A question for all of us about who would replace President Trump

"The editors [of Christianity Today] didn’t tell us who should take his place in the aftermath. Maybe the magazine would prefer a president who is passionately pro-abortion, anti-family, hostile to the military, dispassionate toward Israel, supports a socialist form of government, promotes confiscatory taxation, opposes school choice, favors men in women’s sports and boys in girl’s locker rooms, promotes the entire LGBTQ agenda, opposes parental rights, and distrusts evangelicals and anyone who is not politically correct."  James Dobson

Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church and the host of PowerPoint Ministries speaks on CT controversy

“When we [Trump's religious council] began to work with the Trump Administration, it was with the hope that our president would keep the promises he made to America and advocate for conservative biblical principles. We continue to support him because he has kept those promises (all of them) and often he has exceeded them and beyond expectations. The 2020 election is pivotal, and we all should be prayerful that the policies of our president are secured for generations to come.

So call me foolish, but I’ve never been more confident in the will of God as we work and pray together with President Donald Trump with the future in mind."

There are still some Christians advocating socialism and trying to bring down the President so the Democrats can succeed. It baffles me. They don't know history and have forgotten the lessons of the 20th century when communist/socialist governments killed 100,000,000 of their own citizens to say nothing of the millions of unborn who never got to take a breath.

https://www.christianpost.com/voice/why-it-is-wise-for-christians-to-support-president-trump-234332/

IEDs blow up college costs

I have received Christmas/holiday greetings from the OSU Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Executive Director of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male. There may be hundreds of these administrative bloat positions at any college or university by the time you include the department level and committee level appointments plus the various centers.

Impeachment timeline

A conversation with a Trump hater on the impeachment, guest blogger Michael Smith

Michael Smith had an actual conversation with a liberal who believes Trump should be impeached based on his assumptions and feelings, not evidence--just like a few Democrats I know.  Trump's enemies didn't expect him to release the transcript of the Ukraine phone call, but it didn't make any difference. Hate, which begins in the heart, has created an actual hate crime.

Actual conversation on Wednesday afternoon (before the shampeachment vote):

Person: "Trump asked Ukraine to manufacture dirt on Biden."
Me: "No. That's not correct."

Person: "Yes, it is. It was in the transcript."

Me: "No. It isn't. Not even close."

Person: "He said 'Do me a favor and investigate Biden and he withheld aid until they did."

Me: "The transcript said '...do us a favor though because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it. '" and as to the Bidens he said "The other thing, there's a lot of talk about Biden's son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great."

Person: "Well, that's asking for dirt."

Me: "It's not. He asked for them to look into it but didn't specify a desired outcome - and as to the aid, it was never discussed in any call between Trump and Ukraine and was released after the call without an investigation."

Person: "Well, that's not what Trump meant. We know what he was after."

Me: "We don't "know" anything other than what actually was said and what happened - no witness has stated anything different than what the White House has said."

Person: "I know what happened because I know what kind of person Trump is."

Me: "So what you are saying is that a president can be impeached based on your feelings? That has to be it because you just acknowledged your position is based on how you feel, not what the facts are."

Person: "Trump is the most corrupt president we have ever had."

Me: "Show me. I'm willing to be proven wrong."

Person: "I'm not going to do it for you. You look it up. There's plenty of evidence."

Me: "Which means you don't have any evidence at all." “

Christianity Today doesn’t remember, but I do

About the Christianity Today editorial:

I’m so old I remember when conservatives were horrified that a Roman Catholic could be president; I’m so old I remember that Ronald Reagan’s divorce and remarriage was a topic of media gossip; I’m so old I remember when Gerald Ford’s wife’s divorce years before was grist for the media mill as well as the divorce of his mother and his adoption by his stepfather, named Ford; I’m so old I remember when abortion was taboo for most Christian churches, and now it’s only in the documents of the Catholics who also are ignoring their church’s teaching.

I'm so old I remember that Bill Clinton was NOT impeached for sex but for perjury and deception, aka lying, using the Violence Against Women Act definition of sex. I’m so old I remember when marriage was between a man and a woman. I'm so old I remember when Cher had a daughter and the Kardashians had a father. I'm so old I remember when Christians sat out the vote in 2012 because Romney was a Mormon so we got a second term of Obama. I'm so old I remember when ordinary people actually believed it was about medical qualities of marijuana, but presidents could inhale.

Christianity Today stumbles badly

Although I'd never call Christianity Today a "far left" magazine, it poked a hornet's nest by attacking President Trump. Trump has done more for Christians, Jews, Muslims and atheists by protecting their religious liberty from socialism and appointing judges to balance out our leftist courts than any other president in my life time.

I’m so old I remember when conservatives were horrified that a Roman Catholic could be president; I’m so old I remember that Ronald Reagan’s divorce and remarriage was a topic of media gossip; I’m so old I remember when Gerald Ford’s wife’s divorce years before was grist for the media mill as well as the divorce of his mother and his adoption by his stepfather, named Ford; I’m so old I remember when abortion was taboo for most Christian churches, and now it’s only in the documents of the Catholics who also are ignoring their church’s teaching.  I’m so old I remember when marriage was between a man and a woman.  I'm so old I remember when Cher had a daughter and the Kardashians had a father. I'm so old I remember when ordinary people actually believed it was about medical qualities of marijuana, but presidents inhaled.

My letter to the editor:

Mr. Galli:  

I hope your magazine can survive your attacking our President. I haven't subscribed for years, but do occasionally pick it up at the library. Trump has done more for Christians, and all religious people, than any leader in my life time, and I'm 80. 

With your standards, Jesus would have left Zacchaeus in the tree and the prostitute with a puddle of perfume in the dirt. Plus, you've probably made most adult Christians look like hypocrites, including many pastors and priests. The very thing unbelievers criticize us for. 

I was a Cruz supporter, and didn't want a 3x married businessman/entertainer. But I held my nose; I've been pleasantly surprised to find out some presidents really do keep their promises.

Spending is up on education, and especially on administration

Funding at the federal, state and local levels has increased between the 1980s and 2019. Democrats and the teacher unions lie about that.

In real dollars, total government spending per pupil increased from $7,359 in 1980 to $9,850 by 1990, reaching $13,180 per pupil by 2015.

Taking a longer view, real spending per student in public schools has increased from $2,763 in 1960 to more than $13,000 today.

So if you have questions about learning, don't blame the funding. Plus, government spending does little to change student out come. It's the homes. What really has been jumping ahead the last 55 years (War on Poverty) is the number of administrators. Number of students is up by 40%; administrators up by 137% The student gap in learning is the same as 1965.

https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/12/18/washington-post-concedes-that-government-spending-on-education-has-increased-not-decreased/

https://www.heritage.org/the-not-so-great-society

Last night’s debates

I rarely watch political debates. I've heard a few filtered comments from last night, but oiy, another 11 months of this? A small town gay mayor, a fake Indian college professor, and an elderly socialist with a recent heart attack? It's proof that anyone in America can grow up to be president.

Any one, even a billionaire business man who can

• lower taxes,
• restore freedom of religion,
• deregulate and cut red tape,
• strengthen the military,
• appoint outstanding judges,
• negotiate trade deals with countries which had been cheating us,
• recognize Israel's capital,
• tackle the opioid crisis,
• raise black employment to the highest in our history,
• investigate corruption in the government,
• inspire the highest consumer confidence in many years, all while
• beating back the power and money of academe, media and entertainment as well as bigoted, hateful Democrat politicians like Nadler, Schift, Pelosi and Schumer.

Two years ago, end of radiation

Two years ago Bob ended his radiation for prostate cancer and Phil was with him to ring the bell.

Hallmark and the LGBTQ political agenda

This was my first year to watch Hallmark Christmas movies--I needed a diversion. A few of the older reruns even had carols about baby Jesus. No one was forced to watch them and I was not damaged by living to 80 without seeing one. They are cheesy, corny and chaste. Too bad Hallmark is being blackmailed. And this power agenda is coming to your club, company, church, library, or workplace soon if it hasn't already. You must obey. I've looked through some of the media business articles--I see no evidence that there is a demand for this from conservatives, liberals, Christians, Jews, bankers or candlestick makers.

17% of Americans are over 65 and 12% are disabled. Do you really think they are numerically represented in Hallmark movies or TV show main characters? You might see someone in a wheelchair in a shopping scene or grandma and grandpa baking cookies. Compare that to 2-3% for LGBTQ who are strong arming entire industries. https://www.wnd.com/2019/12/hallmark-execs-say-channel-working-fix-lack-gay-christmas-movies/

The impeachment of President Trump

I've only served on one jury trial--it was in 2002 and the people strange. (The law called Scott Pontzer--aka the Golden Turkey--was reversed the next year.) But not a one of us were deciding 3 years before the incident happened to declare the person guilty. But that's our Democrats in Congress. And a lot of Democrats on the ground.

Only about 45% of Americans are ever called for jury duty and perhaps 17% serve, so that may be why so few people know how the Democrats are violating basic rights, or that the House, either party, can really impeach for no reason, no guilt and no proof. They only need to be out of their minds with rage and hate.

Democrats are very confused about values

My Democrat friends have been rending their clothes and wearing ashes since before the President was inaugurated. They are so clairvoyant they were demanding impeachment before they could find a hoax to call a crime. I'm not surprised it's called a witch hunt, or at least something with supernatural powers. They've moved to the alarming desperation of referring to themselves as patriots and constitutionalists. Meanwhile they are calling Trump supporters "cults" because they vote and support someone who kept his promises about Israel, the military, the border, the VA, ICE, jobs for blacks and minorities, trade deals, protection for unborn babies, lower taxes and healthcare without coercion. They look at the list of religious protections, regulations and laws that have been in place over 50 years and call that Nazi Germany. They are such a confused lot.

My new cookbook, Deceptively Delicious

I had no idea I’d purchased an afternoon of reading for $1.00, Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.  First, I’d never pay $25.00 for a recipe book, especially in 2007, but $1.00 looked like a good price on the library sale shelves.

I vaguely remembered the story of Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, but had to look it up. He of course, was a famous comedian whom I rarely watched.  Then after he retired (I think) he married a much younger woman who was escaping a brief marriage, then they had babies and she made books. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Seinfeld

Their kids are now 20, 17 and 15 or approximately that, and when they were young she had some trouble getting them to eat, so she wrote cook books, one of which was the one I bought for $1.00.

I’m not sure the recipes are simple, the ideas are simple or if it’s supposed to be easy. But it has occurred to me recalling years ago when I tried to teach a young woman some basics of cooking who had never helped her own mother in the kitchen, that there’s a lot left out of cookbooks.  For instance:

1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs—how would you explain this to someone who didn’t know how to make them or where to buy them; it’s not like they are in the bread section of a grocery store.

This whole cookbook is built around the idea of pureeing food and then slipping it into regular recipes.  For this you need a food processor which I’ve never used, and the instructions are not particularly clear: put the (item) in the processor, secure lid, press on button and puree until smooth.  Does a beginner just learning how to peel carrots understand that?

However, I suppose if your kids won’t eat regular, hearty textured food, slipping some puree into the French Toast or scrambled eggs might do the trick.  And it’s certainly not going to hurt adults.

I think a lot of women have larger freezers than I do and definitely more patience.  Maybe jars of toddler baby food?

And thank you Mom for all the things I learned from you that I never thought about so I didn’t have to start from scratch with a book.

Celeb breakups, 2019

I managed to look through the 2019 breakups and knew only 3 people, William Shatner, Ron Perlman and Rosie O’Donnell, then the screen bled out from too much overload of ads after Rosie and it died, and I do not know the rest of the story.

When the state university invests

I don't know exactly how venture capital works, but when I read that Ohio State University is involved in the Rev1 Ventures which is a few miles from here on Kinnear Rd. that it's my tax money going to work to produce millions for investors and to do good for people. How can I know? OSU only gets money to invest or give away from the federal government or the state government--my taxes. From that it takes about 60% to run the university and passes the rest along. So how do I get a return on my investment? At some point, it trickles down, I suppose, with money for jobs, infrastructure, employees thriving, etc. And how does OSU complete this mission to invest and grow businesses while at the same time maintaining such an anti-market, anti-capitalist, anti-America atmosphere on campus, infusing its students with that attitude, including STEM?

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/12/17/rev1-ventures-launches-15m-biotech-investment-fund.html

https://ceo.osu.edu/new-ventures

https://www.development.ohio.gov/files/otf/TVSF_CY2016_FINAL_7_27.pdf

https://development.ohio.gov/files/otf/2019_TVSF_RFP_Phase2.pdf

https://www.rev1ventures.com/

How long is too long for leftovers?

Instead of the smell test, consider how long your leftovers have been in the fridge since they were prepared. Different items have a different shelf life, so keep the following time frames in mind:

• Cooked pasta: Eat within 1-2 days
• Cooked rotisserie chicken: Eat within 3-4 days from the date of purchase
• Chicken, seafood, and pizza: Eat within 3-4 days
• Red meat and pork: Eat within 3-5 days

https://blog.ohiohealth.com/leftover-lessons-know-whats-safe-to-eat-and-whats-not/

This site didn’t mention potato salad, so I looked that up separately.  Most sites said 3-5 days, however, home-submitted responses said up to 10 days, and one said 12!  I usually start with a deli mix, so I wouldn’t call that fresh, would you? Then I add cooked potatoes to taste, and some eggs and olives, or more onions, depending on taste.  However, I don’t keep it over 4 days, so I have to have a big crowd.

https://stilltasty.com/Fooditems/index/18079

Could Democrats make this worse? Yes.

A friend of mine who lives in the DC area says, “I just returned from driving Gil to work. In case you see the demonstrations on TV, here’s what I saw. In the corner area of the Capitol lawn by the Senate side, there are around 100 demonstrator/protestors. They look like the typical protest crowd in DC — hired homeless and unemployed youths making quick money as paid protestors. They are waving flags and signs for impeaching and removing. These are not volunteers or a spontaneous group. They are clearly part of an organized-for-media demonstration (right on a corner where they can be conveniently photographed, but out of the way of tourists and people doing business at the Capitol. Disgusting because it is carefully organized to show well on TV to look bigger than it is and to have closeups that are photogenic. We see it often for various causes."

Are you smarter than a 7th grader?

This was a comment on a post about impeachment on Facebook.

“Jack is in 7 th grade and the other day he was the only one in his history class that knew that The House and Senate make up Congress. So what does that tell you. I really don’t put that in the schools though. What’s wrong with parents? Because they probably don’t know either. Look how many people think The President is going to be removed from office.”

I’m looking back to 7^th grade (1952), and I’m not so sure I knew  who or what made up Congress.  Did you?  Harry Truman was president.  That was about as far as class discussions went on politics.  My parents had a mixed marriage—one Democrat, one Republican—don’t recall a political discussion in our house.

Lies continue daily about the pro-life movement

On Facebook, a friend of mine from childhood, who doesn’t vote, listens to the main stream media for news, and quotes the Bible selectively claims that pro-life people don’t care about children after birth.  What an outrageous lie. Basic pro-choice talking points written by Planned Parenthood.  My response:

Who told you that? CNN? MSNBC? Who do you think are funding all the agencies that help children who escape the siren call of Planned Parenthood? Pro-Life people, primarily Christians.

Have you ever visited a pregnancy center that saves children, gives the mothers counsel, maternity clothes, job training, parenting lessons, clothes for the children, referrals to social agencies, bus passes to clinics and hospitals--all free and with all volunteer labor? They also provide mentors and send teams into the schools to teach the basic facts of life and social skills because so many kids don't have functioning families.

Do you know what the largest social safety net in the world is? The Catholic church. Then if you combined that with all the 35,000 Protestant denominations who feed, educate, train, adopt, foster and provide health care to the poor, it would way out perform what the government does--and at no cost and with volunteers who can witness about God's love just as Jesus said in Matthew 25. People who criticize (and lie) about what the church does are afraid someone might witness to a hurting soul who's never met Jesus.

Some Christians who know selective Bible passages don't know the good that goes on in their own community and state in the name of Jesus.

http://pdhc.org/

New Orleans jazz like the old days

This should wake you up--sleeting here in Columbus (Dec. 17), so I'll probably stay in or go out after the salt trucks pass by. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZdMxFiUf9Q Name of group of street musicians is "Tuba Skinny" http://tubaskinny.com/

One of the viewers of Jackson Stomp wrote: "I started playing jazz in 1952. In recent years I have feared that the music would die out with my generation; you can't imagine how I feel too hear these young people doing their stuff. Not only do they have technique to spare but they play with passion and a real feel for the music. There are lots of copyists of the NO style but this is the real thing."

The trio of clarinet, cornet and trombone are the bomb. Craig Flory, clarinet, Shaye Cohn, cornet, Barnabus Jones, trombone, Erika Lewis drum and voice, Todd Burdick, tuba, Jason Lawrence, banjo. (On one list). Max Bien-Kahn, guitar & banjo; Greg Sherman, guitar & vocals; Robin Rapuzzi, washboard. (On another list)

Get ready for the New Year’s goal weight

Are you getting ready for your New Year's Resolution on weight? Take a look at this NIH tracker/planner. Has some nice features and it isn't preachy.  Since Phil has been ill I’ve put on about 10 lbs from stress eating. So I looked at the nice little tracker and chose 180 days and about 12 pounds. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp  By the end of February I should be at 145.7 lbs.  Maybe my slacks will fit better by then.

This article suggests eating most of your calories over a 10 hour period instead of 14 to maintain weight. https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2019/12/10/why-when-you-eat-might-be-as-important-as-what-you-eat/

James Comey wouldn’t make it through library school

"James Comey has finally admitted some “sloppiness” over the surveillance warrant for former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. The former FBI director should re-read Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s report because it lays out a record of willful incuriosity about Christopher Steele and his dossier that is hard to credit as mere incompetence." WSJ editorial board, "The incredibly incurious Mr. Comey."

In my profession (librarian), curiosity is what drove us there, paid the bills and took us home; can't imagine an FBI director with zip, nada, zilch curiosity, but there we have it. A librarian without curiosity and some problem solving skills wouldn't have made it through the first year of graduate school.

Snow blindness question

Dear Dr. Toole,

I’m a retired OSU librarian, and receive the Ohio State OSU Health Beat daily. Although it’s an interesting blog/aggregator/prepackaged digital publication, I think it’s a little sloppy on its research and links. It cites health articles from Reader’s Digest which has used articles from newspapers with no links or citations, or CNN, for instance.

Today it had an index summary of an article on snow blindness, and it refers the reader to a contracted commercial aggregator site, HealthDay, Dec. 15 which it often sites. In that article it credits, but doesn’t link to, a Wexner Medical article of Dec. 5. My concern was that the large photo accompanying the article was of 2 adult skiers, a man and woman, with a baby on the man’s back. The 2 adults had on sunglasses and the baby didn’t. The article explained in some detail the damage to eyes caused by bright sunlight and snow. It’s the first thing I noticed, and thought it was a little odd. So I decided I would try to find the original article. I googled as much as I knew—produced at OSU in December. There I found your name and an article on an inhouse  blog, December 3, https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/snow-blindness. From that I went to the staff directory. From that I went to your vitae. I see a lot of your articles concern children. So here’s my question, which should have been answered at the first link I went to at OSU Health Beat; Is it safe for young babies to be out skiing in the bright sunlight without proper sunglasses-- "Blocks 100% UV-A and UV-B," or "UV400."?

Also, because OSU has its own reliable articles for the layman on health topics (as yours was written), wouldn’t it be better and more authoritative for OSU Health Beat to cite those articles with a link rather than a commercial health cite that has further reduced the level of research providing no link. If HealthDay was able to find your article, why couldn’t the OSU staff?

https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/-/media/Files/WexnerMedical/OSU%20HealthBeat/2019/12/MB-121719

https://optometry.osu.edu/directory/faculty/andrew-toole

https://consumer.healthday.com/eye-care-information-13/eye-and-vision-problem-news-295/snow-blindness-a-wintry-danger-752853.html

https://blog.quiet.ly/industry/aggregators-vs-traditional-publishers/

Wealth, income and living standards—not the same

"The humblest working-class American today enjoys a standard of living and an array of amenities and comforts — from air travel to contact lenses to overnight package delivery — far superior to most of what even a billionaire like John D. Rockefeller could have commanded a century ago." Don Boudreaux, George Mason University, via Jeff Jacoby.

Ask anyone my age about this. After WWII my parents moved from their comfortable 2 bedroom 1 bath home in Mt. Morris to Forreston for dad's job with Standard Oil.  It was a farmhouse on the west end of town, 4 bedrooms, no bathroom (had an outhouse), and a hand pump for cold water in the kitchen. I'm sure my mother was horrified with 4 children, but it was 1946 and a lot of people were in the same situation. She rolled up her sleeves and learned carpentry and plumbing and we soon had a functioning bathroom and kitchen. A year later we moved to a nicer home with 1.5 baths, beautiful wood work, and a nice office for my father.  The economy was booming, and we were moving on up.

What market economics does not do . . .

https://www.thebalance.com/market-economy-characteristics-examples-pros-cons-3305586

Market economics does not hold that money is all that matters. . .

Market economics does not hold that the world would be perfect if only government stays out of the way. . .

Market economics does not hold that consumers, workers, investors, and entrepreneurs are fully informed and never prone to error or to personal irresponsibility. . .

Market economics does not assume that markets are perfectly competitive and that prices, wages, and interest rates adjust instantaneously.

Market economics does not assume that all foreign governments avoid imposing tariffs and paying subsidies that affect economic activity in the home country.

Market economics does not assume that workers displaced from jobs instantaneously find new jobs at pay equal to or higher than these workers earned in their former jobs.

Market economics does not assume that tax cuts are a miracle elixir, or that current taxes should be cut irrespective of the level of government spending.

Market economics neither discounts the value of work nor denies that people find meaning and dignity in their jobs. . .

https://granitegrok.com/blog/2019/12/notable-quote-prof-don-boudreaux-10  for a longer explanation.

Why do Democrats post Hitler memes?

I've got liberal Facebook Friends who keep posting Hitler memes instead of the truth, which just shows they

• don't know much about biology,
• don't know much about history,
• don't know much about geography,
• don't know about the French they took.

They think France and Poland, England and Holland where jumping the border running into German; they seem to think Germany's economy was booming; they don't know that Hitler disarmed and killed his own citizens.  The President loves Israel and is saving babies and the elderly.  That just doesn’t sound like Hitler.

And they seem to be clueless about Stalin and Mao. Poor, pitiful leftists.

Rudeness is in the eye of the listener

Interesting morning at the fitness palace today. Someone described his very large dog--about 200 lbs--who ate four pounds, yes pounds, not sticks, of butter that had been put out for Christmas baking. So far, only one really bad mess (I think there will be more).

Then my friend, Joanne, and I were catching up on the treadmill after she'd been gone a few weeks. The guy on the treadmill next to her said very loudly into his phone that he couldn't hear the person he was talking to (loudly) because the people next to him were talking! Since I was saying something extremely important to my friend, I just leaned over and said to him. "And you think you're not talking too loud?"

It's not unusual to hear people on cell phones complaining about other people talking (not on their phones) talking too loud.

Daddy date

Caleb, our great nephew and his daughters Halli and Kali making a gingerbread house.

  

Your future is better if you have a toilet

Maybe if more men knew about the problems women have with sanitation and hygiene, fewer of them would be conflicted about their sexuality. https://www.wsscc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/We-Can’t-Wait-A-report-on-sanitation-and-hygiene-for-women-and-girls-WSSCC-WaterAid-Unilever-2013.pdf

"Women and girls living without any toilets spend 97 billion hours each year finding a place to go" and even in developed and western countries it can be a challenge.  Our church supports the collection of hygiene products for school girls and homeless women. Teachers have told me about teens who skip school because they don’t have sanitary products.

This is an interesting report on sanitation and hygiene, particularly as it affects women.  Good graphics.

The benefits of acne

This sounds like a bad joke, but when you think about it, it sort of makes sense. . . Acne as a teen predicts success.

"We use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to investigate the association between having acne in middle to high school and subsequent educational and labor market outcomes. We find that having acne is strongly positively associated with overall grade point average in high school, grades in high school English, history, math, and science, and the completion of a college degree. We also find evidence that acne is associated with higher personal labor market earnings for women. We further explore a possible channel through which acne may affect education and earnings."

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/701436

Media leaks and persecution

This story has a little age--3 years almost--but it's important to remember which president has really been mean and nasty to journalists--Barack Obama. https://theblacksphere.net/2017/02/media-silence-obama-stunning-record-prosecution-journalists/

I looked it up because the Committee to Protect Journalists found at least 250 journalists in 2019 in jail in relation to their work globally. None by Trump. Obama went after leakers big time; Trump not so much and the White House leaked like a sieve. Journalists didn't like it during the Obama years, but it brings in the gold for them in this administration.

https://freedom.press/news/obama-used-espionage-act-put-record-number-reporters-sources-jail-and-trump-could-be-even-worse/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/06/08/trump-rages-about-leakers-obama-quietly-prosecuted-them/

Code words—Constitution and Democracy

The reason we're hearing so often those words rarely ever uttered by a Democrat--Constitution and Democracy--is because they are smart enough to see the hypocrisy of saying Trump asked Ukraine for help for political reasons not policy, when they are trying to impeach Trump for political reasons not policy.

But in fact, the President was following up on corruption--Joe Biden had admitted in public on camera involvement in a quid pro quo and got someone in another government fired in exchange for money. It's part of the president's job to look into that. On the other hand, the House Democrats are trying to impeach Trump for the sin/crime of winning the election in 2016 and defeating their candidate in the electoral college. From the pink hat marchers to Maxine shouting at rallies to investigating endlessly a porn star, they have been political. They have no crimes. Theirs is political, Trump's was not. The IG report shows that all the collusion was on the part of the DNC, the Obama administration and the media.

That said, Trump is allowed to be political, and so is the partisan Congress. The Democrats can impeach him because they hate him, and for no other reason--they can twist that to high crimes and misdemeanors--it just makes a mockery of the system.

Christmas cheer

I received the most delightful Christmas letter today from a friend with ALS. She is focusing on living, not dying. She's so thankful to be in her specially equipped home with home health aides and doing ordinary things we take for granted like attending church and shopping and getting her hair styled because she was in nursing care for awhile after aspiration pneumonia.

Her friends visit, call, send cards, bring gifts and send flowers, and her husband is with her.

Thanks for an uplifting message, old friend.

What’s for dinner?

You can be married almost 60 years and still be surprised. I offered 2 leftover choices--chili or pork roast with gravy and biscuits. I thought sure I'd get the chili, but I was wrong. . .

There was no bias.

The IG report says there was no bias in the FBI's methods and behavior. Whatever. But it also says the Obama administration was spying on the Trump campaign and using a fake dossier pushed by the Clinton/DNC operatives to get a FISA warrant which was then used improperly.  Seventeen major mistakes (and many more smaller ones), and all made by Democrats.  But there was no bias.

Now maybe that's no bias, but someone owes Trump an apology for the grotesque lies they told. Someone needs to apologize for deceiving the entire country with the media's help. Someone needs to apologize for putting us through this mess for 3 years in their "no bias" campaign to undo the 2016 election and steal the votes of 60,000,000 people. Schiff and Pelosi come to mind--no bias, of course.

But this all began during the Obama administration and he set the whole thing in motion. Yes, the election was interfered with, but it was coming from the White House led by the most powerful man in the world, and that isn't Putin.

What a sweet grandma story!

I saw this on Facebook.  I’ve “known” Carol since 2003 as a blogger.

“Our week of babysitting the two youngest grandgirls ends tonight. One more car rider line pickup at school this afternoon, one more homework-dinner-bath/pajama time this evening - and then their parents should arrive back home right at bedtime - which means that later tonight I'll drive back to my home and sleep in my own bed for the first time since Sunday night over a week ago. What a wonderful week it has been! Snuggle and reading time with each girl individually at bedtime has been especially tender. And bedtime prayers, too. Last night they put on an original farewell song-and-dance production for me that was both entertaining and sweet! I'm so proud of the wonderful way our son and DIL are raising their precious girls. Both girls are strong, smart, sweet, confident, and beautiful. This week reminded me so much of the times I babysat Lily and Sophie when they were younger. And I know that my days of being needed as a babysitter are numbered. Children grow up so quickly!”

51,312 abortions 2017-2018

What Warren Buffet gave through his foundation in 2001-2012 paid for 2.7 million abortions. One of the reasons he was able to complain about his low taxes (said his tax rate was lower than his secretary's) is that his taxes were reduced by these "donations." So we helped pay for the abortions he wanted.

No gulags; no death camps; no gas chambers; no lynching. Just financing abortions.

https://www.lifenews.com/2019/12/10/warren-buffet-foundation-spent-77-million-on-abortion-enough-to-kill-220000-babies-in-abortions/

You go girl—Nikki Haley

Usually I don't reply to party, candidate or non-profit surveys--they are always an appeal for money. But yesterday I got one for Republican something or other with Nikki Haley's name as the headliner. So I filled out the survey, added some money, then an orange sticky note,

"Nikki Haley for President 2024."
Three term SC House; Governor SC 2011-2017; Ambassador to UN 2017-2018. Graduate of Clemson; experience in business; active in civic affairs. Parents are both immigrants from India. Wife and mother of 2. She has stated, "I'm not pro-life because the Republican Party tells me, I'm pro-life because all of us have had experiences of what it means to have one of these special little ones in our life." She was rejected for a child beauty contest because she didn't "fit" in the black or white categories for SC which had 2 contests. You've come a long way, Nikki.

Are needy people losing SNAP?

Have you heard your Democrat friends (if you still have any) howling or posting memes about 700,000 people losing food stamp (SNAP) benefits? Actually millions have come off Food Stamps because of Trump's improving economy, but we'll have to fight that later. The October poverty report was amazing.

“The change is limited to able-bodied adults without dependents, so you don't need to envision little AOC crying with no food after daddy died.

There are currently 3 million such people—able bodied adults with no children--receiving food stamp benefits. The overwhelming majority have zero employment and earnings.

Under the rule, some recipient able-bodied adults without dependents who have received aid for more than three months would be required to take a job; if a job is not immediately available, recipients would be required to undertake training, perform community service work, or at least look for a job.
The reform is quite modest: Two-thirds of all recipient able-bodied adults without dependents are exempt from the requirements.”

This sounds a lot like the welfare reform of the mid-1990s. Able body adults need to work for their own self-esteem and work experience so they can move ahead.

https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/12/08/the-truth-about-the-new-food-stamp-work-requirements-effects/?

I admit, having worked in a jobs program for JPTA in the 1980s, I know there are people who will NEVER be eligible in a meaningful way for work.  We will need to support them the rest of their lives.  You wouldn’t want them near you, either stocking shelves or emptying bed pans. Jobs today can be terribly complex, even checking numbers on a clip board. 

Shep is out, Bill is in at 3 p.m.

Unless he keeps the same writers, Bill Hemmer should be easier to watch than Shep. I just turned Shepard Smith off; however, because the company was listing left anyway, not sure it will affect the viewers. Fox has always been more moderate and middle of the road than CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and the alphabet broadcast.  Its analysis and experts are better, its women prettier, its humorists funnier, and its tone friendlier.  Its ratings show. CNN must be getting subsidized because it has lost so many viewers I'm surprised it can pay the utility bills. Fox's news is news, and its opinion is opinion.  Any discerning viewer should be able to tell the difference. Tucker, Laura and Hannity are opinion shows. The Five and Outnumbered are up to the minute panel news commentary, but always with at least one liberal on board. Bret is straight news—doesn’t even change his expression. I predict Bill will sort of be right down the middle—news with a little opinion on the side.

https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/bill-hemmer-shepard-smith-fox-news-1203429749/

“As a journalist, l am extremely grateful for this opportunity. 2020 will undoubtedly be a year of great significance. Leading our breaking news division with a signature hour has enormous value to me, personally, and to our audience,” Hemmer said in a statement. “We’ve got a fantastic team here and I am excited to get to work.”

Hemmer used to work for CNN and has been at Fox about 15 years.

Tumor Treating Fields—a review and graphic

Treatment for glioblastoma approved in 2015.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6406491/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29349613https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29349613

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28298023

“In 2011, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a tumor treating fields (TTF) device for treatment of recurrent or refractory GBM. More recently, the FDA approved the TTF device as adjuvant treatment for newly-diagnosed patients after completing standard-of-care surgery and chemoradiation. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) added the TTF device as an option for treatment of newly-diagnosed GBM. Despite FDA approval, skepticism remains regarding this therapy. In this review we discuss the current evidence supporting treatment with the TTF device and its limitations.”

TT Fields Treatment https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/brain-tumor/tt-fields-tumortreating-fields-for-brain-tumors

• The TT fields treatment device is portable and may help people treat their cancer while continuing their normal activities.
  
• People undergoing TT fields therapy use small transducers that are attached to their head with adhesive bandages. Hair must be shaved in order to use the device.
  
• The transducers are connected to wires, which are plugged into a battery that is about the size of a book. The batteries fit into a bag that the person carries with them, either in a backpack, across the body, or over the shoulder like a messenger bag.
  
• The system comes with multiple batteries and a charging station. The user is alerted when batteries need to be changed.
  
• The therapy is continual, but people can unplug the device for short times
  

The plan to destroy your religious freedom

LGBTQ activists want to make disagreements and different religious beliefs against the law. The Fairness for All Act adopts the faulty reasoning of the Equality Act, treating all disagreement about the nature of marriage and the biological basis of sex as illegal discrimination. That's not fairness, that's anti-American.

• Pete Buttigieg, Democrat candidate for President, is not gay enough for this crowd.
• Your beloved sister or niece who are lesbian and accepted by the family and community will not pass muster.
• Your best friend from high school who is gay and a Republican will not be gay enough.
• Andrew Sullivan is not gay enough, "The gay left hates and wants to persecute orthodox Christians, however much good they do. And they’ve taken over the movement."

This is about power, not love and acceptance of differences.

Rumors of economic downturn, again

Remember when Trump took the oath of office, and all the liberal economists were predicting disaster? I’ve looked back through the 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 predictions. It isn’t all stock market talk—it’s farmers in Tennessee, or truck drivers cross country, or realtors.  Each little blip brings out the “what are we going to do about this monster in the White House?”

The last recession ended in June 2009--before the first dollar of ARRA went out the door. They come around about every 10 years (GW Bush inherited the 2000 recession), and usually the recovery is fast unless the government interferes too much with "help." I wonder why liberals keep trying to talk us into an economic down turn? Maybe because they are desperate to see Trump fail and will damage the whole nation for that goal? The October Census report on poverty and the November report on jobs where almost mind blowing for the Democrats--they are so eager to bring down the most successful president in our life times.

John Kerry on Joe Biden

"I’ve never before seen the world more in need of someone who on day one can begin the incredibly hard work of putting back together the world Donald Trump has smashed apart."

• Other than blowing up the good old boys' club in Washington, just exactly what has Donald Trump smashed?
• More NATO countries paying their share?
• The embassy moved to Jerusalem?
• A tax cut for the middle class?
• Best employment figures ever for blacks?
• Securing our borders?
• Reducing the numbers and power of ISIS
• Best economy in 50 years?
• Giving black men in prison a fair shake?
• Declaring Merry Christmas?
• Cleaning up the VA? Defunding Planned Parenthood?
• Record number of employed?
• Starting to build the wall that Democrats agreed to?
• Ending aid to Palestinians?
• Cutting 22 regulations for every new rule introduced?
• Challenging the lap dog media?

Wow. That's some smash up.

Although Obama hasn't directly endorsed Biden, his surrogates are rushing to the rescue "loose lips sink ships Joe." Kerry is a surrogate for Obama. All Democrats know that dog whistle.

There’s Good News in the Bible, but also in the economic news

There's a lot of good news out there if only the liberal media would let you in on it. The U.S. Census Bureau’s latest report on income and poverty, which came out in October found real median family income up 1.2 percent from 2017 to 2018, real median earnings up 3.4 percent, the number of full-time, year-round workers increased by 2.3 million, and the poverty rate declined from 12.3 percent to 11.8 percent, with 1.4 million people leaving poverty. That's why Democrats want to impeach the President. The poverty and earnings report combined with the November jobs report could just signal that not as many people need the federal government, and for leftists, that's tragic news.

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/the-world-is-getting-better-its-just-that-no-one-tells-you-about-it/

There are many items of good news in this article—from medicine to technology to environment.

Sebastian Gorka, interview

Sebastian Gorka, former White House adviser and author of the new book "The War For America's Soul," sat down with Daily Caller's Stephanie Hamill to discuss the 'left's assault on America' and what can be done to preserve what made this country 'great in the first place'.  Unfortunately, I can’t use that link although I’ve listened to it on Facebook, so I’m using a different interview, with Candace Owens, a rising star on the PragerU channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YZJFVBCzSY

I listen to Gorka occasionally 3-5 p.m. on talk radio 98.9 FM in Columbus.  His parents fled Hungary due to Communism, so he was raised in England, and is now an American citizen. He campaigned for the president, and was briefly in the Trump Administration, and is still very loyal. I think he’s had his show about 2 years, having replaced Michael Medved in that spot. He interviews some interesting guests and also takes calls, although he’s not very patient with anyone who doesn’t have his conservative, pro-Trump views.

A troika (тройка) of tyranny dragging a sleigh with a broken runner

Writing about the three partisan academics who spoke against President Trump at the hearings--Victor Davis Hanson:

"We are reminded that, outside small captive audiences on campus, academics are not very good public speakers and usually argue on the basis of presumed authority rather than facts and analysis. The three partisans came across as nasal, whiney, emotional, biased, and self-referential — and their past anti-Trump tweets, and partisan careers, clips, and interviews only confirmed the current stereotypes. On Ukraine, they said the same old, same old thing in mostly the same old ways."

Can’t wait until the Republican controlled Senate gets to call witnesses to the crimes the Democrats have perpetrated.

Obamacare overrun and fraud

About a year ago they discovered some massive fraud in Obamacare--one report found that about 93% of single people who benefited weren't eligible in the big Medicaid expansion and a huge percentage were earning over $100,000. So I decided to check and see if any heads every rolled. But of course, Obama had left town, and Trump was being blamed for being mean and cruel. This is the most recent I found.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sallypipes/2019/09/03/new-bombshell-report-reveals-obamacares-epic-medicaid-waste/#1238fc73e314

"Medicaid was established to serve the genuinely needy: low-income Americans, seniors, the disabled, and poor children. Obamacare flooded the program with able-bodied, working-age adults—that is, people who could likely secure private insurance on their own.

By the end of 2016, some 11.5 million able-bodied adults had enrolled in Medicaid because of the expansion, more than double the original enrollment projections. This brings the total number on Medicaid to 65.6 million. The cost of the expansion has been higher than expected, too—76% more per person."

What is your acceptable number?

At least 12,000 late-term abortions take place every year in the United States, according to Guttmacher Institute data (research arm of Planned Parenthood). Almost none out of medical necessity. And that's OK with Nancy Pelosi, Pete Buttigeig, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and the rest of the gang. And they perpetuate the lie about "save the life of the mother." Nor will they vote to save the life of a born alive aborted child. There was a time in our history when only one politician would say that--Barack Obama. But, he did promise to fundamentally change the country. Promise kept.

Let me ask you, Democrats, what is the appropriate number of lives to snuff in the name of feminism? You can handle 12,000--how about 20,000? Or maybe 10? What's your number?

Name calling—the last resort for Democrats

I've never been able to figure out how Donald Trump gets slammed with that racist meme. He called MS-13 thugs and terrorists. Well? Did he say all Hondurans? Or all people attempting to break into our country? No.

He tried to block people from a few Muslim dominated countries until they could be vetted--Obama's list--because the countries didn't have viable governments. Do you have any idea how many countries are dominated by Islam? About 24% of the world's population. Do you really think the President was blocking that many people, or that Obama had all of them on a list?

But once ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, NYT, WaPo, Politico, HuffPo, and all the late night comedians, has-been movie stars and women dress in pink body parts costumes get on a roll, they just crash down the mountain.

Here's a photo of President Trump and the award he and other patriotic, diverse Americans--Rosa Parks, Muhammed Ali--received in the 1980s, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which recognizes American citizens who embody “patriotism, tolerance, brotherhood and diversity.”

If Democrats can't call a white person racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic or white supremacist, they are left tongue tied and speechless and go back to their knitting-- promoting abortion.

What’s your favorite Christmas movie?

So far with my binge watching the Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel, my favorite is "Christmas at the Plaza" (2019). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10921042/ Maybe it's because it's the only one I've watched start to finish (others I've watched in sections, sometimes finishing at the gym), or maybe because I marveled at the American accent of Elizabeth Henstridge who was flawless, or maybe because it's about an archivist (2nd cousin of a librarian) or maybe because it was fun to see Julia Duffy whom I haven't seen since Newhart. Or maybe because it even had a senior citizen romance in it. Something for everyone.

Beautiful hymn of praise in the book of Tobit

This morning I've been reading the story of Tobit, Anna, Tobiah and Sarah. Such an interesting cast of characters including a demon named Asmodeus and an angel named Raphael. Such beautiful hymns of praise and promise. It's a shame we Protestants don't use it. You don't need to read it as either fact or fiction, just enjoy it for God's amazing works and the praise offered to him.

I really identified with the husband/wife conversation between Tobit and his wife Anna, that is still being repeated to this day.

Backstory: Tobit was a wealthy, successful man who became blind and lost his wealth. His wife had to support the family so Tobit sent son Tobias off to recover money he had in another land. Anna is not happy! It goes sort of like this as they are awaiting his return.

Tobit chapter 10. Now his father Tobit was counting each day, and when the days for the journey had expired and they did not arrive . . .

Tobit: “Is it possible that he has been detained? Or is it possible that Gab′ael [kinsman] has died and there is no one to give him the money?” And he was greatly distressed.

Anna: “The lad has perished; his long delay proves it.” Then she began to mourn for him, and said, “Am I not distressed, my child, that I let you go, you who are the light of my eyes?” She begins to weep and wail.

Tobit: “Be still and stop worrying; he is well, my love, he is safe. They probably had unexpected business, the man traveling with him is trustworthy and is one of our own kinsmen. Do not worry.” [Women just love to be told not to worry and awfulize.]

Anna: “Oh stop it! Be still and stop deceiving me; my child has perished.” And she went out every day to the road by which they had left; she ate nothing in the daytime, and throughout the nights she never stopped mourning for her son Tobi′as, getting no sleep at all."

Now, doesn't that sound familiar?

P.S. It all turns out and God is praised--see Chapter 13 for Tobit's song of praise. Raphael the angel when he reveals his true identity tells Tobit, "A king's secret is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be made known with due honor."

The Lakeside Pavilion—Giving Tuesday

Tomorrow is "Giving Tuesday," and my in-box is swamped. We'll be donating to Lakeside Foundation to help restore the pavilion built in 1988. It's special to us. We attend church there on Sundays during the summer, and I understand the east deck will be dedicated to Rev. Irwin Jennings, our summer time pastor. We had our 50th wedding anniversary there in 2010. Bob is a member of the sailing club which is tucked inside. It was a very hot summer in 1988 and we were strolling on Oak Street and saw a cottage for sale. The lakefront looked good -- better than anytime in our memory. The 1909 pavilion had been replaced by something really ugly in the early 1960s, and it was replaced by a fairly authentic replica. So we took the plunge and although loans were over 10% then, we became cottage owners. Here's the story of the Lakeside Pavilion.

https://blog.lakesideohio.com/2019/11/15/pavilion-east-deck-to-be-named-in-honor-of-the-rev-irwin-janet-jennings/

https://blog.lakesideohio.com/2019/11/26/history-of-the-lakeside-pavilion/

https://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/08/antiques-roadshow-bruce-version.html

How to kill the gig economy

I've never used Uber or Lyft, but I can see the big hand of government regulation killing the gig economy. "The Seattle City Council unanimously passed legislation Monday that will establish a minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers and raise per-ride taxes to pay for city programs." All in the name of protecting the worker. So tell me again city officials how some of the poorest, but most ambitious people, are going to build your "affordable" housing ($52 million) and the City Center connector ($56 million) that is millions in debt and which you've failed miserably to build?

https://www.geekwire.com/2019/seattle-passes-minimum-wage-uber-lyft-drivers-raising-fees-rides/

Jesus is Lord even if we are mad at him and don't want Christmas

Mother's Day 2010

In the early years of the United States, many Christians didn't celebrate Christmas at all--it was just another day--because it had been spoiled by drunken parties and materialism common among the British. Sort of like today. My mom never had a Christmas present as a child, although I think there were cards exchanged at school because I have some of them. My dad did remember getting a new pair of overalls as a kid and somehow they scraped together enough money to buy candy. Ironic that they were so poor and my mom's parents had money, yet dad's family found something to celebrate and mom's made it just another day, no celebration. They did loosen up after grandchildren, and learned to enjoy the holiday.  Just the other day I bought a box of art supplies that reminded me of something they gave me when I was maybe 8 years old. I'll probably never open it, because I don't draw anymore, but it was fun to see it.

The first Christmas I remember was 1944 in Alameda, CA when Dad was in the marines in WWII. Scary times. I know I had memories earlier than that because I can remember I thought that singing carols in the fog (that smell of the Bay has stayed with me) was very different than singing carols in the snow in Illinois--I just have no specific memory of 1943 or 1942. Also we didn't have a church which seemed odd to me. We went to the school gym for a Christmas program. I suppose the military towns had grown so fast there was no thought of churches. There was death and destruction everywhere, so people probably thought God had left town.

My faith was just something passed along to me by community, family and tradition until 1974, then I believed. Lots of questions I plan to ask Jesus because things haven't always worked out. I don't know how 20th century American Christians got the idea that faith was all happy clappy touchy feely. 100 million people lost their lives in the 20th century due to socialism/communism totalitarian governments--a huge number of them where Christians. And neither God nor the U.S. military saved them. And that doesn't count the war dead--another 40 million--and then it was Christians fighting each other!

On the other hand, I've had so many blessings over the years that others have missed, I'll probably ask about that, too. Although, I sort of suspect everything will become clear without even asking. As Paul says, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood."

Things are really foggy for me now, but someday I'll know.

Today is the first day of Advent, a time we look back, to the first Christmas, the birth of Jesus, and forward to when he comes again in glory.  It's the first day of the new Christian year, a time the church gives us to start fresh.  It's true that Christ has already taken his seat at the right hand of God, but

"now he comes to be born in the narrowness of our lives to be incarnate in us, to give his love to the world through us, through our flesh and blood. . . The reason why we are where we are this Christmas, in this house, family, office, workroom, hospital, or camp, is because it is here in this place that Christ wants to be born, from here that he wants his life to begin again in the world"  (Caryll Houselander, "Lift up your hearts" 1978.) From Magnificat, December 2019

Clarence Thomas on liberals

Justice Thomas: "I felt as though in my life I had been looking at the wrong people as the people who would be problematic toward me," Justice Thomas said in the documentary. "We were told that, 'Oh, it's gonna be the bigot in the pickup truck; it's gonna be the Klansmen; it's gonna be the rural sheriff.' But it turned out that through all of that, ultimately the biggest impediment was the modern-day liberal. They were the ones who would discount all those things because they have one issue or because they have the power to caricature you."  https://pjmedia.com/trending/justice-clarence-thomas-takes-revenge-on-joe-biden-he-wanted-to-get-rid-of-me/

How true. Although I was a Democrat at the time, I was excited about this appointment by GHW Bush in 1991. I remember where I was when it dawned on me what liberal professors at OSU were about. They don't walk the talk. We were at lunch in the Faculty Club and I naively assumed all of us overeducated state employees would be thrilled with this nomination. "Bush is just doing it because he's black," she said, "He's just not qualified."

He has been an amazing justice, and his autobiography is one of the best political and cultural histories I've ever read, "My Grandfather's Son." You'll learn more about the black experience reading that book than attending a year's worth of SJW sniping at a university.

Baby Alexandria

I rarely remember a sermon--and we have such good pastors. Nothing personal--it's a learning disability I've learned to work around since I was a child. Joe Valentino had such a stunning story in his Thanksgiving sermon it's stayed with me--and I'd love to be able to do what those parents did. I may not have all the details correct, but here's the gist of it.

I remembered seeing a notice in the November 17 bulletin about the death of baby Alexandria, and Joe told her story. This much adored and awaited for little girl had a stroke at birth and didn't die, but she was brain dead. Her parents took her home and made a vow to enjoy every moment of her life, to love and cherish her as if each day were their last together. I could hear gasps from the other pews. I believe she died about a week later, and they had kept their vow. We never know what day is our last together, so always be kind and loving and thankful for the time you have.

What happened to my nice life?

I know that the apostles and church fathers spent a lot of time searching the scriptures (what we Christians call the Old Testament) trying to figure out what in the world happened--this isn't the messiah we had hoped for. And to this day, we poke around looking for modern day or future meaning about those old stories of God's faithfulness when we ask, "What in the world happened" to my nice comfortable life that I'd planned out?

While searching for BIG answers, I came across a smaller one today in the story that has inspired a million Sunday School handouts and movies--Daniel in the Lion's Den. Believe it or not, I actually found a warning of what our country will be going through if we elect any of those Democrats running in 2020! Collectively they represent a possible take down of everything important to American Christians, especially the First Amendment.
Stay with me--just a little backstory--We're talking about King Darius the one who follows King Belshazzar, and Daniel, a Jewish survivor (had already been through the furnace story). Darius had a huge, powerful "deep state,"--satraps, etc. and Daniel was one of their supervisors, a pretty great job for a Jewish exile and was highly respected by the King. The deep state hated Daniel and wanted to get rid of him:

"Some men rushed into the upper chamber of Daniel's home and found him praying and pleading before his God. Then they went to remind the king about the prohibition: (think nuns who won't buy health insurance that covers abortion, or bakers and florists who won't celebrate a customer's same sex wedding) "Did you not decree, O king, that no one is to address a petition to god or man for 30 days, except to you, O king; otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?" The king answered them, "The decree is absolute, irrevocable under the Mede and Persian law." To this they replied, "Daniel, the Jewish exile, has paid no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you issued; 3 times a day he offers his prayer." The king was deeply grieved at this news and he made up his mind to save Daniel; he worked till sunset to rescue him. But these men insisted. They said, "Keep in mind, O king, that under the Mede and Persian law every royal prohibition or decree is irrevocable." So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the lions' den. "

So you probably know how that turns out--Daniel is saved by God and Darius the king ends up declaring that the God of Daniel is the real deal because he saved Daniel from the lions. And Darius writes a really lovely hymn/liturgy we can say today. (Daniel 6:27)

He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.

Thankful. Gratitude. Grateful.

Be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16.

May we give thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Ephesians 5:30

Thank God! Give him the praise and the glory. Before all the living, acknowledge the many good things he has done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song. Before all men, honor and proclaim God's deeds, and do not be slack in praising him. Tobit 12:6

The word of God for the people of God.

Life expectancy dropping since 2014

Our behavior is showing up in our health statistics as well as our homes.

"Between 1959 and 2016, US life expectancy increased from 69.9 years to 78.9 years but declined for 3 consecutive years after 2014. The recent decrease in US life expectancy culminated a period of increasing cause-specific mortality among adults aged 25 to 64 years that began in the 1990s, ultimately producing an increase in all-cause mortality that began in 2010. During 2010-2017, midlife all-cause mortality rates increased from 328.5 deaths/100 000 to 348.2 deaths/100 000. By 2014, midlife mortality was increasing across all racial groups, caused by drug overdoses, alcohol abuse, suicides, and a diverse list of organ system diseases. The largest relative increases in midlife mortality rates occurred in New England (New Hampshire, 23.3%; Maine, 20.7%; Vermont, 19.9%) and the Ohio Valley (West Virginia, 23.0%; Ohio, 21.6%; Indiana, 14.8%; Kentucky, 14.7%). The increase in midlife mortality during 2010-2017 was associated with an estimated 33 307 excess US deaths, 32.8% of which occurred in 4 Ohio Valley states."  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2756187?

Americans can't smoke, over eat, have multiple sex partners, sooth the soul with alcohol and become a zombie with drugs and not have it show up in a study down the road. Although the numbers ticked up 2010-2017, the behavior began much before that--the 1980's-1990s.

And that Ohio Valley information in the study--straight up from Mexico—black tar heroin.  Read “Dreamland; the true tale of America's Opioid Epidemic” by Sam Quinones. He was a speaker at Lakeside, I think in 2018.  The stories of young men in Mexico, independent of the drug cartels, in search of their own American Dream via the fast and enormous profits of trafficking cheap black-tar heroin to America’s rural and suburban addicts combined with Big Pharma.  https://nihrecord.nih.gov/2018/05/18/author-recounts-how-opioids-took-hold-america

Baby Boomers exceed all other generations in wealth

Where are you in distribution of wealth--born before 1946, or baby boomer, or gen-x, or millennials? The Boomers after 2005 began pulling ahead of the "silents" in wealth accumulation, and never looked back. Even with a little back sliding by boomers during the recession, I see no way the millennials will ever catch up--have they been given too much or just taken on too much debt.

https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/dataviz/dfa/distribute/table/?fbclid=IwAR3xXjxcnVsekzvw3DtdeeJeDKhOXFec1sCugV2kGGbdGMu6cjoBcY0jpGE#quarter:
119;series:Net worth;demographic:generation;population:all;units:levels

Thanksgiving, November 28, 1872

Whereas the revolution of another year has again brought the time when it is usual to look back upon the past and publicly to thank the Almighty for His mercies and His blessings; and

Whereas if any one people has more occasion than another for such thankfulness it is the citizens of the United States, whose Government is their creature, subject to their behests;

who have reserved to themselves ample civil and religious freedom and equality before the law;

who during the last twelvemonth have enjoyed exemption from any grievous or general calamity, and to whom prosperity in agriculture, manufactures, and commerce has been vouchsafed;

Now, therefore, by these considerations, I recommend that on Thursday, the 28th day of November next, the people meet in their respective places of worship and there make their acknowledgments to God for His kindness and bounty.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 11th day of October, A.D. 1872, and of the Independence of the United States of America the ninety-seventh. U.S. GRANT

If you have a spare prayer this Thanksgiving . . .

The last time we saw Dan was at the funeral of a mutual friend in 2018.  He and Bob used to work together—I only saw his wife at the wonderful Christmas parties.  They had the most beautiful children—dark, Italian and very well behaved.  According to her story, Dan is now disabled and she has arthritis (plus another surgery from 20 years ago over which she has battled insurance companies and doctors without satisfaction).  So she hired a company to rake and take away the leaves.  On Tuesday.  Well, if you live in the tsunami lane we’ve experienced the last 24 hours, you know that all the neighbors’ leaves are now in their yard, and the money and frustration were wasted.  She said this, which is why I’m asking you to pray for this stranger even I don’t know well—and I suspect there is a hidden message in here for her adult children and grandchildren, so you can throw that in also:

“There are days when I just feel like jumping off a bridge and this is one of them. Last week a hit-and-run driver bashed our only car and took off leaving us to deal with the expense and effort to get it fixed. By "us" I mean me because I have to do everything, large and small, by myself now==which isn't all that different than what I have always been stuck with. All I do is work: cook, clean, fix stuff, laundry, yard work, and so on into infinity. If I had known I was going to spend my entire life getting stuck doing the scut-work nobody else wants to bother with so they can enjoy their lives unencumbered by it all I'd have taken that jump a long time ago.”

I’m binge watching Hallmark Christmas movies

Sometimes I doze off (have trouble distinguishing between some of the blondes), but I can catch up the next day watching at the gym. I think I've just about have  “Christmas at Graceland” pieced together. I’d never watched them before but I think I’ve got the plan for the plot and could be a screenwriter.

• Blonde female, brunette male (both gorgeous),
• she's an executive looking for property and he drives a van, or truck;
• alternate line is she is single manager/entertainer waiting for next assignment and
• he is wealthy investor, widower with 3 children;
• town/village/ski resort has Christmas festival falling on hard times;
• everyone comes together to cook/decorate or dress elegantly;
• a minimum of 3 generations, possibly 4 if you can work in the great grandparents
• kids are always handsome and well behaved,
• only one or two kisses for the couple
• no one swears, cusses or throws things.

I did see the first few minutes of one today where beautiful blonde executive is planning to drive her cousin's vintage Mustang from NJ to CO during December.  I'm pretty sure there will be a snow storm with a handsome guy coming to the rescue.  I had to leave. Maybe I’ll see it on Friday at the gym.

One other thing I’ve noticed:  even though it’s snowing and everyone is wearing coats and scarves, if the scene calls for a pretty gown, the lovely main character isn’t wearing a coat so the dress shows well.

Have the hearings affected the market?

Ross Rant, 11/25: "Clearly the Schiff Show had no impact on the market as everyone knows it was all just a reality show for the Dems that has fallen flat with most voters. Most people no longer care. It is now holiday season and parties, no one has time for a bunch of Dem politicians making rash statements for TV. Nobody outside DC and CA cares anymore. Republicans are all geared up to destroy Biden if this goes ahead, and maybe the Dems are figuring that out as the polls now show a majority of voters are not in favor of impeachment. Horowitz will be out in two weeks and that will suck the oxygen out of the room, and may give Republicans some attack points to go after the Dems. Then comes Durham early next year with indictments. And now Biden says he might select Stacy Abrams, the failed GA gubernatorial candidate, as VP. Do I hear the Democratic Palin. Can you imagine trying to sell Abrams as one heart beat from being president with a 78 year old starting his term. Yikes."

Ross assumes his readers know all the players, like Horowitz, Durham and Abrams.  Here’s the score:

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/horowitz-report-coming-horowitz-report-coming-lindsay-graham-signals-early-dec-release

https://www.sgtreport.com/2019/10/deep-state-in-total-panic-as-durhams-investigation-confirmed-to-have-transitioned-to-criminal-phase-indictments-imminent/

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/joe-biden-embraces-the-stacey-abrams-voter-fraud-myth

Who is endangering the Constitution?

This latest lie dumped on the country that Trump is destroying the Constitution is just crazy. Really?

• He's the one denigrating religion--trying to throw nuns and cake bakers out of work because they are Christians?
• He's the one booing God at the national convention?
• He's the one tearing down statues,
• demanding famous buildings be renamed, and
• organizing mobs to attack speakers on college campuses?
• He's the one pushing for men in women's locker rooms or competing in their track meets?

President Trump is the one protecting the borders, funding the military, and appointing judges who don't desire to make law usurping the Congress. President Trump is the one who wants to renegotiate trade deals which were giving away the country. President Trump is the one who has said stop hobbling our soldiers and if you have to go to war, at least bring home a victory more often than 75 years. President Trump is the one asking for fewer regulations that put the states at the mercy of the federal government and its unelected bureaucracy.

I ask any Democrat to suggest an unconstitutional act by this president that even comes close to the stage at any of the 2020 game show of Bernie, Kamala, Cory, Pete, Tulsi, et al where they all promise to raise our taxes, jail people who use the wrong pronoun, dismantle ICE, open the borders, kill babies and take away our rights. But they won't be able to because they are so busy hurling insults and bigotry and knitting pink hats that they've forgotten to look for facts and policies to criticize.

Tips on language changes—how not to go to jail

Socialists are so creative with language--like AOC declaring free stuff is now "public goods." They decided "patriotism" is now "nationalism" which is like being a Nazi brown shirt. But being a black shirt Antifa who burns down buildings is OK.

Male and female pronouns have become hate speech. Sex became gender which used to be a part of speech. "Gender reassignment" has become "gender affirmation," because you can't reassign what was always there. Next week, it might be something else and then the word you used this week becomes hate speech.

"Negro" back in the 1960s was OK and "black" was an insult. Then black was OK and Negro was an insult. N-words are pejoratives and can't even be used in 19th c. literature like Huckleberry Finn when they were not pejoratives. They are only OK when used in a million dollar Hip Hop song sung by blacks, but definitely is hate speech when a comedian used it 15 years ago.

The AMA now uses the term "pregnant people" instead of "pregnant women" because faux men who actually are women need women's restroom and menstrual pads and everyone knows real men don't get pregnant.

Bias training, aka reeducation camps, are needed in universities for everyone, but only whites can be racists and white supremacists, or experience micro-aggression (a new term) and implicit bias and be guilty of thought crimes interpreted by Democrats and Socialists. Because hate crimes are so rare, one now needs to find them in experiences and places no one ever sees or experiences.

Everyone at university level are now taught that "implicit bias" is part of the human condition, sort of like original sin, and therefore, all need to have their minds cleansed of this evil--sort of like Christian baptism, but a lot less holy with no route to heaven.

I’ve found the problem; we’re no longer virtuous

Ben Franklin wrote: "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."

• We cannot call ourselves virtuous if we're killing babies and sterilizing children with hormones and chemicals in the quest of a fantasy about sex.
• We cannot call ourselves virtuous if we destroy dreams of our citizens because they won't submit to socialist big-think and jabberwocky.
• We cannot call ourselves virtuous if we allow political reeducation camps to reside inside our colleges and universities.
• We cannot call ourselves virtuous while allowing all manner of data manipulation and cyber-spying to squash original thought.
• We cannot call ourselves virtuous while allowing regulations by unelected bureaucrats to take the place of our legislators examining the issues and voting our wishes.
• We cannot call ourselves virtuous if we do not encourage legal immigration to refresh and renew our national spirit and
• discourage illegal immigration which steals wealth from our workers attempting to get ahead.
• We cannot call ourselves virtuous if we do not seek truth, beauty and goodness in our art, public buildings, libraries, museums, entertainment, literature and finally, in our homes.

Almost 30 years or more of brainwashing

Larry Burkett wrote a book, "What ever happened to the American dream," Moody Press, 1993. The year Bill Clinton took office. Usually that's a line for the left. Income gap. Dying unions. Shrinking middle class. What happened to the American dream? Burkett writes:

"There is enough material available on the impact of government regulations and their effect on the economy to write an entire book. But, in reality, regulations are just one part of the overall problem. The sad thing is that, with all the misinformation being aimed at the public via our media, America's children are being brainwashed into believing that all those regulations are in their best interests.”

Almost 27 years ago, and Burkett couldn't have imagined what was coming down the pike in the way of regulations. . . especially speech codes, mandatory anti-bias classes for college students, tearing down statues representing our history, use pronouns of choice or lose a job, drag queens for library story hour, hormone blockers for adolescents with consent of parents, doctors and psychologists, 9 month abortions called women's health, 50% of the citizenry bullied as deplorables by a national candidate, environmental disasters in California and skyrocketing homelessness due to disastrous regulations, and the civil war caused by Democrats' failure to accept an election. These weren't laws--they were regulations passed by unelected federal bureaucrats or local boards and committees and increasingly by digital giants infesting our freedoms.

Burkett said that increasing regulations translated to fewer jobs, lower salaries and diminished competition regardless of who was in the White House, but he was definitely on track when he referred to the brainwashing of children. President Trump is trying to bring back America, but because those children of a quarter a century ago have passed on their ignorance and government dependency to their own children, his accomplishments are ignored and his supporters called a cult.

Bad framing

Don’t let the left frame the argument—where anything you say that they don’t agree with is hate speech, or they restrict your freedom of religion and redefine it as bigoted or racist.

https://www.prageru.com/video/the-dark-art-of-framing/