1026 McDonald's sells apples

When I wrote about my apple-breakfasts the other day, I had fully intended to write about McDonald's becoming one of the biggest customers for the apple industry. Yesterday, a dear Christian sister, Bev, drove me to the airport to pick up my husband. We had been hanging an art show, then stopped by my house to check the flight information, and she brought in one of the new apple bowls from McDonald's. Being a "fruit picker" myself, I took a peek, and was pleasantly surprised--fresh sliced, a variety of types, a little pool of yogurt, and some crumbly sprinkles. We both though it a bit pricey--about $3.00--but it is a wonderfully refreshing treat, easy to eat. Check it out your next time in a McDonald's drive-through.

1025 Time's Up!

If I've ever seen a reason for God to say, "OK. It is finished (again)," it is the story of chimeras (ky-MIR-uhs), specifically the SCID-hu mouse story in today's Wall Street Journal. My work in the Veterinary Library at Ohio State made me vaguely aware of their debut in 1988, but I was busy with pig-poop, feline aids, and horses with one testicle, so I didn't pay much attention to mice with human-brain stem cells. "The Centaur has left the barn" says bio-ethicist Henry Greely.

Bio-ethics. Now there is an oxymoron. We Americans can't agree on the humanity of an 8 month fetus or the right of an unborn baby to live if he has deformed limbs. How in the world will we deal with human brain cells that are part mouse brain? Do we really want a cure for Alzheimer's or Parkinson's that badly (and there is absolutely no evidence that stem-cell research will ever provide this) if it means eventually they find they've gone over the line (after killing thousands of mice to examine their brains to see if they are becoming more human)? I wonder what the researchers will do when they find they've got a mouse that is more human than mouse? Kill it, I guess, and harvest the cells. Can't be more human than an 8 month old fetus, right?

1024 Mule trivia

Another thing (see previous post) I didn't plan to write about today is mules, but I found this among my Ohio Farmer notes from the 1850s. "Mr. Ben McCann, of Fayette, sold recently, to Mr. Charles Frost of Indiana, the largest mule doubtless in the Union. He is 5 years old, upwards of 19 hands high and weighs 1835 pounds. Ohio Farmer 8(23):172 May 28, 1859.

Now back to cleaning the kitchen!

1023 When my life imitates an Internet search

One of the problems with reading on the web is the linking feature. I can never get through the original article, start clicking away on the links and end up researching something I had no interest in 15 minutes before. This happens in life too: clean your kitchen and end up digging out files from 10 years ago.

I rushed in the door from the coffee shop this morning intending to clean up the kitchen before my husband returns from California. After cleaning up the tiny aspirin the cat had dumped to the floor, I began stacking up books and papers to remove from the kitchen table. When I moved the pile to my office, I discovered that "Recollections of Life in Ohio from 1813 to 1840" was 2 days overdue at the public library. I had come across it several weeks ago while browsing the shelves for something else. I am a "first family" Ohioan (ancestor arrived before 1803, the date of statehood), so I checked it out thinking it might be interesting to see what sort of Ohio my grandfather's grandfather had come to as a teen-ager. I promptly forgot about it, and never read it.

When I opened it this morning I discovered it was written by one of Ohio's most famous authors, William Dean Howells. Although I'd intended to return it unread, after leafing through it, I decided to renew it. Calling the library to renew (too much trouble on the computer), I discovered I needed my library card which meant I had to find my purse, etc. (Nothing is easy at a library.)

Then I had a vague recollection that while I was researching women writers who published in Ohio Cultivator and Ohio Farmer in the 1850s, I came across the information that Howells had been a printer for one of those publications. So that started a hunt for my notes, which I thought were in a metal recipe box. After about 10 minutes I pulled out a cardboard file the contents of which I didn't remember and found my notes on the back of old circulation cards from OSU Libraries. After several passes through them (the rubber band had long ago died and left them in disarray in the box, I found it: "William Howells, Ohio Cultivator 11(10):155 May 15, 1853. Poet. Typesetter for Cultivator." I can't tell from my notes if one of his poems appeared in this newspaper, but I think it did, in case you are a Howells researcher. I also noted his appearance in "Poets and poetry of the West," p. 678, which apparently reported he was a regular in Ohio Farmer, Atlantic, and Ohio State Journal.

The last thing I had intended to write about today was William Dean Howells, but sometimes you just have to follow the links.

1022 Can it get any more crazy?

James Taranto and Christopher Hitchens engage in a little name calling in today's Wall Street Journal (May 5, 2005). Taranto says he is not a Christian and not religious, but he is put off by the self-righteousness, close-mindedness, and contempt for democracy and pluralism of all that characterizes the opposition to the religious right.

Hitchens also claims not to be a Christian, but has a laundry list of complaints and fears against "growing religious factions" trying to force government leaders to follow their position. He calls them "moral majority types," "Bible thumpers," "all-fired pious," "grotesque," "back stabbers," "crusaders" and "clericalist bigots."

Whoa! I've been a Christian all my life in liberal, traditional, and evangelical congregations. I can assure all the non-Christians (especially the bizarre, twisted thought that went into the current Harper's witch hunt which lowered that esteemed publication to the level of those pulpy newsprint things that report on three headed aliens) and Taranto and Hitchens types that there is no cabal or movement.

How do I know? You can't find three Christians in two churches that agree on anything--not baptism, work of the Holy Spirit, abortion, war, end times, environmentalism, divorce, parenting, vaccines or what to bring to the pitch-in- dinner. Last week we had at our church a Christian "long-age" (about 17 billion years) creationist. I happen to be a 6 day creationist myself, but I'm not going to tie my shorts in a knot over someone saved by the work of Jesus Christ who is confused about Genesis! The week before we had a beautiful Catholic mother whose son was murdered talk to us about the importance of forgiveness. So we don't see eye to eye on Mary; she could write the book on forgiveness and what hate can do to a person. Everyone in her Lutheran audience was crying.

If you're so worried about the "religious right" (a strawman invented by a displaced and powerless left), drop by Barna.org and see what flimsy beliefs undergird people who identify themselves as born again or evangelical "Christian." You can point all the fingers you want at the political right, but be careful about throwing in the adjective "Christian." That just makes you a religious bigot.

1021 What it means to have a daughter

My daughter stopped by Tuesday to use my computer briefly. She works about 2 miles from here. She was the most beautiful baby in the world, and the most beautiful child and teen. She wasn't even ugly in middle school, when most of us have our body parts growing at differing rates. But as a bride, she was stunning. I thought about that when I read and enjoyed this moving story.

1020 Maybe I can’t pronounce phytochemical, but I can eat it

An apple a day. My favorite variety is Braeburn, but I will also eat Cameo, Fuji and Pink Lady. Jonathons are tasteless, Yellows too soft, and Grannies too sour. The apple has to be crisp, because I like to eat it sliced, with the skin on. This means I have to scrape the wax off with a sharp knife first, which is why I rarely eat an apple that’s provided by a restaurant or in a box lunch. Not only do I not want that wax in my digestive system, it is quite dirty.

In order to eat the 5-6 servings a day of fruits and vegetables recommended for a balanced, healthy diet, I core and slice an apple into about 16 pieces, clean a raw carrot and cut it up into 10-12 manageable pieces, toss in 3 or 4 dried plums (prunes we used to call them), maybe a few white grapes or strawberries if on hand, and top it off with a handful of washed walnuts. Given my druthers, I’d eat crackers and peanut butter or cheese for lunch, and if I succumb to temptation, at least I know that a bowl of apple slices and some add-ons have me pretty well covered. I love the apples, but the plums are the real power house of vitamins and minerals--beating out apples, bananas and oranges, ounce for ounce. Here’s what you get with an apple:

“Evidence suggests that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids from fruits and vegetables may play a key role in reducing chronic disease risk.

Apples are a widely consumed, rich source of phytochemicals, and epidemiological studies have linked the consumption of apples with reduced risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes. In the laboratory, apples have been found to have very strong antioxidant activity, inhibit cancer cell proliferation, decrease lipid oxidation, and lower cholesterol. Apples contain a variety of phytochemicals, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, all of which are strong antioxidants. The phytochemical composition of apples varies greatly between different varieties of apples, and there are also small changes in phytochemicals during the maturation and ripening of the fruit. Storage has little to no effect on apple phytochemicals, but processing can greatly affect apple phytochemicals.

While extensive research exists, a literature review of the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals has not been compiled to summarize this work. The purpose of this paper is to review the most recent literature regarding the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals, phytochemical bioavailability and antioxidant behavior, and the effects of variety, ripening, storage and processing on apple phytochemicals.” Abstract, “Apple phytochemicals and their health benefits” by Jeanelle Boyer and Rui Hai Liu, Nutrition Journal, 2004:3.5, May 2004 (available full text at BioMedCentral)

Now, go munch on an apple.

1019 Senate Bill 24--protect, promote or deny free speech?

A male student who worked for me at Ohio State in the early 90s was taking a women's studies course as a humanities requirement in his senior year. He was terrified to open his mouth in class, the atmosphere was so poisoned and hostile toward men--and he needed the credit to graduate. He even asked me if I thought it was OK to use the word "huMAN" in one of his papers. I recall a full professor of English driven out of his prestigious university, not because he was a conservative, but because he was an apolitical liberal and a threat to his more radical colleagues. He was a well-established scholar who graciously helped me with one of my publications. His department assigned him freshman English classes where he was to incorporate feminist principles into basic rhetoric. He lost grant money and assistants to help with research, and was ostracized by his colleagues. He left to teach at a branch campus of a state university in another state. Yes, it is indeed the new McCarthyism, but now it is used by the liberals.

Professor Lynne Olsen of Ohio State said in a TV interview tonight that Senate Bill 24 isn't necessary--there are already laws in place that prevent professors from promoting their political viewpoints. Not so says some OSU students who support the bill. One complained that over one-half of her theater class time was spent on the topic of homosexuality. She believes her tuition money and time was wasted on this course. Another said that in one of his classes last fall the professor used up the students' time to denounce and ridicule President Bush. I'm not a bit surprised by this, but I agree with Dr. Olsen, how will this be policed--there are already rules (not being followed--my thought).

The first section of Bill 24 reads:

"The institution shall provide its students with a learning environment in which the students have access to a broad range of serious scholarly opinion pertaining to the subjects they study. In the humanities, the social sciences, and the arts, the fostering of a plurality of serious scholarly methodologies and perspectives shall be a significant institutional purpose. In addition, curricula and reading lists in the humanities and social studies shall respect all human knowledge in these areas and provide students with dissenting sources and viewpoints."

The bill also specifies that professors wouldn't be denied tenure for their political views, but that's pretty hard to prove. There are many ways "colleagues" can sabotage someone on his/her way to tenure--it takes a long time. Committee appointments. Student assistants. Grant applications. Rumors. Cliques.

"Faculty and instructors shall be hired, fired, promoted, and granted tenure on the basis of their competence and appropriate knowledge in their field of expertise and shall not be hired, fired, promoted, granted tenure, or denied promotion or tenure on the basis of their political, ideological, or religious beliefs.

Faculty and instructors shall not be excluded from tenure, search, and hiring committees on the basis of their political, ideological, or religious beliefs."

Liberal faculty, who would be the first to holler if a conservative tried to promote intelligent design or different brain development of the sexes, see this bill as a terrible threat to their free speech. And it is. They've had the freedom to undercut conservative values and faculty on the campus for the last 25 years. And I think that is the point. I wouldn't be surprised to see faculty unanimously oppose this bill in Ohio--I doubt that there are enough conservative faculty present on any campus to even wave a white flag.

1018 The Rewards System

Actually, I believe honesty is its own reward. If you don't lie or cheat, you don't have to try to remember what you said or cover up any do-do so you don't step in it. But occasionally, what goes around, comes around.

About two weeks ago we had dinner with Bill and Joyce at The Rusty Bucket. My husband paid with a couple of twenties. When the waitress returned the little folder, he opened it and found she'd given him $5.00 too much in change. So he called her over to the table and told her. She thanked him; called him honest. The next Friday we went to eat at The Rusty Bucket with our daughter. This time he paid with his credit card (yes, we do use them occasionally but have never paid a finance charge). He left a cash tip--he almost never adds that to the charge. When he got home and pulled out the slip, he noticed that the charges were incorrect--the bill was about half of what it should have been. So he called the restaurant and told them, and asked specifically that the waitress not have it taken from her salary. The manager thanked him, called him honest, and said she wouldn't be penalized (may have been the cashier's problem).

The next day we realized about 4 p.m. that the mailman hadn't been by to deliver or pick up our mail. About 4:30 there was a knock at the door, and it was a stranger with our mail, which included some very important, time sensitive material. He said it had been dropped through his mailslot next door. I thanked him, and realized the mail wasn't late, just misdelivered.

No one lives in that condo; it was sold in November and the new owners aren't moving in until June. He had just stopped by to check on some things and noticed the mail and brought it over.

1017 Credit's Dirty Little Secret

That's what Jim Aviles of San Francisco called it in a letter to the Wall Street Journal today. His point was that merchants pass along to customers the higher fees banks are charging merchants for each credit transaction. Well, yes of course, no one gives away a product, so marketing and selling expenses are part of what you pay for. That's also my objection to loyalty cards and rebate gaming--those of us who don't or won't play, are the ones paying for those of you who do.

But the poor disproportionately pay by cash or check Aviles says (actually a lot of us who don't want to be trapped in credit card debt are careful about their use). People who are poor credit risks or who have filed for bankruptcy are probably included in that. So the poor are footing the bill for credit card users because we all pay the same price. No more cash discount.

"Here's the dirty secret of the card issuing industry," Aviles writes. "Because card regulations demand that cardholders pay no more for goods and services than cash and check customers, the working poor are subsidizing the vacation points earned by American's top income classes."

I just received one of those "rewards" credit cards in the mail. I am pre-approved and get a "companion" mini card. Isn't that just so cute! Just like the grocery and drug store loyalty card--I can attach it to my key chain. Now, my rewards have to be spent at a particular auto dealership, one point for every dollar I spend on other purchases, plus (I'm breathless) 2,500 bonus points after I make my first purchase, which would be (whoopee) $25 off my next new car or service.

The small print on the back says "Pursuant to requrements of law, including the USA PATRIOT ACT, Bank of America is obtaining information and will take necessary actions to verify your identity." I wonder if other librarians know about this? They are the stronghold protecting us from the PA (although not from terrorists).

If I charge my next car (usually you pay less for a car if you pay outright and don't finance), I'll get 5 points for every dollar I charge (subject to additional terms and conditions not stated here in the small print). I assume this "deal" for points would keep me from shopping for the best car loan because I'd have a $20,000 credit line.

The next line says they have already obtained information in my credit report in order for me to receive this offer to see if I was "creditworthy." But they still want my Social Security number and my mother's maiden name (don't banks ask for that too?)

The next noise you'll hear is my scissors cutting up this credit card, even though I'm subsidizing your next purchase by paying cash.

1016 Odd headlines for AP Story

Who writes these headlines? Did he read the story, or is there something missing? In today's Columbus Dispatch I noticed the story, "The economy is the nation's top issue, Midwesterners say." So I glanced through the Associated Press story, and things didn't seem to add up--about us frightened Midwesterners. So I looked to the chart on the right and scanned down the various issues, settling on concerns about the Economy. Midwest--14%; Northeast--30%; South--17%; West--14%. The headline seems to come from an open-ended question asked by the Ipsos public affairs poll, but if they all replied "economy worries me most," why doesn't it show up that way in the chart, where it looks like the Northeasterners are panicked?

1015 Fathers for Life

Apparently U.S. conservatives aren't alone in their concern about activist judges--Canadians are too. Fathers for Life is a Canadian web site about family concerns. Scroll down the main page to Men's issues and click. You'll see an archive of articles.

Hat tip to Purposeful Dreamer.

1014 The Juicy Studio tests for your web page

I tried out a few of the tests at Juicy Studio. I found out this web page has 396 links, and every one of them works! Yea. Juicy did burp a little on some of the links to comments, and suggested hand checking those. Then I tried the readability tests. This is a bit trickier, because so many of my entries contain considerable quoting, and if I tested those, I wouldn't be testing Norma, now would I? So I tried the waffle story and the cell phone story and a few others that weren't particularly weighty, but at least were all MINE.

My "fog index" is between an 8 and 9--or the level of a popular novel. I think a 10 gets you to Time Magazine. 15-16% of my words have 3 or more syllables, and my reading ease score is 66-67, and the test suggests you aim for 60-70. Then the grade level tests out at between 5 and 6. So apparently, a fifth or sixth grader could read my essays and understand. So if you can't make heads or tails out of what I'm saying, it must be you, not me. If you just don't agree, well, I didn't see a test for that. But since I'm older than you, you'll just have to bow to my gray hair and greater experience.

1013 If I could be. . .the new meme

Robin Lee Hatcher explains a new meme going around called, If I could be. I noticed one of the professions was "librarian." What do you bet not many have chosen that one?

1012 Let your voice (or e-mail) be heard

Terry over at Summa Mamas wrote to eBay about the recent auction of the Eucharist. Here is part of the response she got, posted at her site (I'm assuming she got permission):

"We understand that the listing of the Eucharist was highly upsetting to
Catholic members of the eBay community and Catholics globally. Once this completed sale was brought to our attention, we consulted with a number of our users, including members of the Catholic Church, concerning what course we should take in the future should a similar listing appear on our site. We also consulted with members of other religions about items that might also be highly sacred and
inappropriate for sale. As a result of this dialogue, we have concluded that sales ofthe Eucharist, and similar highly sacred items, are not appropriate on eBay. We have, therefore, broadened our policies and will remove those types of listings should they appear on the site in the future."

This is a very good business move on the part of eBay, in my opinion, and I hope consumers will continue to let businesses, churches, institutions or government agencies know when they have overstepped the boundaries of good taste. Let common sense reign.

1011 How to run a book club

Last night our book club had its final meeting of the 2004-2005 year and discussed Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Everyone enjoyed the book and a number have read the other books in this series by the African author. I’m not a fan of mysteries, but found this one (no mayhem or violence) quite engrossing. We always choose a small book for May, because we vote for the next year’s selection and that takes some of our time. We also try to make the December selection an easy read.

The rules are simple: you can nominate as many books as you wish, but you must have read them. We then vote for nine of the titles. Our secretary and her helper figure the tally, and nine titles are selected. Then the leaders and hostesses and helpers are decided. The discussion leader is the person who nominated the book, unless she has more than one on the list, and then she can pass it along to a volunteer willing to read and lead that discussion.

I feel fortunate to be a part of this wonderful group that has been together for 25 years (I joined in 2000 when I retired). Most are much more widely read than I. One member told me last night that she reads a book a week, plus the books she reads with her children. Because we see each other only once a month, and usually only two thirds of the group come to any one meeting, I don’t know them well. Four of us are or were librarians; probably ten or twelve are or were teachers or administrators in education; one is a lawyer, I think; one is a home schooling mom who writes on the side; some are homemakers and volunteers or assist husbands in their business.

I recommended Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, and also suggested we offer it in September because of its length. That way we have the summer to prepare. I also mentioned (after it was selected) they might read The Federalist, most of which he authored with Madison and Jay, but I think that probably won’t happen. Because of its length, I had intended to skim it (cheating just a little) before recommending it, however, the author is such a terrific writer and the story so fascinating (you’d think it was fiction if you hadn’t heard about this guy in grade school), that I ended up not only reading closely, but rereading certain passages.

Here’s our list (this group has no name, to my knowledge):

September: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Leader: Norma. Hostess: Elaine. Chernow’s research.

October: Desert Queen by Janet Wallach. Leader: Carolyn C. Hostess: Judy

November: Spin Sisters by Myrna Blythe. Leader: Marti/Adrienne. Hostess: Margie

December: Miss Julia Speaks her Mind by Ann B. Ross. Leader: Jill. Hostess: Carolyn A.

January: Beyond the River ; the untold story of the heroes of the underground railroad by Ann Hagedorn. Leader: Peggy. Hostess Mary Lou.

February: Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult. Leader: Elaine. Hostess: Peggy.

March: Mr. Darcy’s Daughters by Elizabeth Aston. Leader: Hostess: Carolyn C.

April: The Magdalene Gospel by Mary Ellen Ashcroft. Leader: Jean. Hostess: Joni.

May: Christmas Journey by Anne Perry. Leader: Hostess: Justine

1010 Funny headlines

When James Taranto compiles Best of the Web, he always throws in a few good headlines for a smile. Here’s some from today's column, May 2.

We Didn't Know It Was Moving
"Hillary Clinton Makes Ohio Stop"--headline, Akron Beacon Journal, May 1

It's Called a 'Cell'
"Little Room for Sex Offenders"--headline, Orlando Sentinel, April 30

Ten Commandments Unfair to Workers
"Nurses Rally For New Contract At Mount Sinai"--headline, NY1.com (New York), April 29

1009 Laura Bush does us (librarians) proud

You can watch Laura Bush, the world's prettiest and most famous librarian, do her comedy routine at the White House Correspondents dinner at C-SPAN. Forward the tape to about 1 hour and 14 minutes, unless you want to watch all the other stuff, which includes some footage from other dinners and scenes of people milling around.

President Bush begins to give his speech and gets interrupted by his wife when he starts to retell a joke that went flat the first time he told it. It's all scripted, but the audience loved it, especially the "Desperate Housewife" routine and the President retiring at 9 p.m.

"George always says he's delighted to come to these press dinners. Baloney. He's usually in bed by now. I'm not kidding. I said to him the other day, 'George, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you're going to have to stay up later.' I am married to the president of the United States, and here's our typical evening: Nine o'clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep, and I'm watching 'Desperate Housewives' -- with Lynne Cheney. Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife."

· "But George and I are complete opposites -- I'm quiet, he's talkative, I'm introverted, he's extroverted. I can pronounce 'nuclear'. The amazing thing, however, is that George and I were just meant to be. I was the librarian who spent 12 hours a day in the library, yet somehow I met George."

Laura Bush should be the best PR tool for libraries in a long while, but because of ALA's anti-administration attitude and leftward tilt, no one will take advantage of it.

Update: I noticed at Gail Heriot's piece at The Right Coast she noted that at a pre-dinner reception "a group of journalists were speculating about whether a President would ever dare break the tradition and not show up for the annual feast. The consensus was that he would never, never, never do so without his paying dearly. The attendance of the President is the outward and visible sign of MSM power." Well, maybe by having his wife give the speech, he sort of did the unthinkable and won their approval too? Maybe Bush beat 'em at their own game.

Librarians around the world wonder about this

At least they wonder in public libraries. My recollection is that in academic libraries people weren't so shy.

"Here's a question for the library folk: Why are patrons so against putting books on hold? I mean, why, when I tell people I can get them on the waiting list for one of the 63 unavailable copies of The Grim Grotto (exaggeration), they get a weird look on their face and say no thanks? The library already has your information, it's not like we need anything extra, nor are we going out of our way to perform some astronomical favor for you. Please, lady, just let me put in on hold."

Suggestion: Please go to the library and place something on hold. It will make the librarian's day.

Seen at Perks of Being a Librarian.

1007 Millions killed by Malaria

There doesn't seem to be a date on this article about the resurgence of malaria in the United States at this CDC site. The article discusses outbreaks, diagnosis, containment and "sensitizing" people to the possible reintroduction of this disease that was virtually eliminated in the 1950s from the United States. But it hasn't gone away. It isn't killing Americans, but it kills millions in third world countries, courtesy of the discontinuation of the production of DDT. That's what I find so odd about the CDC's page--there's no mention of the environmental disaster--the human component--of the myth that DDT kills.

Environmentalists are running for cover from the fallout of the blame, obscuring their role in the DDT ban, blaming everyone but themselves. But I'm sure the bloggers will dig up the truth and they won't be able to hide for long. Just its lack of mention on a CDC page that it is the only effective control for malaria, says volumes about environmentalists' power in our government agencies.

Update: Found the date--April 22, 2005, and the title is "Preventing Reintroduction of Malaria in the United States," but the articles rotate at the url I provided.