Friday on the porch and around Lakeside

I'm reading my third Fannie Flagg novel this summer. Great porch reading. Funny. The four books I brought with me, "Why I don't call myself gay; how I reclaimed my sexual reality and found peace," "Ipad for Seniors (for dummies)," "The creed; professing the faith through the ages," and "Rethinking possible; a memoir of resilience," made it out of the book bag onto the end table, but no further.

I believe O.J. was guilty as sin of those murders, and probably over-punished for the minor crimes. I'm sorry he'll be released, but he did the time on those charges. And I'd never heard of the that band Linkin Park or the guy who committed suicide.  I wonder what the rate is for that profession? Suicide is highest among older white men--at least in this country. https://psychcentral.com/news/2016/01/07/why-older-white-men-have-highest-suicide-rate-in-us/97289.html

The author of this Imprimus article was listening to her three children argue. "It was at this moment that I had one of those sudden insights as a parent. I realized that my oldest was a constitutional conservative, my middle child a libertarian, and my youngest a socialist with totalitarian tendencies." We have a Democrat party full of socialists with totalitarian goals in this country. They hate free speech.  It's not the 60s anymore.  https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/lefts-war-free-speech/

Black men who in their private lives love white women, pretend to be anti-white and racist to blacks in their own community says this black man in a Tucker interview. He loves the fruit, hates the tree. NYT should have dumped that race baiting article on white women on sidewalks (which I didn't read). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYTNEjKTxFA

Although I only attended three of this week's offerings on Russia, they were all interesting, especially the film that was premiered here on the Lakeside grounds. Russia is the world's largest country by landmass, beating out runner-up Canada by around 2.8 million square miles. It includes nine different time zones and shares land borders with 14 neighboring countries. 1/4 is in Europe and 3/4 in Asia. It's rich in resources. It has a dictator, but the USA spent years coddling other dictators. Remember Fidel? It would have been a great ally and trading partner but something went very wrong during the last three years of Obama's reign's and Clinton's stint as Secretary of State. What are the Democrats trying to cover up by blaming everything on Trump, who wasn't even a candidate in those years?

Until after the 2012 campaign, Obama and Putin were close. What did Obama do to change this, and why blame Trump who wasn't even on the radar as a politician. This is a rhetorical question, of course.

Home Free, a "vocal band" put on a fabulous show Friday night at the Hoover in Lakeside. Pretty much a packed house--lots of covers of Oak Ridge Boys, Statler Brothers, Alabama, etc. Loved Elvira. Nice Johnny Cash Ring of Fire, too. A few of the hip hop genre I thought were inappropriate for our regular audience, but they are a quality, fabulous group. Don't miss them if they are performing near you. I think the next 2 are in Canada. Amazing sound--all vocal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXQpDDcrN-w

Almost every morning I've been having grilled fresh vegetables for breakfast.  Then I'm good for the rest of the day in case indiscretions like chocolate chip cookies or rhubarb cobbler suddenly appear. Every day is different, but I always add some brown mustard, and that really helps the blandness. Today (Saturday) is onions, yellow peppers, zucchini, broccoli, but others times it's cabbage, mushrooms, celery, green peppers and carrots.

A very good list

 

I use too many adverbs--especially this one.

Plastic trash--clean it up

I don't know which came first, the plastic water bottle or the misinformation that we need 8 glasses of water a day, but they are ubiquitous.  I see those bottles everywhere.

"Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit that organizes an annual cleanup event in more than 150 countries worldwide, said plastic debris makes up around 85 percent of all the trash collected from beaches, waterways and oceans ― and that’s just the stuff we can see." (HuffPo) Some sources report plastic trash in the oceans would cover an area 24x the size of Manhattan. If I could find a non-profit that isn't a front for Soros or a climate scam that wants to redistribute my income into their pockets, I'd contribute to the clean up--makes more sense than sending our tax dollars to Europe for a bureaucrat to spend. And we can start by not drinking water from plastic bottles and then throwing them in the trash. Today I vow to carry my cloth grocery bag to the Farmer's Market in Lakeside.

God’s plan for marriage N.T. Wright

“I believe, the ­biblical picture of man and woman together in marriage is not something about which we can say, “Oh well, they had some funny ideas back then. We know better now.” The biblical view of marriage is part of the larger whole of new creation, and it symbolizes and points to that divine plan. Every time I, as a priest, celebrate the marriage of a couple, I remind myself, and I frequently remind the couple, that what we are doing is setting up a signpost. We live in a world of many storms and many winds; those signposts can easily get battered and broken. But they are pointing somewhere – and the reality to which they are pointing is the fulfillment of God’s good purposes for creation.

Marriage is a sign of all things in heaven and on earth coming together in Christ. That’s why it is a tough calling. But that is why, also, it is central and non-negotiable. That, for me, is what it’s all about. “ NT Wright, Plough, Sept. 2015.  http://www.plough.com/en/topics/life/marriage/what-is-marriage-for

Family support vs. public policy

JD Vance ponders at the close of his book, "Hillbilly Elegy," whether there is a public policy that can correct/assist/compensate for his disastrous, difficult childhood. Why did he make it from the socioeconomic "hillybilly" bottom rung of the culture to the top--high school, university, Yale, law career, good marriage, high income--when so many don't?

He attributes a great deal of his success to his grandparents (he took their surname as an adult) who were a stable presence, and even his mother with her drug problems, many husbands and revolving door of boyfriends instilled in him the importance of education and learning. His older sister always protected and advised him, several aunts and uncles opened their homes and loved him through the tough spots. Even when he didn't follow them, he had good role models. "I was often surrounded by caring and kind men. . . Remove any of these people from the equation, and I'm probably screwed."

But he also acknowleges the tough, hillbilly, working class culture as giving him and others he knew the strength to work out solutions when the main stream culture and elites were totally foreign to them. For instance, if he hadn't lied for his mother when he was 12, he could have gone into foster care, removing him from all the people who loved him and helped him succeed.

After a successful career in California, Vance has returned to Columbus (he's an OSU graduate) to start a non-profit to address some of the problems like job training, the opioid crisis in Ohio and the crumbling social structures. It is reported his next book is on the decline of community churches.
http://radio.wosu.org/post/hillbilly-elegy-author-jd-vance-back-ohio#stream/0

Hillbilly Elegy, porch reading at Lakeside

JD Vance grew up in Middletown, OH and is the author of Hillbilly Elegy. While stationed in Iraq as a young Marine, he has an epiphany after seeing the delight of a young Iraqi boy over a small eraser.

"For my entire life, I'd harbored resentment at the world. I was mad at my mother and father, mad that I rode the bus to school while other kids caught rides with friends, mad that my clothes didn't come from Abercrombie, mad that my grandfather died, mad that we lived in a sm...all house. That resentment didn't vanish in an instant, but as I stood and surveyed the mass of children of a war-torn nation, their school without running water, and the overjoyed boy, I began to appreciate how lucky I was: born in the greatest country on earth, every modern convenience at my fingertips, supported by two loving hillbillies, and part of a family that, for all its quirks, loved me unconditionally. At that moment, I resolved to be the type of man who would smile when someone gave him an eraser. I haven't quite made it there, but without that day in Iraq, I wouldn't be trying." (p. 173-74)

I've read one review in the New York Times, and heard one review at Women's Club.  Both were condescending, and I think those authors missed the point of the book.

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2017/05/book-club-titles-for-2017-2018.html

Good food, good causes

I've been browsing "Mennonite Girls can cook" blog. I think they are Canadian. Lots of great, simple recipes. Like "Orange French Toast." http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2017/07/orange-french-toast.html  Yummy.

  

"We are a group of ten women who share recipes and our faith, with a purpose, inspiring hospitality while using our resources to help needy people around the world.  A simple recipe blog that started to document our family favorite recipes began in 2008 has resulted in two cookbooks."
http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/p/about-us.html

ENCORE Chamber Music at Lakeside

Monday night's program at Lakeside Hoover auditorium was stunning. Not a group I'd ever heard of, but one that builds my faith in youth, in music, in live performance; it was delightful--even the woman I sat beside who was 90 and told me about her life. ENCORE Chamber Music is a 6 week summer academy of Northeast Ohio which sends its students into the community to perform. Jinjoo Cho, who has played with the Lakeside Symphony many times is the artistic director and narrated the program of Mozart, Holst and Tchaikovsky. http://www.encorechambermusic.org/mission-overview/

A native of Seoul, South Korea, Cho moved to Cleveland at the age of 14 to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM).

She is a gold medalist of the 2014 Ninth Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, the first prize and orchestra award-winner of the first Buenos Aires International Violin Competition in 2010, and first grand prize at the Alice Schoenfeld International String Competition
.
Cho finished her Bachelor of Music degree both at the Curtis Institute of Music and the CIM. She also received her Master of Music and Professional Studies from CIM.

                                            

Practicing a craft

As we traveled between Lakeside and Columbus today I was struck by the beauty of the mid-July green hues. From forest to farm to lawn.  Often this time of year, the vegetation begins to have a dusty, straw color. Heavy storms the past few weeks through central and northern Ohio have taken care of that! We drove through small towns and past farms with 19th century homes, shared the road with construction crews, and passed over railway yards.  Everywhere I looked I saw not just God’s handiwork, but man’s--or hundreds of men. Real work, real hands, real products that lasted well beyond their life times. Even the heavily laden trucks that rolled past us were packed with produce from the farms as we noticed the tallest corn we’d ever seen.  “I hope that’s for feed and not ethanol,” I said.

I settled in for the ride and opened my magazine First Things, August/September 2017.  Whether it was a message or a coincidence, who knows, but the article I turned to was “Back to work,” pp. 33-37, by John Waters, an Irish playwright, writer and author of nine books. I had been thinking about the many useful skills and talents my grandmothers who were 20 years apart in age (born in 1876 and 1896) had and which my generation doesn’t.  Not only do I not know how to use a smart phone as many my age do, but I don’t know how to harness a carriage horse, gut and pluck a chicken, milk a cow, trim a kerosene wick or bank the stove with corn cobs to heat water for a weekly bath.  And there in my lap, author Waters laments the triumph of several generations who have no talent except to manipulate technology. I was shocked to see my own thoughts of the moment in an article drafted months before by an Irishman I’d never heard of until I saw him on Route 4 in rural Ohio.

“I often look at rows of buildings on a streetscape or motorway and think that all this, one way or another, is the outcome of interventions by other men.  Each piece--building, bridge, or flyover--is perhaps the conception of one or two men, but has been executed by dozens or hundreds of other men working together toward a common goal.  Sometimes, walking down a street, I am overcome by shame that there is no place on the face of the earth, aside from the occasional library shelf, which contains any analogous contribution of mine.”

. . . Most of the people I meet in my work these days resemble me in this respect.  We live in cities and judge ourselves superior to those who get their hands dirty out in the sticks.  But really we are slaves of a new kind: indentured to technologies that steal our time, creativity, and imagination.  Technology is actually the “new religion,” not least I the sense that it compels us to believe in things we do not understand.  . . I look around and realize that all those present, male and female, make their livings from secondary or tertiary economic activities, unproductive in any fundamental sense--you might even say parasitical on the main business of wealth creation.”

Waters looks back to July 13, 2012, when President Obama told people who actually do real work and produce real products that “you didn’t build that.”  Even taken out of context, as Waters think it was in the 2012 campaign, he sensed it was the tipping point in the creation of Brexit and the victory for President Trump, a man who represents people who relate to the world in concrete ways, but no longer recognize the world that is presented to them. “They are being discounted when the big decisions are being made.”  For up to half the country, Obama was attacking the very essence of their humanity. 

He concludes: “I cannot be the only man who feels less at home in the world than his father did.  Perhaps this is the deepest meaning of Trump’s election:  the back answer of the dispirited men of America who still want to build and fix things but have gotten on the wrong side of a cultural wrecking ball."

Teen Vogue teaches kids how to have anal sex

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Z5xC8rpQw

Disgusting.  Get it off the shelves.

A difficult job--police

Borrowed this from a fellow Peace Officer (at our nephew's Facebook page who is also a police officer)

"I have pulled dead, mangled bodies from cars. I have lied to people as they were dying. I said you are going to be fine as I held their hand and watched the life fade out. I have held dying babies. Bought lunch for people who were mentally ill and haven't eaten in a while. I have had people try to stab me. Fought with men trying to shoot me. Been attacked by women who have had the shit kicked out of them by their husband as I was arr...esting him. I have held towels on bullet wounds. Done CPR when I knew it wouldn't help just to make family members feel better. I have torn down doors, fought in drug houses. Chased fugitives though the woods. I have been in high speed car chases. Foot chases across an interstate during rush hour traffic. I have been in crashes. Been squeezing the trigger about to kill a man when they came to their senses and stopped. Waded through large angry crowds by myself. Drove like a mad man to help a fellow officer. Let little kids who don't have much sit in my patrol car and pretend they are a cop for their birthday. I have taken a lot of people to jail. Given many breaks. Prayed for people I don't even know. Yes and at times I have been violent when I had to be. I have been kind when I could. I admit I have drove to some dark place and cried by myself when I was overwhelmed. I have missed Christmas and other holidays more than I wanted too. Every cop I know has done all these things and more for lousy pay, sucky hours and a short life expectancy. We don't want your pity, I don't care for your respect. Just let us do our jobs without killing us."

Shared From Public Post

The war on business is over

“[In the Warsaw speech] President Donald Trump has quickly made it clear that Barack Obama’s war on business is over. He’s also made it clear, through regulatory rollbacks of breathtaking scope, that the Obama war on fossil fuels is over. Trump wants America to achieve energy dominance. He withdrew from the costly Paris climate accord, which would have severely damaged the American economy. He directed the EPA to rescind the Obama Clean Power Plan, which would have led to skyrocketing electricity rates. He fast-tracked the Keystone XL pipeline. He reopened the door for a modernized American coal industry. He’s overturning all the Obama obstacles to hydraulic fracturing, which his presidential opponent Hillary Clinton would have dramatically increased. And he has opened the floodgates wide to energy exports.Right now, U.S. oil reserves are almost in parity with those of Saudi Arabia. We have the second-most coal reserves in the world. There are enough U.S. gas reserves to last us a century. We have already passed Russia as the world’s top natural-gas producer. We are the world’s top producer of oil and petroleum hydrocarbons. And exports of liquified national gas are surging, with the Energy Department rapidly approving new LNG projects and other export terminals. All these America-first energy policies are huge economic-growth and high-wage-job producers at home. But in the Warsaw speech, Trump made it clear that America’s energy dominance will be used to help our friends across Europe. No longer will our allies have to rely on Russian Gazprom supplies with inflated, prosperity-killing prices.” Larry Kudlow, “Trump has Putin over a barrel,” http://www.newsmax.com/Finance/Insiders/LarryKudlow/id-

Who won that war?

Who's winning the War on Poverty, now 53 years old? The "official" federal poverty rate in in 1964 was 19%; in 2016 it was 16% and the episodic poverty rate was 32%. In Ohio that rate varies by county, with Cuyahoga at 18.2% and Scioto at 23%. Cuyahoga is 64% white and Scioto is 95% white, so it isn't just a race problem.    In the federal plan, we have over 80 anti-poverty programs providing a handsome living for government workers, but apparently not doing much to reduce the rate. Ohio has 48 community action agencies employing 6,500 people spending $450... million serving 700,000 Ohioans. "Hunger" is now called "food insecurity," and in Ohio many college students qualify for food and housing benefits, but probably still can go to rock concerts and beer joints. http://www.communityresearchpartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/SOP2016_20170320-FINAL.pdf

My career (veterinary medicine librarian and agriculture librarian) was in pig poop and nematodes (worms), so deciphering government budgets and reports is far above my education level, and after 2008 the reports became even more obscure. Technically, Community Research Partners isn't "government," but the agencies do survive on government money.  I do know the last 8 years made things worse for the entrenched poor, yet you'll hear screeches and head banging from the media and politicians about Republicans who want to kill people if anyone tries to stop this gravey train.

In my county (Franklin) the unemployment rate was 4.1% in 2015, the success of the recovery(?). But 26.3% of the residents receive Medicaid, a poverty program, and 24.5% of the children are considered living in poverty. So does that mean people aren't looking for jobs, or the jobs don't pay well enough to disqualify someone for poverty programs?  Is that why this war will never be won?

Found on the internet

HOWARD CORBETT, manager of the local Standard Oil Station in Mount Morris, is the son of Joe and Bessie (Ballard) Corbett and was born March 24, 1913, at Oregon, 111. He graduated from the Polo High School in 1930 and attended Mount Morris College for two years. He was a member of the undefeated football team of 1931. He was employed by the Kable News Co. from 1932 to 1936, and in March, 1936, became the manager of the Standard Oil station. Mr. Corbett was married in 1934 to Olive Weybright and they have two children: Joan and Carol.

Mt. Morris Past and Present, rev. ed. 1938

No dignity? No decorum?

"We Right-thinking people have tried dignity.  There could not have been a man of more quiet dignity than George W. Bush as he suffered the outrageous lies and politically motivated hatreds that undermined his presidency.  We tried statesmanship.  Could there be another human being on this earth who so desperately prized “collegiality” as John McCain?  We tried propriety – has there been a nicer human being ever than Mitt Romney?  And the results were always the same.

This is because, while we were playing by the rules of dignity, collegiality and propriety, the Left has been, for the past 60 years, engaged in a knife fight where the only rules are those of Saul Alinsky and the Chicago mob."
https://townhall.com/columnists/evansayet/2017/07/13/he-fights-n2354580

Friday book review, Just Mercy

“We will ultimately not be judged by our technology, we won’t be judged by our design, we won’t be judged by our intellect and reason. Ultimately, you judge the character of a society . . . by how they treat the poor, the condemned, the incarcerated.” Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy.  Today’s book review at the Lakeside Women’s Club.

When I see compelling phrases like this, which incidentally I believe, I am left to wonder why is it the Left see this in Communism and Islam, in cooperation with Iran and ignoring why so many seek to come to the U.S., illegally and otherwise? No poor person was ever elevated by Communism or dictators unless it was by becoming a government lackey, spy or bureaucrat.

Speaking to Russians? It's a crime (according to Democrats)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llM8WgvnbQQ  Tucker looks at this on July 13.

Obama and Lynch are now linked to the Russian lawyer story.  But leftists pretend otherwise.

Democrats, embittered and leaderless

"This bold new agenda [Trump is a Russian agent] has proven so enormously popular that the Democrats have wasted $40 million to lose four special elections. The Democrats are leaderless. Their base has become a roving mob of angry embittered sloganeers showing up at town hall meetings and random political events to scream hate. They threaten to kill the wives, children and dogs of Republican members of Congress. . . They are going into the midterm elections on a conspiracy theory. The theory is backed by their fake news media outlets at the Washington Post, the New York Times and CNN. It just lacks any actual evidence beyond the sort of web of connections usually advanced by conspiracy theorists."

 

"The Democrats couldn’t cope with the fact that a left-wing extremist murdered JFK. So they built a vast array of conspiracy theories that blamed the CIA, the Cubans and the “climate of right-wing hate” in Dallas. The Communist who killed JFK was just a “patsy” for one of those vast right-wing conspiracies.

 

But it was left-wing extremism that killed Camelot. It’s left-wing extremism that is killing the Democrats."

 

 http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/267269/left-wing-extremism-killed-jfk-and-his-party-daniel-greenfield

Stormy morning July 13

Because of the storms, I couldn't walk the lakefront at 6 a.m., so I waited until 9. I saw a whole different population of dogs, grandparents, babies and birds. There was the college crew of groundsmen in matching shirts removing trash; mommies and daddies walking the babies in strollers instead of the early a.m. patrol of grand dads in golf carts so the rest of the cottage can sleep; a gull with a fish almost as big as he was with 3 senior citizens taking photos; grandma with 3 lovely teen granddaughters, but I got a whiff of cigarette smoke (very rare here) and I think it came from granny; walkers on their way to buy donuts at the Patio Restaurant (only serious joggers are out at 6); some "spiritual" but not religious groups at the pavilion; but no skunks--they don't like the activity and daylight, but are visible earlier.

Photo by Beth Sibbring Jennings of the lakefront near Vine St.

The DOJ and the Russian lawyer

Was Veselnitskaya working with the DOJ

Rather than working for the Russians, was she working for Obama DOJ? When these revelations become the hot topic, you can bet the MSN will drop any interest.

"The Russian lawyer who penetrated Donald Trump’s inner circle was initially cleared into the United States by the Justice Department under “extraordinary circumstances” before she embarked on a lobbying campaign last year that ensnared the president’s eldest son, members of Congress, journalists and State Department officials, according to court and Justice Department documents and interviews.

This revelation means it was the Obama Justice Department that enabled the newest and most intriguing figure in the Russia-Trump investigation to enter the country without a visa." The Hill

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/341788-exclusive-doj-let-russian-lawyer-into-us-before-she-met-with-trump

Many Democrats believe churches are the problem, but media are OK!

"If you still wonder why liberal Democrats can’t get elected except in deep blue urban areas (hint: it’s not a Russian conspiracy) and why they seem so out of touch with everyday working Americans, a new Pew Research Center survey may hold a clue. It found that 36% of Democrats believe that churches have a negative impact on American society. Among liberal Democrats, that jumps to 44%. Only 40% of liberals think that churches have a positive impact on society. By contrast, just 14% of Republicans have a negative view of churches. And what do a majority of liberals think does have a positive impact on American society? Fifty-one percent said the national news media do. Enough said." Mike Huckabee

What exactly is collusion?

 The definition is "secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose: "acting in collusion with the enemy."  John Brennan, Obama's head of CIA, is a good example.

Working with British and Estonian spies, "John Brennan’s CIA operated like a branch office of the Hillary campaign, leaking out mentions of this bogus investigation to the press in the hopes of inflicting maximum political damage on Trump. An official in the intelligence community tells TAS that Brennan’s retinue of political radicals didn’t even bother to hide their activism, decorating offices with “Hillary for president cups” and other campaign paraphernalia.

A supporter of the American Communist Party at the height of the Cold War, Brennan brought into the CIA a raft of subversives and gave them plum positions from which to gather and leak political espionage on Trump. He bastardized standards so that these left-wing activists could burrow in and take career positions. Under the patina of that phony professionalism, they could then present their politicized judgments as “non-partisan.” "  From The Spectator, April 17, using The Guardian, April 13.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/john-brennan-hostility-between-putin-clintons-drove-russias-actions/article/2623908

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/05/did_brennan_collude_with_foreign_spies_to_help_hillary.html

A gift for newlyweds or engaged couples

I haven't listened to this series--after 57 years of marriage and my "kids" at near the mid-century mark, not sure I'd change anything, however, listening to Father Riccardo is a treat, even if he were reading cookie recipes. Lots of his talks are on YouTube.

 

Description

Part 1 – Marriage:  Fr. John discuss the two unique creation stories in Genesis. We are made in the image and likeness of God. What implications does that have?
Part 2 – Ephesians 5:  Fr. John breaks down Ephesians 5. This chapter contains one of the most beautiful passages ever written about marriage, but it is almost immediately considered to be out of touch and out of date because of how it starts: “Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord.”
Part 3 – Fatherhood: It is the great mission and task of earthly fathers to be a tangible and visible expression of the heavenly Father’s love for His sons and daughters. Fr. John discusses the important role of fatherhood.
Part 4 – The Dignity of Woman: Mary DelPup, the Director of Evangelization and Catechesis at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, concludes the “What’s the Point?” series with a talk on the Apostolic Letter, Mulieris Dignitatem or “On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.”

Standing in the gap

On July 10, Lena Dunham announced her intent to sell a significant part of her wardrobe and donate some of the funds to abortion giant Planned Parenthood. See? There should be no worry about defunding PP because rich celebs and loyal Democrats will step up and fill the gap so the killing can continue.

Proof of Trump Putin collusion

https://www.facebook.com/theblaze/videos/1526392697398065/  or

http://www.theblaze.com/video/matt-walsh-i-have-incontrovertible-evidence-trump-colluded-with-russia/

Matt Walsh has uncovered all the links, followed the dots and connected it all.

The Left used to have ideas

Democrats used to admire accomplishments of the West and Western Civilization.  Why is it so offensive to admire our country?  Symphonies are "white nationalism?" Liberals seem to think so.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvtyBODFk04

Ed Gavagan’s Moth story

He was attacked by a gang and left for dead.  He lost his business, apartment and became homeless. He lives in constant fear and when hired as a day laborer weeps on the job and is fired time and again. http://themothbook.org/stories/whatever-doesnt-kill-me

“I walk out of there [Victim Assistance office], and I go to my favorite bartender, who’s this cute Lebanese-Canadian girl. She’s a poet. And she lets me move in and stay on her couch. She’s rocking this Simone de Beauvoir look, and she’s smart and funny.

But the biggest thing is she listened, which was amazing. Because most people—-and they  were all very well-meaning—-had one of three responses.

The first response was, when I tried to talk about my feelings, and my fear, and this turmoil in my head, they would say, “Well, everything happens for a reason.” And that made me want to punch them in the face, and ask them if they knew what the reason for that was.

The second thing that people tended to say was “You’ve just got to get over it, man. You’re alive. You’re lucky. You’ve just got to put this in the past, and move on.” And that made me want to stab them six times and come back and talk to them in six months and go, “So how’s it working out, you got any advice for me now? Because I could really use some help from somebody who knows what I’m going through.”

And the third thing that people would say, and again, very well-meaning, but it just was absolutely no help, was that “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

The Moth Hour Story Telling

Last summer the Women’s Club at Lakeside enjoyed a book review, The Moth; 50 true stories which was a NYT best seller.  It’s a collection of stories remembered by the storyteller for the enjoyment of the listeners gathered on a porch on a summer’s evening.  Now it is a website, podcast, weekly radio show, live events and archive on the web.  Friends and neighbors are gathering to tell stories.  The first Lakeside Moth Porch event got rained out so it wasn’t on a porch, but it had a standing room only crowd at the Green Gables Women’s Club cottage.

Is Alt-Left dead?

 Alt-left is dead says Lionel Nation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHYT5f8mGm0

I found Lionel while searching for an alternative to cable news, including Fox which has been taken over by the sons, and after getting used to his 5 synonyms for every noun, I enjoy most of his posts.
He was never a Trump fan, but always has an interesting take on how Trump is trolling and destroying all the memes and lies of the Left. Some of the people he chides, like Nikki Haley, I like and don't get his beef.

Well, the 24/7 coverage of Russia/Trump collusion has destroyed the credibility of CNN, Washington Post, and New York Times. So I suppose that's a somethingburger.

I was reading Ivanka Trump's comments on empowering women entrepreneurs and involving the World Bank, IMF, OECD, etc. Forty years ago when I worked in the Agriculture Library at OSU on a grant from USAID with the Ag Econ faculty these methods were already well described using the same institutions. I wonder if anyone ever read the research on how supplying women with small credit opportunity empowered her, her family, other women and the whole village?

Older people need more protein, and 4 other things

Your nutrition needs change as you get older.  Here are five things recommended at the Silver Sneakers website to increase.

1. Protein--to maintain muscle mass and proper functioning
2.  Calcium--1,000 mg to 1,200 mg per day as you pass age 50
3. Vitamin D-- essential to both bone and muscle health
4. Fiber--need increases as we age
5. Water--your sense of thirst decreases with age, so compensate.

https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/senior-nutrition/

Sunday in the park--a polka band

The Chardon Polka Band, an accordion, 2 saxophones, a banjo and drummer, performed in the gazebo in Lakeside central park tonight. They played a wide variety of songs, including "Who stole the Kishka?" The woman next to me, probably in her 80s, leaned over and said, "What is a kishka?" "No idea," I said. So she pulled out her smart phone and asked it. "It's a sausage," she said. Here's video proof that Chardon has a polka band. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il3ZhMt4NgY

 

A sop to Big Ag--ethanol standards and subsidies

I've read all the excuses from the experts, and I don't care what they say, to make ethanol from food stuffs when people are hungry around the world, just sounds immoral. God gave us fossil fuels for a reason. We don't need to recreate them.

"According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data for 2015, approximately 13.5 million bushels of corn were produced in 2015, with 39% being used for livestock feed, 30% for ethanol, 12.5% for various exports, 8% for distiller's dried grain, about 5-6% for high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners, and 3% for starches and cereals." (World's healthiest foods newsletter).

http://e360.yale.edu/features/the_case_against_ethanol_bad_for_environment

"Two prices determine its [ethanol] profitability: the price of corn and the price of oil. The higher the price of corn, the more expensive it is to divert from feeding animals or making high-fructose corn syrup and instead distill it as alcohol fuel for cars and trucks. Second, the higher the price of oil, the more economically ethanol can be blended with gasoline. When corn is cheap and oil prices are high, ethanol margins are fat. But when corn prices rise and oil prices fall, ethanol margins are flat."

 It's bad for fuel economy AND the environment.  It only profits the growers who support the legislators who keep this alive.

Cyber Attacks on U.S Companies in 2016

Not sure what the Trump administration can do about cyber security given the "deep state" he inherited which is loyal to Obama, because this report for 2016 and the 2014 and 2015 and ones before them show the U.S.--government and businesses--really let us down. Voter records, Treasury, Homeland security, DNC, social network sites, banks, etc. Wonder why DNC wouldn't let FBI investigate. . . http://thf-reports.s3.amazonaws.com/2016/IB4636.pdf

 "This Issue Brief [above] is a continuation of a series of papers on cyber attacks against U.S. companies since 20141 and 2015.2 While the means of cyber attacks vary, the pattern of targets has been relatively consistent. Large databases, as well as point-of-sale systems, continue to be targeted for financial gain. Hackers with possible ties to nation-states continue to target infrastructure as well as systems for political insight."

"According to the FBI, about 4000 ransomware attacks happen every day.  In the United States alone, victims lost $209 million to ransomware in the first quarter of 2016.  Even worse is the threat to critical infrastructure, as seen by the malware infections at electrical distribution companies in Ukraine that caused outages to 225,000 customers in late 2015.  Recent reports on the Russian hacks into the Democratic National Committee and subsequent release of emails in a coercive campaign to apparently influence the U.S. Presidential Election bring further national attention to the inadequacy of cyber deterrence.  The U.S. government seems incapable of creating an adequate strategy to alter the behavior of the wide variety of malicious actors seeking to inflict harm or damage through cyberspace."

http://www.heritage.org/cybersecurity/event/strategic-cyber-deterrence-the-active-cyber-defense-option

Make America Great Again song

How would a you analyze "Make American Great Again" song unveiled on July 4?

 

Vanilla . . . simplicity and clarity. . . not striding boldly to a new future. . . too familiar. . . egregiously unsurprising. Missed opportunity. . .

 

 http://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/music-theory/analysis-trump-make-america-great-again-song/

Can we say. . . condescending?

Can heterodoxy survive on campus?

The Leftists have redefined so many words and concepts (even pronouns) as racist and sexist and transphobic, I'm not sure Heterodoxy can make it in academe. Librarians led the way, but now leftist ideas control the academy.

 "Heterodox Academy was founded in September 2015 to call attention to this trend and the problems it is causing for scholarship, particularly in the social sciences and related fields (such as law and public policy). The word heterodox means “not conforming with accepted or orthodox standards of beliefs.” We chose that word to contrast with “orthodoxy,” which refers to conforming with accepted norms and beliefs. Orthodoxy has religious connotations, but it can be applied to any view that becomes dogma or dogmatic, such as “orthodox Marxism,” “social constructionist orthodoxy,” or “free market orthodoxy.”" https://heterodoxacademy.org/problems/

Wesley Snipes is an author

Today I received an offer to review Wesley Snipes' spiritual "thriller" novel. I said no (I've never read a thriller), but I think the concept and author are interesting. The pitch. "TALON OF GOD (Harper Voyager; on-sale 7/25/2017) is a high-voltage cinematic saga with strong spiritual themes. The novel centers on Lauren Jefferson, a beautiful young ER doctor and daughter of a Baptist minister, dragged into an apocalyptic battle between Heaven and Hell—and at her right hand is Talon Hunter, spirit warrior. Co-authored by writer Ray Norman, the book stands out as the Harper Voyager imprint’s biggest book of the summer."

President Trump in Europe

"Mr. Trump is taking a clear stand against the kind of gauzy globalism and vague multiculturalism represented by the worldview of, say, Barack Obama and most contemporary Western intellectuals, who are willing, even eager, to concede the argument to critics of the West’s traditions. This is the speech Mr. Trump should have given to introduce himself to the world at his Inauguration. In place of that speech’s resentments, his Warsaw talk offered a better form of nationalism. It is a nationalism rooted in values and beliefs—the rule of law, freedom of expression, religious faith and freedom from oppressive government—that let Europe and then America rise to prominence. This, Mr. Trump is saying, is worth whatever it takes to preserve and protect." (Wall St. Journal)

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/07/07/trumps_powerful_speech_in_poland_134405.html

"Trump offered a concise, powerful statement of western achievements and why they are worth defending. “We write symphonies,” he said. “We pursue innovation. We celebrate our ancient heroes, embrace our timeless traditions and customs, and always seek to explore and discover brand-new frontiers. . . . We cherish inspiring works of art that honor God. We treasure the rule of law and protect the right to free speech and free expression. We empower women as pillars of our society and of our success. We put faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, at the center of our lives. And we debate everything.”

Full speech in Poland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=Adpgw93_DfE

Survey on cyber security, 2017

This is an interesting survey. Since the Obama Administration left us so vulnerable, could the "new White House" be worse? Apparently so, according to the Black Hats who recently met. But 15% in 2016 thought there would be a major security breach, and 13% in 2017. How safe is any organization when the head of the DNC has a password of "password," and the data gets leaked? Let's hope President Trump creates a safer environment than Obama did.

https://www.blackhat.com/docs/us-17/2017-Black-Hat-Attendee-Survey.pdf

The most feared cyber attacker is someone with inside knowledge of their own organization. The average consumer needs to fear phishing and other social engineering attacks, not the government. The weakest link in security is end users who violate security policy and are too easily fooled by social engineering attacks. For some reason (not explained) the lack of diversity among security IT professionals is a reason for a shortage. Sounds like an obligatory response. Blame society if women prefer studying dance or law.

What's behind denial of biology?

There have been attacks on God's Word from the days in which it was passed along through tradition and story telling, to the compilation of letters by apostles sent to believers (the Bible), through false leaders denying the Trinity, discounting the body and blood of Jesus, on to inventing new theories for salvation, and scrambling to deify the culture in every century and especially in the seminaries. But the latest and most hostile attack is the hoax of transgenderism, that our unique design and sexuality and how God formed us male and female for the preservation and furtherance of the human race is just a human construct to be dismantled and revised as needed. It is just one more way to control people.

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/socialissues/sexuality/transgenderism/understanding-transgenderism

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2015/july-august/understanding-transgender-gender-dysphoria.html

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-christianity-alone-offers-transgender-persons

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2015/10/how-should-christians-respond-to-the-transgender-phenomenon

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/state-agencys-new-rules-accept-transgenderism-or-face-ban-from-working-with

My issue is not with the less than one percent  who are confused about their gender.  My objection is the forcing by government regulations of their confusion on the rest of us with special pronoun rules, non-profits declaring we are "less than" and bigoted because we believe God's plan, and parents and doctors who sexually abuse minor children with reassignment surgery and hormones.

Friday Family photo-me at the lake

My favorite t-shirt--Chocolate God's gift to women

Friday morning is Farmer's Market in Lakeside, so I walked down to Walnut and bought a rhubarb pie from the pie lady and half a bag of decaf at a vendor I'd never seen before,  Fresh2UCoffee.com. I walked back home and brewed a small pot in my Mr. Coffee. My, that's tasty. (If you can say coffee tastes good--it should be it tastes less awful.) So I decided to go back and get another one. Fresh roasted, organic, fair trade, and locally owned. But the lady ahead of me got the last half size bag, so I walked back to the cottage and got more money.

News new and fake

CNN - Dateline Philadelphia - Breaking News
Jim Acosta reporting.

"CNN can now report that it has just discovered the long lost, yet to be ratified, Twitter-eighth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States which states "Ye shall not post GIF's to Twitter about CNN that CNN finds offensive."

Written by Ben Franklin himself, the draft for this amendment fell between the benches in Independence Hall as the Constitution was being drafted at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787.
This is not #fakenews at all. Swearzies."

Hash browns like mom made them

"But the best part is that they do hash browns right. No, not hash brown patties, nor shredded potatoes. These are the hash browns I grew up having from my mother. They are griddled while constantly chopping the potatoes into smaller and smaller bits. Smaller bits equals more surface area equals more crispy bits. But you get a variation in size that actually allows for some larger, soft chunks of potato. That tension between the crispy and the creamy makes for my ideal kind of hash browns. Of course, they are better when my mom makes them, but St. Francis Fountain is the next best thing."   http://www.insidehook.com/san-francisco/meal-plan-david-barzelay

Colin looks for his roots

According to a news source, Colin Kaepernick is on a search for his African heritage, beginning in Ghana,  the hell on earth of the cross Atlantic slave trade of the 18^th century.  Millions search for their roots, and I hope he finds something that meets this hunger. But if it’s slavery he’s interested in he’ll need to investigate where and how it started—in the mists of ancient history as slavery was a worldwide economic system and still remains today, larger than the 18^th century.  Some sources say 27 million in the 21^st century, but no one has an exact count. More Africans have died from environmentalists allowing malaria to resurge than ever died in the Atlantic slave trade.  Perhaps some of the products his wealth allows him were created, mined, guarded or produced by 21^st century slaves. Maybe his latest manicure and massage were performed by a female slave from Asia, and he ignored the signs, or some of the  fun after the NFL games he’s enjoyed was provided by a sex slave. He’ll need to go back in history and look at the Arab Muslims, Portuguese, Spaniards, English, and Dutch investors and the African tribal leaders who captured and sold them, and the substantial number of free black Americans in the 19^th century who also owned slaves.

Slavery today—“emigrants” looking for jobs and a better life. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/25/opinion/sunday/meet-a-21st-century-slave.html

Slave trade in 1860 after outlawed both in Britain and the U.S., but under the guise of “emigrant” transport. http://www.nytimes.com/1860/12/24/news/african-slave-trade-letter-board-niagara-french-emigrant-system-english.html?pagewanted=all

https://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2015/07/07/a-legacy-of-cliches-n2021930

Happy July 4

Ready to set our chairs up for the July 4 parade.  Thank you, neighbors, for the nice backdrop.

 

 

 

From eerie Obama worship to creepy Trump hatred

"Trump goes after individual washed-up celebrities; Obama indicted an entire people for being lazy, clinging to their guns and religion, intolerant, nativist, and unnecessarily chauvinistic. Take your poison: personal score-settling or mellifluent contempt. . . It was Obama, not Trump, who established the practice of going after journalists by name, . . . Obama was angry that a few reporters did not join the cult of Obama worship; Trump is peeved almost no one in the press is disinterested. Trump saw Obama’s precedent, and proverbially trumped it." Victor Davis Hanson

 "Sputtering journalists (Jim Rutenberg, Carl Bernstein, Jorge Ramos, Christiane Amanpour) are exasperated to the point of openly confessing that their craft should give up empirical reporting to deal with Trump, without shame any longer over the partisan propaganda their organizations and colleagues peddle. Those declarations are not a change of course, but a confession of what the media have been doing from the election of Barack Obama. The logical media progression from eerie Obama worship was to creepy Trump hatred." VDH

"People are tired of the social justice warrior Obama frolicking in Tahiti, the feminist Hillary Clinton excusing four decades of the sexual predations of her husband upon the weak, the supposedly in the know campus bullies picking on the vulnerable while shelling out a quarter-million dollars for a mediocre education; the progressive media decrying inequality and fairness amid face-surgeries, hair plugs, nannies, and prep schools; the Silicon Valley masters of the universe sermonizing on the evils of walls, inequality, and social justice from their gated hideaways, servants, and schemes to monopolize, offshore, outsource, and avoid taxes." VDH

https://amgreatness.com/2017/07/02/trumps-high-stakes-tweeting/

Monday Memories of a great Sunday

Is it too early to recall what a lovely day Sunday, July 2, was at Lakeside?

After enjoying a brunch at the Patio, we all went our separate ways for awhile--me to a nap after I made a pot of soup, Bob went down to the lake to help with Kids' Sail, and Dan and Joanie (our niece and nephew) went up to try out the new pool which had been dedicated the day before. Then at 6 p.m. the Central Ohio Brass Band played at the gazebo in Central Park and the lake looked fabulous.  After that we had a stroll along the lakefront to look at the sculptures people make from the rocks. Then an evening to good conversation on the porch.  A perfect summer day.

So many people waiting--someone had to leave to get in.

And Danny didn't have his sun screen!

Steele Memorial with Central Ohio Brass Band

Enjoying the concert and the beautiful view

Hollyhocks and rock sculptures along the lakefront

Diets work; maintenance doesn't

All diets work, it seems.  At least for awhile. http://www.dietsinreview.com/  This site rates the most successful.  For me, it's always ELMM.  Eat Less, Move More.  The problem is that darn metabolism. My body just doesn't seem to like 135 lbs. which is where I feel the best and is a comfortable size 8. The summer of 2015 I was 135 lbs, then we went to Spain had delicious meals compliments of our hosts the Tulamos, and it bounced up a bit (great food and wine with most meals).  Then the summer of 2016 I was back at about 136 lbs. and now at about 145 and have been since Christmas.

I've recently looked at some of the fasting methods, and realize that's actually what I've done in the past.  For instance, sometimes on Monday I don't eat a full meal until supper, or some days I have breakfast and lunch, but not supper. There's a lot of research on the benefits of even brief fasting, such as 24 hour (not eating after 6 p.m. and nothing but liquids until the evening of the next day), or 2 days a week, like Monday and Thursday, or eating your total calories during an 8 hour period or 10 hour period.

A website about 5 methods of fasting lists occasional fasting as #2. I find this needs almost no self control--however, most of my beverages do have some calories, like watered down juice or coffee with cream. I just have to do it.

2. Eat Stop Eat

Started by: Brad Pilon
Best for: Healthy eaters looking for an extra boost.

It’s all about moderation: You can still eat whatever you want, but maybe not as much of it. A slice of birthday cake is OK, but the whole cake isn’t.

How It Works: Fast for 24 hours once or twice per week. During the 24 hour fast, which creator Brad Pilon prefers to call a “24 break from eating,” no food is consumed, but you can drink calorie-free beverages. After the fast is over, you then go back to eating normally. “Act like you didn’t fast,” Pilon says. “Some people need to finish the fast at a normal mealtime with a big meal, while others are OK ending the fast with an afternoon snack. Time it however works best for you, and adjust your timing as your schedule changes,” he says. 

The main rationale? Eating this way will reduce overall calorie intake without really limiting what you’re able to eat — just how often, according to Eat Stop Eat. It’s important to note that incorporating regular workouts, particularly resistance training, is key to succeeding on this plan if weight loss or improved body composition are goals. 

Pros: While 24 hours may seem like a long time to go without food, the good news is that this program is flexible. You don’t have to go all-or-nothing at the beginning. Go as long as you can without food the first day and gradually increase fasting phase over time to help your body adjust. Pilon suggests starting the fast when you are busy, and on a day where you have no eating obligations (like a work lunch or happy hour). 

Another perk? There are no “forbidden foods,” and no counting calories, weighing food or restricting your diet, which makes it a bit easier to follow. That said, this isn’t a free-for-all. “You still have to eat like a grown-up,” Pilon says. It’s all about moderation: You can still eat whatever you want, but maybe not as much of it. (A slice of birthday cake is OK, he says, but the whole cake isn’t.) 

Cons: Going 24 hours without any calories may be too difficult for some — especially at first. Many people struggle with going extended periods of time with no food, citing annoying symptoms including headaches, fatigue, or feeling cranky or anxious (though these side effects can diminish over time). The long fasting period can also make it more tempting to binge after a fast. This can be easily fixed… but it takes a lot of self-control, which some people lack.   http://dailyburn.com/life/health/intermittent-fasting-methods/

 http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/06/short-term-fasting-may-improve-health

"When you don’t eat for a while, several things happen in your body. For example, your body initiates important cellular repair processes and changes hormone levels to make stored body fat more accessible. . . Studies show that intermittent fasting can improve numerous risk factors for heart disease such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides and inflammatory markers. . . Increased autophagy [waste removal]  may provide protection against several diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease  "
 https://authoritynutrition.com/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting/

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-of-fasting-that-will-surprise-you.html

Dogs on my morning walk along the lake

Dogs. I don't have a dog, but I think I understand them, having had many in my childhood. Most dogs have well behaved owners, but some could use some training--the people, I mean. We're at our summer home, many owners and visitors have dogs, and that's a lot of sniffing, barking and eliminating activity. Every morning on my walk along a quiet, still lake with people still asleep, the owner of a water loving dog (like a spaniel or Lab) takes his dog into the water and throws rocks. The dog goes berserk in the water--especially when he realizes it's a rock and he can't retrieve it. Yip, yip, yap, yap. I can hear him for at least a mile.

Then there's the guy with the dog the size of a Holstein calf. Same coloring, too. No visible poop baggie, but maybe he's putting it in his sweatshirt pocket? Blankets will be going down tomorrow for the fireworks. Watch out, folks.

And the poor little overweight doggie who looks like a black and tan Dachshund with some white. His little short legs can barely keep up with his 14" companion and his abdomen is dragging. Seems it might be more beneficial to get him some diet food before the strain of keeping up with a healthier dog.

I've seen a few pit bulls. Do you really need to crop their cute, soft, floppy ears like that? Unless you plan to enter them in ring fights, is that necessary?

http://www.jennyspups.net/Pages/CCP.aspx

https://www.thedodo.com/ear-cropping-cruel-1212872917.html

How employed Americans spend their time

This is always a fascinating report (at least if you like odd data)--how the American worker spends her/his time.

"On the days they worked, employed men worked 56 minutes more than employed women. This difference partly reflects women's greater likelihood of working part time. However, even among full-time workers (those usually working 35 hours or more per week), men worked longer than women--8.4 hours, compared with 7.8 hours."

Hmm. Could account for some of that wage gap--almost 50 hours more a year for employed men. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.nr0.htm


 Digging deeper. Americans spend .16 hours a day on religious or spiritual activities and 2.73 hours a day watching TV. This could explain why the culture is taking over.

Oh, Canada

Lakeside is flying the Canadian flag today. You can see Canada (from Put in Bay top of the monument). It's 150 years old. It celebrates the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the Constitution Act, 1867 (then called the British North America Act, 1867), which united the three separate colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single Dominion within the British Empire called Canada.  So not exactly independence day as we think of it in the U.S.A., but more like merger or unification day. Full independence from Britain came in 1982.

Brunch at the Patio

Our niece and nephew from Indianapolis are with us at Lakeside to celebrate the July 4 holiday.  After church on the lakefront, we went to the Patio Restaurant for brunch. The weather is gorgeous today (Sunday) and I hope it holds for the festivities.  We had a great program last night at Hoover Auditorium, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.

Was it racist and sexist when the left attacked Condi Rice?

I asked on Facebook thinking of Susan Rice's complaints about why her behavior in office is being scrutinized.  But Kelly reminded me about Allan West, Alan Keyes, Ken Blackwell, Kay James ... anyone who believed in traditional Christian morality and didn't help their narratives. Oh yes, and Clarence Thomas, said David Keck.

Then Keck remarked, in the last few years, it has been the Republican Party that has been more diverse in its candidates at every level. For President last time, for example: young (Marco Rubio), Hispanic (Rubio, Ted Cruz), female (Nikki Haley, Carly Fiorina), business and senior in age (Trump), faith-based (Huckabee, Santorum), African-American (the good doctor Ben Carson and now HHS secretary), and Indian sub-continent heritage (Bobby Jindal) to name but a few. The Democrats? A self-avowed Socialist, two governors, and an entitled female. Some diversity.

The Reformers and the Catholics--why are the Bibles different?

The fastest growing church in Columbus is Rock City, formed in 2011.

I was baptized in Church of the Brethren, a "New Testament church." on Palm Sunday in 1950 and have been a "sola scriptura" Lutheran since Palm Sunday 1976 when I was confirmed.  I was probably 70 years old before I saw a Catholic Bible at a used book store, and wondered why the Church had "added" things mine didn't have (I probably had 6 translations all with the same list and books). This controversy was thoroughly investigated by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) when he was quite young--being only about 27 when he began this work. Since "sola scriptura" is basic to most Protestant, "Bible only," non-denominational and Restoration churches, it's worth a look to see what was said post-reformation. Which scripture?  His work was intended to present the Catholic faith to French Protestants some years after Catholics in their region had been persecuted and driven out.  It is reported that he brought 70,000 Christians who had no knowledge of the faith, back into the fold.

For me, one of the most interesting parts (free on the internet, although in print there may be better translations) is "which Bible" should we claim as authoritative?  The one the church used for 15 centuries (and still does), or the one the Reformers decided to revise? The Old Testament canon that Jesus referred to as "scripture," has been changed, although I don't think there was an official body who determined canon--the Jews didn't agree either in the time of Jesus. This is the link to Chapter 7 of "The Catholic Controversy," and the ones preceding it are excellent also. He gives both sides--but pretty much demolishes the argument for removing these Old Testament books and revising the canon to suit 16th century ideas.
http://www.goodcatholicbooks.org/francis/catholic-controversy/protestant-scripture.html#CHAPTER_VII

"The Council of Trent gives these books as sacred, divine and canonical: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Josue, Judges, Ruth, the four Books of Kings, two of the Paralipomenon, two of Esdras ( a first, and a second, which is called of Nehemias), Tobias, Judith, Esther, Job, one hundred and fifty Psalms of David, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Canticle of Canticles, Wisdom ,Ecclesiasticus, Isaias, Jeremias with Baruch, Ezechiel, Daniel, Osee, Joel, Amos, Abdias, Jonas, Micheas, Nahum, Habacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zacharius, Malachy, two of Machabees, first and second: of the New Testament, four Gospels, -S. Matthew, S. Mark, S. Luke, S. John,-the Acts of the Apostles by S. Luke, fourteen Epistles of S. Paul,-to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, to the Philippians, to the Colossians, two to the Thessalonians, two to Timothy, to Titus, to Philemon, to the Hebrews,-two of S. Peter, three of S. John, one of S. James, one of S. Jude, and the Apocalypse. The same books were received at the Council of Florence, and long before that at the third Council of Carthage about twelve hundred years These books are divided into two ranks. For of some, both of the Old and of the New Testament, it was never doubted but that they were sacred and canonical: others there are about whose authority the ancient Fathers doubted for a time, but afterwards they were placed with those of the first rank." (chapter 3)

I was familiar with what the 19th and 20th century seminaries had done with higher criticism and how theologians had cast doubt on the authority of  scripture, but according to St. Francis,  the reformers used a similar method--bit by bit, chipping away at the passages that underscored the theology and Christology they didn't like. Why he asks is the Holy Spirit given to individuals and nobodies to interpret privately the Bible, but not the Church?

"Why shall one allow Calvin to cut off Wisdom or the Machabees, and not Luther to remove the Epistle of S. James or the Apocalypse, or Castalio the Canticle of Canticles, or the Anabaptists the Gospel of S. Mark, or another person Genesis and Exodus? If all protest that they have interior revelation why shall we believe one rather than another, so that this rule supposed to be sacred on account of the Holy Spirit, will be violated by the audacity of every deceiver.  

Recognise, I pray you, the stratagem. They have taken away all authority from Tradition, the Church, the Councils, what more remains? The Scripture. The enemy is crafty: if he would take all away at one stroke he would cause alarm. He starts a certain and infallible method of getting rid of it bit by bit, and very gradually: that is, this idea of interior inspiration, by which everybody can receive or reject what seems good to him. And in fact consider a little how the process works itself out. Calvin removes and erases from the canon Baruch, Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Machabees; Luther takes away the Epistle of S. James, of S. Jude, the Second of S. Peter, the Second and Third of S. John, the Epistle to the Hebrews; he ridicules Ecclesiastes, and holds Job a fable. In Daniel, Calvin has erased the Canticle of the Three Children, the history of Susanna and that of the dragon of Bel; also a great part of Esther. In Exodus, at Geneva and elsewhere among these reformers, they have cut out the twenty-second verse of the second chapter, which is of such weight that neither the Seventy nor the other translators would ever have written it if it had not been in the original. Beza casts a doubt over the history of the adulteress in the Gospel of S. John (S. Augustine warns us that already the enemies of Christianity had erased it from their books; but not from all, as S. Jerome. says)." . . . Chapter 5 

"But before I quit this subject, I pray you, reformers tell me whence you have taken the canon of the Scriptures which you follow? You have not taken it from the Jews, for the books of the Gospels would not be there, nor from the Council of Laodicea, for the Apocalypse would not be in it; or from the Councils of Carthage or of Florence, for Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees would be there. Whence, then, have you taken it? In good sooth, like canon was never spoken of before your time. The Church never saw canon of the Scriptures in which there was not either more or less than in yours. What likelihood is there that the Holy Spirit has hidden himself from all antiquity, and that after 1500 years he has disclosed to certain private persons the list of the true Scriptures?" Chapter 6