Portion Distortion

 

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/eat-right/distortion.htm

Smaller plates at home.

Doggie bag at restaurant, and put half in it before you start to eat.

Don’t buy supersize or value packs of anything.  You’ll just eat more.

Which glass is yours?

Larisa’s report on Lily’s Leukemia

Parents of ill children go through so much!  Hold this family in your prayers!

“Lily had clinic today. It was her typical monthly check up. Her numbers still look good. I’m waiting for the day they are all in the normal range but that will probably be a while.

We have been working to get her infusions started for her IGG treatment. The process has definitely tried my patience—it’s been 2 weeks now. Not only are Lily’s numbers extremely low which is dangerous but we have a vacation planned at the end of this month and I’m nervous her traveling with such a low immune system.

We have been blessed overall with good insurance and Vandy who has fought for Lily. However these home infusions go through a different provider that works with Blue Cross for approval and then CVS to set up the infusions. I work in the insurance world so I understand the hoops they put up, but the process has been exhausting. I’m pretty sure Blue Cross and CVS wish they had never heard of us as I have set up daily calls with them to discuss their progress with approval.

Finally we got approval today. They say we can start soon. My definition of soon was today but I understand their definition maybe more like later this week. Ha!

Anyway prayers for these infusions to get started, Lily to tolerate them, and for her to get enough prior to our trip for her to be at a safe level would be appreciated.

Later this week, Lily returns to the endocrinologist for a follow up on the issues with her thyroid.”

Grudges hurt the holder

Sex crimes in the church

Homosexual priests preying on teen age boys, and a Cardinal preying on seminarians. It's been a tough year for the faithful, says Father Murray at The Catholic Thing.

"The faith and love of Catholics for Christ and His Church has been severely tried this year. The common expectation among Catholics that the bishops as a whole shared the same horror of sexual, and in particular of homosexual, immorality among the clergy has been shown to be an illusion. So be it.

Love for the Church has prompted laity to call for a reform of the hierarchy. Accountability for past failures to root out sexual immorality is the first necessity, as is a clear demonstration that a repeat of the career path of a Theodore McCarrick will be impossible in the future.

Bishops will only regain the respect of ordinary Catholics if they truly live up to what we all believe is the Church’s true mission, the salvation of souls. If the dark clouds of 2018 have a silver lining, it’s that there is now at least some chance that immoral and conniving priests and bishops will no longer be tolerated, protected, or promoted, but rather called to repent and held to account."

Sounds like Paul’s letter to the Romans.

https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2018/12/17/a-troubling-year-in-review/

UMC “minister” in West Ohio Conference blesses abortion clinics

  “This year, [Laura] Young, a United Methodist minister in the West Ohio Conference, was assigned by Bishop Gregory Palmer to serve as executive director of the Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. The coalition, which had gone about two years without a director, had fallen largely quiet. Young aims to change that.

Calling herself a “progressive theological thinker and a feminist,” Young said goals include encouraging clergy members to testify at legislative hearings on anti-abortion bills and advocating for organizations that provide women’s health care, including abortions and contraception.”

When we rent our cottage at Lakeside for West Ohio, we’ll have to put a qualifier besides “no pets.” No Methodist ministers who advocate for abortion.

How to draw a reindeer

Auditory processing disorder

I have APD, but since no one knew about learning disorders when I was a child, I'm glad now I didn't have any of the technology or instruction recommended in this article. I may have just thought of myself as a victim. I was always an A student and retired as associate professor, but even the compensations don't work as well at 79. I only mention it because if you think your child or grandchild isn't listening, it just might be APD. Slow down your speech, make eye contact, and turn off the distractions and see if that helps.

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/the-difference-between-dyslexia-and-auditory-processing-disorder

https://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2006/11/thursday-thirteen-13-things-about-my.html

Great great nephew in the Christmas chorus at grandma’s church—5 years old

 

Jaxon, you were a star! (Great grandson of my sister-in-law) Cornerstone Baptist Church, Indianapolis

And with 3 of his cousins.

Planning New Year’s Resolutions?

 

What are you planning for New Year's resolutions? I went back through my blog and for 2018 it was clean the coffee pot with vinegar and water, so I went back to January 2009 and I had thrown them all out except #5, which was to buy a new floor lamp. About 40 years ago I resolved to stop biting my finger nails, and I succeeded.

On Jan. 1, 2008 I wrote about diets. "It's not rocket science. Reading and following even well-intentioned, healthy recipes can add pounds. A roasted pear, walnut and feta cheese salad has 400 calories. A side dish of fresh, tender crisp asparagus has 88. And if you're like me, the cheese will make you hungry." and also this, "About a year ago [2007], JAMA reported that in a study of the four major diet plans, the only successful people were the publisher and the author/researchers who got the grant. None of the diets worked well, or consistently, and none of the groups (ladies) were really following them." http://huggingchalking.blogspot.com/2008/01/noted-along-way-in-2007.html

The Cohen, Clinton, Trump connection

Christopher Buckley writes:

"Question: How come Clinton fixer Lanny Davis publicly became Cohen's lawyer?

Answer: That was the only way the Clintons could control the situation. That way Davis could hear every single thing that was going on. Cohen belonged to the Clintons and was spying and trying to entrap Trump, then Mueller tried to use him, but there was nothing there to use, Cohen got himself legitimately in trouble, he wasn't nailed on a process crime. He's going to the fancy Club Fed in upstate NYC, but he sure has a lot of information on Hill and Bill... I am 100% certain that Davis was part of the deal to help keep him healthy indefinitely, but I wouldn't be surprised in the least if that's the last we see of Cohen..."

Yes, the way Clinton operatives disappear, I’d be worried if I were Cohen.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2018/12/14/blue-state-blues-lanny-davis-michael-cohen-hillary-clinton-donald-trump/

https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-cohen-hires-bill-clinton-lawyer-lanny-davis-2018-7

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/lanny-davis-the-ultimate-clinton-loyalist-is-now-michael-cohens-lawyer-but-dont-call-it-revenge/2018/08/23/e1550056-a6b9-11e8-97ce-cc9042272f07_story.html?

Sally’s sourdough solution

Sally Hyde Lomax writes:  “I first made sourdough about seventeen or eighteen years ago when the children were all very small. I was inspired by a recipe in the Sunday papers from Gordon Ramsay. Personally I loved it and kept the culture going for quite a while, but the children hated it, and asked for “proper” bread. So eventually, I gave up, because Derek and I were getting fatter on it, and we were still buying standard bread for the children which we were probably also eating. We then later moved on to a bread maker which provided many years of packed lunches and lovely bread, but not sourdough.

However, a few years back, I had my gall bladder removed, and after that I annoyingly found that I could no longer eat wheat, or other gluten containing products, without a horrible reaction. At the same time the children started leaving school and the need for packed lunches diminished, and so the bread maker was used very little.

Then, recently three things happened. In the process of doing my research for my MA I went round to someone’s house for an interview, and was given a lovely piece of sourdough bread. Having been brought up to always accept hospitality graciously, I said nothing about my gluten intolerance, ate it and LOVED it. I waited the next day for a bad reaction, but found that I was absolutely fine. Then, I read an article about homemade sourdough being good for gluten intolerance, due to the probiotics. Obviously the article said quite clearly that it is not a cure all, but with longer proving times it appears to help, and gluten intolerants have gradually been able to successfully re introduce a little wheat to their diet. Finally, I chatted to a fiend who has a much more serious gut problem than me, which prevents her eating any dairy, caused by a very nasty infection she sadly picked up. She is currently looking at ways to fix the problem, which involve fully replacing the gut bacteria.

Suddenly the penny dropped. It was possibly the heavy duty antibiotics that I’d had for the horrendous infection of my pancreas, prior to my gall bladder removal, that had cleaned out my gut of all good bacteria, and thereby caused my problem.

And so a few weeks ago I started on a mission to replace the probiotics. I read lots more articles and decided that I was going to make a sourdough culture. I decided however to allow myself a bit of slack and made it with spelt rather than standard wheat. It is still wheat but it is less refined and a much more traditional version of the grain, and does appear to be a little more often tolerated by gluten sufferers.

I proudly grew my starter fur a week before the first loaf. I fed it carefully each day and nurtured it like a baby. And then I went about making the bread. The first few batches weren’t instantly successful as they were a little heavy, but I’ve persevered and now I have a method which appears to work. Paul Hollywood would possibly not yet approve, because it’s certainly not as light as standard bread, but the taste is delicious, and with sufficient proving times, I appear to be able to eat it. Hooray! It’s so much nicer than the average gluten free bread. “

  

I met Sally who is British blogging about 15 years ago and now follow her on Facebook, from which this was copied.

That’s hard to do at Christmas

Handel’s Messiah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdlyoEpCV9k

• 9:26- And The Glory of the Lord !
•  20:07- O Thou That Tellest Good tidings to Zion !
• 32:00- For Unto us A Child is Born !
• 38:07- Glory To God !
•  1:40:30- Handel's Hallelujah !
• 2:08:45- Worthy is the lamb !

As for sitting or standing  for the Hallelujah Chorus

An often repeated legend about Messiah tells the story of King George II who was so moved by the “Hallelujah” chorus during the London premiere of Messiah that he rose to his feet and then everyone in attendance followed suit as not to be sitting when the king stood.

Thus we believe the regularly debated tradition of standing during the “Hallelujah” chorus came to be — also giving birth to countless passive-aggressive battles of concert decorum between the sitters and standers.

However, according to various experts, there is no truth to this story. In fact there is no evidence King George II was even in attendance, and it is unlikely the newspaper writers that were in the audience would have overlooked mentioning a royal presence. The first reference to this story was a letter written 37 years after the fact.

https://www.bsomusic.org/stories/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-handels-messiah.aspx

I, however, am cycling on my stationary bike in my office. Sitting.

How do the search engines play out in recent news—the race to Fox

This morning I searched “Mulvaney chief of staff.”  Several months ago I had switched my primary search engine to DuckDuckGo, which supposedly doesn’t tract your searches, so I used that first, then Bing, then Google. How long before the unbiased, balanced record from Fox News?

DuckDuckGo:  AP, Washington Post, WBNS-TV (local channel), CBS, Guardian NYTimes, CBS (again) Time, NBC, DW.com (Deutsche Welle), Chicago Tribune, Breitbart, Business insider, Washington Post (again), NPR, Bloomberg, Free Beacon, CNBC, The Street, AOL, USA Today, WSJ, Fox News.

BING: Washington Post, USAToday, Business Insider, Politico, ABC7, ABCHouston, YouTube, CBS, NYTimes, CNN, Guardian Conservative TreeHouse, NBC, Time, Chicago Tribune, DW, Brietbart,Al Arabiya, CNBC, Business Insider, NPR, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, The Street, WSJ, YouTube, CNBC, USAToday, ABCHouston, Al Arabiya (again), Powerline blog, Variety, YouTube (again) USAToday, Variety (again), USAToday (again), Politico, WTOP, Truthdig, Fox News.

Google:  Daily Beast, NYTimes, Newsweek, CNN, NYTimes, Chicago Tribune, The Hill, WSJ, CBS, Vox, NBC, Fox News.

Obviously, Bing lost the race.  In numbers, Google got there first, but put the Yellow Journalism web side Daily Beast full of trolls and haters first.  Go figure!  And it tracks your searches! The DuckDuckGo first with AP was another site using the AP story. It was my first time to come across DW, the German news source.  Now then Bing—threw in Al Jazeera and a few blogs before it got to Fox News.  Really?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjoyella/2018/12/12/fox-news-channel-has-highest-ratings-in-22-years-but-msnbc-is-growing-fast/#508b37026124

https://www.foxnews.com/

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/414005-fox-news-tops-cnn-and-msnbc-combined-in-october-cable-news-ratings

To squat or not

I receive e-mails from someone called Taylor, but they are usually just teasers to buy more stuff.  Today he was recommending sumo squats, so I looked that up.  Everyone (at exercise web sites) seem to rave about them, and that every athlete (that’s not me) or regular gym goer (that’s me) should incorporate them.

First, proper form. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUT0f9P7GpQ&feature=youtu.be

“The squat has been crowned as ‘the king of all exercises’ by many because of its undeniable ability to make your muscles grow faster and stronger in less time than other popular compound movements, and this is why it’s a part of the training routines of pro athletes and average gym-goers alike. In fact, athletes from every sport and discipline use some version of this exercise to tone their legs and abs, strengthen their core and improve their overall performance. “

http://www.fitnessandpower.com/training/workout-routines/sumo-squat-vs-regular-squat
Video showing the difference between a regular squat and a sumo squat.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/437557-sumo-squat-vs-regular-squat/  It’s all in the feet.
“Once you've mastered proper form for a standard squat, you can move on to other variations like the sumo squat. To perform a sumo squat, stand with your feet significantly wider than hip-distance apart (about three to four feet), turn your toes out 45 degrees and hold your hands by your sides. Lower yourself down by bending your knees and hips, raising your hands to meet under your chin. Keep your abs tight, back straight and do not let your knees move past your toes when lowering. Once your thighs parallel the floor, root through your heels and rise back up steadily for one rep. Again, depending on your fitness level and goals, start out with three sets of eight reps and building from there once you get more comfortable with them.”
 https://www.strengthauthority.com/sumo-squat-benefits/
And what elderly person doesn’t need more mobility, flexibility, balance and stability?

4.  Mobility and Flexibility
Sumo squats are also a fantastic exercise for improving both mobility and flexibility.
And because squatting is a motion that people use every day–whether it’s sitting or rising from a chair or squatting down to pick up a heavy object–the gains you will make from doing regular sumo squats should be easy to both see and feel.
Additionally, because the muscles in your legs and core have to act in unison during sumo squats, they learn to work together, and that can lead to significantly better mobility. . .
Sumo squats are also useful as a dynamic stretch. While you lower yourself and then rise back up, your muscles alternate between contracting and lengthening, which ultimately warms them, reduces any tension that has built up, and stretches them out.

5. Balance and stability
Your core muscles have a lot to do with maintaining balance in all kinds of activities, but sumo squats demand a lot from them, especially when your body is first learning to adapt to the new motion.

They not only help to keep you from toppling over backwards when you are lowering yourself, but they are also crucial for keeping your back straight and ensuring that you don’t lean too far forward.
https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/butt/exercises/30-day-squat-challenge/ Video on proper form beginning with regular squats.

Two exercises for back pain.  One involves squats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq0zyjVo6Jc

Bill Gibeaut—a good friend, member of our church

We attended many church events in their homes, and were at their wedding. Bill was active in the same Haiti ministry as Bob, and one of his daughters was in school with ours. He will be missed. ----------------------- William "Bill" Gibeaut, 83, Dublin, previously of Hilliard and Upper Arlington. Born, March 13, 1935, Sandusky. Survived by his wife, Judy (Woods) Gibeaut; brothers, Donald and Charles; sons, Tom, Jim, and James (Rebecca) Murphy; daughters, Julie (Amar) Inalsingh and Sarah Murphy Henneberry; grandsons, Nikhil, Shiva, and Taj Inalsingh, Jacob and Jalen Arms; granddaughters, Anna Murphy and Jade Arms. Preceded in death by parents Webb and Tabea Gibeaut. Bill started his career as a research engineer at Battelle, and then joined Columbia Gas in research and marketing positions; was promoted to V.P. of Marketing for Columbia Gas and retired in 1993. Earned a B.S. and M.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from The Ohio State University. Initiated into the senior class Sphinx Honorary and Sigma Chi Fraternity. Member of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church since 1980, serving in many UALC ministries and leadership roles. Elected to 4-year term on Upper Arlington Board of Education. Active in Kairos Prison Ministry for 10 years. Served on Board of Trustees of National Church Residences for 12 years. Active for 10 years as medical missionary for Coalition of Children in Need Association, a U.S.-based charitable organization that supported a school and medical clinic in Haiti. Bill loved to charter large sailboats with Judy, and take week-long cruises from various ports in the Caribbean, the U.S., and a couple foreign countries. He introduced friends to sailing by getting them to be crew members. Doubles tennis was a passion for Bill into his 80's. Gardening was also a hobby. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Upper Arlington Lutheran Church. Memorial service, followed by reception, is 2 P.M. Saturday, December 15, Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, 2300 Lytham Road, Columbus, OH 43220. (Columbus Dispatch.)   2015 photo from Facebook

Suggestions for praying for leaders

Encouragement and counsel from Darlene, a member of my church, on praying for our leaders. She maintains a prayer group by e-mail.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I Timothy 2:1-2 - I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

What happens when you pray? We do not really know but above all, it changes me. The other day a friend asked,”Would you pray for my cousin, Donna? She is going through a total mastectomy.”
While most of my life, I would say, “Yes.” Obedience to my promise has drastically changed over the years. There was a time when I would say, “Yes.”, but then forget to pray. As I grew in my faith, I was convicted of my disobedience and I would dash off a thirty second prayer over the woman. Deeper in my faith, that thirty second prayer catapulted in love for the person requesting the prayer and my prayers became sincerer. Now the Lord has made me love others as soon as I think of them. I have some understanding of the process this woman is going through and the feelings I would feel enduring the same process and I pray for her and her family, although I would not know her if I saw her on the street. Even moreso…..

The more in love we grow with Jesus, the more in love we grow with each other and our prayers increase. PRAISE GOD! The more in love we grow with others, when we love each other as ourselves, we pray as if we are in the place of the person we are praying for. God allows us to be in their situation in the Spirit. THANKS BE TO GOD! We pray with fervor just as Jesus does for us. How beautiful is that? He draws His body together in prayer for each other.

As you sit to pray for leaders or a leader, ask Holy Spirit to guide you or listen as He does to not only who you should pray for today but how to pray for them and watch the beautiful tapestry that He weaves for you as your pray and your unity with this person and the body of Christ…HALLELUJAH You grow in understanding His love, the love He wants you to have for the rest of the body but also how much you have grown in prayer and through prayer. . . I am constantly amazed at how He has put together every detail for our growth in Him. . . if we just follow Him.

Brings new meaning to the song...SHOW ME YOUR WAYS...THAT I MAY WALK WITH YOU..
Please pray for me and my Psalms Bible study. I am constantly amazed where the Lord takes me in these Psalms. Deeper in love with Him. . . I want to be ignited, set on fire and be able to take others on that journey....

Clinton Pay to Play Scandal

• Overall, the Clinton Foundation has received staggering sums from Saudi benefactors — between $18 million and $50 million. (The foundation’s donations are reported in ranges, not specific numbers.)
• Groups with interests in China also donated between $750,000 and $1.75 million, at a minimum, to the Clinton Foundation.
• Emails uncovered by Judicial Watch demonstrate that Clinton Foundation donors and supporters received special favors and consideration from the Clinton State Department. 

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton delivered highly revealing – and in many ways even stunning – testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Government Operations, regarding the Clinton Foundation pay-to-play scandal.

Now why do you suppose China and Saudi Arabia would care about an American foundation, set up to “do good.” Well, she was the Secretary of State.

https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n08fbhpb3AM

He thinks the federal government is a college student’s friend—an e-mail exchange

Really?  Your source?  Did you know the government and its own predatory loans, grants, scholarships, etc. is the main reason the bubble of student loans is bigger than the housing bubble of 2007?  When I entered Manchester College (private) in 1957, a college education was about $1,000 a year with tuition, fees, housing, food and transportation. My sophomore year at the University of Illinois (public) was about the same. 

If you use a calculator for 1957-58 dollars and convert to 2018 dollars, 60 years later, you’ll see what throwing money at colleges does to the costs.  College costs have soared far higher and at a faster rate than medical costs, even though medicine has gone through far greater changes and technological and pharmaceutical improvements. Our lives have been extended by the medical improvements.  A college education has been cheapened; a BA or BS is today not worth a lot except to go on to graduate school and leave with $70,000 in debt.  Colleges have made few changes except to shift most of the faculty to the left of center, add programs in “area studies,” remove Shakespeare and American history, and deny conservatives their right to a bias-free education. The more money government provides to students, the more the universities and colleges raise their tuition and fees. Funny how the “market” works, isn’t it?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, prices in 2018 are 772.10% higher than prices in 1958. The dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 3.68% per year during this period.  In other words, $1,000 in 1958 is equivalent in purchasing power to $8,721.04 in 2018, a difference of $7,721.04 over 60 years.

Do you know any college/university where a student can attend for $8,721 a year? All costs, not just tuition and fees. Administrative costs have soared as more and more non-faculty are added, especially in the huge departments of equality, diversity, disability that may have 50 or so employees (at OSU) as well as those assigned to the individual departments, courses are watered down or expanded so it now takes 5-6 years to finish rather than 4, young men and women are encouraged to remain adolescents longer and remain in parents’ care until late 20s, very odd courses are required for students, staff and faculty like “hate speech” or “appropriate non-sexist dating behavior” which chew up many hours that could be  useful for studying and which make the old “in loco parentis” of my era look like wild freedom.

No one can reverse this overbearing, interfering federal meddling in higher education except the Department of Education, and since even Republicans don’t like to give up power, I think not much will come of this except more money being thrown at the problem, and a bigger bureaucracy to make sure the tax payers get screwed again.

What is the infrastructure candidates talk about?

Infrastructure.  Trump talked about it, so did Obama, so did Bush and Clinton.  We only seem to hear about it when someone (of either party) is running for president. But the federal government’s percentage of ownership and cost is very small, so why?

About 97% of what we call infrastructure  is owned and paid for by local governments and private interests.   I found this one really enlightening—I had no idea, but then, we don’t know what we don’t know.  In 2015, private infrastructure assets of $40.7 trillion were four times larger than state and local assets of $10.1 trillion, and 27 times larger than federal assets of $1.5 trillion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Where the federal government does figure for this issue is regulation of and taxes on—I think Donald Trump being in real estate, realizes the heavy hand of government squeezing all businesses. 

https://www.cato.org/publications/tax-budget-bulletin/who-owns-us-infrastructure

Politics and healthcare

At the coffee shop today I was reading the Oct. 9, JAMA and noticed an editorial on "Politics and Healthcare." JAMA's left of center, but I thought I'd take a look. Praise for Lyndon Johnson and Medicare in 1965, praise for Barack Obama and PPACA (Obamacare) in 2010 and then 3-4 paragraphs lambasting President Trump who, but for McCain, would have been able to undo Obama's disastrous grab of the private sector and 1/5 of the economy. It's one of the reasons Trump was elected--the people hated it, especially those who lost good coverage or lost their doctor or were forced to buy coverage for contraception and abortion. Obamacare was the only significant piece of social legislation that got zero support from Republicans, who had supported FDR and social security, and LBJ and Medicare. In fact, it's doubtful those programs would have passed without Republican support. It is the Obama administration that created the extreme partisanship we see today, not President Trump.

Yes indeed. Politics and healthcare in black and white in JAMA. So I looked up the author, Donald M Berwick--he's retired, but has been on just about every government board and committee to give us socialized medicine, was part of the Clinton administration, and even worked with the British National Health Service and was knighted by the Queen! I would not have expected anything else from him.

Have you heard of this scam?

This warning about a delivery scam came in my e-mail. It did not happen to me. And I have no idea who the "victim" writing in first person is. But we receive odd phone calls everyday about changing our utilities carrier, packages about to be delivered, asking about our pain, telling us our computer has a problem and that we have college debt to settle. So this one just sounds like a new wrinkle. If these scams didn't work (maybe one out of thousands), they would go away. I only removed the part about passing it along to friends and family. “This is a new scam! This is very clever.  I would probably fall for it if not warned. Give this wide distribution.  This scam is actually very clever.  Just when you thought you'd heard it all.  Be very careful out there!  Beware of people bearing gifts. The following is a recounting of the incident from the victim: Wednesday a week ago, I had a phone call from someone saying that he was from some outfit called: "Express Couriers," ( The name could be any courier company).  He asked if I was going to be home because there was a package for me that required a signature. The caller said that the delivery would arrive at my home in roughly an hour. Sure enough, about an hour later, a uniformed delivery man turned up with a beautiful basket of flowers and a bottle of wine. I was very surprised since there was no special occasion or holiday, and I certainly didn't expect anything like it. Intrigued, I inquired as to who the sender was. The courier replied, "I don't know, I'm only delivering the package." Apparently, a greeting card was being sent separately. (The card has never arrived!) There was also a consignment note with the gift. He then went on to explain that because the gift contained alcohol, there was a $3.50 "delivery/ verification charge," providing proof that he had actually delivered the package to an adult (of legal drinking age), and not just left it on the doorstep where it could be stolen or taken by anyone, especially a minor. This sounded logical and I offered to pay him cash. He then said that the delivery company required payment to be by credit or debit card only, so that everything is properly accounted for, and this would help in keeping a legal record of the transaction. He added, "Couriers don't carry cash to avoid loss or likely targets for robbery." My husband, who by this time was standing beside me, pulled out his credit card, and the "delivery man," asked him to swipe the card on a small mobile card machine with a small screen and keypad. Frank, my husband, was asked to enter his PIN number and a receipt was printed out. He was given a copy of the transaction. The guy said everything was in order, and wished us good day. To our horrible surprise, between Thursday and the following Monday, $4,000 had been charged/withdrawn from our credit/debit account at various ATM machines. Apparently the "mobile credit card machine," which the deliveryman carried now had all the info necessary to create a "dummy" card with all our card details including the PIN number. Upon finding out about the illegal transactions on our card, we immediately notified the bank which issued us a new card, and our credit/debit account was closed. We also personally went to the police, where it was confirmed that it is definitely a scam because several households had been similarly hit. WARNING: Be wary of accepting any "surprise gift or package," which you neither expected nor personally ordered, especially if it involves any kind of payment as a condition of receiving the gift or package. Also, never accept anything If you do not personally know or there is no proper identification of who the sender is. Above all, the only time you should give out any personal credit/debit card information is when you yourself initiated the purchase or transaction!”

It’s not about breakfast cereal anymore

Today I received in my e-mail a notice about The Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Reading through the blurb it appears to be an organization to funnel voters into the Democrat Party because there's no policy or plans, just vague buzz words about racial healing, equity and full potential: Nine organizations.

• NAACP;
• Advancement Project’s national office;
• Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF);
• Demos;
• Faith in Action;
• National Congress of American Indians,
• National Urban League;
• Race Forward;
• UnidosUS.

Seems to have evolved out of the Ferguson riots 4 years ago.

We have so many wealthy foundations and non-profits throwing money at social justice and racial equity projects I'm beginning to see them as part of the problem rather than part of the solution. I'm wondering if the bureaucracy of the NGOs (there are 1.5 million in the U.S.) isn't rivaling that of the federal government.

The wage gap myth

Women earn less than men in the same job at the same hourly wage with the same union benefits because they choose to. Yes. With everything else the same, the paycheck is less because men work more overtime. And on a broader scale, men take the jobs with more risk, and they are more willing to move where the better jobs are. A study of librarians over 20 years ago showed that--men moved more often and had more publications. For over a decade, more women have been graduating from college, but not in the same fields as men. There are limited opportunities for dance majors and art historians. In the trades, there are wonderful opportunities, but women aren't flocking there--don't want to mess up the manicure. We live in a competitive, capitalist country (except where the government interferes) and if the CEO can make more money hiring qualified women, she will do it.

https://legalinsurrection.com/2018/12/harvard-study-confirms-the-gender-wage-gap-is-just-a-myth/

MS-13 in Maryland

“MS-13 is a gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the state of Maryland, including Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Frederick County, and throughout the United States.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13 often work together cooperatively to engage in criminal activity and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement.  In Maryland and the surrounding area, these cliques include ParkView Locos Salvatrucha (PVLS), Normandie Locos Salvatrucha  or “Normandie,” Sailors Locos Salvatrucha Westside or Langley Park Salvatrucha, Weedoms Locos Salvatrucha “Weedoms”, and Cabanas Locos Salvatruchas.  MS-13 cliques often combine and work together as “Programs,” with the purpose of increasing the gang’s levels of organization, violence, extortion, and other criminal activity. A person within the participating cliques is selected as the program leader.

To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members and associates are expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who show disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence.  MS-13’s creed is based on one of its mottos, “Mata, roba, viola, controla,” which translates to, “kill, steal, rape, control.””

https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2018/09/07/maryland-ms-13-program-leader-pleads-guilty

“Organized in local MS-13 units called “cliques,” the Maryland gangs put prospective members under long periods of “observations” before allowing them in. Ascension in the gang involves at least five rank designations, according to federal court records, with clique leaders using social media and coded words to stay in constant contact with superiors in the United States and El Salvador.”

The Washington Post article refers to crimes carried out many years before Trump became president, yet so many insist that there is no danger here—just prejudice and racism. Tell that to the families of the murdered men.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/behind-the-rise-in-seemingly-chaotic-ms-13-violence-a-structured-hierarchy/2017/03/18/53ee3f76-051a-11e7-b1e9-a05d3c21f7cf_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.bd5999c0be8d

If only CNN had been on the job then

A few years ago (Dec. 2015) the Blaze published an expose about Muslims in the Obama White House, but the link gave me the dreaded 404 message. But I found it at one of those archive sites.

https://whatyouthoughtiwentaway.wordpress.com/2015/12/18/a-detailed-look-at-the-purge-of-u-s-counter-terrorism-training-by-the-obama-administration/?

But no scandals for Obama; not a one.

"Purges, blacklists, book banning, mandatory “re-education” and punishment would otherwise sound like a program by the Khmer Rouge, not so-called U.S. “civil rights” organizations. But these events of “Black October” would set in motion a radical shift in our nation’s national security and counter-terrorism policies."

If we just had had a free press during the Obama years. . . Like a CNN watchdog over the presidency like we have now.

Black man wants to help people in the “hood.”

What happened to a Columbus couple who came out for Trump. The left tried to destroy their business (and succeeded). Imagine what would have happened if someone from the right had tried to destroy a black family business.  CNN would have been hectoring us for weeks.

https://youtu.be/N1IH6e4p3wk

https://www.thegoodfrank.com/redwave

The predictable New Old Left of the 21st century

Today's New Old Left has merged with the New Left of the 1960s--Jerry Rubin, Jane Fonda, and Bill Ayers, Obama's old neighborhood buddy, who helped launch his presidency. The New Old Left uses the methods of Mao and Stalin, yet instead of organizing coal miners, they want to destroy the coal industry. They've got a long list of forbidden words, whereas the New Left liked to shout out obscene words to shock.

"No wonder the New Old Left shares the worst traits of both inheritances: protestors shout profanities and yell in classrooms and lecture halls, but their shouts are boring and predictable. With all the boilerplate directives of “white privilege”, “intersectionality” and “institutional racism,” Antifa protestors sound like hippies as they shout out New Left obscenities, but they also put on black riot gear and masks, and resemble the old well-organized communist street mobs of the 1930s."

Victor Davis Hanson, “The Rise of the New Old Left.” https://www.hoover.org/research/rise-new-old-left?

Condo Christmas party

We had a wonderful Christmas party/progressive dinner with our neighbors last night. Such fun and delightful people.

News of the day, Monday December 10

*I am so done with "hate speech." With AI we'll soon have "hate thoughts" and even if no word was uttered, you'll lose a job, or a position of honor or a Heisman Trophy. Right now we're down to two categories that can be insulted with impunity--Trump supporters and old ladies with white hair (I've had to leave the liberal social media platforms for the threats due to my age--"die old hag--make room on the planet for people worth it"). I hope the reporter who dug through the twitter trash of a 14 year old is happy.

I'm about to start sticking up for the ridiculous rap artists who say ugly things about light skin black women (the only black women allowed in their videos) just so they can have freedom of speech and act dumb when asked about it, denying they mean any disrespect.

**It's perfectly clear now. It has always been about getting Trump out of office, to undo the will of the people and never was about Russia. If it were about Russia, they'd be investigating Clinton and the deep state that works within the "Just-Us" Department.  They’d be going after Strzok, and Comey, and Ohl, instead of trying to rescue Obama’s “legacy” and saving Hillary. Millions of tax dollars have gone to a slush fund to protect the offices and skin of members of Congress who have been sued for various problems, but no out of control prosecutor has tried to kick them out of office. If Trump paid off a prostitute, it was his own money.  Democrats intend to do nothing of the “people’s work” the next two years, and believe they were elected to try to unseat Trump.

***Same old, same old for 40 years. Global warming aka climate change.  I think the agnostics/atheists care deeply about the creation because they don't believe the Creator, or that there was one. Let's get our priorities right. Clean up our own messes first, house, yard, neighborhood, then work outward. Rid ourselves of hate, anger and lies, then work on the plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups and plastic straws. Work up to not flying our luxury jets to climate conferences.

****If a conservative mob on social media had attacked a black business man and destroyed his small business, it would have been national news for weeks on CNN. But if leftist haters do it, then it's just business as usual.  Marcella Jackson and her husband will rebuild because they believe in the American dream, and that isn't socialism.

Marcella was a “closet conservative. . . “ until a few months ago when a radical LEFTIST attacked my and my husband's small sausage business after being seen on stage at a Delaware Trump rally.

I watched in horror as leftists smeared my husband online and called him a racist and a hate monger. I watched them leave nasty messages, write bad reviews and down vote our business without having ever tried our amazing sausages or vegan products.

Frankly, I knew people could be mean spirited, but I did not expect them to harass our business customers or convince our landlord not to renew our rental agreement. I never thought people would attack a stranger without so much as verifying if the information that they were acting on was true.

But they did. In about a weeks time we found ourselves essentially without income.”

Latinx and other made up words

More phony words from leftists. ". . . Latinx Pop Culture class take us on a journey into his co-curated exhibit, Tales from La Vida: Latinx Comics, at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at Ohio State." (announcement from Ohio State University) 

Wikipedia: “Latinx is a gender neutral term sometimes used in lieu of Latino or Latina. The -x replaces the standard o/a ending in Spanish and Portuguese forming nouns of the masculine and feminine genders, respectively. The term is a political neologism that has gained traction among advocacy groups combining racial and gender identity politics.”

The Census Bureau made up the words Latina and Latino and Hispanic to reflect the ethnicity/heritage of someone from Mexico, Central America, South America (except Brazil) and some of the islands (not those with French or Dutch colonial history), but not Spain the nation. When the Left decided gender, a grammar term, was actually biological bad science, that got messy. Spanish is a language with gender sensitive nouns and adjectives so the mighty American Left which speaks English, a Germanic language, has decided gender in fake Spanish needs to go.

“In 2015, over 9,000 Latinx people were diagnosed, and nearly 80% of these were among MSM. The CDC has estimated that if such rates persist, one in four Latinx gay and bisexual men will have HIV in their lifetimes.” (Resource Center for Latinos)

Conservatory a great place to take kids

We had a Lakeside event at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Thursday evening, and it was fun to see our summer friends. However, when we toured the building all decked out with wonderful Christmas themes in flowers, plants, model trains, topiary flamingos decked in neon, a gingerbread competition and glass bulb Christmas trees (there are at least 16 special displays), we were particularly impressed by the young people and families flooding in with babies, children and friends. Even when we left about 8 p.m. they were standing in line for tickets.

What are liberals doing to college students?

Some of us, usually Republicans or Conservatives, think it's a bad idea to have such a high percent of our college faculty  liberal/Democrat/progressive. They are turning out graduates with $70,000 debt much of it from the government, who leave with social science degrees and poor earning potential, who can't afford to get married, or to buy a home, or to have children. Then with envy in their hearts they listen to socialists and vote for Democrats. Is this the Democrats' secret plan to bring down the country?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8427-2005Mar28.html  (2005)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/11/the-dramatic-shift-among-college-professors-thats-hurting-students-education/?utm_term=.60388b5d2ab4  (2016)

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/02/27/research-confirms-professors-lean-left-questions-assumptions-about-what-means (2017) defensive

http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/05/07/nearly-40-percent-top-liberal-arts-colleges-have-no-republican-professors (2018)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/most-u-s-college-students-afraid-to-disagree-with-professors-1540588198 (2018, James Freeman)

https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/college-students-love-socialism-dont-have-clue-what-it-means

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/01/10/students-more-liberal-but-its-not-because-their-professors-james-piereson-naomi-riley-column/1012622001/ (opposite viewpoint)

Marketplace—a fascinating website

Sometimes I see something on Columbus Marketplace and wonder what Chip and Joanna Gaines (HGTV) could do with this?

When selling property, it never hurts to remove the trash bags from the front yard.  Of course, it says, “as is” and I guess new owner gets the trash.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/columbus/

“4BR 2bath 1846sf SF house in Grove City OH 43123
WB fireplace, finished attic/loft (can be converted to 5th BR), finished basement, 0.3 acre lot, built 1938, Southwestern school district. As-Is. cash/hard money/conventional loan”

https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/a37022/chip-and-joanna-gaines-christmas-decor/

https://www.countryliving.com/shopping/g3403/magnolia-home-decor/

Are they Bush values, and what happened to them?

Daniel Henninger remembers what happened in the 1990s, and it wasn’t President Trump in the Wall Street Journal.

“Most of the Bush values can be found on any list of what are called—or used to be called—virtues. It is telling that these same simple virtues are now being praised by a media that has done so much in the past 30 years to undermine them.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-didnt-kill-the-bush-values-1544053897?fbclid=IwAR3VqUXD2tkEEw39P17-ak0voNmiht5V_InCevSLoZ7sOqK0zTMfkCASJS8

I wasn’t even a Republican back then, yet I thought the way the media savaged Barbara Bush and Dan Quayle was disgraceful. The attacks on the religious right were loud and proud, and Jeff Bezos didn’t even own WaPo then!

Some worry that the Trumps didn’t sing the hymns or recite the creed at Bush 41 funeral

I am a Lutheran and our one congregation has 3 styles of worship, traditional, contemporary and loud rock, and I don't sing many of the praise/songs at some of the alternative services because I don't know them or I don't like them. Also, not all Christian churches use the Apostles Creed, and not all Christians are familiar with it. I've attended services where it sounds like a local committee wrote the creed of the day, and I don't say it. There are 35,000 (approx.) Protestant and non-denominational/Bible only groups, plus multiple rites within the Catholic tradition, many orthodox and Eastern Christian groups. Christianity is a very big tent, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-language and multi-liturgy or no liturgy, and there are no requirements to sing or recite anything, especially when in unfamiliar territory. The trick to attending a different service is to always sit in the back row and observe--which obviously the Trumps couldn't do.

Unfortunately, many in the media used the very lovely tributes to Bush 41 to slam Trump.  They just can’t help themselves.

Deadly dogs

How awful for the pet owner. Can't even imagine how terrible to experience this. A Yorkshire terrier (adorable, fluff balls) being walked by his owner on a leash, was attacked and killed by two pit bulls off leash in the Columbus Polaris area (heard on radio, don't have link). The pit bulls have been put down. I know those of you who have pit bulls love them and claim they are gentle, but they have been bred to attack and kill if they perceive a prey or a threat. All dogs will bite, but some have the strength and jaws to be lethal.

When I tried to find a link, I was horrified by the number of stories about Yorkies being killed by pit bulls that came up for different states and years.

Christmas party attire

We attended a lovely Christmas dinner with our Conestoga group (Ohio history) last night in Clintonville.  I wore a nice black dress, with full coverage, but that makes no difference when it’s made of a synthetic fabric.  I was freezing, and since we were there early because the couple we went with had some responsibilities, I wore my coat for about an hour before dinner.  We have another dinner tonight with our Lakeside friends at the Conservatory on the east side of Columbus. I’m still not going to wear slacks like most older ladies do, but I’m thinking of a black sweater and skirt with a red jacket with a nice seasonable pin so I can at least be comfortable.  In the “olden days” of wool winter clothing, drafty banquet halls were not such a problem, or else my blood was thicker.

America’s socialists

I keep reading that 51-57% of Democrats favor socialism--more in the younger range, but enough in the 50+ to cause concern. Strange that they call Trump a Nazi. Our school system has failed them, even people my age and older who should know better, who remember Hitler, Mao and the USSR.

Socialism means the state controls the land and the means of production. The only difference between Hitler and Stalin was the length of their reach--one wanted just Europe and the other the world. Their hearts beat together. American Communists in the 1930s weren't worried about Hitler until he attacked their boy Stalin, then we entered the war.

Socialism is Communism-lite. It is a utopian philosophy that has murdered millions under cover of equality and fairness, because the individual means nothing. Bill de Blasio, Bernie Sanders, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, university administrations and faculties, certain Christian clergy and various members of the workers party of Hollywood and late night TV/ sit-coms are just fellow travelers on the path to a system that has failed in every country that got sucked in. There are millions of dead Chinese and starving Venezuelans to prove it.

The future is female, but what is a female?

Kristin Gillibrand (D- NY) has said something really foolish—the future is female.

The Left doesn’t want the word “female” or “woman” written or spoken because the masculine terms male and man diminish womyn’s power.

The Left is systematically destroying the hard won gains of Title IX in sports by insisting a transwoman is actually a real woman, and who knows what they’ll call him when they’ve succeeded in destroying the language!

The Left says gender is a social construct and that sex is bad science.

The Left reports that with enough hormones, pancake makeup, electrolysis and a convincing fantasy, a man with or without the amputation of his penis and testicles can take the place of women in affirmative action regulations proposed by the government.

The Left in one state already on the brink of financial collapse wants 50% of boards of corporations to be “broads.” What an opportunity for men who can’t compete with other men—just “feel” female and insist that only a transphobic capitalist cabal would reject him.

And really, Ms. Gillibrand, if men and women are interchangeable and equal in all ways, why is your party claiming you as a female senator and when will you stop dyeing your hair and wearing make up?

https://www.lifezette.com/2018/12/new-yorks-gillibrand-insists-the-future-is-female-and-intersectional/

Can we legally change our age, like sex?

Every sane person with even a basic science education knows one's sex can't be changed. Sex not a social construct. Gender is a grammar term. But now that the idea that one can also choose to change the years lived, usually reducing, but I suppose some would raise so large numbers could vote, we have a new wrinkle (no pun). If fantasy, wishes and gullibility can change sex, why not age? Hormones and surgery will again come to the rescue! Look at all the laws we have based on age--social security eligibility, voting, driving, running for office, certain professions, marriage, age of consent. It's discriminatory. Yes, why not? We have 6 year old concert pianists; why not surgeons? The ultimate fountain of youth (or age).  I know many 75 year olds that seem to be brighter than college students, at least politically. Why not call them 50 if that's what they desire?

https://amp.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/dec/4/dutch-court-rules-against-man-trying-legally-chang/

10 steps to ending poverty–Jay Richards

Guess what—it isn’t socialism!

This is a Christian solution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XyJd4w5f1g

He’s a little long winded, but when he gets to the point, this is it.

1. Rule of law.  Like the 10 commandments.

2. Limited government.  Methods in place to limit jurisdiction of the state.

3.  Formal property.  In Haiti, if you wanted to lease land from the gov’t it would take 19 years and 100’s of forms.

4. Economic freedom. Hong Kong is #1.

5. Strong mediating institutions.

6.  Purpose driven universe.

7.  Right cultural mores. Respect for rights of others.

8.  Understand wealth and poverty.  Set up win/win situations.

9.  Focus on your comparative advantage.

10. Work hard.  This works in the U.S., but not in all countries if you don’t have access to property or freedom.

Time served in state prisons

Persons sentenced for murder or non-negligent manslaughter served an average of 15 years in state prison. 57% of violent offenders who were released from state prison in 2016 served an average time of 2.6 years. State prisoners serving time for drug offenses, including trafficking and possession, served an average of 22 months and a median time of 14 months before their initial release. About 3 in 5 offenders released after serving time for drug possession served less than one year before their initial release. BJS November 29, 2018 NCJ 252205

To the offender I'm sure this feels like a long time, but to the victims' families, the time they serve is forever.

https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/press/tssp16pr.cfm

Breakfast

Bush 41, 1992, and thoughts

I never voted for GHW Bush because I was a Democrat then and apolitical. Clueless on campus described me, even though all my values were the same then as now. I was pro-life, pro-capitalism, pro-America.  However, I remember telling my Republican friends in 1992 that they had elected Bill Clinton by voting for the 3rd party candidate Ross Perot who got 19% of the vote. You do have to wonder how different the executive office might be today, and the world, if Bush 41 had had 2 terms.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda is useless, but it's still a good reminder that Republicans don't work together for a distant goal the way the Democrats do. Think of McCain and Flake--completely defying the people who elected them--Republicans; thus we still have Obamacare and stymied court appointments even thought we have a Republican president. Right now, the Democrats' goal is some sort of socialist globalism. It may look like they only have name calling and bullying and no policy, but they are very well organized and have many non-profits and billionaires funding those goals.

If I had any patience

 

Wouldn’t this be great for a holiday decor?  Of course, I’d probably smack the hand that tried to nibble and spoil my work of art. Easy, simple and not expensive.

A touching tribute to Bush 41

I’ve met three of the Shaw sisters and their mother as bloggers (now Facebook friends) and one, Janice, on Facebook where we’re “friends.”  In the 1990s Janice was a speechwriter for GHW Bush and writes a loving tribute about him and those exciting years.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2018/12/writing_speeches_for_president_bush_41.html?

“There is no way to convey the awe-inspiring experience of actually working in the White House with a pass that enables you to go anywhere in the complex, including the private library on the top floor of the OEOB that can get any publication a speechwriter might need or want.  The sense of history and significance of working as a presidential speechwriter are like nothing else I have ever done. . . 

“After President Bush 41, the baton was passed to other generations of leaders coming from a variety of different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.  The passing of President Bush 41 is not just the passing of a significant American leader who earned the respect of Americans across the political spectrum; it is the passing of a generation who shared experiences and values.  It is the end of an era of shared history.  As we mourn the loss of President Bush 41, we also mourn the passing of an era.”
Janice Shaw Crouse. . .https://www.americanthinker.com/author/janice_shaw_crouse/

Airbnb removes listings from Israeli settlements

Have the billionaires of Airbnb looked at a map of the world lately? Why in this day and age are Jews such a threat to rich Americans? And why does this hyper-morality only apply to Israel where 1/3 of the world's Jews live? Airbnb is established in Cuba! The 3 founders of Airbnb are billionaires imposing their political biases on a few folks who want to rent their apartments to tourists. These Big Tech billionaires are giving Capitalism a bad name.

"Last week, Airbnb announced that it would be removing all listings from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The news came after supporters of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement campaigned for Airbnb to remove the listings."

https://capitalresearch.org/article/caving-to-bds-activism-airbnb-pulls-west-bank-listings/?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/world/middle_east/group-files-rights-suit-over-airbnbs-israel-settlement-ban/2018/11/29/5bcdc864-f43e-11e8-99c2-cfca6fcf610c_story.html

“Gov. Bruce Rauner [IL] attempted Thursday to pressure Airbnb into reversing its ban on lodging listings in the disputed West Bank, calling for an investigation into whether the company is violating Illinois laws prohibiting backlash against Israel's treatment of Palestinians.” (Belleville News Democrat)

“Jews have owned property in places like West Bank towns Gush Etzion and Hebron for centuries. Under the new Airbnb policy, rooms and units located in those places will not be listed by the company.

But if an Arab owns some property a hundred yards away and purchased it a week ago, it can be listed. That is religious profiling.” Letter to the editor, LA times

Clearly, Airbnb’s foray into foreign policy is naive and discriminatory.

Fall out of the MeToo movement

Will unleash a new torrent of gender and race demands and distortions. We won’t know about the superiority of the candidates not chosen.  “All white male” is a phrase that can produce panic in an HR department. It will make the previous 3 decades look like the golden age of diversity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS_RtvrsoIs

There is a war against merit, not just white males.

There is outrage that there are few or no female composers in symphony seasons. Orchestra boards will be competing for very scarce female conductors.  And Oh—what about a trans-conductor!  Goldmine. All a mediocre male conductor needs is to declare himself female—these days doesn’t even need the surgery and hormones.  Just the feeling.

STEM departments, which used to avoid the craziness going on the humanities the last 3 decades are under the gun to hire women, except there aren’t many in the pipe line, causing the departments to develop their own subdivisions for diversity on top of the bloated University departments of inclusion.

Jeff Flake’s final act of revenge

Outgoing Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) admitted on CNN that he would not be opposing President Donald Trump’s judicial appointments if he was not retiring at the end of his term. (Mediaite).  This means he invalidated all the votes of the Republicans in Arizona who voted for him. Trump won Arizona in 2016.  Far more effective than a Russian bot on Facebook.
 
I expect he will run again as a Democrat if his future career working for CNN or MSNBC doesn’t work out.

And this empire was started by a nun from Akron, Ohio in 1981

"Boldness should be the eleventh commandment."
- Mother Angelica

“EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 38th year, is the largest religious media network in the world. EWTN’s 11 TV channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 300 million television households in more than 145 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio and more than 500 domestic and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; the largest Catholic website in the U.S.; electronic and print news services, including Catholic News Agency, the National Catholic Register, and several global news wire services; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book-publishing division.”  (http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/ewtn-wins-lawsuit-over-hhs-contraception-mandate)

The reason I describe EWTN and its importance in religious media is because the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit issued an order Thursday vacating a 2014 district-court decision against the Eternal Word Television Network in its lawsuit against the so-called contraceptive mandate issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. The order follows a settlement between the network and the Department of Justice reached Oct. 5.
 
The specifics of the contraception mandate of the “Affordable Care Act” were not included in the original bill, but were announced in January 2012 by then-HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Obama promised EWTN and other religious groups there would be an exception made for them. He lied.  Imagine the money they’ve had to spend just so they didn’t have to provide birth control and abortions for staff.

Seven years!
EWTN Wins Lawsuit Over HHS Contraception Mandate
IRONDALE, Ala., Nov. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a  legal battle that has lasted nearly seven years, EWTN Global Catholic Network has prevailed in its lawsuit against the U.S. government over what has become known as the "HHS Contraception Mandate." In an order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit published Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018, the court vacated a June 2014 decision against the Network by U.S. District Court Judge Callie Granade. The ruling by the appellate court follows an Oct. 5, 2018 settlement agreement between EWTN and the Department of Justice. Under terms of that settlement, the Network will not be required to provide contraception, sterilization and abortifacients in its employee health plan, something EWTN found morally objectionable.

And finally some common sense from Washington.
The Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Labor released two updated rules concerning conscience protections for organizations and individuals in relation to the HHS contraception mandate. We once again are protected by the First Amendment from an over reaching federal government.  Until the next law suit.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/breaking-trump-administration-announces-broad-exemptions-for-hhs-mandate-84021

Who is financing the Caravan from Central America?

There are many organizations contributing to the misery and illnesses of the people in the so-called Caravan, demanding entry, benefits and rights at our border. They were lured there with promises of jobs and assistance and they are sitting in the mud, and some have assaulted the border guards. Several hundred have returned home realizing they've been conned.

Here's the wall of shame. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/centro-sin-fronteras/?

Centro Sin Fronteras Community Services Network, is a 501(c)(3) illegal immigration activist organization based in Chicago

La Familia Latina Unida (“The United Latin Family”) is a Chicago, Illinois-based 501(c)(4) illegal immigration advocacy organization formed in 2001 by Elvira Arellano.

The Pueblo Sin Fronteras (“People Without Borders”) appears to be a project of La Familia Latina Unida.

By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), a far-left agitation group.

The article at the above link includes details, finances, individuals and churches involved. It's not just fake news, but a media lie that this was not an organized assault funded by various groups in the U.S. This is like recruiting Democrat voters from other countries.

Obamagate and real collusion

The collusion in the 2016 election was between Britain and the U.S. government, which means the Obama administration. Yes, let's look at the documents. "British spies were in on the ground floor of Obamagate. Long before even the first Republican primary, they had been passing conjecture disguised as “intelligence” to John Brennan about the Trump campaign. In fact, Brennan was spying on Michael Flynn before he joined the campaign, as reported by the UK Guardian."

https://spectator.org/why-britain-doesnt-want-trump-to-declassify-obamagate-docs/?

https://www.conservapedia.com/Obamagate_timeline

Chris’ Walkaway—voted twice for Obama

I don’t know if I was ever really a liberal person. Just remembering how I was brought up in the black community, and in the church I was definitely raised with mostly conservative values. As I grew up, and began to come into my own as a young man I knew something wasn’t right about certain aspects of being a liberal. First and foremost I love GOD! I’m a capitalist, I’m pro life, love low taxes, hate socialism, hate government overreach, and I’m a 2nd Amendment supporter.

I voted for Obama twice, he was a complete and utter failure to this country. For the 2012 election I actual watched, and listened to a few Mitt Romney rallies. I enjoyed a lot of what he had to say, and agreed with most. On election day 2012, I seriously had to bite my lip in order to vote for Obama the second time. It was such a hard choice, because I knew I related to Romney’s policies, but I had always voted Democrat my entire life.

In 2015 when Trump announced he was running for President it was like one of those cartoon light bulbs that shined above your head when you connect with something brilliant. Trump's announcement speech was music to my ears, and I haven’t looked back since. This is a new era of conservatism, and thank all of you for welcoming me with open arms.

I was going to hold out from posting a story, but today [Nov. 15] was sort of the tipping point for me. I commented on Facebook after someone posted the story about Jim Acosta suing Trump for suspending his press pass. The conversation was very civil until someone (nameless) told me that I was “confused, and self hating” [Chris is a black man], and that it made her sad to realize that self hatred was real. WHAT! Now, does this sound like a person that is inclusive or tolerant? Absolutely not! To the Democrats I’m a disgrace to my race, a sellout, and a Uncle Tom, etc….

We need to fight, and get the conservative message across. We all know that conservative speech is suppressed to the highest levels. It really pisses me off to see conservative voices silenced by fear and intimidation. We can’t wear hats or tee-shirts in the street without risking a confrontation of some sort, then sucker punched if we don’t comply, conservative speakers are stopped at the steps of universities, and told to go away “come back another day”, can’t eat in restaurants, families aren’t safe in their homes due to mobs of imbeciles showing up outside the front door. Now, think hard! What day and age does this remind you of? I want no part of liberalism, it’s a thoughtless mindset to where the leaders mindf@ck the followers. I’m a Free Thinker!

I wonder if she still has a job after coming out for Trump? Valerie walked away in July

I live in a very liberal, far left section of the East Coast and it has become very disheartening. When I saw this group [WalkAway], I breathed the biggest sigh of relief that must have been heard from miles away. I am a registered Democrat, mom, volunteer/advocate for suicide prevention and am in my 22nd year of teaching blind and visually impaired children. Prior to the election and a few months afterwards, I would engage in debate but then realized it was fruitless. The hurled insults at my family, friends and I, because of our political views, support, choices, etc., were applauded/supported by people who I consider friends and neighbors. Friends who preach love, kindness and tolerance, friends who advocate for the poor, the opening of our borders and the acceptance of MS-13 from their beautiful homes or beach chairs on their vacations. I especially love the indirect /insults comments and then the replies when called out on it - “I didn’t say you in particular” or “I’m entitled to my opinion.” Well, what about mine? Why is it OK for you to wear a vagina on your head and cheer when our president is threatened during celebrity speeches during a protest but then scream that I promote violence and have the blood of children on my hands because I am a gun owner?

I decided to Walk Away because of the hypocrisy. I work in the public school system in two middle to lower income districts – very diverse, wonderful hardworking families but an area affected by addiction and a small population of MS-13 members. I see the effects of their surroundings on children first hand – but I was verbally called insensitive and a “horrible, sickening person” because I agreed when Trump called MS-13 members inhuman. From the same armchair warriors who don’t leave their perfect neighborhoods, with the exception of the yearly trip to work in a soup kitchen followed by 500 posted pictures of the excursion.

I’ve heard friends and neighbors claim that if you voted for or support Trump you are a “bigot, sexist, racist, xenophobe, etc.” At one point, I pointed out to these people who used to praise my son for his involvement in volunteering to work with underprivileged youth, actively takes part of the “Its on Us” campaign (fights sexual assault on college campuses), raised money for AFSP and Relay for life were now labeling him as such, because of his vote.

So, I am walking away from the Democratic Party. I will also walk away from any party in the future who behaves this badly. Oh yeah…..I also walked away from Hollywood Award shows.

DISCLOSURE: I do not and will not discuss politics with my students. I can encourage them to think for themselves across all areas but prefer to keep the school environment positive - too much adversity in politics - kids need to be kids. And thankfully I work in supportive school districts so don’t have to deal with politics at work. This post is about my life experiences outside of my work.

CNN lets Marc Lamont Hill go

. . . “grass-roots action, local action and international action that will give us what justice requires and that is a free Palestine from the river to the sea.” Marc Lamont Hill denies he was calling for the destruction of Israel, which just happens to be the land between the river and the sea and a phrase used by terrorists. CNN let him go, but since all these things are written and vetted before the on air ridiculousness that passes for news at CNN, perhaps there are a few others who need to go too? He was calling for jihad and won't admit it. Says he just can't understand how people misunderstood his "critique" of Israel. Duh.

Let's see if Twitter pulls his account as it has for conservatives who've said far less damaging things. Don't hold your breath.

Trump haters even criticize the White House Christmas decor

  

Melania Trump was raked over the coals by social media nobodies and the somebodies in the anti-Trump know nothing media.

This Amelia, Ohio, florist was part of the team that put this stunning display together.

“This was one of my Masterpieces! 10 feet high this big one behind me. We pinned each and every one of these single little cluster of berries on one by one. It took hours! All of the styrofoam cones underneath had to be totally covered. We even had to go back and paint the silver pins each one with a red paint pen to cover the mechanics. I thought we would never get finished. We had 45 of these trees to cover and complete in 3 days. It's a miracle they turned out so perfect.” (Facebook)

https://www.aim.org/aim-column/media-sees-red-on-melanias-white-house-decorations/

https://amp.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/28/melania-trump-defends-red-christmas-trees-i-think-/

https://people.com/politics/melania-trump-red-white-house-christmas-trees-online-criticism/amp/

And the Washington Post, always with the evil eye on the White House, said a red tree is a diseased tree.

Glenn Beck comments on the illegal alien caravan

No American news personality has been more tuned into and sympathetic with the plight of the illegal aliens than Glenn Beck. During the Obama years, he raised money to help people stranded at the border with children after the lure of DACA  (we contributed), and I don’t recall anyone attacking law enforcement. Most of the photos you’ve seen of children in cages are from the Obama years.  Beck lives in Texas, and he sees it first hand.
However, this Caravan which is supported by many American leftist non-profits so they can build up the voting population for Democrats has drawn more attention, even though Obama was known as the “deporter in chief.” Beck suggests that Trump wear an Obama mask to see if that helps.
This is Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s  point-by-point list:
1. This caravan has shown violent elements throughout its journey here. In Nielsen's words:

I refuse to believe that anyone honestly maintains that attacking law enforcement with rocks and projectiles is acceptable. It is shocking that I have to explain this, but officers can be seriously or fatally injured in such attacks. Self-defense isn't debatable for most law-abiding Americans.

2. The caravan is far larger and more organized than previous ones. There are 8,500 caravan members in Tijuana and Mexicali. There are reports of additional caravans on their way.
3. Most of the people in the caravan are not eligible for asylum.
4. Most of the caravan members are men, and, as we've seen, some of the women and children are being used as human shields.
5. It turns out that, yes, there are quite a few criminals mixed in with the caravan:

[A]t this point we have confirmed that there are over 600 convicted criminals traveling with the caravan flow. This includes individuals known to law enforcement for assault, battery, drug crimes, burglary, rape, child abuse and more. This is serious. Additionally, Mexico has already arrested 100 caravan members for criminal violations in Mexico.

6. Nonlethal force (also used by the Obama Administration in 2013) was necessary.

We will not shy away from protecting our people. I ask parents to avoid violent caravan groups and refrain from attempts to illegally enter our country – these acts will put your children in danger.

Nielsen went on to unequivocally thank President Trump for his unwavering stance on the border despite dishonest media coverage meant to sway public opinion.

Twitter and sex confusion and dysphoria

Twitter will close your account if you correctly identify someone by his or her biological sex and call that hairy, muscle bound person with more red blood cells and testosterone on the girl's track team a "he." Whoever controls the language, controls the debate. Even in the day of scientific proof and enlightenment, the Left is in control of sex (just look how that worked out for the USSR and China). Before, "gender" was always a term of grammar; then they won that battle of the sexes, of which there are only two. Once they got us all using the word gender instead of sex (which indicates biology and not feelings or choice), they rushed in with all new behavioral rules for other people.

https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules

http://thefederalist.com/2018/06/19/said-transgenderism-mental-illness-twitter-blocked-account/