The month after Christmas—author unknown

'Twas the month after Christmas,
and all through the house ...
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste at the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales
there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store
(less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;

The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---
I said to myself, as only I can
" You can't spend a winter disguised as a man! "

So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chips
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
" Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want to chew only on a long celery stick.

I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!"

Conversation or kicking the can down the road?

We need to have a conversation about this phrase, "We need to have a conversation about . . ." because when anyone says it, you know they mean a monologue and do it my way or let's move on to something else. Right or left, doesn't matter. I'd put it right up there with "Let's do lunch sometime."

I Googled it—557,000 matches.

Racism. Race in America. Education. Technology. School security. Truth and art. Guns. Rape. Your lack of seriousness. Changes in our pension plan. PTSD. Minimum wage. How to do better. Unwed mothers. Gay marriage. It. Sex education. Character and values. Immigration.  Chicago.  What’s been goin’ on. Australia Day. Refinancing debt. Cops. Standardized testing. Abortion. Smurfs. Rules of the game. Big Data needs. Renewable energy. Living. Covering fires in near by towns. Classroom etiquette. Choices for seniors [elderly]. Your cat. Quaker history. Immorality. How we define that. Where we're going and how we're going to get there. A breakfast casserole. Twitter. Drugs in hip-hop music. HIV/AIDS. Hardcore atheists.  Ableism. Health benefits. New literacies. The future. Missed curfew. Spending priorities. Pluralism in Islam. Mental health.  All these things.

I looked through about 15 Google pages; not once did I see the word ACA or Obamacare.  I guess those have been talked to death.

Governor Scott Walker makes Wisconsin—a winner

Look who has a $900 million budget surplus. Wisconsin. That's why the left hates him. He's fiscally responsible. Can we get him in Washington?

Richard says, “My Wisconsin liberal friends hate him with froth coming out their mouths when they talk about him. They tend to bring up all sorts of stories about him that are printed in Milwaukee and Madison papers that no one else will write.”

http://fox6now.com/2014/01/22/preview-of-gov-walkers-state-of-the-state-address/

Tonight, we have some really great news about the economy and our fiscal situation. The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau recently verified that the state will have $911 million more than previously projected. These new revenues are not a one-time windfall, or budget gimmick, but come from a strong economic recovery, where more people are working, more employers are hiring, and personal income is going up. They also come from good stewardship of the taxpayers’ money.

What do you do with a surplus? Give it back to the people who earned it. It’s your money. I propose that we deposit a portion of these new revenues in the state’s rainy day fund and use the remainder to provide much needed tax relief to you—the hardworking taxpayers of Wisconsin.

Job creation, prudent fiscal management, tax credits for manufacturing and agriculture, international trade, tourism, lower property taxes, new education and training programs.  Didn’t see anything about teacher’s unions, but we know the individual communities are saving a lot of money. Teachers in Wisconsin are no longer forced to join the union.

http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/09/governor-scott-walkers-teacher-union-busting-act-10-law-continues-upheld/

Hollywood Casino in Columbus

Ohio voters turned down casinos five times, but the powerful gambling interests finally won when Ohio was in a hole due to the recession. They are now in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus and Cincinnati.  Supposedly, the taxes will help the schools--what a trade off. More crime, more prostitution, more personal losses from gambling addictions, and businesses leaving the area because after the construction, there was no benefit. The Hollywood Casino in Columbus is well named--glitz, glamor and sin. And when the money comes to the schools, will it change education, or just the sense of responsibility at the local level?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/06/05/ohio-gambling-revenues/2392697/

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-01-23/states-casino-gambling/52746498/1

Remember the 1950s witch hunt

The IRS is targeting conservatives--it wants names, just like good old Joseph McCarthy did in the 1950s. The difference is he was an elected official and we were at war with the Communists. There really were Communists in Hollywood and other industries.  IRS bureaucrats haven't been elected, and as far as I know, we are not at war with believers in the free market and personal responsibility.

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/01/24/irs-going-after-conservatives-in-hollywood-now/

A collection of perhaps 1,500 right-leaning players in the entertainment industry, Friends of Abe keeps a low profile and fiercely protects its membership list, to avoid what it presumes would result in a sort of 21st-century blacklist, albeit on the other side of the partisan spectrum.

Now the Internal Revenue Service is reviewing the group’s activities in connection with its application for tax-exempt status. Last week, federal tax authorities presented the group with a 10-point request for detailed information about its meetings with politicians like Paul D. Ryan, Thaddeus McCotter and Herman Cain, among other matters, according to people briefed on the inquiry. …

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/23/us/politics/leaning-right-in-hollywood-under-a-lens.html

It’s my personal opinion, due to the invasive, and sometimes criminal nature of some of our non-elected agencies, that organizations should skip the tax status. Any political activity will be investigated even though a limited amount is allowed by law.

Spread for crackers

 

Our refrigerator seems to collect a lot of jars with just a smidgen of jelly or jam or relish.  I'm sure I'm not alone.  So let an 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese soften, then zap those jars a few second in the microwave to loosen the gunk, and then mix it all into the cream cheese for a spread with lots of surprises. Today it’s onion relish and apricot.  Oh, and don't forget the crackers. Or celery.  It’s great for celery boats.

The 9-12 project

These groups were originally the idea of Glenn Beck, the guy the media are demonizing now because he’s been reflecting about his impact on America.  No liberal (he’s a libertarian and owns a very successful media company) would ever reflect if he/she has done things in the past that could have been different, and that’s the only part of the interview that they care about. Daily Beast (owned by Tina Brown) readers are such haters, it is very discouraging to believe Americans are like that.  We have a group in Upper Arlington which has had topics as diverse as tax issues, goat farming, education,the principles of liberty, signers of the Declaration of Independence, how the judicial system works and everything in between. It’s not a political group but is conservative, and opens meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer.

The 9 Principles

1. America Is Good.
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

The 12 Values

1. Honesty    2. Reverence     3. Hope     4. Thrift     5. Humility     6. Charity     7. Sincerity    8. Moderation     9. Personal Responsibility     10. Hard Work     11. Courage    12. Gratitude

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865594802/Glenn-Beck-Arent-we-all-a-little-wrong-about-something.html?pg=all

The Tea Party would vote for these men and women

Would you?  If not, is it their race or their conservatism that concerns you?

This will not make the national news

Everyone knows the names.  Trayvon  Martin and George Zimmerman.  The big deal is that a “white Hispanic” shot a black 17 year old while on a security detail. Politicians whipped up the crowds.  Trayvon’s friends were interviewed on national TV.  His mother received huge amounts of money to tell her story.  Jesse the race baiter showed up to perform before the cameras to make sure we hadn’t forgotten him.

No one will hear about this—except perhaps in the Houston area. ”Luan Vu, 19, is charged with capital murder in the death of 17-year-old Vy Ngoc Bao-Pham.”  If a man kills a woman, same race, and she’s not a lesbian,  no big deal. First he hit her with a tree branch and then he strangled her then he hid her body under a bridge.  No gun.  No race issues.  No hate crime.  But she’s just as dead as Trayvon.

Follow the money—or the votes

Seniors are not hurting.

"Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) has introduced legislation to increase Social Security benefits and build a government-run supplemental saving plan. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) has so captivated progressives with her demands to raise Social Security payments that she is touted as a potential presidential candidate in 2016."

What this country needs is jobs for young people, not pandering to senior citizens. Today's retirees have been warned since their 30s that Social Security won't be there for them, and most of the couples I know have 5 or 6 streams of income, from a 403-b, or 401-k, or private investments, or annuities, or IRAs, or veterans' pension, or Social Security. There are divorced women living in “committed relationships” still getting financial support from the husband that ran off with his secretary 30 years ago. If they married, they’d lose that. 

Politicians know seniors vote. Especially Democrats.

Book burning in the 21st century

University of Wisconsin at Madison has caved to pressure from atheists.  It has removed the Gideon Bible from hotel rooms.  Apparently, atheists become apoplectic and panic at the sight of one.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/university-removes-bibles-guest-rooms-complaint-article-1.1582450

On antenna TV I can get 4 different channels in Arabic, all evangelizing Islam.  Should I complain or change channels?

What turns a liberal into a conservative?

It seems it is a bit like alcoholism—they have to figure it out for themselves.  I did.  But here’s what others say. (Facebook conversation)

I wasn't a well educated liberal. I changed my views because of the WSJ articles in the 80;s explaining the Laffer curve. Marti

I went to education college when I was a (semi-)adult (in my 20s and 30s) and thought that some of the stuff I was learning (whole language, ugh) was not quite right. That led to some reading at the public library (this was before the internet!) and slowly started coming around. Carol

Having kids. Joseph

I have been . . . incorporating critical thinking skills into my lessons. Question authority. Follow the money. If someone makes you an offer too good to be true, it probably is. If you know someone is lying to you about one thing, you can't trust him when he's talking about anything else. . .  some times these kids are actually listening to you. Stuart

My wife is in college presently. She is taking a history course. Reagan is this weeks' topic...the stuff they teach about Reagan in college is pretty sad. I probably was fed the same propaganda back when I was in college, but I don't remember it...experiencing the college propaganda as an older person with life experiences it is easy to detect, but for the young folks it's just another class with stuff to be memorized...pretty soon what they memorize becomes historical fact even when it is blatant lies.  Jim

I was working on a wheat ranch . . . So the farmer said, "Get in the truck." I did, and he drove us into town, and to the "Employment Office." It was so full there were people standing in the aisles, every seat being taken. He loudly announced, "I need 5 people to drive wheat trucks... it is easy work and pays well... first ones to the door get the job." Not one person moved.  Ed

My sister was sounding strangely conservative as she ranted about irresponsible parents of her second graders. She was saying that any aid they get should be tied to actually parenting their children! I told her that was a conservative point of view. Just giving people money doesn't change a thing. Debbie

Discernment informed by life experience. Lynn

“Show me a young Conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains.”― Winston Churchill.  Hartley

[Came home from Viet Nam and enrolled in college.  Sociology teacher required volunteering.]  I went to one of the places . . . the "Blue Mountain Action Council." I was given the task of going door to door to sign people up for welfare. After an afternoon of having folks tell me that they were insulted by the offer, I went back to the office to talk with the guy in charge. He explained that the real purpose of getting more people enrolled was so that he could get a promotion and more money. He offered that if I helped him do so, he could get me hired into the position he now held. I became a conservative that day. Ed

After the stupidfada and 9/11, I couldn't understand the liberal reaction. That made me start reading conservative sources. I did some work in management consulting, which got me to understanding economics. Ariel

My sister converted me when I was a teenager, by explaining that giving minority-owned businesses preferential treatment we guarantee that they'll never believe themselves as good as we are. Essentially putting them back on a plantation- Then she went on to explain that when the gov't favors one group over another, that group proliferates and yet does not prosper. Opened my eyes to the existence of wrongheaded/good heartedness. That was the day. Kenneth

Cold humor

There are 79 means tested programs for the poor and low income

Lumped together they loosely comprise “welfare” in the jargon of the people, but that means jobs for government workers.

There are 79 means tested programs to help the poor and low income and about 49% of that is medical and most goes to children, disabled and elderly. Only 8% for able bodied, working age adults. So good luck at cutting anything. It's about $19,000 for EACH American counted as "poor" by the Census. About 6% of the budget is for those "welfare" type programs, and 4.8 % of GDP for social security (Medicare is going to pass SS in 2040). We've all paid into Social Security, Medicare, and worker’s compensation, so many people don't like the word "entitlement" for those, even though we are entitled to them through our contributions. http://www.heritage.org/.../examining-the-means-tested...

You gotta have faith

A few weeks ago we went to the movie Philomena after church at the Lennox theater near OSU campus and were surprised to find the parking lot full at 11 a.m. There were 3 services there of the Rock City Church. There was an article about the lead pastor in the December issue of the magazine 614, the cover story of which was "You gotta have faith." http://614columbus.com/article/you-gotta-have-faith-chad-fisher-6056/

For 40 years (as long as I've been paying attention) I've heard pastors and church members say their church isn't about "religion," but about "a relationship." They sort of campaign (subtly) against organized religion. But without that in their background, going back the church fathers, the reformation, the great awakening, etc., they wouldn't be around to preach the gospel. And if they are successful in their mission, eventually they too are "religious."

I think these informal, non-religious, non-churches are a form of church renewal, and apparently necessary since Christians have been doing it for over 2000 years. However, Christians who say they don't like liturgy or hymns or structure apparently haven't paid attention to their own services, which when I attend, I always see or hear a pattern, form, and style that is comfortable and meaningful for that group. Maybe they don't say, "In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit," and make the sign of the cross, but they do say, "Lord, we just come before you today, . . ." or "Can I get an Amen here?" Maybe they don't have robes or stained glass windows or an organ, but they have 24 Peaveys hanging from the ceiling, loud guitars and special lighting to create a mood and emotion.

My mother, remembering you

Died January 24, 2000.

Christmas 1983

MetLife Stadium, site of the Super Bowl

As you view the crowd at the Super Bowl, think on this: "Abortionists terminated the lives of 83,750 babies in New York City in 2010, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest "Abortion Surveillance" report, which was published on Nov. 29, 2013. That is more than enough people to sell out MetLife Stadium, site of this year’s Super Bowl." About 40% of them were black.

In New York state overall, abortionists terminated the lives of 115,724 unborn babies in 2010, according to the CDC report. That is more people than have ever attended any Super Bowl.

See more at: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/babies-aborted-nyc-1-yr-would-fill-super-bowl-stadium

Heating bills are on the local news

Our son says his gas bill is up 50%.  Our electric went from $331 to $496—difference between this January and last January electric bill (we're all electric, no gas). And that's before the truly cold weather hit, aka polar vortex. Last year's February bill was $109--can't even imagine what it will be this year (covers January, paid in February). Story on the local news tonight how businesses and non-profits are hurting. I wonder if it's the weather, or just Obama keeping his 2008 promise to raise electric bills.

I checked and there really is a 14 Holy Helpers church. It is Roman Catholic and in Gardenville, NY. http://fourteenholyhelpers.org/paris.../changes-in-the-mass/

It takes it's name from this church, and here are the 14 Holy Helpers.

Are you seeking revenge? Here’s how to do it.

The Saint Day of January 23 is St. John the Merciful, or St.John the Almoner.

“St. John the Merciful” is not a saint name I know—although that wouldn’t be unusual for a Protestant. He was the Patriarch of Alexandria, and was born on Cyprus in the seventh century. Remember those days—before the Christian church split apart? 

“There was a time when a certain citizen insulted George, the Patriarch’s nephew. George asked the saint to avenge the wrong. The saint promised to deal with the offender so that all of Alexandria would marvel at what he had done. This calmed George, and St John began to instruct him, speaking of the necessity for meekness and humility. Then he summoned the man who insulted George. When St John learned that the man lived in a house owned by the church, he declared that he would excuse him from paying rent for an entire year. Alexandria indeed was amazed by such a “revenge,” and George learned from his uncle how to forgive offenses and to bear insults for God’s sake.”

http://oca.org/saints/lives/2013/11/12/103286-st-john-the-merciful-patriarch-of-alexandria

http://dailygospel.org/main.php?language=AM&module=saintfeast&localdate=20140123&id=10167&fd=0

The current Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa is Theodoros II, born Nicholas Horeftakis in Crete in 1954.

Planned Parenthood calls January 22 a “birthday,” although they weren’t born alive

"Celebrating the most tragic Supreme Court decision in history, Barack Obama urged his cadres to "recommit" themselves to the "guiding principle" of abortion on demand. Why? "Because this is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams." Well, not everyone -- 56 million dead Americans would certainly object to that characterization. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, tweeted something perhaps even more mindless: "Happy 41st birthday, Roe v. Wade." Did they really just use the word "birthday" to celebrate a decision that prevents birthdays? What a gruesome thing to celebrate." Patriot Post.

Remember this video?  Obama would have his own grandchildren aborted!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZF-_EZ8mb0

And I’m entitled

A 72 year old friend noted this in the no parking zone at the store in below freezing weather.  She had parked legally. The driver of this car “by-passed all the regular parking spots and all the handicapped spaces and parked her vehicle in the striped no-parking space, energetically got out of her car and pranced into the store. Her bumper sticker left out "I'm Entitled".”

To think we all laughed at “community organizer” in 2008

It’s not ACORN—it’s Surdna (Andrus spelled backwards after a very successful businessman who came up through poverty). “New York’s Surdna Foundation used to focus on the usual left-wing causes: environmentalism and so-called smart growth, community development, and the arts.  Sensing an opportunity when Barack Obama became U.S. president, the charity changed its mission to promote community organizing above all else. Its benefactor would not have approved of its old mission statement or the new mission statement.”

https://www.capitalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/FW0114.pdf

Founded by a practical, hard-nosed,
free market-loving capitalist, over the
past century the Surdna Foundation
Inc. was transformed into a hotbed of revolutionary
radicalism. Created by legendary
industrialist John Emory Andrus, the New
York City-based foundation now adheres to
the Weltanschauung of extremist agitator Saul
Alinsky and Alinsky acolytes like Barack
Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Andrus
was no utopian, holier-than-thou dreamer or
activist. . . .

Surdna’s radical objective is to remake
America in the image of a European social
democracy and to minimize the traditional
forms of American self-governance. The
foundation prefers that freedom and individual
rights take a back seat to equality
and the sacred cow of coercive redistributionism
through the agency of the federal
government.

Thursday Thirteen--13 tips on getting fit without making a New Year’s Resolution

1. Sit up in your chair and visualize a golden thread running from your crown to the ceiling. Also good for depression.
2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.   Take 2 at a time for extra challenge.
3. Get off the bus a stop early.
4. Park a block away from your destination or at the outskirts of the parking lot.
5. Invest in a pedometer to gauge how far you walk each day—try for 10,000 steps.
6. If you’re sitting at work, or blogging at home, get up and move around for 5-10 minutes every hour. I walk around when I talk on the phone.
7. Do some office yoga for stretches. (from pinterest)

               

8.  If your grocery bags have handles use them for impromptu weight lifting, one on each side, keeping your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles in a straight line.

9. I’m not sure this is because of exercise or what you eat (fresher, smaller portions), but people who go shopping every day live longer than those who shop only once a week.

10. Tone your buttocks by clenching them as tightly as you can for three seconds and releasing. Repeat 10 times, twice a day.

11. To prevent incontinence simply squeeze your pelvic floor muscles, then hold the squeeze for a few seconds and then release slowly.

12. Simply sitting up rather than lying down increases energy output by 25%, and standing up really ups the ante. Standing up burns more calories than sitting or lying down.

13. While watching TV lie down on the floor, slowly bring one knee up to your chest, pulling it in with your arms, and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times, then do the other leg. To firm your stomach, thighs and bottom all in one go, lie with your arms by your sides, lift your hips and clench your buttocks so you are in a straight line. Now raise one leg as high as possible, and lower it. Repeat 12 times and switch legs.

                             

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/11/get-fit-without-noticing-do-something-active

Helping churches and parents to help their children

La Verne Tolbert, Ph.D., is author of Keeping You & Your Kids Sexually Pure. She details her five-year tenure on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood, NYC when death certificates were required for all abortions.  Her research on school-based clinics—abortion mills in public schools—explains why condom availability encourages kids to become sexually active.  Written in everyday language, she urges pastors, parents, and teachers to teach teens why and how to save sex for marriage.

How I plan to use up the rest of the black beans

I made a huge crockpot of black beans today.  I mixed some with brown rice and we’ll be eating that forever, plus I have a lot left over.  I’m guessing I have 10-12 servings for $1.50.  Here’s an idea.

Black Bean Brownies

(gluten-free)

• 1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well) (250g after draining)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder- dutch or regular (10g) (add a little extra if desired)
• 1/2 cup quick oats (40g) (See nutrition facts link below for all substitution notes.)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave (Honey will work, but not for strict vegans.) (75g)
• 2 nunaturals stevia packs or 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil (40g) (See “nutrition facts” link for all substitution notes.)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips (115-140g) (Not optional. Omit at your own risk.)
• optional: more chips, for presentation

Black Bean Brownies Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. Makes 9-12 brownies.

I don’t have a food processor, so I may have to try the unrecommended blender way.

41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Today, approximately 250,000 people will descend on Washington, DC in the annual March for Life--41st anniversary of legal killing the unborn. About 56 million. Pray for them--it's terribly cold and snowy. Also pray for abortion providers that they will leave their careers. Also I've seen about 15 seconds on Fox, but I doubt the other media will even give it that much. EWTN usually has great coverage if you can get that cable network. Right now I’m watching the closing mass at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., scene of the crime.

On this 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade when the Supreme Court invented a law roughly half of Americans now identify themselves as “pro-life,” and strong majorities support commonsense policies to protect women from abortion’s harms. Abortion harms all of us. It has created a culture that disregards the dignity of human life, endangers women, demeans motherhood, and denigrates men’s role as fathers. http://www.scribd.com/doc/201208788/How-to-Speak-Up-for-Life.

“Pro-choice” has certainly become a misnomer.  It is estimated that over 60% of the women and girls who have abortions do so because of pressure from boyfriends, husbands, parents, or peers.

http://www.publiceye.org/ark/reproductive-justice/articles/forced-abortions-america.php

Mythical sons

The President on marijuana, by Dave Perkins

“Dear President Obama--

Are you SURE marijuana doesn't harm you? Obama compares it to alcohol, to point out that the intoxicating chemistry of weed is not any more dangerous than that of alcohol. Fair enough.

But each joint, say researchers, contains the tar and toxins of a whole PACK of cigarettes. And aren't the same lefties trying to legalize weed also trying to push cigarette smokers off a cliff on health grounds?

Only the American left could be against cigarettes and for weed at the same time.

Cultural leadership is trickle-down. What is embedded at the top eventually finds its way into the mainstream.

Even if it's incoherent and cynical.”

From the FB page of Victoria Jackson, a very funny lady.

http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/factsheets/respiratoryeffects.htm

Multi-millionaire chastises us about income inequality—a Democrat, of course.

This is what I just don't get about Democrats.  And I’m not talking fashion here.  Hypocrisy. Duplicity. Treachery. Deceitfulness.

"Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who is worth millions of dollars according to her congressional financial disclosure statement, says Congress needs to tackle income inequality because it “poses an existential threat to our nation and our way of life.” "

But what is worse, half the population will fall for this income gap nonsense. It’s Obama’s talking points to create class envy, which is supposed to help Democrats who are floundering because of Benghazi, NSA, IRS, and Obamacare. According to one site, she was worth only $5 million when she got Congress, and is now worth over $17 million—in just 5 years. I think that’s more money than the Clintons were able to stash away.

President Obama is campaigning on income inequality hoping you'll forget that "The wealthy took home a greater share of the nation’s income during the years following the recession, under Obama, than between 2002 and 2007, under Bush, according to a 2012 analysis from Emmanuel Saez, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley." (Huffington Post)

What does the Fox say?

http://www.today.com/video/today/53254690#53254690

Over 350,000,000 YouTube hits  and it was all a joke.  That’s how difficult it is to write a hit song at least for Bård Ylvisåker and Vegard Ylvisåker.

Hamilton Co. Ohio Abortion Clinic to close

From Ohio Right to Life, Columbus, Ohio--Today, the Ohio Department of Health affirmed its order to shut down abortionist Martin Haskell's Sharonville clinic, the Lebanon Road Surgery Center, for failure to meet Ohio medical standards. Specifically, Haskell's clinic operated without a transfer agreement with any area hospital and was unable to identify any doctors within the region that wanted assist his abortion business. Haskell's abortion clinic must cease all operations and close it's doors on or before February 4, 2014.

According to Ohio law, Lebanon Road Surgery Center exists as an Ambulatory Surgical Facility and because of this legal status, the clinic is not a full-service medical facility. To operate legally, Lebanon Road Surgery Center must have a transfer agreement with a full-service private hospital to handle all cases of abortion complications against the mother. In the case that an abortion facility is unable to acquire a transfer agreement, it can apply for a variance (exception). Lebanon Road Surgery Center failed to obtain either.

Late-term abortionist, Martin Haskell, who owns Lebanon Road Surgery Center, has performed abortions for more than 30 years. He is notorious for his advocacy of partial-birth abortion and is credited for popularizing the now banned and illegal procedure. With the closing of Haskell's clinic, only one abortion facility remains open inside the county with the third highest rate for abortion deaths in Ohio.

To view the adjudication order click here.

This is good news, but doesn’t explain why he and his wife were allowed to operate illegally. http://www.operationrescue.org/archives/late-term-abortionist-haskell-sues-city-for-denying-request-for-illegal-sign/

http://www.operationrescue.org/archives/woman-rushed-to-hospital-from-haskells-late-term-abortion-clinic-outside-dayton/

http://www.lifenews.com/2011/10/04/late-term-abortionist-martin-haskell-allowed-to-avoid-ohio-law/

http://www.sharonvilleclinic.com/martin-haskell.html

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake for one

My husband has really been enjoying the 3-2-1 cake because he can make it himself when he gets the munchies.  Here’s another quickie cake that’s made in the microwave.

Two Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

1 egg
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
a small handful of chocolate chips

In a small bowl, stir the egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, flour, cocoa and baking powder with a fork. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a greased ramekin or mug. Microwave for 1 minute. Eat straight from the ramekin or mug, or invert onto a plate. Serves 1.

http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/two-minutechocolate-peanut-butter-cake/

Since most cake recipes usually call for only 2 eggs, I’m a little surprised at the proportion of egg to dry ingredients, and also no shortening—unless the peanut butter fat takes care of that. See, I haven’t tried this yet—hoping you do and let me know.

Wendy Davis lied about her life and the life of the unborn

“Wendy Davis, the Texas state senator whose filibuster for abortion rights made her a Democratic superstar and launched her campaign for governor, has admitted to the Dallas Morning News that she lied about key events in her life, including her first divorce. Davis may even have lied under oath, testifying in a federal lawsuit over redistricting that "I got divorced by the time I was 19 years old," when in fact she was divorced at age 21.”

A pro-abort who lied? Shock and awe. All the stats about back alley abortions were fake too, but it got the legislation passed 41 years ago that led to 56 million abortions.  Lies have consequences.

Stay tuned for the spin she’ll put on this.

“She’s trying to market herself as a crusading truth-teller for women’s rights in a benighted state. It doesn’t help when your autobiography turns out to be as fact-challenged as Davis’ for that sales pitch. Her divorce from her second husband as he paid off her Harvard bill doesn’t look too meritorious, either, even if he’s still supportive of her as a person and candidate. Instead of being a crusading truth-teller, Davis looks a lot more like an untrustworthy opportunist … like many politicians.

Besides, Davis’ entire platform rests on the claim that abortion doesn’t kill human lives, an assertion rebutted by elementary biology and in opposition to science. Regardless of how one feels about the sanctity of human life, there’s simply no getting around the monstrous lie of abortion. That’s the most important lie of the Davis campaign, and the one that corrodes everything else it touches.”  http://hotair.com/archives/2014/01/20/wendy-davis-autobiography-under-went-some-revisions/

It’s not pretty when you run as a strong woman, but used a man to get there.

Basically, every country music song that’s ever come out of Texas was written about Wendy Davis.

Wendy Davis’s decisions are hers to make, obviously, and all political candidates couch their personal histories in a light most favorable to whoring themselves out to people to whom they can no longer relate. After all, it’s not like Wendy Davis in her current incarnation, sporting thousand-dollar suits and five-hundred-dollar shoes is going to be able to convince anyone in Texas that she understands anything about their lives. But Wendy Davis has built her entire campaign on being a demi-goddess of women’s liberation, a self-made masterpiece of female empowerment looking to take women’s rights to the next level whether she has to do it in a pair of pink sneakers or a Reem Acra pantsuit. And yet, the missing details and contextual omissions are what ultimately tank her carefully crafted life story. At her core, she’s a woman in power because she used a man’s money and influence to get her there. -

http://nakeddc.com/2014/01/20/wendy-davis-stone-cold-bitch-basically/

Easy Ham Glaze Recipes

For Christmas I did the real maple syrup and mustard glaze and it was just heavenly, but thought I’d save these for a future time.

Ingredients

Honey and Brown Sugar Ham Glaze

• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 3 tbsp HONEY
• 1 tbsp Prepared Mustard

Orange Glaze

• 1 cup Orange Juice
• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 2 tsp Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Grand Marnier (optional)

Baked Ham Maple Glaze

• 1 tbsp Mustard
• 2/3 cup Real Maple Syrup

Brown Sugar Glaze

• 1½ cups Brown Sugar
• 1½ tsp Dry Mustard Powder
• 3/4 tsp Ground Cloves

Marmalade Glaze

• 1/4 cup Orange Marmalade
• 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Flour
• Pineapple Juice (enough to create a thick paste)

Pineapple Glaze

• 1½ tsp Dry Mustard
• 1½ cups Brown Sugar
• 3/4 cup Crushed Pineapple, well drained

Ginger Glaze

• 1 tsp Dry Ginger
• 1 tsp Dry Mustard
• 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
• Canned Pear or Peach Syrup (to make thick paste)
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice

Chili Glaze

• 1/2 cup Thick Chili Sauce
• 1/4 cup Corn Syrup

Instructions (For All Recipes)

• First of all, you need to make a slit in the rind of the ham.
• Trim the rind and fat at the same time, leaving 1/4 inch layer of fat on ham.
• Make diagonal cuts along the surface of the ham, on the fat layer, making sure not to penetrate the meat.
• Now, make diagonal cuts in the opposite direction, forming diamond shapes in the fat layer.
• Take a bowl and put all the ingredients in it (this works for all the above mentioned recipes)
• Mix the ingredients well and brush over the ham.
• As the ham cooks, occasionally brush it with the extra glaze.

http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/how-to-glaze-a-ham-4254.html

What will you want?

Mini Tortilla-Crust Pizzas

 Ingredients

3 Whole wheat flour tortillas, 1 (15 ounce) can pizza sauce 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 3/4 cup mini pepperoni (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Open the can of pizza sauce, empty the sauce from the can, and rinse the can out.

2. Using the cut edge of the pizza sauce can, cut four rounds from each tortilla. Press each round into a lightly-greased muffin tin.

3. Place a tablespoon of pizza sauce into the center of each tortilla round.

4. Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce on each tortilla round.

5. Top each pizza with mini pepperoni rounds.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Remove and cool before using a fork to transfer mini pizzas from muffin tin to a serving plate.

Serve and enjoy!  This was on cousin Sarah Strauss’ FB page which found at the Almost Perfect FB page (A Canadian firm).  She finds the neatest things.

Adults behaving badly (Democrats)

Gov. Cuomo was using code words for conservative Christians in telling half the population to get out of New York. These days, "anti-gay" means people who believe in traditional marriage--which would make Obama anti-gay the first 4 years of his reign. Pro-gun means anyone who can read the Constitution's Bill of Rights. Right to life-ers means the Catholic church and evangelical Christians. Since when does a Governor get to decide who resides in his state? Those Democrats are certainly a big hate group. Eric Metaxas says, "Such contempt from a "public servant" is UTTERLY inexcusable. Gov. Cuomo should apologize & resign. Period."

… You’re seeing that play out in New York. … The Republican Party candidates are running against the SAFE* Act — it was voted for by moderate Republicans who run the Senate! Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is themselves. Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are.

Children are learning bad and harsh lessons from the Democrats in power, like the President who flipped on marriage to make his candidacy look better, who demonizes the rich he cavorts with who pay for his campaigns, this NY governor who demeans the Bill of Rights both first and second amendments, lying Wendy Davis in Texas claiming she was a teen single mom when she wasn't, and the lying Indian Princess Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts.

                 

*The New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013 commonly known as the NY SAFE Act is a gun control law in the state of New York. The law was passed by the New York State Legislature on January 15, 2013, and was signed into law by Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo on the same day.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/12/new-york-safe-act/4430741/

Monday Memories—We move to the condo

One of the advantages of having an artist/husband is the wonderful homemade cards. This is the 12th anniversary of living here—January 20. I think he was at the closing and I was in the ER. So the details are a bit fuzzy, but he remembers. We have loved it here--beautiful site and wonderful neighbors, and people to mow the lawn and remove the snow.

          

Caring for 2—a federal program for mothers and infants at risk

It gives me pleasure to report on a federal health/poverty/race program that actually is meeting its goals—Caring for 2.  I’d never heard of it, but came across the name on the list of referrals we use at the Pregnancy Decision Health Center where I volunteer.

http://publichealth.columbus.gov/uploadedFiles/Public_Health/Content_Editors/Maternal_Health/Caring_for_2/Caringfor2_update_1pager_2011.pdf

Caring for 2 began in 1991 as part of Healthy Start with 15 test sites, and now has 105, two in Ohio, Columbus and Cleveland. Although I don’t believe it began as a race based program, it is now limited to African Americans, and in Columbus to specific zip codes. The mission was to reduce the high infant mortality rate; in Columbus this has certainly been successful (for those enrolled) with the infant mortality rate below the national average.

There seems to be a recent push to include fathers in the program (NHSA’s Where Dads Matter fatherhood program begun in 2007).  Who knew?  Actually the number one advantage for a poor or low income child is to have married parents. That and a job for dad, any job, will provide those parents with the opportunity to leave poverty behind.  No government program makes that kind of promise.

I can’t find anything current under Healthy Start that specifically funds promoting fatherhood, but did find a page of links.  It is mentioned in the national annual report, but is definitely a step child added during the Bush years. http://fatherhood.gov/for-programs/federal-programs-and-resources

California’s program includes a piece specifically for “dads” but marriage doesn’t seem to be a part of that. In fact, it’s not even mentioned as the biggest guarantee that a child won’t grow up in poverty. http://www.healthycal.org/archives/10425

Here is a state by state update on what is happening. Despite the success rate, or perhaps because of it, I was disappointed to read how some programs are being watered down with other issues, like fighting racism, because there are so many other avenues for that, and success has been dramatic by focusing on health and coordinating community resources already available.

http://www.nationalhealthystart.org/site/assets/docs/NHSA_SavingBabiesPub_2ndED.pdf

Healthy Start is currently funded at just under $105 million and authorized through 2013. Healthy Start was first established as a pilot program by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. The last reauthorization of the program passed Congress in 2008 and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 3, 2008. The fatherhood component was added under GW Bush.

Now I’m a capitalist

                       

I was looking at a red t-shirt that said, "Capitalist."  Most of my professional life I worked for the government: University of Illinois, Ohio State University, State of Ohio, and OhioNet ( state and federal grant money). I had a few jobs working in the free market economy when I was between "real" jobs, and of course, I was my husband's only staff for 20 years. So I have a state teacher's pension (not Social Security--can't have both). That sort of qualifies me as a capitalist, because pensions are invested in businesses/stock market/ real estate/ etc. While I was working, I socked away as much as was allowed in TIAA-CREF and IRAs (the stock market). For now those businesses and fat cats that are regularly maligned by this administration are doing well and paying me for investing my money—as a capitalist.

http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/pension_fund_capitalism.html

http://www.statecapitalist.org/category/pension/

http://www.giaging.org/documents/NIRS_Report_12-10-13.pdf

Dirty deals on the IRS scandals

Neither the Democrats who fear their growing power, nor the Republicans who fear the same thing are going to take any action about the IRS criminal behavior against the Tea Party.

“President Obama and Democrats have been at great pains to insist they knew nothing about IRS targeting of conservative 501(c)(4) nonprofits before the 2012 election. They've been at even greater pains this week to ensure that the same conservative groups are silenced in the 2014 midterms.

That's the big, dirty secret of the omnibus negotiations. As one of the only bills destined to pass this year, the omnibus was—behind the scenes—a flurry of horse trading. One of the biggest fights was over GOP efforts to include language to stop the IRS from instituting a new round of 501(c)(4) targeting. The White House is so counting on the tax agency to muzzle its political opponents that it willingly sacrificed any manner of its own priorities to keep the muzzle in place.”

Kimberley Strassel at the Wall Street Journal—much more to read

The widening gap between the rich and the poor—10 easy reasons

Nine years ago the  Wall Street Journal published a series—the widening gap between the rich and the poor—and this was before the recession and during very low unemployment and an economic boom.  I didn’t like any of their answers, so I wrote my own reasons for the gap. Keep in mind this was May 2005. Notice the word “easy.”

1. Easy credit cards: We got our first credit card in the late 60s--I think it was a "Shopper’s Charge." We now have one department store credit card and one bank card--we’ve never carried a balance. Since the late 80s and into the 90s, many new households have never known what it was to live on their earned income.
2. Easy divorce: Christians now have the same divorce rate as anyone else in the culture. When we married 45 years ago, regular religious observance offered families some protection. No fault divorce particularly hurt women and children, pushing them economically into competition with two income families.
3. Easy sex: Casual one-night stands were glorified in the movies of the 70s and 80s. Although adultery and fornication had long been a theme in literature, drama and movies, casual sex and living together before marriage became the gold standard of relationships by the 80s, even though it’s been proven that it increases the divorce rate. Then easy sex came into the living rooms via TV so that even young children think who’s spending the night is no more important than what toothpaste mom buys. Women having and raising babies alone is the biggest cause of growing poverty.
4. Easy birth control and abortion: The millions of Americans that might have sprung from the loins of some of our best and brightest have been denied life itself, and thus their slots in the pie chart has been taken by poor, less educated immigrants. Obviously this creates a huge gap between the middle class and the poor, who instead of having a solid footing as those aborted citizens might have had, flood across our borders or arrive as refugees with nothing.
5. Easy technology and gadgets: Time wasted on I-pods and text messaging and vegging out in front of bad movies on DVDs has certainly absorbed billions of hours that could have been invested in networking, education or advancing up the career ladder. Cable and cell phone monthly costs easily equal what we spent on a mortgage in the 1960s and 1970s.
6. Easy bankruptcy: Load up the credit cards with consumer spending, mortgage your future, then make the rest of us pay it off for you. It might have been Plan B 20 years ago, but is now Plan A. Interest only mortgages, leases for larger and more expensive vehicles, second mortgages--for a generation who thinks the future will be paid for by someone else, it’s a recipe for a growing gap.
7. Easy leisure: Thirty five years ago (1970) few middle class families took vacations--if Dad had a week off (and most companies didn’t offer it) he spent it fixing the house. Sure it’s a huge industry and employs a lot of people, but we’re looking at the gap aren’t we? We’d probably been married 10 years before we took a family vacation (my parents never had one), and then it was at my mother’s farm for a week. Our daughter and her husband had been to Key West, Aruba and took a Mexican cruise in the first 5 years of their marriage.
8. Easy entertainment: This is related to leisure and technology, but today’s young families have difficulty being alone or quiet, it would seem. Even 30 years olds seem unable to walk around without head phones. They are spending their children’s future at movies, sporting events and theme parks. A visit to the library is most likely to pick up a movie, not a book.
9. Easy college loans: Instead of attending a state school, working during the summer or attending closer to home, many young people begin their working lives with huge debt, a debt that takes years to pay off, assuming they don’t default. Loans were so easy in the 80s, that parents who could well afford to pay tuition had their children at the public trough.
10. Easy shopping: You can be a couch potato or a computer novice and never leave home to shop. Addiction is easy. Just call in with the credit card.

See? And I haven’t even said a word about how much health care costs, or how the women’s movement changed our culture, public transportation or taxes. And while the government is tangentially involved in these areas, mostly it boils down to perfectly legal choices, choices which when they become ingrained in our way of life lead to poverty or slippage down by a quintile for the next generation.

Yes, our cat does this

She will also start  knocking things to the floor from the night stand right next to my ear. But only mine, since she knows I’m the early riser. She thinks I’ll forget to feed her if she doesn’t do something.

Washington Post is ‘fessing up to its poor investigation of Obamacare—by mentioning some facts now

I noticed this in a long article in Washington Post about employer health insurance problems under the 2nd wave of Obamacare.

"An estimated 18 million to 24 million people in the United States have insurance through employers with fewer than 50 workers, and about 40 million have coverage through firms with fewer than 100 workers. The Department of Health and Human Services estimated in 2010 that up to 80 percent of small-group plans, defined as having fewer than 100 workers, could be discontinued by the end of 2013."

Sort of made me wonder why WaPo thought the small percentage who didn't have insurance before Obama took office, were so much more important than the millions more that would be losing either coverage or jobs as companies closed. WaPo has been the president's lap dog until very recently.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/10/editorial-lap-dogs-on-the-growl/

Apple cranberry oatmeal bars

I found a recipe card on the floor yesterday; must have fallen out of something.  I didn’t have a few ingredients—like raw sugar and farina, but I like the idea.  So I googled the ingredients I wanted—oatmeal, cranberries and apples, and found this one. I was going to cut up an apple, and I probably will, but cook it a few minutes to make chunky applesauce. Recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens according the the blog author.http://cookingthisandthat.blogspot.com/2009/01/apple-cranberry-oatmeal-bars.html

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking or old fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
Filling:
1 cup (chunky or smooth) applesauce
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Cut in butter using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture.
Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 11 x 7 baking dish. Make sure you press firmly into the pan - you are making a crust.
Combine all filling ingredients in small bowl. Spread over crumb mixture in baking dish. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup crumb mixture.
Bake 30-35 minutes, until top is golden and filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Friday Family Photo—Dora Hsiung

Here is an old photo of my college roommate, Dora Hsiung, and me 30 years after we met in 1958 at the University of Illinois. I was in Boston for a Medical Library Association conference and we went to the Boston Museum of Art.

Here is a video of Dora demonstrating her fiber art.  I’ve saved all of her Christmas cards and have framed some in a grouping.

http://www.newtv.org/video/inside-the-artist-s-studio/inside-the-artists-studio-fiber-artist-dora-hsiung/

Creation and Life

I’ve always cared about and loved God’s physical world--and wondered about the events and choices that moved lives and nations. As a 5 year old I wondered why my grandmother was blind and my uncle was killed in the war. And I still don’t know, but I know God does. And until the past two decades or so, I thought caring was enough, because caring made me a “good” person. Caring made me better than people who didn’t care as much as I do. Caring elevated me above the hoi polloi, the commoners, the great unwashed who don’t believe as I do.

In brief moments of extreme self-love, I even imagined I was more merciful and caring than God because I knew better how life should be ordered and what made sense and what didn’t! At this age I know caring does nothing, so I will speak out when I am able to promote God‘s Creation and Life. You can argue about candidates or fossil fuel with me, both were put here by God, but you won’t budge me on Creation and Life. (May 11, 2012)

Chris Bradley’s prediction for February

Chris Bradley is our Channel 10 weatherman in Columbus.  On Facebook he said,  FOR WEATHER GEEKS ONLY: The weather pattern has been cold with fast moving Clippers for the last week or so. I see even colder weather for the end of January with subzero temperatures very possible.

But today we are seeing signs of a pattern change that could make for an interesting February. If you like heavy snow.. the change I see happening after the third of February will bring a smile to your face. It appears the Jet Stream will be shift with a trough in the West. I've attached the GFS 500 mb which shows us the wind patterns across the country. This trough allows storms to develop across Texas and Oklahoma and ride up into the Ohio Valley. You heard it here first these are the storms the dump lots of snow. Lets keep an eye on this friends!

Later: I'm calling for temperatures to start falling next Monday with a low in Columbus of 5 Tuesday morning, zero Wednesday morning and 2 Thursday morning. While the low temperatures next week aren't as severe as the first Polar Vortex last week, they could be worse when a second wave of cold air arrives a week later. I have posted the GFS and ECMWF maps which show temperatures by January 27th ranging from 15-20 below. If you experienced problems with your home or car last week... do what you can now to prepare for even colder air later this month!

Bustles have come to stay--1889

An ad in the Ladies Home Journal, March 1889, assured women they needed the bustle:

“If a woman has too large hips, the Bustle relieves them of their protuberance; if she have no hips at all apparently, the Bustle supplies the lack; if she have too large an abdomen, the Bustle gives her symmetry, if she be too tall and thin, the Bustle helps her; if she be too short and broad, the Bustle helps her none the less.” from Magazines in the United States, (Ronald Press, 1949)

Traveling suit worn by Louise Whitfield on April 22, 1887 during the evening of her quiet wedding to Mr. Andrew Carnegie of New York while aboard the steamship Fulda on her way to European honeymoon. Designed for her travels, this practical ensemble consists of skirt with two bodices, extra set of cuffs, collar and front gold embroidered pastron insert of red silk velvet for more formal occasions. Costume Institute at The Met. Found at Pinterest, Becky Morris.

Carnegie became the richest man in the United States, and gave about 90% of his fortune away, much of it to build libraries. He was a poor immigrant—a very interesting person, as was she.

Our free and unbiased press

A NOTE TO WOMEN

“Would you please stop entertaining and sleeping with
these guys? If you are sleeping with a married guy, you are
being used. If you are sleeping with a guy who hasn’t married
you, you are being used. “Living together” is just a fancy term for, “I want to use you for sex until I’m tired of you.”

Please, kick him to the curb and go find a decent man who
accepts you, treats you like an equal, and will give up his life for
you. Anyone else is just a waste of time.

Besides, there is a good chance this loser is going to get you
pregnant. Who is going to be left with the decision about what
to do with the baby? You. Who is the only legally responsible
party? You. Who will bear the brunt of the abortion? You.

You are worth more than that. You deserve to be treated
better, respected more, and protected by someone who is
willing to commit the rest of his life to you. Don’t settle for
anything less.” Abortion: The Ultimate Exploitation of Women. By Brian Fisher, pp. 165-66

Photo from Why you’re better off married.

Black men not telling their ladies the truth

By race, age and risk group, young, black gay and bisexual men (ages 13-29) are the only population in the United States in which new HIV infections increased between 2006 and 2009.

Take a look at this chart of subpopulations.  Notice anything strange?

Although only 2%  of the population, black gay and bisexual men have 61% of the new infections; but black heterosexual women  have more infections (5400) than white heterosexual women (1700)—and although I’m sure there is plenty of cross-racial sex, the majority is within same race relationships. Black men are not telling black women the truth.  If they can’t be honest about their sexuality, why should they expect everyone else to change their views?

The HIV infection rate among African Americans was almost eight times as high as that of whites in 2009, and among African American women it was 15 times higher than among white women.

Also, transgender individuals are heavily affected by HIV. A 2008 review of studies of HIV among male-to-female women found that, on average, 28 percent (from 11% to 78%)  tested positive for HIV. So do these women push up the stats of heterosexual women with HIV?

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/policies/hip.html

The good old days

Thatcher believed in free enterprise—choice, dignity, responsibility, self worth, courage, efficiency and common sense.

Promise zones instead of jobs?

Obama's retread speeches are snooze-worthy, the income gap, class envy, "investments" (aka more taxes) in promise zones (with Democrats in trouble)--anything to avoid the elephant in the room--Obamacare. How does raising the minimum wage and allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the country help unemployed black youth, whose work prospects are already dismal? The unemployment rate in December fell because of the numbers leaving the labor force and disproportionately for blacks, "with the labor force participation rate for African Americans dropping by 0.3 percentage points to 60.2 percent, the lowest rate since December of 1977."

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2014/01/unemployments-slow-drip-top-economists-on-the-2013-jobs-record.html

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/ali-meyer/unemployment-among-black-youth-393-higher-national-rate