Did you know--health statistics

Persons were considered uninsured [in a MMWR article] if they did not have private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program insurance a state-sponsored or other government-sponsored health plan, or a military plan, or if they had a plan that covered only one type of coverage or had only Indian Health Service coverage. If they were uninsured for any period of time, even if only 1 day, during the year they were considered "uninsured."

You need fossil fuels for wind energy

Shhh. Wind Turbines are Fossil Fuels. | Institute for Energy Research

Time's Nearly Up for Elizabeth Warren

Czarina Elizabeth may be in trouble with her schedule to get this nonsense up and ready, but be assured, the concept will stay. And even if she's bumped, like Van Jones, she will be in the wings, because it is ideology, not the economy, not love of country, not even what's best for all nations, that matters to our president.

Elizabeth Warren is the architect behind the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the new agency created to police many financial products, including mortgages, and a centerpiece of the Administration's reform efforts. Opposition from Wall Street, Republicans, and some moderate Democrats prevented the Harvard law professor and longtime critic of the banking sector from being nominated to head the bureau after its creation last year. Instead, President Barack Obama appointed Warren as a special adviser in September and asked her to prepare the bureau for its July 21 launch. The move was seen by her supporters as a chance for Warren to placate her critics and clear the way for an eventual nomination.

Six months later, she's not on target, and Obama is looking at replacements. Probably it takes some business or management experience to tackle this job--ya think?

Time's Nearly Up for Elizabeth Warren - BusinessWeek

VIP Tickets to Emanuel’s Inauguration: $50,000

Some mayors take their oath of office at City Hall or in their chambers and then go to work. Not Rahm Emanuel. He's the second Chicago thug to throw his Democrat hat in the ring and he's doing it by charging $50,000 a head to attend his inauguration. He of the foulest mouth with a reputation as a knee capper, who slid between the lines of the rules for residency in Chicago to be its mayor, has bigger plans, I'm sure. And it wouldn't surprise me at all if he didn't stab his old boss Obama in the back to grab 2012.

VIP Tickets to Emanuel’s Inauguration: $50,000

Did you know. . . pay equity

"In a 2010 study of single, childless urban workers between the ages of 22 and 30, the research firm Reach Advisors found that women earned an average of 8% more than their male counterparts." Carrie Lukas: There is no male-female wage gap.

Democrats lie about Ryan's plan, and don't even blush

Tonight on Fox I watched a Democrat being interviewed about the lack of specificity in Obama's budget speech, and instead of answering about Obama, he chose to attack Republicans, and even then had no specifics except they want to destroy Medicare. Huh?

Wall Street Journal has unpacked the Democrats' criticism of Ryan's plan, which many people really like, even though he doesn't provide any specific tax cuts. And no, unlike Obama, he doesn't suggest raising taxes during a recession (which technically is over, aren't you glad?)

Here are some highlights, but read the whole editorial.

Federal deficits have increased 259% over the last three years and the Ryan budget starts to repair the damage. It would bring next year's deficit below $1 trillion, down from estimates of roughly $1.6 trillion for 2011. . .

Mr. Ryan proposes smaller deficits for the next 10 years, falling to 1.6% of GDP in 2021 versus 4.9% for the White House. According to CBO, debt held by the public falls to 67.5% of the economy a decade from now from about 69% today, while it rises to 87.4% in Mr. Obama's version. . .

Mr. Ryan's plan [called premium support] is that it offers the true health-care reform that Mr. Obama promised but which vanished in the political drive to put 30 million more Americans on the government rolls. Economists from the center-left to center-right have been recommending premium support for decades, and it was first proposed by Stanford's Alain Enthoven in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1978.

Some version has since been endorsed by everyone from President Clinton's 1999 Medicare commission, chaired by Democrat John Breaux, to Bob Dole and Tom Daschle in 2009. Another iteration was floated this week by a group of Nobel laureates including Ned Phelps, Vernon Smith and George Akerlof.

Heritage says that one of the key provisions of Ryan's plan is eliminating Fannie and Fred.

Ryan's Roadmap

Until recently, Americans were known and admired everywhere for their hopeful determination to assume responsibility for the quality of their own lives; to rely on their own work and initiative; and to improve opportunities for their children to prosper in the future. But over time, Americans have been lured into viewing government – more than themselves, their families, their communities, their faith – as their main source of support; they have been drawn toward depending on the public sector for growing shares of their material and personal well-being. The trend drains individual initiative and personal responsibility. It creates an aversion to risk, sapping the entrepreneurial spirit necessary for growth, innovation, and prosperity. In turn, it subtly and gradually suffocates the creative potential for prosperity.

I am John Galt

Atlas Shrugged is coming to a theater near you (ca. 277 screens)--or at least, me. Atlas Shrugged the Movie will be shown at the Movie Tavern, Mill Run Shopping Center in Hilliard, Ohio, 3773 Ridge Mill Dr., April 15-April 21, showings at 10:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 7:20 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. (Dates and times could change, www.movietavern.com) Movie Tavern is a restaurant/theatre serving food and drink, so you can make it a date night or book club event. The book was written in 1957, but is relevant to today's political and economic realities.

Read a review of book theme and why Conservatives didn't like Rand when she was alive in WSJ. Donald L. Luskin: Remembering the Real Ayn Rand - WSJ.com

When Rand created the character of Wesley Mouch, it's as though she was anticipating Barney Frank (D., Mass). Mouch is the economic czar in "Atlas Shrugged" whose every move weakens the economy, which in turn gives him the excuse to demand broader powers. Mr. Frank steered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to disaster with mandates for more lending to low-income borrowers. After Fannie and Freddie collapsed under the weight of their subprime mortgage books, Mr. Frank proclaimed last year: "The way to cure that is to give us more authority." Mouch couldn't have said it better himself.

But it's a misreading of "Atlas" to claim that it is simply an antigovernment tract or an uncritical celebration of big business. In fact, the real villain of "Atlas" is a big businessman, railroad CEO James Taggart, whose crony capitalism does more to bring down the economy than all of Mouch's regulations. With Taggart, Rand was anticipating figures like Angelo Mozilo, the CEO of Countrywide Financial, the subprime lender that proved to be a toxic mortgage factory. Like Taggart, Mr. Mozilo engineered government subsidies for his company in the name of noble-sounding virtues like home ownership for all.

To be seen

It wasn't about the workout, which was probably great cardio. It was to be seen. When she's jogging through a busy intersection, dodging cars and trucks, weaving around traffic wearing this

on the bottom and even less on the top, then she's not fooling anyone.

We have several parks within a mile or two of Henderson and Reed, a corner with two busy gas stations and two shopping centers--she could have driven there and had a safe, healthy, exhilerating run without putting herself or others in danger. But who would be there to see her except ladies on a stroll or pushing baby buggies.

Children, wanted and unwanted

It's a great imponderable. My faith and church informs me that God loves all his children, from conception to old age death, both those who know him and those who don't, the ones with blessings and the ones without. For now, I'll just have to trust that, because I don't always see it working in real time and place.

I'm thinking about little three year old Zack (not his real name) who is actually wanted by two different foster families who have been sharing custody of him for a year and a half. The original foster family who raised Zack from birth have negotiated every legal delay and trick to keep him, and although they signed off from the beginning on plans to adopt him (were told this was not an option), it is obviously their goal. The other foster family, which immediately stepped up to the plate when the state discovered it even existed (months after his birth), is Zack's uncle and his wife, who also raised his half sibling. Zack's birth parents are totally incapable of caring for child (although they have visitation rights) both by behavior and intelligence--the mother being mentally challenged and the father being the boyfriend of her mother (grandmother of the child--remember the movie "Precious?") who took advantage of the woman's low intelligence and had sex with her. So here's a little guy loved too much by people who are asking the court to split him down the middle. On the sidelines, I'm left to ponder what motivates people to even agree to raise a child of such doubtful intellectual heritage and future possibilities and problems--but I'm glad there are people willing to take such risks. That's a risk God takes with us, and one we don't see that often at our level. Both a stranger and a relative took him in and want him, and are now fighting over him with lawyers, judges, guardian ad litem, social workers and child psychologists in pitched battle over a little guy who is happy and well adjusted with both families.

The other special group of children God loves are those with Down and Fragile X syndromes. If you keep up with news from the pro-life community, or have followed the vilification of Sarah Palin and her Down Syndrome child born shortly before she was selected by McCain as a running mate in 2008, you know that over 90% of the children are now aborted after pregnancy testing reveals their condition. This has all sorts of ramifications for other families with mentally challenged children, because these families were strong backers of special health benefits, legislation and schooling for their children. They are now out of the advocacy business. But recently a mouse model in which the critical gene is knocked out has been developed that allows researchers to probe the synapses of brain neurons. Even later in life, mice with Down syndrome or fragile X syndrome (FXS) that are given targeted treatment can experience improvements in cognitive function. Findings from such animal studies have paved the way to human trials. And things are moving rather quickly. There is hope on the horizon that there will be therapeutics developed to help those with the most severe symptoms of stereotypic behavior, hyperactivity and inappropriate speech (Sci Transl Med. 2001:3[64] 64ral).

Other drugs are also being tested that show improved cognition in mouse models. One little mouse model, Ts65Dn, has been particularly useful in testing for memory deficits. This is wonderful news--but comes much too late for so many children killed before they saw the light of day. I wish all children, challenged or blessed with good health, could be as loved as little Trig Palin.

If the therapies under study for FXS and Down syndrome prove effective, the approach may have implications for other developmental disorders that involve invtellectual impairment or autism-like symptoms, or even more common disorders like Alzheimer Disease. The brain is more plastic than ever before imagined. (Summary of material from JAMA Jan. 26, 2011)

A very filling lunch

No vegetables, but I had two at breakfast.

I attended a noon lecture at the veterinary college at Ohio State at noon, so was a bit hungry when I got home about 1:15. So I decided to fry up half an onion, a medium sized potato with the skin, and a hard cooked egg in a little olive oil. It tasted so good, and was so filling, I decided to look up why.

Onion--11 calories. This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin C. Amino acid (protein quality) score: 22; completeness score (nutrient balance) 53; inflammatory factor 65. Onions contain a variety of other naturally occurring chemicals known as organosulfur compounds that have been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Hard cooked egg--77 calories. This food is a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B12 and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Protein and Selenium. One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids. Amino acid score: 132; completeness score 43; inflammatory factor -51. Although egg yolk contains much cholesterol, it also contains a lot of lecithin. Lecithin is an emulsifier, which can lower blood cholesterol. Eggs contain a lot of vitamin A, which can rarely be found in meat. Vitamin A can not only maintain the integrity and promote the growth and development of the epithelial cells, but also can increase the immune function of the body. In addition, the content of vitamin E and B2 in eggs are higher than the meat. Eggs hold great satiety powers (they will stick with you for a long while after you've eaten them).

White potato, medium, with skin-- 130 calories. This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6 and Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin C. Amino acid score: 83; completeness score 49; inflammatory factor -78. Eaten with its skin, a single medium sized potato of 150 g provides nearly half the daily adult requirement (100 mg) of vitamin C. The potato is a moderate source of iron, and its high vitamin C content promotes iron absorption. It is a good source of vitamins B1, B3 and B6 and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, and contains folate, pantothenic acid and riboflavin. Potatoes also contain dietary antioxidants, which may play a part in preventing diseases related to ageing, and dietary fibre, which benefits health. Potatoes rate high on the satiety index.

1 tbsp olive oil--124 calories. This food is rich in monounsaturated fat, rich in antioxidants and phenolic compounds with a variety of protective effects for the heart, low in Cholesterol and Sodium. Vitamin E and K. Amino acid score: 0; completeness score 3; inflammatory factor 4.

Some links.
http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/home
http://www.potato2008.org/en/potato/factsheets.html
http://www.herballegacy.com/Wilson_Medicinal.html
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-eggs.html

Free DC to be more corrupt?

The Mayor protests giving DC children a chance at a good education with DC scholarships (vouchers), or even a life. And he wants statehood.

. . . the mayor of Washington, D.C., Vince Gray, already serving under a cloud of corruption, was arrested while protesting Congress’ budget agreement. Gray, city council members and more than 200 protesters blocked Constitution Avenue and diverted police resources, shouting, “Free D.C.” and “We can’t take it no more,” all in response to new restrictions on spending that Congress placed on the District of Columbia. But they should have been protesting outside Constitution Hall, not the Capitol, because that is where the Framers created the role for our nation’s capital that Gray is complaining about today.

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Budget deal axes 'czars' already gone

No Obama Czars lost their heads in the budget deal. They were either promoted or already gone. Are Republicans this easy to fool? Unfortunately, yes. That's why they need the Tea Party.

Budget deal axes 'czars' already gone - Robin Bravender - POLITICO.com

House Republicans attached an amendment to a spending bill that passed the chamber in February to block funding for nine White House policy advisers. Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise, the author of that amendment, warned at the time against what he called "a very disturbing proliferation of czars" under President Obama.

"These unappointed, unaccountable people who are literally running a shadow government, heading up these little fiefdoms that nobody can really seem to identify where they are or what they're doing," Scalise said in February. "But we do know that they're wielding vast amounts of power."

Senate Democrats at the time vowed to fight the measure, calling the language "an intrusive micromanagement of the president's White House staff via appropriations."

With the narrower anti-czar rider, both sides have an opportunity to claim victory. Republicans walk away with the talking point that they dethroned unelected officials playing key roles on controversial policy initiatives; the White House and Senate Democrats can claim they protected most of the advisers that matter — those who are still there.

David Brooks--a conservative who was dead wrong about Obama

"Two personalities inhabit New York Times columnist David Brooks, who, like Christopher Buckley, is a friend. One personality is that of the idealist. On Inauguration Day, the idealist in Brooks claimed that Barack Obama was “a pragmatist, an empiricist” who intended “to realize the endof- ideology politics.” The other personality inhabiting Brooks is that of the realist. It takes a lot to rouse the realist. Trillions of dollars, in fact.

“There is evidence,„ Brooks wrote in early March [2009] about Obama’s $3.6 trillion budget, “of a party swept up in its own revolutionary fervor. . . . We end up with deficits that are $1 trillion a year and stretch as far as the eye can see. . . . Federal spending as a share of GDP is zooming from its modern norm of 20 percent to an unacknowledged level somewhere far beyond.

“Those of us who consider ourselves moderates—moderate-conservative, in my case—are forced to confront the reality that Barack Obama is not who we thought he was.”

A couple of implications are worth noting. The first is that a deep, recurring pattern of American life has asserted itself yet again: the cluelessness of the elite.

[Christopher] Buckley, [David] Gergen, and Brooks all attended expensive private universities, then spent their careers moving among the wealthy and powerful who inhabit the seaboard corridor running from Washington to Boston. If any of the three strolled uninvited into a cocktail party in Georgetown, Cambridge, or New Haven, the hostess would emit yelps of delight. Yet all three originally got Obama wrong.

Contrast Buckley, Gergen, and Brooks with, let us say, Rush Limbaugh, whose appearance at any chic cocktail party would cause the hostess to faint dead away, or with Thomas Sowell, who occupies probably the most unfashionable position in the country, that of a black conservative.

Limbaugh and Sowell both got Obama right from the very get-go. “Just what evidence do you have,” Sowell replied when I asked, shortly before the election, whether he considered Obama a centrist, “that he’s anything but a hard-left ideologue?” "

Hey, Big Spender | Hoover Institution

Milton Friedman--which government departments to eliminate

Twelve years ago, Milton Friednman discussed with Peter Robinson of Hoover Institution (Stanford) the basics of libertarianism, and the cabinet offices he would eliminate in the federal government. . . Agriculture, Commerce, Education, etc. down to about four fundamental functions. If you have time, watch the entire interview. If you want to see just the "abolish" parts, start around 20. Rand Paul has suggested many of the same cuts to reduce the budget deficit.



Obviously, Glenn Beck is no right wing, fascist kook--he's a libertarian and channeling Milton Friedman, but without the blackboard. (A fascist believes in more government, not less--Nazi is shorthand for national socialism.) Friedman says, behind every government program is a smoke stack--a cost to a third party for which they receive no compensation. More housing has been torn down under HUD than public housing built. Government now owns something like 1/3 of all the land in the U.S.

No need to cut entitlements for the poor

Thomas Sowell suggests Congress start with entitlements for the rich. If you saw John Stossel's program on Fox last week, he suggested the same thing.

Sowell writes: "My plan would start by cutting off all government transfer payments to billionaires. Many, if not most, people are probably unaware that the government is handing out the taxpayers' money to billionaires. But agricultural subsidies go to a number of billionaires. Very little goes to the ordinary farmer. Big corporations also get big bucks from the government, not only in agricultural subsidies but also in the name of "green" policies, in the name of "alternative energy" policies, and in the name of whatever else will rationalize shoveling the taxpayers' money out the door to whomever the administration designates, for its own political reasons. The usual political counterattacks against spending cuts will not work against this new kind of spending-cut approach. How many heart-rending stories can the media run about billionaires who have lost their handouts from the taxpayers? How many tears will be shed if General Motors gets dumped off the gravy train?"

To Cut Deficits, It's Best To Pick Low-Lying Fruit - Investors.com

The Budget, NPR and Planned Parenthood

$38.5 billion in cuts is peanuts and meaningless. Dropping the funding for NPR and Planned Parenthood would have meant nothing for their budgets--rich donors would have stepped forward, but both Republicans and Democrats are eyeing a bigger battle down the road, and seem to want to save their ammunition.

Planned Parenthood’s Abortions Every 95 SECONDS: PP Spent $1M Electing Democrats

The real reason the Republicans caved on NPR and Planned Parenthood

But here's something you can defund on your own--The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation--it supports Planned Parenthood, even though abortion puts a woman more at risk for breast cancer. And using the "emergency contraception pill" increases it even more. KNOW YOUR CHARITY!

Update: Review & Outlook: Spending Cut Hokum - WSJ.com April 13 WSJ: It's not even $38.5! "A mini-revolt is brewing among Republican backbenchers on Capitol Hill now that the specific spending cuts in Friday's budget deal are being revealed. After separating out the accounting gimmicks and one-year savings, the actual cuts look to be closer to $20 billion than to the $38 billion that both sides advertised. This is not going to help Speaker John Boehner's credibility with the tea party."

Democrats rode the anti-war movement into office

and then jumped off the straw donkey. Here's a long scholarly paper to describe the goal of protesting the war in Iraq--to get Democrats elected.

"After January 2007 [Democratic Congress elected in 2006], the attendance at antiwar rallies dropped by an order of magnitude to roughly the tens of thousands, or thousands, through the end of 2008. Consistent with our environmental mechanism, the pending departure from office of President Bush and the prospect that the Democrats would nominate an antiwar candidate for President in Barack Obama, could have been perceived as a diminished threat to peace from the Republicans. After the election of Barack Obama as president, the order of magnitude of antiwar protests dropped again. Organizers were hard pressed to stage a rally with participation in the thousands, or even in the hundreds. For example, we counted exactly 107 participants at a Chicago rally on October 7, 2009. The threat to peace from the Obama Administration, as perceived by the grassroots constituency of the antiwar movement, must have been very small. The partisan dynamics of contention by Michael T. Heaney, of U. of Michigan who studies social movements and political parties

And of course, this was written before Obama's interference and rallying the rebels in Libya, which aroused no protest at all among Democrats. Looks like sincere pacifists (if there are any left), Communists and anarchists will just have to wait for another Republican to take office to stage a decent protest (unless we count Madison and Columbus).

Litter--whose problem?

This morning I was reading an Indianapolis Star blog and the writer said she'd been through 5 midwestern states, and Indiana got the prize for litter. That doesn't make me feel better about Columbus, nor its suburb, Upper Arlington. We recently returned from California, staying in Tustin, but visiting many towns in Orange County and along the coast and in the "valley." Maybe we joke about Californians being tree huggers, but I think they do take more pride in not just environment with a capital E, but in the immediate environment of their neighborhoods, business districts and freeways. Our side walk was installed in 2009 and I think the residents of the two houses at Millcreek and Kenny have not peeked over their hedges and bushes to the easement, because it's a mess. And it's not just winter trash. It's also dead leaves and weeds from 2009.

And Mayor Coleman of Columbus should be ashamed of the interchanges of major arteries in and out of Columbus' neighborhoods (I see mainly 315). How does he expect to attract new business or confidence in a well-run and safe city if it looks like a trash truck overturned every 2 or 3 blocks? The areas with safety fences and barricades are the worst--by the times the bushes bloom, the plastic bags, bottles and newspapers are almost impossible to reach. Someone needs to tackle them in March.

Yes, we walkers, joggers and strollers can take a trash bag with us, and drivers can stop throwing things out of car windows, but some of this just accumulates from blowing off construction sites and from trucks, or is debris left from storms and snow plows. It will take some commitment from our city administrations to keep things looking tidy and prosperous. Even if you are poor, you don't have to look it. Let's send a few over paid administrators out to the road side with a stick and bag to pick up the trash.

This is a volunteer in the Cleveland area in 2009. I wonder if he outsources?

Not as good as I expected

Here's another item I purchased at Marc's that sounds better than it really is--Psalms and Proverbs in the New Living Translation. The NLT is nice--I have a NT paperback that was used with a class, but sometimes you just shouldn't mess with a classic. For instance, in the RSV, Proverbs 21:5 "The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to want." And in the NLT, "Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity . . ." Just doesn't have the same feel. Or, "The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need." No, do not mess with success.

Although I wouldn't use the King James Version for a study Bible, it should be remembered it was developed to be read with an audience, since so many people didn't know how to read in the 17th century. It is the Bible that went around the world with the English Union Jack, and helped English become a world wide language. It's a Bible of beautiful sounds, as well as thought. RSV follows it closely in the Psalms and Proverbs. NIV, which I've been using for about 20 years, pretty much keeps the same rhythm although not always the same words.

The reader is Mike Kellogg, a radio host of Moody's Music Thru the Night. But my experience with any part of the Bible on record, tape, or CD is that it gets monotonous. I've always thought having different readers would be better for sustained listening.

But it was only $3 for 6 hours of audio, so you can't beat the price. A better deal than sandals that hurt my feet. It is nice kitchen listening when I'm preparing a meal or cleaning up.

Instruments of torture

My summer sandals are about 10 years old; attempts to replace them have failed, with the new ones tossed after a few wearings. Everyone is wearing foot thongs, and since I remember wearing them to class and remaining upright when I was in college, I thought I'd give them a try.

These Target thongs, called Winifred, were only $3.00 at Marc's so I thought, what would hurt if I bought them? My feet.

A refugee from Chinese Communism comments on where our country is going

This morning a woman born in China (now a U.S. citizen) told me her church group had volunteered at a local food pantry. We discussed our common concern--that because churches accept government money for their "good works," they can't give the "good news." Then I asked her if she ever saw any Chinese in the receiving line at the food pantry. "No," she said, "they are very independent and responsible. Depend on family, friends." Then she added with a sad face, "It's getting so confusing. Capitalism is thriving in China (she visits family there), and in the United States Communism is growing."

I wonder how many Americans under the age of 60 were taught in school that Maoists killed 70 million of their own people? Or that the one-child policy (forced abortions and infanticide of girls) is disrupting their whole society (not enough marriageable women; no aunts and uncles in families). In the 20th century, far more people were killed by their own government--either communist, national socialist, or dictator controlled--than in all the wars of that bloody century. If you go to the public library today and pick up a history reference book of the 20th century published in 2009 or 2010, you'll find little mention of the devastation that all forms of socialism have caused.

It's another topic (I've blogged about it), but the Communist enforced use of the Mandarin language has helped in the spread of the Gospel in China; now if we could just find a way for our own government not to help in the U.S.

Record breaking heat--for a day

Yesterday it was 85 in Columbus--broke a record for that date. Today it's 74 early a.m., but will cool this afternoon with the rain. After a week of warm weather in California--we are prepared! I went to the coffee shop this morning with no jacket!

I'm trying to work up to 2 miles a day on my daily walk--but so far, have only managed one, with some bicycle (indoor) time later in the day. The yards this time of year in Arlington are such a mess. My husband blames lack of winter clean up, but some of the homes I pass have had messy side yards since I started walking in the area when sidewalks were installed in 2009. If the home owner can't see it because of the bushes, it isn't cleaned up. Weeds, grass clippings, plastic bottles and bags--it shows a lack of respect for home ownership (maybe they are renters?) and the neighbors, as well as the environment. There are people in this world who think it's others responsibility, or they wear blinders when pulling out of the drive-way.

And the barking dogs? They look just plain lonely to me, whether it's the black lab behind the fence which gets the little yappy indoor dust-mop types going in the near-by houses, or the big old hounds, owners need to take those doggies out for a good run several times a day. Don't buy a little pup that will grow large if you don't intend to take care of its needs for exercise.

We found 2 golf balls on our evening walk yesterday. Our neighbor says she finds more in the spring than the fall, because the golfers are out of practice. We're going to pay for some clean up and repair--big time. The previous owner had a new sidewalk installed of some kind of slate or flagstone and all the mortor has deteriorated and the stone is chipping off in layers. This might be a good material for a warm climate, but not the freezing and thawing of our area where salt is put down periodically. About 5 years ago we had it repaired, but it will probably need to be ripped out and done over with a simple concrete walk, stamped with broadcast color. Also, the previous homeowner had the back patio landscaped, and it was over done, much is now overgrown or has died, so that will be about $500 to clean up and replant more modestly. Even in a condo, you are responsible for the areas nearest your home (about 20 ft.) so we actually have more plants than we had on Abington Rd. for 34 years.

I don't have a green thumb, and my husband reserves his energy for the lake house, so it will have to come out of retirement funds. Who knew we saved and sacrificed in our younger years so we could have a decent patio garden?

This walk used to look like this, but is now broken and cracked.

Enjoying the local scenes in Orange County, California

My husband's sister lives in Tustin, his brother in Huntington Beach; both communities are vibrant and thriving, but moreso matched up with blue skies, palm trees and interesting architecture. They are lovely to look at and we certainly didn't see the signs of economic woes and illegal populations we hear so much about on the news, although we know from discussions with relatives they are definitely there. Housing values have plumeted and work is scarce. On Thursday March 30 we visited Old Towne Orange, and Old Town Tustin, on Friday we visited Roger's Gardens and on Sunday we had brunch in Huntington Beach.

Our hosts, Debbie and John, shortly after our arrival. John is holding a tool for grilled hamburgers, which never tasted better after a long flight.

Here we are on the campus of Chapman University, a private university of 6,000 founded in 1861 (not at this location) in near-by Orange.

This shot was taken in Huntington Beach (we walked down to look at the beach which was packed with volley ball players) at our Sunday brunch with brother Rick and wife Kate and Debbie and John at the Black Bull Chop House after church at the Sound Chapel at 651 West Sunflower Ave in Santa Ana. John grew up in this area in the 1950s when it was agricultural and developing small businesses, so we had an experienced tour guide for "the way it used to be."

Here we are enjoying the sunshine and beauty of Roger's Garden--it would be a lovely place to visit any time, but with 2 inches of snow having fallen in Columbus after we left, it was like heaven for sun starved midwesterners.

The door opened at 9 a.m. and I think we were first in the parking lot. This is the entrance.

Many wonderful home and garden decor displays inside. But even the smallest, most locally significant items were "made in China."

In the midst of all the beautiful colors and sunlight, we paused for some shade in the original Disney bandstand, exemplifying all that is artificial, and yet now historical, about California.

There were entire rooms of outdoor living furniture--a bit out of our price range at almost $2,000 for the chair my husband is sitting in--taken all together, this setting would be the price of a small home in Columbus. So someone in California still has money to entertain!

The roses were so lovely I wished I'd learned how to use the settings on my camera. I'm pretty much a point and click photographer.

Hoarders on TLC

It's a bit like watching an accident. I usually clean up my desk or the kitchen after watching an episode. Today's (Hoarding: Buried alive) was about a couple in Columbus, Ohio. So I Googled the question, "do hoarders exist in third world countries," because it looked like some of these people have a serious affluence problem. And it was a Facebook question with people discussing animals who hoard and other odd behavior, so apparently you don't need to be affluent or have enough space to just go out and buy things. I've seen therapy on the show, but not many cures--it certainly breaks up families. Stuff is more important, so of course, the family or friends feel diminished. The adult children of the Columbus woman said they had a picture perfect childhood and a clean home when they were growing up. They won't visit now.

I see that TLC also has extreme couponing videos, but I'm the Columbus Anti-Coupon Queen, and I would hate to lose my title, so I don't watch.

Fiscal Year 2012 Budget from the House Committee

Let's hear it for Representative Paul Ryan who takes us on the Path to Prosperity. ". . . it cuts $6.2 trillion in spending from the president's budget over the next 10 years, reduces the debt as a percentage of the economy, and puts the nation on a path to actually pay off our national debt. Our proposal brings federal spending to below 20% of gross domestic product (GDP), consistent with the postwar average, and reduces deficits by $4.4 trillion." (WSJ, April 5, 2011)

I don't think they'll get these cuts--no guts no glory, it's the same old story. Too bad the Republicans only get fiscally responsible when the other guy's in office.

"The current path – which the President’s irresponsible budget commits us to – will result in a debt-fueled economic crisis, the shredding of the safety net, and a diminished future. Americans deserve better than empty promises from a government going broke. The budget advanced by the House Budget Committee ensures real security through real reform. The House Budget Committee’s FY2012 Budget Resolution helps spur job creation today, stops spending money the government doesn’t have, and lifts the crushing burden of debt. This plan puts the budget on the path to balance and the economy on the path to prosperity."Fiscal Year 2012 Budget | Committee On The Budget

Tiger didn't have a good day today

In Augusta. At the Master's. Good.

There is one Jewish state in the world

And there are over 60 Islamic or Arab states. So please. Don't give me that nonsense about you not being anti-Jewish, or that antisemitism isn't on the rise among the Democrats.

Democracy can be a messy business

I Googled that line to see if I could get the full text of the Badger State Bungle story that appeared in the WSJ today, and "Democracy can be a messy business" turned up 109,000 matches. My, is it that messy? I mean worse than National Socialism, Communism, or Anarchy, or any of those other systems being demonstrated at our state capitals in Wisconsin and Ohio by union members?

"Democracy can be a messy business, but it shouldn't be as big a mess at it's been this week in Wisconsin. A nail-biter of a state supreme court election turned into a political uproar on Thursday with the discovery of 14,000 previously overlooked votes in conservative-leaning Waukesha County. The new totals gave incumbent Justice David Prosser a lead of some 7,500 votes over challenger and union favorite JoAnne Kloppenburg and guaranteed weeks if not months of more political heartburn. Democrats pounced on the new totals, claiming the error must be evidence of partisanship, and state assembly minority leader Peter Barca suggested that Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus's long-time Republican affiliation made the incident "troubling." He's right on competence grounds, though perhaps not on the partisanship. One of Ms. Nickolaus's Democratic colleague attests that overlooking all of the votes in Brookfield, a Milwaukee suburb, was a computer mistake, not a fraud, and that the vote count is accurate."

The original WSJ article is locked, but can be found here.

Air Travel isn't what it used to be

Some things are better; most worse. We flew out of Columbus on March 30 at 6:05 a.m., to change planes in Houston and land in Santa Ana about 11 a.m. However, before we left the gate in Columbus, a passenger became ill, the plane returned, and an ambulence came and EMTs took him off the plane. Then we had to wait for more fuel because the pilot planned to make up the time. So we landed in Houston only 5 minutes late, but it sure was a bumpy ride!

Bush (Houston) is a huge airport and we were really hoofing it to make our connection, so we asked a driver of a transportation cart for directions. She explained the walk-way, and then took a good look at us, and offered to drive us to our gate, which meant back tracking because the cart didn't do stairs. Along the way she picked up several other passengers and detoured to their gates, always assuring us we'd get to ours with a few minutes to catch our breath, and we did--while whizzing through the airport at ground speed limits hanging on as we went around corners and other passengers.

Airlines now charge extra for just about everything--not that those things weren't covered in your ticket price before, but if you can't raise ticket charges, then they charge for the air you breathe. We each took a carry-on and checked one larger bag through ($25). What some people call "carry-on" amazes me--like the size of a fat golfing bag, then a back-pack is called the personal bag (no charge) and an overloaded duffle is called a purse or computer bag (no charge).

Airline food was never terrific, but it helped pass the miles. It is no more. Now you can order from a menu and pay (credit card only), which is more fiction than fact. We decided to split a lovely sandwich after leaving Houston--since it was nearing our lunch time, but the attendant had no choices, plus she said they only had four of the non-choice for the entire plane! The grilled hamburgers at our relatives' beautiful backyard in Tustin never tasted so good!

Beautiful, young stewardesses with engaging smiles and personalities also don't exist any more. Flight attendants are either burly males, or over-fifty, tired, cranky females whose feet hurt. No more smashing uniforms either. On our return flight the emergency instructions were read by a woman who either had forgotten her glasses, didn't know how to read, or she was hung over. It was almost comical, although not confidence building.

Airport attire is very casual--I converted to athletic shoes and new, light weight sweat pants for the trip, something I almost never wear outside exercise class. I saw well dressed foreigners, however, and some business men in suits and dress shoes. One woman looked like she had painted on her faded jeans and was wobbling through on 4" wedge heels, looking a bit like a call girl, but I suppose it was fashionalbe (not sure what part of town, though). One couple on our return plane on April 7 had a baby, a toddler, and a dog, with all the necessary equipment. The dog was quieter than the children, but really, considering how difficult it is to explain to a child or a dog why their ears are hurting, all five did very well.

E-tickets are a bit confusing for those of us who don't fly much. No more nice little folders for the tickets, which are now thin paper and not card stock. Little bar code type thingies on paper, scanners, no eye contact. But I saw wonderful assistance and treatment for the disabled and people with small children. Wonderful too, to have smoke free airports and airplanes. Remember how awful that recirculated blue smoke was staying with you long after the trip just a few years back?

If this teacher had been a Republican. . .

This gal is probably too dangerous to be around children, but I'm sure there will be no jail time, because she only threatened Republicans. Now if she's been a Tea Party member and sent threats to Democrats, well, even President Obama would have been in on the sentencing.

http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/03/breaking-wi-teacher-charged-with-sending-death-threats-to-gop-lawmakers/

She really sounds unstable--says "please" to people whose children she is threatening to kill. Folks, this is what union thugs sound like. Want to join them? Want them representing you?

"Please put your things in order because you will be killed and your families will be killed…So, this is how it’s going to happen: I as well as many others know where you and your family live, it’s a matter of public records. We have all planned to assault you by arriving at your house and putting a nice little bullet in your head. However, we decided that we wouldn’t leave it there. We also have decided that this may not be enough to send the message to you. So we have also built several bombs that we have placed in various locations around the areas in which we know that you frequent. This includes your house, your car, the state capitol, and well I won’t tell you all of them because that’s just no fun. Since we know that you are not smart enough to figure out why this is happening to you we have decided to make it perfectly clear to you."

Dane County Wisconsin charges

President Obama laughs off consumers' concern about high gasoline prices

Because he's a socialist/environmentalist, Obama is thrilled with the high gas prices--he's so naive that he thinks everyone can just run out an buy a hybrid--also ignores that the taxes will necessarily go up for those folks since gasoline taxes support highways, and if you buy less the difference has to be made up somehwere. Even talking to a friendly crowd, he sounds terribly out of touch. Food prices are soaring, and we noticed in California people were paying $4.15/gal for gasoline with no end in sight. We saw windmills in the mountains, but that won't cut it. Obama says we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Well, sir, guess why we're dependent. Because of pressure from environmentalists not to use our own oil. Duh! It's our own government stabbing us in the back, and this predates Obama's administratiion by many years.

President Obama Blames You for High Gas Prices | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.


"Let them eat hybrid Cake" comments from Obama

Our 2011 California vacation

We're home from California--our flight arrived in Columbus 45 minutes early and our daughter picked us up at the airport. Our sister and brother-in-law treated us to a fabulous week, and we had a wonderful time sight-seeing, enjoying a week of gorgeous weather, and spending lots of quality family time. My husband and his sister did not grow up in the same household (divorce and remarriage), but as adults they've reconnected and are great friends. He walked her down the aisle in 2006 and we really love her husband too.

Just a brief overview before I download and sort through the photos (although glancing through them it looks like we did nothing but eat).

March 30--After arriving we enjoyed hamburgers on the grill and toured Old Towne Orange and Old Town Tustin, and Chapman University

March 31--Toured Roger's Gardens; visited Dana Point, walked on the beach and enjoyed the company of many others who also looked retired; ate at Jolly Roger; drove through Capistrano; attended a neighborhood Bible Study.

April 1--Started out early for Reagan Museum and Library, stopping in Tarzana for breakfast at "The Little Cafe." Lots of school busses and tours at the Reagan--gorgeous scenery. Wine tasting event at Malibu Wines; bought carry out at Trader Joes. Spent the night at a near-by Homewood Suites hotel so we could visit with family in the area. Lovely accomodations, pool, great breakfast, and lots of fun visiting with nieces, great-nephew and nephew-in-law.

April 2--Breakfast at Paradise Cove on the beach with niece's family, then in the afternoon watched our great-nephew Justin's baseball game in Calabasa.

April 3--Attended church at Sound Chapel, a Foursquare church, a warm and lovely congregation with contemporary music, with brother-in-law, and then met my husband's brother and wife at Black Bull Chop Housein Huntington Beach for buffet lunch, later stopping by the Elks club where he is active.

April 4--Drove to Palm Springs about 8:30 where my husband's brother has 2 condos at Ramon Estados--just a delightful place (both for sale, if you are interested), and we enjoyed the mountains and views and walking around. Visited the Air Museum and Library. Ate Italian for dinner--Nicolino's near by. Walked through some lovely shopping areas.

April 5--My husband's sister fixed a fabulous breakfast of ham and eggs and fresh fruit for the birthday boy, we enjoyed some walking while the air was still cool, then drove around and looked at some sights, including Bob Hope's home (from a far distance). Home to Tustin--did some shopping, grilled hamburgers.

April 6--After breakfast drove to Laguna Beach and wandered through the little shops and galleries, bought some souvenirs, and ate at The Cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a bit overcast, but hey, the Pacific Ocean was there for sound and atmosphere, with gulls and pelicans flying in formation overhead.

April 7--Up at 4 a.m.--at John Wayne Airport by 5 a.m. for a smooth flight home.

SPRING BREAK

Mansfield school chief pulls plug on 'anti-Islamic' tea party event

Imagine. Our last four Presidents can involve us in wars against a variety of groups of Muslims, but a little old Tea Party group in central Ohio can't even invite a speaker to discuss radical Islam without getting their event cancelled. Odd, isn't it? Who wants to keep the American public uninformed?

"A Mansfield North Central Ohio Tea Party Association event featuring a speaker on radical Islam will go on at 7 p.m. today [March 28, 2011] as planned, but in a different location. Usama Dakdok will speak at Premier Office Complex, 1456 Park Avenue West, Suite J. Attendees are advised to bring lawn chairs. The group had planned to meet at its usual location at the high school until this morning, when Mansfield City Schools Superintendent Dan Freund, citing safety concerns, withdrew permission for the group to meet there."

Or is it the Tea Party people are afraid of, and not radical Muslims?

Mansfield school chief pulls plug on 'anti-Islamic' tea party event | Mansfield News Journal | mansfieldnewsjournal.com

Obama’s ’transparency’ --NOT

The Obama administration is the least transparent of any in history according to the Associated Press--hardly a right wing fanatic. But then, are people even surprised at this? It was a campaign promise thrown out to his gullible supporters.

AP exposes Obama’s ’transparency’ lie - Denver Libertarian | Examiner.com

Virginia's governor supports Governor Walker of Wisconsin

HT Bob Kirchman, a Virginia blogger, Christian and conservative. Also a great photographer. Check out his web site.

Size still matters

Obama's not a great coalition builder like our previous 3 presidents--probably because he's never run anything before. He thinks it's all about him. Attack first, then work the phones and try to get support. Not the way it's been done in the past. Might have helped to check with our Congress, too--support at home never hurts.

Thirty two nations in Desert Storm and Desert Shield (1991 GHW Bush); 34 nations involved in the Bosnia mission (1995 Clinton); 19 in Kosovo mission (1999 Clinton); 49 in Afghanistan Enduring Freedom (2002 GW Bush); 40 nations in Iraq (2003 GW Bush ); and only 15 in Libya Odyssey Dawn. Maybe he shouldn’t have rushed off to Brazil to give away drilling rights so we'd have to continue buying foreign oil. It's possible other national leaders have noticed, as we have, that he dithers, dawdles and heads for the golf course when a problem arises.

Why Obama’s Libya war coalition is the smallest in decades | The Cable

Is the Federal Reserve System part of the U.S. Government?

". . . the Fed is more accurately seen as a private, not a governmental institution, though with substantial governmental ties.

The ambiguity arises from a combination of misleading appearances; the fact that our President appoints (with consent of the Senate) the Chairman of the Fed to four year terms, and the 5 member Board in Washington to 14 year terms; the fact that the Fed is supposed to promote governmental fiscal policy; and the fact that the system was originally set up in law by Congress in 1913 and can be altered, nationalized or even dismantled by Congress.

. . .most Americans would be surprised to learn that almost all of what we use for money is not issued by our government, but by private banks. They have been “allowed” to form erroneous assumptions about our money and banking system that are far from reality and that serves to shield from closer scrutiny, whether the Fed is truly operating in the public interest or advancing more private agendas, either on purpose or by default.

Is the Federal Reserve System part of the U.S. Government? | Ron Paul 2012 | Sound Money, Peace and Liberty

Still think it is part of the government? Which branch--it's not Executive, Legislative, Judicial or Military; its expenses (extremely high) are not in the budget; its employees are not civil service; it is not supervised or overseen by any government agency; it has never been audited although it controls everything about our monetary system. The Federal Reserve Act describes what it can do, but not what it is. Each Federal Reserve Bank is a separate corporation owned by commercial banks in its region--does that sound like the federal government? A department owned by commercial banks?

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM - GLEE or Red Meat for my troll

Who was the creator of Nip/Tuck? Ryan Murphy.

What other immensely popular show did he create?

Glee.

The similarities between the two shows are not exactly hard to see. Emmy winning, groundbreaking and more popular than any other show Murphy has created, Glee is a massive hit. It’s also a show with much more heart and soul than Nip/Tuck and occasionally rises to incredible highs the likes of which other comedies could only dream of.

Unfortunately, it can also be unbelievably frustrating, saccharine, cynical and unwatchable. Sometimes, those highs and lows can occur in the space of an episode.

Box Seat: CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM - GLEE

Spooky Dude Soros plans Event to Remake Global Economy

And guess who will come out on top? Soros, of course, the man with no guilt.

"The event is bringing together "more than 200 academic, business and government policy thought leaders' to repeat the famed 1944 Bretton Woods gathering that helped create the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Soros wants a new 'multilateral system," or an economic system where America isn't so dominant. More than two-thirds of the slated speakers have direct ties to Soros. The billionaire who thinks "the main enemy of the open society, I believe, is no longer the communist but the capitalist threat" is taking no chances. Thus far, this global gathering has generated less publicity than a spelling bee. And that's with at least four journalists on the speakers list, including a managing editor for the Financial Times and editors for both Reuters and The Times. Given Soros's warnings of what might happen without an agreement, this should be a big deal. . .

Speakers include chairman of President Obama's Economic Advisory Board, Paul Volcker (former head of the Fed); director of The Earth Institute and longtime recipient of Soros charity cash, Jeffrey Sachs; Soros friend Joseph E. Stiglitz (World Bank);INET Executive Director Rob Johnson (Soros funded and founded).

Unreported Soros Event Aims to Remake Entire Global Economy

In comparison, the Koch Brothers don't have enough money to shine Soros' shoes, but the left loves to trot them out as funding all sorts of nefarious events and causes on the right. It must tough to live in Soros' brain or hide, a Hungarian Jew who collaborated with the Nazis, and a capitalist funding communist causes--he's already said he has no guilt--probably because he has no conscience.

NATO deal on Libya doesn't mean quick exit for US - Yahoo! News

Well now, isn't this a shocker (not)! Also not a shock, but still a surprise, is that more Republicans than Democrats supported Obama's bellicose behavior. A surprise because he's basically yellow, doesn't believe in a government of freedom and democracy, so why follow him into battle if we just get another Muslim dictator? This morning driving in the dark, I saw a tiny mouse skiddaddling across the road from one drain to another right in my headlights. First thing I thought of after I braked, was the Republicans.

AP report via Yahoo News. WASHINGTON – NATO's limited role in command of the no-fly zone over Libya doesn't allow the U.S. to make a quick exit from the costly military operation as the Obama administration had wanted.

CREDO study on charter schools funded by liberal Joyce Foundation

The Joyce Foundation funded in part the study on the successes and failures of [public?] charter schools, CREDO national charter school study [alert: this is one of the most visually boring websites you'll find on the internet--Stanford needs a new web designer] The Joyce Foundation in its causes and in its directors is left wing, with Barack Obama and Valerie Jarrett members of its board of directors.

The 2009 CREDO report, “Multiple Choice: Charter School Performance in 16 States,” “recognized a robust national demand for more charter schools from parents and local communities, it found that 17 percent of charter schools reported academic gains that were significantly better than traditional public schools, while 37 percent of charter schools showed gains that were worse than their traditional public school counterparts, with 46 percent of charter schools demonstrating no significant difference.”

The full report plus supplements since the 2009 issue, includes those states like Indiana and California where charter school students did better than those in traditional classrooms, but also those in Ohio who did worse. (This could mean that Ohio's public schools were better at the starting gate than Indiana's or California's.) With 46% demonstrating no difference and 17% better, that’s at least 63% positive--at least they didn't loose ground. And then there’s the unmeasurables--parental involvement, safety, bullying, behavior, spiritual and moral guidance, special focus (art, music, math, sports) etc. . . . some things aren't measured in test scores. Also, I don't know of a way to account for the "head start" that traditional public schools have over the charters--public or private--nor how to account for the positive affect of competition on the public schools.

It will be interesting to see how the report is used by the various sides, including the unions, within the school system to woo the parents. Also it looks to me like Ohio charters ought to visit Indiana to see what's happening.

At least the President knows how to dress

Tuesday night I served supper at the homeless shelter. The women there were better dressed than the first family women who seemed to be making a fashion statement, but in translation it just came off sloppy and messy.

Geraldine Ferraro dead at 75

A great lady--I enjoyed her appearances and viewpoints as a Fox commentator. Her last TV appearance on Fox was with Sarah Palin after the November election. The only two top ticket females in our history--together--watch the video. They were both very gracious.

The Federal Reserve

A friend at the coffee shop alerted me that Glenn Beck would be covering the Federal Reserve on his program tonight. So I guess that means we'll be late for our Friday night date. Even if you can't stand him, this would be a good thing for you to know. The Federal Reserve is not a government agency, but a private for profit bank. The Federal government only recommends the chairman--and that's Ben Bernanke, who seems to have more power than Barack Obama and also served "under" George W. Bush.

"On Friday 2011 March 25, the entire Glenn Beck show will be devoted to an exposé of the Federal Reserve. I was invited to be a guest on the program and, when it was taped last Tuesday, I was amazed to find that Beck, not only has read the book but praised it highly. In fact, almost his entire opening monologue was based on the information and, in some cases, the very same phrases used in the book and in my lectures. I was delighted to know that someone, either Beck or his researchers, had spent a great deal of time studying The Creature from Jekyll Island. But what is even more encouraging is that several million viewers will be exposed to an hour of economic and monetary truth. This will bring us a giant step closer to actually slaying the Creature." G. Edward Griffin

Thanks, but no thanks

This came today. "As your family tree grows, you need software that will grow with it. In Family Tree Maker 2011 you'll find the features and tools you need to define complex relationships, organize your family history and design beautiful family trees and posters." I am so, so sorry I ever upgraded to 2008. The 6th ed. of Broderbund (1999) was wonderful, and I really miss its flexibility which apparently was turned in for more splashy graphics capability.

On the Ancestry.com site there is an explanation dated 2002 about when the software was sold to Riverdeep, so it's been passed around, like a cheap date, but in my opinion, many of the useful features have been lost.

"Broderbund produced Family Tree Maker for several years. Late in 1999, Broderbund’s owners at that time, Mattel, decided to spin off the genealogy software division to create an independent company called Genealogy.com which, in turn, was later acquired by A&E Television Networks early in 2001 (see my article for details). As part of the Mattel spin-off, Genealogy.com does all software development and also sells the software via the Web and by mail order. Broderbund retained exclusive rights to sell Family Tree Maker in retail stores, such as at Costco, CompUSA, etc.

The relationship apparently does not change with the new owners: Genealogy.com will continue to develop the software and sell it via direct sales channels while Riverdeep will sell it into retail outlets."

George W. Bush thought he was helping the Iraqi people (and he did)

In Afganistan, Bush freed more women than Lincoln did slaves--but did you hear any applause from NOW?

But that didn't carry any weight with his detractors, the howling Democrats, even the ones like Ms. Clinton, Kerry and Edwards who warned us about WMD. But especially Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden were critical of Bush's motives of wanting democracy for Iraqis. Now with calls to return that ridiculous Nobel award for peace (when he hadn't done anything), Obama denies the conflictin a CNN interview,

He says the United States is involved in attacking Libya to help the Libyans. “I think the American people don’t see any contradiction in somebody who cares about peace also wanting to make sure that people aren’t butchered because of a dictator who wants to cling to power,” he said.

Both Obama and Bush have misjudged these people--they definitely aren't ready for western style freedoms, particularly where women are concerned.

Samantha Power, the power behind the Gaddafi strike?

They are the glam couple of the Obama Administration--and I don't mean Michelle and Barack. Cass and Samantha (and baby makes three). He left his main squeeze (Martha Nussbaum) in Chicago for the Harvard Professor (much, much younger than his "partner" Martha) he met in the Obama campaign in 2008.

"Most of the commentary on Libya has focused on the tension between Obama’s apparent desire to displace Qaddafi and his reluctance to admit to it. But the chief reason for this intervention is the one that’s staring us in the face. Obama dithered when it was simply a matter of replacing Qaddafi, yet quickly acted when slaughter in Benghazi became the issue. What Samantha Power and her supporters want is to solidify the principle of “responsibility to protect” in international law. That requires a “pure” case of intervention on humanitarian grounds. Power’s agenda would explain why Obama acted when he acted, and why the public rationale for action has not included regime change.

Yet Obama has so far been reluctant to fully explain any of this to either Congress or the American public, perhaps because he realizes that the ideological basis of his actions would not be popular if openly admitted. If Obama were a different sort of president, we would have all heard about “responsibility to protect” long ago. The country would have thoroughly debated Power’s ideas, and the public would have quickly recognized the core motives of the president’s actions in Libya."

President Reticent - By Stanley Kurtz - The Corner - National Review Online

Mrs. Sunstein is very anti-Israel. I wonder if he is?

Samantha Power Sunstein's ties to George Soros who funds her Responsibility to Protect organization.

3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil Assessed in North Dakota and Montana’s Bakken Formation—25 Times More Than 1995 Estimate—USGS

This report by the US Geological Survey is from April 2008, but the oil hasn't gone away. It came through on an e-mail, so I decided to take a look--and yes, the report is at the U.S.G.S. web page.

"North Dakota and Montana have an estimated 3.0 to 4.3 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil in an area known as the Bakken Formation.

A U.S. Geological Survey assessment, released April 10, shows a 25-fold increase in the amount of oil that can be recovered compared to the agency's 1995 estimate of 151 million barrels of oil."

USGS Release: 3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil Assessed in North Dakota and Montana’s Bakken Formation—25 Times More Than 1995 Estimate— (4/10/2008 2:25:36 PM)

It really is strange that U.S. environmentalists have such a stranglehold on leaders of both parties, because the shutting down of our energy supplies and regulating it out of business, certainly isn't unique to this administration. It forces us to buy foreign supplies--where we have no control over the environmental conditions--involves us in foreign wars with Muslims, and sends our President to Brazil to offer them to drill where he says we can't. It would seem that the long term goal is to destroy both the U.S. and the environment, so obviously they are not interested in "Mother Earth."

However, depending on which version of the e-mail you get, the number of barrels keeps expanding as it is passed along (as does our use for oil), so it's best to go to the website to read the article. And new sources are being found all the time. What doesn't expand is our government's willingness to pursue it. We just pay others to pollute.

Detroit's Liberal Nightmare

"What happens when a city buys the liberal dream hook, line and sinker? Just take a look at the City of Detroit. The once-great city lost 237,493 residents over the last decade according to the 2010 Census, bringing it to 713,777 – a population plunge of 25%. That's its lowest population since 1910, and it marks the city's fall from a 1950s peak of two million, over 60%. And that’s just the people who can afford to leave."

Detroit's Liberal Nightmare | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

Other articles by Mike Brownfield

And look at what Hiroshima, which we destroyed in 1945, was able to accomplish by embracing the free markets in about the same period of time, compared to Detroit which took the "easy" progressive road. And now Obama and the Democrats want that for the whole nation. Looks like they will get it too, with the help of the union thugs, socialists and Muslims mixing it up in Madison and Columbus.

Glenn Reynolds law: "The government decides to try to increase the middle class by subsidizing things that middle class people have: If middle-class people go to college and own homes, then surely if more people go to college and own homes, we’ll have more middle-class people. But homeownership and college aren’t causes of middle-class status, they’re markers for possessing the kinds of traits — self-discipline, the ability to defer gratification, etc. — that let you enter, and stay, in the middle class. Subsidizing the markers doesn’t produce the traits; if anything, it undermines them." via Belmont Club

Or maybe it was Union greed?

RealClearMarkets - Who, or What, Killed Detroit? Union Greed

Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey

Could two of the wealthiest Americans, neither of whom finished college and began working at their current career when very young--one black, one white, one female, the other male--have ever made it with the advice, encouragement and assistance of the Office of Financial Empowerment of New York City. OK--that's probably not fair. Could anyone, who is never reminded to get a job, or to save and invest, or to plan for retirement, or to even pay their bills on time, have even climbed out of poverty with the help of the Office of Financial Empowerment? If you liberals are advocating closing the gap between rich and poor, maybe you should look at the agencies that keep people poor?

I glanced through the on-line dictionary. Phishing and payday loan were defined, but not paycheck or salary. It does no good to build on a weak foundation.

Jon Stewart gets it once in awhile

The Daily Show - Odyssey Dawn - Unconstitutional War
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Now who could be in charge of this mess in Libya?

Westerncanadian says: "Besides America, there are competent fighting men and women in Britain, France, Canada and Poland. How they must cringe with embarrassment at being involved in this comedy of errors.

Apart from the Tent Flap Wiper (Khadafi), the villain of this piece must be whomever convinced the gang to go into this with no clear objective, no command structure, no timetable and no laundry ticket.

It has to be someone who has never run a project that did more than talk about things; has never run a private business where your own house is the collateral for the bank and a bunch of families depend on the business; has never taken success or fail decisions on the ground, alone; and who thinks that he is a genius Messiah, unaccountable and blameless simply because he exists. Someone who upon hearing “two fish in a tank; one says ‘ I’ll drive, you man the guns”, would think it was some kind of fishy military training.

Now who could that be? The Sopranos of Europe aside, we keep coming back to the same World Class Ninny. This is getting downright depressing."

http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2011/03/22/laundering-a-war/#comment-150471

Obama squanders America's legacy

Obama the internationalist--and not even a very good one, at that.

"How painfully and awkwardly Mr. Obama steps forward and timidly flexes the mighty sword that was bequeathed to him. Even his most uninspired and uninspiring predecessors at least understood they had inherited an American legacy that was the gleaming beacon of freedom and humanity around the globe."

HURT: Obama squanders America's legacy - Washington Times

Union boss goes off at meeting, prison guards say - Washington Times

They thought it was a Charlie Sheen moment when the union boss exploded when questioned about tactics and benefits of membership.

Union boss goes off at meeting, prison guards say - Washington Times

Over 6,000 hits and chocolate too

I've been blogging since October 2003--not sure how many posts--the count says 8,829 Posts (just for this blog), but I have deleted quite a few. I've maxed out labels at 5,000 and occasionally go in and delete some old ones used only once so I can add something more current.

Blogger dot com has a new (to me) stats feature, and today I looked at it and discovered that just three posts account for over 6,000 hits to my blog (which right now has about 410,000). These are the guys and dolls paper dolls (have no idea why this is so popular, but guy paper dolls must be fairly rare); the Morganthau quote post on the failures of FDR's Great Despression programs; and finally, the HGTV show on Tony, the Chinese-Vietnamese immigrant millionaire moving to Los Angeles. A very distant fourth, I'm happy to say, is the page that lists my poetry. And then there's the sock puppet or troll that likes to visit under various names and argue with me about my religion and values, the latest being at the one and only post I did on Glee, and I was quoting someone else's blog. Hate to scare away a "valuable" stat, but she needs to get a life.

I gave up Facebook for Lent--call it a Facebook Fast. It's much easier than blogging and therefore a bigger time waster. My neighbor Jerry gave up chocolate for Lent. He had to go home to walk his dog today, so I had his lunch on our tour. Fabulous chocolate dessert--so rich I couldn't finish it. Thank you, Jerry. You can post on Facebook for me, since I ate your lunch.

Freedom of speech in the country that owns our debt

And don't you dare quote Shakespeare!

China Phone Censorship | China Dropped Call | Protest | Mediaite

Housing's Meltdown Continues - Seeking Alpha

It grieves me to see how much the building professions, especially architecture with which I'm most familiar, are as bound to the government largesse as much as any public employee union or academe. Some get it, some don't. Here's one who does, and it mirrors the gloomy discussions my husband heard recently at continuing education event.

"Dousing the markets with easy money, containing toxic “assets” through the suspension of “mark-to-market” accounting, propping up besieged mortgage security markets, rescuing “underwater” households, securing the foundations of teetering financial institutions through direct-inject recapitalization … try as they might, the Feds were unable to prevent the continued meltdown of the nation’s housing markets. It’s a sad day for those policy junkies who believe that government meddling is the solution to all the “evils” that nature stirs up."

Read the rest here. Housing's Meltdown Continues - Seeking Alpha

One World Government Obama

"Where did Mr. Obama get the authority to commit United States forces to war in Libya? There was no declaration of war. There was no authorizing resolution by Congress allowing money to be spent on a war against Col. Gaddafi. As far as I know, there was no meeting of Mr. Obama and top leaders of Congress to discuss the subject in even rough form, let alone detail. There was no lengthy buildup in which the Congress was "allowed" to express the people's opinion on whether we want to be in a third concurrent war."

The American Spectator : One World Government Obama

All this does is weaken the United States so that enemies from within can take us down even further. So, for Obama, this makes perfect sense. It's a two-fer. He gets to act like be the despot he is by ignoring Congress, while making it even harder to get us out of Afghanistan and Iraq, so he can point more fingers at Bush and say, "he did it."

Interesting perspective on the size of Japan

Today I'm finally reshelving the books on the newly painted bookshelves. I came across a title I'd forgotten--I don't think it is a family book. I may have picked it up at a yard sale. "New World Horizons; geography for the air age," edited by Chester H. Lawrence, Maps by Ray Ramsey. (New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1942).

The foreward notes that since the United States entered a global war (in those days everyone knew which war you were discussing) they had struggled a bit with geography."Mandalay, Java, Egypt, Archangel, Hawaii, and countless other names have been stripped of their veils of romance and glamor, and stand revealed as geographical realities possessing vital and strategic importance. Screaming newspaper headlines and verbose radio commentators have made the man in the street aware of the existence of these major centers of world conflict. . . " P. 9

This then was a geography for the millions, not the school child. The map of Japan gives me a much better idea of why life is going on as usual in some parts of Japan, while others suffer terribly. From north to south, it is the distance from Labrador in Canada to the southernmost point of Mexico, and east to west, the distrance from New York to Omaha, a sea area of millions of square miles.

And mine has a very good, in tact dust cover, so I figure it's worth about $25.00. The paper is in very good condition--and just about as old as I am.

"If the belief that the Western Hemisphere is safe from military attack is illusionary, so is the theory that it is economically self-sufficient." p. 28

And then sadly: "The United States got a greater fortune from nature than any other country of the world. It has forty percent of the known supply of coal. It pipes two-thirds of the world's oil. Iron is abundant, and furthermore, much of it is close to the surface where it can be mined easily. It has more zinc and lead than any other country . . ." p. 34. Of course, we don't have much dysprosium, gadolinium, and praseodymium--the rare earth elements for computers, cell phones and green technology--and we've regulated our own industries to death. Now China has what we need, sold for a dear price. Thank you, environmentalists.

A subtle way to support the unions

My local library, Upper Arlington Public Library, does have a number of copies of the movie/video "Waiting for Superman," however, there are 63 on the waiting list for the DVD and 21 for the Blue Ray.

Waiting for ‘Superman’, director Davis Guggenheim’s blockbuster 2010 documentary film about American schooling, concludes in dramatic fashion with the camera panning the anxious faces of students and their parents. The families, wrought with emotion, are awaiting the results of a lottery that will decide whether they receive a coveted place at a public charter school. When the results are announced the lottery winners—charter schools have more applicants than places available—are overjoyed. Those who lose are devastated." Charter Schools and Government Pensions

Money matters in foreplay

"John J. Sweeney, longtime labor leader and president emeritus of the AFL-CIO, on February 15 became a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside such luminaries as poet Maya Angelou and former president George H.W. Bush. That Sweeney would receive any medal with the word “freedom” in the title, let alone the nation’s highest civilian honor, is laughable, considering that he is a leader of a labor movement that has championed legislation restricting freedoms, like Obamacare and card check. But then, back in the 2008 presidential campaign the AFL-CIO endorsed Obama and pledged to deploy $53.4 million to secure his election. That’ll buy you a “Medal of Freedom.” " Capital Research Center, Labor Notes, March 2011