1285 Firefox problems

Problems with the layout.

Update: As of 3:10 it looks OK on my screen. However, it did that yesterday too. I tried to delete some of the buttons I didn't need and must have elminated something important, so reloaded the template code (22 pages) I'd saved in wp before I started all this.

"Switching is easy." Yeah, tell me about it.

1284 Do as I say, not as I do: librarian's motto?

The editor of C&RL News sadly writes here:

“My children have a genetic disease. It is rare, not well understood, and there is no treatment or cure. However, the most disturbing obstacle we face is the wall around published scientific research. Information critical to health and biomedical research is held hostage by questionable and arcane publishing practices. It is time for publishers, both private and academic, to redesign their business models in response to a new age of information sharing and a stronger sense of the scientific commons.”

What puzzles me is that her journal, and most library journals, do NOT have open access (except for editorial remarks like hers) even though librarians beat the drum for everyone else to provide free information.

Yes, NIH is tax supported, but so are libraries and librarians salaries.

1283 Thirty years ago at Lakeside

We're actually not at the Lake, but I was poking around in my photo file and found this family photo of our week at the Lake in 1975. That year was one of the few where we had a cottage that overlooked Lake Erie. It was sort of a dump, but the view was fabulous, especially during storms.



That series of windows right above my head was our apartment. The huge rocks that lead to the water are about 2 or 3 feet in front of us. I think that apartment was the one where our son left the stopper in the sink and the faucet was left slightly on, filling up the sink. The overflow was clogged, so after we'd gone to the program at the auditorium, the water spilled over to the floor, which had a low spot. The water build up then soaked through the floor to the ceiling below, into the lamp fixture, filling it up, and finally dripping onto the dining room table. There it ruined the first floor tenants dog's medicine.

I'm sure our little guy got blamed--although none of it was his fault. He was such an active, into everything, kind of kid, the blame always seem to fall on him. How many 7 year olds would know not to leave a stopper in the sink? How many tenants there for a week would know that the overflow in a 75 year old house sink didn't work? Who knew Fido was a diabetic?

This photo is so 1970s--my husband's long hair and mutton chops; his fancy screened print polyester shirt and bell bottoms; my granny skirt and helmet hair cut; my son's plaid slacks; the cute dress I made for our daughter. Now they are both way bigger than we are, and our roles are reversing, with us depending on them more and more as we age. And they still enjoy being Lakesiders for a week or so.

1282 Immigration and Security

Is there some reason we can't figure out how to have legal, controlled immigration AND secure borders?

Wall Street Journal article here fails to point out how employing illegals is also bad for our security. I've met many second and third generation Hispanics (who do not speak Spanish, btw) who are educated, middle class U.S. citizens, including a few relatives in Indiana. I've never seen such hard workers as the young immigrant Hispanic men I see around here riding in the back of landscape or construction trucks and sweating in the kitchens of our better restaurants. The Census Bureau reports are positive.

"Even more encouraging news comes from recent Census Bureau data on the economic advancement of immigrants themselves. The longer that immigrants are here, the better they do financially. For example, immigrants who have been in the U.S. for less than three years have a 7.4% unemployment rate. That rate of joblessness falls to 6.7% after 10 years here, then below 6% after 20 years. The income numbers show the same picture of immigrants climbing the ladder of economic success. New arrivals have a median family income of $31,930. For those who came in the 1990s there incomes average $38,395. And for those who have been here 20 years or more, family income approaches $50,000. Immigrants are economic investments with increasing rates of return over time."

But, if we need workers for jobs that Americans won't or can't do, let's set up a system, and close the borders. Mexico obviously isn't going to do anything, and why should it? These dollars flow into their economy. Sooo. . .follow the money. Illegals will work for less, and even low pay here is better than back home. In this case, American business is the bad guy.

1281 Is there really an autism epidemic?

Robert Kennedy thinks so. Good politics but bad science? His latest salvo (government plot) is in Rolling Stone and more interviews on MSM. He doesn't have an autistic child, but he does need something to keep his name out front. Medical researchers aren't finding it.

"Despite heightened media attention on the autism "epidemic," a report published in the July issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science offers three arguments against a true increase in autism prevalence. These include changes in diagnostic criteria for autism, with current criteria being more inclusive than when the diagnosis was first defined in the 1940s; methodological flaws in an unpublished California study widely cited as showing dramatically increased prevalence; and problems in using the U.S. Department of Education's annual "child count" data."

Continue at www.Medscape.com

And if you have a lot of time and a curious mind, take a read through just how we got the Bible of all disorders, DSM-III. Essentially, it's the work of one man.

1280 They miss a lot

Tony Gonzaga sang Psalm 27 at the traditional service this morning. Sometimes I think those folks who attend the "informal" (called "celebration" at our church) miss a lot. Anyway, it was like an early preview of heaven.

1279 Friday Feast (on Sunday)

Appetizer
What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called?
For security, I won't post it, but no, I like it and wouldn't change it.

Soup
If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most?
Natural fabrics like cotton and wool and silk. Warm colors--cream, taupe, coral, aqua.

Salad
What is your least favorite chore, and why?
Automobile maintenance.

Main Course
What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life?
Our safe, secure life as we once knew it is over; and that is scary. Worry about Clinton's misadventures now seems like child's play, even though we know all the planning of islamofacism was in place then with terrorist acts being planned.

Dessert
Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment.
My desk in my office. Family photographs. Books. TV.

1278 Just a brief review

Senator John Edwards said on September 19, 2002, "The only chance for Iraq to become a democratic, tolerant state -- and a model for the Arab world -- will be through sustained American involvement. We will need to help provide security inside Iraq after Hussein is gone, work with the various Iraqi opposition groups, reassure Iraq's neighbors about its future stability and support the Iraqi people as they rebuild their lives."

We're working on it, Mr. Edwards. Sustain and support for a secure and stable state.

1277 Week-end warriors

After church this morning we drove to our son's home in Canal Winchester to check out his yard improvements and garden. We were driving the speed limit on 70East when zoom, zoom, zoom, about 7 boomer cyclists went around us, weaving in and out around the cars, gray hair blowing in the wind, except one guy was wearing a helmet. He had some brains and was planning to protect them.


Update: I read in this morning's paper that there was a gathering of Christian Bikers (in a hurry to meet their maker, apparently) at Grove City Church of the Nazarene. That was probably what we saw considering the time and location.

1276 Heading home

We'll be heading back to Columbus after lunch. It's been a great 3 weeks. You sort of ease into a different mode of thinking and moving that a one week stay doesn't do. Although I've heard first timers say they notice the change of pace right away. I'm always amazed when people drive through the gates on a first visit and decide to buy a cottage. It defies everything you know about finances.

Somehow, the cat knows she isn't going with us, because she didn't try to hide when we got out the suitcases. Our daughter and son-in-law will be here (and possibly his brother), so they'll look after her.

Last night's program was a jazz singer Laurel Masse--a founding member of Manhattan Transfer. At first I didn't think I'd stay, but she got better as the evening moved along. Her encore was spectacular. Tonight is Mike Albert, an Elvis imitator. He's good and puts on a wonderful show, but I think he's getting a little chubby for the young Elvis songs. Albert has a huge fan club, and Hoover fills up with all the extra bus loads.

All around us towns are getting a much needed rain. We're dry. Maumee got 5 inches yesterday and Findlay got 2.5 inches in an hour. It's starting to sprinkle now, but we've had several teasers like that.

1275 A few tips for travel to Germany

Blonde librarian and her readers have some tips for you if you plan to relocate or travel in Germany.

1274 You used to be a liberal. What happened?

Galley Girl asks, and Bernard Goldberg answers for many of us:

GG: You used to be a liberal. What happened?

"What happened? Liberals happened. I want to make a distinction between your run-of-the-mill liberals and the cultural elite liberals, who really speak for liberalism in America today. Most liberals obviously are decent people. They go to work every day, they care about their families, maybe they give money to charity. Fine. I have no problem whatsoever with anybody in that group. But the people who are speaking for liberals in the world of politics, the chairman of the Democratic Party, Howard Dean; or the cultural liberals, like Michael Moore; the Hollywood elites who confuse intelligence with celebrity—they think because they’re famous, they’re also smart. I listen to them and I say, I don’t want to be part of that group anymore. Even when I agree with them, which is more often than you would think, I no longer want to be seen as being part of that group. It isn’t because of their politics, which I think are misguided; it’s because they come off as snobby and elitest. I think they look down their nose at ordinary Americans."

1273 Kerfuffle: Taranto's Favorite Word

Taranto's reasoning on the Rove kerfuffle (used 3 times in this article alone) is a bit obtuse, I think, because the Bush White House rarely does things the way you would expect, and the Dems get hysterical and unglued about everything these days, especially facts:

"Let's conduct a little thought experiment, shall we? Suppose that people in Washington generally had the sense that Karl Rove was soon to be indicted in the Valerie Plame kerfuffle. How would they react?

It seems to us the White House would be working to distance itself from Rove, possibly planning for him to make a quiet exit, much as John Kerry's campaign "disappeared" Joe Wilson last summer when Wilson's credibility fell apart. The Democrats, on the other hand, would act high-minded and talk of "letting the process work," at least as long as Rove remained on the job. An actual indictment, after all, would do maximal political damage to the Bush administration.

Instead, the White House (which knows a lot more about the investigation than any of us) is confidently standing behind Rove, while the Democrats are waging a hysterical attack that would be premature if it were based on anything real. Partisan Democrats don't want to talk about the facts of the case (facts are irrelevant, as a former Enron adviser insists) or about the law. They just want to pound the table and insist that Rove is metaphysically guilty." James Taranto, July 15

One thing that has bothered me all along. Didn't Bob Novak tell the whole world about Valerie Plame? What's his responsibility in blowing her cover? Also, do Democrats assume that anyone who "works at the CIA" is an undercover agent? Don't they have secretaries, gofers and librarians?

Update--so much for secrecy--today's AP report: "Chief presidential adviser Karl Rove testified to a grand jury that he talked with two journalists before they divulged the identity of an undercover CIA officer but that he originally learned about the operative from the news media and not government sources, according to a person briefed on the testimony.

The person, who works in the legal profession and spoke only on condition of anonymity because of grand jury secrecy, told The Associated Press that Rove testified last year that he remembers specifically being told by columnist Robert Novak that Valerie Plame, the wife of a harsh Iraq war critic, worked for the CIA.

Rove testified that Novak originally called him the Tuesday before Plame's identity was revealed in July 2003 to discuss another story.

The conversation eventually turned to Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson, a former ambassador who was strongly criticizing the Bush administration's use of faulty intelligence to justify the war in Iraq, the person said.

Rove testified that Novak told him he planned to report in a weekend column that Plame had worked for the CIA, and the circumstances on how her husband traveled to Africa to check bogus claims that Iraq was trying to buy nuclear materials in Niger, according to the source."

1272 Doesn't look good for this Lutheran

You scored as John Calvin. Much of what is now called Calvinism had more to do with his followers than Calvin himself, and so you may or may not be committed to TULIP, though God's sovereignty is all important. John Calvin 100% Karl Barth 80% Anselm 73% Martin Luther 67% Jonathan Edwards 67% Jürgen Moltmann 60% Friedrich Schleiermacher 53% Augustine 53% Paul Tillich 33% Charles Finney 20% Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

As Karl Barth said when asked to summarize his theology: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

I always have to change the width of these quizes. Do you? Otherwise they post below all my links.

1271 Creationists in the Closet

Although his core beliefs probably don't surface in his job as a school administrator, he whispered to me that he too was a creationist when it came up during our conversation. The evol-bio-fundies would just go bonkers if they knew how many well educated, urban, deep thinkers don't buy into their religion. He's got 30 years in the teachers' retirement system, is part of a main-line denomination, is highly respected in his community and has at least an MS and maybe a PHD (I didn't ask). And like me, he thinks it just doesn't matter on the job except to pass sophomore biology. We confessed to each other that even as young children being taught this in school (and he is a good 15 years younger), we didn't buy it. All we had to do was look around and see the evidence. But even in our childhoods, one wasn't allowed to think outside the evolution box.

Evolutionists are safe from us, however. Creationists can't even agree with each other (as coherent groups) and waste a lot of energy squabbling. I personally believe biology instruction belongs in the church--evolution/creation, sex/abortion, contraception/abstinence, gender and marriage, stem cell research, and end of life issues. We can't entrust these important issues to the education system which seems to have its plate full with reading, writing and arithmetic and bringing poor and disadvantaged children up to the standards all middle-class children are expected to know.

1270 Thursday wrap

Last night we rushed home from art classes, changed clothes and went to the opening of the art show at Hoover Auditorium. One of my husband's paintings was sold within the first 30 minutes, which was nice. We often buy a painting there, but this time there were none we particularly cared to purchase.

We decided to skip last night's program Tom Chapin, whom we've seen many times and instead went to see the movie, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants which was really quite charming.

Later at home we were trying to recall the details of the only other movie we've seen here this year. We finally tracked it (in our memories) to Memorial Day week-end, but neither of us could remember what it was. We only remembered the rude talkers behind us. So, fortunately because I keep a diary on the internet, I looked it up. Fever Pitch.

1269 Does blogging hurt or help your political party?

The Daily Kos is the most popular left wing blog out there, creating a family feel among its regular readers (I've looked at it a few times, but don't read it.) Numbers of visits for political blogs slid after the election in 2004, but the Kos followers are on the increase. Left wing blogging is much more popular than left wing talk radio, which can't seem to find its voice.

"Indeed, there is little doubt that the habitués of the Daily Kos, like their hated cousins who read popular conservative blogs such as Power Line and Little Green Footballs, live in very different worlds than their friends and neighbors. Blog readers are typically voracious gatherers of news. They not only simply know who people such as Ann Coulter are, they usually have strong opinions about these minor public figures, too. This is an unusual trait. After all, while Ann Coulter may be a polarizing firebrand beloved by her supporters and loathed by her detractors, when it comes to fame she's hardly Madonna." Dean Barnett on the rise of the left wing blogger

The problem as Barnett sees it is that party bigwigs are kowtowing to The Kos and trying to get on his front page. Even though most Americans still don't know what a blog is and don't read them, Democrats are adopting (according to Barnett) the shrill, hyper-reporting of the key blogs. Dick Durbin looked like a complete idiot with his comments about Gitmo being a Gulag, and the US being as bad as the Nazis, Soviets and PolPot, but the left wing bloggers embraced him. Barnett sees the party's affinity with these left wing screamers and screeders as bad for Democrats.

Well, maybe it is sour grapes. I've never heard of Barnett's blog until his article appeared in Weekly Standard. His site meter isn't public and his comments aren't enabled. Who knows if people who hunch over keyboards several hours a day sending memos to complete strangers will get out and ring door bells or work the phone banks or even run for office. Hugh Hewitt seems to think the blog is the next BIG thing in communication and has written a whole book on its growing influence.

1268 Overheard at the Lake

My husband was out for a bike ride. A mother and her two children went by on their bicycles. He overheard her say to them, "Do you think we need to worry that your Father keeps getting lost?" (This town is about 10 streets wide and 8 Avenues deep.)

1267 Reader of poetry

I've written about Ted Kooser before. Take a look at this. I love it. Reminds me of certain readers of this blog--quirky, checking out the bargains, and then moving on for more free lunch.

1266 Wednesday at the Lake

We were both pretty tired after our art classes at the Rhein Center yesterday--I really struggled to keep Mr. Cloud from morphing into Mr. Chertoff in portrait class. I biked home at 5:30, threw together a fabulous dinner of leftovers (meatballs, potato salad, carrots, strawberries and blueberries with vanilla pudding), took a short nap, and then we headed to Hoover. I often leave at intermission, but Robin and Linda Williams didn't have one, nor would I have left early. They are personable, funny and talented, performing a mix of bluegrass, folk, old country, and their own material. They will be appearing in a movie with Garrison Keillor and their final piece is what they perform in the movie. If you are in the Virginia area, you probably have a good chance of seeing them perform, but they also tour. Don't miss this outstanding example of "American music."