Obama poor-mouths poorly

Barack Obama continued his 2012 presidential campaign first by complaining that Ryan's plan is "radical," and then by presenting himself to the Facebook audience as a poor boy who'd come up through the welfare system. Some how, even though Bush ran up the bill for social programs higher than anyone before it went through the roof with Obama, he's still trying to needle Republicans for being stingy with the poor.

And poor? That's odd. He lived with his grandparents, and his grandmother was a vice president of a bank in Hawaii. As a child in Hawaii he attended a private school. That his grandparents got social security and Medicare later in life, means they worked for living. If you don't work, you get different perks. His Muslim step-father, Lolo Soetero, went on to become an oil executive, although the family lived modestly when chubby little Barry lived in Indonesia.

His mother, he said to this audience of entrepreneurs and non-government employees, while getting her PhD briefly got food stamps (was this in his autobiography?). Why didn't she ask her own parents for money if she was short a little cash for a month or so? I did--then paid it back. Maybe transferring the wealth is considered acceptable in that family even if you don't need it? And Obama wasn't living with her then anyway. Lots of people are eligible for food stamps (now called SNAP) who never apply--the threshold is probably not far from what many students regularly live on and manage.

So he got scholarships for college? Just about everyone does. What does that have to do with Paul Ryan's proposal to cut government spending? And by the way, if he got scholarships, does that mean we will eventually see his school records, because those records are really scarce.

On the other hand, R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. thinks Obama is giving Paul Ryan name recognition, something he really needs to be a presidential contender.

Last week when Obama asked Budget Committee Chairman Ryan to attend his "fiscal policy" speech, he put Ryan in the front row. There he astonished Ryan by exposing him one of the most partisanly abusive speeches I have ever heard from a president. He accused Ryan of being "un-American," among other enormities. Ryan was expecting some sort of "olive branch" to be extended to him. It would be, he thought, the start of serious negotiations between the two men. Instead he was put on display as the archenemy of all New Deal, New Frontier and Great Society programs -- as "un-American." Ryan was surprised, as he told Mark Levin on Levin's radio show.

The American Spectator : The Man Who Made Paul Ryan Famous

Ohio among top 15 for favorable tax climate for small business

I’m surprised that Ohio is #9 -- it doesn’t feel like we’re a good state to draw business, but then there are 18 measures, some of which I don’t know much about.

The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council’s (SBE Council’s) “Business Tax Index 2011” ranks the states from best to worst in terms of the costs of their tax systems on entrepreneurship and small business. The Index pulls together 18 different tax measures, and combines those into one tax score that allows the 50 states and District of Columbia to be compared and ranked.

The 15 best state tax systems are: 1) South Dakota, 2) Texas, 3) Nevada, 4) Wyoming, 5) Washington, 6) Florida, 7) Alabama, 8) Alaska, 9) Ohio, 10) Colorado, 11) South Carolina, 12) Mississippi, 13) Oklahoma, 14) Virginia, and 15) Missouri.

The 15 worst state tax systems are: 37) Illinois, 38) North Carolina, 39) Nebraska, 40) Connecticut, 41) Oregon, 42) Rhode Island, 43) Hawaii, 44) Vermont, 45) California, 46) Maine, 47) Iowa, 48) New York, 49) New Jersey, 50) Minnesota, and 51) District of Columbia.

Conestoga trip to the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum

On Wednesday, April 21, our Conestoga group (an organization that supports the Ohio Historical Society) toured the National Museum of the United States Airforce at Wright Patterson Air Force base near Dayton, Ohio. Although we'd been driving past the direction signs for 43 years and wondered about it, we'd never been there. It's our loss. This is a fabulous place, and it's free! If you live within a hundred miles, it's an easy trip with good roads, and you won't regret it. Our tour guide, Dan, suggested beginning our morning tour with the mid-1930s to see what military aircraft was before the war and closing with the ending of WWII at lunch, then either taking in an IMAX film or accompanying him with more touring. Those who'd visited several times chose to continue touring with Dan (he was an outstanding guide), but we chose the IMAX.

Our tour began with the Boeing P26-A, the Peashooter, which was the first all metal monoplane, and ended with the plane Bockscar, that dropped the bomb the Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945. The lighting was so dim inside the huge building, most of my photos really didn’t turn out well enough to post, but here is the Peashooter from a media photo (outside) and mine. What we saw was a reproduction, but they were used by the U.S. from 1933 to 1938, and then later by the Chinese and the Phillipines. It was really amazing to see how the technology changed so quickly in just 10 years--particularly when we saw the German made V-1 and 2 rockets.

Use of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki is still questioned by some, but I do believe it saved lives in the long run--particularly of Americans because the U.S. would have lost many more soldiers in an invasion. And I know it’s a controversial idea in these days of dithering about troup strength in old wars while rushing into no-fly zones in new wars with political negotiating only to kick the can down the road, but the point of war is to win (and that means killing people and destroying property and resources). But it probably also saved Japanese lives because incendiary bombs were used on 60 cities between November 1944 and July 1945 in Japan resulting in approximately 800,000 casualties and deaths. The use of the atomic bomb against Hiroshima and Nagasaki actually produced fewer casualties in each case than the 3-day bombing of Tokyo earlier in 1945. Considering how many Japanese gave their lives for 2 tiny islands, Iwo Jima and Okinawa (121,000), American leaders concluded, rightly I think, they would defend their homeland even more fiercely.

Photo from B-29 source

Obama's Likability Gap

Daniel Henninger of the WSJ thinks candidate Obama 2008 and President Obama 2011 are two different guys.

Obama.2008 was engaging, patient, open, optimistic and a self-identified conciliator.

Obama.2011 has been something else—testy, petulant, impatient, arrogant and increasingly a divider.

Not me. I always "heard between the lines"--sarcasm, dislike for us, and whining. The way he treated Joe the Plumber is not a lot different than his treatment of Paul Ryan. The way he supports today's union thugs looks pretty much like what he promised SEIU while campaigning in 2008. What was optimistic about hearing he wanted energy prices to go up so we'd become more willing to accept green myths and stories? Where's the hope in higher taxes for small business people earning more than $200,000? Didn't anyone else hear that?
Henninger: Obama's Likability Gap - WSJ.com

Question: What was your favorite book growing up?

Norma: Any book with horses. I loved the Marguerite Henry books--especially the illustrations by Wesley Dennis. I still have my King of the Wind, with the book cover intact. I could put myself right on those ponies or horses. However, for cuddling with mom in a big easy chair, it was Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House series) hands down. She was a great reader, and I could also picture myself in Laura's life. Like this author, I didn't own any Wilder books (used the public library in Forreston and Mt. Morris), nor was I a fan of the TV series. It was a wonderful surprise in the 1990s when I was doing my research for publication on women and farm journals to discover her life as a newspaper columnist.

Leave a comment or send an e-mail, and I'll add your favorite (without your name if you prefer).

Did You Know--the 1918 pandemic

The 1918-20 pandemic "killed more people in absolute numbers than any other sudden outbreak of disease in history. During the 1300’s, the Bubonic plague or Black death, a uniformly fatal bacterial infection caused by Yersinia pestis and spread by flea bites, killed a higher percentage, more than 25%, of the European population, but less in absolute numbers. In perspective, the 1918 pandemic influenza virus killed more people in 24 weeks than AIDS has so far killed in 24 years, and more people in a year than the Bubonic plague killed in a century." Book summary, "The great influenza" by John Barry.

Returning a good deed

A week ago Friday, our first day back from California, I was at my usual spot at Panera's, but a little later since I hadn't quite readjusted to the eastern time zone. Shortly before I got up to leave I noticed a five dollar bill on the floor. I vaguely remembered the woman who had walked past me a few minutes before, but she had already left the parking lot. The following Monday I was early--maybe the 2nd customer, and so was she. So I asked her if she had lost any money on Friday. Yes, she responded, five dollars, because she had gone to lunch with colleagues from work and had to borrow money to pay for her lunch. So I gave her the five dollar bill. She was so shocked; we paused to exchange names and a few details of our lives and I hadn't seen her since, until this morning.

Today she sat down at my table and said something about good deeds being passed along, and gave me a ten dollar gift card to Panera's! Now it was my turn to be surprised. That wasn't at all necessary, but don't ever turn down a kindness on that basis--just pass it along. That's what she was doing. Someday, I'll be in line with someone who has forgotten her wallet or purse, and I'll buy her coffee.

Did you know--travel warning for Mexico

The United States Consulates General in Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, and Monterrey advise American citizens that the U.S. government has received uncorroborated information that Mexican criminal gangs may intend to attack U.S. law enforcement officers or U.S. citizens in the near future in Tamaulipas, Nuevo León and San Luis Potosi. This information is being distributed to all U.S. government employees in the three states.
Message

It's never enough, is it?

Although seven agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice devoted $11.9 million in grants for elder justice activities in fiscal year 2009, it's not enough. [This is just federal money, not state.] The GAO report of March 21 (corrected) says we need more federal action (aka tax dollars). With so many agencies and so much money, there's a lot of incentive to double count or over count, to empire build, and to expand your critical staffing levels.

You'll find the usual "abuse" participles--not of people, but grants. Soft, squishy words like facilitating, promoting, establishing and conducting. That should bump up government employment a few points.

A sketchy history of Title VII of the Older Americans Act which seems to be charged with handing out the money. Some of these grants, like the $10,000 ones, seem to be handed out like candy, but for the life of me I can't figure out what you could do with them other than buy stamps, envelopes and maybe get a new computer for the office. But collectively, passed around to hundreds of "collaborations" at the local level, they add up to read money.

Does GAO ever report on the federal government abuse of citizens through taxation, over regulation, disincentives, porous borders, poor energy policies which raise prices of everything, and other "fixes?"

Socialists aren't happy with Obama and the Democrats either

Although I think they're wrong to distrust the success of this President, whom they helped elect, it's nice to see that conservatives, libertarians, and the hard right aren't the only ones unhappy with Barack Obama.

"DON’T TRUST THE DEMOCRATS – NOT A ONE. Especially the progressive Democrats.

Millions believed Barack Obama’s campaign pledge to create a humane, affordable and inclusive health care system and rein in the copious abuses of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. On the campaign trail, Obama proclaimed these corporations were greedy and more concerned about profits and patents than the needs of patients. Some thought because Obama was a former supporter of a single-payer system, he might just enact it when he won the Whitehouse. How wrong they were.

No one could have predicted how much influence and control over health care reform President Obama would give to the very corporate interests killing and bankrupting the American people, and who just a few months earlier, had fiercely attacked and called out by name. No one could have predicted the scale and scope of the sell out. It is truly astounding given the soaring rhetoric of before and the cruel and sleazy reality of now."

Helen Redmond: Beware the Progressive Democrat

Did you know--the 2010 census

Of the 51 metropolitan areas that have more than 1 million residents, only three—Boston, Providence, and Oklahoma City—saw their core cities grow faster than their suburbs. City Journal

Three cups of BS

Our book club did this title--Three cups of tea--but I didn't attend that one. I really hate to see this type of scam--people donated to his schools in good faith. Why does no one blow the whistle on these groups?

Why do women let gay designers dress them like sexless rag dolls?

Not sure but I think this is Dree Hemingway. It certainly does nothing for the dress. That looks like a toilet stall pose by a woman who's had too much to drink. Is that toilet paper in her hand or a diploma?

Join the Tea Party, Murray sez

Both parties have failed us, according to Murray, a semi-regular contributor to this blog. Our only hope now is the Tea Party, he told me in an e-mail. He's even mad at Michelle Bachmann (I still have confidence in her).

It represents the only viable chance to stop the bleeding and institute real positive change for our country. I know it's tough to abandon the party of your choice but I think if you are honest with yourself when considering what's going on and listen to the deception and lies, you'll realize both the Democrats and Republicans have failed us miserably. It's so important to get involved now. Join or donate to your nearest Tea Party for the solutions. It will be tough to overcome the billion dollars that Obama will more than likely raise. He spent his first two years selling Obamacare and campaigning worldwide.He will be spending the next two years campaigning for re-election and ticking you off.
Of course there's the chance you want more of the same but I don't think so. But that's just what you will get if you keep playing the Democrat vs. Republican game. It's time to kick butt.

Maybe so, Murray, but remember third party Ross Perot who put Clinton in office by draining away almost 20 million Republican votes from Bush I? Obama intends to destroy the country by collapsing it from within--not so sure even a lily livered RINO wants that!

Monday Memories--Our wedding party

On the average, probably not too bad.

I was looking at this photo of our wedding party--a very low budget wedding, September 11, 1960. Our best man, Tom--married 50 years this June; our maid of honor, JoElla--48 years; our usher Dick, 50 years; the bride and groom, 50+ years; our usher, Scot--married 4 times, at least (we see him at class reunions); our mystery usher--don't remember his name nor what became of him (not sure we ever saw him after the wedding).

Update: Extensive research (reading the newspaper article about our wedding, and checking the Tech Cannon 1957) reveals the mystery guy is James Schafer, but I still know nothing about him.

Did you know--ACORN

"Senior ACORN executives Amy Adele Busefink and Christopher Howell Edwards were convicted of providing cash bonuses to voter-registration canvassers for exceeding daily registration quotas. Campaign workers received cash if they registered 21 voters or more. Fittingly, the Las Vegas-based program was called Blackjack." Matthew Vadum

Last year, ACORN settled a racketeering lawsuit in Ohio out of court and agreed to leave the state. In the settlement with the Buckeye Institute’s 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, ACORN agreed to “cease all Ohio activity” and surrender all its state business licenses.

An oxymoron--paid volunteers

A better deal than Americorps! That only pays a stipend and qualifies you to be a "public servant" to repay your college debt. Charity for Debt might pay off your college loans at up to $20 an hour for your "volunteering." Plus, if you join Americorps to pay off your college loans you might get stuck recruiting people for food stamps.

We need a new name for this feel good enterprise (Charity for Debt is a "non-profit," but I don't know if it receives government grants for its own staffing and programs). Look. It's not charity if you're working off your debt. In the 17th century we settled a lot of the east coast with people working off debt--it was called indentured servitude. Some people worked off their trans-Atlantic passage. And you're not volunteering if you get your debt reduced for each hour you work. Oh, and it's tax free pay so an hour of work may go 30% further in "volunteering."

I can't balance my check book, but I know that much about how the non-profits (and the government) spin. I've also been a volunteer.

Andrew Breitbart introduces Sarah Palin

Andrew Breitbart calls out Trumka and other lefties, unionists and community organizers April 16 in Madison for what they are--divisive, angry, rude and haters. The Tea Party, on the other hand, has been the most peaceful, clean-up-after-themselves protest group in the history of America, he says. They were gathered to protest high taxes. (Is it 102 days we work for the government?) When you see and hear the leftists screaming and yelling at anyone who disagrees with them, you realize that Obama's Arizona sermon on civility was verbal foreplay for the left and tossing his hat in the ring for the next campaign (when isn't he campaigning?). "Lack of civility" is their code phrase for "we hate the Tea Party."

I think Breitbart's "go to hell" directive is probably accurate in geography, and is language they can understand. And don't you love how the pundits are shocked, just shocked, at language they hear everyday at the office and on TV . . . anything but the issues is good fodder. And Sarah gives it to the GOP for their wimp factor on the budget and urges them to fight like a girl.

"We didn’t elect you just to rearrange the deck chairs on a sinking Titanic," Palin said during a rally in front of the Wisconsin statehouse in Madison. "What we need from you, GOP, is to fight." Pointing to the national champion University of Wisconsin women's hockey team, Palin said the GOP could learn from its resolve and “needs to learn how to fight like a girl."

Did you know--HIV and TB

Tuberculosis is the number one killer of people with HIV? IDSA News.

It's the week-end

Busy Friday. At least for me, because I usually don't plan much. Attended a lecture at the Faculty Club at Ohio State by Loren Haarsma of Calvin College, on "Is Faith the opposite of Reason?" [No, irrationality is the opposite of reason, and unbelief is the opposite of faith.] I parked at the vet college, and since it was a beautiful day, walked the 20 minutes to my destination, giving both my body and mind some good exercise.

In the evening we had our date night at the Worthington Rusty Bucket with Wes and Sue, and then back to their lovely condo in southern Delaware county for strawberries and angel food cake. Lovely evening and we always enjoy getting together with fellow Lakesiders

Today I joined with women from my Saturday Bible study group to walk for MS at the Columbus Zoo. There was a huge crowd, with many teams. Also could see many participants with canes and walkers and wheelchairs who are afflicted with this terrible disease. One gal took a photo with her cell phone, but doesn't know how to send it, so it may or may not get added to this blog. Our team's name was "Overcomers" for Jim Manos [totals not in yet], but we were also walking for Jackie's husband--she's part of our group. I'm not sure why but certain areas of the country have more MS than others, and Columbus is one of them. Panera's was very generous and provided with a really nice snack at the end of the walk--love those Asiago bagels!

This afternoon we went to the Mill Run Tavern movie theater (the theater has been there a long time, but I think the food service is new) to see Atlas Shrugged. It's a good thing I keep up on politics and governmental economic mischief with my blog, or I might have been a little confused. The bad guys have such great lines in this movie, just like our elected officials and some corporations on the government dole. It's only part 1, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. The book was written in 1957, but the plot of the film takes place just about 4 years from now. I can't say it was great film making, but the actors did an adequate job--didn't recognize anyone. Ayn Rand was a libertarian and an atheist, so Christian conservatives won't like a lot about this film. I do think it shows the direction we're heading with more and more government regulation and distribution of wealth (except the truly wealthy get to keep theirs).

Tomorrow is a joyous day, being Palm Sunday--but we all know Friday's next and then Sunday's coming. And actually that's good news too--in fact, that's what it's all about, for Christians. Tomorrow night we're getting together with our couples group from church to hear about a mission trip to Romania.

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