1923 Christmas Shopping

I finally did some Christmas shopping today. I'd done a little last week--the Lenox Holiday flatware for my daughter and a Best Buy gift card for my son-in-law. My husband and I shopped together for his sailing stuff, so that didn't feel like real shopping (it's good he was along because that life jacket was not as large as it looked). But today, wow, I just pushed that cart through the aisles and was throwing things in right and left. The faster I went, the better the stuff looked. Two things are going back tomorrow, however. They didn't hold up too well in the 5 mile trip home, and I'm a careful driver, so I thought perhaps they were just too poor a quality to even bother to wrap, so back they go.

Possibly I could have a new grandpuppy shortly after Christmas. My daughter will go look at her next week to see if they bond. She's 4 months old.

The Gay Cowboy Movie

The mainstream media* has its shorts in a knot raving about the gay cowboy movie. Lawsy, I think Life or Look or one of those purty picture magazines wrote about gay truck drivers about 20 years ago, and I don't recall anyone getting the vapors over that. But the New York Times on Sunday ran two long articles on this topic--one in the entertainment section on the movie, and one in the travel or leisure (or whatever section) on the "real" gay cowboys.

Here's the quote of the month--or year--for the NYT. "The shape of masculinity is narrow." Yup, men can be tall or short, sourpuss or friendly, tenor or bass, complex or narrow, sober or drunk, artistic or vacuous, strong or weak, professors or farmers, computer nerds or retail clerks, bartenders or mechanics, architects or plumbers, brilliant or retarded, but if they are 95% heterosexual, they are "narrow." Breaks your heart, doesn't it?

On the other hand, gay men can be hairdressers, librarians, designers, artists, musicians, or even unfaithful lawyer husbands bringing home diseases never intended for a woman's private parts--but we're supposed to feel sorry for them and admire their bravery at being photographed along a fence post for a story in the NYT about their plight as cowboys. Plus, some of the these guys having sex with men don't consider themselves homosexuals. Word play.

Oh please. If there was ever a reason to stay home and not pay $7 to see a movie, this maudlin tear jerky paen to gays in blue jeans and stetsons would be it. I hope it bombs or we'll be subjected to a hundred imitations that will.

Ditto for love stories about a big ape and a blonde.

*I used to use the acronym, MSM, then found out it also means men having sex with men, so it seemed a little, well, reduntant for this article.

Films
Brokeback Mountain
New York Times

1921 The disappearing Communists

The Khmer Rouge was a self-proclaimed communist organization which ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. Its name is French: Khmer Rouge in the masculine singular, Khmers Rouges in the plural. The term "Khmer Rouge," meaning "Red Khmer" was coined by Norodom Sihanouk and was later adopted in English.

The Khmer Rouge killed 90% of Cambodia’s artists and performers according to the New York Times. The Times Sunday December 18, 2005 edition in a very extensive article reported on Arn Chorn-Pond, a Cambodian who is trying to rescue his country’s traditional music. The article even mentioned that 1.7 million Cambodians were murdered by the Khmer Rouge--it just never mentioned that the Khmer Rouge were Communists. Seems like an odd oversight, doesn’t it? As though it was just some quirky Cambodian thang.

The other day at the public library I looked at two 2005 multiple-volume, histories of World War II looking for information on American opposition to the war effort in the 1940s. One was more an almanac type, the other encyclopedic. Would you believe there was no mention of Communists? It’s as though from 1939 through 1945, all those Stalinists and Maoists and CPUSA'ns just behaved themselves and didn’t kill or imprison anyone, and they certainly weren't Communists, unless the indexers were asleep or out to lunch when they got to COM-.

Communist governments in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and in Mao’s Red China killed, murdered, tortured and imprisoned more men, women and children than were killed in all the wars of the 20th century. Millions they just starved to death, the same way North Korea is taking care of business. So why are the Communists disappearing from our books and newspapers?

Could we call it “intentional design?”

1920 What's in your public library?

When my husband first became a sole proprietor and began working in a home office, I checked out a number of business journals from the public library weekly for some time. It's not that they covered the architectural field, but there were many things we needed to become familiar with, taxes, insurance, small offices, etc., if not the economy in general.

I'd sort of gotten out of the library habit because the internet is so easy, and recently have gone back to checking out about 4 or 5 journals a week--not always the same titles, but maybe JAMA, or NEJM or Kiplinger's or Forbes. But I'm a shelf reader, and although I'd been aware that the public library isn't the place to find Christian material, I was a bit taken aback when I realized there was only one evangelical Christian magazine (Christianity Today), but there were 15 or 20 serial titles on films, entertainment, jazz and rock. Films were particularly overly represented in the collection.

So I went to the reference desk and asked, "Considering the make-up of the population of this community (aside: about as WASP-ish as you can get), don't you think having 20 serials on films and entertainment and only one on evangelical Christianity is a bit lopsided?" It just happened I was speaking to the person (librarian?) who did the serial selection. She seemed surprised (maybe no one has ever asked or noticed), and asked me if I wanted to make a suggestion for a title. "You mean you want me to do the research?" I asked. But she persisted and handed me a green card. I wasn't prepared with a list, ISSN, publisher, cost, etc. Silly me, I thought that's what the staff was suppose to do with all the resources on serials they have. So, the only one I could think of was "Moody Magazine," and since I hadn't seen one for sometime, I wasn't even sure of the title. I should have been a bit faster on my recall and recommended "Books and Culture," or "First Things." There are several non-denominational Christian magazines specifically for men or women or children, also.

If you are a Christian, what magazine titles (about the faith, but not about a denomination) would you suggest for a library serving a town of 50,000 where 70-80% of the population is most likely members of Protestant churches? Not everyone who lives here attends church here--many go up to large evangelical churches in Worthington, Grace Brethren or the Vineyard. Many go to city churches downtown, or churches in other suburbs.

So why are public libraries so unprepared to serve Christians, and perhaps more importantly, why are churches so unprepared to meet the gatekeepers of the culture in which they serve? You don't suppose I'm the first person in 40 years to ask, do you?

1919 The blonde librarian and my son

Murray sent me a few blonde jokes--I don't know why since I'm only occasionally a dumb blonde. Anyway, one is for knitters (Blonde Librarian has fabulous projects, both knitting and cross stitch) and one is for my son who has a BMW.

CAR TROUBLE
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it died. After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly. She says, "What's the story?" He replies, "Just crap in the carburetor" She asks, "How often do I have to do that?"

KNITTING
A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting! Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled , "PULL OVER!" "NO!" the blonde yelled back, "IT'S A SCARF!"

1918 Two Years Ago Today

Here's what I was thinking and writing two years ago during the heat up for the election of 2004. Things haven't changed a lot, but I think I like Bush more and admire his determination to keep us safe. My respect for Democratic leadership has really plummeted because of their back stabbing of our troops during war time and never being willing to accept any responsibility.

December 19, 2003 - 150 Third Party Talk

"On both the Republican and Democratic sides of the fence, there is talk about third parties. Libertarians and many conservatives within the Republican Party are deeply frustrated with President Bush's budgetary profligacy and a number of other issues. The libertarians feel the war in Iraq has been a mistake and are gravely worried about the erosion of civil liberties under the Patriot Act. Conservatives support the war and are not too concerned about lost civil liberties, but they are deeply concerned about homosexual marriage, the failure to get conservative judges confirmed and other social issues." Bruce Bartlett

Republicans aren’t that thrilled about the Patriot Act either, Bruce. Or how about the administration’s musings on being more inclusive about illegals, "who want to work and contribute," "rights for the undocumented worker." Bush’s domestic spending is so out of control, that the election of a Democrat will make no differences on that traditionally Republican platform. It was the third party candidate that drew off enough Republican votes to get Clinton elected. Some Republicans probably remember that. And didn’t Pat Buchanan and some green candidates draw off some important votes for Gore in crucial precincts?

There’s no reason at this point to have a Republican president, except for the unborn babies of America who have fewer rights than butcher Saddam, than the illegal immigrants, than the gays who want to walk to the altar, than the crooks at Enron, fewer rights even than that sexual predator in Indiana who buried teen-agers in his basement. If it will keep one baby alive, one abortion clinic closed, one abortionist out of business, I’ll vote for Dubya. Reluctantly.

1917 Let's get down to business

If you smoke or drink, are promiscuous or overweight, if you enjoy the sun or use earbuds or headphones more than an hour a day, then stop fussing about bird flu, mercury poisoning in fish, plastic in the microwave, ozone holes, mad cow disese or the ingredients in your shampoo and soap. You're avoiding the obvious measures to protect your health and hiding behind your bogus, media-generated fears so you won't have to behave yourself and take responsibility. Just your worrying alone is shortening your life and you are not doing anything about the things you can control.

You know who you are.

1916 Domestic Spying

It's a no brainer why this story was released last week to gobble up the good news coverage of the Iraq election. Today's USAToday had the most unflattering photo of the president sandwiched on the front page between two sub-lines, "domestic spying" and "violence will continue."

Domestic spying--that's when 8 congressional leaders and ranking members of the intelligence committees received briefings on the interception of communications between people abroad and those in the USA, including citizens.[USAToday explanation, not mine]

I don't know why they think citizens wouldn't want this war effort and fighting terrorism to fail. Just pick up a paper or listen to Nancy Pelosi or Dick Durbin.

1915 Socially responsible investing

You can invest in "life" friendly funds. The December issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance has an article on socially conservative investments that won't facilitate abortion, pornography or offer benefits to the partners of unmarried employees. There are four Ave Maria funds and four LKCM Aquinas funds which adhere to Roman Catholic teachings. The Ave Maria's screens eliminate about 400 of the stocks in the Russell. It's Catholic Values fund, AVEMX returned an annualized 20%, better than Standard & Poor's 500 stock index, and there is no sales charge.

The largest Aquinas growth fund, AQEGX, "follows the Catholic investing guidelines of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Social screens include abortion, contraception, military weapons of mass destruction, gender and race discrimination, and affordable housing and credit. Other proactive screens include environment, pornography, violence in the media, firearms, tobacco, maquiladores, sweatshop labor, Northern Ireland." It returned 13% over the past three years and doesn't charge a sales commission. (I haven't found a good definition for maquiladores, but seems to be some sort of sewing workshop employing women.)

I want to live a good retirement, but not at the expense of someone else's lung cancer or abortion. Depending on your personal values, there are other funds that will screen for other issues, but I like to start with giving life a chance, because without that, rainforest coffee or decent housing doesn't mean much. I don't have money in mutual funds, but I always read through the annual reports from the stock companies in which we're invested for objectionable qualities. There was one that pandered to the worst "shopping instinct" in pre-adolescent girls that I dumped.

Amana Growth follows Islamic principles and is doing very well, with a return of an annualized 28%, beating the S&P 500 by 11 percentage points. AMAGX won't invest in companies that derives more than 5% of their revenues from alcohol, tobacco, pornography, gambling or the sale of pork products. Consistent with Islamic principles, the fund may not make investments which pay interest. In addition, investment decisions are approved by the North American Islamic Trust.

Except for annuities, I didn't find any investments that are specifically linked to Protestant faiths. Since they can't agree on baptism or communion, I doubt they could find 10 or 15 stocks to agree on that screen for values.

1914 Media Myths of 2005

I noticed this story link at Amy Ridenour's blog about the Media's Top 10 Economic Myths. The media's coverage of the economy reminds me of this statement by Anthony Elgindy's wife, "Everytime things were going well, Tony would find some way to screw it up." I recall (because I wrote it down) the opening paragraph in a USAToday story in mid-November about poverty in the USA. It began, "A time of plenty, a four year expansion with strong growth, low inflation, muscular housing market, robust corporate profits. . ." There is no silver lining, ever.

"The Media Research Center’s Free Market Project spent 2005 tracking news reporting on business and economic issues and compiled a list of the most common and most egregious errors. They ran the gamut from omissions to exaggerations and plain misinformation. We have visions of better coverage dancing in our heads for 2006."

There are extensive examples and details, even the somber faced reporters on video, but here's the basics. The details might change, but I don't think it will be different in 2006.

Media Myth 10: France’s short work week, benefits and loads of vacation time made it a workers’ paradise.

Media Myth 9: Spending for hurricane recovery and Iraq is driving the U.S. deficit out of control. The only answer is to raise taxes to pay for it all.

Media Myth 8: Thanks to the U.S. rejection of the Kyoto treaty, global warming is on the rise and warmer oceans are spawning deadlier hurricanes than ever.

Media Myth 7: At least our good-hearted celebrities understand that compared to other nations, America doesn’t give much to help the world’s poor. [Aren't we just so sick of being lectured by over-paid entertainers?]

Media Myth 6: With homes and businesses destroyed and the nation’s oil supply hit, the United States will surely hemorrhage jobs and head toward a huge downturn in Katrina’s wake.

Media Myth 5: The housing market, white-hot for so long, is about to go bust and take you and your home’s value with it. [Eventually, they'll get this one right, but have been saying this for 4 or 5 years--and it's not white hot in Ohio.]

Media Myth 4: America is suffering from an obesity epidemic, so we’ve got to keep everyone away from foods and beverages with calories. This has become the nation’s No. 1 health problem and we’re dying at the rate of 400,000 a year.

Media Myth 3: Rising energy prices mean there won’t be much in little Timmy’s stocking this Christmas. Mom and dad can’t heat their home and buy food, so other business sectors are going to get Scrooged.

Media Myth 2: Big money-makers like the oil and drug industries should be sharing the wealth. Oil companies were profiting off others’ misfortunes – laughing all the way to the bank while you got squeezed at the pump. And Wal-Mart’s business practices were just as bad.

Media Myth 1: The economy is hopeless! There are plenty of reasons to doubt the economy. Gas prices; housing bubble; auto workers losing jobs… the evidence is everywhere.

1913 Our earliest battles with Islamic Terrorists

was back in the 18th century. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams faced the problem long before Bill Clinton and George Bush. The Islamists reasons then were not much different than today--we’re infidels and need to be either slaves or slain.

“Take, for example, the 1786 meeting in London of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja, the Tripolitan ambassador to Britain. As American ambassadors to France and Britain respectively, Jefferson and Adams met with Ambassador Adja to negotiate a peace treaty and protect the United States from the threat of Barbary piracy.

These future United States presidents questioned the ambassador as to why his government was so hostile to the new American republic even though America had done nothing to provoke any such animosity. Ambassador Adja answered them, as they reported to the Continental Congress, "that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise."

Sound familiar?"

There's much more on this topic at America’s earliest terrorists

1912 Time to clean up the turkey

left over from Thanksgiving and getting a bit frosty in the freezer. Last week I noticed that Campbell's has a chunky soup called "Turkey Pot Pie." So I bought 2 cans. I took about 1+ cups of frozen turkey pieces out of the freezer and put them in my small cast iron skillet sprayed with olive oil. Then I poured one can of the soup on it, and added a top single pie crust--1 cup of flour mixed with 1/3 cup oil, 1/6 cup of water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bake at 425 about 15 minutes and turn down to about 350. I don't remember how long I baked it--probably another 30 minutes. Made a nice little supper with about 3 servings. I don't think the soup alone would stand up as a recognizable turkey pot pie, but with a little help it wasn't bad.

1911 Columbus Christmas Bird Count

When I arrived at Caribou this morning about 6:35, the parking lot was crowded and my usual table was in use. About 15 nice looking, well-dressed (in winter outerwear) 30-somethings were gathered and chatting quietly and happily. It turns out they are part of the Christmas Bird Count, a nation wide activity, but they were covering just a small area in our community. They had maps and a long list of birds--most of which I've never heard of. Here's what they've been finding in Columbus the last few years:

"Strictly urban birds, like pigeons, starlings, and house sparrows have all increased to the point where they have become part of the background of many of our cityscapes. However, other supposedly ‘wilder’ birds have been adapting to our suburban areas, including Coopers and Red-tailed Hawks, Red-bellied and Downy woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadees, robins, Carolina Wrens, Dark-eyed Juncos, and American Goldfinches. Many of these birds are prospering due to the huge concentration of feeders in the city, while others take advantage of our extensive plantings of fruiting ornamental trees like the Hawthorn and Bradford Pear. If the weather is not too severe, large numbers of these species should be found in every area of Columbus.

Increasingly, we are seeing hardy strays and wintering birds that were formerly rare or unknown from here during December. Our list of wintering waterfowl has slowly grown as small numbers of teal, wood ducks, and shovelers have started to stick around in different ice-free ponds or creeks. Sapsuckers are now wintering in fair numbers in our ravines and parks. Phoebes have shown up increasingly in December and January, but have somehow missed the count period. Cedar Waxwings and hermit thrushes are also quite regular, probably due to our fruit trees. Warblers other than yellow-rumped have started to stay as well: we had pine warblers in 2002 and 2003 (count period) and an Orange-crowned also in 2003. It’s probably just a matter of time before we find a Yellowthroat, Palm, or a Black-throated Green. We will be hoping to see all of these birds on count day. And you never know what true rarity, like a Rufous Hummingbird (2003), will suddenly appear. That’s what makes a CBC so fun."

1910 One hundred taste makers

Now that you've laughed your way through 100 mistakes in our language, take a look at the 100 taste makers listed at Forbes. Chefs, fashion, art, architecture, music, etc. Have some patience. Lots of pop-up ads.

1909 Carpool Tunnel

This site of the 100 most often mispronounced English words includes carpool tunnel syndrome. This is listed as the most funny, and I agree.

1908 Dragged or drug?

Marti corrected me yesterday when I said I drug something, instead of I dragged it. She's a former English teacher (and a librarian), and my excuse is I was a foreign language major and had almost no college level English (and no English or American literature). My dictionary says it is a "dialect" to use drug as the past tense of drag. So I checked Google, and found this very interesting site which shows by color, where this is commonly used. According to this map, if I'd grown up around here, "drug my feet" would be my preference. But I grew up in northern Illinois, west of Chicago, and that looks like something "the cat dragged in."

American dialects
English language

1907 The lawyers line up for Vioxx lawsuits

A man who was taking Vioxx died of a heart attack. The jury awarded his widow millions, despite the medical evidence, and now it's going to be really tough to get pain meds on the market, but easy for lawyers to find clients. Think of the thousands who took Vioxx--and they were older, with many health concerns besides the constant pain. Most of the people I know who are in constant pain--the kind that destroys their quality of life, keeps them awake at night or interfers with their ability to work, would probably prefer to take the risk and live with some relief.

On the other hand, young healthy women took Mifepristone (RU 486) for abortion (no one knows how many, but probably not as many as the older, less healthy folk who took Vioxx), and four Americans and one Canadian that we know of died from ruptured ectopic pregnancies. They had some cramping (normal for this procedure), no fever, and died quickly. I'm guessing that there are more, but because of the nature of their deaths, their families, husbands or boyfriends probably didn't publicize it. Nor would the women's movement (do we call it that anymore--the folks who lobby for death by abortion?) Why is no one suing Planned Parenthood which routinely uses this abortificant.

Yes, there's a warning in a black box, but Vioxx had a warning too. Go figure. I can't decide if there's no outrage because the victims were women, or because it was abortion and that makes it a political issue. Or perhaps the pharmaceutical company, Danco, doesn't have the deep pockets?

Story in New England Journal of Medicine, Dec. 1, 2005, v. 353, no.22. Not free on line--check your public library.

Vioxx
Mifepristone
RU 486

1906 The poll

results at Roadrunner were that just about 80% of the readers would try to find the owner to return the ring.

The story here.

1905 My children will need to live

another 26 years after retiring to get back from Social Security what they've put in during their working years. That's assuming that the Baby Boomers haven't bankrupt the country with their retirement and health care costs first. At this point, I'm just hoping they outlive me! One is a smoker and the other is dangerously close to being a diabetic. I have outlived my two oldest, and frankly do not have the strength to go through that again. My children will turn retirement age about 100 years after Social Security first began. They graduated from high school about 20 years ago, and I don't know if they learned anything about the Depression or all the programs FDR put into place that helped in the short run, but messed up the economy in the long run.

My maternal grandparents were probably not eligible for SS since they were self-employed farmers, but my paternal grandparents who were a generation younger made out like bandits because they moved from the farm to town and grandpa worked at a printing plant in his later years. In the early years of Social Security there were 40 workers to support each retiree. Actually, getting people out of the workforce was one of the reasons for SS--we had very high unemployment when this plan was devised. Today there are only 3.2 workers for each retiree, and by the time my children retire, the baby boomers will still be clogging the nursing homes and senior centers and medical facilities. Yes, the first boomer was born about 60 years ago, and they have skewed every educational, social, cultural and medical event in this country since.

Today a low income worker needs 11.8 years to get back all his and his employer's social security taxes in benefits; a middle income worker needs 17.5 years, and a high-income worker needs 24.9 years. By the time my children retire they'll need to live an additional 25.6 years (I'm assuming they'll be middle income based on where they are now) to get back in benefits was they've put in.

In 1935 there was a Clark Amendment that would have allowed a private plan option but FDR defeated it. President Bush's plan is really not unlike what many of us already have, since no one should expect to live on Social Security, nor does it keep anyone out of poverty by itself.

Mothers worry. Let's face it. It's in our job description. And I'm extremely unhappy that the Republicans have let us down by essentially defeating Bush's Social Security reform and putting it on the back burner. I don't even pay attention to those Democrats with their running noses and pasty faces pressed up against the window. They will not like any plan that gives Bush credit for saving Social Security. It's the Republicans who should have pushed for this and gotten the job done. They are to blame.

Social Security reform

1904 Time to use up the roll of 37 cent stamps

There will be a postage hike next year, so it's time to think about writing all those notes and cards you've been putting off because you were baking cookies, attending parties or writing Christmas cards. Use up the last of your stamps so you won't have to do the add-on thing.

I jotted down my list this morning at the coffee shop

two friends who've had accidents, are recovering, but I just heard about it

two thank you notes for dinner party invitations

notes to our four pastors for their service

thank yous to the 5 people who serve on a committee with us

welcome to a new neighbor which will also do double duty as a Christmas card

note to my sister-in-law about a change in plans

note to a new widow--holidays are tough

They are all in the mail slot, and although I'm usually not a list maker, it feels good. E-mails in place of thank yous, or get-well notes, or sympathy thoughts are just gauche in my opinion. E-mail is prefect for work memos, reminders and regular, ongoing correspondence. But if our relationship is so weak that I don't rate a 37 cent stamp or a phone call when I'm down for the count, maybe we need to reevaluate.

(Comments from face strangers on the blog are OK, however.)

postage stamp increase
postage increase
manners
etiquette