I used to think that technology could help education. I’ve probably spearheaded giving away more computer equipment to schools than anybody else on the planet. But I’ve had to come to the inevitable conclusion that the problem is not one that technology can hope to solve. What’s wrong with education cannot be fixed with technology. No amount of technology will make a dent. The problems are sociopolitical. The problems are unions. You plot the growth of the NEA [National Education Association] and the dropping of SAT scores, and they’re inversely proportional. The problems are unions in the schools. The problem is bureaucracy.
I have a 17-year-old daughter who went to a private school for a few years before high school. This private school is the best school I’ve seen in my life. It was judged one of the 100 best schools in America. It was phenomenal. The tuition was $5,500 a year, which is a lot of money for most parents. But the teachers were paid less than public school teachers – so it’s not about money at the teacher level. I asked the state treasurer that year what California pays on average to send kids to school, and I believe it was $4,400. While there are not many parents who could come up with $5,500 a year, there are many who could come up with $1,000 a year.
If we gave vouchers to parents for $4,400 a year, schools would be starting right and left. People would get out of college and say, ’Let’s start a school.’ You could have a track at Stanford within the MBA program on how to be the businessperson of a school. And that MBA would get together with somebody else, and they’d start schools. And you’d have these young, idealistic people starting schools, working for pennies.
They’d do it because they’d be able to set the curriculum… God, how exciting that could be! But you can’t do it today. You’d be crazy to work in a school today. You don’t get to do what you want. You don’t get to pick your books, your curriculum. You get to teach one narrow specialisation. Who would ever want to do that?
These are the solutions to our problems in education. Unfortunately, technology isn’t it. You’re not going to solve the problems by putting all knowledge onto CD-ROMs. We can put a website in every school – none of this is bad. It’s bad only if it lulls us into thinking we’re doing something to solve the problem with education.
Lincoln did not have a website at the log cabin where his parents home-schooled him, and he turned out pretty interesting. Historical precedent shows that we can turn out amazing human beings without technology. Precedent also shows that we can turn out very uninteresting human beings with technology. It’s not as simple as you think when you’re in your 20s – that technology’s going to change the world. In some ways it will, in some ways it won’t.
According to today's Lantern (student newspaper OSU), Laurence and Isabel Barnett have donated six million to the College of Arts and Sciences to establish a new arts center and to support renovations. Good for them. He's been in the business end of the arts and made a fortune. Why aren't the Occupy Crowd of Columbus protesting his wealth? Why are all the liberals in academe who were so squishy a few months ago in their support of capitalism, now bowing and scraping--Shanda, dean of arts and humanities, Gee president of the university, and Murray, OSU spokesperson. This also isn't the first gift the Barnetts have given OSU.
"Born in Orville, Ohio, Larry Barnett attended The Ohio State University as a business major in the 1930s and found that his talent as a violinist would fund college expenses. His band played at many Columbus venues, but work and school took their toll; he became ill and left school one quarter short of graduation. Following his recovery, Barnett took a job in the talent department of Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). When Music Corporation of America (MCA) bought CBS's talent division, Barnett went with MCA. In 1963, he became board chairman and president of General Artists Corporation, and when it was acquired by Chris-Craft Industries, Barnett we appointed vice president of Chris-Craft as well as vice chairman and director of United Television, Inc. When he retired in 1988, Barnett contacted Ohio State about his unfinished business here, and after completing an independent studies project with Professor Donald Sexton in the College of Business, he received his bachelor's degree. In 1996 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Ohio State."
Adam Corolla who came to my attention when his rant against OWS was played on Glenn Beck's radio show was interviewed on Glenn's TV show tonight. Corolla says when he was a kid his mom was on welfare, and when he asked her why she didn't get a job she told him she would lose her benefits. He decided then he didn't want that. But he was a poor student and an average-to-good athlete, so he did manual labor and didn't go to college. I'm not sure how he got into comedy and talking, but when he lost his radio job, he started a podcast and website, and says now he's proud to employ people and pay taxes. He and Glenn have that in common. Seven years ago Glenn employed three people, and now he employs 120. His recent back problems (3 minutes before show time last Monday) must cause him concern knowing he's the support of 120 families.
Corolla has a new book, Rich man Poor man, released today digitally. So if you have a Kindle, you can buy it. (I don't.)
In Rich Man Poor Man, comedian and bestselling author Adam Carolla exposes the phenomena that are embraced by the really rich and the really poor–but never the middle class–like having an outdoor shower, wearing your pajamas all day, or always having your dog with you. Combining Adam’s inimitable comedic voice and four-color illustrations by his friend Michael Narren, Rich Man Poor Man is a hilariously accurate look at what the people born with silver spoons in their mouths have in common with the people whose only utensils are plastic sporks stolen from a Shakey’s.
To help save the economy, the Government will announce next
month that the Immigration Department will start deporting
seniors (instead of illegals) in order to lower Social Security
and Medicare costs.
Older people are easier to catch and will not remember how
to get back home. I started to cry when I thought of you.
Then it dawned on me ... oh, darn,... I'll see you on the bus!
One of the books in my collection belonged to my mother's mother--and I think it is her Ashton high school American history textbook, "The leading facts of American history" by D. H. Montgomery, (Boston: Ginn & Co., 1891) On the title page: "America is another word for Opportunity." -- Emerson. The reason I'm not positive it was high school is because she did attend college in Mt. Morris, Illinois and it is written more like an expanded outline. There are a number of interesting tables, charts, graphs and appendices. The Table of States and Territories provides meaning of the name, date of admission, first settlement, sq. miles, population in 1790 and in 1890. Interestingly, Ohio admitted in 1803, is the first state listed as settled by Americans, with the first settlement in Marietta. The second state settled by Americans was Iowa. The 3rd and 4th were Minnesota and Oregon.
This afternoon Hallmark has a Valerie Bertanelli movie, "Personally Yours," where an Alaskan divorced mother of three children realizes she still loves her husband. The children nominate him for bachelor or something, and he gets a ton of e-mail including some from her.
But what I walked in on (a 2000 movie now 12 years old) was her discussion with her very young teen daughter about sex. "I'm just old fashioned enough," says mom, "to think love comes before sex." Wow. Now isn't that helpful advice. What teen-ager from a broken family doesn't know about LOVE! Even a reviewer at the Christian Cinema site got warm and fuzzy over that one.
"The film does contain good relationships between the siblings; a positive message about being fortunate if you realize what you have; and a thoughtful discussion about sex as mom and daughter discuss the subject, with the girl realizing love should come first."
The Obama administration has delayed its decision on the pipeline until after the election. According to Bloomberg, this means that the pipeline will not be completed until at least 2015. Had the pipeline been given the green light this November, thousands of valuable construction jobs would have been immediately created and in 2013 the pipeline would have come on stream. But instead this administration prefers to export jobs and US dollars overseas, squandering $70,000,000 per day.
Or something. My grandmother used to clip crochet and quilt patterns from newspapers and magazines. One yellowed 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" newspaper clipping from The Inter Ocean for a "Pretty Edging" fell out of a child's book today. On the back is a dispatch from Honolulu about the "territorial bill is finally passed with the amendments."
Within a few hours of its passing on April 14 protests broke out. There was a deportation plan and a no liquor sold in saloons provision. To deport all contract laborers who have come here within the last year would mean sending back to Japan 30,000 people and would leave the sugar plantations helpless, for the whites will not do the work. All agree it would ruin the main industry of the islands.
Nothing ever changes when it comes to immigrant labor, does it? But I don't have a year for this, so I looked through a number of sites, most sort of nasty condemnations of "American Imperialism" and finally settled on a small section from Hawaii State History Guide.
Hawaii was a native kingdom throughout most of the 19th century, when the expansion of the vital sugar industry (pineapple came after 1898) meant increasing U.S. business and political involvement. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani was deposed and a year later the Republic of Hawaii was established with Sanford B. Dole as president. Then, following its annexation in 1898, Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900.
In 1900 the islands were made a territory, with Dole as governor. In this period, Hawaii's pineapple industry expanded as pineapples were first grown for canning purposes. In 1937 statehood for Hawaii was proposed and refused by the U.S. Congress the territory's mixed population and distance from the U.S. mainland were among the obstacles.
I still don't know what deporting Japanese contract labor had to do with it. It could have been they feared the Japanese immigrants would then go to the mainland for better wages. But, on the other hand (or other side) the edging was supposed to be nice for children's underwear or aprons.
The Inter Ocean was a Chicago newspaper printed weekly that was very popular, and my great-grandfather, David George, of Ashton, Illinois, subscribed. Grandma Mary, the youngest of his 4 children, had many clippings from this paper in her childhood scrap books.
So many singers have this sound: someone is sitting on his chest to place a clothes pin on his nose.
It seems to be both secular and religious genre. Latest one I heard was on Catholic radio, but that painful twang can be heard just about universally, with either acoustic or electric guitar, whether singing to God or the girlfriend.
We were talking about the "Souper Bowl" where we collect cans of soup for the food pantry to coincide with the Super Bowl. She said she buys the cheapest off brands because she can get more and so it goes further. But does it? Look at the first and second ingredients. Look at the fillers and thickeners. Not all "unbrands" or house brands are poor quality, but many are. Try them first. If you wouldn't feed it to your family, perhaps other families don't need it either. Someone in poor health or looking for work or mentally ill needs the best nutrition, not the poorest.
Choosing a candidate.
Your mileage will vary. The economy won't be my first consideration--our debt is so bad, the country may never be able to recover no matter who is president. Obama has secured his place in history. In my lifetime I've been in 4 of the 5 quintiles, higher is a better living standard, but not always the best for friendships and family. We're at the bottom again (pensioners), and life is good.
1) Respect for Life; if the candidate isn't pro-life, won't protect a human life with the strength and power of the office, he doesn't get my consideration--scratch Ron Paul.
2) Restoration of the values and morals that led my ancestors to flee their country, roots and family and come here even before it was a recognized country early in the 18th century--again scratch Ron Paul--libertarians have many wonderful ideas they share with conservatives, but not enough for me. I don't care how he salutes the flag or if he wears a flag pin, but he needs to respect the Christian faith and how it established the freedoms we enjoy and the protections it affords other faiths.
3) A person of character I can point to with pride--scratch Newt Gingrich, who is a fabulous lecturer and debator, but seems vague about recent history (especially his own) although he claims to be a historian and wants to make his most recent mistress the first lady.
4) So that leaves (although I haven't had the news on today) Romney, Santorum and Huntsman. I will do more research on those left standing on my list.
And no, I'm not afraid of Mormons (and Gingrich's ads know many conservative Christians are because he used to be a Baptist), but I am afraid of 9/11 truthers and Paul supporters certainly fall into that hole--along with many wild eyed leftists like Rosie and Van Jones. I'm also afraid of those who don't appreciate that in many cases, our government has done a wonderful job--it's just that when the job is over, those "civil servants" never think enough is enough. We voters are the ones who turned over so much power to the Executive branch. Republicans included. And if a man's wife can't trust him, neither can I. I don't care how many annulments the Pope gives Gingrich, he was baptized a Lutheran and I think that is nonsense.
"Ron Paul’s libertarian suspicion of big government defense spending, has been deliberately fostered and encouraged by the most anti libertarian elements in the land – the US hard left.
Ron Paul, and many libertarians think they can work with the left to achieve libertarian ends.
The hard bitten Leninists and disciplined Marxists of the left know they can use naive libertarians to achieve their ends – particularly to gut America’s defenses to the benefit of their foreign masters.
In short, the US left is using Ron Paul and other libertarians, to do what their armies and intelligence services have long dreamed of – destroying America’s military superiority, and with it, US national sovereignty.
By promoting the left’s defense policies, Ron Paul, a man of patriotism beyond question, could be unknowingly betraying his own country to its enemies."
James Taranto (Wall St. Journal) writes, Gingrich has helped to define Romney as the defender of free enterprise:
[Gingrich] presence in the race has been helpful to likely nominee Romney. The former speaker's wretched and unprincipled attacks on the front-runner's business record--which "made no sense," as Gingrich himself acknowledged before he made them (hat tip: Rich Lowry)--previewed the inevitable Obama attacks coming this fall, with both inoculative and preparatory benefits for Romney.
To judge by Romney's victory speech last night, the latter effect has been impressive.
President Obama wants to put free enterprise on trial. In the last few days, we have seen some desperate Republicans join forces with him. This is such a mistake for our Party and for our nation. This country already has a leader who divides us with the bitter politics of envy. We must offer an alternative vision. I stand ready to lead us down a different path, where we are lifted up by our desire to succeed, not dragged down by a resentment of success. In these difficult times, we cannot abandon the core values that define us as unique--We are One Nation, Under God.
Make no mistake, in this campaign, I will offer the American ideals of economic freedom a clear and unapologetic defense. Our campaign is about more than replacing a President; it is about saving the soul of America. This election is a choice between two very different destinies.
Please note a key provision of Obamacare requiring insurers to cover all contraception services, and pay attention to the squishy words--
a fuller range of contraceptive education, counseling, methods, and services so that women can better avoid unwanted pregnancies and space their pregnancies to promote optimal birth outcomes
These services will be included in the MINIMUM package of essential health benefits by August 2012. If you're an employer with 50 women, only 2 of child bearing age, too bad. This package will be available to all.
How long has contraception been pushed as the answer to 1) better health for women, 2) healthier "wanted" babies, and a 3) solution for poverty? But according the statistics half of U.S. pregnancies are unintended. This is a boon for pharmaceutical companies and various contraceptive technologies like IUDs and implants, but will the Catholic church's teachings on natural family planning be included in that "all contraceptive methods, as well as education and counseling?" I doubt it. But Catholic hospitals, doctors, nurses will be required to violate their beliefs and church teaching. If we still had a first amendment that protected religious beliefs from the government instead of the upside down 1962 decision by the Supreme Court based on no precedents and contrary to the what the Founders intended, religious groups would have a better case.
There are already law suits making their way through the courts.
“(It’s) whether or not people, or in our case universities, who have seriously held moral convictions against abortion, should nonetheless be required to pay for it and support it, and endorse it, in effect,” Armstrong said.
The departments of Health and Human Services and Labor and Treasury have been named in the lawsuit charging, “A deliberate attack by the government on the religious beliefs of the Colorado Christian and millions of other Americans.”
And remember these are the promises of a candidate, and we all recall how that worked in 2008.
Below are some of Romney’s more piquant criticisms of Obama, juxtaposed with what he would do differently if elected president:
This President puts his faith in government. We put our faith in the American people.
He is making the federal government bigger, burdensome, and bloated. I will make it simpler, smaller, and smarter.
He raised the national debt. I will cut, cap, and balance the budget.
He enacted job-killing regulations; I’ll eliminate them.
He lost our AAA credit rating; I’ll restore it.
He passed Obamacare; I’ll repeal it.
When it comes to the economy, my highest priority as President will be worrying about your job, not saving my own.
Internationally, President Obama has adopted an appeasement strategy. He believes America’s role as leader in the world is a thing of the past. I believe a strong America must – and will – lead the future.
He doesn’t see the need for overwhelming American military superiority. I will insist on a military so powerful no one would think of challenging it.
He chastises friends like Israel; I’ll stand with our friends.
He apologizes for America; I will never apologize for the greatest nation in the history of the Earth.
Our plans are protect freedom and opportunity, and our blueprint is the Constitution of the United States.
I stopped by the Upper Arlington Public Library today to return 2 books I didn't read--one on laptops and one on i-pods. Or was it i-pad. But I did find the Teddy Roosevelt book we're doing for bookclub next month. The records are extremely difficult to read, so I had actually reserved one thinking they were all checked out, but one was on the shelf, so a staff person had to remove my reserve.
Then I went to the New Books Non-Fiction shelf. This is always an interesting exercise because I always look through the 200s--religion. Those darn Christians--the shelf is wiped clean as usual! Just other religions like wicca, four on Judaism and a "why I left the [right wing] church" title. You can't even find a Christian book on this library's "holiday" book list. But that's old news. I blogged about that before.
But I see on the new book list they do have Glenn Beck's new book on George Washington. One. With seventeen holds.
Ah yes, banning books in the selection process. A time honored tradition.
Fog, whose real name is Rob, explains how tax cuts work.
ECON 102: Taxes. Tax receipts are a non-linear, inverse function of tax rates. I.e., when rates are cut, economic activity is stimulated and tax receipts increase.
Corollary: Economic activity is NOT a zero-sum game. I.e., the rich are not getting rich at the expense of the poor.
And then he ponders. Why must the liberals continue to blame the rich?
Cut and simplify personal income taxes by cutting the number of tax rates to just two - 10% and 28% and return to Reagan era pro-growth tax rate;
Simplify the tax code and reduce middle income taxes by eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT);
Simplify the tax code, encourage savings and investment, and reduces taxes by eliminating the Death Tax;
Lower the Capital Gains and Dividend tax rates to 12% to spur economic growth and investment;
Reduce taxes for families by tripling the personal deduction for each child;
Reduce and simplify taxes for families by eliminating marriage tax penalties throughout the federal tax code;
Retain deductions for charitable giving, home mortgage interest, healthcare, retirement savings, and children;
Eliminate the cap on deductions for losses incurred in the sale of a principal residence;
Cut the corporate income tax rate in half to make our businesses competitive around the world, from 35% to 17.5%;
Eliminate the corporate income tax for manufacturers to spur middle income job creation in the United States and benefit from the job multiplier effect in manufacturing;
Increase the Research & Development Tax Credit from 14% to 20% and make it permanent to spur on innovation in America;
Eliminate the tax on repatriated taxable corporate income invested for manufacturers equipment investment, 5.25% corporate tax rate on other repatriated income invested in the USA, and 100% expensing for new business equipment;
Seventy percent of Internet porn traffic occurs during normal work hours (between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.), with people in the Eastern time zone accounting for 30% of Internet porn use.
Wouldn't you be anxious to leave, too? Sinking ship (I hope).
Daley gave his letter of resignation to the president in a private meeting in the Oval Office last week, recounting the administration's successes of his one year on the job and saying it was time for him to return to his hometown of Chicago.
President Obama made the news official this afternoon [Jan. 9] in a brief appearance in the state dining room of the White House, where he told reporters in somber tones that he is sorry to see Daley leave.
"Sweden is now the first and only country to recognize Kopimism as a religion, the group said.
"For the Church of Kopimism, information is holy and copying is a sacrament," it said in a statement. "Information holds a value, in itself and in what it contains, and the value multiplies through copying. Therefore, copying is central for the organization and its members."
Philosophy student Isak Gerson, spiritual leader and founder of the Church of Kopimism, said being recognized by Sweden is a big step towards removing the stigma around copying.
"Hopefully, this is one step towards the day when we can live out our faith without fear of persecution," Gerson said in a statement. PC magazine
Today our bookclub met at Panera's on High Street to discuss "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski which was an Ophrah selection in 2008, and is a retelling of the Hamlet story, which Shakespeare retold from an old, well known story. I wasn't enthusiastic about this book (huge and a bit wordy), but finally sat down on the week-end and plowed about 2/3 through, skipping some sections. An amazing Edgar, who can't speak, and amazing dogs. And the story takes place in Wisconsin, so I felt a little at home. Actually, once I got into the story, I started to enjoy it. It was a lively and enthusiastic group, although smaller than usual. Our leader, Judy, did an excellent job providing additional resources.
Remaining titles for February through May:
The Big Burn; Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that saved America
The Good Earth
Wait Till New Year
Hold Up the Sky
"For many decades women have struggled to overcome past stereotypes that narrowly define what it means to be female. Similarly, males have struggled to correctly position themselves in light of females’ newfound identify and empowerment. In many ways identity continues to be reshaped; and few forums are more public and more fraught with pitfalls than reality television, where outlandish behavior from both genders is encouraged, rewarded, branded, and packaged as lifestyle. The overwhelming popularity of the genre leaves many to wonder, “Where have young men and women arrived?” This study takes an in-depth look at language to examine gender portrayals in the most watched reality cable shows among children and teens ages 12 to 17. The findings paint an unfortunate picture of questionable progress for males and females.
Based on Nielsen data, four MTV shows ranked as the most-watched during the 2011 television season. They included: Jersey Shore, Real World, Teen Mom 2, and 16 and Pregnant. Analysts conducted content analysis on the most recent full season of each show. Study variables for this examination were designed to track and reflect the language as well as the context and tone of that language." From Executive Summary, Reality on MTV; gender portrayals
See full report by Parents Television Council here.
"Females talked about sex acts more than men, talked about sex more graphically than men, mentioned sexual body parts more than men, and talked about intercourse and preliminaries to intercourse more than men."
Apparently, this is a real turn-on for the male writers and producers, who are making a lot of money from turning these women into sluts.
Most days I have the same breakfast. An apple, handful of walnuts, and raw carrots. I figure if I'm careless the rest of the day, at least I've covered some of the basics, plus without grain, dairy or sugar in my system, I don't get hungry. Today I read:
"The FDA has recently allowed a qualified health claim to be placed on packages of nuts, including walnuts, which says "Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."
This 1.5-ounce serving would equal about 20 walnut halves, which would have about 277 calories, about 14% of a 2,000-calorie diet. For some people, this amount of walnuts, and this amount of calories from one food, would be excessive and would not be a prudent step to take towards their health goals. Yet, for other people this amount would fit perfectly in a meal plan and would increase its health benefits.
The serving size we feature on our website, one-quarter (1/4) cup (approximately 10 walnut halves), still provides a good amount of nutrients, but only has about 160 calories—approximately 8% of a 2,000 calorie diet." George Mateljan, World's Healthiest Foods
Women of the Word (WOW) of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church is doing an 8 week study with video and workbooks with Beth Moore called Mercy Triumphs. There are four different opportunities to be in a study: Tuesday evening 6:45 at Mill Run; Thursday morning at 9 at Lytham Road, and 12:30 in the afternoon at Mill Run, and Saturday morning at 9:15 at Lytham Road. Today we did the introduction which examined the family relationship between James and Jesus, and between us and our natural family and our church family.
From a review
If you’re familiar with Beth Moore’s ministry, you know that James: Mercy Triumphs is also a homework-driven study. Although the teaching segments are powerful, daily homework assignments take the participant deep into the meaning of the simple but profound teaching found in James.
The sessions are designed to be a combination of large group and small group components. James: Mercy Triumphs allows Bible studies or small groups to take advantage of the compelling teaching style of Beth Moore, allowing study leaders to focus their attention on the administrative and coordination aspects along with small group facilitation.
A well-designed Leader Guide is included in the Leader Kit (along with a copy of the Member Book and DVDs. Member books as well as additional Leader Guides are available. With two table discussion options to choose from for every session, there is plenty here for your leaders to work with as they prepare for and facilitate the session.
For participants who want to dive a little deeper, this study also includes a next level aspect with articles by Melissa Moore Fitzpatrick (Moore’s daughter). Taking a look at subjects like the Acts 21 reference to the Nazirite Vow, unity and diversity, perfection, and Paul’s collection for the Jerusalem church, these reading provide some fascinating insights into the world of the early church.
The fifth level of participation is to memorize the book of James. I've always had difficulty with memorization, so I won't do that level, but I can do the other four.
Did you care about politics when you were in third grade? Did your children or grandchildren. I was learning to ride a bike, playing with dolls, and imagining someday I would own a horse. It's possible I knew who the president was.
Kid Pan Alley is a non-profit that promotes song writing among children. Gee, whatever happened to letting kids be kids, develop some life experiences, bumps and bruises, and then writing about it later and becoming mega-million rock stars or TV wannabees?
Kid Pan Alley, a foundation that works with elementary schoolchildren, will take more careful notice of the lyrical content of student-produced songs after an Oct. 21 concert at Woodbrook Elementary, Albemarle County [Virginia] schools spokesman Phil Giaramita said.
The concert, which culminated a songwriting workshop led by Kid Pan Alley, featured third-grade students singing a song that championed the Occupy movement. . .
The blog Big Government referred to the lyrics of the song as “Marxist rhetoric.”
“The simplistic left wing economic nonsense of this ditty boggles the mind. But to an impressionistic third grader, it plants poisonous seeds at odds with long egalitarian American traditions that disdain class hatred,” the blog states.
Jefferson Area Tea Party Chairwoman Carole Thorpe said she was skeptical that the lyrics to the song had come exclusively from third-graders.
“Even [after] a cursory glance at the lyrics to this song, I find it hard to believe that an eight-year-old would have something to say about the bubble bursting,” Thorpe said Tuesday. “I know it says on their website that the ideas come from the kids, but I would question how much input the facilitator had to do with writing the song.” Albemarle third-graders' Occupy song draws criticism | Daily Progress
Can't imagine the shorts in a knot (after wetting them) if a group of children had written something about Jesus and then performed it. No use even speculating. Lawyers for ACLU would have stopped the performance.
Jose Rico is the new "executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics." He was named to the post on Dec. 7, 2011, to assist President Obama's efforts to improve the academic achievement of Hispanic students. He has been in the administration as an advisor since April 2009, and most recently served as the White House Initiative's deputy director since Feb. 1, 2010. He has worked for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant Rights and New Leaders for new Schools program. He is a disciple of Mike Klonsky who created the small schools movement. Rico was a principal at Multicultural Arts High School for awhile in Chicago in this movement, 75% Hispanic and 25% black, and failed. Or rather his school did--very poor rating. Rico has worked with La Raza, a racist organization promoting hyper-loyalty to Mexico and which advocates taking over a number of southwestern states.
Mike Klonsky is one of the reasons I won't contribute to the funds appeals at the University of Illinois. The other reason is Bill Ayers. These characters have never apologized or done jail time for their anti-American activities in the 1960s-1970s. According to Wikipedia (not always the finest source, but certainly the quickest) "The Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist)'s predecessor organization, the October League (Marxist-Leninist), was founded in 1971 by several local groups, many of which had grown out of the radical student organization Students for a Democratic Society when SDS split apart in 1969. Michael Klonsky, who had been a national leader in SDS in the late 1960s, was the main leader of the CP(M-L)."
If Rico had needed Senate approval instead of appointment by presidential fiat he wouldn't have passed the sniff test, but recently Obama has decided to by-pass Congress on virtually everything. Even the lefties are raising their eyebrows, knowing it's a bad precedent, and the next president could be a Republican and "do unto others" as they have done to you.
"When even a New Republic writer suggests that Barack Obama's Wednesday recess appointments to the Consumer Protection Bureau and the National Labor Relations Board are probably unconstitutional, you know we're in for a good fight… at least if Senate Republicans have the courage to take it on.
The left-leaning Politico also notes that "… President Barack Obama’s decision to jam the Senate and install three labor nominees and a consumer watchdog without a confirmation vote raises unsettled legal questions that could have a long-lasting impact past his presidency."
On Sept. 26, 1996, the Senate was debating whether to ban partial-birth abortion, the procedure whereby the baby to be killed is almost delivered, feet first, until only a few inches of its skull remain in the birth canal, and then the skull is punctured, emptied, and collapsed.
Santorum asked two pro-choice senators opposed to the ban, Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., this: Suppose the baby slips out of the birth canal before it can be killed. Should killing it even then be a permissible choice? Neither senator would say no.
On Oct. 20, 1999, during another such debate, Santorum had a colloquy with pro-choice Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Santorum: "You agree that, once the child is born, separated from the mother, that that child is protected by the Constitution and cannot be killed. Do you agree with that?"
Boxer: "I think that when you bring your baby home . . ."
I think there are two of Obama's czars (Sunstein and Emanuel) who believe that within one year of birth it would be OK to kill a baby born alive. Obama is the only (then) Senator, as I recall, who actually approved of partial-birth abortion as described here, but you can see from this account, how careless Democrats are with life and which why when carried to its logical end, having life totally under the control of the government is acceptable to them.
Our Book Club on Monday will be tackling this book.
Whether it is capturing every nuance of puppy behavior (“when she ran a finger along his belly fur he squirmed to keep sight of her eyes”), following Edgar through the dictionary as he picks names for his first litter, “Essay,” “Pout,” “Tinder,” “Opal,” “Umbra,” or delivering long sections of narrative that Mr. Wroblewski himself has named intriguingly (“Three Griefs,” “What Hands Do”), this rich and hefty book never flags. NYT Book Review June 13, 2008
Maybe the book doesn't flag, but I did. It may be the most boring of boring books I've ever read--but thousands love it. I'll cheat.
Derek Thompson seems to think that married couples have children because of tax deductions. I've heard of welfare mothers having more babies because of the welfare check, the food stamps and housing allowance, but a deduction is hardly an inducement to go through 9 months of pregnancy and 20 years of dependency. Right now the tax code is quite anti-family--Thompson needs a lesson in history. You can tell Thompson is a Democrat--well, demographics tell us that, with 90% of reporters and journalists in bed with the party--but also, because the only way he can think to help the poor to to take more tax money from someone else, skim it for the politicians and government employees, and then look at a pie chart and feel good.
Saint Elizabeth Anne Seton was an Anglican with a large family who converted to Roman Catholicism after her husband's death. She founded the Sisters of Charity in the United States. This quote on living simply was featured today. I don't believe this.
Living simply has its own rewards, but it is always relative. Compared to some of our neighbors in our condo complex, we live simply. I am buying coffee in the morning for $.95 instead of $1.89 and putting the difference in our Haiti fund, but I could make it at home for five cents and put $2 in the kitty instead of one. A friend returned from India last Friday. She said the poverty was so appalling she could think of nothing but getting home to a shower and non-spicy food. She was so grateful for what we have!
Nothing is a more oppresive slave master than materialism and always wanting more stuff. Maybe we're not those hoarders like we see on reality TV, but our belongings own us. But there's no way that the stuff I don't lavish on myself makes it to a victim of the Haitian earthquake or the child of a low caste family that cleans latrines in India. Even if I were to take the money I saved and send it to a trusted NGO or Christian charity, there are just too many salaries to be paid and too many palms to be greased. What changes the lives of people is honest governments and solid infrastructures. Dictators will take your donation for an improved well and if there are no roads and no working trucks, the foodstuffs will be eaten by rats before it is ever unloaded at the dock or airport.
You do what you can because it is the right thing to do, not because you will change someone else's life. Look through Matthew 25 and what Jesus says about the poor, the imprisoned, the thirsty, the ill. He never promises a changed world; only a changed you.
Obama can't be blamed for Europe's very serious economic crisis--they are socialists and they did it to themselves. I do blame him for his promises during the 2008 campaign, which so frightened America's business community, particularly smaller businesses, that you could see them shuttering their plans for expansion, hiring and investment as soon as he was chosen the Democrat candidate in July 2008. Add to that the hostile take over of Congress by the Democrats in January 2007, and we had 2 full years of weak investments and tightening of belts before he ever took office. The crazy mortgage crisis was bi-partisan--putting people into mortgages who couldn't afford them benefitted banks and politicians like Frank and Pelosi, and utopian fantasies that the left has saddled us with since the 19th century and can be credited to Carter, Clinton and Bush, not Obama.
Obama is a progressive (the popular word), a socialist (not so popular) which is just the foundation for communism, the word that's never spoken because it's so old fashioned and discredited these days. He hasn't been in power long enough to be blamed for everything that's wrong in Washington, but look at his Illinois record, his Senate record, his associates and his appointments, and you see a pattern; you see basic values (the government is the solution to everything) and crony capitalism. Philosophically and economically, he's the love child of Saul Alinsky and George Soros. In a way, it's unfair to make him run on his record, but he's the one who elevated the blame game to Super Bowl proportions, who never takes responsibility, who saddled business with an unworkable health bill that no one read, who's such a narcissist he actually thinks he's the 4th best President in our history!!!! He puts himself above Washington, Jefferson and Adams. OMG!! The man has a lose screw and even his most devout supporters realize this now. He can't be trusted with the economy.
On the way home from the coffee shop this morning I was listening to a discussion of death and judgement by two Catholics. Frankly, I can't imagine why Catholics even talk about Jesus--the Christian life and faith seem to be one of pleading, pleasing, payment and purgatory. I'm not sure what they think happened on the cross, but whatever it was, it wasn't good enough to have the assurance in this life of eternal life. There is a rule for absolutely everything, and the church has written and defined the rule based on the flimsiest scriptural evidence.
"We have only one life to live, only one. Think of this for a moment. Here we are in this world of time making the journey of life. Each day we are farther from the cradle and nearer the grave. Solemn thought. See the mighty concourse of human lives; hear their heavy tread in their onward march. Some are just beginning life's journey; some are midway up the hill, some have reached the top, and some are midway down the western slope. But where are we all going? Listen, and you will hear but one answer—"Eternity." Beyond the fading, dying gleams of the sunset of life lies a boundless, endless ocean called Eternity. Thitherward you and I are daily traveling."
I stood beside the open sea;
The ships went sailing by;
The wind blew softly o'er the lea;
The sun had cloudless sky.
Some ships sailed eastward, some sailed west,
Some north, some southward trend.
How can ships sail this way and that?
But one way blows the wind.
An old sea-captain made reply
(His locks with salt-spray wet):
"'Tis not the wind decides the course;
'Tis way the sails are set."
(Some sources attributed this poem to Edna Wheeler Wilcox, but hers is different but similar, and Orr died before hers is dated)
Until I read this article in the Dec. 22, 2011 New England Journal of Medicine I didn't know what ptosis was--it means drooping eyelid. What interested me about this story was that the patient who woke up one morning with a drooping eyelid was in her 90s. She was living independently, and walking 50-60 minutes a day, but she also had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, and a number of ailments known to the elderly plus a pace maker put in 5 years earlier. She was taking a long list of medications plus vitamins. Then she was started down a long road of tests, more medications, hospitalizations and rehabilitations for 8 weeks. Several CT scans, fluid restriction, lab tests, physical tests, ECG, chest radiographs, special diets (she was having difficulty swallowing), supplemental oxygen, a neck collar (for muscle weakness), intravenous administration of 5 drugs and 2 more with a nebulizer. Mercifully, after eight weeks of being a lab animal, she and her family decided for comfort measures only, and she died in 3 days.
After ruling out various things with the CT the doctors had pretty much settled on myasthenia gravis with a thymoma (tumor) which was confirmed in the autopsy. I read a few articles on the internet and thought her symptoms (even with no tests) sounded like MG. There's even a blood test for it, but I didn't see where she had that one--but maybe I missed it in the long list of other tests. There is no indication in the article if all this was done because she insisted, or whether doctors just keep going until they run out of options.
Surely, there must have been a better way for her to spend the last eight weeks of her life. I don't think we want death panels set up by the government deciding our fate, but would it have been unethical for someone to have had a talk with her about how she wanted to live her final days?
"We all know broccoli is good for us, but did you know that the different parts of the broccoli plant make their own distinctive contributions to its overall nutritional value? Broccoli stems have a wonderful mild sweet flavor and are much higher in fiber than the florets; they are renown for the amount of extra fiber they can add to your diet. While the florets contain more beta-carotene than the stalks, the leaves actually are a richer source of beta-carotene than either the stems or florets. And remember when selecting broccoli florets that the dark green, bluish-green, or purplish-green color contain higher concentrations of beta-carotene than pale green or yellowish-green florets."
"Place broccoli in a plastic bag, removing as much of the air from the bag as possible. Store in the refrigerator where it will keep for 10 days. Do not wash broccoli before storing because exposure to water encourages spoilage. Partial heads of broccoli should be placed in a well-sealed container or plastic bag and refrigerated. Since the vitamin C content starts to quickly degrade once broccoli has been cut, it is best to use it within a couple of days. Broccoli that has been blanched and then frozen can stay up to a year. Leftover cooked broccoli should be placed in tightly covered container and stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for a few days."
Glad to see that about purplish-green--I always thought that meant there were bugs.
After struggling through Julie's manuscript to Chapter 8 (she's writing a book), I've decided that if you read and understand nothing but 18th and 19th century philosophers, historians, theologians, and educators--looking back to who influenced them and forward to whom they influenced in the 20th century--you'd pretty well understand the mess we're in today and the causes of WWI and WWII, and the pervasive weakness in the churches who subscribe to "social justice," which sets them up to be helpless to confront Islamists. Not sure who the big name thinkers of the 20th-21st centuries are, but they mostly seem to be scientists and not people in the arts, humanities and social sciences. Yesterday as I noted below, I was reading ScienceHeroes website about the 2 guys who invented chemical fertilizer in 1909--credited with "saving or creating" 3 billion lives.
Anyway, we got to all the 'isms of today--progressivism, liberalism, communism, materialism, environmentalism, Darwinism, multiculturalism, fascism, fundamentalism, conservatism--with the help of Kant, Fiehte, Schelling, Schleiermacher, Hegel, Strauss, Nietzsche, Feuerbach, Marx, Darwin and Dewey. What is it about the Germans. . .
This is an inspiring story of a famous athlete returning home to save the children by starting a charter school.
Every weekday, 120 high-school freshmen from these neighborhoods attend Mr. Rose's academy, some arriving after two bus trips and all before 7:30 a.m. Located in a former public school building, the school has spartan facilities—a science lab with almost no equipment, cracked windows—and few modern frills, though every student is given a computer. . .
Mr. Rose plans to start with this freshman class and add a new grade each year until there are some 500 kids in grades 9-12. "This is college prep. We expect 90% to 100% to go on to college"—no mean feat when many students are entering ninth grade with only fourth-grade levels of reading and math proficiency. . . .
At the Leadership Academy, "we have a 20-to-1 student teacher ratio and 10-to-1 in math and English. We want to invest in every young man or woman who comes here." That means tailoring achievement standards for every student. "There may be a kid reading at a fourth-grade level [when he enters ninth grade] who when he graduates is reading at a tenth-grade level. That's a victory."
His school also doesn't have tenure for teachers. "I hate tenure. Tenure allows teachers to put their feet up on the desk and possibly have a job forever. That's why I got turned on to charter schools. It's a business model. Every employee and every teacher will be monitored by performance."
"Humankind is largely fed by food grown with synthetic chemical fertilizer. Because synthetic fertilizer requires a plentiful supply of nitrogen, inventing a process to fix it in ammonia was daunting. Attempts were made for over 100 years. Then in 1909 Fritz Haber, a German chemist, solved the problem in principal. In 1910, Carl Bosch, pioneering new engineering methods, commercialized the process. Known as the Haber-Bosch Process, it is now responsible for growing about half of the world’s food. It was one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. Without it, 30-40% of the world’s population would not be alive."
Unfortunately, it's what they did AFTER this invention that is controversial. They participated in chemical warfare development which killed over 1.3 million people in WWI. Compare that to almost 3 billion lives saved with the fertilizer.
A very lovely New Year's Eve. First we attended a wonderful jazz concert at UALC which featured the works of Henry Mancini--always a nice walk down memory lane since he did so many movie and TV themes. Then a worship service with communion led by Pastors Dan Clark and Brodie Taphorn. We saw many friends from years ago that we miss now that there are three campuses.
Then we came home, put on some quiet music, had dinner, and I set out the little cardboard mailbox with all the Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year cards and letters and we took turns reading through them aloud--it took about 90 minutes. We had, of course, read them when they came through the mail slot or were handed to us, but this time we actually discussed them and noted things we'd missed. Usually I tape the return address to the card if the names are rather common or duplicative, but I missed one. Neither of us seem to know which "Jim and Becky" sent that card. . .
Wayne and Marie (housemate from the U. of I. in the 1950s) still get the prize for most travels and activities, but I think Marilyn Ford won for biggest family photo--almost 40 children and grandchildren in her photo. I got out the church directory from 1978 and she and Jack had 4 children in that photo. Gayle's Thanksgiving letter usually leads the pack, and we think there will be a few yet to come this week. My brother called instead of sending a card--they've gone to e-mail, which is difficult since my husband doesn't do computer stuff. We really treasure the hand made and artistic efforts--we seem to know a lot of artists. I didn't do a Christmas letter this year--maybe this will inspire me. . .
It's the end of the year. Not to be original, but time sure flies. Tonight we're going out with Ron and Jane to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary. I'm thinking of baking a cake and then coming back here after the Rusty Bucket--but maybe if I wait the urge and ambition will go away. We met when we were all members of First Community Church in 1968. The guys met in a men's breakfast group, Jane and I met at a funeral, and the guys still see each other weekly for a Wednesday morning group which Ron teaches.
Then tomorrow evening we're going to the New Year's Eve Jazz Concert and Worship at the Mill Run campus of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church at 5:30, then worship and communion at 6:00. Sunday there is a reduction in the number of services because of Saturday worship so we'll go at 10 a.m.
I've recently switched over to a new Blogger template, and although it takes some getting used to (I guess they have to have something for the younger employees to do), I am paying more attention to the stats feature. Today for the first time I looked at country of origin for my visitors (for December 2011).
USA -- 1,789
France -- 283
Russia -- 152
Switzerland
and Germany -- 101 each
U.K. -- 81
Taiwan -- 71
Canada -- 68
India -- 50
Turkey -- 19
Of course, my all time big winner is a HGTV story on Tony Chau moving to Las Vegas. 534 page views since Oct. 15, 2010. So many people want to get rich on the internet.
Some readers of blogs say anything. I saw this at Frugal Cafe. A Blogger shouldn't have to explain how to be polite and non-threatening to commenters, but this is the world we live in.
Because of the onslaught of attacking comments against Sarah Palin and/or her children (often with the F-word or other vulgarities) , anti-Palin comments are no longer accepted for posting. Don't waste your time trying. There are plenty of liberal blogs and Obama-run media articles out there bashing Palin... post your hate-driven criticisms on one of those sites. My blog, my rules.
Mobility is the unique feature of our economy and culture. That's why people want to come here. The Occupiers are not only wrong, but they dumb, uninformed and anti-American.
The empirical evidence shows that voter ID laws do not suppress minority voting. In Georgia, black voter turnout for the 2006 midterm elections was 42.9%. After Georgia passed its photo ID, black turnout in the 2010 midterm rose to 50.4%. Black voter turnout also rose in Indiana and Mississippi after enactment of their voter ID laws.
A DC development corp builds an IHOP in Columbia Heights (DC) with federal subsidy ($765,828) and gets listed in Coburn's Wastebook 2011. Leftists go crazy because it's mentioned on Fox and in Coburn's list, and insist it isn't yuppieville. So I looked at real estate in the area. 1 bdrm $2,160, 2 bdrm $3,050, average salary $65,231. That would buy a few pancakes for government workers, wouldn't it? But so what? Why do we need to subsidize IHOP? Or rather, why are we subsidizing a development corporation with a 40 year federal/local back patting, wallet padding scheme?
Looking through Anacostia's timeline, I see that 40 years ago it did help the neighborhood by assisting small business in the community--hat store, hardware store, shoe store, funeral home, supermarket, furniture store, drapery store, etc. But the big money was in Title VII CDC, and it moved on. Looks like some lottery, gaming, and cable--then apartment development, then a for-profit subsidiary, more real estate development and shopping centers, relocation of some government office buildings and post office. Wheeeee! Why does this company still need the government to make a profit and payroll? And of course, former DC Mayor Marion Barry is involved.
Really--do browse the Wastebook 2011. It is fascinating.
This floats around a number of conservative blogs citing on-line newsletter Foundation for Economic Freedom, but I also found it in a book, Contemporary American Federalism, by Joseph Zimmerman (SUNY Press, 2008), a preview of which was in Google, but not the section with the footnote which cited the source. I hope it is real, because on the Internet if something sounds too good to be true, you're usually right to be suspicious. In any case, our states, like our citizens are so accustomed to being on the dole, this would be tough to pass today. "Being fooled," of course, refers to many of FDR's programs during the Great Depression. And as single moms have learned since the mid-60s, Uncle Sam is not a good step-father.
House Concurrent Resolution No. 2 of the 85th General Assembly of the State of Indiana, passed by that state’s House and Senate in January 1947.
"Indiana needs no guardian and intends to have none. We Hoosiers—like the people of our sister states—were fooled for quite a spell with the magician’s trick that a dollar taxed out of our pockets and sent to Washington will be bigger when it comes back to us. We have taken a good look at said dollar. We find that it lost weight in its journey to Washington and back. The political brokerage of the bureaucrats has been deducted. We have decided that there is no such thing as ‘federal’ aid. We know that there is no wealth to tax that is not already within the boundaries of the 48 states.
So we propose henceforward to tax ourselves and take care of ourselves. We are fed up with subsidies, doles and paternalism. We are no one’s stepchild. We have grown up. We serve notice that we will resist Washington, D.C. adopting us."
Ronald Clark, a blogger and retired systems engineer for the Navy from Indianapolis, Indiana writes:
Back when the depression was going and America was suffering badly, Franklin D. Roosevelt mounted a Presidential campaign that featured the song, "Happy Days Are Here Again" with vague promises of a transformation of America into a place where the Government would take care of the people. He was elected with "Happy Days Are Here Again" ringing in everyone's hearts and ears. This was the start of real socialism in America and if you are so inclined to research the era, you will discover everything that FDR did during his years as President, made the depression and suffering much worse. The depression was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity (never let a crisis go to waste) to gain power for the Federal Government to implement policy that would never be accepted during normal times. His nanny Government also was responsible for extending the depression in America while the rest of the world recovered quite rapidly.
In other words, it was WWII that ended the American depression, not the entitlement, utopian policies of FDR. There is even strong evidence that FDR made decisions that forced the US into war in order to recover from the depression with his socialism policies firmly in place.
I know, not pretty, but mostly true.
The "Happy Days Are Here Again" theme during the FDR era is the same utopian Flim Flam that people ate up then and is the same as is the "Hope and Change" utopian nonsense that gullible people are gobbling up today and believe the Government can create jobs and take care of them. The point being, that the same disastrous results are occurring as in FDR's day and one must wonder if all of these unnecessary wars nowadays are an attempt to recover as FDR used WWII to recover. (Sorry, the wars nowadays are not big enough to effect the desired change.)
There really is no free lunch, someone must pay and we are now paying with our treasure, freedoms and jobs.
The ravages of the Obama economy now mean that more Americans live under the federal poverty line than at any time in U.S. history since records have been kept. Under President Barack Obama, every fifth child in America now lives in poverty.
The Democrats took over the government not in January 2009 with Obama's election, but in January 2007, with control of the Senate and House. They destroyed, with Senator Obama's help, a good economy with a 4+ unemployment rate, but put Barney Frank in charge of an important finance committtee, and let Fannie and Fred continue their bad subprime loans.
Although we regularly tithe at our church home, Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, at the end of the year we enjoy looking over and supporting other Christian appeals. Luther suggested for Bible study 1) Oratio (prayer), 2. Meditatio (meditate) and 3. Tentatio (struggle) which isn't a bad plan when chosing good causes--because the ones that aren't good are tossed when we receive them, and the others set aside for further consideration.
1. Pinecrest Community is always on our list and this year I included a note to Leanne Manheim, the Development Director, because I've met her a few times on the visits with my sister. The Illinois budget is in terrible shape--the state isn't paying its Medicaid bills for months and months.
2. Pregnancy Decision Health Centers help women with problem pregnancies make good decisions for their babies. Abortion is the holocaust of our era--some 50 million deaths since the early 70s. The other day I heard a revolting statistic--64% of the women who "chose" abortion felt pressured by boyfriend, husband, parents or peers. If you are 17 and don't have access to your own funds even for doctor and hospital, or transportation to a pregnancy help center, what would you do if parents demand that you have an abortion in order to remain under their roof--and the boyfriend's parents agree.
3. Lower Lights Christian Health Center on Columbus' west side provides health care in a low income area of our city, over $350,000 in unreimbursed medical care to uninsured and underinsured patients, which is about 75% of its patient population. It was started by a young Christian female doctor, Dana Vallangeon, in 2002.
4. World Mission Prayer League supports 120 full time workers to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was founded by Lutherans in 1937. I am one of its "prayer warriors," and I love their publications.
5. Into the Field is the newest ministry on our list directed and founded by Jennifer Cameron, the daughter of friends and member of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church. It serves other ministries and the Body of Christ seeking to serve other Christians.
7. Lakeside the Chautauqua on Lake Erie is where we have our summer home, and now spend the better part of the summer. Gate fees and association dues just don't cover the expenses to keep this community of art, literature, music and religion running, so there are always fund raisers.
8. 168 Film Project , has a huge mission--to illuminate the Word of God through short film. The founder, John Ware, is now a Californian, but is also a son of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, and his mom still attends there. There are 168 hours in a week and that's how long the writers, actors, editors, directors, etc. have to put together a short (11 minutes) film on a Bible verse. Last year an entry for documentary featured UALC, directed by Steve Puffenberger.
And finally, there may be a few conservative candidates and organizations on our list of gifts, but that will be our little secret.
Although it's too late for the lovely graceful ash trees we have now on our condo grounds and the grounds at Lakeside, Ohio, this is indeed good news--if it works. Can't be too soon. . .
Scientists with Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) have received a three-year, $1.4 million grant to continue their groundbreaking work toward the development of a tree that can be used for preservation of ash in natural and urban forests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) provided the funds.
Call them leftists, socialists, environmentalists, greengoes or sustainalists, makes no difference. Here's how the World Resources Institute rates Obama in 2011 for Climate Policy.
1. Congress Didn’t Act (makes little difference--Obama has said he will veto anything that is anti-regulatory or good for business).
2. National Vehicle Rules Established (EPA and DOT busy nailing down the coffin lid for Michigan).
3. California Moves Ahead (going international for its regulations to further create a budget crisis).
4. Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Economic benefits (a greenhouse gas cap–and-trade program for the electricity sector in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S.)
5. EPA Makes Slow Progress on GHG Rules (moving forward with more regulations, just not as fast as WRI would want). The EPA is a regulatory train wreck.
6. Emissions Continue to Climb (hard to imagine since taking clunkers off the road so low income people can't afford a car to drive should have fixed that).
This isn't being done or not done by legislation--our elected representatives who are supposed to be our voice in Washington. It's all regulatory. We the people have no say in any of this. Only lobbyists, unions, and politicians.
The federal government is the biggest user and abuser of fossil fuels.
On my link, each part flowed seamlessly into the next. It takes about an hour to watch the whole thing, but it is well worth it. Caravaggio--evangelist for the unwashed.
The pro-abortion group EMILY’s List, which supports female Democratic candidates who oppose all limitations on abortion, has unveiled new endorsements in four highly-contested 2012 House races.
Congresswoman Betty Sutton (D-OH), Elizabeth Esty, Dina Titus and Tarryl Clark have each proven to EMILY’s List that they will not waver in their support for abortion-on-demand.
Elizabeth Esty, an attorney and former state lawmaker, is running for the House seat in Connecticut’s 5th district being vacated by Congressman Chris Murphy who is running for Senate.
Former Congresswoman Dina Titus from Nevada’s 3rd district lost her reelection campaign in 2010 to pro-life Joe Heck by a margin of just 2,000 votes. Redistricting has put her in 1st district.
Former MN State Representative Tarryl Clark unsuccessfully challenged pro-life Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in 2010 in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District. Redistricting has put her in the 8th.
Ohio's Congresswoman Betty Sutton due to redistricting will face Republican Congressman Jim Renacci, who currently holds a 100% voting record on pro-life issues.
Today I was reading Psalm 119 in a modern English version, and found it off-putting to use our common, homely, overused, trite word HAPPY instead of the more familiar BLESSED. But then I did a little research, and found that HAPPY is more accurate, plus it has a deeper meaning than we usually assign to it.
Happy are they who follow the pure path,
who walk in the law of the Lord.
Happy are they who obey his decrees
and seek him out with all their heart.
Ps. 119:1 BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God's revealed will). Amplified Bible.
Also came across this explaining the difference between ashre (happy) and barak (blessed). Ashre involves our choices, our doing.
Dr. Walter D. Zorn, Prof. of OT & Biblical Languages Lincoln Christian College & Seminary, Lincoln, IL
Gerald Janzen discovered in his study of ashre that it is not the "antithesis to the cry of woe, hoy, 'Ah! Alas!'"5 Neither, Janzen revealed, was it ever used with reference to God. The word is never on God’s lips to refer to man or to Himself. When one “blesses” God or God “blesses” man, barak is used, not ashre. Ashre is used 44 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, 26 times in the Psalms . . .
. . . having looked at all the 26 references to ashre used in the Psalter, I discovered that “happiness” is a by-product of something one does and includes the choices one makes. Psalms 1 and 2, of course, set the tone as one discovers that “happiness” comes by the good choice of not “walk[ing] in the counsel of the wicked or stand[ing] in the way of sinners or sit[ting] in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Ps 1:1-2). This coincides with the idea of “happiness” being “bliss.” It is a “delight” to meditate on God’s instruction. The “doing” here is the study of God’s Word. Psalm 2 concludes with an ambiguous thought: “Happy [are] all taking refuge in him.” The “him” could be the “Son,” the newly anointed and exalted Son-King, or Yahweh, the King Himself.
(It is unfortunate that the NIV uses “blessed” to translate ashre. It is best to use “blessed” for barak instead of ashre. The English student would not know the difference. Using “happy,” or “blissful,” or perhaps “fortunate” would be best for ashre as it refers to the human being, and particularly God’s people.) A review of the 26 references in Psalms will reveal the source for "happiness" and its logical consequences. . .
I feel better now, and in the future will read it with a different eye.
Eastern Christians and Western Christians make the sign of the cross differently, but this Lutheran pastor says it doesn't make any difference. Just don't think it's only for Catholics; it's to remember your baptism.
It was a quiet Christmas. Dinner here on Christmas Eve, then church at 9 p.m. at UALC Lytham Rd. Christmas day services we served communion, and then went to Phil's home to have dinner and open gifts.
However, Phil had helped select my gift for my husband, a guitar, so that one was opened on Christmas Eve. He then got a beginner's book and DVD "how to" from Phil on Christmas Day. And the new setting for my e-mail won't allow it to accept the photos from my son's cell phone--back to the drawing board.
Christmas Eve Menu: Standing rib roast, twice baked potatoes; baked chicken thighs with mustard sauce, potato salad; tossed salad greens; mixed fruit; steamed carrots with a touch of honey; rolls and Asiago cheese bread; freshly cooked cranberries a top pound cake with real whipped cream; Merlot.
My mother played the cello--not often, and probably not well, although she did play in the Dixon orchestra back in the 1920s (I don't know that it was called that, only that she went to Dixon to do it.) One of her brothers played the saxaphone, and one the violin. When I see the cello get a chance to do something other than support others in the orchestra, I always listen, and think about Mom. Some time in the 1950s my sister Carol got the saxaphone, and my cousin Sharon (on dad's side) the violin. And Mom continued to play the cello every now and then.
My nephew Chris Rees, a freshman in college (grandson of my sister Carol, son of Cindy) now is quite a cellist and plays in groups (not in this video, though), and he posted this lovely piece on Facebook, so I'm sharing. Love the cello!
There will only be five of us for dinner tonight, but I've already thrown out the vegetables and run the dishwasher twice. I changed my meat choice, so now I have two kinds of potatoes. As I recall, my son-in-law doesn't like his food to "touch," which means mixed anything usually is put on his plate, but just moved around. I left my Christmas dishes in the box this year, and am using my good china, and my grandmother's dessert dishes, but I'm leaving Mom's goblets in the case. Too much work to wash. The first table cloth I pulled out didn't fit the table--I'd forgotten; which means it will never be used again and I think I've had it 30 years. I bought a special bread at Panera's this morning, but left it on the counter when I got a coffee refill, and had to go back to get it. But, I did have to clean a bit, and that's always a good thing, and a good reason to entertain.
I whipped up the potatoes (to reheat later) with my little Sunbeam mixer, which was a wedding gift, so it's 51 years old. The cord is stiff, it falls out of its connection, it trips the outlet switch, and the beaters fall out about every 45 seconds. But how many more years will I be making cakes or whipping potatoes, so I don't replace it. Besides, at this stage, it would be like kicking out a member of the family.
I'm not a coupon user, but in the fall I had one for a free cone at Graeter's Ice Cream, so we went in, and while there "bought" a book of coupons to support cancer research, figuring we'd use it. We haven't. So I looked at it yesterday. $2 off an ice cream pie. Hmm. That sounded good until I looked it up. $26, so with the coupon plus the tax, you'd still have a dessert that is at least $2.50 a serving. That's more than making an entire (box) cake with (store bought) icing. So I looked through the book and see that with a $15 purchase, you get a free pint of ice cream (which I think is about $4.00); so it would make more sense to buy the pie and get the free pint (black raspberry chocolate is awesome). Or skip the whole thing and make dessert at home as a reminder that companies don't stay in business to give away their products with coupons. They do it because it is profitable. That's a very difficult concept for the American consumer. I AM the Columbus anti-coupon queen, even when I've paid for the coupons.
Have a blessed and holy day celebrating our Savior's birth.
Paul Ryan has old-fashioned goals, says Real Clear Markets.com, like saving America from fiscal bankruptcy, economic stagnation, and a European-style entitlement state.
In a White House meeting this year, Ryan's superior knowledge of health care baffled Obama and left him speechless. And the serious Ryan budget, which lowers spending by $6.2 trillion and reduces deficits by $4.4 trillion over ten years, totally outflanked the White House. It embarrassingly exposed the Obama administration's flimsy and inconsequential 2012 budget, which even rejected the findings of Obama's own Bowles-Simpson fiscal commission. (Another Oval Office embarrassment.)
And when Ryan unveiled his first Medicare-reform package, which featured patient-centered consumer choice and market competition, the White House went nuts. Team Obama whipped up a Mediscare panic, resorting to a fictional caricature of Ryan forcing old ladies off a cliff. But the charge that the Ryan plan "ends Medicare" couldn't be further from the truth. The website PolitiFact labeled this "the lie of the year."
Ryan later amended his Medicare reform to keep the existing system as an option, and bolstered it with a menu of market-based private insurance plans to promote cost-cutting choice and competition. But he did so with the bipartisan support of Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon. How did the White House react? It went rhetorically ballistic, although it couldn't put together a serious response.
Imagine what a hair cut and new pair of jeans could have done for him. Yes, "being real" has a lot of appeal, but his audience does have to look at him.
On Wednesday, Colorado Christian University became the first interdenominational Christian college to join Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic college in North Carolina in filing a lawsuit over the regulation that requires employers' health insurance plans to provide free contraception, including Plan B, and sterilization under their group health plan.
As a Christian college, CCU teaches the sanctity of life at all stages, and that abortions are against God’s law.
The tone of this article isn't positive--after all it comes from the Washington Post.
In the past year, three state agencies [in Kansas] have been abolished and 2,050 jobs have been cut. Funding for schools, social services and the arts have been slashed. The new Republican governor [Sam Brownback] rejected a $31.5 million federal grant for a new health-insurance exchange because he opposes President Obama’s health-care law. And that’s just the small stuff. . .
The governor has said his main concerns are creating jobs, cutting taxes and bringing new businesses to the state, which has been losing population to domestic migration over the past decade and ranks near the bottom in private-sector job creation.
“We cannot continue on this path and hope we can move forward and win the future,” he said in the Wichita speech . “It won’t work. We have to change course, and we’re going to have to be aggressive about it or we are doomed to a slow decline.”
NASA has confirmed that its Kepler mission has discovered planets roughly the size of the Earth outside of the Solar System.
Whenever I read of new discoveries in the solar system I think of Psalm 19. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world."
The heavens are declaring, proclaiming, speaking, displaying--but there are a lot of people not listening.
Listening to the local Catholic radio I hear many things that are unfamiliar, or I think were settled in the 16th century reformation--at least for those who began following the teachings of Luther and Calvin. Purgatory; Worship of Mary and the saints (and please don't tell me it's not "worship" because they are praying to them--I hear them); Obligations; Miracles at shrines; Indulgences. And so forth.
That said, it would seem that proper theology doesn't mean much. I heard this morning an amazing story of faith on Women of Grace hosted by Johnnette Benkovic, and whether it is Jesus, Mary, the saints or all combined, it is undergirding this family.
A woman, Mary Lewison, called the show I was listening to earlier in the year--February possibly--to discuss the death of her 18 year old son who was killed when his truck was hit by a train. The moderater had also lost a son, so the two had had a long talk on the air. This week the woman sent the moderator an article about the family to catch up, which Johnnette then read on the show this morning.
After the death of her 18 year old, 4 of the 5 surviving children in the family were in two different automobile accidents, 2 serious enough to be hospitalized. Then the woman's husband had a heart attack when he was in a different state, and got to the ER within minutes of death--the doctor called it a "widow-maker," and she became his care-giver; when she thought nothing else could happen to her family, the woman was fired from her job for missing so much work during her husband's 4 month recovery!
She has not lost her faith in Jesus. Broadcast is here for December 21, 2011.
clap·trap (kl p tr p ). n. Pretentious, insincere, or empty language
San Francisco Theological Seminary (Presbyterian) and the Graduate Theological Union, a hodge podge of Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Baptist, UCC, Disciples, UMC, Unitarian and others are going to tell black Baptist women . . .
“Given the realities of sexism in a post modern world and the continued undermining of a womanist theology, this symposium acknowledges that leadership roles in ministry are often fraught with subtle and overt politics of exclusion and the realism of marginalization based on sexism,” Taylor said. “The old traditional ecclesiastical institution is becoming an endangered and extinct institution if the culture continues to imprison the gifts and creativity of seminary trained women while preserving sexism, homophobia and other primitive practices.”
I was sure hungry for a pizza. I mentioned it to my husband, and he had his taste buds set. But I had a colonoscopy today and they told me to be careful about what I ate. So I'm fixing mac and cheese, I'll skip the cole slaw, but probably have the applesauce.
Colonoscopies are very important--they are the only test that can prevent cancer, but the preparation is certainly unpleasant. So is listening to the doctor and nurse discuss the movies they've seen during the procedure. My mother, my paternal grandmother and my father's sister all had colon cancer, so despite the unpleasantness, it's an important preventative step.
I was a bit groggy when I got home--not much sleep last night--and I slept for 3 hours.
The nurse also warned me to stay off Facebook and the Blog. Apparently some people can't be trusted even after a mild anesthetic.
Preferring truth to custom, the better to the good, adapt to adopt, reform to revolution, solutions to goals, knowledge to awareness, faith to spirituality. The rules.
Posts
