It's amazing what a little rain can do

It's very dry and crispy in northern Ohio, so it is a treat to see all the green around Columbus. Our complex has well water sprinkler system, but the whole metropolitan area has had more rain than the Toledo area. Still we expect some heat build up, so after church I put on some walking shoes, a sleeveless denim dress, and walked for about 15 minutes. It's not as much as I get at the lake where I walk everywhere, but it sooths the conscience.

Some of our neighbors still haven't discovered that now that we have sidewalks, they are expected to take care of the area they can't see from their yard (huge bushes to hide the street). Weeds, grass clippings, and branches from the bushes are making the walk a bit hazardous. 1195 Kingsdale Terrace has a lovely house and yard, but I wish they'd step around the corner and see what we see. 'Taint purty.

Had to go to Caribou this morning since Panera's opens late. I noticed that there's a bulletin board for customers to post their "goals." Some are really funny, but pathetic too, because they are so unrealistic and vague ("change the world"), there's no way to get there from here. I've written before about the best book I ever read on the topic of planning is "Stop setting goals." Worth another look:

The book I'd been waiting for my whole life I didn't read until the first official day of my retirement (Oct. 1, 2000). Its title grabbed me and I knew it was written for me: "STOP SETTING GOALS" by Bob Biehl (Nashville: Moorings, 1995).

The premise is that some people are energized by achieving goals they have set, and others (a higher percentage) are energized by identifying and solving problems. And it isn't semantics. To ask problem solvers to set goals puts knots in their stomachs and interferes with their natural gifts. To ask goal setters to work on a problem puts them in a foul mood because they think "negative" when they hear "problem."

Problem solvers see goal setters as sort of pie-in-the sky, never-finish-anything types, and goal setters see problem solvers as negative nay-sayers. Bigotry, in both directions.

I'm willing to bet that most librarians are problem solvers and that's why they chose the field. I used to be in Slavic Studies. In my own mind, I thought the Soviet Union collapsed from pathologically terminal five year plans--too much goal setting and not enough problem solving.

Biehl poses an interesting question that works for both groups. "What three things can we do in the next 90 days to make a 50% difference (by the end of this year, by the end of the decade, by the end of my life). It makes no difference if you say, "what three goals can we reach" or "what three problems can we solve," because either personality can get a handle on this question.

I was challenged during my last year at work to stop using the word "problem" and replace it with "challenge" or "opportunity." It was a good time to retire. It took away all motivation for showing up at work for a darn good problem solver.

Call his bluff - Charles Krauthammer

These are the days I'm ashamed I registered as a Republican in 2000. These guys/gals have no spine. Boehner said getting Obama to commit to something and stick with it is like trying to nail Jello, but the Republicans are the bowl of Jello, sweet, low fat, and completely useless. They are up against a liar, a cheat, a swiveling socialist head that speaks out of any hole that's open, and all they can do is worry that they'll look bad in November 2012 when he tries to blame them for his failures. His own party can't trust; why should Republicans?

He won’t sign anything less, he warns, asking, “If not now, when?” How about last December, when he ignored his own debt commission’s recommendations? How about February, when he presented a budget that increases debt by $10 trillion over the next decade? How about April, when he sought a debt-ceiling increase with zero debt reduction attached

Call his bluff - The Washington Post

Thursday Thirteen -- Comparing Grandmothers

13 things about my grandmothers that make them different than today’s grandmothers

We are at Lakeside on Lake Erie, a summer Chautauqua community, where I have noticed big differences between today’s solicitous, attentive grandmothers and those no nonsense, sensibly shod ladies of the 1940s and 1950s when I was spending time with grandmothers. One of my grandmothers was born in 1876 (a centennial baby), and the other in 1896 (a turn of the century baby). So even they were a world apart in life style and experiences. Altogether, I had six grandparents (2 sets of grandparents, 1 great-grandparent couple), and loved them all, and have many fond memories of spending a lot of time with them, but. . .

My paternal grandparents, great-grandparents and Uncle and aunt and their baby, 1935

1. I never saw either of my grandmothers in slacks, let alone jeans, shorts or a swim suit.

2. I never saw either of my grandmothers on a bicycle. Can’t even picture it!

3. I never saw either grandmother drive a car, although I know one did when she was young and middle age (one was blind, the other had mild strokes in her 60s). I also never saw them ride a horse either, but I know they both did--one even rode a horse to church with several children aboard.

4. My grandmothers never read to me.

5. My grandmothers never supervised crafts for me or played games with me or took me swimming, because that’s what cousins and older sisters were for in those days.

6. My grandmothers never had house pets--there might be a cat or dog around, but it lived outside where it could earn its keep.

7. Neither of my grandmothers was a particularly fine cook--if we ate well at their homes it was a holiday and the younger generation of aunties or daughters supplied the food. Both kept gardens and canned.

8. I never ate in a restaurant with my grandmothers when I was a child, nor did they buy me huge helpings of ice cream I couldn‘t finish.

9. My grandmothers never wore make-up--or even wedding rings as I recall.

10. Neither of my grandmothers cared much about house cleaning or yard work.

11. When they were my age (now) both my grandmothers were in business--one managed several farms, the other a small call-in service to pick up and remove dead animals.

12. Neither was the huggy, smoochy type, but both knew how to soothe a crying baby.

13. Both were married over 60 years, one over 70.

The Elder Justice Act

The new Elder Justice Act (EJA) is a part of Obamacare (PPACA). There were already two acts (Older American Act and Violence Against Women Act) and seven federal agencies spending $651 million in 2009 to protect older Americans under President Bush. EJA authorized $777 million over 4 years, which is pennies for an increase, especially to cover the goals spread over 50 states and hundreds of agencies. But it plays well for votes. Massive government programs often start small. The reasoning of the two authors from Chicago(XinQi Dong, and Melissa A. Simon received 3 grants to write the article I read in JAMA, one from the bailout) is that the current acts and appropriations did not protect older adults, therefore more money for the same failed programs was needed.

The key, gold plated, diamond encrusted words here that will create a never ending income stream for lawyers, doctors, academicians, advocates, workshop providers, community organizers, nursing home administrators, care givers, accountants, physical therapists and broadband providers are

Grants
Incentives
Staffing
Electronic records
Collect
Disseminate data
Sponsor and support training programs
Hearings, conferences to set research priorities

I defend her right to burgers and fries

It's not often I defend Mrs. Obama--only in 2 areas--as a fine example for other young women in marriage and family (i.e., she married the father of her children) and in her desire to see a healthier America (even if I don't always support her methods like that garden someone else has to take care of). All First Ladies seem to come under attack--they (the opposition) were merciless with Hilary Clinton and Nancy Reagan. They even picked on Mary Lincoln. Lady Bird wanted to beautify the country and campaigned against bill boards and she succeeded. Helen Taft wanted to beautify Washington, D.C. with better parks and she succeeded. So Michelle Obama wants us not to be so fat.

Meanwhile, yesterday she ate a 1700 calorie lunch (burger fries shake) and the conservative bloggers and talkers are going crazy. Lighten up. Criticize her politics--that's bad enough. However, diabetes and high blood pressure are serious and even more deadly in the black community. We all pay for that in loss of lives, and in our own insurance costs, whether it's Obamacare or one of the Blues.

Also, every dieter knows an occasional pig-out helps the cause.

Sudan leader's hat tip to Bush

When we visited Ireland in 2007 we found that Bill Clinton was beloved by the Irish for brokering the peace. George W. Bush right now is much loved in South Sudan for the same reason. (Although I don't think Obama mentioned it Saturday, the day of the big Reveal.) And obviously, Politico, a left source, is pretty snarky about it too in this article. But it will be up to the people of South Sudan to make this work. Right now they really don't have much understanding about what a "country" is, at least not in the sense the Irish did. But they do want to be able to harvest their crops, marry, have families and visit relatives without being slaughtered by Arab Muslims.

Sudan leader's hat tip to Bush - Reid J. Epstein - POLITICO.com

The Omaha anecdote and the Obama antidote

"The Omaha Public Schools used more than $130,000 in federal stimulus dollars to buy each teacher, administrator and staff member a manual on how to become more culturally sensitive. . . ." The book is infused with the usual hate and diversity drivel about America--and we paid for 8,000 copies.

James Taranto reports today that Clinton asked for a stimulus package in 1993 of 16 billion when unemployment was 7.3, and Congress didn't approve and 12 months later unemployment was 6.5. The economy recovered without massive infusion of federal money. Obama asked for 800 billion when unemployment was 7.6, got it, and the economy tanked and unemployment rose to 10.2.

Liberals believe government programs fail because they aren't big enough. It's the classic plan of doing more that fails. Really? How about a nice big tax increase, that should do it. How big did the stimulus need to be in order to really tank the economy into a real Depression--which actually we haven't avoided yet.

Obama continues Bush errors

G.W. Bush made two huge mistakes during his two terms--No Child Left Behind (NCLB) domestically, and in foreign policy believing that 7th century Muslim cultures wanted Democracy, free markets or rights for women. They obviously don’t like Western culture, are fearful of 50% of the world’s population (women) and want no part of democracy. Not even do the women want this. Not only did this spend us terribly into debt, but Obama is following in his tracks with Bush-lite “Race to the Top” education policy and supporting various elements of Arab Spring, especially the Muslim civil war in Libya. Both are a waste of money and blood--theirs and ours. We don’t need educational reform imposed from Washington; and Muslims don’t want our form of government, especially not for women, whom they need to keep enslaved for their own self esteem and sexual slavery. I say, let them keep their ways if it works for them. Bush believed in the beauty of democracy. I don't know what Obama believes in, but if he doesn't want it for us, why impose it on them?

Sometimes atheists are right

From a summary of Atlas Shrugged. Liberals ponder why Christian consevatives admire her writing since she was an atheist. Truth is truth, and enabling bad behavior is still damaging no matter which party does it or their motives for good.

Politician invariably respond to crisis that in most cases they themselves have created, by spawning new government programs, laws and regulations. These in turn create more problems and poverty, which inspire politicians to create more programs and the downward spiral repeats itself until the productive sectors of the economy collapse under the weight of taxes and other burdens imposed in the name of fairness, equality, and do-goodism.

The writer of this blog (Curly Willow Ranch) is a volunteer at a domestic abuse shelter for women. When a woman tries to manipulate the system for her own use playing the victim, or mentally can't respond to the responsibilities required (like toileting her children), the shelter can't help her.

We're at an age

when instead of weddings, we're attending the 50th anniversary parties.

We didn't know them when they got married, but here we are with the happy couple, 50 years later.

Vote or Die--the Democrat motto for Blacks

South Sudan Is About to Become a Nation - News Analysis - NYTimes.com

Although I guess I'm not surprised that New York Times gave more credit to George Clooney than to George Bush, it remains a fact that it was a priority of President Bush to stop the killing of black Christians by Arab Muslims with the establishment of a new country. Whether these western drawn borders hold any better than they did in the middle east remains to be seen.

South Sudan Is About to Become a Nation - News Analysis - NYTimes.com

Why is the President puzzled that business isn't expanding?

I’m puzzled that the President is puzzled that uncertainty is keeping people from expanding businesses and hiring more people. (New unemployment figures 9.2) Sure can tell that he’s never run a business. I’m beginning to understand why he was never around for a vote on anything. He must have left town when the questions got tough. With his threatening to raise taxes and transfer more wealth to entitlement programs, with his starting a 3rd front war, what could there be to cause tremors in the business climate? I wonder.

Thursday Thirteen July 7, 2011 from Lakeside, Ohio

Can you tell I don't have my editing software on this laptop? That photo actually says Thursday Thirteen from Lakeside, Ohio.

We've been here since Monday June 20, at the chautauqua on Lake Erie, Lakeside, Ohio. It is a gated community with a 10 week season. We own a cottage here, so we're here most of the summer, but started coming here in 1974 when our children were very young. Here are a few things I've done here recently.

1. Used the new (last year) laundromat because my washing machine died the first day we were here. It's about 25 years old, so it will probably not be worth trying to find a repairman.

2. Lots of walks along the lakefront at sunrise, but the weather has been a bit overcast, so they haven't been as beautiful as last year when I had 70 sunrise walks.

3. Visited the local farmers' market three times, but because of a very wet spring the growing season has been delayed, so I've only purchased one head of cabbage and one green pepper, but they have been fabulous--grill lightly with onions in olive oil, toss in a little corn and butter, and it's a fabulous lunch.

4. Won a jar of horseradish at the herb group meeting last week. The topic was horseradish--didn't know there was a horseradish company in Springfield, Ohio. Love it! It may be my first door prize.

5. Walked to the tiny local grocery store about 6 times--since I'm carrying the purcases, I don't buy a lot at a time. Staples are more expensive than a supermarket, but the meat is about the same, and there is wonderful made in the store ham salad, potato salad and cole slaw.

6. Read a book from the local library (inside the Methodist church run by volunteers), "Chosen by a horse." It was an excellent memoir and you don't have to like horses to enjoy this poignant story of a woman's healing through her love for her pet.

7. Slowed down a bit to manage our colds, which we got about a week ago.

8. Had friends Wes and Sue over for dinner of bratwurst and sauerkraut on our deck.

9. Enjoyed the fireworks on the 4th on the lakefront with our friends John and Wilma.

10. Went to friends' cottage to watch the last Glenn Beck Show on June 30. We don't have cable here. Then we all went out to eat.

11. Attended some amazing music programs the first week like Carpe Diem, a string quartet, and Raleigh Ringers, a handbell and chime group from Raleigh, NC. Usually I get sleepy and go home after an hour, but these groups were outstanding.

12. Attended several lectures on Christians and foreign policy and how the military builds cultural bridges. Both speakers were excellent.

13. Had a wonderful boat ride around the area with the "wooden boat society" group followed by a delicious dinner of walleye at the Hotel Lakeside. Enjoyed the company at our table--former clients of my husband.

If you'd like to play Thursday 13, check it out.

Lakeside Wooden Boat Society Summer Evening Cruise

Tonight we have tickets for the wooden boat cruise and dinner. First there will be a cruise on Lake Erie (weather permitting, and right now it looks permissable) from the Lakeside Dock at 6 p.m. Then at 7:30 there is dinner at the Hotel Lakeside (Walleye Primavera is our menu choice, but there was also filet mignon or portabella stuffed chicken breast as choices). Then after dinner there will be a lecture by Neil Allen on "Strangers in our Bay" about the unique boats from the 1940s to the present that have visited Sandusky Bay.

Are Lutherans taller than Methodists?

It's Lutheran Chautauqua Week--and so is next week. It's also the 4th of July week, so Lakeside is bursting at the seams. There were about 700 kids in the parade on Monday. Last night's program at Hoover Auditorium (seats about 3,000) was a group of Kenyan Acrobats. The men performers were athletic, slender and muscled; the women were overweight--extremely. Not like here where many men are overweight.

As I sat in my seat looking up and around waiting for the program to begin it occurred to me I had never seen so many tall people--i.e. well over 6'--in my life. I wondered if they were Lutherans. Descendants of the Scandanavians and Germans who settled around here. It is particularly striking among the women. When I was growing up a 6' woman was relatively unusual, but it is nothing today to see women 6'3 or 6'4. I suppose they marry men their height or taller and pass it on to the next generation. Women my height (5'5") just grow sideways.

Yesterday's afternoon program on Stress and Nutrition by Dr. Wendy Stuhldreher was pretty much what I expected--eat less, move more, and eat all the colors. Eating fish is always recommended, but I was impressed by one chart she showed where mackerel exceeded all others (twice as much as salmon) in what we need in acronyms, EPA and DHA. She recommends drinking milk, something I haven't done in about 50 years. . . either skim (yuk) or 1% (almost yuk). So while I'm blogging this morning I'm sipping a cup of milk.

I left before the Q & A, so maybe she addressed this, but the audience was very lean and healthy looking, even with the average age of about 65. In fact, I've seen so many overweight people here, particularly young people, it's almost like a "not welcome" sign had been posted outside the Green Room. She was definitely preaching to the choir. Doesn't that happen with so many topics that could educate us? People, particularly those on vacation, don't want to hear bad news, whether it's political, religious or dietary.

She recommended we look at the portion control web site, MyPlate.gov

Rush Limbaugh launches Two if by Tea

Glenn Beck is launching a TV channel/network/subscription show, and Rush Limbaugh starts a bottled tea company. He was giving away samples of his "Two if by Tea" in Joplin, MO, where he was a speaker over the 4th, but he and his wife compensated the other vendors for their lost sales due to his give away. Class act.

I guess these conservative talkers want to put their mouth where their money is--in the free market.

Rush Limbaugh launches Two if by Tea | South Florida Business Journal And I wouldn't call this a sympathetic artice--sort of snarky.

Week 3 at Lakeside--Health and Wellness Week

Looking at the brochure, I'm not sure there is much for me.

Tuesday 10:30 Bipolar disorder. I'm not and I don't think I know anyone close to me who has this.

Tuesday 1:30 Nutrition for stressful time. I'm not stressed.

Wednesday 10:30 Exercise for the busy person. I'm not busy, just lazy.

Wednesday 1:30 Health care reform in the era of the Silver Tsunami. I hope he's not going to tell us Obamacare is good for the senior citizen.

Thursday 10:30 Transitional care: How do patients get from one place to another? Not sure what this topic is, but it's by a geriatrician.

Thursday 1:30 The human brain and spirituality. My brain is in the loving care of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's about as spiritual as I get on that topic.

Friday 10:30 Delirium: a serious problem for the hospitalized elder. This is an important topic whether for self, family or if visiting on behalf of the church.

Tom Joyner--Don't you dare touch the first black president!

Black Informant criticizes the critics who criticize: old Buffalo Butt reemerges for a rerun.

"Tom Joyner who some years ago had no problem at all blaming all of ills of society on then President Bush. This is the very same Tom Joyner who had no problem playing a rap song entitled “George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People” on his nationally-syndicated radio show. No problem at all.

But say a mumbling word about “our first Black President” and all of hell must be unleashed."

(Joyner criticized Halperin of TIME magazine, a huge apologist for Obama, who called his Messiah "a Dick," which then earned him title of "Republican" by those further left than he is.) The left eating its young to stay alive.

What do you know about "Agenda 21" and your local community?

"Seattle, Washington is sort of “ground zero” when it comes to “Sustainable Development” and it has already spread like a cancer to YOUR community like wildfire. Read the Seattle plan and then check your local community “plan” for your future and see how the language matches. That’s because it comes from the SAME globalists who are peddling UN Agenda 21 right under our noses!"

Check out this link for more information.

Why do American liberals say so little about Islamic views of women?

This of course is a rhetorical question: we know the answer. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." They think they will be able to co-opt the Muslims later, but they'll learn as have centuries of Christians, that you can't co-exist or cooperate with Muslims.

"Islam is a male-made religion, founded on masculinity, patriarchy, and male domination. It is notorious for its repression, subjugation, and discrimination against women. Islamic religion portrays women as inferior to men in every respect-spiritually, physically, mentally, and even intellectually. Islam's holy book, the Koran, divinely sanctions and decrees this negative impression. The Koran has been corroborated by the Hadiths (traditions of Muhammad's sayings and deeds) and perpetuated by the interpretation of the mullahs, the sheiks, and the imams."

Leo Igwe, "Traditional African Practices and Islam"

The Osu Caste System in Nigeria

Americans in general, and particularly educators and school children, have a very warped view of slavery, not only that of the 18th and 19th century type in America, but slavery that existed in Africa during that time, and exists to this day. Slavery, now called "trafficking in persons," is world wide and a bigger problem today involving more slaves and owners than it was during the cross-Atlantic slave trade.

Slavery and/or caste is based on a dehumanizing system that still exists in modern Africa and Asia, and you can look at any Nigerian blog or forum to become informed. But in America's schools, the memory of slavery is used to pummel school children into the belief that it was a result of evil capitalism, European greed and corrupt Christianity. They are lied to about the Founders and their struggle to eliminate it from our government long before the Civil War as they struggled to bring people of many cultures and states into an infant country.

And in order to keep peace with the Muslims, our educators, church pastors and media mavens will probably never tell the role of Arab Muslim slave traders using the interior African tribal leaders to round up and sell not only war bounty, but also religious, agricultural and domestic caste slaves for their own power and wealth. European slavers could have never managed to make it into the interior of Africa to capture and trade humans--physically it just wasn't possible. They were really low man on the totem pole of guilt and crimes against humanity for the 16th and 17th century slave trade. It was the Arabs and the Africans who made the system work.

Yes, teach American school children about the evils of slavery, but at least teach them the truth. That is is bigger today than ever, that only Christians and the U.S. government are making a dent in it, and that many modern governments still support the structures that allow a caste system among their citizens.

The Osu Caste System

The President who isn't there. . . or here. . . or anywhere

"Obama floats above every issue, either tasking subordinates or directing operations from on high, convinced he's above the fray and blameless. Occasionally he'll get frustrated by criticism and peer down from Mt. Olympus to scold the little people for their slacker ways, pointing out the harm their ineptitude may cause, such as allowing poisoned food, unwarned tornadoes and lack of a college education for illegal immigrants. And he never forgets to remind about white men's greed in a world of need." Fore Left!

However, he has worked in 76 games of golf since taking over the White House.

Skulls of mush

You can't pray, read the Bible, or discuss Creationism, but you can promote your union. "If teacher unions want to be strong and well-supported, it's essential that they not only be teacher unionists but teachers of unionism. We need to create a generation of students who support teachers and the movements of teachers for their rights." Howard Zinn

From a web page promoting progressivism, feminism and unionism being required subjects taught in public schools. Therefore, I won't link.

It's a small, small world

Monday morning about 7 a.m. I struck up a conversation with a woman in the coffee shop who was wearing a raincoat--a little unusual for Lakeside. It rains here, but most of us just carry an umbrella or put a newspaper over our head. As it turns out, she was from the San Francisco area and was accustomed to overcast, cool weather because of the bay. It was her first visit to Lakeside, so I showed her the newspaper and how she could sign up for classes and attend programs. She told me her husband was planning to attend the 10:30 lecture, and she described him.

When I got to the lecture I spotted him immediately because he was the tallest man in the room. I introduced myself, and we talked a bit. During the week I'd see the couple and their cousins and we'd wave and say a few words.

Last night he stopped by our seats in Hoover Auditorium (program was Second City Comedy troupe) and asked if we'd attended First Community Church in the late 60s. We'd been members there before we joined Upper Arlington Lutheran, so we said yes. He said that our names sounded familiar to him and he decided we'd known each other from that church, particularly a men's group that met on Wednesday, and we had invited him to our home for dinner when he was going through a divorce. About 40 years ago he moved to California, but had grown up in the Cleveland area and remembered his mother talking about Lakeside, so they decided to visit.

What a small world. We didn't remember him, but I do remember we often invited young batchelors or students for dinner in those days.

Older Americans Fuel Entrepreneurial Boom, Says New Study

According to the nonprofit Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, individuals between the ages of 54 and 64 represented 22.9% of the entrepreneurs who launched businesses in 2010 – up from 14.5% in 1996. Since 2007, the foundation says, this age group has created new businesses at a higher rate than any other.

Baby Boomers Fuel Entrepreneurial Boom, Says New Study From the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation - Encore - SmartMoney

Glenn Beck's final show on Fox and move to GBTV

We don't have cable at Lakeside, so we went to friends' cottage to watch Glenn Beck's final program on Fox last night, and then we all went out to eat at the Patio Restaurant, then back to our home for some wonderful Toft's Blue Berry Waffle Cone Ice Cream.

Glenn is starting his own TV network--I suppose it will be like Oprah's with some programming not from his company, but he'll have a 2 hour news and commentary similar to his current one hour on Fox. It will be by subscription. It was pretty much what we expected--some highlights, chalkboard, and funny stuff, tributes to his staff and audience. One funny clip was showing Jon Stewart's writers (about 15 I think) for his 6 minute monologues, and Glenn's ...two for his 20-40 minute monologues.

I noticed today that Dave Ramsey, a debt counselor, has the same message financially that Glenn has politically: "The government can't fix it. Now is the time for the church to rise up together in faith and lead our nation out of this mess—one family, one church, one community at a time." That's the same message I heard on Glenn Beck's sign off on his final program last night. The power of one.

Lakeside is flag ready for the Fourth of July!

If you click to enlarge you can see 3 or 4 neighborhood cats having breakfast.

The Popcorn Palace always looks dressed in her finest floral best.

Every home on Lynn between 2nd and 3rd was flying a flag this morning.

Miscarriages

In 1963 I had a miscarriage. The doctor told me then, almost 50 years ago, that about one third of all pregnancies end in miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) and had for as long as medical science had tracked it. Incompatible with life, was his explanation. Apparently, that figure hasn't changed much according to this article on thyroid problems and the risk of miscarriage which uses the figure 31%.

What exactly is "affordable" housing?

The city of Falls Church, Virginia, is a toney DC suburb. The median home value is $670,192 and the median income is $111,461. Not to worry. Falls Church has "affordable housing." That means it gets government money to pay builders to design/build or remodel homes for households whose income is at or 80% of the median income level of the DC metro area which in 2010 was $85,198. You'd still have a huge gap if you qualified to move into Falls Church affordable housing, and every good Democrat knows it is the gap that is the problem, not the income.

I can't tell if it's just the VA taxpayer who is paying for this or if it is all taxpayers in the U.S. But I think I qualify if I want to move to Virginia--although I suspect there is a waiting list. I'm certainly living below the media income level of the DC metropolitan area.
Falls Church Affordable Housing Policy
Senior Housing

Snippets from the blog notebook

Yesterday's speaker, Stephen Rock, noted in his talk about Christians and Human Rights that the documents of the main line Protestant churches are almost indistinquishable in language from secular socialist organizations.

* * * *

Anthony Weiner is busy reinventing himself according to the news. I don't know why--Democrats loved him just the way he was.

* * * *

There are now companies who can do a "social intelligence" background check for employers to see how badly applicants have behaved within their social networks.

* * * *

Media Matters, a tax exempt "charity" is a Soros funded Democratic party shill group that you can contribute to if you like left wing stuff. Now some tax payers are going after it because it is trying to destroy Fox News, a private, for-profit company.

* * * *

How dumb are academics? They spend time, effort and (our) money to determine that behavior and culture cause 80% of health outcomes, and then wring their hands that the USA is behind other industrialized nations. Doh! Have they ever looked at the borders of Iceland, Finland or Sweden? If people desperate to leave the amenities and squalor of their own homeland will risk life and limb to get here, what sort of healthcare do you think they had before?

* * * *

Last week there were no fruits or vegetables at our farmers' market. The planting season in northern Ohio was very wet--things go off to a slow start. But yesterday I was able to buy locally grown cabbage, green pepper, cukes, but I didn't see any corn.

* * * *

What are America's (Obama's) interests in bombing Libya? Has Obama ever been able to articulate this or does he just stammer? Where are the outraged war protesters when it's their guy?

* * * *

Laura Bush visited Africa 5 times during her husband's presidency. Did she get the drooling media coverage that Michelle Obama's trip did? If Mrs. Obama, while reading Cat in the Hat had been told there was a bomb threat, would she have had nasty criticism from Rosie O'Donnell and other "comedians" for hesitating and thinking what her next move should be the way they reviled President Bush on 9/11 who was reading to children?

* * * *

Barney Frank and his girl friend Fannie Mae were big contributors to the housing melt down. Why are they both still protected by the government? Why is there no such thing as failure in Washington unless you're a white Republican cheating on his wife or making passes at gay guys?

* * * *

Mitt Romney is Obama-light.

* * * *

Bristol Palin is as useful to her mother as Carter's brother Billy, or President Reagan's daughter Patti. You might get to choose voters, but not family.

* * * *

I'm surprised that today's teen fashionistas need a website like Tomboy Style to define what their grandmothers of the 50's and 70s knew instinctively.

Jon Stewart mocks Herman Cain's speech

Jon Stewart says he's not partisan nor a propagandist for the Democrats. If he were a Republican shill and mocked the speech of a black presidential candidate using a white man's Amos and Andy dialect, he'd be off the air. And in case you think Rush Limbaugh does this, then you aren't listening. He uses clips of their own speech, like his "Just-us" routine of Jackson and Rangel.

Cain says he is not offended, that he understands Stewart is a comedian. But I'm offended, because Stewart is calling his audience, probably 90% white, stupid, racist and ignorant.

Cain says it's not a race issue, but because he's a black conservative. I'm not so sure it's not racial. If he were light skinned, skinny and had never had a private sector job he might be more acceptable. If he'd never lived among blacks and had learned that "Amos and Andy" dialect from a speech coach, he'd be much more acceptable to the left.

And of course, Obama wasn't involved in this scheme at all

"A federal jury on Monday found former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich guilty of 17 counts of corruption, including trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama." WSJ

I wonder when he'll do a tell-all?

Ilinois owes creditors from funeral homes to Xerox

Illinois is $4 billion behind in its bills.

"International Business Machines Inc. is owed $1.1 million. Office Depot Inc. is waiting for a $660,955 check. And the 17th Street Bar & Grill in Sparta is due $340.52. They are among at least 8,000 vendors including businesses, charities and government agencies waiting months for the state to pay up. At least 114 companies are due more than $1 million, according to documents from Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka.

. . . Creditors include health and education agencies, schools, charities, funeral homes, plumbing-and-heating contractors and purveyors of food, coal, clothing, electronics and pizza.

"Banks have refused us a line of credit because of the state," said David Baker, who runs the nonprofit Open Door Rehabilitation Center in Sandwich, Illinois, and is owed $880,000. "We've had a long-time relationship with bankers, but now they wonder 'What if the state never pays you?'"

DailyHerald.com : Ilinois owes creditors from funeral homes to Xerox

There Are No Socialists

As always, Victor Davis Hanson nails it. Liberals are complete phonies when it comes to the joys of socialism; they only want others, less wealthy, to redistribute their money, but want to keep their own.

We have heard that taxes, more taxes, and more taxes are the cure for the massive deficits, run up by out of control spending. OK, fine. But why then does multimillionaire John Kerry go to great lengths to avoid taxes on his yacht (why a luxury yacht when so many have so little?); why are redistributive overseers like Timothy Geithner, Eric Holder, Tom Daschle, Charles Rangel, and Hilda Solis either late or delinquent in paying the federal, state, or local governments what they owe? Were not high taxes on the upper incomes like themselves the point of it all? Should not they pay all they can to ensure that their brethren receive needed entitlements? I thought Bono would lead an international effort of multimillionaire rock stars to relocate to socialist states like Ireland or Greece, so that they might gladly pay 75% of their incomes (which at “some point” they had enough of) to help others closer to home. Why instead is he fleeing to low-tax nations? Did not such socialists have enough money by now without undermining the socialist state?

Works and Days » There Are No Socialists

Free speech or abortion rights?

"Alamogordo resident Greg Fultz’s billboard is getting national attention — and it could land him in jail. The 35-year old owner of internet sales and service company GEFNET bought the space on White Sands Boulevard to run an ad featuring an image of himself holding the black outline of an infant along with the headline, “This Would Have Been a Picture Of My 2-Month Old Baby If The Mother Had Decided To NOT KILL Our Child!” The original billboard said it was “created for N.A.N.I.,” an acronym that is the same as his former girlfriend’s first name.

Nani Lawrence has filed a petition in court against Fultz for domestic violence and charges of harassment and invasion of privacy. Last week, an Otero County Domestic Violence Court commissioner backed Lawrence’s claim, recommending an order of protection for her and that the billboard be removed by 8:14 a.m. on June 17. Judge James W. Counts is expected to approve the recommendations."

Read story at New Mexico Independent

Do fathers have rights?

Why would you pirate a book? Are you a thief?

'Go the (Blank) to Sleep': A Bedtime Reality (WSJ)



But the topic, getting kids to sleep, puzzles me too. Our children, now 43 and 42, where NEVER a problem at bedtime, which was about 7 p.m. After supper, we kept things very low key, read quiet stories, gave them a warm bath, said prayers, sometimes played records (remember those?) and listened to their concerns of the day. I used to listen to horror stories of bedtime, and scratch my head. It was one of the most pleasant hours of the day at our house.

Gay rights in New York

If it's homophobic to disagree with recognizing gay marriage, unacceptable since the beginning of history in all cultures and religions, is it fear of numbers or fear of children to be limiting it to two men, or two women, or two people who are not minors? Polyandry. Polygamy. Man-boy lovers. How about child Muslim brides or boy-grooms? Is it anti-Muslim to say no to that in the USA? Step aside gay rights folks--there's a long line behind you, and it ain't pretty. They are on the internet and social networks and building up steam and "rights" hysteria based on your victories.

Does anyone know?

Why do Democrats want to turn the rest of the country's economy into Detroit, South Bend, Toledo and Cleveland--all under the jack boots of the unions and the Democrat incapacitating control?

Something to think about in 2012.

What is "environmental literacy?" Will it help us understand the complicated text and regulation on our ugly giant recycle bins to determine which plastic, metal and glass they want?

Something to think about in 2012.

Who are the idiots writing and proofing Obama's speeches that are loaded on to the teleprompters? This latest gaff of declaring a dead soldier alive, was not just bizarre it was hurtful to family and friends, later apology not withstanding. It's increasingly evident that his writers and staff not only have no grasp of American culture, they can't even proof their own research. Someone should at least be counting the first person pronouns (I, me, mine, my) so he doesn't sound like the narcissist he is.

Something to think about in 2012.

Why have the main stream media, Fox News, CNN and Democrats in general not investigated the ties to the Muslim Brotherhood of the wife of Anthony Weiner and assistant to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton through her family (mother and brother) while instead focusing on his bad on-line bedroom behavior and lies?

Something to think about in 2012.

How about that "draw down." It will leave more troops in Afghanistan than we had during the Bush years after Obama dawdled and stumbled over the surge recommended by his military staff which could have brought our troops home much earlier. Is it just to play well to centrists and moderates during the election campaign--hey--it worked in 2008.

Something to think about in 2012.

Why does Media Matters, an organization begun by Clinton people and funded by Soros, have tax exempt status, allowing it to attack private, for-profit news sources? Is it because it supports only leftist causes, and the reelection of Obama?

Something to think about in 2012.

Why does Obama offer job crushing tax hikes with his left hand while handing out the myth of his economy recovery with his right hand? The only jobs "saved" (did you hear Biden in Columbus?) were government and union jobs.

Something to think about in 2012.

What are America's (Obama's) interest in bombing Libyans and why does he not get Congressional approval for extending the war?

Something to think about in 2012.

Why do Democrats criticize the Republican's debt plan when they don't have one?

Something to think about in 2012.

If Obama's policies are Bush-lite, why are Republicans even considering Mitt Romney, who is Obama-light?

Something to think about in 2012.

Programming for week 2 at Lakeside, Ohio

Two interesting seminars are scheduled: "Faith and foreign policy in the U.S." and "Cultural bridges as U.S. military strategy." And of course, a highlight at the Rhein Center, my husband will teach his class on perspective drawing and watercolor techniques.

Parts of Stephen Rock's latest book, "Faith and foreign policy," are on the Internet, and after looking at it, I probably won't walk out, which I often do rather than argue with the speaker.

Good preparation for this week is this document titled, "The American religious landscape and political attitudes" (2004) which defines traditionalists, centrists and modernists within 3 groups, the evangelicals, mainline protestants, and Roman Catholics. Traditionalists are the largest group within each category of Christian.

After Democrats were defeated in 2004 I remember watching a panel of them on PBS discussing the election and they agreed that they needed to (pretend) move to the centrist/traditional Christian viewpoint--and it worked in 2006 and 2008, mainly by redefining what values words mean. Obama used the "hope and change" vision that is New Testament language with a familiar ring to push his socialist agenda. He fooled many, but we're smater now. Unfortunately, too many "centrists" were just fence sitters and fell for a pretty face and charming rhetoric.

Dynamite program tonight at Hoover: Riders in the Sky. A very funny and musically talented cowboy quartet. Monday we'll hear the Jazz Ambassadors of the U.S. Army. Next Friday, Second City, which will have the whole audience laughing. This week's herb study is on horseradish--the herb of the year. What a strange name, and I'm sure Carolyn will explain.

I used our sparkling clean and fresh laundromat on 2nd street this morning. It's official: my washing machine has died. It won't spin out the water. We drove to Sandusky last night to look at Sears and Lowes. Doesn't seem to be much of a recession there. The parking lots of the motels were full (Cedar Point is near by) and so were the restaurants. Traffic everywhere.

Three things I like about President Obama

1. He's Black. Or bi-racial, or African-American or Kenyan-American. Whatever you want to call his ethnic background, his mother was Euro-American secularist and his father was a Kenyan Muslim, many of us thought this would never happen in our life time--not even Jesse Jackson or Michelle Obama. It hasn't improved race relations one iota, but in that sense it's good, because it shows character and politics trump race. Something conservatives had figured out before the election of 2008. Even black Republicans voted for him for that reason--and are now sorry.

2. He's married to the mother of his children and from all public appearances, is a better father than he is a President. This will be a lasting legacy, and I hope young men of all races and politics imitate him.

3. Barack Obama has given conservatives and libertarians a kick in the pants that they needed to put down the remote and the golf club and figure out what they believe and why! Whether you call them Tea Party, or 9/11 groups or grass roots conservatives, many are paying attention for the first time. Some voted for the first time realizing they've sold out their core beliefs for the good life. This is positive, even though Democrats denigrate citizen involvement unless they've organized them and taken their money. We conservatives now know or will soon learn:
Our American history, including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Federalist Papers

FDR and LBJ were among our worst presidents growing this wet snow ball known as incapacitating entitlements

RINOs are not our friends and should be voted out of office for the sin of bipartisanship and "crossing the aisle."

Medicare and Social Security are bloated, corrupt and a huge part of our deficit problem (so Tea Partiers need to stop gripping about cutting them)

The role of the Supreme Court in our problems

How special entitlements from federal block grants to summer lunch programs have hurt minorities and low income

How the government helped create the last housing bubble and is doing all the wrong things to correct it

The relationship of church and state--stop looking at the buttons on the uniform and pay attention to the real battles

What are our property rights

How important to the economy are small businesses

Cooperation is growing among Christian groups that formerly quarrelled about everything from baptism to the Pope

People are really looking at local issues like city council, library boards, schools, zoning and seeing all politics are local and knowledge begins at home

Conservative women cadidates are more popular, knowledgeable and well known than liberal--and they've earned their spots instead of riding in on coat tails

Life issues like abortion, sex slavery, stem cell research, and euthanasia have made the Republicans the party of the "least of these" and the Democrats the party of the rich and powerful.

Great programs this week

On Tuesday evening we enjoyed Carpe Diem String Quartet. Originating at Ohio Wesleyan University, they are a wonderful group that promotes music education as well as enjoyment of all kinds of musical styles. Korine Fujiware (1/4 Japanese, if I got her story correct) composed Montana, and it was wonderful.

The Wednesday evening it was the Raleigh Ringers based in Raleigh, NC. They are a group of 17 who play both handbells and chimes. They have released a number of CDs and have performed on public television.

Tonight we plan to see Water for Elephants after a reception for donors. It's a crummy week for weather, but the programming is terrific.

What unemployment problem?

A Wall Street Journal review of financial-disclosure forms reveals that about 250 congressional staff members earned a total of $13 million in 2009 from former employers, companies they run or other side jobs.

My new garden journal

In herb class today at Lakeside we made garden journals from plain brown 3 ring notebooks. We covered them with scrapbooking paper, magazine clip art, poetry, quotes, or our own art work. The instructor gave us 3 hole punch sheets with calendars, notes, layout sheet, wish list, etc. and 3 hole dividers to which we could add envelopes for saving notes.

I pasted this quote on the cover: "I appreciate the misunderstanding I have had with Nature over my perennial border. I think it is a flower garden; she thinks it is a meadow lacking grass, and tries to correct the error." Sara Stein, 1988.

Farmers' Market today in Lakeside

Tuesday and Friday--haven't seen this year's merchants yet. Love the veggies, but despite rising prices caused by fuel costs, U.S. food is still a great buy. Just make sure it is "grown in the U.S.A."

Last year's produce

Back to the old, tired and biased news sources

Now that we're at the lake house, I have to watch ABC or CBS if I want some news. You might hate Fox News, but Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly aren't newscasters, they are opinion/talking head shows. Fox News just gives the news, and some of it you'll not find on broadcast, and some of it is dumb car chases and pretty women. Not so the news on broadcast TV. I was shocked by the opinion inserted into the two stories I remember from yesterday, the Wal-Mart law suit and the Supreme Court and John McCain's comments on the fires in Arizona. This morning at the coffee shop on Fox News I got the real McCain story--that he was quoting from a US Forest Service testimony and report about fires. I, of course, realized the snippet ABC was quoting used the words "some" and "may" but they had to interview someone from La Raza to make it "fair," the radical, anti-U.S. organization that wants the southwestern states to be returned to Mexico.

The End of Green Ideology

"President Barack Obama’s administration has thrown billions of dollars at wind, solar, ethanol, and other alternative-energy resources. Now the Fukushima tragedy is being used to justify continuing these economically dubious programs. We can bet that none of these alternative energies will easily replace oil, gas, and nuclear power in the foreseeable future.

At market prices, without public subsidies, a unit of energy produced by solar or wind in the US costs five times more than a unit produced by oil, gas, or nuclear plants. Moreover, supporters of alternative energies systematically downplay their negative environmental impact. A wind turbine requires 50 tons of steel and half a square mile of ground space. If California were to rely on solar power for its electricity consumption, the entire state would have to be covered with photovoltaic cells."

The End of Green Ideology by Guy Sorman - Project Syndicate

Michele Bachmann--she's now THE candidate to watch

She's a conservative and a Tea Partyer. Now that's refreshing. Let's see if the Democrats, who can't stand a talented beautiful woman with a special needs child, will be able to tolerate one who had 23 foster children.

"Bachmann has faced up to the Democrats' gaudy lie that people, aged 56 and over, are facing Medicare cuts with the Ryan Plan. They are not, not with the Ryan budget. Though with the Obamacare Plan we are all facing the eclipse of Medicare. Medicare will be slashed for everyone very soon, and that is written into the president's policy. Better it is to note that Ryan's reform gives us plenty of time to fix the system before the under 55-year-olds enter the depleted policy and are faced with the cuts that even the older seniors now face."

The American Spectator : The Pulchritudinous Michele Bachmann

Blogging break -- see you at Lakeside

I have a few things to take care of--mostly of a technical nature, but I shall return.

Weasel words and phrases to watch for--because they are meaningless

WAGE INEQUALITY doesn’t mean poor, doesn’t mean rich. It means a high school student working at Panera’s in a part time job makes less than a computer programmer with a college degree working for Bill Gates. It means Bill Gates makes more than the President of the United States. Wage inequality is an inflammatory phrase, however, so think about it the next time you hear it. It also means that a 2 income household generally has more money than a one income or no income household receiving government assistance, which shouldn't be rocket science.

FOOD INSECURITY doesn’t mean hunger or starvation, and especially doesn’t mean too few calories. It means that some time during the last week, month or year, a person or head of household wasn’t sure where tomorrow’s meals were coming from. Could be one day until the social security check arrived, or the support payment from the ex-, or perhaps a tornado blew through town and you have no kitchen, pantry or paycheck and the bank is gone, too. Think about that term when you hear about 14% of the nation being “food insecure.”

FOOD STAMPS don’t exist anymore; The program is now called SNAP and they don‘t use stamps, but a plastic debit-like card. Regardless of the name, they were never intended to feed families, only to supplement the resources a family already had. So if some wise guy asks you if you could live on food stamps, say NO, because that’s not the intention. The USDA began this program in the 1940s to assist farmers--there were surpluses after WWII. Now the USDA is about food subsidies, not farm subsidies, and it is also about changing behavior which costs more and is more complicated, requiring many more staff which is where a lot of the money goes. The government has about 26 food programs spread across six different federal agencies.

A LIVING WAGE begs the question whose life, what wage and living where? In 1983 when I worked for JTPA (Job Training Partnership Act which replaced CETA) I was told a living wage was $10.50 an hour in order to live minimally in Washington DC (it would have been middle class for Columbus). Not even college grads were making that 28 years ago in most cases. But that’s what the workshop presenters wanted in government entitlements--housing, child care, food, education--for welfare mothers. If a stay-at-home mom goes back to work waiting tables at lunch when the kids go to college, should she be paid “a living wage?” Listen carefully when you hear a speaker demand a “living wage” for the poor. Does he mean your babysitter, which would put you out of work? Door to door Bible salesman, which means you couldn‘t afford it? The school teacher today earns more per hour than an accountant or architect. 10 years out of college making $70,000 for 10 months with a guaranteed pension at age 55 with a union to protect her. Or how about your congressman?

ACCESS used to mean a wheel chair ramp into a restaurant or public building. Not anymore. Now it is folded into anything someone of a minority or different culture might have in their original homeland. And that includes food at public institutions or schools and no pork in government feeding programs. It might mean no gluten or peanut butter for you kid even if he's not allergic. It also means having farmer’s markets in poor neighborhoods, a long, long way from the truck farmer. It means making the low income people experimental subjects for every cockamamie sociology and nutrition program your local college or university can dream up. “Eat it, it’s good for you. Because I said so.”

SUSTAINABILITY is the all-purpose, go-to word when “green” or “tree-hugger” or “renewable” sounds too crass or over done. It’s meaningless when you think about it. Agriculture, whether industrial type farms or organic plots or your backyard, requires huge inputs--seeds, fertilizers, water, labor, and technology. Boondoggles like growing corn for ethanol were found wanting 30 years ago, but agriculture lobbyists keep at it. Fields were planted right up to roads creating run off and destroying wild animal habitat leaving birds with no home which then required more pesticides. Thousands of acres of corn changed the moisture content in the air which created storms in neighboring counties and states. Trucking the corn to storage kept huge vehicles running day and night polluting the air. Trees and animals are actually renewable resources, and petroleum is decayed vegetable matter with stored energy waiting to be used, but don’t confuse an environmentalist with science. They’re looking for religion. Oh yes, is there anything uglier than a wind farm?

Here’s a myth that helped create our housing crisis

“Homeport Programs at Columbus Housing Partnership is a private, nonprofit organization founded in the belief that a decent and affordable home is the cornerstone of family life and a healthy community.”

1) When you see the word HOUSING linked with NONPROFIT, it means government grants fund it, or the government provides tax incentives to foundations, churches or private companies like Nationwide or Huntington to help fund it.

2) PARTNERSHIP means that rather than private developers bringing their skills and resources to the neighborhood, they are encouraged to “invest” in a corporation offering tax credits where the money will first be used by the CHP to pay its staff and office expenses before it selects the builders and unions that will “redevelop” poor neighborhoods, most of whom will be making political donations to the Democratic party or the Mayor or city councilmen.

3) The mortgage industry and the construction trades may be private non-governmental businesses, but they are the biggest beneficiaries of the government's experiment of putting low-income families in mortgages they can‘t possibly afford, rather than rental property they can afford until they can develop home ownership and budgeting skills, can learn a few home repairs, or save enough for a down payment and all the expenses that go along with ownership.

4) DECENT doesn’t mean cheap. Home Again, a Columbus rehabbing project of $25,000,000, in one year (2006) did 96 roof repairs costing nearly $1,500,000. That’s nearly $14,000 a piece in crumbling neighborhoods of small houses 70-80 years old with poor streets, utilities and public schools. After Hurricane Ike a damaged church in affluent Upper Arlington with a huge roof had it replaced (not repaired) for $5,200.

5) AFFORDABLE in government housing speak means money has been transferred from tax-payer abc to entitlement receiver xyz, but many in that chain are not poor--they are staffers in government backed programs and agencies (like HUD, USDA, HDAP, OHFA COHHIO) earning good salaries, with excellent benefits and job security, which is why the programs must be continuously expanded.

6) FAMILY LIFE may be a single mom with several children. Does she really need a mortgage to add to the burdens the government has already imposed on her and the children? Like limits on her income or savings if she is to qualify for health care or nutrition supplements. The housing money would be better spent on job training and moving the children to charter schools, or a small private van service to get her to a good supermarket outside her unsafe neighborhood (but with repaired roofs).

Dear Reader, do you think the households of Andrew Weiner or Arnold Schwarzenegger are “healthy?” What about their “communities” that are circling the wagons defending them?

A house is shelter. Period. It should not be turned into a government experiment in economics, morality or education, nor an evangelization vehicle for churches.

Politico Admits 'Error' in Attributing quote to Palin

Are they trying to stir up trouble? Sometimes I miss a quotation mark or an attribution/link, but I don't take ads on my web page, and I'm not a professor at a famous university.

Politico.com admitted Friday that it made an "error" in attributing a nasty quote about Rep. Michele Bachmann to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The quote came in an opinion piece Thursday by former Virginia Democratic Party chief Paul Goldman and George Mason University professor Mark J. Rozell. The piece speculated on whether Bachmann's possible presidential run might compel Palin to get in the race, and argued that her recent bus tour sent a message to Bachmann, R-Minn. -- a message they attributed directly to Palin.

And it was nasty.

Politico Admits 'Error' in Attributing Bachmann Criticism to Palin - FoxNews.com

Media feeding frenzy in Juneau, which isn't covering the story

I hope they are bored out of their minds. And how clever to release it on paper. Does the media do this to all former governors, or just women they love to hate? At least the birthers knew they were looking for something--a birth certificate. What are these guys looking for?

"Alaska officials on Friday released thousands of pages of emails sent and received by Sarah Palin during her first 21 months as governor, giving a fresh glimpse at the time when she rose to national prominence and became the GOP vice presidential nominee. Reporters and photographers crowded into a small to pick up the six boxes of emails — 24,199 pages and weighing 100 pounds — to begin poring over them. Some carried boxes down the stairs and others, wheeling them on dollies, scrambled to be the first ones to reach elevators." Link

Debbie Wasserman Schultz: "Jim Crow Was The Wrong Analogy To Use"

Someone must have told Ms. DNC the Jim Crow laws were the Democrats' idea.

But also, allowing ex-felons and illegal immigrants to vote with no ID is probably a side you don't really want to say is the image you equate with African Americans. And how she thinks the 2000 Gore Bush hanging chad fiasco fits in here is bizarre. Bush, as you recall, won that district; it was the Democrats who didn't want to believe minority voters could choose anyone but whom they were told to vote for.

HotAirPundit: Debbie Wasserman Schultz: "Jim Crow Was The Wrong Analogy To Use"

Do what I say, not what I do--Democrats

According to a 2008 article at American Thinker by Randall Hoven, lawyers and law firms are heavy donors to the Democratic party, with 76% of all donations to Democrats, the same percentage as Hollywood. (BTW, this is a paltry number compared to Democrats in the library profession.)

American Thinker Blog: Lawyers and the Democrats

So why, if they are so liberal and progressive, are law firms doing such a poor job of recruiting African Americans into their profession, even with affirmative action?

According to a completely unrelated article by James Lindgren in the Journal of Contemporary Legal issues, Vol. 17, 2008, "In 1960, 2.0% of male lawyers and judges ages 36-45 were African Americans. After several decades of affirmative action, in 2000 the proportion in the same age group has grown only modestly to 2.8% of male lawyers. Since the 1980 Census (when most African-American lawyers ages 31-65 would have graduated from law school before the era of affirmative action in law school admissions), the changes for African-American men have been even less impressive in employment by private firms and companies: from 1.8% of males in 1980 to 2.1% in 2000."

The Private and Public Employment of African-American Lawyers, 1960-2000 by James Lindgren :: SSRN

And in yet another unrelated statistic from the census, the anecdotal evidence that blacks are losing out in self-employment apparently isn't true either. Without affirmative action, they haven't done that much worse than the lawyers. Self-employed blacks have gone from 3.6% to 4.1% since 1960, compared to 11.1% to 11.4% for whites. It is down for both groups over the last 100 years.

GK Chesterton comments on the Weiner scandal

Not really, but he does talk about small, round, hard things. . . like Weiner's . . . brain.

"A small circle is quite as infinite as a large circle; but, though it is quite as infinite, it is not so large.

In the same way the insane explanation is quite as complete as the sane one, but is not so large.

A bullet is quite as round as the world, but it is not the world. . .

A lunatic's theory explains a large number of things, but it does not explain them in a large way. I mean that if you or I were dealing with a mind that was growing morbid, we should be chiefly concerned not so much to give it arguments as to give it air, to convince it that there was something cleaner and cooler outside the suffocation of a single argument."

Delusional Democrats and Union Thugs in Wisconsin

Kathleen Vinehout, a Wisconsin state senator who fled to Illinois to avoid her duty to her constituents said this after an improbable naive and hopelessly pious statement about honor and harmony too bizarre to even quote:

On March 9th, Republican Leaders invented a new process of passing a bill, without warning, without a hearing and without even a bill on the Senate floor. Republican Leaders engaged in legislative trickery to deny us the democratic process; seeking only to advance their national agenda.

James Lindgren offers another view at "SSRN, Social Science Research Network" which probably state Democrats routinely ignore, just has they ignore the national one.

This essay takes a brief and preliminary look at the remedies available to the Wisconsin Senate to enact its 2011 proposed budget legislation without Democratic senators who fled the state in February 2011. Article VIII, §8 of the Wisconsin Constitution requires a three-fifths quorum only for statutes that are fiscal, that is, statutes that actually appropriate money, impose taxes, create a debt, or release a claim owed to the state. Even then, these categories have consistently been interpreted in the most limited form conceivable.

Weiner's wife and marriage

It's been a surprise to me that the slogan of the day (the last 2 days) for Associated Press (distributed to multiple syndicates) has been that the "Weiners have a strong marriage." Look, she was out of the country when the scandal broke, he was using her absenses which are frequent since she's Hillary's aide to sext his on-line buddies, and they've both been using the Clintons as mentors. I supposed that's a fool's idea of a strong marriage, but if she hangs in there with him, she's just another abused Muslim wife married to a despot. It's in her tradition.

How great a lover and husband can he be? In order to achieve those erection photos, he needed to be masturbating while excitedly anticipating others seeing it. Who really gets that overwrought by the sight of the erect male member other than other males? Who buys all those male porn magazines--other men. There will probably be more to come out of the closet for this guy. There are some secular Jews who don't like Israel although they may see themselves as Jews (Weiner actually is pro-Israel except for his party choice), and some married men who don't really like or respect women, may love their own wife (again, Weiner has a strange way of showing devotion and loyalty). I'm just saying. . .

Father's Day is June 19--think about it!

"To everyone who had a great dad who was always there for you, great. And if you got a crummy one in life's father lottery, well, honor him anyway. The Bible promises you a blessing if you do. It's the only one of the Ten Commandments that comes with a promise.

Men who marry the mother of their children reverse the devastation of childhood poverty. It's worth more than a college education in family economics compared to the single mom household. On the other hand, married dads who walk out on the family, usually for another, younger version of the wife of their youth, hurt everyone involved, including his kids, friends and community." Norma Bruce, June 20, 2010

Why are librarians' salaries so low?

From my blog 5 years ago, March 2006.

There are people needing promotion and tenure to study this, but here's my take. Librarians have no organization to represent their own interests. Oh, they have lots of organizations--out the wazoo--but just look at the names: American Library Association; Medical Library Association; Association of College and Research Libraries; California Library Association. Do you know what my husband's professional organization is called? The American Institute of Architects. Get it? It is representing ARCHITECTS. People, not government entities or buildings. And although I'm sure it leans left like most professional organizations, I haven't heard that the AIA is trying to get President Bush impeached while they redesign cities in Mississippi as service projects.

"Librarians and library workers are under-valued, and most people, whether members of the public, elected officials, faculty, corporate executives, or citizen board members, have little or no idea of the complexity of the work we do." from California Library Association web site.

In my opinion, this inclusion of “library workers” in all attempts to get the professional, degreed salaried librarians paid a fair wage worthy of a master's or higher degree is part of the problem. “Library workers” may have high school degrees or they may have PhDs in Victorian Poetry or Trombone Performance, but they are not degreed librarians. This may explain why people (even librarians) believe the degree isn’t important, and so the salaries can stay low. Anybody can do it, right? Just ask the ALA (which spins its wheels in political, i.e. federal and state, battles).

But, then, it's not my battle anymore--or even theirs. Librarianship is going the way of the buggy whip manufacturer. A few with special crafting skills are still needed, but it's not a career or profession anyone should reach for.

Daily challenges

Today someone gave me three of these.

Yes, Panera's cinnamon rolls--620 calories each, 24 grams of fat (There is a nutrition calculator on the internet.) On the plus side, they do contain 20% rda of vitamin C and 13 grams of protein--that's more than a can of black beans! Right now, they are packaged separately and I'm debating their future. It's the last day of exercise class. Should I take them along and divide them among the ladies (and one man)? Should I put them in the freezer where they might call to me? What would you do?

Gingrich is deaf to his team's advice

"Newt Gingrich’s entire team of paid Iowa campaign staff, as well as his national spokesman and senior aides in New Hampshire and South Carolina, have resigned en masse, a staffer told The Des Moines Register.

“You have to be able to raise money to run a campaign and you have to invest time in fundraising and to campaign here in the state and I did not have the confidence that was going to be happening,” said Craig Schoenfeld, the Iowa executive director of Newt 2012."

Iowa caucuses


Go, go, gone Gingrich, I hope. There are some excellent people in the field. We don't need all his baggage.

Why we watch reality TV

OK. You caught me. I do watch some reality TV--like the people looking for 2nd homes in exotic places for $2.5 million on HGTV; the guys pimping their semi-trucks purple and pink; the fellows bidding on lockers full of stuff so that they can earn a living at auctions; occasionally a hoarding show on TLC; the clothes closet make-overs on What Not to Wear. Once in awhile I turn on one of those talent shows ala Arthur Godfrey 50 years ago. But never those shows that involve "rejection, elimination, and other forms of public humiliation." So why do people watch this stuff?

1) Connection; 2) Self esteem boost (Geez, I'm not THAT bad); 3) Social information (what NOT to do).

Right now I'm watching (sort of) the Weather Channel--first hurricane of the season is Adrienne, or Adrian (haven't seen its spelling). I suppose that's a reality show. We're having a neighborhood picnic tonight.

Psych Your Mind: Why we watch reality TV

Health disparities

The new golden goose. Disparities. It's must be the magic word for getting grant$$.

African-Americans have the highest life time risk for HIV (1 in 22) compared with whites (1 in 170) and Hispanics (1 in 52). Sociologists and government health workers try to attribute this to poverty, homophobia and housing, and increasingly, you see geographic location thrown in. However, this idea is repugnant, insulting and degrading to the millions of low income men and women who do not have multiple same sex partners or are not unfaithful to their spouses.

Tiger and Arnold (Austrian males have the highest rate of promiscuity) and Weiner are certainly not poor or powerless, nor lacking in health insurance, yet they've chosen a promiscuous life style endangering the women they married and the children they've conceived.

It is personal choices not neighborhood, not income, not race that determines whether one will have HIV. Unfortunately, that choice may be a man choosing not to tell his wife or girlfriend that he is gay and has been having sex with men. It is his own homophobia, not mine.

HIV/AIDS and African Americans | Topics | CDC HIV/AIDS
HIV, AIDS and Men Who Have Sex with Men
Fact Sheet

Wisconsin union protestors spoil the day for Special Olympians meeting with the governor

This is the "progressive" political philosophy that has brought about the death of over 90% of children with Down Syndrome aborting them before they catch their first breath. This is the thoughtless political philosophy that allows the President of the United States to yuck it up about their abilities, and late night comedians left wing bloggers to ridicule Sarah Palin's son. Did these young (and probably paid) "zombies" have any idea what they were doing? Maybe not. Brains of mush. The Olympians are much smarter, kinder and happier than this crew brought in by the unions.

Why read Chesterton today?

Recently I began reading G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy. So far, I've made it through the Introduction written by Philip Yancy, and part of Chapter 1. Actually, I've never cared much for Yancy's writings--he always seems so tentative and uncertain--I think because I just can't identify with what he's fleeing--fundamentalist, legalistic Christianity. Even in this small introduction, he continues to needle his strawman, stereotypical Christians. But he says in the Introduction that Chesterton revived his faith, and when he feels himself going dry, he goes to the bookshelves and pulls off a volume (in collected works it's possible he exceeds Luther and Calvin).

From the American Chesterton Society page:

All the issues we struggle with in the 21st century, Chesterton foresaw, and wrote about, in the early 20th century. Social injustice, the culture of death, statism, assaults on religion, and attacks on the family and on the dignity of the human person: Chesterton saw where these trends, already active in his time, would lead us. He was a witty, intelligent, and insightful defender of the poor, the downtrodden, the weak, and especially of the family. He loved good beer, good wine, and good cigars. He wrote in just about every genre: history, biography, novels, poetry, short stories, apologetics and theology, economic works, and more.

As a literary critic, Chesterton was without parallel. His biography of Charles Dickens is credited with sparking the Dickens revival in London in the early 20th century. His biography of St. Thomas Aquinas was called the best book on St. Thomas ever written, by no less than Etienne Gilson, the 20th century’s greatest Thomistic scholar. His books Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man are considered the 20th century’s finest works of Christian and Catholic apologetics. And audiences still delight in the adventures of Chesterton’s priest sleuth, Father Brown, as well as such timeless novels as The Man Who Was Thursday, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, and others.

I like this quote (from Yancy's introduction): "I tried to be some 10 minutes in advance of truth and I found that I was 1800 years behind it." Whether this applies to Chesterton's conversion to Roman Catholicism or his personal beliefs, I'm not sure, but I know that if it's truth you're seeking it's best to return to the basics.
American Chesterton Society

Why university libraries are becoming closets

When I returned to work in the late 1970s at Ohio State University Libraries, one niggling problem was "closet libraries," which had been set up by various specialties and faculties to serve their specific needs. I guess they thought the library system was not flexible enough or knowledgeable enough to handle them.

A few disappeared. There is no longer an Agricultural Economics reading room, an Arnold Credit library, the one that served plant pathologists, or the journal collection for the veterinary medical faculty on the third floor of Sisson Hall, or other special collections (I'm more familiar with the ones west of the river). But they just popped up somewhere else. Increasingly, these collections are digital, and although they may meet in Thompson Library (recently renovated), they long ago by-passed the library.
Six digital media collections containing over 850,000 media assets that will reach over 20,000 students in 105 course sections annually.

History Multimedia Database (Humanities)
Arts & Sciences Media Manager (Humanities)
Charles Csuri Archive (Arts)
History of Art Visual Resources Library (Arts)
Huntington Archive (Arts)
Knowlton School of Architecture Digital Library (Engineering)
Related project: Praise Poetry Video Database (Humanities)

And this is just the group that has a defined mission statement (committed to cutting through the red tape, sharing resources and making things work on a grassroots level--I think they mean library) and collegial arrangements for staff, faculty and course credit. There are others.

Now it's the main library (Thompson) that has become the closet for books in special collections.

Social media for the MSM editors

"Editors from major newsrooms around the country, including CNN, 60 Minutes, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times, will arrive on [the Ohio State University] campus next week for the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism's social media KipCamp. They will spend the week exploring how to leverage Facebook, tweet strategically, tell better visual stories and more." No mention in the blurb of conservative news sources, nor the dangers of blogging and microblogging. I hope they rush someone in to cover the Weiner type problems and the reasons the left defended him, and even now are saying it was just sex instead of a culture of cover ups and hypocrisy.

A list of the fellows from AP, NPR, CBS, WaPo, NBC and various environmentalist journalists, all on the warming bandwidth.

The dignity of work

This is a repeat from a blog I wrote in 2006 after working at the food pantry.

Did you know that the "working poor" families and the welfare families in this country have about the same income, but the working families by percentage of income are the most generous of any group? Yes, they donate a higher percentage of their incomes than do the wealthiest income group; and welfare families with about the same income give almost nothing to others. There is dignity in work and self-sufficency. Occasionally, something happens to people of limited means--maybe grandchildren have to be taken in, or a heating bill is outrageous, the support check doesn't come, or there's an illness, so they need a little boost from the food pantry.

Nearly all of Texas’ anti-abortion subcontractors are Christian groups

This is wrong. Morally and ethically and pragmatically. It weakens the churches and prevents them from proclaiming their message of salvation to people who are poor, suffering and vulnerable.

From 2006 to 2010, the state spent $11.7 million on its Texas Alternatives to Abortion Services Program, with nearly $7 million of that finding its way to 33 nonprofits (all but one with Christian affiliations) via the state’s primary contractor, the nonprofit Texas Pregnancy Care Network, according to public records obtained by the Texas Independent.
The Alternatives to Abortion Program — funded by state and federal money — was created in the 2005 legislative session for “the development and operation of a statewide program for females focused on pregnancy support services that promote childbirth,” according to the contract between the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and TPCN.

Nearly all of Texas’ anti-abortion subcontractors are Christian groups | The Washington Independent

Whether it's pregnancy services, summer lunch programs, food pantries, tutoring and language services, housing programs, financial counseling or jobs programming, churches need to cut the siphon that leads to the federal and state governments' money tank. If we're not allowed to discuss Christian marriage with the recipient of counseling services, or tell Bible stories while the children eat lunch, then it's time to ask member Christians for more money and tell the feds to get out of your church.

More signs of late brain maturity--stress from debt

"Researchers [at Ohio State University] found that the more credit card and college loan debt held by young adults aged 18 to 27, the higher their self-esteem and the more they felt like they were in control of their lives. The effect was strongest among those in the lowest economic class.

Only the oldest of those studied – those aged 28 to 34 – began showing signs of stress about the money they owed." Rachel Dwyer

I suspect the researchers should have included in the study the amount of alcohol and drugs these 20-somethings ingested as teen-agers. That's a known factor for destroyed brain cells, or slowing their maturity.

But then, what's Congress' excuse?