1658 Pork Cracklins

Republican voters are fuming. And they're not just mad at President Bush. They believe, and I agree, their Senators have turned tail and run--run from fiscal responsibility. I can't imagine how that bridge to nowhere ever got passed, but now that it's getting a second look--Tom Coburn wanted to redirect some pork projects to rebuilding New Orleans--and Republicans and Democrats alike screamed like stuck pigs. That Alaskan bridge is going to serve 50 people and cost $228 million, but only 15 out of a hundred Senators had the guts to vote with Coburn and point out the stupidy of it. Here's what Ed at Captain's Quarters says:

"We worked our butts off to get a GOP majority in both houses of Congress for better fiscal management -- and yet in one simple test, only 12 of them vote to support their supposed party platform.

So now we have GOP majorities and capture the White House but can't cut pork, can't confirm conservative attorneys on the Supreme Court, and open up new entitlement programs worth billions of dollars for prescription medication?

Talk about a moment of clarity."

1657 Help is still needed

in Mississippi. As we watch Wilma, these folks still need water and ice. Locusts and Honey.

I've traveled more than I thought

create your own visited states map

I had to remove the map, because it would show in Firefox, but not in IE without messing up the screen. Anyway, I've only missed Louisiana and Mississippi. Arkansas and Oklahoma were added this year--really lovely places to visit and vacation.

Hat tip to Michael Golrick.

1656 Beer and Gambling

Sometimes I get discouraged with Lutheran blogs. I just signed on to a Lutheran blog directory which had a bunch of gambling ads on it. I know sometimes you can't control that depending on what company your blog is registered with, but really, is gambling healthy for anybody? Why are Lutherans pining for the old days of proper liturgy and dress if they are advertising gambling businesses? And they'll have to get back to me--I suppose I could be rejected. Other Lutheran blogs have all that beer stuff and busty women ads. German roots and all that. Smells like something rotting in the barn to me.

1655 The Name Plame and who's to Blame

Returning from Indianapolis yesterday, we were listening to NPR. OK, OK. I know it’s not the most unbiased source in the world, but my taxes support them too! Anyway, the story was the “Valerie Plame” case and who is the only person interviewed? A Washington Post reporter--missed his name. That’s it. No one else.

Here’s what Robert Novak, whose column started it all, said over two years ago:

“First, I did not receive a planned leak. Second, the CIA never warned me that the disclosure of Wilson's wife working at the agency would endanger her or anybody else. Third, it was not much of a secret.”

I still don’t know why he revealed her name in his column when he was asked not to by a CIA official, and I have no idea why Novak didn’t get in trouble, however, he continues (Oct. 1, 2003)

“At the CIA, the official designated to talk to me denied that Wilson's wife had inspired his selection but said she was delegated to request his help. He asked me not to use her name, saying she probably never again will be given a foreign assignment but that exposure of her name might cause "difficulties" if she travels abroad. He never suggested to me that Wilson's wife or anybody else would be endangered. If he had, I would not have used her name. I used it in the sixth paragraph of my column because it looked like the missing explanation of an otherwise incredible choice by the CIA for its mission.

How big a secret was it? It was well known around Washington that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA. Republican activist Clifford May wrote Monday, in National Review Online, that he had been told of her identity by a non-government source before my column appeared and that it was common knowledge. Her name, Valerie Plame, was no secret either, appearing in Wilson's "Who's Who in America" entry.”

So can you leak something that everyone knows? Apparently, in Washington you can. If you’re reporting for NPR, you don’t even have to ask that question.

1654 Worried about Avian Flu?

We'd probably have a drug in place to lessen its affects if it weren't for all the people, countries and politicians who think pharmaceutical companies should be doing pro bono work. We used to have 37 vaccine makers, and now we have 3. So what does the FDA do? Not much. But you can bet it will be President Bush's fault if you or your loved one gets the avian flu. Opinion Journal Saturday's article "Political Virus":

Our political leaders keep telling us to fear the avian flu, and in one sense they're right: We should all be scared to death about how much damage our political leaders will do responding to the avian flu.

Consider Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who declared this month that he hoped concern for "intellectual property" wouldn't "get into the way" of procuring widespread vaccines for a potential avian-flu outbreak. In other words, companies that make vaccines should abandon their patents at Mr. Annan's whim. This kind of hostility to property rights is precisely the reason we now have a shortage of vaccines and drugs to combat this potential pandemic.

Hat tip to Beggar's All, an LCMS blogger.

1653 Hollywood the victim

Wondered what that new George Clooney movie is all about? It has a subtext, according to RedState.org. Read it here.

1652 The Purple Finger Victory

Victor Davis Hanson points out something the Iraqis did in their vote last week:

"The Western media was relatively quiet about the quite amazing news from the recent trifecta in Iraq: very little violence on election day, Sunni participation, and approval of the constitution. Those who forecasted that either the Sunnis would boycott, or that the constitution would be — and should be — rejected, stayed mum.

But how odd that in the face of threats, a higher percentage of Iraqis in this nascent democracy voted in a referendum than did we Americans during our most recent presidential election — we who have grown so weary of Iraq’s experiment."

Maybe we Americans need a few more threats in order to get us to the polls. I know some people in their 30s who have never voted. Imagine taking freedom so lightly.

Anyway, VDH suggests that in order to get their violence quota, the cable news had to send someone to Toledo, Ohio that week-end.

1651 Spin Sisters by Myrna Blyth

Our November topic at book club will be Spin Sisters; how the women of the media sell unhappiness--and liberalism--to the women of America by Myrna Blyth (St. Martin's Press, 2004). It's not a heavy topic--our first two selections of the year were detailed biographies--and a quick read, because a lot of what the author says you've already thought (if you are a woman).

Blyth got a lot of criticism for this book, as I recall, because she was, and admits it, part of the problem. When she blew the whistle on her "sisters," they were understandably defensive. But I also noticed 4 or 5 references to 9/11 in the first 3 chapters, so I think that event had a huge impact on her evaluation of what she did for a living (she may discuss this--I haven't finished the book). Her critics are particularly in denial that the media (TV and women's magazines) lean to the left. I don't have any women's magazines lying around (except in my premiere issue collection), but I've leafed through enough to know that politics isn't limited to the cookie bake-off between the candidates' wives.

However, I want to clear up a misconception that I see when authors are leading up to the current woman's movement (ca. 1970). Blyth included--because she includes some background about what led up to magazines trivializing women's lives. What's her name, The Feminine Mystique lady, seems to have left the impression that women in the 1950s all stayed home and were bored watching kids and baking cookies for homeroom parties.

So, I thought about the adult women I knew growing up in a small town (2800) in Illinois. It was a little different, maybe, because it had a printing/publishing industry. But many younger people don't realize that small towns 50 years ago used to have businesses (before the days of malls), and many of these were owned and managed by husband and wife teams who employed other people and served the community. My own mother did not work outside the home, but here's what I saw (but never gave a second thought to) growing up:

Women in business with their husbands who were present and on the floor every day:
Furniture store
Ben Franklin store
Two drug stores
Hardware store
Appliance store
Dry cleaners
Bakery
Dry goods-shoe store
Dairy
two restaurants
Funeral home
jewelry store

Women who owned business not involving their husbands
two women's dress shops with employees
children's clothing store with employees
beauticians who owned their own shops and employed others

Professional women
teachers
nurses
librarians

Independents
Piano teachers
Avon and other door-to-door saleswomen
Soloists and performers at churches, concerts, weddings, etc.
Writers and reporters for publications

Clerical workers
telephone operators
dental assistants
medical office staff
nursing home staff
retail clerks
secretaries
tellers at the bank and savings and loan
variety of positions at printing plant, publishing house, magazine fulfillment agency

Other
Farmers
Auto mechanic (only one)
Waitresses
Youth workers at churches

No, I didn't know any women doctors, pastors, or bankers, but I didn't know any laundresses or cleaning women either.

1650 A lovely home wedding

We attended the wedding of a great-niece yesterday in Indianapolis which was held at the home of her aunt. The very first wedding I ever attended was my Aunt Dorothy's which was in our home. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen--black hair, red lipstick and fingernails (which I probably hadn't seen before) and a handsome groom. I was probably about 5 years old and considered old enough to attend, although my brother went to a babysitter's. I was so anxious to try the wedding cake which had little silver balls on it, and so disappointed to find out they tasted like rocks!

Dusti's colors were red and white and she looked lovely. The groom had earrings in both ears, but he was pretty cute too. Things are different today. Sigh.

Dusti and her attendants

Before the wedding the guys were all in the family room watching football.

Dusti and Dan, the bride and groom

1649 The needs of men

Marylaine Block who writes Ex-Libris for information junkies has an interesting article on the underserved: MEN. You can find it here. It's not exactly a blog, I think she calls it an e-zine.

1647 The NBA dress code

Isn't it silly to try to tell grown men who are millionaires how they should dress? So what if they want to look like junior high wannabees and look like hip-hop drop outs? They are trying to impress the guys in the hood, not you and me, so of course they want to wear side-ways baseball caps, jeans with the crotch at the knees, t-shirts and bling, bling. Dressing preppy never kept these guys from beating up their wives or doing drugs. This is almost as silly as the NCAA telling schools what they can use as mascot names.

1646 The negative news media is not news

Although I didn't keep track of the reports of the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan that were negative or positive, I'm not surprised that the Media Research Center found the coverage negative, with even the positive stories under reported. The Executive Summary says the news media presents an inordinately gloomy picture and positive accomplishments are lost in stories of assassinations and military losses (as I reported on the military losses being inserted in the story of the Iraq vote on the constitution, even though 5 of the 7 were from accidents). MRC analysts reviewed all 1,388 Iraq stories broadcast on ABC’s World News Tonight, the CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News from January 1 through September 30:

Network coverage has been overwhelmingly pessimistic.

News about the war has grown increasingly negative.

Terrorist attacks are the centerpiece of TV’s war news.

Even coverage of the Iraqi political process has been negative.

Few stories focused on the heroism or generous actions of American soldiers.

It’s not as if there was no “good news” to report.

In the days leading up to the January elections, most of the positive stories appeared in the last two days, when the networks realized they were going to lose an important story if they didn't jump on the bandwagon of hope: "Out of 343 stories that discussed Iraq’s political process, negative news stories outnumbered positive ones by a four-to-three margin (124 to 92), with another 127 stories providing a mixed or neutral view. More than a third of the stories featuring optimistic or hopeful developments were broadcast over the course of just two days, January 30 and 31, the moment of Iraq’s historic elections.

With all three news anchors in Iraq, the networks gave the elections heavy coverage. While all of the evening news broadcasts had featured gloomy predictions before the vote, the large turnout and relative tranquility of the day provided a pleasant surprise. Of the 40 stories that focused on Iraq’s political process on January 30 and 31, fully 80 percent cast the situation in hopeful and optimistic terms."

Daniel over at LISNews.com (library site overwhelming liberal to radical) asked if I ever read or listen to non-conservative reports. Well, how could you help but know the liberal angle? It is everywhere, and you have to search out the conservative viewpoint. Or even the positive, Christian viewpoint, for that matter.

Full Report, part I.
Full Report, part II.

Right on the Left Beach suggests: "Over time, the policy of President Bush to oust Saddam and incubate democracy in Iraq will be viewed favorably. In five to ten years, you will not be able to find many people in America that will admit to being against Operation Iraqi Freedom. You will still find Bush Haters but even they will consider OIF the right policy instituted for the wrong reasons."

1645 Get off the phone and drive

Vinni's got some good points, here.

1644 Kennedy on Chappaquiddick

The 100 top speeches ranked by American Rhetoric lists Ted Kennedy's appeal to the people of Massachusetts as one of the top 100 speeches of the 20th century. Then he is listed also for his 1980 DNC speech, Truth and Tolerance speech, and Eulogy for his brother; his brother John, the president, is only list for six! I find it hard to believe that Ted Kennedy is that great a rhetorician--especially that the excuses he made about Chappaquiddick ranks as a great speech--or even believable. Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan, whom I considered two of the most outstanding speakers in my lifetime, only made the list once (Chisholm) and twice (Jordan).

1643 Democrats on family values

Now where do you suppose the liberals are going on this one? Hmmmmm? Came in my mail today. They're trying to tell us that Americans have already rejected the traditional one man one woman marriage as a base for the family.

“America is changing profoundly. In the 1950s, 80 percent of all Americans lived in a home where the head of household was married. Now, that number stands at 52 percent. The number of young people growing up in single-parent households has jumped from 10 percent in the boomer generation to the current figure of 26 percent.” GQR Research.

So if you see a survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, you know who they work for.

1642 More about the golf course

Two days ago I blogged about the golf course repairs. I was particularly interested in what looked like bandages to me. Today the chief groundskeeper stopped by my table at the coffee shop and told me what is going on. That white mattress looking thing is called a sandtrapper and is made of a fiberglass type material. The sand will be placed on top but it will remain underneath the sand. A new type of sand produced in Chardin, Ohio will be used. The cost of the renovation is $3.5 million he said, but we tax payers aren't footing the bill, he told me. There is an endowment supported by an alumni gift (Phipps) that provides the funding, and the fees from the current players maintains the course. Jack Nicklaus is the designer of the renovation. This press release uses a lower figure, but then it is 1.5 years old.

1641 Big clue they were in deep do-do

“It was also at that time that I realized that the size of the crowd [at the Superdome] was a big concern at the EOC. Terry Ebbert, the city’s Homeland Security Director, made an announcement in the EOC that struck me. He asked the maintenance staff to gather up all of the toilet paper in city hall and any other commodities they could find and immediately take them over to the Superdome. I specifically note this because it told me that supplies at the dome might be a serious issue.” Testimony of Marty J. Bahamonde

Testimony from today’s Senate Committee on Katrina. This was found at Sabrina Pacifici’s blog--and it looks like an excellent site to bookmark for this kind of legal stuff. Left leaning but useful.

1640 Myths about gun control

John Stossel wanted to know why gun control laws weren't reducing crime, so he asked an expert--a criminal. Interesting stuff. Noticed at Billoblog.

1639 Women, do you do this?

Do you expect everyone else to adjust to your schedule so you can work, or do community service or golf and be a mommy too? My husband is on jury duty this week. It's an important case--murder. They could have finished up today. All the evidence has been heard and the jury is in deliberation and the alternates have been dismissed. One morning one of the women was late arriving--problem with the kids--so they had to wait. Today, one of the women announced she'd have to leave at 3:30 because she had to pick up her kids. So the entire jury has to go back tomorrow, when they could've finished up today. This is disrespectful of everyone involved--the victim, the victim's family, the defendant, the State of Ohio and the other jurors. If she does this on jury duty, I'm betting she does this in meetings at work. I was on a jury two years ago, and I thought a couple of the jurors were as dumb as a box of rocks, but no one was disrespectful of the process.

And one woman brought along her portable TV so she wouldn't miss her soaps on her lunch hour. Another brought in a huge brief case of work from the office, but of course, was never able to open it. I think it's called a "look at me I'm important" bag.

In the 70s and 80s I cobbled together work schedules so I could be home when my children were, and took the corresponding pay and promotion cuts. My mantra is, you can have it all, but not all at the same time. During all those years I got one call for jury duty and asked to be excused because the kids were more important than my civic duty which if you are a registered voter will come around again. And again. Don't run that poor working mother by me--these women were professionals. If you think this is harsh, you haven't heard me on daddies who leave their families for a new sweetie.