521 Ten things to do before the election

The Sojourner's Magazine has a commentary on "10 things to do before the election," in the October 2004 issue (selected articles on-line).

Number 2 is: "Register to vote. One out of four people of voting age weren’t registered to vote in 2000. For information on how to register, visit a public library or contact the Federal Election Commission (www. fec.gov). If you are already registered, get five other people to register."

I was reading an editorial in the Ogle County Life (Illinois) about the excuses people give for not voting, "Most will stay home on election day". My own son has never voted--he will be 36! How will I get five other people to register, if I can't even persuade him? I've even handed him the form that I picked up at church. All he had to do was fill it out and mail it. How hard is that?

How hard is it to think about young American men and women dying so people in Afghanistan and Iraq can vote?

520 Kanye West's Jesus Walks with Me

Bunnie Diehl's blog parses the words of Kanye West's Jesus Walks With Me, a popular Christian rap number. She says, "Not your, how do we say, traditional Christian song, Kanye discusses strippers, coke and drug dealers in his ode to the Savior. Profanities, too." This one I've actually heard--and like.

Making peace with the culture is the unending song of Christian music. My grandparents thought "Old rugged cross" (waltz music) and "Onward Christian Soldiers" (they were Anabaptists) were not fit for the hymnal.

519 Boys are fragile

About 125 boys are conceived for every 100 girls, and by birth there are about 106 males to 100 females, at least in the United States, and that figure differs by ethnic group, with black males being more fragile than white males. Because boys are more susceptible to childhood diseases and are more likely to be involved in accidents or violence, the ratio is about even by the teen years. Into adulthood, women steadily outpace the men in longevity. So, apparently, men needed that head start at conception. A new study in Italy shows that there is a premium time of the year for the conception of males--apparently the cooler months. There is also some concern that the birth ratio is changing with fewer boys being born, but no one knows why.

In many developing countries like India and China, boys are valued more than girls, and now with sex selection possible before birth, more girls than boys are being aborted. By the age of marriage, this is creating terrible social problems, with not enough women available. This doesn't improve choices for women--it makes them more susceptible to kidnapping, rape and violence.

518 Just a bagel and cream cheese

Two young 30-something married women (big rings, left hand) sat down near me at the coffee shop Wednesday morning. I watched them slice their bagels, open the plastic containers of cream cheese, spread the nutritious calcium and protein onto the wheat product and open bottles of fruit juice. Not bad nutrition--although more calories than two donuts.

They were eating, not dying, unless you think negatively that we are all using up our time here on earth. Terri Schiavo is a young married woman who uses a tube for her nutrition and fluids. She can't experience the texture and flavor of dairy and wheat products, but she can get the same nutrition. Terri is eating; not dying.

To withhold a feeding tube from a dying person may be an act of kindness because you aren't prolonging the death process. To withhold nutrition from someone who isn't dying is cruel, and a painful murder. Terri's husband wants to legally murder her by pulling out the tube.

If the husbands of the women I saw at Panera's came into the shop and grabbed away their food and locked them in a closet for 10 days, I suppose they might die. The husbands would go to jail, I hope. And what would those of us sitting around enjoying our coffee and bagels do?

517 Cat Lovers of Lakeside

A group of cat lovers here in Lakeside in 2003 developed a simple plan to control the growing feral cat population. The components are, 1) place kittens in loving homes, 2) spay/neuter the adults and return them to the community, and 3) feed the feral cats.

The feeding allows the helpers to get the feral cats to trust them so the adults can be caught and neutered and the kittens can be handled. It also prevents the cats from becoming sick and spreading disease. Over 30 kittens have been placed in homes. After the adults are neutered (small ear notch so they can be identified), they are returned to the community because cats are territorial and will prevent new cats from coming into the community.

The volunteers work with Noah’s Ark pet store in Port Clinton after having the kittens checked by Harborview Animal Hospital which also gives them a discount on the necessary surgeries. So far, 36 cats have been spayed or neutered, 25 of which are females. Since each female cat can have 10-12 kittens a year, these volunteers are contributing a significant service to the community.

In honor of our sweet kitty, and in memory of our two dear deceased felines, I will make a contribution to this group.

Saving babies is more complicated

You can’t speak out for baby-life on your license plates.

You can promote NASCAR, the Girl Scouts, or Saving Feral Cats, but if you want to “choose life” on your license plates, you’ll have a problem. Aren’t those plates made by prisoners? If given a choice between a less than perfect life and the electric chair, I wonder which they’d choose.

I guess the feminists deep down believe their position is so weak that a license plate slogan might convert a NOW member or make a young woman feel bad while driving to an appointment with the abortionist (if you google this topic hundreds of left web sites bounce up decrying this violation of the first amendment--these folks are really terrified they might lose an abortion). Tennessee and other states are trying to stifle this freedom of expression according to USAToday, Oct. 7, 7A. The anti-life-for-babies crowd must really be afraid of bumper stickers--bigger print.

516 The Sports Cafe

Tired from a day of painting the bathroom, we went to the Sports Cafe for supper (he painted, I blogged). Looking over the menu, I noticed that after sandwiches we could order "deserts."

515 Lakeside is humming

The neighbor to the north is having a driveway widened and a new car port roof built; the neighbor across the street is repairing the tree storm damage to the roof with new shingles; another neighbor is repairing a chimney that has pulled away from his house. Down the street the big house with the round porch is being wrapped in its blue winter underwear with snaps and is having the air blown out of the pipes; two restaurants are open for either lunch or dinner; the Fountain Inn is entertaining guests; Marilyn's shop is open; the movie theater will be open this week-end with "De-lovely" and there will be a program in the auditorium Saturday evening--The Air National Guard Band of the Great Lakes; and the weather is gorgeous. The Third Annual Fall Festival will begin Saturday at 3 p.m.--the Marblehead Festival ends at 4 p.m. Miniature golf and shuffleboard will be open and there is a pie contest--apple only. I'll submit my sugar free pie. The apple sour cream is a secret.

We are doing our part; we are painting the bathroom. I always use "we" for physical labor. I don't paint, wallpaper, or drive 500 miles, but I love to say "we are. . ." We bought the cottage in 1988, and "we" spent about 12 week-ends driving up from Columbus to repair, paint and have appliances repaired and carpet installed. However, the wall paper border with a cute nautical theme was drooping and mildewing, and the paint chipping around the windows after 15 years. I couldn't find a border as sweet and precious as what I had (have you noticed how HUGE borders have become?), so I had to settle for blue and pink flowers, but it will be fresh.

514 I heard it on the radio, pt. 1

While driving to the coffee shop this morning, Chocolate Cafe, I was listening to WJR out of Detroit. Apparently there are some local problems in the 'burbs with political signs. A caller to the show yesterday complained that his Bush-Cheney signs were being torn up or stolen. The radio host checked it out with the police who told him that 85% of the complaints they get about this are because the Bush signs are being vandalized or destroyed. Must be that ABB crowd. Hatred overpowers the normally honest person.

The host also reported that he was flooded with e-mail and calls after he interviewed a columnist who pointed out that despite what we're hearing here in Ohio (and Michigan) about out-sourcing, that isn't the problem. Only 1% of the lost jobs in 2003 were a result of out-sourcing, and in-sourcing is providing much higher paid jobs (in the car capital, that would be firms like Toyota, Hyundai, BMW, etc.). People had apparently believed the screed of Kerry-Edwards. Technology is the big cause of job loss, as it has been for the last 200 years.

While at the coffee shop (did I mention the chocolate theme?) I read in USAToday there has been a net increase of 36 million jobs in the last 20 years. "Studies show that the migration of U.S. jobs overseas is a tiny factor in weak employment growth. A Labor Department study of job losses in the first three months of the year found that only 2% went overseas. Other studies have put the figure closer to 1%. . . .Technology lets companies do more with fewer people. In 2002 and 2003, output for each U.S. worker increased by more than 4% a year, the first time productivity was that high two years in a row, according to the Labor Department. Health care costs. Federal Reserve Board surveys show rising medical expenses — more than 10% annually for four years running — are dampening hiring as firms worry about paying for new employees' benefits." So apparently the USAToday op/ed was using the same Commerce Dept. report.

I heard it on the radio, pt. 2

"When I'm 64" is a Beatles song written by Paul McCartney; John Lennon would be 64. It is the basis of an article in USAToday about how much more active and valuable to the economy older people are today than in the past. After bulleting a few choice statistics (all good), the editor suggests: "It seems clear that older adults today aren't, as the Beatles song goes, "wasting away." They won't be "knitting sweaters by the fireside." And they won't be fitting easily into other stereotypes, either. "

Let's hold on a minute here. My four grandparents lived into their 80s and 90s; six of my eight great-grandparents did too. There was no retirement for farmers and housewives in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One of the myths we live with today is modern longevity. Actually, if you lived past the dangerous childhood years, your chances of having a long life, busy life, were excellent, if I read my genealogies correctly. Stop by any cemetery--after you get past the babies and the women who died in childbirth, you'll find "old people."

Ours is not the first generation to remain healthy and useful past 60. People remained busy and useful to their family and society long before the 21st century. They were happy and although they didn't have medical care as we think of it today with check-ups and testing, they weren't so unhealthy. They may have had fewer self-induced diseases caused by obesity, nicotine and alcohol.

Great aunt Rachel is a good example. A widow, she travelled the midwest taking care of new babies and infirm elders, assisting with laundry, the garden, cooking, and canning, staying six months or a year at the homes of her siblings and nieces. Then she would return to Pennsylvania and take care of those relatives. My great grandmother in the early 20th century shared her home with her mother-in-law and the retarded step-son of her daughter. I'm guessing her mother-in-law helped with the babies, the garden and the canning.

I'm grateful for the many conveniences and miracle drugs that give us a healthy life, but let's not pretend we're the first to have useful, active senior years.

We're following in some mighty big footprints.

513 What are your librarians buying for your library?

If you are a Democrat and think your library is doing an outstanding job with the "newest arrivals" shelf, or if you are a Republican constantly submitting suggestions for purchase and think you are getting lame excuses, Tomeboy has crunched the numbers and found out why you are both correct. In his article 223:1 (the ratio of Democrat librarians to Republican), he has taken the best seller lists of politically biased books, left and right, and compared them to OCLC WorldCat holdings records.

If you're not a librarian [what in the world is an OCLC? what is a holding?], some of this will seem a bit arcane, but you'll understand the conclusions--twice as many current, best-selling liberal books will make it to the shelves of your local library.

512 Credit for lunch

Joanne Jacobs points out an article about students at Berkeley public schools which reports they will be getting credit for lunch. They’ll be eating, and learning about nutrition and organic foods, as well table manners and the art of conversation. Big deal. When I was in junior high school, we called that class home economics and we had to eat what we cooked.

511 Mount St. Helen's volcanocam

Mount St. Helen’s volcanocam. We used something like this to track the fires at Glacier National Park last year. When we left Ohio (Amtrak) stopping in Arizona and California, we thought the fires would be gone before we got to Glacier in two weeks. We were wrong.

510 A Spat about Beer

About a month ago I wrote about updating my blogroll at Church of the Acronym and adding some Lutherans, rejecting some Christian sites because of trash talking. With some reluctance, I added Daniel, a Lutheran, http://beerisforamateurs.blogspot.com/. Daniel loves beer, but doesn’t think much of non-LCMS Lutherans. He has also taken the word “Lutheran” out of Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the synod to which my church belongs, and replaced it with an asterisk. Nice guy, huh? (Christians don’t need enemies; they’ve got each other.) But, I reasoned, maybe he is Gen-X or an Echo-Boomer and thinks it is cute. Generational differences, you know, so maybe he would mature.

I left a comment for him (e-mail) that I didn’t think much of his promotion of beer on a site intending to speak to the claims of Christ. (His only graphic is a grinning beer babe.) Now, according to one of his rants about me and my church, (“Who is Norma,” Oct. 3) Daniel the LCMS blogger has demanded to be removed from my blogroll. It is really tough to leave a comment at his website, or track back to his articles--you get e-mail or a web address, but no way for your comment to show in the context of the original.

I’ve got four blogs, a journal and three 3-mail addresses, and all my blogs are comment enabled. I’ve never received a message from Daniel. Somewhere in blogland another Norma is puzzling over a very odd message about beer.

509 Another September 11 story

“Michael Jacob was officially adopted by Karen and Pat Moan on September 11, 2003. He lives with his family in Southern California and is looking forward to celebrating his third birthday on March 31st.”

Read about an amazing charity, The Garden of Angels, that pays for burials of babies thrown in the trash and creates a safe haven and finds adoptive homes for newborns who could have ended up there. Their stories will leave tiny footprints on your heart.

Thanks to Sherry for the tip.

508 Adding photos

Through Picasa and something called Hello I can now add photos to my blog. The teeny-boppers do it all the time, but so far I keep taking pictures of the instructions and adding that. But I have successfully added one of my paintings to the Catablogging topic from last week. Scroll down. That's my cat sitting on the porch at our Lakeside house. Since I retired, I've been painting small, topical watercolors. I scan them onto notecards and sell them at a local gift shop. If you want to add my cat painting to your blog, you can (it's copyrighted, but I'm giving you the artist's permission), but please credit me and give this URL. Thanks.

And for your added enjoyment, I've added a wedding photo to my September 11 blog. We look like children playing dress-ups! That's my childhood friend and college roommate JoElla, as maid of honor, and my husband's childhood friend Tom, as best man. This is fun. I'll have to dig through some more old pictures.

507 When magazines multiply--what do you do?

Esther has the same problem we do with magazine subscriptions. We are gradually letting subscriptions to various architectural and home magazines die off--sometimes a slow painful death, as the subscription agencies continue to send pleas for renewals and special offers. Her description of how to say good-bye is hilarious. I'll have to send it to my friend, Lynne (who works in magazine fulfillment).

I’ve been so disappointed with my New Yorker--it was much better when my friend Nancy would give me her left-overs. When Esther is deciding how to winnow her supply she writes:

“Then, I kissed The New Yorker goodbye. The cartoons had failed to amuse me one too many times, and I found their articles pretentious and appallingly long; as an editor, I saw, in my mind’s eye, a kinder, simpler world, where each of the feature articles was a third shorter and no one missed the extra verbiage. Hasta la vista, you longwinded, overhyped, affected publication.”

Perfect. I knew I’d have something in common with Esther. At least she doesn’t collect first issues and get behind in that blog.

506 It's been a bad summer for the media

John Leo writes, "In truth, the news business had a disastrous summer. In July, a Senate intelligence committee and an official British investigation both concluded that President Bush had been on firm ground when he spoke the famous 16 words in his 2003 State of the Union message (that the British had learned Saddam Hussein had sought to acquire uranium in Africa). When the 16 words appeared to be untrue, the press endlessly trumpeted them, often on the front page, but when Bush drew heavy support from the two investigations, you could hardly find the news with a magnifying glass. In the New York Times, the British report was carried way inside the paper and read like a muddled translation from classical Urdu. This seems to happen a lot when the Times is forced to report news it doesn't like. On July 25, the Washington Post press critic, Howard Kurtz, reported that his newspaper had carried 96 references to the issue when Bush appeared to be wrong and only two after the revelation that he looked to be right. The totals for the three major networks and three elite newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, were 302 before and nine after. According to Kurtz, CBS never did get around to mentioning that the investigations had supported the president.

Media handling of the charges by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was even more peculiar. Most major news media stayed silent for nine or 10 days as the story of the charges spread over radio and the Internet. A few bloggers argued that this was an attempt by big-time media outlets to rule the Swifties' charges out of bounds. It seemed that way to me, too. When big media finally did rouse themselves and address the issue, they tended to focus tightly on Democratic talking points, such as who provided the funding and were the Swifties illegal surrogates for the Bush campaign. In many news outlets, the adjective "unsubstantiated" seemed welded to the noun "charges." "

U.S. News.com John Leo, “Self-Inflicted Wounds”

505 He'd Rather not have an agenda

The Washington Post has an article on Dan Rather today. That surprises me. People have such a short attention span. Sure, we'd like to continue talking about the bias of the press and why they don't see it, but there really are more important issues for conservatives. Like the Republicans who are falling away from Bush because they don't like the neo-cons (mostly former Democrats). That's what got Clinton elected the first time--unhappy Republicans defecting from Bush 41.

It is so strange that Dan Rather can't see his own bias*. I have biases and opinions. Most people do. Why does he think he is immune just because he went to journalism school and has been in front of a camera for years. That actually makes him more susceptible! How could you not get a big head if millions of people were hanging on your every word, and the press quoted you, and movie stars knew YOUR name. Gosh, Dan. Get real. My little blog gets about 50 hits on a good day--when it is up to 100, you probably won't be able to talk to me.

*"I'm an independent journalist," Rather said. "I don't have a political agenda. What I'm trying to do is be an honest broker of information. I'm going to make my mistakes . . . and not give in to those" who are themselves "biased." WaPo story here by Howard Kurtz.

504 Happy Blogiversary

Today is the one year anniversary of my first web log post. My first one looked like this

Thursday, October 02, 2003
#1

Most of my writing has been sent via e-mail to friends and family in attachments, which increasingly no one is eager to open. I don't blame them. Last week I was receiving about 50 worm infested e-mails a day, about half with attachments.

So I'm thinking, if I had a blog home, I could just ask the good folks from Montana, Florida, Virginia, Illinois, Nebraska, Georgia, California, Washington and Michigan to check out my blog for the latest details on what I'm thinking or writing. I've put out a compilation of my poetry and essays, "Let me collect my thoughts," and this will be an extension of that. Web Logs are perfect for people like me who like to write but don't want to publish.

503 The Blind Man at the Bus Stop

We saw the blind man at the bus stop as the bus was pulling away to the east. We were driving west at 35 mph, so we don't know if he was a bus rider, or just waiting to cross busy North Broadway near Kenny Road.

No one has more respect than I for the parenting abilities of the blind. My grandmother was blind and raised nine children on the farm with no electricity or indoor plumbing. Even so, not even that incredible woman would have attempted to cross a four lane street with a toddler on her back in a child carrier with only a white cane for guidance.

502 The Debate

I went to bed about 30 minutes into the debate. Kerry was clearly the better debater, to my inexperienced ear. But what made it intolerable for me was his image at congressional hearings 30 years ago. It just kept popping up. He was good lying then too. Really good. Probably caused many deaths with his deceptions. Anyway, there are many bloggers who blogged throughout. One of the best I read was at NRO after people began commenting on Kerry's body language, which apparently looked like signing:

"I'm listening on radio, so I'm missing all-important body language. But Kerry seems marginally better than Bush. The President sounds determined, but dull-witted. Kerry sounds urgent, but empty."

Yes, that's what was bothering me. Empty.