Immigration major focus of federal enforcement

I'm not sure what this means: Is this administration much harder on immigrants than the media have told us; or, are there just a lot more criminals during the Obama years to investigate than we thought? Criminal prosecutions of immigrants are down 15% from 2013, but up 85% from 2006

“Immigration remains the major focus of all federal criminal enforcement efforts. The latest available data show that criminal prosecutions for illegal entry, illegal re-entry, and similar immigration violations made up 52 percent of all federal prosecutions in FY 2016. During the 12 months ending September 30, immigration prosecutions totaled 69,636. This number compares with just 63,405 prosecutions for all other federal crimes — including drugs, weapons, fraud, and violations of the thousands of other criminal provisions that the federal government is responsible for enforcing. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within the Department of Homeland Security was the lead investigative agency for 86.9 percent of these prosecutions." 

 http://trac.syr.edu/tracreports/crim/446/

 

The terror attack at Ohio State University

More is coming out about the handsome young Somali refugee, a legal resident, who wounded 9 with his car and a butcher knife at OSU yesterday and was then killed by a policeman. He had what millions of refugees in Syria (over 4 million Syrian refugees in Jordan alone) and Africa want. He'd already graduated from Columbus State, was enrolled at OSU (don't know how this was financially arranged, but that's quite advanced for an 18 year old), lived in a nice apartment complex and lived in a city with the 2nd largest Somali community in the U.S. He was also a "graduate" of a training camp in Pakistan as a young teen--so he must have been quite young when radicalized or the records have been mixed up. 

From his social media site he revealed he was unhappy with American troops in Muslim countries, with not being able to find enough prayer rooms on our huge campus, and feeling he was stereotyped (ironic, I know, since he fulfilled the worst stereotype of young male Muslim refugees). He doesn't mention the thousands of Muslims killed by ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab, etc. Millions are waiting to come here who just want a safe, better life. He took their place. They could stay in their home countries and be killed by fellow Muslims. al-Shabaab is a clan based jihadist group based in Somalia responsible for the deaths of thousands of Somalis through bombings and suicide attacks.

Some bystanders at the crime scene reported on the goodness of the OSU students. Several rushed to help him get out of the car when they thought he was simply in an auto accident--for their concern, he attacked them with a knife. And in typical good heartedness, some OSU officials are concerned for the undocumented students who might not be able to continue at Ohio State after Trump becomes president.

Leftists can overlook a lot, but not North Carolina bathrooms

Leftists can look past torture, starvation, imprisonment, gulags, gay "re-education" (and executions) and ignore hundreds of millions of deaths caused by Marxist dictators like Fidel Castro - but lose their minds over a North Carolina governor who wants to keep perverts and gender-confused boys out of girls' restrooms, a Christian baker who doesn't want to bake a cake or a photographer who refuses to photograph a same-sex wedding. (Michael Smith)

Canadian Prime Minister honors freedom loving Fidel Castro

Can you imagine a chief of state of a free, democratic country saying these things about the death of Stalin or Hitler? Yet what is the difference? Jailed or tortured for thought crimes. Killed for defying the state. Public parades with forced adoration. Reeducation camps for political dissidents. Suppression of religion. Equal opportunity poverty except for state officials who own vast real estate holdings and gorgeous palaces which they stole from the owners who fled the country. 

“It is with deep sorrow that I learned today of the death of Cuba’s longest serving President.

“Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century. A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation.

“While a controversial figure, both Mr. Castro’s supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for “el Comandante”.

“I know my father was very proud to call him a friend and I had the opportunity to meet Fidel when my father passed away. It was also a real honour to meet his three sons and his brother President Raúl Castro during my recent visit to Cuba.

“On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and many, many supporters of Mr. Castro. We join the people of Cuba today in mourning the loss of this remarkable leader.”

 "Today, the media take a brief time-out from worrying about Trump being a dictator to praise Fidel Castro." – Anne Coulter

Double Overtime Ohio State wins

Michigan 27 Ohio State 30 

A thought for Thanksgiving

"Suddenly it seemed to me that I looked back from a great distance...on all the days we had spent here together. What was I going to do when such days came no more? There could not be many; for we were a family growing old. And how would I learn to live without these people? I who needed them so little that I could stay away all year -- what would I do without them?" Jetta Carlson, Moonflower Vine.

From my Bookshelf blog.

is residing on my bookshelf at our lake house. Jetta Carleton (d. 1999) must have been a one book wonder (Simon & Schuster, 1962). This novel may be the best you'll ever read with a midwest setting (Missouri).  I read it in the early 80s when it was reissued in paperback, after its best seller status in 1962. My copy is a hardcover Book Club edition with a nice cover that I picked up at a book sale for $1.00. The paperback copy I started with disappeared on one of its many loans to friends.

"Jetta Carleton's autobiographical novel captures the mood and times of midwestern rural life and brings it to life. From the idyllic, heartwarming beginnings springs dark and hidden truths; truths only the reader will see and know. The gentle revelations of the secrets, fears and heartaches that drive these wonderful and endearing characters is storytelling at its best. THE MOONFLOWER VINE received the International Book Award in 1963 and became a Readers Digest Condensed Book and Literary Guild selection. Author Jetta Carleton (1913-1999) only published one novel, putting her in a club with other unique woman writers like Harper Lee and Margaret Mitchell. You might be wondering why anyone would bother to review an out of print book but it is for that reason it was chosen. Don't let the opportunity to read an endangered book slip away." from a review by Barbara Fielding.

Later in life, Jetta Carleton and her husband developed a private press, The Lightning Tree.

Discrimination against Trump voters

Many Hispanics, blacks, Muslims and women voted for Donald Trump.  Therefore, I'm surprised by the posts and articles I see on the internet recommending discrimination against Republicans or Trump supporters on the basis of their politics or party affiliation, based on the "values" of the company or CEO. One in New Mexico has claimed he will no longer accept Republicans as customers. Democrats/progressives are still lying about the basket of deplorables.  Donald Trump's edge with white voters was barely above Romney's in 2012 and his advantage over Clinton was luring minorities and women off the diversity plantation to escape to freedom of thought. In Wisconsin it was a swing of about 8% moving from Obama voters to Trump voters. And this was the case in several "blue wall" states.  During the last 8 years they were ignored except when brought out as trophies. At  this moment we have on-going riots, property destruction and an uptick in violence against police, who are over 1/3 minority.  Maybe it will be the same with Trump, but what have they got to lose?

Advantages of books over the internet

 
I read a lot--but more and more it's on a screen, which encourages skipping, wandering off to another topic, and the flicker is bad for the eye sight.  I'm trying to read a difficult book and keep putting it down.  Then I came across an old blog that suggested 15 minutes a day of doing anything can help develop a habit.  So I'm setting the timer and sitting down to read this book--away from the computer.

 

Past Thanksgiving holidays

I'm drawing a blank about what my parents may have said about their Thanksgiving holidays.  And for myself as a kid, I don't remember much until I came home from my freshman year in college and found myself teary to see aunts and uncles and cousins all gathered for a big meal. I'm not sure we even had any traditions or styles of celebrating that needed to be blended.

I used to think, based on family Bible records, that my immigrant ancestors came around 1730. After starting genealogy a few years ago I found a few from England in the 1600s. I think they did miss the first Thanksgiving between colonists and native Americans.  My German ancestors had to sign pledges of loyalty to the King of England; the British and Irish who were already subjects didn't. There was a lot of discrimination against both Irish and Germans in the mid-19th century.--by the same groups that had come a generation or two before them. My grandmother whose family had come from the area of Europe that later became Germany had German immigrant women as household help.  It's my recollection from stories my mother told that Grandma thought they weren't very assimilated to our customs.  But when you're trying to fill up a country and find soldiers, the requirements were rather lax. The various church groups helped them resettle, just as today, if they didn't have family; no programs from the government. Some were indentured to pay for their passage, it was sort of like the coyote system of today bring people out of S.A. and Central America. Had to work many years to pay back the cost.

Most of the links from this page to other articles are broken, but this is a good explanation of other countries' observance of Thanksgiving. 

Attending church is a nice tradition--after all, God is the One to whom we give gratitude.

 

Trump's cabinet picks

Photo from Daily Signal Nov. 23, 2016

 Only GWH Bush was faster than Trump, and he had 2 holdovers from Reagan.

New York Times is criticizing Trump for the sluggish progress.  Not surprising.  And who knew this was a race?

The protests are serious

Let's stop laughing at the protesters and snowflakes.  They are serious anarchists with outside organizers helping them.  Don't underestimate them whether it's on the interstate, a bridge, a pipeline, a flag pole, a Broadway play or a smart phone. Most of them didn't vote--many are not even citizens. They aren't disgruntled Hillary supporters--they are America haters threatening elected and appointed officials, police, firemen and they will be well organized by the next election. They have plans.

Fake news and other claims by progressives, by Michael Smith, guest blogger

The entire mainstream media are gnashing their teeth and rending their hair over "fake news" after an election where they chose a candidate and supported that candidate by reporting out of context, omitting information, conducting opposition research for their chosen candidate and propagandizing according to their own bias. Now they want to "filter out" so called "fake news." Know which country already has a "filter" for fake news?

China. They are communists (we call them progressives in America).

Progressive lefties worry about Trump building internment camps - but these camps already exist. Where are they and who built them?

University campuses.The progressive left built them.

The progressive left is screeching about the "racism" that Trump's cabinet appointments represent, yet which ideology separates all America by race, implements quotas based on skin color and disrespects minorities by the soft bigotry of low expectations?

Progressives.

Ditto with "hatred" these appointments supposedly represent but which ideology violently protests when their own governance fails as in Ferguson and Baltimore?

Progressives.

Prior to the election, the media and the progressive left were aghast that Trump wouldn't automatically agree with the outcome of the election but who refused to accept the results of the election, took to the streets after they lost and are threatening Electoral College electors in an attempt to corrupt the process?

Progressives.

Which ideological group believes in the Constitution and its Amendments (i.e. states rights and the Electoral College) until they lose?

Progressives.

Which ideological group hides behind "states rights" when challenged over open borders and so-called "sanctuary cities" but hypocritically supports centralized federal control in all other circumstances?

Progressives.

What ideological group thought secession of various states that disagreed with Obama's policies was against the Constitution but now wants California to secede?

Progressives.

President elect for 14 days

First the media gave Donald Trump millions of dollars of free advertising when they figured they'd help the DNC rig the primaries by knocking out the other candidates with the big money PACs like Jeb Bush. Then they slammed him every chance they could when he actually won that with the highest vote count in the history of the GOP. Then when he won the election against the anointed one who was to maintain the Obama legacy, they went into high gear.  They've been making up all sorts of rules he has to follow to make them happy.

1) Don't go to dinner without them, 2) don't speak after being lectured by Broadway actors, 3) tolerate riots in the streets by paid agitators. Now he's had a video chat ala FDR's fireside chats and  some are screaming he's Kim Jong-il (because Hitler didn't have the technology). I guess they've forgotten Obama's European tour preaching to huge crowds in Germany before he was elected.  Someone needs to write and publish a guidebook for presidents-elect, or at least the ones who are not accomplished, polished politicians.

June DeMott's Brown October Stew

A cousin asked if I had a cookie recipe of her grandmother, my Aunt Betty. I didn’t, but did look through my mother-in-law’s Betty Crocker's picture cook book, c1950, and found her hand written recipe for

Brown October Stew

• 3 lb. beef chunks
• 3 TBS flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 14 tsp. ground ginger
• 3 TBS salad oil
• 1 large onion, chopped, 1 cup
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups mixed vegetable juice
• 1 one-inch stick cinnamon
• 1 medium eggplant cut in large cubes
• 4 medium carrots scraped and quartered
• 4 stalks of celery, cut in 3 in. sticks
• 8 large prunes
• 8 large apricots
• Shake beef cubes in mixture of flour, salt, pepper and ginger in paper bag. Brown quickly in the oil. Stir in onion, garlic, mixed vegetable juice and stick of cinnamon. Arrange eggplant, carrots, celery around the meat. Cover and simmer for one hour. Split and pit the prunes, stuff each with apricot halves, lay on top of the stew; cover and simmer, one hour longer or until the meat is tender.

1968 at our home on Abington Road

Hate crime statistics for 2015

Most people don't follow crime statistics, and probably not hate crime statistics, but I do. The law that hate crimes had to be collected and analyzed is 26 years old, signed by GHW Bush with a Democrat Congress in 1990. It's been revised twice, and most recently in 2009 to add more categories for sexual orientation. Race/ethnicity and religion are the majority. Hate crimes are a small niche in crime given the attention it gets on TV--5,850 crimes of all types from assault to murder--person, business, institution, or society as a whole. And now there are 3 categories for sex: gender, gender identity and sexual orientation--that should goose the numbers a little. It must be tough to mark the box for a bi-sexual Muslim who assaults a transgender woman who is a lesbian Jew. Since we already have laws against all these crimes I've never understood a special hate motivation law. Only one rape (legacy definition) in the 2015 report was counted as a hate crime compared to 255 larcenies. https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2015/topic-pages/victims_final

It's unclear to me if the San Bernardino murders of Dec. 2015 by Muslims were ever called a hate crime even though 14 people died and 22 were injured, 3 of them immigrants, and many Christians participating in a quasi-religious holiday party. Even though the FBI said the shooters were inspired by jihad and terrorist ideas, it wasn't a hate crime?

San Bernardino did however, inspire Donald Trump to say all immigration from Muslim countries should end until the U.S. had a better way to vet them. For this he was condemned--by Obama, Gov. Brown, the Pentagon, and most global leaders. When polled right before the election about 57.4% of American voters agreed with Trump on immigration, including 58.5% of Hispanic voters. (Zogby)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/us/san-bernardino-attackers-discussed-jihad-in-private-messages-fbi-says.html?_r=0

Southern Poverty Law Center, which I consider a hate group, blames Pamela Geller for San Bernardino terrorists. https://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/03/southern-poverty-law-center-blames-san-bernardino-jihad-massacre-on-pamela-geller

Nothing goes away on social media

The left powers up the smear campaign against Trump-Pence

Someone about 18  months ago decided that because Donald Trump wasn't brown, black, female or gay, he must be a white supremacist, and that's all it took for the alt-right (used to be a valid term for people who disagreed with conservatives--the alternative right) accusers and hate mongers to run with it. Was that ever said about him before June 2015? He used to be a flamboyant celebrity who hung with all kinds of people--mainly rich celebrities. But Washington is a private club whether the Bushes or Clintons are in power.

Upon throwing his hat in the ring he became a target of both Republicans and Democrats. For almost 30 years he'd been saying this was a great country that wasn't being run well (I saw one clip from the Oprah show in 1988 where she asked him if he would ever run for president).  But in 2015, "make America great again" became a dog whistle according to the alt-left. Trump didn't say ALL immigrants from Muslim countries should be excluded, only that the process needed to be put on hold until the government could figure out how to vet them. Now there are memes on the internet showing arms with prison tattoos, poor Joseph and Mary facing a wall and Japanese American children looking through barbed wire.  He never said all Mexicans were drug dealers and rapists, and the CRS has reported almost exactly his assessment of the border problems.  (Heroin Trafficking in the United States, Congressional Research Service, Aug. 23, 2016.)

If the Broadway cast of Hamilton are so worried now, did they fear for their lives and careers in 2008-2012 when Obama lied about his support for traditional marriage, or when people who can't afford a night out on the town in New York were slandered as deplorables?  Did they interrupt their audience's pleasure after they'd paid $800 a ticket with calls for closing the gender pay gap at the Clinton Foundation? Would they have asked their audience to stop aborting disabled babies? Who but the 1% can afford a ticket to pay their salaries and build their careers? The Hamilton cast has very odd values and even worse manners. For the pleasure of lecturing one group of theater goers out for a pleasant event, they spoiled the evening for everyone else.

International trade--how it helps the global population

What's the cause of international trade and American jobs going off shore? We know our corporate tax rate is the highest in the world.  List of Countries by Corporate Tax Rate  I hope the new president can start there--bring down the taxes to make the United States more competitive.  If Mr. Trump can bring that down, will jobs return; or is it unions, environmental regulations, and the work ethic of Americans who have been told only college educated people should vote or have rights? What about all the products made or grown in the U.S. which are then shipped out and assembled in Vietnam or Bangladesh?  What about the people employed in countries that depend on American based companies? There is a Levi factory in Ouanaminthe, Haiti that is critical for many families.  There would be more if Haiti itself wouldn't be so corrupt in its trade arrangements. I care about American workers, but I also care about the very poor and unemployed in Haiti. It's a very low wage by our standards, but it helps stabilize those developing nations, and perhaps slows the flow of immigrants looking for economic opportunity.

One of the pleasures of volunteering at the pregnancy center is - - folding baby clothes. Sometimes I launder them if a new batch has arrive.  I’ve even ironed them (who in the world would dress a young child in linen with lace and appliqués--probably grandma?). Each new baby's parents who are clients are given a huge shopping bag full of baby items from size zero to about 12 months, onesies, diapers, underwear, seasonal outfits, coat and hat, footwear, sleepers, blankets, towels, with a toy, book and Bible. I love the little Buckeye shirts in size 3 months.  (Parenting classes and mentors are also available, but we can't put them into shopping bags.) Clothing that isn't given as layette gifts because of wear, or they are beyond the age range, are put in "free" boxes for the moms to look through and select.   Some are holiday wear like Halloween, Christmas or Easter that may have been worn only once.

 Here’s what I found last week--in one hour of sorting (by size, season, sex, type) and remember these are donated (used) so I have no idea what year or decade they were made.

 

I‘m assuming anything made in China is the oldest, because many American/global firms have moved to cheaper labor, first to other Asian countries, then Africa and South America. Carter's reports it sells more than 10 products for every child born in the U.S.! It just doesn't tell you, except on the label, where those products are made. The only clue on a company web page, may be a disclaimer like this at Garanimals, if anything is said at all: " Before any of our products can be sold in North America, the materials, paints, sealants and all components that comprise them are tested rigorously by independent testing facilities to ensure their safety."

• China:  Vitamins Baby, DG Baby, Carter’s, PLC Place, Baby Gear, Osh Kosh, Seseme Street, Strawberry Patch, Fisher Price, First Impressions.
• Hong Kong: No brand on label
• Vietnam: swim trunks (no brand label), Baby Gap, Gymboree, Carter’s
• Thailand: Okie Dokie, Gymboree, Little Lindsey. Carter’s,
• Cambodia: Carter’s, Faded Glory
• Malaysia: Carter’s
• Philippines: Carter’s
• Sri Lanka: Garanimals
• Bangladesh: Circo
• India: Baby Boden, Onesies
• Arab Emirates: Faded Glory
• Portugal: Baby Boden
• El Salvador: Garanimals
• Honduras: Garanimals
• Kenya: Faded Glory

What happened to minimum wage issues?

Minimum wage issues brought out the paid demonstrators during the Obama years, but little was said during the election. Why? Because it's a non-issue for financially improving lives. Very few people earn minimum wage--about 1.3 million hourly paid workers. Only 2% of full time hourly workers are at or below federal minimum. The increases are not going to change the economy, but can raise prices or close businesses while trying to make political points with this dead horse for the left to beat. The hope that an increase in minimum might reduce dependency on government assistance, is probably a pipe dream. They may be poor, but they aren't stupid. They will reduce their taxable hours to continue with Medicaid or housing assistance which are not taxed.  http://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/archive/characteristics-of-minimum-wage-workers-2014.pdf

Riots, rudeness and ridicule

No surprises here. Riots, rudeness and ridicule--the very behavior that caused Democrats to lose the White House, Congress and most state governments. The Democratic party has become the party of wealth, celebrity and street protests by paid agitators who get their "fake" news from late night comedians. The party where bigoted designers, Broadway actors and abortion CEOs feel empowered to flaunt their out of touch ideas is now morally and ideologically bankrupt. It had no plan to improve the economy, education, security, national harmony or global threats--only a plan to put a woman in the White House.

"Sophie Theallet, who has dressed the current first lady Michelle Obama, offered a preemptive refusal to hypothetically dress the next first lady, Melania Trump, should she ask for some of her clothes— presumably not the ones available at The Gap. In her unsolicited letter, Theallet informed the world that a person who did not ask for any of her clothes would not be getting them."  http://thefederalist.com/2016/11/18/refusing-serve-customers-dont-agree-suddenly-cool/

Jeff Bezos the amazing capitalist

About three years ago Jeff Bezos of Amazon bought the formerly liberal, now leftist, Washington Post. Dennis Prager describes it as the National Enquirer of the left. Bezos is an amazing capitalist--has a greater networth than the Walton family of Walmart from whom he learned that moving products quickly and undercutting the competition was the quickest route to wealth. I don't think he's particularly interested in truth, objectivity or journalism; the "news" now seems to be mostly anecdotal and opinion based although there are still opinion columns. Occasionally, journalism breaks out, but not often, so maybe he just likes the idea. Only about 2% of Americans get their news from print (I read WaPo online, and am not sure how that's counted), and it's even less for those under 25 who prefer the fake news of late night comedy shows.

Just a few years ago--like thirty

Not since the mega-wealthy Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid has there been a bigger alarmist and liar than Elizabeth Warren, who got where she is by claiming to be a member of a protected group. I heard a clip of her speech today where she said a "few years ago" and then prattled on about Jeff Sessions. The incident she was referring to was 30 years ago. Well, 30 years ago she was self-identifying as a minority law teacher in directories right up through her appointment at Harvard. That was gold for government grants for the schools that hired her. If it was a few years ago for Sessions, it was a few years ago for Warren, and just a few years since the Democrats kept electing a former Klan member Robert Byrd as the longest serving (1959-2010) member to Congress.

Babies are a miracle not a mistake

http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2008/03/31/obama-says-he-doesnt-want-his-daughters-punished-with-a.aspx?mobile=false   This article clarifies what President Obama said during the 2008 campaign.

Sports injuries reports compared

Ready for a walk around the neighborhood, April 2015

I've always been a non-athlete.  I got one C in college and it was in tennis.  The instructor was about 8 months pregnant, so I don't think she was expecting much from me, and I met her expectations.  Walking or riding my exercycle are my limits.  No golf.  No tennis. No yoga. No soccer. I meet women over 60 or 70 who at one time were serious athletes who played soccer or softball in college and on community teams or who were joggers and runners and now are in constant recovery in their later years from hip and knee problems and surgeries--and some battling obesity because they were accustomed to burning a lot of calories.   But I do read articles about sports and health because I'm sort of medical information junkie.  There are a lot of injuries. This article included summaries of several reports, one of which showed how injury statistics have been under reported because they used primarily ER statistics, but 50% get care at their doctor's office.

Girls are more likely to get injured than boys while playing the same sport. . . Football, lacrosse, and wrestling athletes were the most likely to suffer season- or career-ending injuries among boys, while gymnastics, soccer, and basketball were the most likely girls' sports to manifest these injuries. For both sexes, contact was the most common cause of major injuries. . . . yoga injury rates are increasing, especially in participants 65 and up -- who are also more prone to injury than others.. .Outside the U.S., a new study linking sports participation level with anterior crucial ligament injury risk also found contact to be the leading injury mechanism, and girls to be more injury-prone than boys while playing the same sport.  http://www.medpagetoday.com/SportsMedicine/GeneralSportsMedicine/61555

Temperature to match 1954!

Today (and yesterday) in central Ohio we’re supposed to match the temperature records for 1954! I think it will be about 72, depending on where you are, and I hope to get out for several walks. We get our weather about a day after Illinois, so I’m thinking it was warm there too in November 1954. I was a sophomore in 1954 at Mt. Morris High School so I pulled out my school annual (white, padded cover, Mounder title in red, 1955) to see what was going on. Tina Kable would walk from her home on North Hannah, stop at my house on South Hannah, we’d walk up Main Street and pick up Kay Alter and Priscilla Drummond.

In the fall months we also stayed in touch the old fashioned way—through our school newspaper, The Hilltopper put out by the journalism class. By doing this group project they learned writing style, proofing for mistakes, how to paste-up pages, typing copy and running a mimeograph—probably not useful skills today, but teamwork is always important. I see names from Facebook like Bob Rawes, Donna Coddington, Ralph Dollinger. On a warm November day we’d all walk together after school on our way to Felker’s for a cherry coke searching for our names in the Hilltopper.

By November, the annual staff had already begun preparations of this book by getting advertisers, developing a theme, taking photos and planning the art work. I see some Facebook or email list members I recognize like Joyce Kinsley, Bob Rawes and Jerry Wallace. A promotional sign says the year book cost $2.75! That was a good buy—mine is 60 years old. There’s even a photo of my sister Carol (d. 1996) whose grandchildren are on Facebook so I can keep up with their activities.

I’m looking through the names of the varsity football team who played that fall and see a number of people on Facebook or local e-mail lists, some deceased (Jim Mongan, Phil Egan, Gerald Blake, Stan Messer, Don Satterfield, Pete Smith), and some who seemed to have dropped out of sight. The junior class that fall presented “One Foot in Heaven” on Friday, November 19. I see Bill Allenfort, who is still active in community theater getting a beard.

And there’s the student council learning the basics of representative democracy with cute freshman Carol Samsel and junior Murray Trout (deceased). The Council organized all the Homecoming activities, sponsored dances and provided the concession stand. They sent delegates to district and state conventions—sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

We did have professional lyceum speakers for assembly in those days, but also our in-house thespians provided entertainment. It was a big group—I see Jerry Wallace, Harold Hanke, Mike Balluff, Joyce Kinsley, Connie Frey, Sally Olsen, all of whom are on Facebook.

The fall of 1954. It was warm, and so are the memories.

Democrats continue their meltdown and name calling

President elect Trump got only marginally more white voters in 2016 than Romney did in 2012, and many more minorities votes than Romney. But the Democrats smeared Romney as a racist, homophobe, sexist, etc. --and I think animal abuser for good measure. This year, people who had voted for Obama for two terms were tired of being maligned, ridiculed and called names, especially a basket of deplorables by Clinton, so they decided to try an outsider. The name calling is so much background noise now, and I don't think it works anymore except to incite more fear among Democrats. Now we've got teacher's unions preparing propaganda as "social studies units" about the election to terrorize their students. It's the 1950s duck and cover nuclear attack. The democrats are digging their own hole and pulling the dirt over top of themselves.

Meanwhile the protests continue.  Now the protestors are releasing the names and addresses of the electoral voters who are pledge to support candidates--they are trying to threaten them into changing their votes.  Really, despicable people.  But do Obama or Clinton say anything? I guess all that talk about a smooth transition was just talk.  

Each visitor to Trump Tower for discussions and interviews has wild stories written about him or her in the nasty main stream media.  They are terrified as their political base collapses and gravy train drains.  Clintons are gone.  Bidens gone. Harry Reid gone.  Maybe Nancy Pelosi is on the way out.  The most powerful woman in the world, Valerie Jarrett will soon leave DC (unless she's trapped in the revolving door of lobbying.  The DNC exposed for its corruption and deal making.

In 1883 we all got on board on November 18

 

On this day in 1883, 4 time zones simplified the country's railroad schedules and put cross-country friendships on track.

Here’s the story with some interesting links.
http://history1800s.about.com/od/railroadbuilding/fl/Why-We-Have-Time-Zones.htm

If you're a history buff, this is a very interesting site which will keep you wandering for a long time.

Guaranteed Latino vote

“Four million more Latinos were eligible to vote Tuesday than in 2012. So, no matter who was running and no matter how low the turnout, the number of Latino votes counted Tuesday was virtually certain to be higher than 2012. In fact, demographic growth alone would have guaranteed Mrs. Clinton an additional 1.3 million votes (about 1 percent of the total votes cast), even if turnout remained at the same dismal rate as 2012, and she got two-thirds of the Latino votes.” (Roberto Suro, NYT)

Interesting. This New York Times opinion piece assumes the Latino vote belongs to the Democrats. GUARANTEED. Maybe Latinos care about abortion, or religious freedom, or good jobs staying in the country, or crime syndicates exerting power across the border, or refugees flooding into the country without any vetting. Just a thought, of course. It’s possible their grandparents told them about Cuba, or Honduras, or Guatemala and they don’t want what their families left.

Subtle messaging in PSAs

This morning I watched a very sweet PSA, "Put a little love in your heart" and the sponsors were a variety of organizations and name brands which quickly left my mind. You know the song (I won't sing it here), and photos of various singles and groups and ethnicities roll by. The only nuclear family group--mom, dad, kids--were white. I think all elderly--black and white--were alone, young people were alone or shown with one or two others.  Not sure I saw disabled, but one young teen had the knit cap which might indicate cancer recovery, and she was playing guitar accompaniment, but again, was alone. Not sure that a message about love should feature so many solitary figures--especially the elderly. Life is hard; take a friend with you on the journey.

Elizabeth Warren and lobbyists

15 November 2016

Editor, Wall Street Journal
1211 6th Ave.
New York, NY 10036

Dear Editor:

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is upset that President-elect Trump’s transition team includes many corporate lobbyists ("Elizabeth Warren Criticizes Donald Trump Over Lobbyists in Transition Team,” Nov. 15). Well now. Sen. Warren is second-to-none at empowering Uncle Sam to exercise broad discretionary powers over corporate affairs - powers that, if exercised one way, yield that company hundreds of millions of dollars in additional profits or, if exercised another way, saddle that company with hundreds of millions of dollars of additional costs. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that corporations work hard to have their voices heard among the din of everyone clamoring for the new emperor’s attention.

For Sen. Warren to be upset that Trump’s transition team attracts hordes of corporate lobbyists seeking political favors is akin to a Madam being upset that her bawdyhouse attracts hordes of men seeking female favors.

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Professor of Economics and Martha and Nelson Getchell Chair for the Study of Free Market Capitalism at the Mercatus Center George Mason University

Germany's school system gives parents no out

 “What is happening in Germany [in sexualization programs in state schools], and in many other EU countries, goes way beyond what we have witnessed so far in our own country. It’s a particular problem in Germany where parents have no escape, other than leaving the country. Germany has a highly restrictive, mandatory education law, which effectively forces parents to send their children to schools run mainly by the state. Moreover, the law absolutely forbids homeschooling. Parents are trapped into exposing their children to the most degrading sexual education imaginable.”

According to this author, the German Catholic Church has been no help in stopping this usurpation of parental rights. I would assume the same is true for Lutherans and evangelicals in Germany.

https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2016/11/15/destroying-freedom-in-the-name-of-freedom/

America has political and economic Alzheimer's Disease?

 

Paul Johnson is a very fine historian—love his “A History of the American People,” and he’s British. I missed what he published in April in Forbes about Trump and political correctness. 

“Nowhere has PC been more triumphant than in the U.S. This is remarkable, because America has traditionally been the home of vigorous, outspoken, raw and raucous speech. From the early 17th century, when the clerical discipline the Pilgrim Fathers sought to impose broke down and those who had things to say struck out westward or southward for the freedom to say them, America has been a land of unrestricted comment on anything–until recently. Now the U.S. has been inundated with PC inquisitors, and PC poison is spreading worldwide in the Anglo zone.

For these reasons it’s good news that Donald Trump is doing so well in the American political primaries. He is vulgar, abusive, nasty, rude, boorish and outrageous. He is also saying what he thinks and, more important, teaching Americans how to think for themselves again.

No one could be a bigger contrast to the spineless, pusillanimous and underdeserving Barack Obama, who has never done a thing for himself and is entirely the creation of reverse discrimination. The fact that he was elected President–not once, but twice–shows how deep-set the rot is and how far along the road to national impotence the country has traveled.

Under Obama the U.S.–by far the richest and most productive nation on earth–has been outsmarted, outmaneuvered and made to appear a second-class power by Vladimir Putin’s Russia. America has presented itself as a victim of political and economic Alzheimer’s disease, a case of national debility and geopolitical collapse.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/currentevents/2016/03/23/when-excess-is-a-virtue/#7a02557734b5

Post reservation, post plantation

Distain and ridicule for working class American voters

 

The scorn and contempt for the working class voter by the wealthy politicians, bureaucrats and journalists were obvious in almost all the coverage I saw of the 2016 campaign, whether in the Washington Post or the digital Slate and Daily Beast. But among academics it was apparent even when I was on the faculty at Ohio State University in the 1980s and 1990s.

I was a Democrat then and thought it was just isolated incidents when my student employee would come to work and tell me how the rabid feminist literature instructor was treating him for wearing an ROTC uniform. I didn’t see it as systemic then. But the most open minded faculty from those days when Democrat to Republican was about 2:1 are now emeritus, like me, and now it’s about 27:1. It’s not that lopsided in the ACLU. It would be difficult to even get hired let alone promoted if a young college graduate student weren’t far left of center. So conservatives will just select a different career, further adding to the imbalance. No conservative (of working age) with dreams of a career in academe should ever be on social media, send a letter to the editor, speak out at a town hall, run for school board or library board, or register as anything other than Independent. Being a Catholic or a Baptist could probably kill a promising career because it might cause delicate freshmen in 2017 to need a safe place.

 
 It isn’t enough to charge contemporary conservatives with racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. Academics have made those charges retroactive, reaching back ten centuries to include the perpetrators of European colonialism and holding all American history in contempt. The role of Arab Muslims in the Atlantic slave trade or slave raids into Europe will be overlooked in history classes. That the sex slave and labor slave trades are bigger in the 21st century won’t be covered unless it’s some way to tear down capitalism. The rate of slave ownership by freed blacks in the U.S. before the Civil War will also not be mentioned (it was higher than whites). In literature they are toppling Shakespeare and demanding queer studies after years of elevating some really poor women authors. But famous, accomplished women can be disinvited from open forums and speeches if they are conservatives, even if they are Muslim or black. All actual diversity of thought or ideology must be destroyed by the diversophiles and campus thought police.

The Republicans now control both houses in Congress, the White House, and are awaiting a decent Supreme Court appointment.  They control the majority of state legislatures and governorships.  Almost every office of importance above the municipal level has gone to Republicans--and that's Obama's legacy because it's happened in the last 8 years.  There has been a revolution, but it's been through the ballot box not marching in the streets being bussed in by professional agitators. However, it will take years to straighten out academe and they've had a lock on the brightest and best for the last 25-30 years.

http://www.popecenter.org/2016/10/modern-universitys-greatest-failing/

http://www.popecenter.org/2016/11/colleges-promoting-psychological-frailty-concerned/ 

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/11/the-dramatic-shift-among-college-professors-thats-hurting-students-education/

George Mason University Admissions Director is full of hate for Conservatives

Hate is hate, and we’re seeing it manifest itself in the socialist/progressive camps this election who are warning that the side that lost the election in a representative election are white trash, deplorable, irredeemable, stupid and morons. The admissions director at George Mason University needs to resign, same as he would if he called black students the N-word.

"On his Facebook page, Andrew Bunting declared conservatives, Trump voters and anyone who dares to disagree with his progressive ideology are "worthless pieces of trash." "  

This vile statement is because the National Organization for Marriage said they would support President Trump.  Did conservatives offer a similar message of hate when National Organization for Women and Planned Parenthood (which actually kills humans) supported Obama?

Here's the blog which brought out his hate.


Supporting traditional marriage is now hate speech.

She's had enough of the whining of the last few days

"My niece's beautiful 15-year-old daughter is in an agonizing, painful, unbelievably cruel treatment for relapsed cancer. My mother is facing a possible awful diagnosis. I have relatives struggling to keep afloat financially. Most of the college students in our family are going deeply in debt for an education and working hard to make their parents proud. Many have seen their dreams destroyed and their lifetimes of hard work taken away from them by utopian policies of the elite.... Frankly, I've had enough of hired thugs and out-of-touch pundits -- not to mention the hypocritical politicians preying and getting rich off the vulnerable -- discrediting Main Street Americans and making fun of our faith and patriotism --- (and discrediting our votes). I will spend this Sabbath praying intensely for Lily, mother and those so dear to me who are suffering and living in such uncertainty and stress. I'll certainly be praying for God to renew a right spirit within me and to channel my righteous anger onto right and productive paths." Janice Shaw Crouse on Facebook

Thanks for the perspective, Janice.

Jared Kushner says Donald Trump is not anti-semitic

I am the grandson of Holocaust survivors. On December 7, 1941—Pearl Harbor Day—the Nazis surrounded the ghetto of Novogroduk, and sorted the residents into two lines: those selected to die were put on the right; those who would live were put on the left. My grandmother’s sister, Esther, raced into a building to hide. A boy who had seen her running dragged her out and she was one of about 5100 Jews to be killed during this first slaughter of the Jews in Novogrudok. On the night before Rosh Hashana 1943, the 250 Jews who remained of the town’s 20,000 plotted an escape through a tunnel they had painstakingly dug beneath the fence. The searchlights were disabled and the Jews removed nails from the metal roof so that it would rattle in the wind and hopefully mask the sounds of the escaping prisoners.

My grandmother and her sister didn’t want to leave their father behind. They went to the back of the line to be near him. When the first Jews emerged from the tunnel, the Nazis were waiting for them and began shooting. My grandmother’s brother Chanon, for whom my father is named, was killed along with about 50 others. My grandmother made it to the woods, where she joined the Bielski Brigade of partisan resistance fighters. There she met my grandfather, who had escaped from a labor camp called Voritz. He had lived in a hole in the woods—a literal hole that he had dug—for three years, foraging for food, staying out of sight and sleeping in that hole for the duration of the brutal Russian winter.

I go into these details, which I have never discussed, because it’s important to me that people understand where I’m coming from when I report that I know the difference between actual, dangerous intolerance versus these labels that get tossed around in an effort to score political points. 

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/439173/open-letter-from-trumps-orthodox-jewish-son-in-law-jared-kushner-trump-is-not-an-anti-semite.html

My grandmother and her sister didn’t want to leave their father behind. They went to the back of the line to be near him. When the first Jews emerged from the tunnel, the Nazis were waiting for them and began shooting. My grandmother’s brother Chanon, for whom my father is named, was killed along with about 50 others. My grandmother made it to the woods, where she joined the Bielski Brigade of partisan resistance fighters. There she met my grandfather, who had escaped from a labor camp called Voritz. He had lived in a hole in the woods—a literal hole that he had dug—for three years, foraging for food, staying out of sight and sleeping in that hole for the duration of the brutal Russian winter.
I go into these details, which I have never discussed, because it’s important to me that people understand where I’m coming from when I report that I know the difference between actual, dangerous intolerance versus these labels that get tossed around in an effort to score political points.
- See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/439173/open-letter-from-trumps-orthodox-jewish-son-in-law-jared-kushner-trump-is-not-an-anti-semite.html#sthash.i3E4pXa0.dpuf

I am the grandson of Holocaust survivors. On December 7, 1941—Pearl Harbor Day—the Nazis surrounded the ghetto of Novogroduk, and sorted the residents into two lines: those selected to die were put on the right; those who would live were put on the left. My grandmother’s sister, Esther, raced into a building to hide. A boy who had seen her running dragged her out and she was one of about 5100 Jews to be killed during this first slaughter of the Jews in Novogrudok. On the night before Rosh Hashana 1943, the 250 Jews who remained of the town’s 20,000 plotted an escape through a tunnel they had painstakingly dug beneath the fence. The searchlights were disabled and the Jews removed nails from the metal roof so that it would rattle in the wind and hopefully mask the sounds of the escaping prisoners.
My grandmother and her sister didn’t want to leave their father behind. They went to the back of the line to be near him. When the first Jews emerged from the tunnel, the Nazis were waiting for them and began shooting. My grandmother’s brother Chanon, for whom my father is named, was killed along with about 50 others. My grandmother made it to the woods, where she joined the Bielski Brigade of partisan resistance fighters. There she met my grandfather, who had escaped from a labor camp called Voritz. He had lived in a hole in the woods—a literal hole that he had dug—for three years, foraging for food, staying out of sight and sleeping in that hole for the duration of the brutal Russian winter.
I go into these details, which I have never discussed, because it’s important to me that people understand where I’m coming from when I report that I know the difference between actual, dangerous intolerance versus these labels that get tossed around in an effort to score political points.
- See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/439173/open-letter-from-trumps-orthodox-jewish-son-in-law-jared-kushner-trump-is-not-an-anti-semite.html#sthash.i3E4pXa0.dpuf

What are they teaching children about elections?

Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit)
"Just an observation: When schools treat an election as a traumatic event — often via their programs on “diversity and inclusion” — they are in fact telling students who voted for the “traumatic” candidate that they aren’t welcome as members of the community. Saying that there’s only one acceptable outcome for an election doesn’t promote diversity, and it makes students who supported the other candidate feel excluded."

Michael Smith adds: But when you think about it, the entirety of the progressive institutions are treating this election as if it was a "traumatic" event on par with a death, a natural disaster or an armed invasion. It is a "safe" way to signal to the coalition of their various tribes that there was only one correct answer, everybody else got it wrong and they are still superior.

Paid anarchists actually have tax status!

Have you noticed how "white" the protestors are? They are funded by various anarchist and communist groups which unfortunately have 501c3 status, the same status denied to various peaceful Tea Party groups 4 years ago. Don't be fooled--anarchists hate Americans, Jews, Israel, and probably blacks after they've chewed them up and spit them out. Too bad these college kids don't know Soviet or 20th c. Chinese history and who went to trial first or faced hiring squads. If Clinton had won, I think they would have had the same "I've been cheated" demonstrators because it isn't a peaceful transition they want.

The anarchist groups like A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and the various Communist groups will continue to spread the rumors about Trump and find patsies to file complaints. The umbrella trouble makers are global, and by always lifting up the fanciful KKK image which is a fraction the size of their group, they suck in gullible millennials.

Washington Post continues its downward slide

 

Washington Post has become the most biased of all our national press sources. I thought Tuesday might have ended it since they had egg on their biased, battered and bruised faces, but no, made it worse if that’s possible. Here are today’s stories.

• Trump’s bold promises could face obstacles
• Vigils and protests swell
• Late night TV hosts disbelief and jokes
• What does a Trump win say about us as a country
• Trump . . .seismic shifts
• How we can keep the country inclusive
• Why the way he won makes him more dangerous
• Why GOP experts must serve (a president so seriously deficient)
• Trump won. Here’s how to fight back

Get lost, Lizzie

What right does Elizabeth Warren have to tell Trump to rechart his course, a course that rejected Obama's 8 years? A course that benefited only the top 5% financially, which ridiculed the faith of Christians and threatened their rights to speak out against unbiblical behaviors, a course that killed thousands in the womb, especially minorities and disabled. I suggest a bit more humility on her part. She's no longer a protected minority and not a single American needs that fake agency (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ) she headed.

 http://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-trump-put-down-elizabeth-warrens-consumer-watchdog/

[The Trump win is] "about rejecting liberal policies, and choosing the conservative vision for our country—a vision that pushes prosperity and freedom. It’s about having enough human decency to say that a child in the womb deserves the right to life. It’s about wanting to keep our country safe, and to be able to keep an America where all men and women can live in accordance with their beliefs.

Liberals can scream all they want about this being “racism” (when they’re not whining about the decline of civility in this country). But if they are serious about wanting to bring the country together, maybe they could start by realizing the lesson from election night was that millions of Americans cherish values and policies that Obama, Clinton, and many others on the left have aggressively attacked and tried to destroy."

 http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/09/donald-trumps-win-wasnt-about-racism/