U.S. Talibanners try to destroy Confederate history and memory

Wording on the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument at Gettysburg (dedicated 1965). "A memorial to soldiers and sailors of the Confederacy--South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Maryland, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi. Heroic defenders of their country. Their fame shall be an echo and a light unto eternity."

That is until the Democrats try to reinstate the bitterness of the post-war reconstruction era and kill their memories again.

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/04/14/confederate-soldiers-are-american-veterans-by-act-of-congress/

Daughters of the Confederacy put this statue on Johnson’s Island prisoner of war cemetery.  Let’s hope the Talibanners don’t come after it.

China hacked the OPM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/07/09/report-chinese-hacked-into-the-federal-governments-personnel-office

http://computer.financialexpress.com/news/opm-hack-about-22-million-or-7-of-us-population-data-stolen/12802/

http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/10/technology/opm-hack-fingerprints/index.html

Robert Putnam to speak at Lakeside

I'm not sure how many people will come to Lakeside tonight to hear Dr. Robert D. Putnam. Usually Monday is free movie night. He's a respected author (from Port Clinton, OH) and his topic is "Our kids, the American dream in crisis." I hope he reminds people that [real] marriage is the foundation for pulling kids out of poverty and crime. Our own "war on poverty" has created many of the problems we are experiencing as a nation.

http://robertdputnam.com/

Garden and storage sheds of Lakeside, pt. 1

Let’s start with my neighborhood.  You can see representative styles near by—mostly pre-built, but some designed to fit the needs of the homeowner.

This is ours.  My husband wants a larger one that will easily hold bicycles and the trash cans both, but I think this one fits the size of the house (750 sf). We have 3 bicycles, and maneuvering them is a challenge.  It came with the house (purchased in 1988) and I suspect it was built around that time. My experience after 55 years of marriage is that you fill up whatever amount of storage you have.  So think small.

This is our neighbor’s 6 sided, architect designed storage building on Third Ave., but it is at the street in front instead of behind the cottage.  One of the few I’ve seen like that.  The early 20th c. cottage was updated and remodeled in the 80s and again in the 90s and is covered with Hardie Board which doesn’t need to be painted. It’s a wonderful product for a historical community where you don’t want constant care. We sat on the porch most of one summer wondering what this would be as we watched a crew of carpenters build it.

This is behind one of the oldest cottages at Sycamore and Third—cottage dates from the 1870s.  It’s just a shed, but dressed up with some pottery and sits next to the patio with a trellis.  Huge Chinquapin trees (Quercus muehlenbergii)  provide the shade.

This storage shed was added to the house on Oak St. (all streets north and south are named for trees, with the exception of Lynn which would be Linden)  when it was sided with vinyl some years ago with a little shelter spot for bikes during the summer and a concrete drive for the cars.

This one is also on Oak St., and appears to be a “duplex” with two doors, perhaps at one time also serving the cottage next door (above).

This pleasant design was moved to this cottage from Lynn a few years ago when the owner put this rental up for sale.  It is now white with green shutters, and really provides the new owners with a lot of storage.

Jan likes to keep her shed authentic (unpainted), but festive.  This is also on Oak. Also provides shelter for feral cats which dine on her porch.

Little and big boxes as promoted by media

The U.S. Census Bureau allows us to self identify for statistical gathering and adheres to these 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards on race and ethnicity. Notice there is no "Hispanic" or "Latino" because that would be Spain or oddly American Indian (tribal peoples of Central or South America). The Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice and FBI use different designations for victims and criminals—including ethnicity and country of origin. Some statistical designations include age, and therefore under “millennial” you can have whites as a minority in some states. For the U.S. Census you can claim OPI with Samoan ancestors, but if your family was Zapotec (Mexico) from Oaxaca, which is probably much more common, you won’t even get a write-in.

White – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Black or African American – A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.

American Indian or Alaska Native – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

A NYT opinion piece thrashes about examining the statistics for board members of various organizations that support parks and environmental issues and finding—you guessed it—discrimination.  I guess they didn’t examine  the age statistics, or leisure time, income, etc. of park visitors.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/opinion/sunday/diversify-our-national-parks.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0  (be sure to read the comments which demolish one person’s opinion) Also, according to U.S. Census, 75% of U.S. is white and not the figure given in this piece.

Camden is a good example of government waste and inefficiency

Camden, New Jersey, is the poorest small city in America and provides a case study of the tragic ineffectiveness of government programs at ameliorating poverty. State and federal taxpayers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on various redevelopment programs in Camden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0JorXgqxiU

Diabetics need to take charge of their diets and their health

A new study published this week in the journal Neurology shows that people with type 2 diabetes demonstrate a decline in cognitive skills and ability to perform daily activities over the course of only two years.

• After two years, the people with diabetes showed greater declines in gray matter as well as impairments in their ability to regulate blood flow in the brain than the people without.
• Blood flow regulation decreased by an average of 65 percent in the participants with diabetes.
• Among participants with diabetes, scores on thinking and memory tests decreased by an average of 12 percent, from 46 to 41 points, while test scores of the participants without diabetes stayed the same at 55 percent.
• Higher levels of inflammation were correlated with greater difficulties with blood flow regulation.
• Those with the highest levels of blood flow regulation impairment at the outset of the study had more difficulties performing daily activities (such as cooking and bathing) after two years.

Diet changes that could help

Despite cheese's less-than-healthy reputation, a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that cheese-eaters actually have a 12 percent lower risk of the disease than their non cheese-eating counterparts.
Plus, people who ate more cheese, fermented milk and yogurt in the study were also more likely to have a decreased diabetes risk than people who ate less of these foods, noted the

Researchers from the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center found that people who regularly eat tree nuts (we're talking pistachios, walnuts, almonds and cashews) have a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, as well as heart disease and metabolic syndrome.

University of Washington and University of Pittsburgh researchers found that people who walked the most in their study -- which included 1,826 people from Native American communities -- had a 29 percent lower risk of diabetes, compared with those who walked the least.

Apple, pear and blueberry eaters have lower risks of Type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study was based on the diets of 200,000 people. HuffPost Canada reported that anthocyanins and fruits rich in anthocyanins were linked with lower diabetes risk; flavanoids, however, were not.

Eating a range of fruits and veggies could help to lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes, Medical Daily reported.

Drinking alcohol at a moderate level is linked with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes for some people, according to an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study.  Harvard researchers found that for women with refined carb-heavy diets, moderate alcohol consumption is linked with a decreased diabetes risk of 30 percent, compared with non-imbibing women who eat similar diets, Reuters reported.

Chinese researchers found earlier this year that coffee may stop a protein linked with Type 2 diabetes from building up, thereby possibly lowering the risk of the disease, WebMD reported. The research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, suggests that three particular compounds found in coffee are able to have this beneficial effect: caffeine, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid, according to WebMD.

HuffPost Science, July 11, 2015

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769828/

Euchre is a favorite in Indiana

Because everyone from Indiana (or son of—Bob Sr. grew up in Elwood and Indianapolis) knows how to play Euchre, there was a lively card game at our mini-reunion Thursday and Friday. I'm a poor loser, so I didn't play. I'm also a poor winner, because I don't like to see anyone lose. Euchre is the national pass time for anyone from Indiana, so if I really want to wow him, I offer him a game of Euchre. Boys from Indianapolis find that very sexy.

When cities disappear

I don't know why it bothers me more in Indianapolis than Columbus--it's the same in all cities--but driving that free way system a number of times this week made me think of all the neighborhoods that were sliced and diced, business districts and churches destroyed, clubs and societies split up, families separated, slums created, all by federal money to keep commerce and traffic moving. And now we see it happening again with a reverse push to move the poor, so the down town and old neighborhoods are being "gentrified" and rehabbed, old buildings being preserved, bike baths and canals and new codes being enforced so tourists and the yuppies have a playground. I suppose it's because I remember the Indy of 55 years ago, and recognize nothing today.

Memorial Presbyterian, Indianapolis, where 3 generations of my husband’s family worshipped Jesus. I believe the archives are at Hanover College.

Friday family photo—the siblings

On Thursday we drove to Indianapolis so we could see Bob’s brother, Rick, who was there for an Elk’s national convention.  He is the Exalted Ruler of Lodge 1959 in Huntington Beach, CA, and has many responsibilities. So we all met at their sister’s home and this included the 8 grandchildren of our niece who had been with us in Lakeside just 2 weeks previously.

With Rick and Kate on Thursday before we all went out to eat at O’Charley’s on East Washington.  It rained most of Friday, but in late afternoon the sun came out and the children could play outside.  Whew!

Kate and I were dressed for the coolish July weather, but not the AC.

The Bruce siblings are so pale you need a colorful background for them to show up on photos.

With the exception of the two adults holding children, these are Joan’s grandchildren, Jean’s great-grandchildren.

We want white socialism say the Progressives—a blond, blue-eyed fairy tale

“Progressives have a longstanding love affair with the nations of northern Europe, which are, or in some cases were until the day before yesterday, ethnically homogeneous, overwhelmingly white, hostile to immigration, nationalistic, and frankly racist in much of their domestic policy.The Left occasionally indulges in bouts of romantic exoticism — its pin-ups have included Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, Patrice Lumumba, Mao Zedong; we might even count Benito Mussolini, “that admirable Italian gentleman” who would not have been counted sufficiently white to join Franklin Roosevelt’s country club — but the welfare states that progressives dream about are the whitest ones: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, etc. The significance of this never quite seems to occur to progressives. When it is suggested that the central-planning, welfare-statist policies that they favor are bound to produce results familiar to the unhappy residents of, e.g., Cuba, Venezuela, or Bolivia — privation, chaos, repression, political violence — American progressives reliably reply: “No, no, we don’t want that kind of socialism. We want socialism like they have it in Finland.”

Translation: “We want white socialism, not brown socialism!”

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/420877/socialism-left-white

https://www.ssb.no/en/befolkning/artikler-og-publikasjoner/immigrants-in-norway-sweden-and-denmark

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5195/sweden-rape

It is estimated that there are today more people of Swedish ancestry living in the United States and Canada than in Sweden.

How will you do on current events?

I answered all 12 questions of this Pew Research quiz correctly.  How are you doing on current events?

http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/the-news-iq-quiz/

“Test your knowledge of prominent people and major events in the news by taking our short 12-question quiz. Then see how you did in comparison with a nationally representative group of 3,147 randomly selected U.S. adults surveyed online and by mail between March 10-April 6 as members of the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel.”

Everything I don’t like. . .

Obama is just wrong about the threat of Climate Change

Quoting Obama's warning that "no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change," Dr. Ivar Giaever  said it was a "ridiculous statement."

"I say this to Obama: Excuse me, Mr. President, but you're wrong. Dead wrong," he said, according to Climate Depot.

 http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Ivar-Giaever-nobel-prize-global-warming-obama/2015/07/07/id/653805/#ixzz3fEeFoMzd

And I would add, the Pope is wrong too.

Giaever was one of more than 100 co-signers in a letter to the president in March 2009 that was critical of his stance on global warming, saying, "We the undersigned scientists, maintain that the case for alarm regarding climate change is grossly overstated."

Pay to play Clinton style

Hillary Clinton's State Department approved weapons deals that were 143% bigger than the same countries had gotten during the Bush administration. These countries had one thing in common -- they made big donations to the Clinton Foundation. (Townhall.com)

Site meter gone wacko

It’s gone from counting thousands a day to zero.  Can’t find anyone at home.

Social gatherings segregated by sex

I've been to hundreds, maybe thousands, of social gatherings--church, neighborhood, clubs, academe, etc.--almost everyone is white, mid-west and Christian, but a few are black and Asian, particularly when I was younger.  Always by choice men and women separate themselves and discuss what they care about--sports, children, career, fashion, food. If the event is art or music, there might be some mixing, but by the end of the event, even those are divided by gender. Now that I’m retired, age is the big divider.  Now a Muslim woman objects.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/07/i-m-boycotting-sex-segregated-parties-in-my-muslim-american-community.html?source=TDB&via=FB_Page

UMC General Board supports abortion

Rev. Laura Young, a UM minister, "testified in Ohio that the abortion-restricting policies discriminate against women from poor and minority communities and reduce health-care access for women." Really? 38% of abortions are for minorities. What a bloody way to "fix" poverty. Just who do Methodists think Jesus was talking about in Matt 25? John Wesley must be rolling in the grave. "Young said the Ohio coalition collaborates with other social-justice- focused organizations,... especially those that work for systems — fair wages, worker and economic rights, racial justice, LGBT rights — that support women who do choose to have a child." Where is the social justice for that unborn child that might be female, or poor, or gay, or might grow up to develop a cure for cancer or obesity or establish a business that employs thousands? (quotes from Columbus Dispatch, July 2)

“GBCS has a long history of ignoring traditional United Methodists. Every four years it writes legislation and lobbies for General Conference to change the Book of Discipline so it would radically alter United Methodism’s traditional and biblical stance on marriage and sexuality. Never has it promoted or even explained our balanced, compassionate biblical position regarding sexuality.

And who can forget its full-out lobbying for the passage of the Affordable Care Act that was praised by then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi?  The board was engaged in its efforts to pass the bill even when it allowed for government-funded abortions. http://goodnewsmag.org/2015/03/editorial-no-laughing-matter/

Proprioception and aging

I'm not into fitness, but I will have to add a new routine to my core and bursitis routines and work on proprioception. That's your body's ability to know where it is without having to look. If I close my eyes, I probably couldn't stand in the shower, and walking home in the dark after the fireworks the other night was just plain difficult.

Proprioception is your ability to sense where your body and limbs are positioned in space. It's what allows you to navigate in a dark room, walk up stairs without looking at your feet and brush your teeth without peering in a mirror. Your muscles, joints and skin are equipped with tiny sensory receptors that provide vital information to your brain, so you can maintain control, react quickly to sudden changes in your environment and move about safely. Proprioceptive ability tends to weaken as people age, because message transmissions to and from the central nervous system become more sluggish. In turn, poor proprioception can negatively affect balance, agility and coordination, all of which increase your risk of falling.

http://livehealthy.chron.com/geriatric-proprioceptive-exercises-10002.html

The problem with Trump’s charges—no one knows! Not even the government

Here's the problem with Trump's charges on illegal immigrants--the statistics are kept by the federal government. "Of adults arrested for murder, 52.1 percent were black, and 45.5 percent were white." "Of all adults arrested in 2013, 69.6 percent were white, 27.6 percent were black, and 2.9 percent were of other races." You can determine male, female, black, white, adult, juvenile; not ethnicity, not illegal and legal. This is complicated by the fact that "Hispanic" is a made up, meaningless word which excludes the non-Spanish speaking Caribbean peoples like Haitians and Brazil. And it includes those 100% European race from Spain. (Like you see on Univision.)

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/tables/table-43

The Democrats will be choked by their own phony outrage

This whole phony Confederate battle flag rage will come back to bite liberals. It was FDR who imprisoned Americans of Japanese, Italian and German ancestry; it was the Democrats who created the KKK and Jim Crow. Look at LBJ's racism; he used the Civil Rights Act as his legacy--but only after years of being on the other team. If you're going to say, "It wasn't us, we're different now," then why can't monuments, parks, movie relics and people 150 years later say that? Africans had slaves (still do); Arabs had slaves (still do); Rome and Greece had slaves; Japan had slaves as recently as the 1940s. There is an international sex slave business even today. The USA fought a costly war and ended race based slavery. But it's a hot political button for a party that is terrified that it only has an elderly socialist and crooked former Secretary of State to run in 2016 and they might lose all that grifting money. The whole bench of 14 or so Republicans needs to stand up as a group and agree this is 100% fake and phony and only meant to divide and conquer.

http://dailycaller.com/2015/07/04/movement-to-rename-schools-honoring-confederate-leaders-finally-widens-to-reach-progressive-woodrow-wilson/

https://www.billwhittle.com/afterburner/pin-tale-donkey-democrats-horrible-racist-past

As we start week 3 at Lakeside

Beth Sibbring photo

We get a double display; can also see the display from Put in Bay.  This year’s our display was launched from a barge instead of the dock, which meant Lakesiders and guests were able to use the dock all day.  Many bands playing on the grounds over various times.

Spicy green peppers and pineapple stir fry

This sounds easy.  The title said red peppers, but I didn’t see any.  Like many foodie bloggers, she probably uses what’s on hand. Now that I’m getting good at making brown rice, I’ll try this.  I don’t have  a wok, but that won’t matter.  And mine won’t be very spicy.  Recipe at From Scratch.  I added a handful of dried cranberries to freshly cooked green beans the other night, and t was quite good. I think raisins and cranberries make a nice addition to vegetable.s

Ingredients: 1 cup cooked brown rice

2 green bell peppers

1 can pineapple chunks

1/2 white onion

1 handful of raisins

1 cup cooked shrimp (optional)

1 egg

olive oil for cooking

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. whole wheat flour

Drain your can of pineapple and set the fruit aside. In a small sauce pan mix together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, red pepper, sugar and flour. Cook over medium heat until ingredients are fully combined, set aside. Chop up the onion and green peppers. Drizzle some olive oil in a large wok and heat, saute onions. Once onions begin to brown add in the shrimp, pineapple and green peppers. Add in your fully cooked rice. Once rice has had a chance to warm move all wok contents to one side, crack and add in your egg. As it cooks work it into your rice and other ingredients. Now pour your sauce over the entire thing and add raisins. Allow to cook for another 15-20 minutes and serve.

Happy July 4th from the Bruces

In the shade of a 150 year old Oak tree on 2nd Street, we enjoyed the Lakeside parade with about 10,000 kids on bicycles and lots of adults acting crazy.Beautiful weather, high 70s, sunshine.

Watching the parade on 2nd across from Central Park

Couple on Lynn walking their decorated dogs

Guys Club cordless drill team

Peach Avenue Walleye gold cart

 

Kazoo Band

My kind of car—1955 Thunderbird

Neighbor Steve Bemiller and the Heritage Society popcorn machine

Lunch of bbq ribs, potato salad and baked beans on the lawn of Hotel Lakeside. Messy, but yummy.

A good question—why are we Democrats?

Is this the face of White Privilege?

Height, youth, beauty, brains and maleness does give one some privilege--that extends to all races. (Kardashians excepted). But being the offspring of a politician or celebrity, certainly allows for a hand up. Some crash and burn. I always thought Chelsea could avoid some of the down side--seemed to have a good head on her shoulders--but I think fame has taken her down a bit. Wouldn't you hate being the daughter of two flakes--although I'm sure they all love each other.

Cecile Richards’ handsome salary for aborting babies—$590,000

CEOs of non-profits do very well; some have blood on their hands. Indeed, one of Planned Parenthood's "largest sources of revenue is its varied government funding which amounted to $528 million of taxpayer money, an average of $1.4 million per day. But that’s beans compared to its reported $1.4 billion in asset."

“Despite the 282 new pro-life laws passed in the past five years, the leaders of the abortion giant are seeing dollar signs. ALL reports,  “The CEOs saw a 14.6% increase in the average salary in the last three years. At this rate, the average CEO salary will see a 4.8% increase every year.”

The income gap: “[Planned Parenthood] says 78 percent of its patients receive incomes below the federal poverty level. Yet, the combined salaries of its CEOs was $11,536,408 in 2013.” http://liveactionnews.org/planned-parenthood-president-gets-another-raise-even-affiliates-decrease/

Former Planned Parenthood clinic staffer writes, “You see, as an abortion clinic worker, I experienced evil in a way that most have not (thank The Lord). I have physically experienced evil. I have touched it when I pieced these tiny babies back together. I have seen it in those little glass dishes that I dumped their bodies into. I have heard it as the suction machine violently pulled these tiny bodies out of their mother’s wombs. And yes, I have smelled it. Abortion has a very specific smell, one that you will never forget.” Abby Johnson

Amazing Grace, violin and piano

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hFO6EcC0ls

"Amazing Grace” performed by Condoleezza Rice, former United States Secretary of State, and Jenny Oaks Baker, a world renowned violinist.

Compilation of links to my Lakeside cottage architecture stories

Most of these were written during the summer of 2008 and 2009. There has been more remodeling, more upgrades, more rules, but essentially Lakeside remains the same. My garage posts are pt. 11 and pt. 12. Not everyone writes about old garages, but that’s the advantage of following this blog!  Here’s a story about what Lakeside (and the Bruces) looked like in 1974.

What we looked like in 1974.  http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2008/07/lakeside-2008-nostalgia-thats-one-of.html

This is pt. 4 with links to 1,2,3 http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/07/lakeside-cottage-architecture-pt-4.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/08/lakeside-cottage-architecture-pt-5.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/08/lakeside-cottage-architecture-pt-6.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/08/lakeside-cottage-architecture-pt-7.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/08/lakeside-cottage-architecture-pt-8.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/08/lakeside-cottage-architecture-pt-9.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/08/lakeside-cottage-architecture-pt-10.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/08/lakeside-cottage-architecture-pt-11.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/08/lakeside-cottage-architecture-pt-12.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/09/nimfy-not-in-my-front-yard.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/01/garage-slab-winter-issue-is-now-out.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2009/07/every-town-should-have-guys-club-as-far.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2011/07/down-side-of-historic-preservation.html

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/07/made-in-usa.html

Five years ago

I’ve been reading through some of my blog entries from summer 2010.  Great memories, but most of the specifics of the programs and events I don’t recall—like Civil War week lectures, and Health week lectures on types of cancer. And then some things never change, like irresponsible dog owners, and the mess people make over July 4 celebration, or the delicious goodies from the Farmer’s Market.  Or my observations about poverty.

“Today is Tuesday and should be the first Farmer's Market.  There are two major seminar themes this week, "Race in America" and "American writers."  This morning's offering is "I am a promise" a film made in 1994. I'm sure it will not be noted that all our biggest poverty/education problems in this country are in urban areas controlled for generations by the Democratic machine which continues to create a sense of powerlessness, anger and hopelessness in people while buying their votes.  I don't want to hear how little has changed in 16 years and how if we just threw more money at it, everything would be OK.”

This week I’ve been thinking about the outrage over the racist, vacant eyed, young man, Dylann Roof, who  killed 9 black Christians in a church in Charleston, SC.  Many stories began popping up on the internet about homegrown terrorists in the U.S. and confederate flags contributing to the problem. That grew to demands to also remove the American flag as racist, stories of white privilege, etc.  If that brand of terrorism is worse (as some say) than ISIS homegrown cells, and the very obvious Confederate flag was flying in many communities for years, why isn’t Obama being blamed for their hate growth?  If it were Bush, he certainly would be bearing the brunt of the responsibility.

Tolerance and diversity are values of the left. Ha.

I won’t be “home” for July 4 festivities

My friend Lynne is our class of 57 poet.  So she sent me this little ditty, because I’ll miss the class breakfast this year.

I’ll give your regards to Main St.,  and remember you on Kable Square.

And tell all gang at Wesley and Main,  that you will soon be there-

Whisper of how you’re yearning,  to mingle with the old-time throng-

I’ll give your regards to old Mt. Morris and say you'll be there ere long..

(She writes, “Forgive me Geo. M. Cohan-but I couldn't resist)

2007, Ladies breakfast at White Pines

Columbus area will get a great show

Last summer Michael W. Smith performed at Lakeside; it was a wonderful show. One of the best in a spectacular season.   On September 28  he’ll be in Columbus (Grove City Nazarene) with Mark Lowry. http://www.premierproductions.com/tour/michael-w-smith-celebration-songs-hymns/columbus-oh

Andrew Young—he’ll have to pay for this

Black civil rights icon and former Mayor of Atlanta Andrew Young says that debate over the Confederate flag is a divisive non-issue which completely distracts from the real problem – the fact that 93% of blacks are killed by other blacks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdeynkVlmBk

While liberals fuss about a flag

The real problem for black poverty and white privilege: marriage.  But from now until the election, what the federal government has done to black families with the War on Poverty will be ignored or lied about.  Why?  Because it works.  It redirects the attention to something that doesn’t matter in the real world and won’t change the economic statistics, and the Republicans (except for Ted Cruz) fall for it every time. Even with a bench of 14, they collectively have half a spine.  Children of married parents rarely grow up in poverty. They have a higher education rate, lower crime rate. Guess what?  Kids need a dad!  Adult children of divorced families have a higher divorce rate, lower marriage rate. Children of gay couples will statistically be such a small sample (adopted or AI, both of which have their own problems) I think we can ignore both the liberal and conservative perspective. Children of unmarried white parents are heading for the same route as black families with no slavery in their background and more dependency on government programs, lower church attendance.

In 2012 The U.S Census Bureau released a report that studied the history of marriage in the United States. They discovered some startling statistics when calculating marriage by race. They found that African Americans age 35 and older were more likely to be married than White Americans from 1890 until sometime around the 1960s. Not only did they swap places during the 60s but in 1980 the number of NEVER married African Americans began a staggering climb from about 10% to more than 25% by 2010 while the percentage for White women remained under 10% and just over 10% for White men. http://blackdemographics.com/households/marriage-in-black-america/

Red palm oil, hype or help?

In this morning’s World’s Healthiest Foods Newsletter, I thought I’d be seeing an article about organic red palm oil, but instead it was on yesterday’s topic, cast iron skillets, which didn’t appear when it was announced.  So I looked it up on Google.  Google now puts mostly advertising first so after wading through about 10 pages of listings, I finally got to an analysis of the hype. Red Palm Oil is the New Coconut Oil on a website that analyzes food trends, fads, and hype. 

Red palm oil (or red palm fruit oil) is extracted from red-hued fruits of palm trees that grow in Indonesia and Malaysia.   The color of the oil remains red due to the beta carotene inside.  This precursor of vitamin A is the same compound that contributes to the color of carrots and other orange-red hued vegetables and fruits.

So it’s true that red palm oil supplies vitamin A.  In fact, the Micronutrient Initiative is exploring the use of red palm oil as part of a food-based approach to vitamin A supplementation in Africa and other parts of the world.  Vitamin A deficiency is a critical issue in developing countries, where it’s the leading cause of blindness (and can even result in death).  However, vitamin A deficiency is rare in this country, and there are certainly much better ways for all of us to get this nutrient, such as eating red or orange vegetables and fruits!

Ah. . . if it is used in a 3rd World country, is must be good. This article primarily goes after a Dr. Oz program on the topic (video not available).  I’ve come to see him (when I do) as great entertainment and a 21st century huckster, snake oil salesman. The Joe Schwarcz article gets a 404 no matter how I try to find it. But it’s a great quote: “As is usually the case with Oz’s miracles, there is a seed of truth that then gets fertilized with lots of verbal manure until it grows into a tree that bears fruit dripping with unsubstantiated hype.”

I guess I’ll have to wait a day to see what the newsletter says.  It’s web page seems to have it’s link confuse.  I’ll update tomorrow.

It’s a good thing artists aren’t killed for being disrespectful to Christians

“The unusual medium used to create a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI . . . has upset Roman Catholic leaders in Milwaukee,” reports Mitch Smith of the New York Times. Go figure. They’re not talking about Post-its or chewing gum . Niki Johnson’s portrait of the pope emeritus is fashioned from “17,000 stretched-out condoms in a variety of colors.” It is titled “Eggs Benedict.”  WSJ

No one is suggesting killing Niki Johnson, but does the Milwaukee Art Museum need to purchase it? I’d withdraw my membership and donation immediately.

“The decision by the Milwaukee Art Museum to acquire and prominently display a controversial portrait of Pope Benedict XVI fashioned from 17,000 colored condoms has created outrage among Catholics and others who see it as profoundly disrespectful, even blasphemous.

Many suggest that if a piece were as offensive to other faith traditions or communities it would not be tolerated, much less embraced.

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki blasted the decision as insulting and callous. The museum acknowledged it has fielded about 200 complaints. A handful of patrons dropped their memberships; one longtime docent tendered her resignation; and at least one donor vowed never to support the museum financially again.

Museum officials said an equal number of people have voiced support for the piece and that memberships and pledges in general are growing. They said they regret that the portrait, by Shorewood artist Niki Johnson, has elicited such enmity. But they insist it was not their intent — nor the intent of the artist — to offend Catholics or anyone else. And they said they continue to enjoy the support of people of all faiths, including Catholics.”

So the intent was not to insult the leader of the largest Christian church in the world? How stupid do they think we are.  And I hope Milwaukee Catholics stand up to this ridicule.

Not to worry—you won’t need to be a citizen to vote

“Monday’s big election law news came from the Supreme Court’s penultimate decision of the term upholding Arizona’s congressional districts.

But before handing down its last three decisions, the court made voting-rights advocates happy by deciding not to review a different election case.

“Arizona citizens can continue to participate in voter registration drives without worrying about not having proof of citizenship documents,” Shirley Sandelands of the League of Women Voters of Arizona said in a statement Monday.

The case, Kobach, et al. v. Election Assistance Commission, et al., was about whether Arizona and Kansas could require voters to prove their citizenship when registering to vote with the so-called federal form. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach led the suit against the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which was an appeal of a lower court decision.” http://www3.atr.rollcall.com/supreme-court-victory-for-voting-rights-advocates/?dcz=

You would think being a citizen shouldn’t be such a tough one.  I can’t see Canada or Mexico letting me vote if I were passing through or had a summer home there. But I guess I don’t think like a Democrat. All that matters is pandering to that very powerful and growing demographic-- minority, black and young. They know where the gold is buried and that sensible people with common sense are aging out of the system.

http://www.truethevote.org/true-vote-commends-amicus-filing-noncitizen-voter-registration-lawsuit

http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/04/22/ks-and-az-file-scotus-petition-in-effort-to-stop-non-citizens-from-registering-and-voting/

So this is transformation of our country

Middle and high school students can’t get a Coca-Cola or a candy bar at 13 Seattle public schools, but they can get a taxpayer-funded intrauterine device (IUD) implanted without their parents’ consent.

School-based health clinics in at least 13 Seattle-area public high schools and middle schools offer long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), including IUDs and hormonal implants, to students in sixth-grade and above at no cost, according to Washington State officials.

Seattle school clinics

So seriously underage girls are being co-opted by the schools.  Does that make the participating public school system and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists which gave this atrocity a green light co-rapists in underage sex? Isn’t that a crime? And what about those poorly trained “clinic” workers who insert them? Isn’t that a violation of a child’s body? 

• Hormonal IUDs (e.g., Mirena®) contains the hormone levonorgestrel, which is a type of progesterone. A hormonal IUD prevents pregnancy in several ways: killing or harming the sperm, making the mucus in the cervix thick so sperm can't reach the uterus, and helping make the uterine lining an unappealing place for a fertilized egg to implant itself. About 2 in 1,000 women become pregnant during the first year of getting a hormonal IUD.
• Copper IUDs (e.g., ParaGard®) consists of copper wire wrapped around the stem portion of the T-shaped device. It can stay in place at least twice as long as a hormonal IUD--for at least a decade. A copper IUD works by causing a woman's uterus and fallopian tubes to produce a fluid that kills sperm. About 6 in 1,000 women become pregnant during the first year of getting a copper IUD.

For as long as they’ve been keeping track more contraceptives for teens means more sex which means more pregnancies which means more abortions or young, unprepared mothers.  But teach chastity?  OH horrors.  That wouldn’t work.  Someone might graduate from high school a virgin, and that would never do.  That’s not progressive; that’s not the Democrat way.  How many of these girls will get counseling on the psychological damage, say, if it’s incest, or an older man leading her to prostitution, or how many will get STDs. How qualified are these staffers who’ve had no training in counseling?

Do you suppose the President has had his daughters fitted with an IUD? He did say a baby is punishment.  But he also has a pretty good security detail to send on their dates.

Microbiome or why asthma and ADD today and not years ago?

“Commensal microbes that live on and in us are critical for our health. By cell numbers, we are approximately 90 percent microbial, and the vast majority of the genes expressed in our superorganism are not on our mammalian chromosomes but in the bacteria, archaea, and single-celled eukaryotes that call the human body home. Normally, a robust microbiome would be part of our inheritance, a legacy passed, largely maternally, from generation to generation. But recently that chain has been broken, usually more than once. The increase in cesarean deliveries, the reduced prevalence and duration of breastfeeding, overuse of antibiotics both as prescription drugs and in agriculture, modern urban living surrounded by sanitizers, and a general tendency to limit contact with the environment have changed our relationship with the microbes that are an integral part of our biology. In today’s world, our best chance of acquiring microbes might be from touching our computer keyboards and cellphones or frequenting shopping malls, hotel rooms, or doctors’ offices—and many are not bugs you want in and on your body.” . . .

“Antibiotic administration in infants is associated with higher risk of asthma later in childhood, a risk that scales with the number of rounds administered.¹¹ Increased use of antibiotics in infants is also associated with a higher risk of childhood obesity,¹² and some investigations have reported an association between antibiotic use and an elevated risk of celiac disease. It is likely only a matter of time before more links between disease and an infant’s compromised microbiome are revealed.”

The sum of our parts, The Scientist, July 1, 2015

Top local radio talk shows in U.S.

Most I’ve never heard of unless Chicago or Ohio or if they’ve substituted for Glenn or Rush or Michael. Not too many women on this list; I wonder why.  We are born with the gift of gab.

1. John and Ken, KFI 640 AM, Los Angeles, California.
2. Curtis and Kuby, WABC 770 AM, New York, New York.
3. Howie Carr, WRKO 680 AM, Boston, Massachusetts.
4. Steve Cochran, WGN 720 AM, Chicago, Illinois.
5. Bill Carroll, KFI 640 AM, Los Angeles, California.
6. Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor, WMAL 630 AM, Washington.
7. Brian Sussman, KSFO 560 AM, San Francisco, California.
8. Jeffrey Kuhner, WRKO 680 AM, Boston, Massachusetts.
9. Roe Conn, WGN 720 AM, Chicago, Illinois.
10. Chris Plante, WMAL 630 AM, Washington, D.C.
11. Michael Berry, KTRH 740 AM, Houston, Texas.
12. Dom Giordano, WPHT 1210 AM, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
13. Doug McIntyre, KABC 790 AM, Los Angeles, California.
14. Lars Larson, KXL 101 FM, Portland, Oregon.
15. Jim Gearhart, WKXW 101.5 FM, Trenton, New Jersey.
16. Geraldo Rivera, WABC 770 AM, New York, New York.
17. Steve Dahl, WLS 890 AM, Chicago, Illinois.
18. Clarence M. Mitchell IV “C4,” WBAL 1090 AM Baltimore, Maryland.
19. Joe Pags, WOAI 1200 AM, San Antonio, Texas.
20. Bill Cunningham, WLW 700 AM, Cincinnati, Ohio.
21. Armstrong and Getty, KSTE 650 AM, Sacramento, California.
22. Ronn Owens, KGO 810 AM, San Francisco, California.
23. Chris Stigall, WPHT 1210 AM, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
24. Mark Reardon, KMOX 1120 AM, St. Louis, Missouri.
25. Ron and Don, KIRO 97.3 FM, Seattle, Washington.
26. Mandy Connell, KHOW 630 AM, Denver, Colorado.
27. Dan Yorke, WPRO 630 AM, Providence, Rhode Island.
28. Larry Young, WOLB 1010 AM, Baltimore, Maryland.
29. Mark Davis, KSKY 660 AM, Dallas, Texas.
30. John Carney, KTRS 550 AM, St. Louis, Missouri.
31. Joe Piscopo, WNYM 970 AM, New York, New York.
32. Lincoln Ware, WDBZ 1230 AM, Cincinnati, Ohio.
33. Tom Bauerle, WBEN 930 AM, Buffalo, New York.
34. Jim Villanucci, KXNT 100.5 FM, Las Vegas, Nevada.
35. Charlie Brennan, KMOX 1120 AM, St. Louis, Missouri.
36. Charlie Sykes, WTMJ 620 AM, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
37. Brian Whitman, Ben Shapiro, Elisha Krauss, KRLA 870 AM, Los Angeles, California.
38. Tom Marr, WCBM 680 AM, Baltimore, Maryland.
39. McGraw Milhaven, KTRS 550 AM, St. Louis, Missouri.
40. John DePetro, WPRO 630 AM, Providence, Rhode Island.
41. John Hancock, WBT 1110 AM, Charlotte, North Carolina.
42. Mark Belling, WISN 1130 AM, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
43. Joyce Kaufman, WFTL 850 AM, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
44. Mac and Gaydos, KTAR 92.3 FM, Phoenix, Arizona.
45. Chris Merrill, KOGO 600 AM, San Diego, California.
46. Mark Trivisano, WTAM 1100 AM Cleveland, Ohio.
47. Alan Stock, KDWN 720 AM, Las Vegas, Nevada.
48. Simon Conway, WHO 1040 AM, Des Moines, Iowa.
49. Jeff Wagner, WTMJ 620 AM, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
50. Jan Mickelson, WHO 1040 AM, Des Moines, Iowa.

 http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/influential-talk-radio-hosts-shows/2015/06/30/id/652849/#ixzz3ee0xranV

Happy July 1 from Lakeside, Ohio

I had a 2 mile walk this morning, east on Third and then back west along the lake. Now sitting on a ice pack.  Right leg bursa not too bad, but thought I’d nip any inflammation in the bud—or in the bursa. I’ve now walked or cycled 1038 miles since Dec. 26.  Coolish today, but they are predicting a nice day, zero rain. Big storm last night about 10 p.m. but it seems to have moved over the lake.  Is there anything as useless as a diary/blog that discusses weather?  I have a calendar/garden diary of my mother’s from the 1970s.  It’s almost funny.

The Lakeside grounds crew is here cutting up the limbs from storm damage Friday and Saturday.  Our tree is on the easement, which means they clean it up.  Our neighbors’ Hackberry which fell over is on their property, so they have to pay.  If it had damaged their cottage, insurance would cover it, but it didn’t.  It actually looks like it’s on their neighbor’s property, except back in the day when people weren’t too sure, that driveway is 4’ over the line.

I bought a new microwave (smaller) in May, but it doesn’t seem to be heating all that great, which was the problem with the 20 year old it replaced.  The old one has been given away, and I don’t think I have the receipt here because everything seemed fine a month ago.

I left after the first 2 numbers of last night’s program, Hey Mavis.  It was sort of jazz, sort of blue grass, and mostly original material.  I usually wait until intermission.  It wasn’t bad, but just not what I felt like listening to, so I walked home and stopped to chat with a neighbor.  We had a nice chat with the young couple sitting in front of us at Hoover, but they left before I did.  They were staying in a B&B which must be tough with small children (one a baby), but she had fallen in love with Lakeside.

This year my husband joined “The guy’s club.”  I think it was originally a spoof on The Women’s Club which has been around for about 90 years, and they had no agenda and no programs. Their dues support various Lakeside projects. But they do march with their drill team (carry power drills and wear matching t-shirts) in the July 4 parade, and go to lunch.  So today he’s going to lunch with them.  He knows most of them from sailing, but has never joined.

  

Where in Bible is marriage being for a man and a woman.

Marriage between a man and a woman was instituted by God with Adam and Eve. Genesis 2:24 states: "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh."

In Matthew 19:4-5, Jesus reaffirms this: "He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one’?"

I doubt that this will satisfy the culture worshipers. We may have to look at biology or chromosomes.

http://www.catholic.com/video/same-sex-marriage

Muslim prisoners seem to have rights that Christian bakers don’t

From Washington Post: [Likewise, o]rdering a Muslim prisoner to handle pork requires him “to defile himself by doing something that is completely forbidden by his religion.” [In context, the court is referring to the Muslim religion as understood by the prisoner, not passing judgment about what Islam actually requires.-EV] And there are no alternative means of allowing Jones to exercise his right to avoid handling pork besides not ordering him to handle pork. Accommodating Jones’s right to avoid handling pork isn’t less burdensome than the religious-based accommodations, such as providing Kosher diets and disposable utensils, that we have held for many years are constitutionally required.

You can choose from 51 genders on Facebook; what does God say?

Fifty one genders listed on Facebook?  Does language have meaning?  Some of you may be old enough to remember when “gay” and “queer” were pejoratives, now they seem to be the preferred terms. But does language matter? Our church (Lutheran) doesn’t discuss the language—or the acts—or the marriage—or the culture. Need to go elsewhere—to the Catholics.  Some insights.  Attorney Charles LiMandri explains why the Catholic Church does not use the terms "gay" and "lesbian" in Magisterial documents.   http://www.catholic.com/video/the-importance-of-language-in-the-homosexual-marriage-debate

What the people of California (and many other stats) said in 2008 and how the SCOTUS undid the will of the people.

LiMandri is smeared in every pro-same-sex program/article I’ve seen on the internet. Anyone who stands for traditional, scriptural or historical definition of marriage will now be called homophobic, hater, bigot, etc. So if that is also your opinion of scripture and culture and me, don’t bother to leave your hate comments here.

Stay with us

National Lutheran Choir, Minneapolis recorded live at the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis MN on Dec 9, 2010

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmO0MUBr1Fk

Luke 24:28-30 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Stay with us, Lord Jesus, stay with us.
Stay with us, it soon is evening.
Stay with us, Lord Jesus,
Stay with us, it soon is evening, and night is falling.

Jesus Christ the world’s true light!
Shine so the darkness cannot overcome it!
Stay with us, Lord Jesus, it soon is evening.
Stay with us, Lord Jesus, for night is falling.
Let your light pierce the darkness
And fill your church with its glory.

EGIL HOVLAND (1924-2013) tr. Gracia Grindal

The new encyclical on the environment

“Some in the media are portraying the encyclical as if Pope Francis is a secular environmentalist, when in reality the encyclical is sharply critical of environmental ideologies that don’t recognize mankind’s unique place in creation,” said Jimmy Akin, senior apologist for Catholic Answers, the largest lay-run apostolate of Catholic apologetics and evangelization in the United States.

Akin said the Catholic Church’s longstanding teaching on caring for the Earth is fundamentally different than the politically driven agendas of many activists.

“Some environmentalists look on humans as menaces to nature—as if all other life was meant to be here, but humans are interlopers,” he said. “But both Scripture and Pope Francis’s new encyclical view human beings in a positive light and recognize that they have a unique and special role as caretakers of God’s creation.”  Catholic Answers

Talking points on same sex marriage and other hot issues of the day

• Why is it intolerant for me to point out the intolerance of those who say they can’t tolerate someone else’s “intolerance?” Why is it hateful for me to call attention to the hate of those who clearly hate those they find “hateful?” Why is it illogical for me to argue for logic? Why is it fallacious for me to challenge those who use fallacies? And why is it considered libel for me to point out the illiberality of those who claim to be “liberal?”

• Why is it unscientific to argue for science; to contend for facts and, thus, point out that it is a physiological fact that gender is genetic and not a feeling; that it is a sociological fact that children fair much better in a household anchored by a married mom and dad; that it is a medical fact that some sexual behaviors result in disproportionate negative consequences; and that it is an economic fact that traditional marriage accrues to the financial advantage of women and their children?

• Why is it considered loathsome for me to argue for the highest definition of the human being and to contend that it’s an insult to dumb down the identity of a person to nothing but the sum total of his or her appetites and inclinations?

• Why is it angry for me to draw attention to the anger of those who are clearly angry?

• Why is it wrong for me to point out that many who disagree with my above points will find it impossible to avoid name calling and other meaningless breaches of basic freshman level Socratic logic; that in their closed-mindedness they will find it impossible to be open-minded; that in their illiberality they will find it impossible to be “liberal; and that they will not be able to resist shooting the messenger rather than simply considering the veracity of his message?

• Why is it wrong to challenge those who ignore the facts of an argument and instead digress into the fallacious, sensational and salacious?

• Why is it wrong to suggest that those who have lectured conservatives for years about the dangers of legislating morality are now celebrating the legislation of morality?

• Why is it wrong to point out that same judges who constructed the wall separating Church and State now seem intent on dismantling that wall brick by brick?

• Why is it wrong to ask what ever happened to academic freedom and intellectual liberty and to remind everyone that the liberal arts academy was founded some 800 years ago upon these precepts and not upon an ideological fascism where power suppresses the people and where conformity is demanded by demagogues who seek to silence debate?

• Why am I wrong to suggest that the thoughtful scholar and true liberal, as well as, the committed conservationist (i.e. one who truly believes in conserving not only the physical environment but also the time tested truths of justice and human dignity) must always seek to do what’s right regardless of what the Supreme Court of the United State says?

• Why is anyone wrong to remind everyone that morality isn’t determined by the minority, virtue isn’t defined by a vote, and nine men and women in black robes surely don’t have the power to tell over 300 million Americans what a sacrament of the Church is or isn’t?

• Why is it wrong to contend that, as human beings, self-evident truth is written on every heart and that we don’t have any right to make the rules up as we go?

Everett Piper

In 2005 we visited this college on an architectural tour.

Shocking. The New York Times has been caught doing investigative reporting

Buried on A14 today.  She wasn’t telling the truth in March about her e-mails.  Boy, am I shocked.

Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters last month that the memos about Libya she received while secretary of state from Sidney Blumenthal, a longtime adviser whom the Obama administration had barred her from hiring, had been “unsolicited.”

But email records that Mrs. Clinton, according to officials briefed on the matter, apparently failed to turn over to the State Department last fall show that she repeatedly encouraged Mr. Blumenthal to “keep ’em coming,” as she said in an August 2012 reply to a memo from him, which she called “another keeper.”

All or part of 15 Libya-related emails she sent to Mr. Blumenthal were missing from the trove of 30,000 that Mrs. Clinton provided to the State Department last year, as well as from the 847 that the department in turn provided in February to the House committee investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. The emails were reviewed by a reporter.

Grace and Frankie

I don't understand how Netflix works, but obviously it was up on current events (and anticipating and pushing for them) with "Grace and Frankie," a series about two older 70s something women (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) whose husbands decide to leave them so they can marry each other. Reading the story lines, I see it's rather smarmy (now there's a shocker!), but has been picked up for another season.

Somewhere I read (and it’s not worth looking up) that although only 2% of Americans are LGBT, about 20% of the themes in movies, TV and theater are. This series pushes the envelope of decency with humor, good writing and well known stars. It’s a formula that works.  Let’s assume no judgment about right or wrong, or sin or religion.  Let’s just consider biology and anatomy.  Inserting the penis into another’s anus or mouth for sexual pleasure, for love, is not natural. It might be many things, including disease transfer or a power statement, but those body parts were never intended to work together for the glory of God, for procreation, or for comfort.  So why would certain groups, both gay and straight, in entertainment and politics, be pushing so hard for its acceptance? If you have an answer that doesn’t include calling me names, leave a comment.  Otherwise, don’t comment because it won’t be published.

Donald Trump—you’re fired

Trump was the last person in the crowded field of Republicans that I would choose as candidate, however, the firing of him by NBC and Univision is pretty absurd.  He clearly was referring to ILLEGAL immigrants, not all Mexicans. There are sufficient news stories to back up his claims, even if they appear on the back burner of the MSM.   And Univision is so racist (shadeist) that you can’t find a single brown, black or Asian person on any of their shows—except in its enthusiastic studio audiences.

A reminder for my trolls and critics—read the rules

This blog is written to suit Norma, not its readers. She hopes that what suits her will suit them; but, if not, it will make no difference. No reader, subscriber, or body of subscribers, will be allowed to govern her course, dictate her policy, prescribe her methods, or choose her topics. Collecting My Thoughts