The nose knows and remembers—Monday Memories

When I walked into Panera’s this morning something smelled like creamed chipped beef. That transported me back about 60 years when Mom used to take about 4 oz. of chipped dried beef, mix it into a white sauce and serve it on toast, usually for lunch, for four hungry children. I made it a few times when I was first married, but I don’t believe it was a hit.  I guess you have to have been there to appreciate how wonderful that tasted. Or Mom’s magic fingers.

That started me down memory lane (which has gotten rather short lately after blogging for 10 years) thinking about other smells/odors that dredge up long forgotten memories in no particular order.

Cigarette smoke mixed with Dad’s Old Spice after shave.  My father stopped smoking in 1949, which enabled him to live to 89, much longer than 2 of his younger brothers who developed cancer, but it was not an unpleasant smell, although hearing him cough in the morning wasn’t nice.

Fresh sheets dried in the open air clothesline in the back yard. No artificial laundry softener can match this.

Wet puppies/dogs.  We didn’t have inside pets, so the dogs needed to be towel dried even to come on to the back porch.  Face licks went along with this as did doggie breath in the face.

Leather saddle being pulled off a sweaty horse. It’s like perfume if you like horses.   Closely related to the manure/fresh straw smell at Ranz’s horse and cattle barn where I played.

New school books, tablets and pencils in the fall.  I’m not sure what happened when all our books started being printed in China, but they just don’t smell like they used to.

Mom canning green beans. I sure didn’t like to pick or snap them, but the cooking and canning and the beautiful arrangement on the shelves are sweet to remember. She was safety conscious and we children did not do the hot, dangerous jobs.  No accidents that way. I was about 18 before I canned anything (watermelon pickles).  Did it once, and decided that was enough.

Fresh lumber from one of Mom’s projects.  My dad didn’t know which end of the hammer to use, but my mother was very handy and did a lot of shelf building and remodeling. We children got the scraps to play with and build things in the basement.

Fuel oil. My father was meticulous about his appearance, and immediately would take off his cover-alls and bathe and shave when he got home from work.  If we said his work clothes smelled bad he would say, “Smells like money to me.”

A new box of crayons.  I don’t know what made them smell so good, perhaps the anticipation of a new art project. Or perhaps something illegal now?

Musty smells of packed away toys (from an earlier generation) at my grandparents’ homes. My mother’s parents had a specially designed window seat for toys from the home Grandma designed around 1910.  According to Mom, she was rather lax about housecleaning and her children were allowed to keep their projects on the floor for weeks. We weren’t.

A room after it was freshly wallpapered by my mother. She was very good at this, and after watching her do it many times I decided I never wanted to work that hard.  Although I did wallpaper my daughter’s bedroom when she was a baby.  I put her in the playpen so she could watch me.

Freshly baked cinnamon bread on Sunday morning. Both my parents grew up with home baked bread and lots of real butter, and thought store bought was better, but occasionally we would be treated with the “real thing.”

Chlorinated water at the swimming pool in Rock Falls.  When we lived in Forreston we were bussed to Rock Falls in our summer recreation program for swimming. We rode home on the bus wrapped in wet, smelly towels.

The space heater warming up the bathroom for bath time. As it heated up, there was always a pleasant burning smell; the bathroom was toasty.

Apple sour cream pie for my birthday.  Actually, it always smelled wonderful, but we children chose what dessert we wanted for birthdays, and this was, and is, my favorite. No one, not even me or my daughter or nieces (who all make fabulous pies) can match my mom’s pies.

Garden soil on freshly pulled carrots or potatoes. Again, my mother was a gardener; I watched and decided it was way too much work, although I did have a small garden one summer when we lived on Abington Road.  My son is a wonderful gardener and even cans salsa, pickles and tomato sauce.

Sweaty football and basketball players as we in the stands rushed to the field/floor after a victory.

Basement with damp laundry hanging to dry.  We children did the hanging, not the laundry. I was about 13 when Mom got a clothes dryer.

Hot sheets from a mangle.  We didn’t have one, but JoElla’s mom did and I used to watch.

S’mores around the Girl Scout campfire.  Possibly the finest tasting dessert for a kid.

Mom’s Cody face powder. When I opened her dresser drawer after her death, there she was.  I asked Dad if I could have it, and he gave it to me.

My trombone.  Closed case odor can get a bit strong.

Turkey/gravy on mashed potatoes in the school cafeteria.  There wasn’t much turkey, and in those days schools used government surplus.

Pine tree needles and damp earth at Camp Emmaus (Church of the Brethren) and White Pines State Park (both in Ogle County, Illinois)

Wet homemade mittens with wool linings. The outside fabric was a heavy red fabric, like sail cloth.  The inside was my father’s cut up wool Marine uniforms.

Burning leaves at the curb in the fall.  Most communities don’t allow that today, but nothing smells more like fall than burning leaves and everyone did it.

Mom’s coffee breath and wool bathrobe.  This was only on Sunday.  All other days she was up, dressed and buzzing around by the time I got up. Sunday she would be sitting at the table reading the newspaper, drinking coffee, and munching her favorite breakfast—sharp cheese on toast.

Inexpensive and versatile—Epsom salt

I had no idea that Epsom Salt had its own association. Click on the "beauty" link or "health" link for some ideas. I wonder what they do for a Christmas party? http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/about/

Epsom salt is a pure mineral compound (magnesium sulfate) in crystal form that gently exfoliates skin and smooths rough patches. Regularly used by a growing number of models and actresses, it's a popular natural choice for beauty enhancement. Mix it with your favorite deep conditioner to add body to your hair or dissolve in a bath to replenish the body's magnesium levels. A relaxing soak in Epsom salt can help relieve stress and leave you feeling revived.

Doctors and researchers say that soaking in an Epsom salt bath is a safe, easy way to increase the body's levels of both magnesium and sulfate.

Article in Wall Street Journal

Bath soak. The Epsom Salt Council, a trade group of manufacturers, recommends a warm bath with 2 cups of Epsom salt for at least 12 minutes. Dr. Waring says the magnesium ions act as a pain reliever. An Epsom salt bath can also help fade bruises.

Splinter removal. Epsom salt increases osmotic pressure on the skin, which draws foreign bodies toward the surface, Dr. Waring says. Dissolve about 1 cup of Epsom salt in a tub of water and soak the affected area.

Bee stings. Osmotic pressure works here, too, to draw the stinger to the surface of the skin. Lift out using tweezers, then apply a compress of an Epsom salt-water solution to reduce swelling.

Sunburn. A cool bath with 2 cups of Epsom salt reduces pain and has mild anti-inflammatory properties.

Skin exfoliation. Blend Epsom salt with enough baby oil to create a paste. Gently rub it on your face for deep pore cleansing, or use it on heels, elbows and other rough areas. Rinse and pat dry

Almost makes me wish we had a bathtub.

Don’t know the numbers on either one

Muslims slaughter Christians in Central African Republic

450,000 Christians Flee From Muslim Attacks in the Central African Republic

"Unlike Christian communities in Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, and in other nations, whereby various sects are persecuted, it is clear that in the Central African Republic -- just like in South Sudan -- that Christians will not just sit back and wait to be slaughtered or become trapped in ghettoes. It is hoped that the international community will be fair in pointing out the real factors behind communal violence. After all, it is clear that religious tensions erupted after Seleka troops began to ransack Christian areas. However, the same media which always points out the "Buddhist" angle in Myanmar (more Christians have been killed in Myanmar than any other non-Buddhist religion in the last few decades) in relation to the persecution of Muslims in this country; they appear to loathe to point out massacres by Muslims forces in the CAR against Christians; just like the persecution of Buddhists and others in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is barely mentioned in Bangladesh." http://www.aina.org/news/20131127122830.htm

I first read about Seleka at a Human Rights site, which noted that it was a Muslim group, but didn't identify the civilians or villages as Christians.

Something like that

Obamacare supporters are taking the credit for slowing the rate of increase!

Paul Krugman is an embarrassment to his profession.

“Whatever the cause [slowing of the rate] , it started early on George Bush’s watch—not under Barrack Obama.

Moreover, ObamaCare doesn’t really begin until this coming January. All the changes up to now have been cost increasing—providing risk pool insurance to the uninsurable, forcing private plans to cover more benefits, and adding such extras to Medicare as free “wellness exams.”

So how does Krugman manage to give ObamaCare any credit for a slowdown in spending? He begins by noting that a 2011 letter signed by hundreds of health and labor economists pointed out that “the Affordable Care Act contains essentially every cost-containment provision policy analysts have considered effective in reducing the rate of medical spending.” “

http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=4817

A mother’s advice

A man in his 20s was griping (on Facebook) about needing to live with his parents to make ends meet so he could attend college  (because of minimum wage job, I assume).  His mother (who is still under 40) chimed in:

Spend your money on rent instead of video games and movies and you wouldn't be living with your parents. Just a little advice from your comment. People today seem to think that smartphones, cable and spending money are necessities. They live above their means then ask for a handout when they don't have a Turkey for Thanksgiving or enough high tech toys for the kids for Christmas.

Maybe it’s your (or my) thyroid

“If you're always cold or tired, you can't lose weight, you have brittle hair and fingernails, or you have other unexplained health issues, the answer may be "Yes."

Untreated, a thyroid disease can make you feel lousy. It can also increase your odds of having high cholesterol, developing atherosclerosis, and having a heart attack. “ Harvard Medical School “Healthbeat,” Dec. 7.

When I was in the hospital for heart rate problems (too fast and irregular), the doctor suggested, based on the blood work, that my thyroid was a bit low and that might be part of the problem with the heart.

My new internist agreed and prescribed Synthroid, very low dose.

What are the Symptoms of Hypothyroidism?

The more commonly known symptoms of hypothyroidism are weight gain, low basal body temperature, brittle fingernails with ridging, cold intolerance and cold extremities, like your hands and/or your feet.

However, the list of symptoms that can be associated with hypothyroidism is actually quite long, varied and can include symptoms that most women might attribute to perimenopause, such as: fatigue, muscle and joint pain, menstrual irregularities, hair loss, loss of libido, infertility, weight gain, decreased mental sharpness (brain fog), fluid retention, depression and/or mood swings. Check the article for 35 symptoms

Crazy, dumb police state

The entertainment industry can continue with violence and mayhem in films, TV and gaming because of their powerful lobby and cozy parties with the Obamas whom they fund, but children can't play with make-believe guns or bows or knives. How dumb. Rona Kaufmann is Superintendent of the South Eastern School District in Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania, and she has some explaining to do. http://video.foxnews.com/v/2903095903001/fifth-grader-suspended-for-shooting-imaginary-arrow/?playlist_id=940325739001

The incident took place the week of October 14th, when fifth grader Johnny Jones asked his teacher for a pencil during class. Jones walked to the front of the classroom to retrieve the pencil, and during his walk back to his seat, a classmate and friend of Johnny’s held his folder like an imaginary gun and “shot” at Johnny. Johnny playfully used his hands to draw the bowstrings on a completely imaginary “bow” and “shot” an arrow back. Seeing this, another girl in the class reported to the teacher that the boys were shooting at each other. The teacher took both Johnny and the other boy into the hall and lectured them about disruption. The teacher then contacted Johnny’s mother, Beverly Jones, alerting her to the “seriousness” of the violation because the children were using “firearms” in their horseplay, and informing her that the matter had been referred to the Principal. Principal John Horton contacted Ms. Jones soon thereafter in order to inform her that Johnny’s behavior was a serious offense that could result in expulsion under the school’s weapons policy. Horton characterized Johnny’s transgression as “making a threat” to another student using a “replica or representation of a firearm” through the use of an imaginary bow and arrow. https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/on_the_front_lines/rutherford_institute_defends_10_year_old_suspended_for_shooting_imaginary_a

              

And Ohio is the shape of a hand grenade, and Illinois is an arrowhead. Vermont looks like a knife.

Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffett

I used to do something like this when there was no money in the purse, but some food in the cupboard (usually the last 2 or 3 days of the month). Didn't know is had a name.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt...
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (can use 3/4 cheddar and 1/4 mozzarella)
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of Original Bisquick mix
2 eggs

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F.
Spray a 9 inch pie plate with non-stick cooking spray
Cook beef and chopped onion in a skillet over medium about 10 minutes or until beef is brown. Drain excess fat.
Stir in salt, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce and then spread in pie plate
Next, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the beef
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and Bisquick. Make sure you try to get as many lumps out as you can. Pour over meat mixture.
Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean

Serves 4-5 people

December 6

Advent is the time when Christians prepare to greet Christ—who came as a babe in a manger, who comes into our lives each day, and who will come again at the end of time. A saint honored on December 6 is St. Nicholas.

Advent

Jesus, St. Nicholas, and the law of the gift. The law of the gift is this: the more you give, the more you receive. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/neuhaus/

I rarely send an e-card (we design our own Christmas cards), but really like these St. Nicholas cards (feast day Dec. 6). They won't be delivered until tomorrow. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/e-cards/

Cut out, soft sour cream cookies

I usually use Neno’s (my husband’s grandmother) recipe, but thought I’d add this one to the list.

Ingredients

• FOR COOKIE DOUGH:
• 5-1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• FOR FROSTING (makes 1 cup of frosting):
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3-4 tablespoons canned evaporated milk
• food coloring (optional)

Directions

MAKE COOKIE DOUGH:
In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, & salt; set aside. In second large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the sour cream and butter at low speed; add sugar, eggs, and vanilla & mix until combined. (It's okay if it's a little lumpy as long as no butter chunks are visible.) Gradually add the flour mixture to the sour cream mixture, mixing until well combined. Dough will be sticky. (If cookie dough is too thick for your mixture to handle, you can stir it by hand with a wooden spoon.) Divide dough onto two pieces of plastic wrap; flatten dough, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until chilled, 1-2 hours. (Make ahead tip: Dough may be made to this point and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
ROLL, CUT, & BAKE COOKIES:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Generously flour your counter or work surface to prevent dough from sticking. Rub flour on the rolling pin. Put one of the chilled pieces of dough on top of the floured surface and sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour. Starting at the center, roll the dough out to one edge; return to the center and roll to the opposite edge. Continue rolling until dough is an even 1/4" thick all over, sprinkling with additional flour, if needed, to avoid sticking. Dip cookie cutter in flour and cut out dough shapes. Transfer dough shapes to baking sheets. Continue rolling dough, cutting shapes, and adding to baking sheets until they are filled. Bake 2 sheets at a time for 8-10 minutes, rotating and switching pans half way through cooking time. Bake them just until they are baked all the way through but haven't started browning on the bottom. If a soft textured cookie is desired, it's very important not to over bake them. Transfer hot cookies to a baking rack to cool completely. (Make-ahead tip: Cooled, unfrosted cookies may be stacked in a sealed container and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 weeks.)
MAKE FROSTING:
Combine powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and half of the evaporated milk in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to combine ingredients on a low speed until its' a thick paste consistency and all of the lumps are gone. Gradually add remaining milk and continue mixing on medium speed until frosting is a smooth, silky, spreadable consistency. If it's still too thick, add more milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it's desired consistency. Mix in food coloring, if desired.
FROST & STORE COOKIES:
Frost each cookie and decorate with sprinkles while frosting is still wet. Leave out to dry for several hours until dry to touch before storing in an airtight container. If stacking frosted cookies, put waxed or parchment paper between layers.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION per cookie: 125 calories, 4.5g fat, 70mg sodium, 19.6g carbs, 10.7g sugars, 1.5g protein, 0g fiber; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 3

http://www.theyummylife.com/Sour_Cream_Sugar_Cookies#EmbedRecipe_294

Three phases of ObamaCare by James Taranto

Phase 1, the technical failure, might have been avoided had the administration had some basic standards of competence. But Phases 2 and 3 are inherent in the law.

Phase 2 was the revelation that the ObamaCare enterprise is the most massive consumer fraud in American history--that the "if you like your plan, you can keep it" sales pitch was not only false but deliberately deceptive, and also that ObamaCare forces insurance companies to engage in dishonest practices such as selling maternity coverage to men and postmenopausal women. "Health care experts say, it's not out of the question that the Obama administration could face the worst-case scenario on Jan. 1: the number of uninsured Americans actually goes up." Politico.

Phase 3 will develop over the coming months. Phase 3 is the demonstration that even if the system is technically functional and the fraud impervious to redress, ObamaCare is economically unviable because of adverse selection: Americans who stand benefit from the law's price controls, the old and the sick, will buy insurance in large numbers, while those who get hit by them, the young and the healthy, will not.

There’s more.

NSA and Obama

http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/how-the-nsa-is-tracking-people-right-now/634/

“. . . the National Security Agency is collecting billions of records a day to track the location of mobile phone users around the world. This bulk collection, performed under the NSA’s international surveillance authority, taps into the telephony links of major telecommunications providers including some here in the United States.”

Letters to President Clinton

There are a number of adoption stories in the Bible. Moses' name was given to him by his adoptive mother, the daughter of Pharoah who "drew him out of the water." The Bible doesn't say what his Hebrew name was, but according to the Midrash it was Tuvia. He kept his Egyptian name even after he knew he was a Hebrew. Rabbi Genack writes that as an Egyptian royal and not a Hebrew slave he asserted the then-unknown principle of the freedom and dignity of man. "It is therefore, Moses the Egyptian, and not Tuvia the Hebrew, who is destined to be the giver of the Law and the "father of Prophets" who will mouth the Divine imperative", (Deut. 16:20) "Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord you God is giving you." p. 12, Letters to President Clinton, (Sterling Ethos, 2013)

This book recommendation might surprise you, but hear me out. "Letters to President Clinton; Biblical lessons on faith and leadership," edited by Rabbi Menachem Genack, Sterling Ethos, 2013. Bill Clinton was a Southern Baptist who became friends with Rabbi Genack in 1992; they began a written dialogue that continues to the present. Genack also recruited other Jewish friends to join in the Biblical  reflections/commentary. These have been compiled and edited by him with comments dealing with the context and setting. Each essay is only a page or two, easily finished in one reading and organized by general topic, the largest probably being "Leadership," but also including "Sin and Repentance," "Creation," "Community," "Faith," "Dreams and Vision," and "Holidays." Protestants tend to cherry pick slections of the Old Testament to fit either "end times," or their denomination's teaching on Jesus. This is a fresh and delightful look at how Jews see those same stories and passages, along with the scholarship they've developed over thousands of years.

Rabbi Genack is rabbinic administrator and CEO of the Orthodox Union's Kosher Division, overseeing the certification program of some 7,000 food-production facilities in 80 countries. OU is America's oldest Orthodox Jewish communal organization, embracing over 400 synagogues across North America (from publicist). Whether you buy it or get it from your library, you'll enjoy this book (just don't expect to agree with everything, but that should be the case with all books about the Bible).

Letters to President Clinton: Biblical Lessons on Faith and Leadership Edited by Rabbi Menachem Genack,
Sterling Ethos/OU Press, New York, 2013. 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-4549-0791-6

This would be an excellent Christmas gift, Christian or Jew, Democrat or Republican.

Reviewed: http://www.ou.org/jewish_action/11/2013/letters-president-clinton-biblical-lessons-faith-leadership/

Hayek on my bookshelves

Road to Serfdom, written by F.A. Hayek for a British audience but not published until 1944,  has become a “classic,” and one I’d never heard of until Glenn Beck’s show on Fox. Beck probably did more to get people reading than Oprah Winfrey. Any mention of a title, and the warehouses were empties.  The left just hates the way it dismantles and warns about socialism, authoritarianism and totalitarianism.

I have vol. 2, the “The definitive edition,” with text and documents, edited by Bruce Caldwell (University of Chicago Press, 2007). There are 20 volumes in the provisional collected works by Mr. Caldwell.

Here’s something appropriate because of the lies with spin we’ve been subjected to lately.  From “my mother had no health insurance,” to “I never knew my Uncle Omar” to “You can keep your doctor, period,” this explains the thinking.

“The word “truth” itself ceases to have its old meaning.  It describes no longer something to be found, with the individual conscience as the sole arbiter of whether in any particular instance the evidence  . . . warrants a belief; it become something to be laid down by authority; something which has to be believed in the interest of the unity of the organized effort and which may have to be altered as the exigencies of this organized effort require it.” . . . produced cynicism, loss of the sense of even the meaning of truth, the disappearance of the spirit of independent inquiry and of the belief in the power of rational conviction. . . every branch of knowledge become political issues to be decided by authority. . . “ p. 178

Worse than even I could have imagined

RE: OBAMACARE A comment posted on the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare FB page

"I actually made it through this morning at 8:00 AM. I have a preexisting condition (Type 1 Diabetes) and my income base was 45K-55K annually. I chose tier 2 "Silver Plan" and my monthly premiums came out to $597.00 with $13,988 yearly deductible!!! There is NO POSSIBLE way that I can afford this so I "opt-out" and chose to continue along with no insurance.

I received an email tonight at 5:00 P.M.... Informing me that my fine would be $4,037 and could be attached to my yearly income tax return.

Then you make it to the "REPERCUSSIONS PORTION" for "non-payment" of yearly fine.

First, your drivers license will be suspended until paid, and if you go 24 consecutive months with "Non-Payment" and you happen to be a home owner, you will have a federal tax lien placed on your home. You can agree to give your bank information so that they can easy "Automatically withdraw" your "penalties" weekly, bi-weekly or monthly! This by no means is "Free" or even "Affordable."

Really, folks, how does this help the low income/poor? Democrats:  Do you have an explanation for this travesty?

How the White House memorializes Mandela

With a photo of Barack Obama.  But I’m sure he knew nothing about this.

Will unions be able to improve service at this Grandview Heights McDonald’s?

I have no idea how many protesting the fast food wage (entry level, starting job, many for teens) are not working there and are union plants.  I was browsing one of those rating systems for one in our area, and I’m guessing these employees are all doing well, and looking for advancement.  This store is at 911 W. Fifth St., Grandview Heights, Ohio, and the customer gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

                                   

“Yes, I know I am reviewing a McDonalds, but we all should know no two McDonalds are the same. All health comments aside lets get right down to the results.

This McDonalds is really, really busy during meal hours, days when I choose to stop in a get breakfast on the way to work I always worry when I see the line completely wrapped around, but I have never waited more than about 7 mins, usually its around 5 mins.

They have yet to mess up my order at all or do anything else that would lead to complaints. When I decide to eat inside I find the restrooms, eating area and kitchen clean. I even like that they let a local semi "weird" guy just watch the TV in there all night when he just gets a coffee, which they may or may not make him pay for.

All in all this is probably one of the best McDonalds in Columbus and since I do not plan to go around all of Columbus to try them out you will just have to take my word for it.”

I worked for 25 cents over minimum at a Readmore Bookstore in the early 80s.  I wasn’t even worth that.  I was just awful at learning the cash register and figuring gift coupons. And my being a librarian with an MLS was useless to my employer. 

Barack’s uncle Omar

I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for Obama (aka White House) lying about his uncle. He was out of the room when the truth genes were passed out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/12/05/after-denying-they-had-met-white-house-now-says-obama-lived-with-uncle/

It's just stunning what the smartest man on the globe claims not to know.

Jay Carney (paraphrase): "No one asked him (Obama) when the original report came up." So it seems No one, Someone, Anyone and Everyone are ganging up again on the President. They are probably all Republicans and members of the Tea Party.

Rick Warren’s new book, The Daniel Plan

                         

Today Gretchen Carlson interviewed Rick Warren about his "The Daniel Plan" which is about healthy eating and exercise, and she specifically asked what he thought about the Obamacare mandate requiring Christians to violate their conscience and teachings, and after telling her Christians had the first hospitals he moved right back to talking about his book and didn't answer her question which included a clip of Cardinal Dolan on NBC.

One of the guests with Warren commented on obesity and brain function. Compared to people of normal weight, overweight people’s brains look 8 years older and obese people’s brains appear 16 years older. Warren has lost 65 lbs.--so maybe that was his problem with answering a very clear question.

http://bebrainfit.com/lifestyle/drains/the-toll-being-overweight-takes-on-your-brain/

Some clergy don’t have enough to do

More than 60 clergy of the Washington, DC area have signed a letter to the NFL and Washington team owner Dan Snyder calling for D.C.’s football team to change its name (Washington Redskins). I wonder if they could get 60 DC clergy to protest abortions in Washington, which is about 30/1000 compared to 19.6/1000 in the rest of the nation. I wonder if 60 clergy join in the March for Life that is held every year on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Which kills more people--a sports name (also used by American Indian schools as a mascot name) or dismembering and decapitating living babies in utero. Have they protested this: "Multiple individual plans available on the D.C. health-insurance exchange specifically cover elective abortion but not hearing aids, routine foot-care, and routine eye-care." Where's the outrage about 40% of the abortions in DC are for low-income minority women?

Those aren’t footballs in those bellies.

Twain has a familiar ring

People with short memories say, or at least liberals say, no president has been as abused as Obama (they've already forgotten the horrid things said about Bush). But Mark Twain was vicious about Teddy Roosevelt. "[No] President before who was destitute of self-respect & of respect for his high office; we have had no President before who was not a gentleman; we have had no President before who was intended for a butcher, a dive-keeper or a bully, & missed his mission by compulsion of circumstances over which he had no control. . . and. . . "Roosevelt is far and away the worst President we have ever had, and also the most admired and the most satisfactory. The nation’s admiration of him and pride in him and worship of him is far wider, far warmer, and far more general than it has ever before lavished upon a President, even including McKinley, Jackson, and Grant."

That worship thing sounds familiar, doesn't it?

What not to wear

I thought of that cable show “What not to wear” when I saw Hillary in this odd outfit.

Maybe it looks better without the teleprompters.

Let’s estimate how much is owed to the insurance companies since Healthcare.gov can’t compile that information

This is Reuters, not Fox, for all of you who are checking my sources. I found out about this from Fox though, as the news was quietly released by Reuters around 8 PM last night.

"Health plans will estimate how much they are owed, and submit that estimate to the government. Once the system is built, the government and insurers can reconcile the payments made with the plan data to "true up" payments, he said."

That's right. Your federal government is going to send your tax dollars to insurance companies based on their ESTIMATES of how much they are owed.

I love that phrase "once the system is built". Really? They created a health care plan with no provision for payments?

From Dr. Anna Loska Meenan

Healthcare.gov still riddled with ADD

A market based alternative to Obamacare

1. Obamacare moves American health care in the wrong direction. It undermines the doctor–patient relationship, centralizes health care decisions, and increases health care costs.
2. Therefore, Obamacare should be stopped and fully repealed.
3. Once this is accomplished, Congress and the states should pursue patient-centered, market-based reforms that get health care reform back on track.
4. Such reforms should focus on letting individuals choose and control their own health insurance; allowing the free markets to respond to consumer demand; encouraging employers to provide portable health insurance to their workers; helping those in need through civil society, the free markets, and the states; and protecting the right of conscience and unborn children.

After Obamacare

Obamacare can’t fix stupid

David Horowitz

Watched an interview with David Horowitz on Glenn Beck tonight. He used to be a Communist, as were his parents. He discussed his book "Black book of the American Left." He says Jarrett and Axelrod, Obama's advisors, had the same upbringing he did, but have remained Communists. He says the take over of the country began in the schools, and mentioned the junk history films by Oliver Stone that are shown in schools so will probably be absorbed by little heads of mush   (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/magazine/oliver-stone-rewrites-history-again.html)  Years ago, when I was still a Democrat (which was a much different party then) I read his autobiography. He’s quite a prolific writer and this is his collected writings, but there will be more in the series.

This link is to an interview at Heritage Foundation.

Cranberry-Orange Caramel Corn

This sounds good—if you’re having a crowd in so you don’t eat too much.

Yield: 10 cups

Ingredients

• 10 cups popped popcorn
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup whole almonds
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, undiluted
• 1 teaspoon orange or vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place popcorn, cranberries and almonds in a large bowl; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan heat butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and orange juice concentrate over medium heat until butter is melted. Bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in extract and baking soda (mixture will foam).
3. Pour syrup mixture over popcorn mixture in bowl; stir to coat well. Spread evenly in a large, rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake 30 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. Stir caramel corn as it cools on baking sheet. Store in an airtight container.

The Popcorn Board | 330 North Wabash Avenue | Suite 2000 | Chicago, IL 60611

Giant Eagle Holiday Greetings

                       

        

Yesterday I got a notice from Giant Eagle that I had "saved" $320.36 in 2013 by shopping there--$147.01 in fuel perks, $3.15 coupons, and $170.20 weekly specials. I really don't like playing games with my food, but I do have a loyalty card (reluctantly) and buy gift cards, and some bakery specials, or dash in dash out things at the Giant Eagle closest to my home (a mile). I only mention this to remind us how efficiently the private sector manages to keep track of a fraction of the U.S. citizens, but Healthcare.gov still can't even figure a subsidy or a price for a few thousand, but expect millions of currently uninsured. This website was contracted out to many companies (probably political cronies like Michelle's college roommate) with no one in charge of the overall concept. It was designed to fail so Obama could quickly move on the the next step: single payer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/health-care-enrollment-on-web-plagued-by-bugs/2013/12/02/e3021b86-5b79-11e3-a49b-90a0e156254b_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines

Monday Memories—Class of 1958 reunion

The class of 1958 of Mt. Morris High School had a class reunion on July 6, 2013, and I just noticed the photo at the Mt. Morris website.  Except for Carol Hayes and Kay Egan, I’m not sure I would recognize these people. Most of the activities I was in at MMHS they were too, like band, Pepsters, GAA (the girls, anyway), yearbook, dances, and church youth groups.

Magic Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

Yield: 8 servings
4 Tbsp butter
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I’m going to use left over turkey from Thanksgiving)
Up to 2 cups mixed vegetables (can use frozen, fresh or a mix)...
¼ onion, diced small
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups reduced fat biscuit mix
1 ½ cups skim milk
1 ½ cups chicken broth
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes (if using canned broth, use all 3)
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup

Heat oven to 350° F. In a 9X13 dish, place butter in cubes and allow to melt in the oven.

Heat the broth and dissolve the bouillon, set aside.

Remove the dish from the oven and layer chicken on top of the butter, do not stir.

Place your favorite mix of vegetables and onions on top of the chicken, do not stir (I used corn, green peas, carrots, spinach and bell pepper).

Top with the cheese, no stirring! Combine the biscuit mix and the milk, pour over the top and again, do not mix!

Mix together the broth and the cream of chicken soup, pour THIS over the top of everything, again, DO NOT STIR…yep, it looks like a mess, but bake for 45-50 minutes and the magic happens!

Remove when top is evenly browned and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. This is absolutely delicious!

By Cristal R. of SBC, Enjoy, seen at Gail’s Recipe Share

Kanye West says blacks don’t have connections

like Jews do or the Bushes, not even the President!  I wonder why Obama raised more money in 2012 than Mitt if he has no rich folks he can find to support him. (As of September 21, 2012) Forbes

- James Simons: $4.1 million

The hedge fund ‘quant king’ is the biggest billionaire donor to the left, giving $2 million to Obama-backing super PAC Priorities USA Action as well as supporting left-leaning Majority PAC and House Majority PAC.

- Irwin Jacobs : $2.1 million

The retired head of chip manufacturer Qualcomm also cut a $2 million check to Priorities USA Action, the super PAC backing Obama’s reelection.

- Jon Stryker: $2 million

Medical device heir, like Jacobs and Simons, pitched in $2 million to Priorities USA Action. He’s also a longtime donor to LGBT causes.

- Anne Cox Chambers: $1.6 million

The 92-year-old Cox Enterprises TV billionaire backed Obama supporters Priorities USA Action.

- George Soros: $1.275 million

The legendary investor hasn’t supported Obama directly, but he’s contributed to left-leaning groups Majority PAC, House Majority PAC, and American Bridge 21st Century.

- Haim Saban: $1 million

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers mogul has divided his donation between C Priorities USA Action and left-leaning Majority PAC and House Majority PAC.

Bundlers

- David Shaw, New York hedge funder: $500k+

- James Crown, of the Henry Crown dynasty of investors: $500k+

- Marc Lasry, New York hedge funder: $500k+

- Marc Benioff, founder of Salesforce.com: $500k+

- Penny Pritzker, business executive and Hyatt hotel heiress: $200k-$500k

You get what you voted for

Elect a Chicago community organizer (twice) as your president and you should not be surprised to find that all he is capable of is spewing propaganda and dividing us by personalizing attacks on those who oppose his grandiose, wildly impractical efforts at reshaping our lives to suit his sophomoric view of the good life. http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/12/lets_talk_turkey.html

It was announced earlier this week that Families USA, a self-proclaimed non-partisan organization (about as non-partisan as the Republican Governors—check out its Board/staff), has been given a $1.1 million grant to establish a database of ObamaCare "success stories." Families USA received the money from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on Oct. 4. The grant is meant to help Families USA expand the database of “real people” sharing their stories of enrolling in ObamaCare. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/01/obamacare-website-re-do-deadline-set-for-saturday/

What the western media reported . . .

Pope Francis criticized capitalism and free markets.  That was about all—perhaps a few sentences in the Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel).  I’ve learned to never trust the media to translate the Pope.

Pope Francis also says in the exhortation that politicians should not pander to or prey on the poor for votes, that countries with high debt are doing a disservice to the poor, and that welfare programs are not the answer to the problem of poverty. He also calls for a greater emphasis on Catholic teaching on the principle of subsidiarity, which is absolutely opposed to all forms of "collectivism." So while Pope Francis is criticizing capitalism's negatives, he is certainly not endorsing socialism.

The exhortation needs to be taken as a whole, not cherry-picked apart depending on one's political viewpoint. In his exhortation, Pope Francis chides both liberals and conservatives, society in general, self-centeredness, secularism, totalitarianism, the Catholic Church, the division that exists among Christian Churches, the "silent complicity" that enables human trafficking, and even priests who deliver boring homilies.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/12/what_the_pope_really_said.html

He said that when our hearts are filled with desire for material things we have little room for God—I think I’ve heard that message every year about Christmas.  He said that in this age, many worship money.  But if reporters don’t go to church, this might be news to them.

He said he wanted everyone to have a personal encounter with Jesus and that Jesus was waiting with open arms. 

“Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace”. How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”

“I never tire of repeating those words of Benedict XVI which take us to the very heart of the Gospel: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction”.

Why didn’t the press report that?

And yes, he did name the “free market system” as not meeting the demands of the poor, and I disagree with him there, because of what we have to compare it with--socialism, communism,  monarchies, and tribal/ethnic hatreds,which killed off about 100 million in the 20th century through democide (governments killing their own people, not war deaths). The conditions in Argentina, his home country, are very different than the United States (they are not built on English law as the U.S. is). 

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html#

Smoking cessation campaigns

Last year the government spent $54 million on Tips from Former Smokers. These are very moving stories. Sad, too. Lives ruined, or dead. The CDC says 1.6 million were persuaded to quit and after 3 months 220,000 were still abstinent. I don't know how they track that, but I've never known anyone who quit smoking with the federal government's help.
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/resources/ads/tips-2-ad-ellie-full.pdf

My dad quit when he began coughing blood in his 30’s; my father-in-law quit when he reached for the 3rd pack of the day; my son-in-law quit in his early 40s; my brother-in-law quit in his 50s with some back sliding; my niece quit because her son had asthma; my girlfriend quit after lung cancer treatment.  Most of the other family members I recall who were heavy smokers died of different types of cancer—lung, liver, throat, or heart disease.  We lost them much too soon.

Quitting is tough. But not nearly as bad as chemo or COPD or asthma and being sick for the rest of your life.

Hollywood hypocrisy

Ohio State University and the Annenberg Public Policy Center surveyed gun violence in top-grossing movies, finding that the frequency of gun violence had more than tripled in PG-13 films since 1985. The PG-13 rating was introduced in 1984.

Gun violence in PG-13 movies has rivaled the frequency of gun violence in R-rated movies since 2009, and actually surpassed it in 2012, according to the study. (CS Monitor, Nov. 12).

Not only does this mean the rating system is meaningless, but that Hollywood celebrities and entertainment investors are total hypocrites about gun control and the 2nd amendment because they are trafficking in guns and directing it to children and teaching them how to use guns and resolve conflicts. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/moviegunviolence.htm

Loaded words in this article about shopping

Doesn’t seem to be much love for retail in this article.  I wonder if the author understands that it is the advertising for products (which must be sold to make a profit) that pay his bills?  This article guarantees a negative impression of American retailers. http://www.menshealth.com/best-life/retail-tricks

America's malls and department stores would like to see you shell out even more.

subtle psychological tricks

latest scientific research on the shopper's brain

stores are squeezing more pennies from your pocket

something more insidious

subconsciously plants that second idea

free from other manipulations

subconsciously influenced the shoppers

Fight back against these hidden retail tricks

Know when to act FAST—Stroke

A lawless government

The “fat cats” will love Obama’s choice

The wealthiest should love Obama's choice of Janet Yellen to head the fed. She will continue the easy money policy. And predictably, Obama will continue to demonize the "fat cats" because it plays well among his supporters. http://www.mrt.com/business/article_60e80d86-57b4-11e3-8100-0019bb2963f4.html

To the extent they pay any attention to the Fed, most Americans think the Federal Reserve system is part of our government.  It isn't.  Although the president appoints the Chair and members of the board, it is a private institution owned by private member banks (a non-profit!). Yes, indeed, it  controls our lives, but it's not part of our three branches of government, it is not part of the civil service system, you'll never see a budget or an audit (although it has been called for) and no one in government monitors it. Confusing?  Yes.

Friday family photo—down on the farm

Cousin Gayle and me summer of 1984

Not what I wanted to read the day after Thanksgiving

My daughter’s Thanksgiving Day pies—cherry, apple and pumpkin. She always decorates with little cut outs from the pastry.

I've had A-fib (atrial fibrillation) as long as I can remember, but wasn't diagnosed until 1996. I was on medication for awhile, then had an ablation (the cause turned out to be an extra circuit), then for a decade didn't use meds, then it began kicking in more frequently, and recently I returned to medications to control the rhythm and slow down my heart and a blood thinner in case a clot develops (the biggest risk for A-fib is a stroke). The Nov. 30 JAMA reports that losing weight is important in reducing A-fib, which would account for the increase in symptoms and the 30 lbs I've added in the last 4 years. This is not what I wanted to know the day after Thanksgiving with the frig loaded with left overs, including 3 kinds of pie.

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1779533

Lara Logan’s dismissal and sin

Do you think there's more to Lara Logan's "extended leave" from CBS? On good faith, she and her producer presented a story on Benghazi which shocked us all be showing up on 60 minutes. One of their sources turned out to be less than honest. As if this has never happened in the "caused by a video" mess. The administration probably came down very hard on CBS and she had to be sacrificed as did all the leftist media who have chosen to be blind to this administration’s sins.

ttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2013/11/11/watch-lara-logan-shares-thoughts-on-benghazi-prior-to-60-minutes-apology/

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/10/10/cbs_lara_logan_slams_obama_admin_for_pushing_major_lie_that_taliban_is_weakened.html

http://www.eonline.com/news/485398/60-minutes-lara-logan-ordered-to-take-leave-of-absence-from-cbs-after-botched-benghazi-report

http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/11/13/Salon-Writer-Calls-for-Lara-Logan-s-Firing-Over-Benghazi-He-s-Wrong-Here-s-Why

Obama’s lies, laws and fixes

The president has a record for lying to get a law passed, then lying after it is passed, then offering a fix for the law he lied about.

"The flagship Catholic university [Notre Dame], named after the most prolife Woman in history, rewarded the most pro-abortion President in history by giving him an honorary degree. On this occasion the President publicly promised to respect Catholic conscience rights by keeping a conscience clause exception in his comprehensive healthcare program. He lied. He reneged on his promise." Peter Kreeft.

Obama's fix when even liberal Catholics were outraged by his lie was to give a one year reprieve. Sound familiar? Lies. Laws. Fixes.

My comments in 2009 on his event at Notre Dame, here, and here.

Bill Gates and Common Core

"After making tens of billions in the personal computer revolution, Gates has become a full-time cheerleader for leftist causes on a global scale—whether it’s reducing carbon emissions to zero by mid-century or reducing the world population by spending billions to pay for contraceptives in poor countries. Now Gates is hoping to transform education (through Common Core)."

I like his products--use them all the time. However, he's not qualified to decide who lives and dies (more Africans will die from Western "family planning", than were lost in the transatlantic slave trade of the 18th century), how to destroy other competing businesses through stiffer air quality regulations, or how to make "world citizens" out of American citizens.

http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/the-ambitions-of-bill-and-melinda-gates-controlling-population-and-public-education

Abortion—the real war against women

A new study again confirms the link between abortions and breast cancer, and also the link to delaying first pregnancy. “Any birth was protective (adjusted OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.20–0.66). Each year delay in first pregnancy increased risk (adjusted OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.01–1.27) as did induced abortions (adjusted OR = 2.86, 95% CI 1.02–8.04).” “Fifty-four of 67 epidemiological studies since 1957 report an abortion-breast cancer link (not counting biological and experimental evidence).” http://www.lifenews.com/2011/11/28/abortion-nearly-triples-breast-cancer-risk-new-study-finds/

Add to that the toxic nature of birth control pills, and Plan B being made available without prescription for young teens and you can see where the war against women really comes from.

Three important terms in today’s political climate

Don’t confuse these terms:  same sex attraction, homosexual acts, and gay.  They are not the same.  The first is a feeling or emotion that does not involve choice; the second is sodomy an act or behavior not compatible with Scripture or church teaching; and the third is a political movement.  The culture teaches that our sexuality is just biological.  But God says otherwise.  This is not about civil rights, but God’s truth and creation.

“God created us as male and female. Host Gloria Purvis along with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers and Damon Owens discuss complementarity between men and women, and why homosexual acts and redefining marriage are not compatible with authentic freedom. They also explain the difference between accepting homosexual behavior and a person with same sex attraction.”

Episode 5, http://www.ewtn.com/series/shows/authentically-free-at-last/episodes.asp

The New Economy vs. the Old Economy

Sergei Brin is a Russian immigrant.  He’s the founder of Google.  He’s a billionaire and the 14th wealthiest person in the U.S. He’s at the top, but hasn’t created all that many jobs. Other tech jobs go to China.

“The big names in tech might be awash in capital and might have made their founders billionaires (New Economy founders typically retain large blocks of their own stock), but they employ surprisingly small numbers of U.S. workers. Google, the valley’s largest employer, has 46,000 people on its payroll. Facebook employs only 4,600, and Twitter, in San Francisco, fewer than 2,000. Apple claims 400,000 people putting together components and creating apps and other extras for its iPhones, iPads, iPods, MacBooks, and desktop computers. Yet only 16,000 of those are on the payroll in Cupertino. Another 31,000 work at Apple operations in Texas and other states, but the vast bulk of manufacturing is outsourced abroad via contractors to China and other cheap-labor purgatories. Yet those 16,000 in Cupertino make Apple the second-largest employer in the valley. Kotkin compares those numbers to the 212,000 employed by GM, the 170,000 employed by Ford, and the more than 100,000 employed by Exxon Mobil, all three presumably Old Economy dinosaurs. The New Economy generates prosperity all right, prosperity that mostly flows to those in the upper echelons.”

Link to Silicon Chasm

The president noticed immigrants and commented

OBAMA: “ As I was getting a tour of DreamWorks, I didn't ask, but just looking at faces, I could tell there were some folks who are here not because they were born here, but because they want to be here and they bring extraordinary talents to the United States. And that's part of what makes America special. And that's part of what, by the way, makes California special, because it's always been this magnet of dreamers and strivers. And people coming from every direction saying to themselves, you know, if I work hard there I can have my piece of the American Dream.”

Of course, the immigrant workers of DreamWorks are not those who are sneaking across the borders.  Our 1996 immigration law would forbid DreamWorks from hiring them. Not even a janitor or grounds person would be hired without a green card or suitable documentation.

A few years ago I was at a birthday party, standing beside a stranger with dark skin and black hair who had a slight accent.  Not wanting to be rude, I didn't pounce and say "I see you are an immigrant here to bring us special talents," but eventually I found out he was Iranian born with a successful business that hired Mexican illegals because they were such hard workers, and wouldn't report him for fear of deportation.

Give Thanks

It’s not even funny

The President’s pardon record

Yesterday the President pardoned a turkey. But for humans, not so much. He has the worst record for pardons of any president other than George Washington and those who died after a short time in office. It's something like 1 in 6,000+ requests, compared to Clinton’s which was 1 in 190 something. Not to turn this into a race issue, but aren't blacks disproportionately represented in the prison population? http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865591370/Obamas-pardon-record-is-for-the-birds-critics-say.html

What will you be discussing at dinner tomorrow?

"Organizing for Action" is the group promoting talking points and advocacy for Obamacare at the dining room table on Thanksgiving. It also mysteriously was fast tracked for IRS approval and has a 501c4 classification as a "social welfare non-profit."

 http://www.jammiewf.com/2013/so-how-did-obamas-organizing-for-action-get-irs501c4-approval-so-quickly/

I'd forgotten that Obama talking points for Thanksgiving isn't new. In 2009 I wrote at my blog, "I looked at the cheat sheet the Democrats printed up (pdf) of Obama's accomplishments to discuss over turkey. But it really was the turkey. Stuffed and expanded with lies, some created, some saved."

How to fix a turkey

The National Turkey Federation recommends turkey be roasted by the Open Pan method in a preheated 325 degree F oven until the internal temperature, as registered on a meat thermometer, reaches 180 degrees F in the thigh or 170 degrees F in ...the breast. The open pan dry heat cooking method is the easiest and most reliable of all cooking methods and results in a juicy, tender, flavorful golden brown turkey. My turkey is 22 lbs. and the chart says 6 to 7 hours.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/story/66/

Black Friday savings available to all

Food stamps buying Thanksgiving dinner

What's wrong with this picture? The recession was over in June 2009 before a single Obama economic program went into effect. This is his failure, but he always points to someone, something else.

"Food stamps. Hit hard by the 2008 financial collapse, more Americans are using food stamps to help buy the basics this Thanksgiving than ever before. Average participation has increased 70 percent since 2007, with costs reaching $72 billion, according the Congressional Budget Office." Sunlight Foundation, Nov. 27, 2013.

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/09/20/nber-recession-ended-in-june-2009/

Thanksgiving at the Bruce household 2013

I'm doing Thanksgiving dinner for our family--first in a lot of years.  We’ll attend church at 10 a.m. at UALC.  Everything is done except the turkey.  Mashed potatoes, cubed roasted sweet potatoes, green beans with onions and mushrooms, home made cranberry sauce (sugar free), 2 kinds of dressing, gravy, mixed greens salad with fruit, and my daughter is bringing the pies. I only have 3 serving dishes that match my china, so some things will have to go from oven to the table.  This years for birthdays we went out to eat separately with each instead of mushing the birthdays and Thanksgiving together.

2012

2012 Black Friday

2011

2005

2005  (menus)

2005 (post dinner)

2004

2004

2003

2002

1991 (birthdays)

Searching the blog

The search widget on my blog is not working.  I looked at the discussion forum and many are having this problems.  Someone provided a code for a work around until it is fixed, but I couldn’t figure that out either.

What can you buy with SNAP? A lot.

I saw a discussion of food stamps (aka SNAP) at NPR where the liberals were arguing that cheap processed food was cheaper than healthier items like meat and fruits and vegetables, so the poor were not being well fed and needed more allocations.  No so fast, declared an alert woman. And she laid out the numbers.

Breakfast - banana, eggs, and grits
Lunch - bread, peanut butter or cheese, carrots and apple sauce
Dinner – 1 lb. meat ($3), starch (i.e. pasta or rice) and canned vegetables
Snack - homemade popcorn on the stove $1 (actually I make mine for about 15 cents, njb).
Every item ~$1 or $13 a day and many items would last 3 meals
Times 7 days is $91. And most families of 4 on food stamps get ~$525. 

I bought a box of sugar cereal for my kids yesterday that was ON SALE for $2. I was excited because a box of cereal can be $3-$5. So I thought it would be a cheap option (which it is), but it is only 11 oz. That's now $3/pound or the price of chicken. So it may SEEM CHEAP when really it is not a good deal.

Same with a frozen cheap pizza. I got one on sale for $5 (on sale from $8). Thought it is cheap and cheaper than Pizza Hut - yes, but it is 20 oz or $4/pound (regularly $6/pound - the price of a good steak).

Most fruits and vegetables are less than $2/pound. So you can't tell me that frozen pizzas are cheaper than apples and bananas and chicken. THEY JUST SEEM that way.

George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

Thanksgiving Proclamation
Issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other trangressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

George Washington

Iran’s deal of the century

If nuclear energy is so great for Iran, why isn’t  the U.S. faster about developing it?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christine-todd-whitman/plant-vogtle-nuclear-reactors_b_1269422.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2013/07/08/whats-wrong-with-obamas-energy-policy/

“On Feb. 9, 2012, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a license for two new nuclear reactors in Georgia. The electricity giant Southern Co. intends to build them at its Vogtle site south of Augusta. (The White House pointed us to news coverage of the approval when we asked for evidence of Obama’s statement.)

Prior to this year, the last time the commission granted a license to build a new reactor was in 1978, which was 34 years ago, according to a commission spokesperson. The permit was for the Shearon Harris plant operated by Carolina Power & Light near Raleigh, N.C. But it takes a long time to build nuclear reactors, so the plant didn’t get operational approval until 1986.

And the North Carolina plant isn’t the most recent to go operational. That distinction goes to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar site in Tennessee. It received a construction license in 1973 and an operating license in 1996, or 16 years ago.”

http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2012/mar/02/barack-obama/obama-says-he-supported-first-nuclear-power-plant-/

Obama and Kerry and Iran

The Obamacare burger

Nobody knows what’s in it, and it costs in the trillions. Mr. Bartley’s is a burger joint near the Harvard University campus, Barack Obama’s alma mater.

“The light of faith” by Pope Francis

I was sent Pope Francis' "The light of faith" (Lumen Fidei) Ignatius Press, 2013, this summer to review. I pick it up occasionally and think, I really need to get into this. But I've found it not terribly readable--but then it's the first encyclical I've ever read. Beginning Oct. 2012, it was the year of faith for Roman Catholics. Pope Benedict had already written on charity and hope (Deus Caritas Est (2005) and Spe Salvi (2007) , and this was outlined as part of that trilogy, when he resigned in February. Francis calls it a work of 4 hands, and that it is, with Benedict's scholarly references to giants of the past, and Francis' sweetness in reaching out to the ordinary person in faith. I'll continue to dip in--and it's a small book about 5 x 7 with 110 pages. It still feels a little like an outline, but both of these great men know far more on the subject than I do, so it won't be wasted effort. I’ll keep working at it.

Pope Benedict “had almost completed a first draft of an encyclical on faith” before his retirement in February 2013, Pope Francis writes, adding that “I have taken up his fine work and added a few contributions of my own.”

Commentators are likely to differ in attributing specific passages, but the document clearly recalls the writings of Benedict XVI in its extensive treatment of the dialogue between faith and reason and its many citations of St Augustine, not to mention references to Friedrich Nietzsche and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

On other hand, warnings of the dangers of idolatry, Gnosticism and Pharisaism, a closing prayer to Mary as the “perfect icon of faith”, and an entire section on the relevance of faith to earthly justice and peace echo themes that Pope Francis has already made signatures of his young pontificate.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/07/05/lumen-fidei-an-overview-of-pope-franciss-first-encyclical/