3796

Training ground for biased big media?

The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper is one of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of struggling free circs, those piles of newsprint and skinny magazines you see in the lobbies of coffee shops, shopping centers and libraries. Technically, they offer an alternative, but if they become successful, a bigger paper usually buys them. I hear they pay well, and the slant is, well, very, very one way or the other. The Stranger is left, although I've only read one article. It's anti-religious right. Yawn. That's like an elephant being afraid of a mouse. There is not a single leftist program proposed since FDR that hasn't succeeded. Conservatives, at best, toss an occasional banana peel, and a baby might make it out alive in the Dakotas that otherwise would have been thrown in a trash can.

The article that was sent to me is "Cross Purposes" by Erica C. Barnett. For some reason she thinks it is sad that Seattle's old line, dying liberal churches are shrinking and becoming irrelevant. When we joined UALC [it's a conservative congregation within a liberal denomination] in 1976 our pastor had formerly been a Lutheran pastor in the northwest--can't remember if it was Oregon or Washington. But I remember him saying that the mountains were white capped from all the letters of transfer that never made it. That means, for you non-Christian readers, when people headed west, they left their relgion back in the east or midwest and started worshiping Mother Nature. If they needed a little familiarity for a wedding and cozy pot lucks, they could always join the Unitarians. So I don't know where Erica's been hanging out, but it ain't church.

So she writes a lengthy story about the "new conservatives." But she has a very odd hitch in her gitalong. Seems to really focus on externals, hoping I think, to turn off . . . who, exactly? In describing the people she's afraid of (i.e. conservative Christians) seen at two different gatherings, tiny Church on the Hill, and big Mars Hill:

T-shirts and jeans
overalls and sweats
casual sportswear
bearded guy in sweats
blond man in sneakers and faded blue jeans
brown long-sleeved t-shirt
thrown-together, house-party-ish scene
heavily gelled hair [preacher]
sloppy, untucked dress shirt
wooden bead necklace
trendy wide-strapped brown leather watch
girls in glittering half-sweaters
sloppy emo boys with tattooed arms
disheveled hair
pregnant women in stylishly expensive maternity jeans
loud and a bit slovenly [preacher]
Jimmy Kimmel-esque comedian [preacher]

I haven't seen that much fashion description except in my own complaints about what people wear to church these days.

When describing the liberal Mainline Methodists in Ballard, WA she says. . . not much about their appearance, but does cite their criticisms of the new kids on the church block, and they have a serious case of edifice envy.

"Very much your father's conservatism"
"women are the nurturers who should go home and have babies"
"negative, almost misogynistic view of women"
"emergent or emerging" [these are 2 different terms, but she doesn't distinguish]
"They've built a show that attracts masses of people. That legitimates it"
"it's possible they are simply not paying attention"
"an astonishing number believe in reincarnation, which is not a Christian doctrine"
"we're in a time when people pick and choose what they want from their religious experience"
"appeal to people who think we live in apocalyptic times"
"creates a system where people can have a feeling of control"
"they see themselves as cutting edge, whereas mainline churches are struggling to keep their doors open"
"theology of fear"
"they're cool and they can go out into the world"
"they'll outgrow it"

Oddly (or, not so odd since she wants a job with a "real" paper), Erica sees the mainline church goers (most with gray hair and canes), as more tolerant and diverse because there is a sprinkling of gay couples, and some female pastors. She thinks it is quite OK for the Methodist pastor to be preaching on the "evil empire" the U.S. is becoming with obscene tax-cutting, but not OK for the Mars Hill guy who's preaching that the suburbs have just as much evil as the city. She calls the conservatives intolerant with retrograde political leanings (she only sites homosexuality and women as evidence of "retrograde"), and apocalyptic, rebelling against the pop culture while appropriating its language and styles.

Yes, Erica's looking for a job with a playa.

Who makes Don Imus look like a choir boy?

Michael McGee Sr. Oh please, Lord, let him be a race, nationality, religion and party we've never heard of. We've got enough problems in the media.

Word inflation

Or is it word deflation? I like Staples. Shop there for my paper and computer needs. Yesterday I needed ink. Took in my little cartridges for the discount. Folded inside my receipt (which I just looked at) is an ad that says, "Salvation from PC frustration. See an associate for assistance." That's a stronger altar call than we get at church!

My candidate has a plan

All the others want is a vacation.

[from Taranto's column] The Associated press asked the candidates for president what they would most like to have if stranded on a desert island. Here are the responses:

Joe Biden, Dennis Kucinich, Duncan Hunter and Mitt Romney said they'd bring their wives. (Notably, Hillary Clinton did not say she'd bring her husband.)

Mrs. Clinton, John Edwards, Barack Obama and John McCain all said books. Rudy Giuliani said "books and music."

Chris Dodd said "coffee with cream and sugar."

Sam Brownback said a tarp.

Mike Huckabee said a "laptop with satellite reception."

Tom Tancredo said a boat.

Bill Richardson said "BlackBerry and a Davidoff cigar."

Buy Jinky's book

Here's a photo of Jinky and his "mom." First he had a blog, now a book. It's a bit racy for me--after all he's a Hollywood dog--but some of my readers, especially dog lovers who want to help a good cause, will love it.



My other blogs about Jinky.

3790

The spread of poverty

I've often said that the way middle class families lived in the 60s and 70s would be considered poverty today--one car, 1.5 baths, 3 bedrooms, no AC, no dishwasher, one TV--and of course, no cable, no cellphones, no computers, etc. But I didn't expect the Census Bureau to agree with me.

"Forty-three percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.

Eighty two percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 35 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning. Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.
Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions; Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception; Seventy-three percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a more than a third have an automatic dishwasher."

Instead of broadening the base of poverty (to induce guilt, get more votes and more taxes), it would be better to focus on the really destitute. TCS Daily article.

3789

It's a horserace

Tiago
Among the Republican field I will support Mike Huckabee or Mitt Romney or Tom Tancredo. I have no interest in McCain, Rudy or Newt; they haven't treated their wives and ex-wives well. Maybe that's why they play it fast and loose on abortion? Some of the candidates I've never heard of.

For the 133rd Derby, I think at Donna and David's party Saturday night I'll go for Tiago, 15:1. He won at the Santa Anita Derby. His jockey rode Giacomo to victory, and John Shirreffs is the trainer. He is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss. There are no good stories this year--no female jockeys, no blind or deaf horses, no murky backgrounds among the owners--or if there are, it's so common the reporters are ignoring it. I had to find the list on page 6 of the sports section this morning.

Would you like a cute Chihuahua?

No, not my grand-puppy, but one at this Chi Rescue. Look at that talented pup who walks on his two front legs. Jinky, the Hollywood dog, is out advertising his book, making a case for rescued dogs. He's led a pretty fabulous life, first blogging which is how I met him, and now as a celebrity author. You'll fall in love with the Lambster, an abused Bichon, that Jinky writes about.

New stories at the reunion blog

The ladies' breakfast

Center School in Trot Town

Town hang-outs

My first document in Zoho.  I stopped by Aunt Lora's blog, from which I clicked on a blog by a father of an autistic child from which I got to Zoho.  It is an online word processor that I can access from anywhere--I think. 

Ooh.  I like the background color feature and the type font.

--------------->

OK. Now I'm back in the blogger.com posting template. I'm not exactly sure when or where I would use this Zoho. I always type in the "edit html" feature of blogger, except occasionally I switch to "compose" when I want to add some color or change the font. I can get into blogger.com from any computer. Does anyone know why I need Zoho Writer? I haven't tried the other features. Maybe I'm not techie enough to know what a jewel it is--the reviewers raved about it. Easy sign up.

Friday Family Photo--another cousin

This is a photo of my cousin Gayle when she was the queen of May at Manchester College in North Manchester, IN. That's her roommate taking a photo of her. I think Gayle told me her roomie made the dress which Gayle later used as her wedding dress. Isn't she pretty? I found the photo at an MC site.

3784

Please scratch that itch at home

While refilling my coffee cup the other day at Panera's, I saw a very large woman with her hand down the inside front of her capri pants. Later I looked up from my blogging notebook to see a man at the counter with his hand inside the back of his knee length jersey shorts scratching his bottom. And it wasn't even casual Friday!

Speaking of notebooks, I start a new one today. The one I'm using was started Mar. 22, and is a Kathryn White design represented by Art in Motion of Vancouver, BC. I found an interesting blog called Notebookism which features not only interesting notebooks for a variety of purposes (most too expensive for me), but also stories about notebooks of various artists, writers and poets. I like stiff covers and a spiral bind, because the sewn or glued pages often don't hold up to writing on the verso.

Thursday Thirteen--We're painting the master bedroom

Banner by EmilyThat's a "royal we." I don't paint. I just wring my hands, give advice and worry. But this time, my husband isn't painting either, although until we moved here, he always did for 40 years. Two years ago I decided I could at least strip wallpaper to save money, and before the painters came to do my office, I nearly killed myself and had a sore back for months. Don't do that. Here's some tips learned and relearned along the way.

1. We decided to flip the colors from the guest room painted two years ago. This idea worked really well with the dining room and living room.
2. We discovered we didn't have a drop of the wall color left--not even a stir stick.
3. This painter uses a different brand, and even with two of us eyeballing those little paint strips and both being artists, do you think we could find an exact match? My advice is, always keep a little paint even if you have to buy an extra quart you don't use.
4. It takes two people (one of them preferably another man--your son-in-law) to move a queen size mattress and box springs into the hall.
5. No matter where you decide to move things, something will be in the way. With the mattresses being in the hall, all the paintings and art work had to be moved, and most space was already taken with the paintings from the room to be painted.
6. Faux glaze has a texture and requires sanding and a special primer to cover. That increases your cost and the dust factor, so cover everything in the closets.
7. If your dressers were on hard wood floors in the last house, you've probably forgotten that there are levelers on the legs, and they will snag the carpet in the new place.
8. Mirrors on dressers are much heavier than you remember (and you are much older) when you try to remove them.
9. Always have the carpenter come before the painters. Somehow I missed that by having my husband make all the arrangements for putting a soffit in the bathroom. That is going to be oodles of touch up, plus if I remember this guy, he doesn't show up when scheduled.
10. If possible, don't schedule a meeting at your house while you're painting. We messed up on that, too. I just may have to close some doors, since we've moved a lot of stuff to where ever we have space. I think Thursdays are bad too, because if they don't finish, and have a Monday conflict, you're stuck until the following Tuesday.
11. Cover the cable connection/outlet with tape. We found it had been painted over in the guest room when we moved our TV this week.
12. When we removed one of our paintings, we found the intercom system. We'd forgotten there was one. Nothing works in an intercom that is 30 years old. Don't even install one. Just shout or use your cell phone.
13. Try to agree before all the tools have been put away what exactly is being removed from the walls. "Why didn't you take down the lamps?" "What? You want the lamps (with about 10 screws each) removed?"

So I'm down here in my office blogging like it's just another day, trying not to think of another 13 things I can add next Thursday.

3782

Before you screw

in that new energy efficient CFL lightbulb, maybe you'd better wait until they figure out how we're going to safely dispose of them when the incandescents are no longer available. They contain mercury. You might need to call the hazmat folks if you break one, and that could up the cost just a bit. National post story.

Also, they are all made in China, where the factories are coal fired. So think about the black smoke you're belching out on their country side. I've bought a few, but for now, I think I'll stick with the old, less efficient ones until the Gang Green settles down a bit.

HT Amateur Economist

3781

I am not alarmed

"The U.S. economy is expected to add 1.5 million IT jobs by 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics. At the same time, research firm Gartner Inc. predicts that by 2012, 40% of women now in the IT workforce will have moved away from technical career paths to pursue more flexible business, functional, and research and development careers."

Not all men want this career track, why should the same percentage of women want it? I'm not at all alarmed, except by the alarmists who drum women out of the home, teaching, nursing, and retail where they are comfortable, and insist we must be little drones who work 16 hours days, move around the country, smooze at bars and on golf courses, and become "one of the guys." I have a girl friend who entered the computer field full-time right out of college. At about the age I retired, she has gone back to college to become a nurse.Story about this "alarming scenario" in Computer World.

3780

Last words--let them be Thank You

Robert E. Johnson, a practicing anesthesiologist for 35 years, treating thousands of patients, has these comments on "last words" in JAMA, April 12, 2006, p. 1624.

"Few plan their last words. They usually speak them unknowingly. And I hope I'm not hearing them. I've learned to say some appropriate lines of explanation and comfort for trachael intubations though, and then pause. Patients usually respond, "Thank you." If they survive, nothing is lost, if they die something is gained. The light of their final gratitude can shine on memories of them forever."

And while I'm thinking of it, when you say "Thank You," wouldn't you rather hear, "You're welcome," rather than, "No problem," or "Bakatcha?"

Sticks and Stones--HR 1592

Unlike the Republicans who wimped out on things they said they'd do if we elected them, the Democrats really are trying to rip out the freedoms we were guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, just like they promised in actions and words along the way to congressional control. Have you read the text of HR 1592--the so called hate crimes prevention bill? It is so preposterous, I almost can't believe it. Who kills the most black and gay men in this country? Other black and gay men (gay men as a group are the most highly educated and wealthiest of all our little diversity groups--so don't count on that to equal common sense when it comes to legislating hurt feelings). Aren't they just as dead as they'd be if the perp had called them a nasty, hurtful name, or if they perceived it right before the bullet, knife or club hit? Look at this text--

`(A) IN GENERAL- Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, in any circumstance described in subparagraph (B), willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability of any person--

You are really, really special and set aside for preferences in this bill if you are a mentally ill [disability], Muslim [religion] lesbian [sexual orientation] from Guatemala [national origin] who's had a sex change operation [gender identity].

Perception = full and fat employment for lawyers and out of control prosecutors. Remember, macaca and water buffalo are now hate words. Can chocolate and almond be far behind?

The Bible assures us that all sin originates in the mind first, and we are held accountable by God for what we think, not just what we do, but Biblical admonitions by pastors and leaders will also be outlawed in this bill.

Update: My representative, Deborah Pryce, was one of the few Republicans that voted for this ridiculous bill. I think she's a stand-in for the Democrat woman she narrowly defeated in a final count in November. "On the National Day of Prayer, a majority of the Members of the House of Representatives have slapped Christians in the face with passage of H.R. 1592. Though allegedly designed to help local law enforcement officials deal with violent hate crimes, this legislation actually creates two new federally-protected minority groups: “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” – both of which are undefined by the law." [Call to conservatives]

Although I think the special, bifurcated, bi-level system of justice is unnecessary, UnAmerican, and foolhardy, I think it is the "perceived" hate against the "disabled" that will bring the expensive lawsuits, and gays could be paying through the nose on that one too. Do you want a mentally ill person like Cho perceiving hate and bringing a lawsuit against anyone trying to help him? The big question: if your gay lover shoots you, is it done out of love or hate? And are you more or less dead? Will he serve less time in prison if you are both gay than if one of you were just pretending?

3779

What the President really said four years ago

"We have difficult work to do in Iraq. We're bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous. We're pursuing and finding leaders of the old regime, who will be held to account for their crimes. We've begun the search for hidden chemical and biological weapons and already know of hundreds of sites that will be investigated. We're helping to rebuild Iraq, where the dictator built palaces for himself, instead of hospitals and schools. And we will stand with the new leaders of Iraq as they establish a government of, by, and for the Iraqi people.

The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done. Then we will leave, and we will leave behind a free Iraq.

The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September the 11, 2001 -- and still goes on. That terrible morning, 19 evil men -- the shock troops of a hateful ideology -- gave America and the civilized world a glimpse of their ambitions. They imagined, in the words of one terrorist, that September the 11th would be the "beginning of the end of America." By seeking to turn our cities into killing fields, terrorists and their allies believed that they could destroy this nation's resolve, and force our retreat from the world. They have failed."

OK, so the terrorists got it right about the resolve of the Democrats because they do want to retreat and fail, but eventually I hope Bush will be proven right.

3778

Maybe they are in Aruba?

Two women from central Ohio disappeared about two weeks ago when they went shopping, and no one knows where they are. It wasn't reported immediately because one is a widow with no children, and the other's daughter just stopped to check on her mom and found out the neighbors hadn't seen her for some time. On April 19, Mary Ellen Walters, 68, and her friend, 80-year-old Ada Wasson, left their homes at the Otterbein Retirement Living Community in Lebanon in southwestern Ohio to go shopping, and seem to have disappeared. Walters' husband was in Florida caring for his 93 year old mother. We're still hearing on a regular basis about every clue in the disappearance of a pretty teen-ager Natalee Holloway 2 years ago in Aruba. Are these women less important? It seems Warren County is scaling back the search, which has been aided by Methodist church volunteers. Has Geraldo or O'Reilly or Greta reported on this? Have you seen them? Here's the photos from the CD.

3777

Women are the problem

"How do we start dealing with what's happening?" asks Roberta Garber in the April 19 Columbus Dispatch story about poverty's new address in Franklin County (Columbus) Ohio.

For starters, read your own research. You start with women. Dump the feminist, anti-male agenda, and start preaching and teaching marriage--in the schools, the homes, the churches, the housing codes, the books, the newspapers, the libraries and the community organizations. Stop promoting and glamorizing the celebrities who have 2 or 3 babies either before marriage, or skip marriage all together, whether Fiddy or Goldie or that smirky Sarandon. Call 'em what they are: The Pied Pipers of Poverty.

Nearly one half of all female headed families with young children lived in poverty in our county in 2004, while only 3% of married couples do. Hello! How much more writing needs to be on the wall, blackboards and social-worker flip charts to tell us that white, bored, middle and upper class women of the 70s and 80s fed the whole nation a huge plate of cow poopy, beginning with the idea that we had to kill babies first in order to have career choices and keep children from being poor or deformed, then rubbing our noses in it with trumped up salary discrepancy statistics.

Ms. Garber, look at your data dates. 1970-2004. Franklin County population grew by 27.9% and the poor grew by 59.1%. What else took off in those 35 years? Militant feminism. We had a Democratic congress for most of that time, a Democratic city government in Ohio's three largest cities, and tenured liberals in our state and premiere colleges and universities. All they've been able to come up with is more of the same.

Time to start fresh. Begin by admitting the women and all their male lackies in NOW, the unions, and universities, were wrong.