I've been reading "The personal librarian" the story of J.P. Morgan's curator of his rare books and manuscript collection, Belle da Costa Greene. I'm not impressed with the novel. I just came across the bio of her father, the first black graduate of Harvard, Richard Theodore Greener. http://www.mixedracestudies.org/?tag=richard-theodore-greener If the fictionalized account of Belle's life is to be believed, then her father abandoned his family to suit his own ambitions and had a Japanese concubine and two children when he was the first black diplomat to Russia in the early 20th century. That said, she's not to blame for her father's abandonment of her mother and large family. However, the writing is clunky and awkward, and it's a very preachy book about the struggles of a light skinned woman passing as a white in order to have a good life using her remarkable talent and intelligence. But she also had an affair with a married man (who had other lovers) and an abortion when her Jewish lover chose his wife and station over her (she wanted her child). Maybe I'm just tired of reading about amazingly successful people who are seen as victims. Porch reading. I've talked to others who have read it, and many LOVE this book, so don't be afraid to pick it up.
Belle da Costa Greene (1883-1950) • (blackpast.org)
Belle da Costa Greene, the Morgan’s First Librarian and Director | History of the Morgan | The Morgan Library & Museum
A Look at Belle da Costa Greene | Rare Book Collections @ Princeton
The Women Who Made the Morgan: Belle da Costa Greene, Felice Stampfle, and Edith Porada - YouTube Lecture, March 3, 2021
https://youtu.be/uiHz5YKAnhg Her letters to Bernard Berenson (1865–1959), lecture, June 19, 2021
https://youtu.be/JWcaePIBLCU Unmasking a forgery. The Spanish Forger.
Summary and Review: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Murray - The Bibliofile (the-bibliofile.com)
The Personal Librarian Summary & Study Guide (bookrags.com)
a book review by Judith Reveal: The Personal Librarian (nyjournalofbooks.com)
Belle da Costa Greene - Wikipedia
Bernard Berenson - Wikipedia
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Is Biden to blame for baby formula shortage?
The baby formula screw up actually shouldn't be a president's problem, anymore than masks and PPE were Trump's problem or GW Bush to blame for the NOLA mayor's short sightedness. We don't hire these guys to do shelf counts or "just-in-time" stocks. That's what we have massive agencies for headed by overpaid cronies. He is to blame for other things in the supply chain. Like fossil fuel and setting the tone for good business. He threatened the oil industry during the campaign to get the green vote. The concentration of industries is not just one president's fault--I think it had been going on a long time; but Trump should have noticed, because he's a business man and felt strongly about this type of thing. Biden didn't give a piddle and probably had no one watching. There is one thing not spoken about enough which in part makes it his problem. The government buys about half of the formula for its WIC and SNAP and Medicaid programs. So in that sense, whichever alphabet agencies cover that should have warned him so he had someone to blame.
Biden has weakened the country
The irony, in my opinion, is that the owners/investors of the fossil fuel industry are or will be the same who control the so-called "green" sources of energy. Sunlight and wind still have to be converted (controlled) into useable fuel just as crude can't run a truck or furnace.
Sean Hannity: Biden is doing 'exactly' what he promised with the fossil fuel industry | Fox News
https://youtu.be/uqoNzFv_rDk Bill O'Reilly weakened the U.S by trying to destroy the industry.
Friday, June 17, 2022
Friday book review--Roth's Rebellion and Hamilton's Pages
I will certainly need to add these two books to my TBR list. Hugo Hamilton wrote The Pages, where a 1924 novel is a main character, Joseph Roth's book Rebellion. Marianne and Ron, our neighbors here at Lakeside, presented a review of the two books at the Lakeside Women's Club today.
"Andreas Pum, having lost his leg in World War I, is rewarded with a medal and a permit to support himself by playing a barrel organ in the streets of Vienna. At first the simpleminded veteran is entirely satisfied with his lot, and he even finds a voluptuous widow to marry. But then a public quarrel with a respectable citizen on a tram propels Andreas’s life into a rapid downward trajectory. As he loses his beggar’s permit, his new wife, and even his freedom, he is provoked into finally rejecting his blind faith in the benevolence of the powers that govern his life. Joseph Roth’s remarkable novel deploys the haunting atmosphere and propulsive power of a dream to convey the bewilderment of an ordinary man as his world falls apart around him."
"JOSEPH ROTH (1894-1939) was an Austrian novelist, essayist, journalist, and publisher. An outspoken critic of Hitler and militarism, he moved to Paris in 1933. Roth’s novels include What I Saw, The Legend of the Holy Drinker, Right and Left, The Emperor’s Tomb, The String of Pearls, and The Radetzky March, an ironic portrait of the decline of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that is considered to be his masterpiece." (Penguinrandomhouse.com)
"In “The Pages,” Hugo Hamilton’s enticing new novel, “Rebellion” is described as: “A short novel about a barrel organ player who lost his leg in the First World War.” Discarded by the state, Andreas Pum, the disabled veteran, ends up friendless, homeless and hopeless. “Facing death,” Roth writes, “he clung to life in order to rebel: against the world, against the authorities, against the Government, against God.” The award-winning 1999 translation of “Rebellion” by the indefatigable Michael Hofmann, who has also translated half a dozen other Roth books as well as works by Elias Canetti, Alfred Döblin, Franz Kafka and others, is being reissued now to coincide with the release of “The Pages.” “Rebellion” is in fact both the protagonist and the narrator of Hamilton’s novel, a book about the fate of a book." (https://forward.com/culture/481275/the-pages-hugo-hamilton-joseph-roth-rebellion-nazis-kristallnacht/)
"Andreas Pum, having lost his leg in World War I, is rewarded with a medal and a permit to support himself by playing a barrel organ in the streets of Vienna. At first the simpleminded veteran is entirely satisfied with his lot, and he even finds a voluptuous widow to marry. But then a public quarrel with a respectable citizen on a tram propels Andreas’s life into a rapid downward trajectory. As he loses his beggar’s permit, his new wife, and even his freedom, he is provoked into finally rejecting his blind faith in the benevolence of the powers that govern his life. Joseph Roth’s remarkable novel deploys the haunting atmosphere and propulsive power of a dream to convey the bewilderment of an ordinary man as his world falls apart around him."
"JOSEPH ROTH (1894-1939) was an Austrian novelist, essayist, journalist, and publisher. An outspoken critic of Hitler and militarism, he moved to Paris in 1933. Roth’s novels include What I Saw, The Legend of the Holy Drinker, Right and Left, The Emperor’s Tomb, The String of Pearls, and The Radetzky March, an ironic portrait of the decline of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that is considered to be his masterpiece." (Penguinrandomhouse.com)
"In “The Pages,” Hugo Hamilton’s enticing new novel, “Rebellion” is described as: “A short novel about a barrel organ player who lost his leg in the First World War.” Discarded by the state, Andreas Pum, the disabled veteran, ends up friendless, homeless and hopeless. “Facing death,” Roth writes, “he clung to life in order to rebel: against the world, against the authorities, against the Government, against God.” The award-winning 1999 translation of “Rebellion” by the indefatigable Michael Hofmann, who has also translated half a dozen other Roth books as well as works by Elias Canetti, Alfred Döblin, Franz Kafka and others, is being reissued now to coincide with the release of “The Pages.” “Rebellion” is in fact both the protagonist and the narrator of Hamilton’s novel, a book about the fate of a book." (https://forward.com/culture/481275/the-pages-hugo-hamilton-joseph-roth-rebellion-nazis-kristallnacht/)
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Source of inflation could be Covid money
"Did you ever stop to wonder- there was $2.5 Trillion of excess savings due to the pandemic free money? So that money was not needed by the recipients since it went into savings and more went to pay down of credit cards. In short- it was unneeded money transferred from the tax payers to the 50% who are non-taxpayers. So, it then follows that a major portion of the $6 trillion of pandemic give aways, and especially the last $1.9 trillion in March 2021, was a waste of funds, and all that extra spending created the excess demand which is now manifesting itself in 12% inflation to those people who got all that free money they now need just to buy gas and food. And now they are proposing spending another package of hundreds of billions and raising taxes further as we head to recession. Stupid does not begin to define the economic team at the White House." From Ross Rant, [investment newsletter] June 12, 2022
How have environmental rule and regs worsened our housing for low income and middle class?
Because our AC died on the hottest day of the summer (95) and current EPA laws on R-22 prevent it being fixed (will have to replace) I was trying to research to what extent our energy and environmental laws have contributed to homelessness or even pricing low income out of real estate wealth or the competition for a good rental. It's only common sense that the constant drum beat of climate change on the building trades and the corresponding greater concern for mother earth than a mother in America has to hit the more fragile in the wallet. Zip, nada, zilch in the research, especially EPA and Energy Star articles. So I'll just continue to know in my gut that saving the environment is throwing a lot of people out of work and out of their homes. Soon, you may be seeing a lot of cars up on blocks as the bidenflation roars ahead.
But my eyes landed on an interesting fact sheet about homelessness in Washington DC. It decreased significantly under the Trump booming economy, but was still higher than most big cities. The January 2018 count (a point in time) showed 3,761 single adults, and 924 families (3,134 people), and 9 minors alone. So I took a closer look at the singles: 51% were chronically homeless, but only 19% of the adults in the families were chronically homeless. I think that was my big takeaway. 50% of the singles had formerly been institutionalized--from jail or hospital to the streets; 19% of the singles had a history of domestic violence, much lower than the family rate; 30% of the singles had chronic substance abuse and 32.7% had a history of mental illness; 24.6% of single homeless adults were chronically ill and 18% were disabled. Median age for the singles was 51 and for family adults 29.
I was a librarian not a social worker, so I won't suggest a solution, but I do know that saving families is a big part of the solution of homelessness, and housing is probably the smallest part. Families are a social safety net, and many of our government policies can't answer that need.
https://www.legalclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Fact-Sheet-on-Homelessness-and-Housing-Instability-in-DC.pdf
But my eyes landed on an interesting fact sheet about homelessness in Washington DC. It decreased significantly under the Trump booming economy, but was still higher than most big cities. The January 2018 count (a point in time) showed 3,761 single adults, and 924 families (3,134 people), and 9 minors alone. So I took a closer look at the singles: 51% were chronically homeless, but only 19% of the adults in the families were chronically homeless. I think that was my big takeaway. 50% of the singles had formerly been institutionalized--from jail or hospital to the streets; 19% of the singles had a history of domestic violence, much lower than the family rate; 30% of the singles had chronic substance abuse and 32.7% had a history of mental illness; 24.6% of single homeless adults were chronically ill and 18% were disabled. Median age for the singles was 51 and for family adults 29.
I was a librarian not a social worker, so I won't suggest a solution, but I do know that saving families is a big part of the solution of homelessness, and housing is probably the smallest part. Families are a social safety net, and many of our government policies can't answer that need.
https://www.legalclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Fact-Sheet-on-Homelessness-and-Housing-Instability-in-DC.pdf
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
It's 94 at the lake
And the air conditioning died.
We've contacted the new owners and they've decide to replace rather than repair. That's what the new environmental laws do--force people to buy new rather than repair. It's supposed to be cooler tomorrow, and we haven't had the really hot days that Columbus has experienced. The AC was new when we bought our cottage in 1988, and we replaced it in 2002. So I hear 20 years is a good record for AC units. Tonight we go to the picnic in the park--last week was too rainy and cold! Tonight we'll be slapping our ankles as the bugs in the grass bite!
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
Peaceful biolabs in Ukraine--46 of them
"The United States has also worked collaboratively to improve Ukraine’s biological safety, security, and disease surveillance for both human and animal health, providing support to 46 peaceful Ukrainian laboratories, health facilities, and disease diagnostic sites over the last two decades. The collaborative programs have focused on improving public health and agricultural safety measures at the nexus of nonproliferation. " Defense Dept. Fact sheet on WMD reduction efforts. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3057517/fact-sheet-on-wmd-threat-reduction-efforts-with-ukraine-russia-and-other-former/
Hmm. 46 biolabs. Wait. Weren't people called conspiracy theory dups for even suggesting U.S. was funding Ukrainian biolabs?
Remember when Tucker interviewed Tulsi Gabbard and they were accused of spreading Russian misinformation. I wonder what happens when "peaceful biolabs" get bombed? How will public health be improved?
Hmm. 46 biolabs. Wait. Weren't people called conspiracy theory dups for even suggesting U.S. was funding Ukrainian biolabs?
Remember when Tucker interviewed Tulsi Gabbard and they were accused of spreading Russian misinformation. I wonder what happens when "peaceful biolabs" get bombed? How will public health be improved?
If it took them this long to admit to 46, I wonder how many there actually are?
A. J. Lee all grown up and still singing
https://youtu.be/VcRZdmJtVwY 2012, 8 years old
https://youtu.be/Ra7h7lvHbuc 2019,
https://youtu.be/lALQAUn2QTo 2022, 18 years old
Sunday, June 12, 2022
Will the U.S. become Venezuela?
From a Christian Aid Ministries newsletter: ". . . a street artisan weaves a beautiful handbag out of 800 pieces of large denomination banknotes. The money is worthless. Welcome to Venezuela."
And I wonder. Will we be next as Biden's totalitarianism makes our money worthless? Hugo Chavez introduced socialism gradually to Venezuela until he'd destroyed a once prosperous country rich in petroleum assets. It didn't take but a few years. Watch out.
Buying Venezuelan oil while Biden kills our own industry won't save Venezuela from its own leaders' bad socialist choices and it certainly won't help Americans. A Potential U.S. Oil Deal with Venezuela Faces Hurdles (investopedia.com) Biden enriches and enables bad governments elsewhere, while poking American citizens in the eye and lying to them.
And I wonder. Will we be next as Biden's totalitarianism makes our money worthless? Hugo Chavez introduced socialism gradually to Venezuela until he'd destroyed a once prosperous country rich in petroleum assets. It didn't take but a few years. Watch out.
Buying Venezuelan oil while Biden kills our own industry won't save Venezuela from its own leaders' bad socialist choices and it certainly won't help Americans. A Potential U.S. Oil Deal with Venezuela Faces Hurdles (investopedia.com) Biden enriches and enables bad governments elsewhere, while poking American citizens in the eye and lying to them.
Saturday, June 11, 2022
There is a tomorrow, and someone has to pay for it
"In 2021, Social Security spent $57 billion more than it collected in dedicated tax revenue and interest on its trust funds. The trustees expect this gap will widen over the next decade, quickly depleting the program’s trust funds until its runs out of money in 2035. At that point, the program’s income will cover only 80 percent of benefits promised to recipients."
This is an informative article. If you're looking at retirement with SS benefits to supplement your pension in 10-15 years, you definitely should be paying attention. I have a state teacher's pension so I don't get SS (that would be double-dipping). Did you know that? Nor am I be eligible for spousal benefit if my husband died first. G.W. Bush had planned to work on fixing this but with 9-11 and the war he got sidetracked and I don't think any president since then has even mentioned it. Now with raging inflation, you may need to adjust your spending and saving.
This is an informative article. If you're looking at retirement with SS benefits to supplement your pension in 10-15 years, you definitely should be paying attention. I have a state teacher's pension so I don't get SS (that would be double-dipping). Did you know that? Nor am I be eligible for spousal benefit if my husband died first. G.W. Bush had planned to work on fixing this but with 9-11 and the war he got sidetracked and I don't think any president since then has even mentioned it. Now with raging inflation, you may need to adjust your spending and saving.
Friday, June 10, 2022
Shadowlands, the movie
Monday evening at Lakeside we enjoyed the movie Shadowlands about C.S. Lewis and his wife Joy at Orchestra Hall (movie theatre) where I sat with Barbara Martin. It had been raining very hard, so my tarp was actually occupying the seat between us. Our book club had read a fictionalized account of Joy Davidson Gresham several years ago, but I wasn't terribly familiar with their story. I noticed that one son had been left out of the story of their friendship, marriage and her death. So last night at an art show I asked Barbara about it, and she told me of the unfortunate life of the older son David and why he was left out of the story. Today she sent me this link which explains a lot, in case you saw Shadowlands. Douglas Gresham, the stepson of Lewis, has had a very interesting life, and survived some very difficult times.
An Untold Tragedy: Douglas Gresham and C.S. Lewis’s Final Years – The European Conservative
C.S. Lewis tried to help his schizophrenic step-son | The Bridgehead
I wrote about Douglas and his life with Lewis in a 2017 blog. Collecting My Thoughts: C. S. Lewis’ son Douglas Gresham
Plot of Shadowlands (from Wikipedia)
"In the 1950s, the reserved, middle-aged bachelor C. S. Lewis is an Oxford University academic at Magdalen College and author of The Chronicles of Narnia series of children's books. He meets the married American poet Joy Davidman Gresham and her young son Douglas on their visit to England, not yet knowing the circumstances of Gresham's troubled marriage.
What begins as a formal meeting of two very different minds slowly develops into a feeling of connection and love. Lewis finds his quiet life with his brother Warnie disrupted by the outspoken Gresham, whose uninhibited behaviour sharply contrasts with the rigid sensibilities of the male-dominated university. Each provides the other with new ways of viewing the world.
Initially, their marriage is one of convenience, a platonic union designed to allow Gresham to remain in England. But when she is diagnosed with cancer, deeper feelings surface, and Lewis' beliefs are tested as his wife tries to prepare him for her death."
An Untold Tragedy: Douglas Gresham and C.S. Lewis’s Final Years – The European Conservative
C.S. Lewis tried to help his schizophrenic step-son | The Bridgehead
I wrote about Douglas and his life with Lewis in a 2017 blog. Collecting My Thoughts: C. S. Lewis’ son Douglas Gresham
Plot of Shadowlands (from Wikipedia)
"In the 1950s, the reserved, middle-aged bachelor C. S. Lewis is an Oxford University academic at Magdalen College and author of The Chronicles of Narnia series of children's books. He meets the married American poet Joy Davidman Gresham and her young son Douglas on their visit to England, not yet knowing the circumstances of Gresham's troubled marriage.
What begins as a formal meeting of two very different minds slowly develops into a feeling of connection and love. Lewis finds his quiet life with his brother Warnie disrupted by the outspoken Gresham, whose uninhibited behaviour sharply contrasts with the rigid sensibilities of the male-dominated university. Each provides the other with new ways of viewing the world.
Initially, their marriage is one of convenience, a platonic union designed to allow Gresham to remain in England. But when she is diagnosed with cancer, deeper feelings surface, and Lewis' beliefs are tested as his wife tries to prepare him for her death."
Methodists: Don't miss your exit!
Dr. Warren Lathem, a retired UMC pastor and husband of a blogger friend, writes on Facebook, (1) Warren Lathem | Facebook :
"Atlanta drivers know if you wait until the last minute to try to cross 6 lanes of traffic to get to your exit, you are likely to either miss the opportunity and wait for the next one, or get run over by a delivery truck. Therefore, we have learned to get prepared to exit long before the exit appears.
The UMC made a provision for churches to disaffiliate (exit) from the UMC taking their property and all assets without any liability for future unfunded UMC pension benefits. It is described in paragraph 2553 of the current (2019) Book of Discipline.
However, this provision has an expiration date: December 31, 2023. There are costs involved, specifically paying the church’s share of the unfunded pension liability (the conference has to provide that number) and any unpaid current year apportionments plus one more year apportionments. Various other bishops and Conference Boards of Trustees have added other requirements, some quite onerous.
The paragraph 2553 of the 2019 General Conference made provision for disaffiliation by a local church and was ruled constitutional in 2021 by the Judicial Council. This meant disaffiliation could be processed beginning in 2022. Seventy churches in North Georgia completed the process and were approved/ratified for disaffiliation at the June, 2022 Annual Conference.
The remaining churches wishing to disaffiliate have a very narrow window. They must complete the church decision making process and ask for a church conference to be scheduled January 1- February 28, 2023. The North Georgia Conference must vote on whether to ratify the local church disaffiliation agreement which is scheduled for May 31, 2023. No further opportunity for ratification is presently planned.
In order to meet this deadline it is imperative churches act now. The Annual Conference has published very specific procedures which must be followed exactly to be able to successfully execute this process. A sixteen page disaffiliation package has been prepared to help churches navigate this laborious process. The packet is available via email on request.
Please do not believe the speculation that there is no need to do anything before the 2024 General Conference. Also do not believe the speculation that the 2024 GC will make the process easier and less costly. Indications across the church reveal an agenda to thwart the process of disaffiliation. For example, one bishop has declared no churches will be allowed to disaffiliate until after the 2024 GC. Another has required churches to surrender 1/2 of their assets in addition the Disciplinary requirements. Further, the centrists and progressives who were involved in the negotiations which resulted in the Protocol for Separation have withdrawn their support for the legislation in the 2024 GC. The NGA bishop has declared, “The Protocol is dead.”
There is not sufficient evidence to believe the 2024 GC will adopt a new version of Paragraph 2553 nor make leaving less onerous, if even possible. Many have speculated they will, but this a very unlikely outcome.
Therefore, I believe you will have one opportunity: Annual Conference 2023. If you miss the exit, you will have probably made a very costly mistake.
In order to avoid missing the exit, you must begin moving toward it now, not later. Now. No one knows how many NGA churches will seek to disaffiliate in 2023. It could be hundreds. The exit ramp is fast approaching and the exit lane will fill quickly. You need to move toward it quickly.
Please do not let conference leaders, centrist/progressive clergy, or other church members convince you there is no hurry. The time is now.
There are folks available to speak with you, your church leadership, your church or a group of churches to help with understanding the current situation and the necessary process to successfully get through this exit.
In many churches there has been little or no discussion of the whole matter forcing the decision. Often that may be the natural state of inertia in many of the congregations of the UMC. Or it may be a theological misalignment of the pastor and the congregation. Further, it may be the fear of conflict in the congregation. Now is the time to face the fears and the consequences. Time is of the essence.
Disclosure: after 50 years of ministry in the UMC I transferred to the Global Methodist Church. It was in some ways a very sad and difficult decision. However, it was for missional reasons, first, then doctrinal and theological reasons. I believe we have a great missional future together. Our Wesleyan heritage is one of outwardly focused mission. It’s time to pursue it again.
warrenlathem@gmail.com
"Interestingly, the reasons churches are discussing leaving almost always have nothing to do with human sexuality, the high-profile issue at the General Church level. They are talking about a misalignment of mission, decades of ineffective pastoral leadership, the misuse (in their opinion) of their apportionment dollars, the forced closing of local churches, the seizing of local church assets, and a desire for a viable future which appears to no longer be possible in the UMC. They have watched their children leave to go to effective orthodox churches, often independent or loosely aligned with an association of churches. They have observed the sometimes slow and sometimes rapid exit of their contemporaries to other vital churches in their community. They have observed the politically driven actions of the leadership of the conference in hiding or withholding information that for years was readily available to local churches. They have had to receive and pay the salaries of District Superintendents who have little experience and often no serious effective experience. Some of them have had a new DS assigned and have never met them in over two years! Many discuss the all-consuming institutionalism of the denominational leadership while experiencing either benign neglect or open hostility from that same leadership to the needs of the ministry of the local church. Now many of these most faithful United Methodists gather in sanctuaries for worship, look around and see fewer than 50% of the folks who were there just a few years ago. Some will say this is simply the result of Covid. Certainly some of it is. However, in most churches this downward trend in attendance stretches over multiple years and pastors. They never see a believer’s baptism. Confirmation classes have fewer than five or none at all. They are threatened if they do not pay their annual apportionment in full. They are not included in any district or conference decisions, not even consulted. So they want out with their assets to continue ministry in a more effective way. They may not be sure what that looks like, but they know what is current reality is not working."
"Atlanta drivers know if you wait until the last minute to try to cross 6 lanes of traffic to get to your exit, you are likely to either miss the opportunity and wait for the next one, or get run over by a delivery truck. Therefore, we have learned to get prepared to exit long before the exit appears.
The UMC made a provision for churches to disaffiliate (exit) from the UMC taking their property and all assets without any liability for future unfunded UMC pension benefits. It is described in paragraph 2553 of the current (2019) Book of Discipline.
However, this provision has an expiration date: December 31, 2023. There are costs involved, specifically paying the church’s share of the unfunded pension liability (the conference has to provide that number) and any unpaid current year apportionments plus one more year apportionments. Various other bishops and Conference Boards of Trustees have added other requirements, some quite onerous.
The paragraph 2553 of the 2019 General Conference made provision for disaffiliation by a local church and was ruled constitutional in 2021 by the Judicial Council. This meant disaffiliation could be processed beginning in 2022. Seventy churches in North Georgia completed the process and were approved/ratified for disaffiliation at the June, 2022 Annual Conference.
The remaining churches wishing to disaffiliate have a very narrow window. They must complete the church decision making process and ask for a church conference to be scheduled January 1- February 28, 2023. The North Georgia Conference must vote on whether to ratify the local church disaffiliation agreement which is scheduled for May 31, 2023. No further opportunity for ratification is presently planned.
In order to meet this deadline it is imperative churches act now. The Annual Conference has published very specific procedures which must be followed exactly to be able to successfully execute this process. A sixteen page disaffiliation package has been prepared to help churches navigate this laborious process. The packet is available via email on request.
Please do not believe the speculation that there is no need to do anything before the 2024 General Conference. Also do not believe the speculation that the 2024 GC will make the process easier and less costly. Indications across the church reveal an agenda to thwart the process of disaffiliation. For example, one bishop has declared no churches will be allowed to disaffiliate until after the 2024 GC. Another has required churches to surrender 1/2 of their assets in addition the Disciplinary requirements. Further, the centrists and progressives who were involved in the negotiations which resulted in the Protocol for Separation have withdrawn their support for the legislation in the 2024 GC. The NGA bishop has declared, “The Protocol is dead.”
There is not sufficient evidence to believe the 2024 GC will adopt a new version of Paragraph 2553 nor make leaving less onerous, if even possible. Many have speculated they will, but this a very unlikely outcome.
Therefore, I believe you will have one opportunity: Annual Conference 2023. If you miss the exit, you will have probably made a very costly mistake.
In order to avoid missing the exit, you must begin moving toward it now, not later. Now. No one knows how many NGA churches will seek to disaffiliate in 2023. It could be hundreds. The exit ramp is fast approaching and the exit lane will fill quickly. You need to move toward it quickly.
Please do not let conference leaders, centrist/progressive clergy, or other church members convince you there is no hurry. The time is now.
There are folks available to speak with you, your church leadership, your church or a group of churches to help with understanding the current situation and the necessary process to successfully get through this exit.
In many churches there has been little or no discussion of the whole matter forcing the decision. Often that may be the natural state of inertia in many of the congregations of the UMC. Or it may be a theological misalignment of the pastor and the congregation. Further, it may be the fear of conflict in the congregation. Now is the time to face the fears and the consequences. Time is of the essence.
Disclosure: after 50 years of ministry in the UMC I transferred to the Global Methodist Church. It was in some ways a very sad and difficult decision. However, it was for missional reasons, first, then doctrinal and theological reasons. I believe we have a great missional future together. Our Wesleyan heritage is one of outwardly focused mission. It’s time to pursue it again.
warrenlathem@gmail.com
Thursday, June 09, 2022
Biden threatens Republicans again
"In his first network interview in 118 days, President Joe Biden pledged on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Wednesday night to jail political opponents connected in any way to the events on Jan. 6, 2021. The next morning, Biden’s FBI arrested lead Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley, who was at the Capitol on the day Democrats have christened as a somber national holiday."
Hearken harken
I was going to comment on an article I read about the first black graduate of OSU published at the website of WOSU News, Shermin Hamlin Guss, however, I had to check a box for "Terms of Service" before it would submit. I decided to look at it, and was shocked that I was virtually giving all my rights away to some unknown service called "Hearken." Plus it was word salad and the worst gobbledegookish lawyer blather I've ever seen. One could not possibly know what was being signed, so I withdrew my comment. If it's important, I'll find another way to contact the author, Michael De Bonis.
Wednesday, June 08, 2022
Democrats incite violence from local to federal level
"The record violence we're seeing now is irrevocably linked to the fact that, in 2020, Democrats at the national, state, and local levels willfully provoked and promoted mass lawlessness while they simultaneously demoted law enforcement capability. They empowered their Marxist Black Lives Matter thugs and their anarchist antifa legions to riotous violence in the name of "social justice" in response to what they errantly claimed was "systemic racism."
This violence is thus the direct result of empowering these mobs, and it is their effluent that accounts for the vast majority of active and mass assailants nationwide.
What data supports that assertion? Read on.
As a backdrop, after the high-profile attacks in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, by sociopathic assailants — attacks that are very rare despite the ubiquitous media coverage — Joe Biden and his leftist politicos paused their advocacy for the killing of the most innocent among us — about 2,200 children before birth every day — and did what they always do. They used the blood of innocents as political fodder in their relentless assault on the Second Amendment, the citizens' assurance of the First Civil Right required to defend all others."
This violence is thus the direct result of empowering these mobs, and it is their effluent that accounts for the vast majority of active and mass assailants nationwide.
What data supports that assertion? Read on.
As a backdrop, after the high-profile attacks in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, by sociopathic assailants — attacks that are very rare despite the ubiquitous media coverage — Joe Biden and his leftist politicos paused their advocacy for the killing of the most innocent among us — about 2,200 children before birth every day — and did what they always do. They used the blood of innocents as political fodder in their relentless assault on the Second Amendment, the citizens' assurance of the First Civil Right required to defend all others."
And now the threats against a Supreme Court Judge, with outraged pro-aborts and Senator Chuck Shumer leading the way even though we have laws against protesting at their homes.
Why would more laws against guns help if even senators won't obey the law and not instigate violence?
Telling horse stories
Our 12 year old neighbor was sitting on the porch talking to Bob when I got home from a nutrition lecture (no one can eat that many fruits and vegetables). He loves horses, and rides a pony that belongs to someone else, but now is getting so tall he needs to find a horse. Bob told him I had a horse at his age, so I told him the stories--mostly disaster type, since my horse wasn't well trained, I tied him in our back yard to graze or paid to board him at a farm and then had to catch him in order to ride. I told him about the trail rides and tying a red ribbon to his tail to let others know not to get too close. I told him about his unusual, teeth jarring gait, and how he'd expand his belly so the saddle would slide under when we rode him. Mostly bad memories--I hope I didn't discourage him too much. He fell on me the first week I had him, and I've had back troubles ever since. He now knows more of my horse stories than my kids. My mother and her sister had horses too one summer when their family visited their farms in Montana (?) or Kansas. We didn't take a lot of photos in those days (1952); this may be one of the few I have. I saved my babysitting money to purchase him but the upkeep was pretty stiff for a 12 year old--something like $10 a month for me to board him at a farm near Camp Emmaus. It certainly didn't turn out like the horse stories I'd read as a kid.
Tuesday, June 07, 2022
Decolonizing gender--what does that mean
A consortium of publicly subsidized nonprofits wants to “decolonize gender” and normalize male genitalia as a form of authentic womanhood.
Pay attention. They are telling you they plan to destroy your country, and the Biden administration and the deep state of out of control non-profits are setting the stage.
Transgender Activists in Their Own Words | City Journal (city-journal.org)
Slavery today
"According to modern anti-slavery group 50 for Freedom, there are more people in slavery today than at any other time in history. Our elites seem disinterested in freeing those 40 million suffering souls but eager to condemn America for not getting rid of the “peculiar institution” sooner. Instead of focusing on 1619, they could do far more good by looking at 2022 and abolishing the scourge of slavery everywhere." John Gabriel, Ricocet.com
Quote of the Day: Thomas Sowell on Ending Slavery | Ricochet
“What was peculiar about the West was not that it participated in the worldwide evil of slavery, but that it later abolished that evil, not only in Western societies but also in other societies subject to Western control or influence. This was possible only because the anti-slavery movement coincided with an era in which Western power and hegemony were at their zenith, so that it was essentially European imperialism which ended slavery. This idea might seem shocking, not because it does not fit the facts, but because it does not fit the prevailing vision of our time.”
― Thomas Sowell, Black Rednecks and White Liberals
Janet Jennings, you will be missed
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFC2-1Ie6c/rJ0hOCYllHmnPZI0YSfR1w/view?
We were so saddened to learn of the short illness and death of our Lakeside friend, Janet Jennings. It's hard to imagine this place without her leadership, friendship and friendly smile.
Irwin and Janet in 2017
To the misinformed, naive Democrats
Friends of and voters for Biden, your responses to the Biden disasters--Afghanistan, inflation, going to our enemies for energy, rising crime, flip flopping on Ukraine aid, grooming of children with LGBTQ nonsense, border flooding with illegals, and now allowing China and foreign sources to control our oil and solar panels so he can appease the Greenie/Marxists in his administration--are laughable. Piddle, diddle, smile and fiddle. Trying to blame Trump or Tucker Carlson or Fox. You're pathetic. You're digging and searching, and can't find anything. Those of you who are Democrats supporting Biden (and many are not) are so misguided and confused, there should be a special service for you for mind healing. Now the plans are to do everything possible to inflate the J6 event, even though all the pink hat ladies (to simulate women's genitals which now they claim don't even belong to women) did more damage to property and patriotism on Trump's inauguration. It's all you've got. Claim a protest by a few hundred unarmed citizens was an insurrection planned by Trump. When thousands looted and burned all during his administration on behalf of BLM protests that a man with a long criminal record was wrongly killed by police resisting arrest, and the Dems just sat back and smiled approvingly.
Monday, June 06, 2022
The last day, September 30, 2019
With the change to my new computer and Windows 11, some of my e-mail folders didn't transfer, but I don't know why. Fortunately, some old letters I wanted to keep did, and I found one from our very last day of life as we knew it. September 30, 2019. The next day our son Phil had 2 seizures, was hospitalized and diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma. But when I wrote this his life and ours was continuing as usual, not knowing what was to come.
"We’ve been eating dinner on our lovely deck almost every evening since we returned to Columbus on Labor Day, but it just may be too warm this evening. We’ve also been enjoying sleeping with the windows open, but that will probably not work tonight. I love hearing the train in the distance.
I’m learning all the buttons and features for my new car, a white 2019 Pacifica, which is the most recent version of the Chrysler van. It has keyless entry which is very nice, but I have to be careful. I’d love to have that feature on my house door for when I’m carrying in the groceries. We’re still waiting to get the owner’s manual, and don’t know what some of the bells and whistles are for. I can look on-line but there are 718 pages, so I don’t want to print the manual. We also have a free subscription to Sirius radio, but it seems now days you need a smart phone in order to live in our society, so I’ll have to wait until Phoebe has time. And for the umpteenth time the street is torn up and we have no water. I’m not sure why Kenney Rd. has so many problems, but it does.
Last night we had our UALC Bible study group here for a meeting and dessert—pumpkin pie and ice cream. It’s such a nice gathering, and I always enjoy them. Howard and Betty are leaving Thursday for Ireland, and both have significant health challenges. Two years ago they went to Scotland and arrived in the U.S. (Houston) during the hurricane, and were stranded there for 5 days. Dave and Donna used Phil as their dog sitter last month, and were so thrilled, she just gets weepy when she talks about him. She said she didn’t know a bachelor could keep his home so clean, and their dog just loved him. David had tripped on a curb when getting his driver’s license renewed, and had a black and blue face. We celebrated his 81st birthday. One member will be having surgery for liver cancer and her first grandchild around the same time. And Sunday School class is similar. We have about 40 and a goodly number are 70+. Lots of changes going on at church, which is always hard on the older folk who like things to stay the same.
And we’ve had several deaths. Our best man in our wedding, Tom Moir, of Indianapolis died in late August so we drove there on the 4th for the funeral. He’d been a part of Bob’s life since elementary school. We also went out for lunch with some other guys from their "Slobs" high school group. We had a really good visit with Bob’s family and spent the night in their new “shared” home (4 generations). A busy place with 3 dogs.
We went out for our anniversaries and my birthday with Phoebe and Mark. Had a lovely time at a restaurant in Grandview. On Saturday Phil and I went back to our old neighborhood and had lunch at the Chef-o-Nette. When she was in kindergarten and Phil in pre-school, he and I used to go there, grab a snack and then pick her up at the school across the street.
Bob’s brother is recovering from his emergency intestinal surgery in August while they were travelling to California from Arizona, and when Bob called recently he was vacuuming which we thought was a good sign. It’s been a very slow turning around.
We’ve got a nice trip coming up on October 9, but mainly here in central Ohio. It’s with our Conestoga group, which sometimes means a little walking or stairs, so I’ll just have to see how that goes. Sometimes old, historical buildings don’t have elevators.
Stay safe—and cool."
Sunday, June 05, 2022
Michelle Malkin post of March 11, 2020
Down memory lane with early pandemic essays, but has anything changed?
Here are some plain, nonhysterical facts: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is a bloated federal government agency with a long history of incompetence, fraud, secrecy, mission creep and shady alliances with both social justice causes on the left and private corporations on the big business right. The "deep state" of entrenched bureaucrats embedded in the Beltway bowels is alive and thriving at the CDC. The unelected elites who've occupied top offices at the public health-industrial complex are hostile to public scrutiny while clamoring for ever-ballooning budgets. Their recommendations have often been detrimental to citizens' well-being and freedom.And, yes, many of the scientists who work there are rabidly anti-conservative and anti-Trump.
It's a brazen lie that President Donald Trump "slashed" CDC funding, which is being used as an excuse for the agency's coronavirus unpreparedness. Cognitively impaired and truth-challenged Joe Biden made the claim during last week's Democratic debate that these purported "Draconian cuts" put Americans at risk. But Trump's budget proposal to cut some sliver of CDC fat has never been enacted, and Congress increased funding, instead.
At nearly $7 billion, CDC's annual budget is more than 200 percent larger than it was two decades ago. On top of that, a shady big business lobbying group called Corporate Friends of CDC has raised hundreds of millions of supplemental dollars — which raises serious conflict-of-interest issues. In 2007, Sen. Tom Coburn's fiscal audit of the agency discovered vulgar expenditures including CDC syphilis prevention funds spent to host a "safe-sex" event with a porn star, CDC HIV/AIDS prevention funds spent on a transgender beauty pageant, and $45 million in CDC funding spent on conferences featuring prostitutes, protests and beach parties.
Despite the flood of money, the agency been caught flat-footed on outbreak after outbreak. They squander untold millions on other health threats in favor of pushing gun control and nanny state hobby horses (TV violence, helmet laws, video games, anti-bullying campaigns and explicit sex education, for example). CDC has one primary job — Disease Control — but has managed to botch it without ever learning from past failures. Let me remind you of some of the CDC's long history of royal screw-ups:
—The notorious 1976 swine flu vaccine scandal was catalyzed by mass hysteria whipped up by CDC junk scientists clamoring for more money; Congress obliged and nearly 45 million Americans were unnecessarily jabbed with a vaccine for a disease that had fizzled by the time the shots were ready. The vaccine resulted in an increased risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome — leading to muscle weakness and paralysis.
—In 1999, the CDC misspent $22.7 million appropriated for chronic fatigue syndrome and was investigated in 2001 for squandering $13 million on hepatitis C research.
—In 2000, the agency essentially lied to Congress about how it spent up to $7.5 million earmarked each year since 1993 for research on the deadly hantavirus. "Instead, apparently without asking Congress, the CDC spent much of the money on other programs that the agency thought needed the funds more," The Washington Post disclosed at the time. The diversions were impossible to trace because of shoddy CDC bookkeeping practices.
—In 2009, the CDC recalled 800,000 doses of swine flu vaccine for children ages 6 months to 3 years after the products manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur failed potency tests.
—In 2012, the CDC's main building housing infectious anthrax, SARS and monkeypox gases was discovered to have been leaking deadly pathogens due to a flawed engineered airflow system.
—In 2014, the CDC's lackadaisical response to Ebola virus gave the greenlight to Patient Zero Thomas Eric Duncan and infected medical personnel to board commercial airlines while ill — exposing untold numbers of travelers to the deadly disease. Expensive isolation chambers that had been subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of $15 million sat buried in a Georgia warehouse.
—For the past few years, the agency has employed a fear campaign to induce Americans to get regular flu shots (formulated based on guesswork) using flawed statistics and despite international scientific conclusions that there is "no evidence" to support the CDC's assumptions that the vaccine reduces transmission of the virus or the risk of potentially deadly complications.
—Just this week, the Informed Consent Action Network reported astonishing results from its lawsuit against the CDC to obtain scientific documentation for the agency's claim that "vaccines do not cause autism" — specifically for the first seven vaccines given to your child in their first six months of life. CDC had stonewalled, and then finally produced 20 studies — 18 of which were irrelevant to ICAN's public records request and two of which suggest that vaccines may indeed cause autism. In other words: The CDC is lying while continuing to smear vaccine critics as "conspiracy theorists" and public health threats.
As if to underscore my point about this agency's misdirected priorities and rank political pandering, the CDC director this week found it more urgent to condemn Republicans as racist for accurately describing the origins of the virus from Wuhan, China, than to do his job.
Informed diagnosis: The "best people" — who have now been rewarded with more than $8.3 billion in new "emergency funding" — are not in charge.
Michelle Malkin is a conservative blogger at michellemalkin.com, syndicated columnist, author, and founder of hotair.com. Michelle Malkin's email address is MichelleMalkinInvestigates@protonmail.com.
Wednesday, June 01, 2022
Gene Corbett, 1930-2022
Floyd Eugene Corbett, 91, of Mount Morris, passed away at KSB Hospital in Dixon on Monday, May 30, 2022. Gene was born on December 19, 1930, in Grand Detour to Joe and Bessie (Ballard) Corbett.
Gene graduated from Mt. Morris High School – Go Mounders!! He married Betty Hanes in 1949. Gene was an electrician where he worked for ComEd and for Quebecor Printing, retiring in 1993.
Corby enjoyed watching the Oregon boy’s high school football games, puttering around the house and cruising, whether it was in his car or later on his mower. Now he can climb any tree he wants without our fear of his falling!!
He is survived by his children, Ronald Corbett and Jenny Gann (Mike Bevill). Grandchildren, Peggy (Jeff) Cox, Paula (Gary Sharp) Brevig, Jennifer Corbett, Erin (Pat) Harbaugh and Brittany (Darren) Brown. Nine great-grandchildren, Zachary Cox, Taylor Brevig, Tatum Brevig, Marissa Corbett-Villa, Isabella Diaz, Mia Watson, Kylee Brown, Kamryn Brown, and Logan Harbaugh. And brother, Derril (Joyce) Corbett.
He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Betty, son Fred and brothers, Howard, Russell, John and sisters, Gladys, Marian, Dorothy and Lois.
A funeral service will be held at 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, June 8th at Finch Funeral Home. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 4:00 P.M. until service time. Burial was in Plainview Cemetery. A luncheon will be held at the Mt. Morris Moose after the funeral service.
Finch Funeral Home, 405 East Hitt, Mount Morris, IL assisted the family with services.
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
We're not at Lakeside
But today I'm sorting/deleting e-mails from July 2009! They appeared when I was changing e-mail programs. Here's what I said:
We're having a great summer. Some terrific seminars. Took one on astronomy that just blew me away. I really don't know how scientists and academics remain such agnostics! When I hear about 100 billion galaxies, not stars, but galaxies, it just confirms my faith even more in a 6 day creation exactly as it says in Genesis. And 200 billion stars in just our galaxy. Wow. This week is health and wellness. I was too tired from other classes to attended the one on fatigue! Yesterday was all about "exercise is medicine," and tell me about it! I don't like to take medicine! But I am getting about 4 miles of walking a day here--it's so much easier to walk the lakefront than our condo grounds in Columbus. I took a class on sonnets this week and if the schedule is right will do Chaucer next week. I am Brit Lit impoverished because I was a foreign language major in college--wasn't required. Visited a fabulous organic herb farm on Wednesday--your husband would have loved it. Are you following my Lakeside blogs?
Monday, May 30, 2022
And another fully vaxxed pooh-bah gets Covid
Rep. Liz Cheney ("R" - Deep State) announced on Wednesday morning that she tested positive for COVID-19, despite getting fully vaccinated and boosted. The Wyoming lawmaker has promoted COVID vaccines. Four other vaccinated Congress reportedly announced positive diagnoses over the weekend, including Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, as did Reps. David Price, D-N.C., and Susie Lee, D-Nev.
Where do you get your information?
Gary asked, "Where do you get your information?" He watches only MSNBC and CNN--two channels that pretend to be objective and fair, but repeat the Democrat party talking points, in my opinion. That is a great question, however, something all librarians and teachers emphasize when teaching research skills. And it’s essential for him particularly to ask because so much of the news is infused with opinion, not research, and he spends a lot of time watching news from one viewpoint. His method is why librarians and teachers usually don’t accept “magazines” as a valid source when teaching research. Some won’t even accept an encyclopedia, which is a shame, in my opinion. I love encyclopedias, and most articles are signed. Not many people own the 11th, 12th, and 13th editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica, but I do.
When I give an opinion, it’s that. Norma’s opinion. When I quote, I try to always cite the source, and my opinion may be learned from others over time, but by checking their sources. Dennis Prager’s recent tirade against Biden reflects mine, but I’ve followed Prager for years. He’s been on radio for 40 years, is Jewish, loves music, literature, politics, has great wisdom, and supports young conservative influencers like Candace Owens, Will Witt and Charlie Kirk who have gone on to their own careers. Pager was anti-Trump in 2016—converted to a fan when Trump accomplished conservative goals of lower taxes, less government control, border security, cutting red tape, best friend Israel had, priorities for prison reform, etc. https://www.creators.com/read/dennis-prager/05/22/joe-bidens-buffalo-speech-was-the-speech-of-an-indecent-man
My opinions are primarily built on my values, even if I don’t think about it. Christian, anabaptist, conservative fiscally, formed by the region I’ve lived in (Midwest U.S.), the language I speak, race/culture, college education, and career. However, my entire life I’ve been pro-life, even before I understood the science and politics of taking the life of a baby in the womb. Even in second grade, I remember thinking evolution was ridiculous and anti-science, because yes, evolution was being taught as truth at Forreston elementary in the 1940s. I learned to pretend I learne it, to answer the questions on the tests correctly, and not rock the boat. I love science—and I see my values about creator/created confirmed every day, especially astronomy and all the “new” critters found at the bottom of oceans. Love that stuff!
When it is rate, number, percentage, average, median, year, I am usually relying on a government or academic source (since academics have government grants it’s hard to know where one stops and the other begins). I always keep in mind those sources also have biases because they are collected and published by humans. For instance, after 2008, certain crime sources just disappeared. After certain years, census sources changed—for instance, additional groups or races were added or divided. What was called white was changed to create Asian or Hispanic (a made-up word that includes hundreds of cultures). Biracial white/black/Asian/Mexican/Cuban/Indian is almost always considered black—probably a carry over from segregation days. It's my impression that liberal/progressive sources are more likely to refer to numbers rather than rate. Most confusing (on purpose) is the writer moving from rate to number to percentage in the same article. For instance, violent crime may have black aggressors 8x the rate of whites, but because white criminals outnumber blacks due to the population, liberal sources will site numbers more often in crimes. You may have to go to the last paragraph or a graph/chart to see percentage or rate.
Over time, I’ve learned when there is a horrific tragedy like last Wednesday in Uvalde, Texas, the tsunami in 2005, or the Louisiana hurricane in 2006, or the strange conflicting figures for the 2020 vote, it may take years to sort out or find the truth. I’ve heard three versions by Saturday of how police acted/reacted to the Uvalde tragedy. Without even listening to the news we know there will be the anti-gun bills and the safety bills. We know Democrats will be anti-2nd amendment and the Republicans will focus on SRO, more cameras, better training.
For some reason, Gary often sites David Duke, a has-been, colorful Democrat, from many years ago, sometimes because he was a southerner, and that was the party of hate he grew up with, the party that held blacks back with various Jim Crow laws, and now do it with money from government programs. He’s really a creation of the media, unlike Antifa, which actually did roam city streets, who were well-educated, rich white supremacists, who covered their faces with hoods, who did burn down buildings, and had clout. When I was a Democrat I certainly didn’t associate my party with Duke, just as I don’t associate any Democrats I know with Antifa.
When I give an opinion, it’s that. Norma’s opinion. When I quote, I try to always cite the source, and my opinion may be learned from others over time, but by checking their sources. Dennis Prager’s recent tirade against Biden reflects mine, but I’ve followed Prager for years. He’s been on radio for 40 years, is Jewish, loves music, literature, politics, has great wisdom, and supports young conservative influencers like Candace Owens, Will Witt and Charlie Kirk who have gone on to their own careers. Pager was anti-Trump in 2016—converted to a fan when Trump accomplished conservative goals of lower taxes, less government control, border security, cutting red tape, best friend Israel had, priorities for prison reform, etc. https://www.creators.com/read/dennis-prager/05/22/joe-bidens-buffalo-speech-was-the-speech-of-an-indecent-man
My opinions are primarily built on my values, even if I don’t think about it. Christian, anabaptist, conservative fiscally, formed by the region I’ve lived in (Midwest U.S.), the language I speak, race/culture, college education, and career. However, my entire life I’ve been pro-life, even before I understood the science and politics of taking the life of a baby in the womb. Even in second grade, I remember thinking evolution was ridiculous and anti-science, because yes, evolution was being taught as truth at Forreston elementary in the 1940s. I learned to pretend I learne it, to answer the questions on the tests correctly, and not rock the boat. I love science—and I see my values about creator/created confirmed every day, especially astronomy and all the “new” critters found at the bottom of oceans. Love that stuff!
When it is rate, number, percentage, average, median, year, I am usually relying on a government or academic source (since academics have government grants it’s hard to know where one stops and the other begins). I always keep in mind those sources also have biases because they are collected and published by humans. For instance, after 2008, certain crime sources just disappeared. After certain years, census sources changed—for instance, additional groups or races were added or divided. What was called white was changed to create Asian or Hispanic (a made-up word that includes hundreds of cultures). Biracial white/black/Asian/Mexican/Cuban/Indian is almost always considered black—probably a carry over from segregation days. It's my impression that liberal/progressive sources are more likely to refer to numbers rather than rate. Most confusing (on purpose) is the writer moving from rate to number to percentage in the same article. For instance, violent crime may have black aggressors 8x the rate of whites, but because white criminals outnumber blacks due to the population, liberal sources will site numbers more often in crimes. You may have to go to the last paragraph or a graph/chart to see percentage or rate.
Over time, I’ve learned when there is a horrific tragedy like last Wednesday in Uvalde, Texas, the tsunami in 2005, or the Louisiana hurricane in 2006, or the strange conflicting figures for the 2020 vote, it may take years to sort out or find the truth. I’ve heard three versions by Saturday of how police acted/reacted to the Uvalde tragedy. Without even listening to the news we know there will be the anti-gun bills and the safety bills. We know Democrats will be anti-2nd amendment and the Republicans will focus on SRO, more cameras, better training.
For some reason, Gary often sites David Duke, a has-been, colorful Democrat, from many years ago, sometimes because he was a southerner, and that was the party of hate he grew up with, the party that held blacks back with various Jim Crow laws, and now do it with money from government programs. He’s really a creation of the media, unlike Antifa, which actually did roam city streets, who were well-educated, rich white supremacists, who covered their faces with hoods, who did burn down buildings, and had clout. When I was a Democrat I certainly didn’t associate my party with Duke, just as I don’t associate any Democrats I know with Antifa.
But Democrats do get in a rut. They are very suceptible to "progressive" ideas and fall for the socialist clap-trap. They actually believe if we hand more money over to the government, it will be used for whatever purpose they claim. Republicans have spaghetti spines and no balls, to stick with the body language.
Sunday, May 29, 2022
The legal drugs given to children, especially boys
Think about the amount of prescription drugs given to school kids. Tucker Carlson had some great statistics about that the other night, but without a citation, I couldn’t provide it. And because the MSM demonizes him, it’s hard to sift through a search. Many kids, especially boys, are given drugs from a very early age for ADHD. Probably if they could labor on a farm like most generations until the 1920s some of that energy could be put to use. A consistent side effect for many of the mind/behavior altering drugs is suicidal thoughts and aggressive behavior. Mix that with alcohol when available and it’s a toxic combination. Until the 1950s, I think about half the U.S. population lived/worked on farms—did you hear of ADHD (or similar name) before the 1970s?
https://www.verywellmind.com/side-effects-of-adhd-medications-2633123
These ADHD medications now include:
Short-acting stimulants: Adderall, Dexedrine, Focalin, Ritalin
Intermediate-acting stimulants: Dexedrine Spansule
Long-acting stimulants: Adderall XR, Concerta, Daytrana, Dyanavel XR, Focalin XR, Metadate CD, Ritalin LA, Vyvanse
Nonstimulants: Intuniv, Strattera, Qelbree
That list makes it seem like there are a lot of different ADHD medications to choose from, especially if your child has side effects to one or more of them. Your choices quickly narrow when you understand that the stimulants are really just different forms and variants of the following two types of ADHD medications:
Also taken by many:
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/ss/slideshow-commonly-abused-drugs
Then add to that, the easily available, and now legal gate way drug, marijuana.
https://www.verywellmind.com/side-effects-of-adhd-medications-2633123
These ADHD medications now include:
Short-acting stimulants: Adderall, Dexedrine, Focalin, Ritalin
Intermediate-acting stimulants: Dexedrine Spansule
Long-acting stimulants: Adderall XR, Concerta, Daytrana, Dyanavel XR, Focalin XR, Metadate CD, Ritalin LA, Vyvanse
Nonstimulants: Intuniv, Strattera, Qelbree
That list makes it seem like there are a lot of different ADHD medications to choose from, especially if your child has side effects to one or more of them. Your choices quickly narrow when you understand that the stimulants are really just different forms and variants of the following two types of ADHD medications:
Methylphenidate-based ADHD medications: Concerta, Daytrana, Focalin and Focalin XR, Metadate CD, Ritalin LANote from Norma: The warnings for Methylphenidate based meds are scary!
Amphetamine-based ADHD medications: Adderall and Adderall XR, Dexedrine and Dexedrine Spansule, Dyanavel XR, Vyvanse
Also taken by many:
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/ss/slideshow-commonly-abused-drugs
Then add to that, the easily available, and now legal gate way drug, marijuana.
Saturday, May 28, 2022
Lakeside is open, and we're not there!
From the Lakeside Blog, https://blog.lakesideohio.com/hoover-shows-are-back/
"Shirley Stary has been instrumental in creating the Lakeside experience we’ve known and loved and led the charge in bringing chart-topping performances to the stage of Hoover Auditorium for the last 17 years. She says, “The time has flown by,” but the last two seasons have been by far the longest in her career.
Due to the pandemic, Hoover has been mostly silent for two years. But this summer, the floor and walls will be vibrating, and seats will be filled for the first time since 2019 as shows return to Lakeside’s social and cultural hub.
“One of the worst things about the pandemic was not being able to use Hoover,” Stary said. “People come here to see each other as much to see the show, and that’s been lacking the past two years.”
While Stary agreed that Hoover should have been closed, it was also a cause for concern for her. Like everybody else, she didn’t have a crystal ball and had no idea what the future looked like.
“At one point during the pandemic, I was afraid I had done my last show at Hoover without knowing it,” Stary said. “I just thought, ‘What happens if we can’t open again?’ If you knew you were leaving, you’d stand on the stage and say, ‘All right, this has been a good run.’ So, I was mourning the fact that I didn’t relish that last show.”
During Hoover’s two-year hiatus, Stary was also concerned for her staff because shows were part of their income.
With much anticipation, the community will gather again in this central community gem as Masters of Soul take the stage on May 28 and Collision of Rhythm performing the following night.
Lakeside President & CEO Kip Greenhill says Hoover is a unique place that brings a sense of community that can’t be found anywhere else.
“Hoover Auditorium is one of several gathering places in Lakeside that brings people together from different backgrounds, varied geographic areas and a range of experiences to help enhance a culture of belonging,” Greenhill said. “The artistic programming done in Hoover, like the arts everywhere, further connects us into a true community feeling. We are so fortunate to have Hoover Auditorium open again and to bring us together.”
Jeannie Fleming-Gifford is entering her first summer as Vice President of Programming but is a Lakesider who knows how important and special Hoover shows are since she has attended several events there.
“The power of live arts experiences in a setting like Hoover Auditorium is nothing short of magical,” Fleming-Gifford said. “We are so excited to immerse Lakesiders of all ages and interests in a variety of quality, live entertainment programs and connect as a community through the power of the arts.”
Stary said this is a “rebuilding year,” but still has a solid lineup of shows, including The Spinners (June 25), Herman’s Hermits staring Peter Noone (July 16), Tony Danza — one of Stary’s “crushes” (July 23), family-friendly comedian Preacher Lawson (Aug. 6), We Are Messengers (Aug. 13) and Mercury: The Music of Queen & Freddie Mercury (Sept. 3). "
We are not there because Bob tested positive on Thursday for Covid, had a monoclonal antibodies infusion yesterday, and is resting comfortably (like a cold but more tired than usual).
"Shirley Stary has been instrumental in creating the Lakeside experience we’ve known and loved and led the charge in bringing chart-topping performances to the stage of Hoover Auditorium for the last 17 years. She says, “The time has flown by,” but the last two seasons have been by far the longest in her career.
Due to the pandemic, Hoover has been mostly silent for two years. But this summer, the floor and walls will be vibrating, and seats will be filled for the first time since 2019 as shows return to Lakeside’s social and cultural hub.
“One of the worst things about the pandemic was not being able to use Hoover,” Stary said. “People come here to see each other as much to see the show, and that’s been lacking the past two years.”
While Stary agreed that Hoover should have been closed, it was also a cause for concern for her. Like everybody else, she didn’t have a crystal ball and had no idea what the future looked like.
“At one point during the pandemic, I was afraid I had done my last show at Hoover without knowing it,” Stary said. “I just thought, ‘What happens if we can’t open again?’ If you knew you were leaving, you’d stand on the stage and say, ‘All right, this has been a good run.’ So, I was mourning the fact that I didn’t relish that last show.”
During Hoover’s two-year hiatus, Stary was also concerned for her staff because shows were part of their income.
With much anticipation, the community will gather again in this central community gem as Masters of Soul take the stage on May 28 and Collision of Rhythm performing the following night.
Lakeside President & CEO Kip Greenhill says Hoover is a unique place that brings a sense of community that can’t be found anywhere else.
“Hoover Auditorium is one of several gathering places in Lakeside that brings people together from different backgrounds, varied geographic areas and a range of experiences to help enhance a culture of belonging,” Greenhill said. “The artistic programming done in Hoover, like the arts everywhere, further connects us into a true community feeling. We are so fortunate to have Hoover Auditorium open again and to bring us together.”
Jeannie Fleming-Gifford is entering her first summer as Vice President of Programming but is a Lakesider who knows how important and special Hoover shows are since she has attended several events there.
“The power of live arts experiences in a setting like Hoover Auditorium is nothing short of magical,” Fleming-Gifford said. “We are so excited to immerse Lakesiders of all ages and interests in a variety of quality, live entertainment programs and connect as a community through the power of the arts.”
Stary said this is a “rebuilding year,” but still has a solid lineup of shows, including The Spinners (June 25), Herman’s Hermits staring Peter Noone (July 16), Tony Danza — one of Stary’s “crushes” (July 23), family-friendly comedian Preacher Lawson (Aug. 6), We Are Messengers (Aug. 13) and Mercury: The Music of Queen & Freddie Mercury (Sept. 3). "
We are not there because Bob tested positive on Thursday for Covid, had a monoclonal antibodies infusion yesterday, and is resting comfortably (like a cold but more tired than usual).
Friday, May 27, 2022
PROTECTING AMERICA’S SCHOOLS--Secret Service Report, 2019
Executive summary https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/Protecting_Americas_Schools.pdf
Ensuring the safety of children at school is a responsibility that belongs to everyone, including law enforcement, school staff, mental health practitioners, government officials, and members of the general public. To aid in these efforts, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) studied 41 incidents of targeted school violence that occurred at K-12 schools in the United States from 2008 to 2017. This report builds on 20 years of NTAC research and guidance in the field of threat assessment by offering an in-depth analysis of the motives, behaviors, and situational factors of the attackers, as well as the tactics, resolutions, and other operationally-relevant details of the attacks.The analysis suggests that many of these tragedies could have been prevented, and supports the importance of schools establishing comprehensive targeted violence prevention programs as recommended by the Secret Service in Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence.1 This approach is intended to identify students of concern, assess their risk for engaging in violence or other harmful activities, and implement intervention strategies to manage that risk. The threshold for intervention should be low, so that schools can identify students in distress before their behavior escalates to the level of eliciting concerns about safety.
Because most of these attacks ended very quickly, law enforcement rarely had the opportunity to intervene before serious harm was caused to students or staff. Additionally, many of the schools that experienced these tragedies had implemented physical security measures (e.g., cameras, school resource officers, lockdown procedures). Prevention is key. Some of the key findings from this study, and their implications for informing school violence prevention efforts, include:
• There is no profile of a student attacker, nor is there a profile for the type of school that has been targeted: Attackers varied in age, gender, race, grade level, academic performance, and social characteristics. Similarly, there was no identified profile of the type of school impacted by targeted violence, as schools varied in size, location, and student-teacher ratios. Rather than focusing on a set of traits or characteristics, a threat assessment process should focus on gathering relevant information about a student’s behaviors, situational factors, and circumstances to assess the risk of violence or other harmful outcomes.
• Attackers usually had multiple motives, the most common involving a grievance with classmates: In addition to grievances with classmates, attackers were also motivated by grievances involving school staff, romantic relationships, or other personal issues. Other motives included a desire to kill, suicide, and seeking fame or notoriety. Discovering a student’s motive for engaging in concerning behavior is critical to assessing the student’s risk of engaging in violence and identifying appropriate interventions to change behavior and manage risk.
• Most attackers used firearms, and firearms were most often acquired from the home: Many of the attackers were able to access firearms from the home of their parents or another close relative. While many of the firearms were unsecured, in several cases the attackers were able to gain access to firearms that were secured in a locked gun safe or case. It should be further noted, however, that some attackers used knives instead of firearms to perpetrate their attacks. Therefore, a threat assessment should explore if a student has access to any weapons, with a particular focus on weapons access at home. Schools, parents, and law enforcement must work together rapidly to restrict access to weapons in those cases when students pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.
• Most attackers had experienced psychological, behavioral, or developmental symptoms: The observable mental health symptoms displayed by attackers prior to their attacks were divided into three main categories: psychological (e.g., depressive symptoms or suicidal ideation), behavioral (e.g., defiance/misconduct or symptoms of ADD/ADHD), and neurological/developmental (e.g., developmental delays or cognitive deficits). The fact that half of the attackers had received one or more mental health services prior to their attack indicates that mental health evaluations and treatments should be considered a component of a multidisciplinary threat assessment, but not a replacement. Mental health professionals should be included in a collaborative threat assessment process that also involves teachers, administrators, and law enforcement.
• Half of the attackers had interests in violent topics: Violent interests, without an appropriate explanation, are concerning, which means schools should not hesitate to initiate further information-gathering, assessment, and management of the student’s behavior. For example, a student who is preoccupied or fixated on topics like the Columbine shooting or Hitler, as was noted in the backgrounds of several of the attackers in this study, may be the focus of a school threat assessment to determine how such an interest originated and if the interest negatively impacts the student’s thinking and behavior.
• All attackers experienced social stressors involving their relationships with peers and/or romantic partners: Attackers experienced stressors in various areas of their lives, with nearly all experiencing at least one in the six months prior to their attack, and half within two days of the attack. In addition to social stressors, other stressors experienced by many of the attackers were related to families and conflicts in the home, academic or disciplinary actions, or other personal issues. All school personnel should be trained to recognize signs of a student in crisis. Additional training should focus on crisis intervention, teaching students skills to manage emotions and resolve conflicts, and suicide prevention.
• Nearly every attacker experienced negative home life factors: The negative home life factors experienced by the attackers included parental separation or divorce, drug use or criminal charges among family members, and domestic abuse. While none of the factors included here should be viewed as predictors that a student will be violent, past research has identified an association between many of these types of factors and a range of negative outcomes for children.
• Most attackers were victims of bullying, which was often observed by others: Most of the attackers were bullied by their classmates, and for over half of the attackers the bullying appeared to be of a persistent pattern which lasted for weeks, months, or years. It is critical that schools implement comprehensive programs designed to promote safe and positive school climates, where students feel empowered to report bullying when they witness it or are victims of it, and where school officials and other authorities act to intervene.
• Most attackers had a history of school disciplinary actions, and many had prior contact with law enforcement: Most attackers had a history of receiving school disciplinary actions resulting from a broad range of inappropriate behavior. The most serious of those actions included the attacker being suspended, expelled, or having law enforcement interactions as a result of their behavior at school. An important point for school staff to consider is that punitive measures are not preventative. If a student elicits concern or poses a risk of harm to self or others, removing the student from the school may not always be the safest option. To help in making the determination regarding appropriate discipline, schools should employ disciplinary practices that ensure fairness, transparency with the student and family, and appropriate follow-up.
• All attackers exhibited concerning behaviors. Most elicited concern from others, and most communicated their intent to attack: The behaviors that elicited concern ranged from a constellation of lower-level concerns to objectively concerning or prohibited behaviors. Most of the attackers communicated a prior threat to their target or communicated their intentions to carry out an attack. In many cases, someone observed a threatening communication or behavior but did not act, either out of fear, not believing the attacker, misjudging the immediacy or location, or believing they had dissuaded the attacker. Students, school personnel, and family members should be encouraged to report troubling or concerning behaviors to ensure that those in positions of authority can intervene. A multidisciplinary threat assessment team, in conjunction with the appropriate policies, tools, and training, is the best practice for preventing future tragedies. A thorough review of the findings contained in this report should make clear that tangible steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood that any student would cause harm, or be harmed, at school.
Two men on trial, Sussmann and Hale
Unlike Michael Sussmann, who walked free for five years following the commission of his alleged crime, Tim Hale has been in jail under pre-trial detention orders for more than 16 months.
Yet Hale’s alleged offenses were far less damaging to the country than the crimes Sussmann and his accomplices are accused of committing. On January 6, Hale, an Army reservist, drove to Washington after working the night shift at a New Jersey Naval station to hear President Trump speak. Later that afternoon, Hale walked to Capitol Hill. He entered the Capitol building around 2:14 p.m. through a set of open doors; Hale carried no weapon and didn’t assault anyone. On at least two occasions, Hale is seen interacting with police officers, who did not attempt to arrest either him or those around him. . . .
Stolen Elections: A Tale of Two D.C. Courtrooms › American Greatness (amgreatness.com)
Thursday, May 26, 2022
No, we don't have the most frequent mass shootings
It turns out that not only did the U.S. not have the most frequent mass shootings, it was No. 62 on the list, lower than places like Norway, Finland, and Switzerland. There was also no relationship between the rate of gun ownership in different countries and the rate of mass shootings."
https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/02/20/the-us-has-the-most-mass-shootings-and-other-bogus-gun-research/?
What the U.S. does have are journalists who don't do research or ask questions. They have agendas and biases.
What the U.S. does have are journalists who don't do research or ask questions. They have agendas and biases.
Biden is a pathological liar
Biden announced we need a special data base on police because they are killing black people, and blacks are in fear every day. They might be fearful because of his lies. 7 unarmed blacks (while committing crimes) were shot by police in 2021, while 7,000 were killed, most by other blacks. There was a time when Biden saved thousands of black lives, but not today. He was a sponsor of the Omnibus Crime Bill of 1993, and violence against blacks plummeted. But a lot of blacks went to prison, so Kamala Harris used it against him in the 2020 campaign. Now he says, "Oh look over there--police, not policing, kill blacks."
He’s also killing blacks by pushing obscene abortion laws, worst in the world for life or common sense. Why do Democrats hate black people? It’s the party of the KKK, Jim Crow, genocide, segregated schools (which it is reinstating with Woke policies), and for years it fought the Republicans on civil rights laws, especially anti-lynching laws. Even the laws they pass to “help” have hurt generations by kicking Dad out of the home, and have kept black adults from climbing the ladder of success.
He’s a pathological liar, and that was known about him before he was elected.
https://the4pm.com/biden-told-2-egregious-lies-this-week-the-mainstream-media-barely-noticed/
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/oct/30/joe-biden-is-a-pathological-liar/
He’s a pathological liar, and that was known about him before he was elected.
https://the4pm.com/biden-told-2-egregious-lies-this-week-the-mainstream-media-barely-noticed/
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/oct/30/joe-biden-is-a-pathological-liar/
Biden lies again about the Second Amendment
Why does Biden continue to lie? He's a pathological liar. There were no bans on cannons. Can't help himself. Democrats love liars.
"It does sound bizarre because it is factually and legally untrue. I have received calls from media for years about this claim and it does not improve by repetition. Even the Washington Post has declared Biden’s understanding of the Second Amendment to be false.
https://jonathanturley.org/2022/05/26/president-biden-repeats-false-claim-about-the-second-amendment/
"It does sound bizarre because it is factually and legally untrue. I have received calls from media for years about this claim and it does not improve by repetition. Even the Washington Post has declared Biden’s understanding of the Second Amendment to be false.
https://jonathanturley.org/2022/05/26/president-biden-repeats-false-claim-about-the-second-amendment/
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
More safety for the schools to repel intruders
I got a driver's license in 1956 and didn't have an accident, not even a fender bender, until 2021. That same accident which left me bruised and frightened, probably would have killed me in 1956. In fact, auto fatalities are half what they were in 1956--23.7 per 100,000 to 11.67 in 2019 (2020 and 2021 were bumped up due to Covid and are outliers). Cars are half as dangerous, despite the millions of more vehicles on the road and silly teen-agers behind the wheel. Cars, roads and bridges are much, much safer--I was driving a 22 year old SUV that had airbags (my only injuries), seat belts and padded dash; the bridge had concrete barriers which kept me from drowning in the river and the woman who stopped to help had a cell phone to call for immediate help (the black ice was still as dangerous as 1956 because some things don't change). The salt truck was behind me, instead of in front, but at least others were safe.
School safety is the same way. Although the President wants to make this a political issue to satisfy his base, it should be a safety issue. The President should be comforting and consoling not ramping up hatred. He continues to belittle the police even after we've seen such bravery yesterday. Even as all the data show minorities are more likely to be the aggressor in racial crimes. Children are much safer at school than anywhere else--we learned that during Covid when hunger, mental health issues, and on-line frustration and bullying increased because of school closings. However, young men like Salvador Ramos who are mentally ill are still dangerous, just as black ice on bridges is as dangerous as 55 years ago.
Arm the teachers. Train the staff. The Robb school had a lot of safety protections, but the fence was extremely weak. I really have no idea about schools in my own community, but I intend to ask. I hope all schools and churches and other soft targets continue to recognize that they are targets for hate and evil. It's not the 1950s or 1960s.
Although social media can shut down a president, it also allows dangerous and out of control people to post their intentions. At least they should be allowed to alert authorities in the community. And have you noticed the media is not focuses on Ramos' ethnicity?
School safety is the same way. Although the President wants to make this a political issue to satisfy his base, it should be a safety issue. The President should be comforting and consoling not ramping up hatred. He continues to belittle the police even after we've seen such bravery yesterday. Even as all the data show minorities are more likely to be the aggressor in racial crimes. Children are much safer at school than anywhere else--we learned that during Covid when hunger, mental health issues, and on-line frustration and bullying increased because of school closings. However, young men like Salvador Ramos who are mentally ill are still dangerous, just as black ice on bridges is as dangerous as 55 years ago.
Arm the teachers. Train the staff. The Robb school had a lot of safety protections, but the fence was extremely weak. I really have no idea about schools in my own community, but I intend to ask. I hope all schools and churches and other soft targets continue to recognize that they are targets for hate and evil. It's not the 1950s or 1960s.
Although social media can shut down a president, it also allows dangerous and out of control people to post their intentions. At least they should be allowed to alert authorities in the community. And have you noticed the media is not focuses on Ramos' ethnicity?
Cookie supreme recipe and how-to
Cookie dough made into delicious muffin treat with Rice Krispies and chocolate sauce.
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Eighty three federal programs to help the low-income, poor, and single mothers
The abortion wars are building. The Pro-Aborts are threatening violence in the streets this summer, even though they will still be able to kill babies under state law. It's a power trip.
If you're tired of the old saw that pro-lifers don't care for children, only the fetuses, then you need to tell your accusers the truth. Welfare, under any name, has always been bipartisan, with Republicans often dumping more money on the programs than Democrats. EITC, for instance, was a Nixon plan, and until Obama, GW Bush was the biggest welfare spender. Many of the Covid supplemental programs were Trump's and continued by Biden. Republicans give more in their private lives, and when in government, they can't pass up a chance to be the do-gooder. The exception was Obamacare--which could not garner a single Republican vote because it was just BAD and horribly expensive.
Right now we have 83 means tested programs for the low income, poor, and single mothers. You really need to click on some of these and see what is involved. There are 27 programs just for single moms--everything from housing, to food, to medical care, to education. There were special supplements to these programs for Covid. Democrats didn't do this, Congress did, and it's been many years building. What HAS failed is Biden's sub-section of Build Back Better, called the American Families Plan. He's really flogging that dead horse--he makes it sound like we're pikers.
However, it will keep more people in poverty than just about anything they've dreamed up in DC. Uncle Sam is not a good step-father. Very few children of married parents ever live in poverty. The low income person will never be able to get ahead because it is too expensive to take a good job or a promotion. A $10/hour raise could cost them hundreds. They will pay a higher tax rate for a promotion than the wealthiest CEO in the country just by losing thousands in gov't benefits.
https://singlemotherguide.com/federal-welfare-programs/?
If you are married with 3 kids earning $57,414 (social worker, school teacher, pastor, retail manager, etc) instead of you paying taxes on it, the gov't will give you $6,728 (EITC).
If you've got a student loan Covid has paused your loan payments and set your interest rate to 0% starting March 13, 2020. This payment pause, also known as the administrative forbearance, will end Aug. 31, 2022. I'm guessing that will be renewed and renewed until we are stuck with complete loan forgiveness. I'd like to be proven wrong, but look who's in the WH.
A 3-person household which got $200 in SNAP, gets $458 as a covid supplement to bring it up to the $658 maximum benefit. No, SNAP doesn't mean you can eat on that amount, the S stands for supplement so you can afford healthier meals, not more chips and pop.
Women eligible for WIC get over $700, plus extra for fruits and vegetables. There is a formula shortage because the WIC program uses/buys 50% of the formula in the U.S. and the gov't really messed up on the supply chain.
Section 502 Direct Loan Program for rural low-income Americans to get decent housing. Special supplements for Covid with payment moratorium.
And on and on. You'll be amazed how generous you are. Because the government has no money except YOUR money.
If you're tired of the old saw that pro-lifers don't care for children, only the fetuses, then you need to tell your accusers the truth. Welfare, under any name, has always been bipartisan, with Republicans often dumping more money on the programs than Democrats. EITC, for instance, was a Nixon plan, and until Obama, GW Bush was the biggest welfare spender. Many of the Covid supplemental programs were Trump's and continued by Biden. Republicans give more in their private lives, and when in government, they can't pass up a chance to be the do-gooder. The exception was Obamacare--which could not garner a single Republican vote because it was just BAD and horribly expensive.
Right now we have 83 means tested programs for the low income, poor, and single mothers. You really need to click on some of these and see what is involved. There are 27 programs just for single moms--everything from housing, to food, to medical care, to education. There were special supplements to these programs for Covid. Democrats didn't do this, Congress did, and it's been many years building. What HAS failed is Biden's sub-section of Build Back Better, called the American Families Plan. He's really flogging that dead horse--he makes it sound like we're pikers.
However, it will keep more people in poverty than just about anything they've dreamed up in DC. Uncle Sam is not a good step-father. Very few children of married parents ever live in poverty. The low income person will never be able to get ahead because it is too expensive to take a good job or a promotion. A $10/hour raise could cost them hundreds. They will pay a higher tax rate for a promotion than the wealthiest CEO in the country just by losing thousands in gov't benefits.
https://singlemotherguide.com/federal-welfare-programs/?
If you are married with 3 kids earning $57,414 (social worker, school teacher, pastor, retail manager, etc) instead of you paying taxes on it, the gov't will give you $6,728 (EITC).
If you've got a student loan Covid has paused your loan payments and set your interest rate to 0% starting March 13, 2020. This payment pause, also known as the administrative forbearance, will end Aug. 31, 2022. I'm guessing that will be renewed and renewed until we are stuck with complete loan forgiveness. I'd like to be proven wrong, but look who's in the WH.
A 3-person household which got $200 in SNAP, gets $458 as a covid supplement to bring it up to the $658 maximum benefit. No, SNAP doesn't mean you can eat on that amount, the S stands for supplement so you can afford healthier meals, not more chips and pop.
Women eligible for WIC get over $700, plus extra for fruits and vegetables. There is a formula shortage because the WIC program uses/buys 50% of the formula in the U.S. and the gov't really messed up on the supply chain.
Section 502 Direct Loan Program for rural low-income Americans to get decent housing. Special supplements for Covid with payment moratorium.
And on and on. You'll be amazed how generous you are. Because the government has no money except YOUR money.
Words matter, less is more
The Lord's Prayer has 56 words.
Gettysburg Address has 268 words.
The Declaration of Independence has 1458
The U.S. Constitution has 4,543 words, including the signatures, unamended
Right to Try Act (2018) 5 pages
Report from the National School Board Association's investigation about its letter to Biden suggesting parents could be terrorists is 55 pages.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA ) of 2009 is 407 pages.
Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was 2,700 pages at time of pages, not including 20,000 pages of regulations (this number is debated) which followed.
I can't find the number of pages in the "American Families Plan," which is a subset of pages/words of Build Back Better, but it's $1.8 trillion for starters.
Archbishop Cordileone and Whoopi Goldlberg just doing their job
Archbishop Cordileone did what he's supposed to do--called out Nancy Pelosi for being a hypocrite and a bad Catholic--he has every right to refuse her communion. It's his job. It should have been done sooner, in my opinion, but as a Lutheran, I have no say in the matter. And Whoopi Goldberg, abortion defender, has every right to play the uninformed fool who knows nothing about "separation of church and state," or the Catholic church. Just because she played a fake nun who could sing in some movies doesn't mean she knows anything.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251305/archbishop-cordileone-nancy-pelosi-communion-abortion
https://dailycaller.com/2022/05/23/whoopi-goldberg-archbishop-cordileone-nancy-pelosi-communion/
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251305/archbishop-cordileone-nancy-pelosi-communion-abortion
https://dailycaller.com/2022/05/23/whoopi-goldberg-archbishop-cordileone-nancy-pelosi-communion/
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