2127 Coffee and cream to the extreme

Many years ago I'd order a scoop of vanilla ice cream with my coffee and I'd take a teaspoon or two of the ice cream and stir it into the coffee. That's actually how I started drinking coffee with cream, because before that I always drank it black. After awhile, it just didn't taste right black.

But this is a bit over the top, no pun intended.

2126 The Food Pantry

Today I volunteered at the Food Pantry, and frankly, I'm bushed. Almost too tired to blog. Almost. Standing, walking, stocking, and helping clients for five hours on concrete floors is sort of tiring--I don't feel old until I have to do something physical I don't usually do.

I haven't quite figured out the schedule, but I think our church takes responsibility for one week, staffs with volunteers, and then others fill in as needed. For instance, I was working with a lovely Baptist lady who lives in the area and just walked in and asked if she could volunteer. It's extremely well run by a former business executive, and is set up differently than when I volunteered a few times in the late 80s. There are several types of food--government surplus, grocery store surplus and past due date items, items purchased by the pantry in quantity, and donated food from local churches.

Everything that comes in has to be sorted, stored and shelved, or put in the coolers to keep them fresh. Fresh items vary. Today, for instance, everyone got 10 lbs. of potatoes and 5 lbs. of apples and as much bread as they wanted. At one point, volunteers from various churches who had picked up surplus and day-old items at bakeries around town arrived in their vans, so we all went outside with palettes and grocery carts and unloaded the vans. Then everything was repacked in boxes so they could be stored, with things that wouldn't keep well--birthday cakes, pecan and fruit pies, tortes, etc. going immediately to the shelves. When we had a lull, we'd sort and fold sacks, or break down boxes, or restock shelves. Sixty nine families were served at this location today.

2125 Ray Nagin vs. Pat Robertson

in the battle to say dumb things about God, who's winning? Here's a funny from The Sacred Sandwich

via Know Tea, whose site was just redone by SmockLady.

2124 Opening first class mail

"Leahy asked Gonzales if intelligence officers had the authority to open first-class mail, and Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California asked if the Bush administration had other secret programs. Gonzales said he couldn't comment on hypothetical questions." Gonzales testimony

Today on Rush's show a caller mentioned that his 92 year old mother's job during WWII was opening first class mail. She brought down a 7 member German spy ring. Now, I can't verify this story--maybe he's talking through his baseball cap. But opening first class mail by government order 60 years ago did happen and may be the reason you're reading this today. Or maybe you're reading this because of more recent surveillance which stopped something.

2123 The Super Bowl Ads, My Take

I thought the Burger King commercial was the most disgusting, anti-woman piece of trash I've ever seen on TV, billboards or magazines combined. Whopperettes? Women dressed like 50s models in 50s type make-up being thrown into sandwish buns to create a Whopper? The leering old King? If this was a parody, a 1950s style lynching in a commercial would be a parody.

Ah, and the Rolling Stones. I left my computer and sat down in the living room to watch this one.
"Who are these guys?" my husband asked.
"Those are the Rolling Stones, they are about our age," I informed him, "See that black haired guy? I think he's deaf."
"They sound just awful, let's change the channel," he said.
"No, honey this stuff is history--Mick's been prancing like that at least 40 years--it's Super Bowl XL, you know."
"Why are they cheering this nonsense," he grumbled.
"Because it's a boomer thing, I think," I said.

How not to marry a jerk

There was a radio discussion of an upcoming book as I clicked through this morning that had a title something like this. So I thought I'd make up my own list. Mind you, I've never been married to a jerk, but I know a few people who have, and the signs were like billboards down that road to the church.

He might be a jerk and you should be cautious if

• either one of you were not legally, morally or emotionally free to date
  
• he bought your ring at a pawn shop
  
• he expects you to pay for the honeymoon
  
• he cares more about you than his kids
  
• you've met his parents and his dad is a jerk
  
• you've met his parents and he's a mama's boy
  
• he's had several jobs in the last year and it's always someone else's fault that it didn't work out
  
• he wants to move in with you before marriage, "to save money"
  
• he spends more time in front of the mirror than you do
  
• he has no hobbies--you're it
  
• he has a bad credit rating and a lot of credit card debt
  
• he doesn't like your kids and thinks they're spoiled and you spend too much time with them
  

He's definitely a jerk if

• he's never introduced you to his family and has told you nothing about his background
  
• he lies about missed appointments, income, friends, employment
  
• he exaggerates his importance, his skills, his talent, his abilities, his grades, his job reviews, the important people he knows
  
• he's unemployed and not looking or training for something else
  
• he's always borrowing money from you or his other friends, or is "just a little short this month" and expects you to pick up the tab
  
• he talks about the importance of his faith and values, but never goes to church with you, or invites you to his
  
• he suffers from road rage over minor infractions of other drivers
  
• you're embarrassed to play golf or tennis or cards with him because of his temper tantrums and poor sportsmanship
  
• he expects you to change your religion even though he isn't observant in his own
  

He's beyond jerk-dom and you need to run the other way and get some counseling if

• he's ever been physically abusive or takes pleasure in ridiculing you or making you the object of his "just kidding" stories
  
• he has a prison record or was in prison when you met (i.e., he was needy and you were the savior)
  
• he has a drug or alcohol problem he's not addressing with regular meetings and a support group
  
• he never sees his kids or is behind in his child support
  
• he has no friends, or won't introduce you to those he does have
  
• he's cruel to animals or abandons his pets
  

Do you have other suggestions to add to this list?

Women give signals too, but I'm not as familiar with those. Will take suggestions.

marriage advice

Monday Memories

Did I ever tell you about The day I had 80 people for brunch on a Spring day? This is my list of instructions I taped to the inside of a cabinet door, so I could check our progress as we went along. My daughter, son-in-law, and their sister-in-law were helping me. I found this list going through my files today and thought it made a nice "memory" blog. The menu was breakfast egg casserole, tender crisp fresh asparagus, rolls and muffins, mixed fresh fruit, and beverage. I used china and silver, but did use paper napkins. Food 2 baked breakfast casseroles (which my daughter prepared at her house) here by 10 a.m. One bacon, one no meat. Start 4 casseroles in the oven at 350 at 10 a.m. Two sausage, one bacon, one no meat. Start 2 casseroles at 11 a.m. Baking time is about one hour, and can sit awhile to firm up. This means the oven is on for 2 hours. If it gets too hot, open the kitchen window. One fruit mixture has strawberries. Use it first; large glass bowl. Other has apples. Keep water at near boiling temperature and cook asparagus as needed in large saucepan. Keep 2 vegetable bowls rotating for asparagus. There are 8 doz dinner rolls, 47 muffins, 16 sweet rolls, 10 pumpkin-cranberry, 19 coffee cake. Use the large glass plate and put only two types on a plate--have another plate prepared in kitchen, ready to go; do not put out a selection of all. Margarine and butter. Home-made jam. Beverage Coffee urn serves 30; ask Peggy to make. Decaf in maroon caraffe; make in 12 cup drip. I think the coffee will go fast, so we might want to make a 12 cup to keep ready while the 30 cup is re-brewing. Sweet 'n low, sugar, creamer, half n half, skim milk. Glass cups--15-20; we'll need to use styrofoam for backup (cups that match china are too difficult to use away from a table). Tea bags and cappuccino in kitchen with hot water next to dining room door. Orange juice on buffet in glass pitcher. Plastic cups for oj. Flatware and china 20 plates and flatware on table; when this is used, put out green pattern plates from kitchen counter. Meanwhile (son-in-law) collect used plates, scrape and wash and replace on table with clean flatware. Napkins inside cabinet. Kitchen Keep south counter for stacking clean dishes. Wash left to right with space immediately left of sink for dirty dishes. Leave north counter clear for fruit and bread preparation. Use dishwasher top next to stove for casseroles and asparagus preparation. Keep trash container under sink. Dirty pans go to laundry room--wash later. All food prep and serving in kitchen; carry to dining room Seating By 11:30 it should be warm enough to be sitting on the patio. 2 tables, 12 chairs. 3 director's chairs with snack table on driveway side for smokers. 4 chairs in den. 9-10 in office. 11 in living room. If looking for a place to sit, can also use my office, or the guest room upstairs. Hang coats in front closet. Addendum, Feb. 2006: It was a fabulous day; everything went as planned; everyone had a great time and plenty to eat. And the hostess had a good time. If it had rained. . .there would be a different blog here. Links to other Monday Memories (If you participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll post it below) 1. Joan, 2. Running2K, 3. Kimmy and Jacob, 4. Ladybug

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2120 If we were as touchy as Muslims

would we be burning down buildings over the "Beauty Buyable?"



From the Amazon reviewer: This book has not even been released yet and has already sold hundreds of copies. If you haven't heard, it will be published with fifty free samples and coupons including many prestige products. The samples and book will be packaged in a box. Yes ladies, a box filled with products and discounts that you can only get with the book!

"Free" and "coupon" are the magic words. Yesiree, folks, these companies exist to give their products away. The original coupon was a wooden nickle. Now they look like credit cards, and we call them loyalty cards.

According to Galley Cat, the Buyable contains masstige brands--mass market + presige. This word first appeared around 1996. ". . . masstige brands have particular appeal to urban consumers, who are always striving to be trendy but aren't above a bargain. Target was one of the first to push masstige with its introduction of Mossimo and Michael Graves products." Word Spy.

2119 Super Bowl Hype

Friday's USAToday had a bonus sports section E as well as it's regular sports section C, and a front page story all on Super Bowl XL. But it was also covered in the Money section B. And that's where the Super Bowl stories should always be, on the Money page. I read that the ads were running $2.5 million for 30 seconds. I think I saw that Dove was running its real women have curves ad--for guys drinking beer and shouting at the TV?

So don't ever tell me that what kids see on TV or movies or computer games doesn't matter or control their brains. The advertisers know better or they wouldn't be spending this kind of money on adults. Why don't parents know this?

2118 Sometimes it just smells like death

"When I admit a new patient from the ER who reeks of cigarette smoke,. . . I watch his oxygen requirements closely and keep cancer in my differential diagnosis no matter what the reasons for his presentation." "Becoming a physician: the physical exam and the sense of smell," A. Bomback, NEJM, v.354:4;327

"Among U.S. cigarette smokers, African Americans and Native Hawaiians are more susceptible to lung cancer than whites, Japanese Americans, and Latinos." "Ethnic and racial differences in the smoking-related risk of lung cancer," NEJM, v.354:4;333.

It appeared to me that the authors of this study really struggled to find a socioeconomic reason for the discrepancy between ethnic groups for lung cancer. But the findings were not explained by diet, occupation or socioeconomic status. And after 30 cigarettes a day, it was a level graveyard anyway.

My son is on a new plan to give up, or at least cut back on, the cigarettes. It's a killer of a habit, and he started at 14.

2117 Imagine if you could create the church you wanted, any way you wanted.

Put together a worship service exactly the way YOU want: hymns, no hymns, drums, no drums. Are you from Wisconsin, start Polka Mass! Start a building campaign, ask for donations. Relax. It's just a game. Available from e-church. It is a parody--I hope.
HT Pastor Petersen.

2116 A faith-based initiative?

First the Democrats forget they were the ones who first sounded the alarm about WMD before Dubya became President. Now they are having trouble remembering they were briefed about the domestic intelligence program. But I think Cheney got in the best line.

"Rep. Jane Harman, Mr. [Jay] Rockefeller's House counterpart [Rockefeller was briefed on the domestic surveillance program], has opined that the administration broke the law by failing to brief every member of the intelligence committees. Says Mr. Cheney, "If we had done that since the beginning of the program back in '01--I ran the numbers yesterday--if we did the full House and Senate committees, as well as the elected leadership, we'd have had to read 70 people into this program" instead of eight or nine. Expecting that many congressmen to keep a secret is a faith-based initiative." James Taranto

2115 Souper Bowl Sunday

Many places are collecting cans of soup for food pantries tomorrow. I haven't been to the supermarket in awhile, so I had to go through my own pantry and pick out the soup items, and tossed in some instant mac/cheese, which I think I bought for this purpose, since I don't use it.

I read someplace that instant macaroni and cheese was one of the three liberating inventions for women in the last 150 years. That's silly. Everyone knows it was panty hose.

If you clean out the pantry, you'll have a good excuse to make home made soup, which is probably better for you.

Baked potato soup is very hearty--you can lighten it by using less cheese and bacon and low fat sour cream.

2114 Blog Guru

I took a test at Chatterbean about blogging and came out a "Blog Guru." Just ask me anything. Don't know if there is a higher category. But I do have seven blogs.

"Blogs are nothing new to you – you've weathered your share of blogstorms and maybe even started a couple yourself. You may remember reading "weblogs" in 1997, when Jorn Barger started "logging the web" in Robot Wisdom. Since then, the "blogosphere," the total of blog-related websites, has exploded. As a blog guru, you've probably encountered blog novelties out such as the milblog, a soldier's military chronicle. "Dark blogs" are no mystery to you either – you might even be a member of these hidden, invitation-only websites."

bloggers
Internet quizes

2113 To the bloggers at Philippi

Whatever is true

Whatever is noble

Whatever is right

Whatever is pure

Whatever is lovely

Whatever is admirable

Blog about those things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Paul

Philippians
Paul's Epistles
How to blog

2112 New Year's Resolutions Redux

After the hustle and bustle of Thursday Thirteen I try to go back and look at some of the writers, check out their bio and their earlier entries. Joe mentioned his New Year's resolutions since he just started blogging in December 2005. He's a 41 year old divorced father with musical ability who has returned to college to become a teacher. He wrote:

Joe: "My resolution is to be a better christian, a better person, and a better father than I was the day before."

I rarely make resolutions or set goals since I am a problem solver by nature. We problem solvers get physically ill when some chipper, pie-in-the-sky supervisor says, "Let's set some goals for this project," because we believe she already knows exactly where she wants to end up and the task force, committee, or volunteers are there for window dressing. So I left this comment at Joe's blog.

Norma: "In our annual report at Ohio State University Libraries we always had to include goals for the next year and cite how we did on last year's goals.

My boss told me something I've never forgotten (I'm not a goal setter by nature, but this was required.) Always make them measurable and achieveable, so you'll look good next year.

"I will play a board game once a week and attend a sporting event twice a month with my son to be a better father (I'm assuming these are activities he would like)," might give you something to work with. "Better" is a bit nebulous and subjective.

At Judgement, there are no "better Christians." There are only sheep and goats. No "better sheep" or "not so great goats." It's a very clear division. You might say, "I will increase my quiet time by 5 minutes daily," or something like that to grow in the faith. It's measurable, and if you tell a friend, or your son, it's accountable.

And to be a better person? Well, here you have some great choices. "Every Tuesday on the way to work I will let one very surprised driver into traffic ahead of me." Measurable--when you get to Dec. 2006. You could have 40 or even 50 successes to feel good about.

Joe never asked me for my opinion on his New Year's Resolutions, but hey, if you leave your comments open, I just might say something.

New Year's Resolutions
Thursday Thirteen
Bloggers' comments
Goals

2111 Cindy Sheehan's T-shirt

would get her removed from Columbus bars, too. I noticed an article in yesterday's Columbus Dispatch about the dress code for the bars in the arena district (I think this is where they play hockey near the site of the old Ohio Penitentiary). It may vary depending on the bar/restaurant, but here's the list.

Sports jerseys are allowed only if the team is playing that day, otherwise, you can't wear your team's shirt.

Ball caps must face foreward.

No stocking caps or flat brim hats,.

No sleeveless and plain white T-shirts.

No bandanas.

No selective logos (no idea, don't ask).

No wristbands.

Chain necklaces must be tucked in.

No excessively baggy clothing.

No excessively baggy jeans.

No Timberland brand boots (I have no idea, don't ask).

And obviously, some people are crying discrimination. The dress code isn't this tough at our church. Hmmmm. We have no dress code for church, unfortunately.

Last night as we left the Irish Pub in Grandview (not it's actual name, but I'm not going back so it doesn't matter), I noticed a gal sitting at the bar (right at the front door) in tight jeans with a grand view of her butt crack. But I think she knew that. She could have used an oversized T-shirt. Fortunately, we'd already eaten.

2110 Music hath charms

and noise hath harms. If a blog blasts hip hop or rap or even loud Frank Sinatra when I click in, I'm outta there faster than you can say spam blocker. I no longer even look for the tiny script that says, "turns me off."

When I enter a sanctuary and the worship music is vibrating the floor and changing my heart rate, I exit faster than a serious sinner running up the aisle at a camp meeting. When I see people with ear buds dangling and tethered to a torture instrument for ears, I'm reminded I need to do some serious investing in hearing aids.

I heard today on the radio that 350,000,000 downloads of music have pretty much convinced some record stores to close. To my knowledge, this is one industry segment collapse that isn't being blamed on George Bush. A lot of those downloads are sitting on i-Pods where they communicate to the delicate ear parts like a buzz saw or a jet engine.

"There are two ways that noise exposure leads to hearing damage. Brief exposures to extremely loud sounds, like gunfire, can cause permanent damage. But consistent exposure to even moderate-level loud sounds wears out the hair cells in the inner ear, which are responsible for acute hearing abilities. When these cells are damaged by noise exposure -- like a loud concert -- they typically recover after two days of rest. With repeated exposure to loud sounds, however, the hair cells' ability to recover weakens. Eventually the hair cells die, leading to permanent hearing loss."
WSJ Jan. 10, 2006


hearing loss
i-Pods
noise

2109 On the way to Yes

Yesterday I wrote a blog about How to say No, and I didn't want to leave you with the impression I never say Yes to anything. So here's a few things I've said yes to this past week. I probably could have made a Thursday Thirteen out of affirmatives, but I liked the Prayer Job Jar better.

1. Yes to being communion servers this Sunday.
2. Yes to taking our neighbor's turn at mail delivery (for church).
3. Yes to three friends making an outing to an art show.
4. Yes to lunch with friends in Springfield, OH.
5. Yes to dinner out with two couples.
6. Yes to joining a couples group from church which meets twice a month.
7. Yes to typing a report and sending it for my husband for his volunteer activity at Lakeside.
8. Yes to joining an ad hoc writing group that meets twice a month.
9. Yes to finding a new dentist to replace the one who won't listen to me (OK, this is cheating, but it is a Yes to me). It's like trying to find a new plumber or hairdresser.
10. Yes to a walk in the park with my husband on a nice day.

2108 Observation at an art show

Last night I noticed a couple at an art opening. She was of an age and disability that she was probably a thalidomide baby, and he had some severe birth defects that were probably genetic requiring alterations in his clothing and life style, but they weren't interfering with his life. They had managed the trip down town at night in the rain, just like the rest of us, manuevering with a special van and wheelchair access. After all, who is more handicapped, those who never notice or enjoy art, or those who have to struggle a bit for access to it?

Some people, liberal thinkers in other areas such as the death penalty for serial murderers or the protection of the habitat of an endangered wild animal or insect, believe that if a child's life potential is limited or his parents are dull, poor or dark skinned then that child's life can be taken from him. For the good of all, of course, but especially for his own good. "Liberals love fetuses to death" could be their bumper sticker.

Others in that liberal group, believe the reason for taking the child's life matters not at all. It's absolutely none of our business. We may have even been rubbing shoulders at the art show. It's not even up for discussion. Only the wishes of the woman (some call her "mother") providing his natural habitat, you might say, are valued. Better the little one should be a bird, rat or worm.

"In every child who is born conceived under no matter what circumstances and of no matter what parents, the potentiality of the human race is born again, and in him, too, once more, and each of us, our terrific responsibility toward human life: toward the utmost idea of goodness, of the horror of terrorism, and of God." James Agee, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men