2569 How to write your Congressional representative about illegal immigration

It's important that you let your Representative know today that the Senate bill, (S. 2611)the largest immigration increase in U.S. history, was rushed and cobbled together in a paltry 500 pages and is a mess. NO bill is better.

"The House may take the unusual step of conducting hearings on the Senate's immigration bill, which includes the opportunity for citizenship for illegal immigrants, before negotiating on final legislation, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said Tuesday.

Hastert's position appeared to reflect a growing sense among some House Republicans that they are better off seeking re-election in November without a new immigration law than with a version that includes parts of the Senate's." Houston Chronicle

1. Make sure to use "The Honorable" before their names--even if you have to choke when you write it. (Senate zip is 20510 and House is 20515), i.e.

The Honorable Deborah Pryce
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

2. Write only your own elected official. If you live in Cleveland or LA, don't write Ms. Pryce. Letters sent to members of Congress for another district will be forwarded to yours "as a courtesy."

3. Identify yourself in the first paragraph, as well as your state and district, city or county where you vote. Please reserve profanity for your blog or the local pols.

4. Identify the bill by number and/or title. Remember, they have been trying to solve this immigration issue since WWII, so it's possible they've forgotten already, or were around in 1986 when they passed the last amnesty legislation which created even more illegals.

5. Be concise and brief. Specific and succinct letters are more persuasive and show respect for the official's time, even though they aren't showing you any. No longer than one typed page. Something longer and more specific than "You F-ing S-O-Bs", however.

6. Support your case. Citing my blog won't do it--200 hits a day hardly makes me an expert. But include relevant facts. No jokes. They've heard them all.

7. No form letters. You don't like them--why should they?

8. Suggest an alternative (like, No bill until you've at least read this one). These guys and gals aren't any more experts on this than you and I, and 30 years of legislation and hand wringing proves it.

9. Sign your name.

10. If you are SOMEBODY, include your title. It won't matter, but if they get to use "Honorable" you'll feel better if you have one too.

Addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers

2568 Thank you, Mr. President

"My message to the enemy is, don't count on us leaving before we succeed," Bush said. I took him along on my walk this morning listening to his address at the press conference after his Iraq trip. Now let the "Kos, Defect and Death" bloggers begin. I'm sure they aren't happy with anything they heard, particularly about how we're not going to abandon the Iraqi people (like we did the Vietnamese).

2567 AMA Panel Says Physicians Cannot Ethically Participate in Prisoner Interrogations

"Helping with interrogations, including the planning of the interrogation or monitoring the prisoner with the "intention of intervening in the process" are actions that are outside the bounds of ethical behavior, CEJA (American Medical Association's Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs) said here Sunday." CHICAGO (Reuters Health) June 12, 2006

Seems it undermines their role as a healer. But it’s OK to abort babies and clone human embryos to reuse body parts for another human being? Ethics councils frolic in strange beds, don‘t they?

2566 The kitchen massacre

Last night I was "inventing" a new dish for supper. It had half a pound of ground sausage, a partial envelope of dry onion soup, some rice, and I was preparing to add a small can of tomato sauce. When I clipped the can opener into the side of the can, the tomato sauce squirted in the air, across the room to the other counter, to the floor and all over the pale cabinetry. I had to get down on my knees so the sunlight could reflect on the marble which is very dark, mottled brown. I got all traces of red mopped up, finished mixing the casserole and then looked at the doorway. Across the room, about 10 ft. was tomato sauce all up and down the louvered doors. I don't know how chain saw murderers ever get the place cleaned up.

Monday Memories

Have I ever told you about the summer we bought our little Lakeside cottage?

The summer of 1988 was ghastly hot--and a drought in Ohio. We'd rented a small cottage north of Fifth Street in Lakeside for our summer vacation. We thought it a blessing that it had recently been renovated and had ceiling fans. Even a walk along the lakefront brought no relief; a night cruise on Lake Erie felt like a door slammed in your face when the boat stopped moving. One day we were walking the perimeter of the town, whether for exercise or from an attempt to get away from the oppressive heat, I don't remember. And there it was. A little cottage with a "for sale" sign that we'd never seen. I climbed up the broken concrete steps to the back door--"Oh my goodness," I shouted, "it has a real kitchen, and a basement!" We walked around to the front and tried the porch door--it was open. We peeked into the living room. "It has a fireplace," I gasped. "This is a house, not a cottage."

Being the practical sort, I figured if you had to pay a mortgage 12 months of the year it would be nice to be able to use it 12 months. So we contacted the realtor, but also looked at two other cottages, one a large "4 square" from the early 20th century and one a small red 19th century farm house style. Both looked very nice on the outside, but were very cottagey on the inside, with either board thin walls or cut up tiny rooms. When we finally got into the "Thompson place" (cottages are always known by the long time owner's name), we were smitten. The widow who had started to renovate after her husband died had been diagnosed with cancer and moved to Florida. But she had already installed a.c., storm windows, new bathroom fixtures, and additional kitchen cabinets, so we knew that as long distance owners, we wouldn't have that worry.

Our mortgage on our home in Columbus had recently been paid off, so we weren't too alarmed by taking on a new one, except that in 1988 mortgages were 10.5%. I had taken a tenure track position in 1986, so we had that cushion. Still, I had a month or two of sleepless nights worry about debt, but it gave me something to think about other than my kids who had recently left home. We love living there in the summer, which we are now able to do, and have always enjoyed the cultural events (Chautauqua circuit) which include a month of symphony, summer theater, opera, ballet, pop music, lectures, Bible studies, vespers and art classes.

A summer home is rarely a good investment when you figure you only use it a few months of the year, but in the early years of owning it, we did go up more frequently off season than we do now. It's paid for now and has appreciated considerably (5 or 6 times more than the purchase price)--in fact, we couldn't afford this house if we were looking today. However, we've replaced the roof, added a deck, replaced the HVAC, landscaped and completely redecorated inside and out.

The one thing we were going to replace the first season, is still there, and that's the funny little porch that doesn't fit the 1940s design of the cottage. You just have to have a porch at Lakeside, and although this one is ugly, it is tight, easy to heat or cool, acts as passive solar in the winter, and protects the main house in the summer. We sure haven't forgotten that first hot summer of 1988, even though it's never been that bad again--and today we wouldn't be able to get a variance to replace it.

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1. Ocean Lady 2. Libragirl, 3. Yellow Rose 4. Mysterious Lady, (bring along a hankie) 5. The Shrone, 6. Carol, 7. Lazy Daisy 8. Melli, 9. Flip Flop Floozie 10. Ma

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Lakeside, Ohio

I remember when

librarians used to do this.

2563 Sticks and stones

will sell more books. David Carr of NYT writes (seen at Editor and Publisher):

"Without the total package, Ms. Coulter would be just one more nut living in Mom's basement. You can accuse her of cynicism all you want, but the fact that she is one of the leading political writers of our age says something about the rest of us."

So referring to someone from your opponent's side as a "nut living in Mom's basement" and a person of "pirate sensibilities" with a "mouth uninterrupted by conscience, rectitude or logic" is OK, but calling someone else a "Harpie" from your team (who said NY's mayor hadn't suffered any loss) is cynical? You gotta love the liberals--they are certainly consistently speaking out of both sides of their collective mouth.

2562 Job Evaluation Comments

Mr. T, who doesn't seem to remember how to post at his own blog, sent me these and I had a good chuckle. He writes:

These are actual quotes taken from Federal Government employee performance evaluations:

1. "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock-bottom and has started to dig."

2. "I would not allow this employee to breed."

3. "This employee is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definite won't be."

4. "Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat no a trap."

5. "When she opens her mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet."

6. "This young lady has delusions of adequacy."

7. "He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them."

8. "This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."

9. "This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts the better."

10. "Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together."

11. "A gross ignoramus - 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus."

12. "He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier."

13. "He's been working with glue too much."

14. "He would argue with a signpost."

15. "He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room."

16. "When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell."

17. "If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he's the other one."

18. "A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on."

19. "A prime candidate for natural de-selection."

20. "Donated his brain to science before he was done using it."

21. "Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming."

22. "He's got two brains cells, one is lost and the other is out looking for it."

23. "If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week."

24. "If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change."

25. "If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean."

26. "It's hard to believe he beat out 1,000,in other sperm."

27. "One neuron short of a synapse."

28. "Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled."

29. "Takes him 2 hours to watch '60-minutes'."

30. "The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead"

2561 Ann Coulter is harsh

But she's not a former President criticizing a sitting President during wartime. She's not a former Vice President shaking a fist and snarling at political realities. She's not a presidential rainbow coalition wannabee flitting off to other countries to act as a foreign minister ad-hoc of the moment. She's not a child of a corrupt Massachusetts political family trying to destroy the reputation of Ohio's gubernatorial candidate. She's not even a Country and Western singer appearing on national TV as a martyr. Nope. She criticized four women promoting the Democratic agenda on the graves of their husbands. Perhaps she's brought a little balance to the table and the Democrats can't take it? She's called their bluff.

Time e-mail interview with Coulter at Sweetness and Light.

"Name calling? The use of language is "name calling." Harpies and witches is what I think they are, which is why I used those words. And I must say, I certainly have spotlighted the issue with my alleged "name-calling." The entire country is now riveted on the left’s device of using victims to advance their half-baked, unsaleable ideas. From now on, every time the left showcases another sobbing, hysterical woman as their spokesperson, people will say — "gosh she looks like she’s having a good time." So I’d say my "name calling" has been a smashing success. And by the way, I’ve got a few more names in my bag." Ann Coulter in Time interview

Comment from AmericanIPA: "Coulter is tough with her language at times, but grow up lefties. Some of the people she mows down have been long getting a free ride from the press, these widows included. They and anyone else who lost someone on 9/11 have the right to know why their loved ones were killed. And here it is, whether they want to hear it or not: Militant islamists hate America, you included, and want you and your way of life wiped from the face of the earth. They don’t just hate George Bush (they burned Clinton in effigy ad nauseum). They don’t just hate FOX News or National Review like you spoiled, dreamworld, greenpeace libs. They hate western culture as a whole and any religion other than their own. They want the Jersey Girls, Michael Moore, and Al Franken dead just as bad as they do George Bush."



Ann Coulter

2560 Zarqawi

He was a human being, created in the image of God. He was evil and not a child of God, but there were moments in his life of joy, love, kindness, beauty and laughter. God could have created a world in which he had no choices between good and evil--but He didn't.

God doesn't grade on a curve--life is pass/fail, and eternal life depends on our position in Christ, not our personal laundry list of good qualities or deeds. And it's a good thing too, because dancing in the streets or on the internet when someone dies in a bombing raid would not put us on the right side of the ledger, would it? It would wipe out all those pro-life marches, all those animal rescues, cleaning up the environment, visits to the nursing home and the making of AIDS quilts if we were judged on our own merits.

Zarqawi

2559 A Prairie Home Companion, the movie

We did it--we paid full price to see a movie, the fictionalized account of the closing down of a 30 year old radio show on WLT (with lettuce and tomato). A few minutes into the show and something started to sound familiar (other than the radio show which we'd listened to years ago). "I think these people were at Lakeside," I whispered to my husband when Robin and Linda Williams were performing. I just had some vague recollection that someone who performed last summer had mentioned they were making a movie with Garrison Keillor. So when I got home I checked my blog, and there they were. I knew this thing would come in handy some day. Never mind that I'd totally forgotten their performance until I saw them in the movie and had forgotten there was going to be a movie until I read the review in a local paper. Their web page with a synopsis of the movie.

My husband thought it was funnier than I did. It takes the usual pot-shots at Christians, but what else is new? I would have felt much better if it were at the dollar theater where we usually go (on the rare event we see a movie), but you never know if a film will turn up there. I just find it hard to believe people will pay $8.50 for a first run movie.

The woman sitting next to my husband was rather large--tall and plump--and brought in a huge bag of food, so she was rattling snack packages, and munching and shaking the whole row when she moved. The adverts are way too loud and ridiculous. It's a lot of money to pay to watch 15 minutes of commercials. Even at the one dollar theaters.

2558 What Gen-Y wants

"For young people, a good job means doing something you love... For youth seeking work, the most important factor, by far, is finding a job they enjoy (60 percent). Others say the most important factors are making a good amount of money (17 percent) and having an opportunity to advance (11 percent). Despite a national discussion on health care and Social Security, youth do not worry about good health benefits (3 percent) or retirement benefits (1 percent) when looking for a job. For youth, a job they enjoy does not include traveling; in fact, a majority calls travel one of the least important factors in a good job (55 percent). This generation, at least for now, seems fairly well sheltered from the economic downturn of the past several years," Read the rest at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner report on MySpace Generation. (four parts so far)

Not to worry. Once they start applying for mortgages, having a family, experiencing a major illness or sensing some emptiness in that "job to love," their priorities will change. They might learn that the only way to move ahead in the "job they love" is to move into management, and telling other people what to do wasn't on their "to do list." Life happens.

2557 Agnes Sanford belongs in a public library

but not in a church library. I was browsing our Mill Run campus library today (I volunteer at and use the church library at our Lytham Road location) and saw her autobiography on the shelf. I don't know why Christians think Sanford is a Christian, but they do (God has the final say, but I don't think she recanted her writings). Even pastors who don't appear to make serious errors about other teachings see no harm. Sure, she was a sweet, dear lady (died in 1982) who said and wrote "spiritual" things, but if you get a paperback of one of her titles and underline the nonbiblical drivel in red, and the Gospel based material in green, you'll see my point. About 25 years ago I actually did that, and hid her books in my laundry room packed inside an old briefcase. And although I don't believe her nonsense about vibrations, and auras and spirits, I could swear I felt a heaviness unrelated to the ironing basket when I entered that room. So I threw them out. Better she should give off her vibes at the dump rather than inside my house or the church building--if you believe that sort of stuff, and she does. What makes her so harmful is that she has so many spiritual descendants who are still speaking and writing on the inner healing circuit. It's snake oil folks. Don't be taken in.

You get the same reaction from church librarians, pastors and staff that you do from public librarians and library boards if you suggest they've made an egregious error in the collection. The Book of Concord, however, was recently withdrawn from our church library (I've given it a home). Perhaps a new edition is available, or people will just check it on-line. "Just as the church has the promise that it will always have the Holy Spirit, so it also has the warning that there will be ungodly teachers and wolves." [Book of Concord]

Agnes Sanford
inner healing
church libraries

2556 This should alarm librarians

Although public library staff consider blocking or filtering certain sites to protect children to be against their ethics, their budget and their technological know-how (see comments at #2542), I'd read in Wired that Gina Trapani had created a simple little hack for her own computer to block MySpace so she wouldn't waste time at work. So while browsing that site, I came across the story taken from New Scientist, that the data on MySpace and other social networking sites might be used for data mining. Government snoops really get librarians' shorts all twisted. So that, and not protecting children, could raise an eyebrow about these sites. Heaven forbid the NSA be lead back to a library computer.

"Pentagon's National Security Agency, which specialises in eavesdropping and code-breaking, is funding research into the mass harvesting of the information that people post about themselves on social networks. And it could harness advances in internet technology - specifically the forthcoming "semantic web" championed by the web standards organisation W3C - to combine data from social networking websites with details such as banking, retail and property records, allowing the NSA to build extensive, all-embracing personal profiles of individuals."

I don't bank or buy on-line, but I think there are way too many public records online--like photos and floor plans of our homes with neighborhood maps at the state auditor's site. How handy is that for burglars? And Ohio State University hasn't been able to figure out how to stop using my social security number for ordinary transactions like checking out a book.

data mining

2555 Will Haditha story go the route of Dan Rather and Mary Mapes?

So it wasn't a "respected" anti-American international human rights group (Time magazine has corrected its error) and there was no photograph by a marine (Time regrets the error) and it wasn't a journalism student who videotaped the incident, but a 43 year old who had created the 2 person "human rights" agency that sprung the story. Hmmmm. Interesting. Story here at Sweetness and Light. And the Time reporter who broke the story has some unusual, anti-American motives, and lobbied for use of the word massacre? More details here.

All we know is that the Haditha problem is being investigated by the appropriate authorities, and that our honorable media have rushed in to assume guilt, destroy reputations and put the lives of all our military in danger. Business as usual.

2554 Territorial rights

My cat as gradually been spending more time in my office today. Now that I have on my black skirt (going out for dinner tonight), she's decided on my lap. The problem was, well, puppy pee. Yes, little Abby had a few bladder issues yesterday. I mean that is a very big incision, and she was unhappy at being left in a strange place (although she knows me, it has been a traumatic week for her). I'm strongly hoping my cat doesn't decide to reclaim her territory by marking it.

Over at Librarian's Guide to Etiquette, there is a suggestion for librarians who have this problem. I think it might have merit.

2553 Watch out for religion

Unfiltered computers at the public library and religion at the movies. Is no child safe to be left behind? I saw this at Considerettes who notes it is from WorldNetDaily.

"A new family film featuring miracles and a pro-God theme has earned a rating of "PG" from the Motion Picture Association of America due to fears it might offend people who have no faith or a different faith.

The decision surprises many who believed the "parental guidance" warning was reserved for the likes of violence, foul language and nudity.

"Facing the Giants," the story of a Christian high-school football coach who uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure, was given the rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, the group which brands films according to their content." Apparently, they pray in this movie, and you know how dangerous that is.

2552 Ethics and human cloning

Sounds like an oxymoron to me. Harvard announced this week that they are beginning to clone human embryos for making stem cells. I saw the item in the WSJ, but it appeared in many newspapers. WaPo weighed in with the typical left slant using phrases like "culture wars," "vocal conservative movement," and "ethical wrangling."

"The work, aspects of which have already begun, involves creating embryos not by the usual fusing of sperm and egg but by fusing a patient's body cell -- such as a skin cell -- with a human egg whose DNA has been removed. The resulting embryo would be genetically identical to the patient who donated the skin cell, so stem cells derived from it and transplanted into the patient would probably not be rejected by the immune system."

As near as I could tell from reading the article, the "ethics" decisions involved how to pay the women for their eggs, how to advertise for eggs, and how to get left over eggs from failed fertility efforts. Didn't see much about the destroying of human life aspect of it. I'm sure the Nazi doctors of Germany must have debated certain aspects of experimenting with Jews, who were also not considered human.

Friday Family Photos

Today I picked up my husband's paintings at the Upper Arlington Art League Spring Show at the Church at Mill Run. This is the show that got "all" the publicity from the Columbus Dispatch. Which ignored us for years. I forgot to take my camera, so then I tried to get some photos at home. The reflections and the lighting didn't work at all. But this is a painting of our niece Heather in the hayloft of my mother's barn. I think she was about 12 years old.


exterior of the barn, ca. mid 1970s

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things on my to-do list for Thursday night dinner.
1. First, take care of the hostess, because as the saying goes, "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

2. So, have everything ready by Wednesday evening, and most of the food by Wednesday noon.

3. Plan the menu--keep it simple with limited number of dishes, easy shortcuts.

4. Buy the food on Tuesday and remember to thaw the meat.

5. Boneless pork roast with orange/cranberry sauce (keeps it very moist), potato salad (I buy a tub at Meijer's deli and add more potatoes, eggs and olives), sugar free orange jello with shredded carrots and crushed pineapple with cream topping (instant vanilla pudding mixed with milk, orange juice and sour cream, stuffing (box mix) with corn, onions and celery added. This gives the guests a mix of hot and cold, vegetable and fruit. Dessert at this writing is a bit up in the air. None of us in this group needs Chocolate peanut butter pie, but that might be it--with an alternative of mixed fresh fruit.

6. Assign the "pot luck" portion. This dinner is for our church's visual arts group--total of 6 family units, some couples, some singles total of 10 people.

7. Three get to bring wine, 2 red and 1 white, one a tray of snack crackers with cheese, and one a specialty bread from Great Harvest or Panera's. This will keep everyone out of my small kitchen and is no work for me.

8. Clean up as I go. On Thursday afternoon, everything will disappear from counter tops so I will look like Mrs. Clean (even though I'm not). For some reason, people like to hang out in kitchens, but I'll be on the deck with the snacks.

9. Vacuum and dust, clean bathrooms and mirrors.

10. Check paper goods, serving dishes and utensils.

11. Set the tables--while praying it doesn't rain because 4 people will need to sit on the deck (right next to the dining room window which will be open). Plan B will be to bring in a small table for the living room. Put the roast in.

12. About 6 p.m. Thursday, warm up the stuffing, take out the meat to let it "rest" before slicing. Put out the cold items.

13. 6:30, lock up the cat, open the door, welcome the guests and enjoy their good company.

1. Benjamin Solah 2. pupski 3. Lazy Daisy 4. Friday's Child 5. reverberate58 6. Aileen 7. carmen 8. trish 9. Mary 10. Uisce 11. EmilyRoseJewel 12. Diane 13. Christine 14. Jane 15. heather 16. Jenny 17. Scone 18. laura 19. angie 20. Tey 21. Kendra 22. Empress Juju 23. Susan 24. Pink Chihuahua Princess 25. anneberit 26. Froggie 27. Titanium 28. Lesly 29. ivan girl



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