have been from our first apartment in 1960 when I was really adventurous.

Incidentally, I really like The World's Healthiest Foods website. Whenever I want to know something about food or nutrition I turn there. Love the bibliographies. It's a librarian thing.

I left blogger dot com and Facebook for six days, and both changed their templates and/or security/announcement system while I was gone!

May Break

There's lots to blog about--immigration, oil spills, deficits, our future, cap and trade scam, political philosophies, economics, history, etc., but my to-do list is getting long. So I'll shut down for awhile. See you later!

$282 million ARRA funds to one California agency

I suppose I shouldn't worry about Upper Arlington's few miles of ARRA sidewalks which were already planned when Berkeley Lab is getting over $282 million for a government agency that would have been funded anyway. Where did the money go that would have been supporting this research for the Department of Energy, and with California getting such huge chunks why is its economy in such poor shape? Don't these workers, flush with ARRA funds, go out and pay their mortgages, shop at Costco, and go to the movies? Is this another shell game? Is this why no one credits ARRA when there is a little uptick in the economy?

Berkeley Lab Awarded $12.8 Million in Stimulus Funds for Health Research « Berkeley Lab News Center

Sanitizer on my shoe

Given a choice, soap and water is a much more effective way to fight germs than a hand sanitizer. However, I keep a small pump bottle of the alcohol hand cleaner in the cup holder of my van for quick clean ups. The last time I bought one the pump top wouldn't unscrew and my empties were the wrong size. This morning at the store I passed the shelf with the hand cleaners and I picked one up to put in the cart. But I wasn't going to be fooled, so I tested the top to see if it would unscrew. It did--getting a small amount on my hand. So I attempted to screw it back down, and a small amount squirted to the floor, so I tried again, and a giant splat hit my shoe. Well, I don't know if it kills 68% of common bacteria, but it will certainly take the shine off your shoe!

Washing Hands With Soap vs. Hand Sanitizer: Which Is Better? - ABC News

The Three C's--Cows, Constitution and Commandments

This is going around. I got a good chuckle--hope you do too.

C O W S
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

T H E C O N S T I T U T I O N
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq .... Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.

T H E TEN C O M M A N D M E N T S
The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal,' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery,' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians. It creates a hostile work environment.

Albany NY Methodists help resettle Africans

There's an "amazing grace" Methodist church in Albany, NY called Emmaus--it has taken in and resettled many refugees including survivors of a 2004 massacre in a United Nations refugee camp called Gatumba, which lies in Burundi near the border with Congo.

"After decades of ethnic oppression, the Banyamulenge, third-generation Christians, identify strongly with the tribulations of Old Testament Jews. In their gospel songs, the survivors seek solace from the violence at Gatumba, which echoed the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s, and still threatens those they left behind.

Albany might seem an unlikely place for resettlement of refugees like Christine Nyabatware, a widow with five small children, and Butoto Ndbarishe, 13, whose twin sister was killed at his side during the massacre, along with his father, a pastor, and two brothers. But since the first family arrived here in March, coatless and stunned to find what appeared to be a cold desert of leafless trees, the city has become a beacon to other Gatumba survivors around the country. . . “The Americans show us love,” said Mr. Mandevu after a potluck meal in the basement of the church, where a congregation that includes members from Pakistan, Iran and the Philippines traded hugs. “People are so nice. Here no one can throw stones on you."

Safe From Persecution, Still Bearing Its Scars - New York Times

Here's a blogger that writes news for the Banyamulenge immigrants, and he has recently returned from helping the Haitians after the earthquake. It is our immigrants who keep us strong and in touch with our roots. My ancestors came here in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the story is always the same--a better life and freedom.

JOURNAL MINEMBWE/ MINEMBWE FREE PRESS

Greene and Greene Sanborn House

Sold for $1.7 million. Let's hope the Pasadena beauty has good owners who will love, restore and cherish it. Here's the brochure. We took so many photos when we were on a walking tour for Greene and Greene houses in 2006, I don't recall if this was one we saw (from the outside, since it was being used as an office).

The Sublime to the Ridiculous: A Victory for Religion

Paul said 2000 years ago the cross was an offense, foolish, scandal or mystery to some (1 Cor 1:18-25), and besides . . .

"it is safe to assume that the overwhelming majority of Americans killed in WWI were Christian. We do no disservice to that onerous 'ideal,' separation of church and state, in a simple acknowledgment of that. Especially as freedom of religion was one of the things those doughboys and sailors and Marines fought to protect. Can we not honor them in a manner they would see as fitting?"

The Sublime to the Ridiculous: A Victory for Religion

Supreme Court: Desert Cross Can Stay as Memorial to Fallen Vets

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Supreme Court: The Mojave desert cross can stay

Salazar vs. Buono

Flavors fade as we age

Wrinkles, chin hairs and now taste buds? "About 10,000 taste buds line an adult's tongue, throat and mouth, perceiving sweet, salty, sour and bitter. As the years pass, we lose some of them, and the taste buds that remain grow less sensitive. Salty and sweet tastes are usually the first to go.

Compounding the problem, older adults also begin to lose their sense of smell, a vital enhancer of taste. Dietitians say the consequences can become apparent as early as age 50, particularly for people who are prone to sinus and respiratory infections or take certain medications.

By the time seniors hit their 70s and 80s, most palates have dulled and favorite foods simply don't taste as good."

Read more Flavors fade as we age, but there are ways to compensate - Health - MiamiHerald.com

Glenn Beck is the new Woodward and Bernstein

"Between 1972 and 1976, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein emerged as two of the most famous journalists in America and became forever identified as the reporters who broke the biggest story in American politics." [from their archives--and they probably wrote that description]

Until now. Now Glenn Beck reveals two or three scandals, payoffs, and scams a week--he's leaving "famous journalists" in the dust. This week he's connecting the dots again--Franklin Raines' tenure at Fannie Mae (which helped create our current housing bubble and crisis), where he bought up the tools for a carbon exchange, then fell into disgrace, then hooked up with other Chicago green poverty pimps, labor unions, community organizers, financiers, CEOs, a future president, the wildly rich Joyce Foundation (funds the Tides Foundation's projects), a former vice-president, a variety of communist organizations and comes out squeaky clean to be an Obama advisor. Wow. What a roller coaster from power to disgrace to an even more powerful position all in one decade.

Where are the journalists when you need them, and why are they letting a "radio clown" do all the dirty work? Something like a tenth of American voters listen to or watch Glenn Beck--and they know how to investigate their little niche of the economy in their state or specialty and they send him tips, which his staff then investigates and verifies. This used to be what our "free press" did before it became a subservient lackey of the government. This week he has also covered the Democrats trying to sneak *Puerto Rico in as the 51st state using the Tennessee Plan, and the "black robe brigade," a period in our American history when pastors actually led instead of followed.

*Puerto Ricans have voted this down 3 times--they are U.S. citizens but the 3.8 million living here cannot vote in presidential elections and have no voting representatives in Congress. They don't pay federal taxes, but receive reduced welfare and other federal benefits. The two million Puerto Ricans living on the mainland have the same rights as all other U.S. citizens.

Update: Tonight Beck revealed the Wizard behind the curtain (I thought it would be Soros) is Joel Rogers of the University of Wisconsin, of the New Party, The Workers' Party, The Apollo Alliance or whatever name our "new" communists are going by. I don't think Beck mentioned this, but the Real Barack Obama blog noted him in 2008 as the husband of one of Obama's law partners. Lots of stuff on him on the web. Just Google.

What violence from the left?

Clicked through a lefty blogger's entries just now--a guillotine decorated his page, Bush and Cheney's heads were on a razor blade, the Statue of Liberty holding up a cross had the international stop symbol through it, violent images abounded, lots of nasty f-ing words about conservatives, libertarians and Republicans, along with take back our Bill of Rights, yada, yada. Didn't see Sarah, but I'm sure he's recommending violence against her too, because that's just what the left does. Now, when similar nonsense appears on conservative websites, Keith Olbermann, whom this blogger seems to admire and imitate, gets all quivery and hot-crotched. I didn't leave a comment--he's entitled to his opinion and protected speech, even as he would deny it to others, and my opposite views certainly would only encourage him. Like it does here, when liberals think they know something I don't.

Georgia O’Keefe Lifetime movie now DVD

The reviewer of this blog really enjoyed the Georgia O'Keefe movie. Another I read panned it.

Joan Allen as Georgia O’Keefe in Biopic on Lifetime | Women & Hollywood

I read through the timeline at Lifetime and found it very informative. If the library ever buys it, I'll check it out. It's available also at Blockbuster, according to Jane Davis, a Columbus watercolorist.

"The Blueprint" by Ken Blackwell

I didn't know Ken Blackwell had a new book out about the Obama Administration. I hope this doesn't make him a racist since he's a black Republican.

HughHewitt.com Blog : Hugh Hewitt : "The Blueprint" by Ken Blackwell

Chicago Carbon Exchange--the Players

"Here are the players and their roles:

Joyce Foundation – A group founded in 1948 that took a sharp turn to the left after its founder, Beatrice Joyce Kean died in 1972.

Barack Obama – President of the United States and one time Board member of the Joyce Foundation. Largely responsible for creating the Chicago Climate Exchange by funneling money to it from the Joyce Foundation.

Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) – An exchange dealing exclusively with Cap and Trade passes, techonology, etc. It was formed largely due to Obama's role as Board member on Joyce Foundation. Obama oversaw the funneling of money from that foundation to the CCX as well as to an entity headed by Bill Ayers' brother.

Valerie Jarrett – Senior advisor to Barack Obama and current Board member on the Joyce Foundation.

Al Gore – Founder of London-based Generation Investment Management (GIM). London also happens to be in the same country where climategate broke. GIM owns 10% of the CCX.

Goldman Sachs – Banking giant that, like Gore, owns 10% of the CCX. Also worthy of note is that at least six former Goldman Sachs executives work inside the Obama administration while Congress puts on a dog and pony show, publicly chastising other Goldman execs about their supposed complicity in the financial crisis.

Franklin Raines – Former head of Fannie Mae. While there, Raines used taxpayer dollars from Fannie Mae to purchase cap and trade technology."

Whether or not you like Glenn Beck, you might ask your favorite news source reporters why he is doing investigative reporting and they aren't. I think the charade going on about "punishing" Goldman Sachs is pretty clever since they're all on the same team. But it also serves a dual role of demonizing Jews, and indirectly by association, Israel, because "Wall Street fat cats" and "greedy CEOs" are just code words for Jews. Just check back into the anti-semitism of the 1930s.

CONSPIRACY REALITY: CONNECTIONS BETWEEN WHITE HOUSE, CHICAGO CLIMATE EXCHANGE AND GOLDMAN SACHS TOO BIG TO IGNORE - TheCypressTimes

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I was really bogged down in the beginning pages of May's book club selection, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society until Adrienne passionately reviewed it for me yesterday at coffee, so I've persevered and have gotten into the story--entirely written in letters (1946) about the occupation in 1940 by the German Nazis in WWII of Guernsey, a small British island. The literary society of the title began life as a pig roast when a local woman managed to hide a pig from the German soldiers and invited her nearly starving neighbors to share. My political antennae were up as I read this section on what marvelous record keepers, regulators and law makers the German occupiers were. They recorded each piglet born, gave it a birth certificate, and then the death needed to be reported too, and the Germans would issue a death certificate for the deceased animals. The Islanders saw their hard work and agricultural crops stolen from them by the occupiers, so they devised a plan, and circulated the same dead piglet amongst themselves, hiding one of the healthy one so that the count came out right when the Germans came.

And here's where I got to thinking about our own government regulations, becoming over the years ever more oppressive and anti-free market. Right now we're being treated to the dog and pony show of government employees (Congress) scolding Goldman Sach employees. One made the regulations so they could take a big cut, the other got around the regulations by risk taking and cleverness so they could keep their cut. The only difference between this and the circulating dead pig story is that Goldman Sachs employees float in and out of the government and help make the regulations so it will all work to their advantage. The Islanders of the novel didn't move back and forth among the ranks of the Germans.

Goldman Sachs is heavily into the 10 trillion valued cap and trade scheme owning, like Al Gore, a chunk of the thin as air exchange houses, such as the Chicago Carbon Exchange (CCX), in which Obama was involved (board member of the Joyce Foundation) before he came President.

Our wealth (through higher taxes) is being distributed through smoke and mirrors exchanges like the dead pig on Guernsey Island. Soon it will be no more. The patent to facilitate the new carbon exchange industry has been purchased by Franklin Raines, our illustrious attorney general, accounting fraudster and former CEO of Fannie Mae deeply involved in our housing collapse. Scott Lesmes formerly of Fannie Mae bundling mortgages to resell to investors is now in charge of the same system for carbon exchanges.

Is this analogy weak? You betcha, but it just shows you things aren't always as they seem and regulations can sometimes smell like a dead pig.

Sordid, tacky, publicity hound--and that's just the mistress!

John Edwards. Wow. I'm so glad he didn't go any further in his quest for the White House. I'm not thrilled with the current occupant, but he's head and shoulders above this mess of dandruff.

'Johnny' to testify in Hunter trial | Washington Examiner

A carefully crafted immigration law in Arizona

"Has anyone actually read the law? Contrary to the talk, it is a reasonable, limited, carefully-crafted measure designed to help law enforcement deal with a serious problem in Arizona. Its authors anticipated criticism and went to great lengths to make sure it is constitutional and will hold up in court. It is the criticism of the law that is over the top, not the law itself.

The law requires police to check with federal authorities on a person's immigration status, if officers have stopped that person for some legitimate reason and come to suspect that he or she might be in the U.S. illegally. The heart of the law is this provision: "For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or a law enforcement agency…where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person…" "

Byron York, A carefully crafted immigration law in Arizona | Washington Examiner

About that last 10 pounds

It's apparently good for you, ladies. But not more than that. Combine that with the 60 minutes a day exercise, and all the sunscreen you can slather on, and we're good to go! Today's WSJ in the side bar:

How a Little Fat Can Help
Some new research shows that being a little overweight doesn't increase health risks. And there may be some benefits. Recent findings include


1. Overweight people are no more likely than those of normal weight to die from cancer or cardiovascular disease.
2. During a 10-year time span, there was a reduced risk of dying for people in their 70s who were overweight compared to those of normal weight.
3. Doctors who study osteoporosis say a little extra weight may help strengthen bones.
4. As they age, women who are overweight often look younger than other women.
Why Carrying an Extra 10 Pounds Might Not Hurt - WSJ.com

There was also an article about sunscreen, something I rarely use. I think my last suntan was in 1985 in Hawaii, and my last burn was in college. I just hate to sit in the sun and sweat. I do like Oil of Olay sunscreen however--it's a great moisturizer, too.

Young ladies. Listen up and lighten up. Great-grandma was right! Protect your skin while in the garden, yard or at the beach. Otherwise you end up with wrinkled, blotchy brown leather. Take a Vitamin D supplement.

What did Governor Strickland Know About Eric McFadden

So what ever happened to Eric McFadden, Governor Strickland's $75,000 a year head of "Faith based and Community Initiatives?" He was arrested and charged with 7 felonies involving prostitution in January 2009. The 46-year-old Dublin resident began serving a one-year prison sentence last August 25 at the Madison Correctional Institution for posting photos of a 17 year old girl on the internet and offering her for sex. He is slated to be freed August 8, 2010 according to the state department of corrections. Seems like an awfully light sentence, but then he does have good friends among the Democrats. In fact, not much was written about this so will anyone notice when he gets out and registers as a sex offender? Or will his Democrat cronies take care of him again? Looks like the Guv didn't do a very good background check.

As I was searching for information on the outcome, I came across a pro-life blogger, Carol McKinley, who says she had a lot of trouble with him and reported him to the Catholic group who employed him.

"For instance, starting somewhere in 2005, I endured an 18 month round. I employed various strategies on my own trying to get McFadden to stop. Somewhere in late 2006, McFadden started sending his kooky messages signing his name as "Eamon". Then, McFadden put up a blog named "Eamon". In my ignorance of who and what "Eamon" was, I did a google search using the name "Eamon". Eamon is a musician who speaks about women in sexually charged, violent vulgar and degrading lyrics - including, you guessed it, pimping women. I'll post a link to his lyrics with the caveat you read them at your own risk as the vulgarity and sexual nature is grotesque. [see her site for link] Since the lyrics were similar to McFadden's meme in leaving comments and sending emails, I naturally connected the dots and thought to myself, I best be escalating protecting myself and my family.

I subsequently called Alexia Kelley and Chris Korzen, who were at the time employing and empowering McFadden and notified them in writing of specific McFadden's activities and asking them to intercede. . . Alexia Kelley, Chris Korzen and their attorney responded by threatening me with a lawsuit. So much for Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good." McKinley's Blog

This was before Strickland was elected, and obviously Kelley and Korzen didn't mention those charges if they recommended him and he became one of the governor's appointees. Kelley co-founded Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good (CACG) in 2005 and co-authored with Chris Korzen, "A Nation for All: How the Catholic Vision of the Common Good Can Save America from the Politics of Division." She's been rewarded for her staunch support of Obama with a plum job in Washington. McFadden had been very active in Central Ohio Catholic Democrat party efforts like Catholics for Kerry and Catholics for Clinton in addition to the "Common Good" group. Seems we need to look a bit further than just peeking under the priests' robes for perverts. McKinley is continuing to look for the paper trail that led from McFadden's employers to Strickland's office.

Digital Preservation: An Unsolved Problem

Recently I purchased three paperback books. "A Patriot's History of the United States" by Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen ($25); "The reason for God" by Timothy Keller ($16); and "The Lutherans in North America" (2d ed., used $10). It takes my breath away to pay that much for a pb, but I think these books will last longer than anything on my computer, or access to their scanned versions on some future computer. They still don't know how to save a book on bits.

"For digital preservationists, a prime concern is that data might be kept perfectly secure and complete, but still be unreadable by machines and programs in the future. A New Yorker cover depicting an alien, come to post-apocalyptic Earth, sitting amid the detritus of modern civilization—discarded CDs, tapes, and computers—illustrates the point: the alien is reading a book, the only thing that still “works.” "

And to think some agency is trying to archive Twitter and Facebook! Who will do the upgrade that will be able to read all those expletives and English reduced to text message skrinkage 4 U. K?

Digital Preservation: An Unsolved Problem | Harvard Magazine May-Jun 2010

Double standard for protests

Where are the media and White House representatives like Gibbsy and Rahm decrying the violence and out of control crowds protesting Arizona's governor? What could be more racist than calling your organization "The Race" (La Raza) the group urging disobedience? And smearing refried beans in protest? Imagine if Tea Party people, whom the head of ACORN Bertha Lewis had called a "bowel movement" to young socialists had smeared something!

Arizona has an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants and is the state with the most illegal border crossings, with the harsh, remote desert serving as the gateway for thousands of Mexicans and Central Americans. The law toughens restrictions on hiring illegal immigrants for day labor and knowingly transporting them.

Since it is illegal to enter the country this way, why is Obama fomenting trouble by condemning Arizona for passing a law that supports U.S. laws? Why doesn't he want help in stopping the illegal transportation of illegals, many underage women?

It's about voters! Democrats are in trouble. Obama will play the race card--he's losing every day. But he didn't win with the race vote, he won with the independents and moderates of both parties wanting to flee from their guilty past. I think they've wised up by now to look at his poll numbers.