The truth about mandatory health insurance

This excellent article by Betsy McCaughey appeared in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. She writes about how mandatory insurance shifts the costs to the young (who are very healthy) from the old (who use the system much more). "If people in their 20s paid attention to politics and voted, politicans wouldn't dare try [mandatory] health insurance." I'm guessing the Obama Iowa supporters did understand--he got the younger Democrats, and he was mum on health care mandates. The heaviest users of the ER aren't the uninsured--it's the elderly who are already covered by Medicare and those with mental illness.

Also, nearly 75% of the increase in uninsured people in the USA since 1990 consist of newcomers and their U.S. born children, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, Washington, DC. Most of this happens in five border states--Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, and Texas. But newly arrived immigrants are less likely to use ER than US citizens.

Of the 47 million uninsured, nearly 10 million have household incomes of at least $75,000--they could have it, but they don't, for whatever reason. Another 14 million of the uninsured are eligible for government programs that already are on the books, such as Medicaid or SCHIP and all they would need to do to be insured is SIGN UP!

So that leaves 23.7 million--many of them illegals. And for that our candidates are hand wringing and hyping the election--so we can insure people who are here illegally. Read it and weep. Americans are so gullible.

Her Bio: "Dr. McCaughey is founder and Chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (RID) – http://www.hospitalinfection.org – a national campaign to support greater infection control in hospitals and other healthcare institutions. Her research on how to prevent infection deaths has been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America, the CBS Morning Show, 20/20, Dateline NBC, and many other national television and radio programs. McCaughey’s writings on health, education, and the law have appeared in many national publications, including Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, The New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, and The Wall Street Journal. Her 1994 analysis of the Clinton health plan won the H.L. Mencken Award and the National Magazine Award for the best article in the nation on public policy." Some think she defeated HillaryCare of the early 90s, but we all know it went down in flames because of her unelected power grab. Dr. McCaughey also has written two books on the history of the U.S. Constitution (neither of which are in my public library, no surprise there).

Our U.S. history from a British point of view

My ancestors came to the USA in the 1730s and before. Their reasons (if I understand history and genealogy) were religious freedom (Swiss Mennonites), land ownership (some religious groups in Europe were not allowed to own property) and to get away from the hated British (Scots-Irish). In another hundred years the reasons were 1) cheap sea passages, 2) food shortages and bad weather in Europe, 3) the huge tax burdens and internal customs and duties killing the little guy, and 4) cheap land.

You won't find a better explanation of what was happening than that written by British author Paul Johnson. I don't know what is being taught today in our schools, but supplementary reading assignments from Johnson couldn't hurt.

"The bad weather of 1816, and the appalling winters of 1825-6, 1826-7, and 1829-30, the last one of the coldest ever recorded, produced real hunger. . . Then there was the tax burden. . .all Europe groaned under oppressive taxation . . . on the backs of poor peasants and tradespeople. . . By comparison, America was a paradise. Its army was 1/50th the size of Prussia's. The expense of government per capita was 10% of that in Britain. There were no tithes because there was no state church. . . There were virtually no poor. Europeans could scarcely believe their ears when told of such figures. . . No conscription. No political police. No censorship. No legalized class distinctions. . . The President's annual addresses to Congress were reprinted in many Continental newspapers until the censors suppressed them. . . But the most powerful inducement was cheap land. . . During the first 11 years of the 19th century, nearly 3,400,000 acres were sold to individual farmers in what was then the Northwest, plus another 250,000 in Ohio. . . The tendency was for the land price to come down--in the 1820s it was often as low as $1.25 an acre (the price my great grandfather paid in the 1850s in Illinois). The system worked because it was simple and corresponded to market forces. A history of the American People, by Paul Johnson, (HarperCollins, 1997) p. 289-293

Cross posted from one of my other blogs.

Tired of resolutions? Try confessions

This is the best list you'll see for 2007. Check it out.

No grown-ups allowed

The public library in my community has some terrific resources--not for Christians, not for conservatives--but great for those fascinated by entertainment, popular culture, audio-video, business, computer technology, scrapbooking, gourmet recipes, painting, travel and fiction readers. However, this is beyond the pale.

READ DOWN FINES
Tuesday, Janury 8 at 7 p.m.
Lane Road Branch Library

Got fines? Arrive at the Lane Road Library downstairs meeting room at 7 p.m. and read for one hour. You will receive a voucher for up to $8 off of existing fines for overdue materials. Be sure to arrive on time and with reading material in hand.

This is worse than last year's joke: a list of nine new "holiday/seasonal" titles none of which were about Christmas. "Up to $8?" Does that mean you might only get $6 off your fine if the librarian doesn't like your selection? What if your fines were for overdue DVDs? Can you watch a DVD for an hour if you don't read? What about one of those ear blasting, air guitar programs the library does for the kids? Can you bring a real guitar and work off your fine that way?

I don't know how many Upper Arlington library users have fines at a level that they are willing to work them off at minimum wage in the basement of a library on a cold January night, but I'm willing to bet, not many. And does the library get money by doing this? Of course not! It's just a way to insult and belittle people who owe you money. Why not, 1) write off the fine and take away their library privileges, or 2) send them a letter after dunning them with phone calls at dinner time, 3) Hire a collection agency if the fine is really large.

Upper Arlington has a median family income of $90,208, the average home is valued at $324,200, 98% of the residents are high school graduates and 68% are college graduates. A deadbeat is a deadbeat, no matter what the income. However, reading for minimum wage doesn't sound like it would have much appeal for this community.

Disclaimer: I do not owe any fines to UAPL. I do, however, owe OSUL $12, and have for about 15 years. They don't expect you to pay unless you owe $50. I did try to pay it before I retired, but there was no one in the business office that day who knew how to do it.

Friday Family Photo

This is for the cousins.


Our son-in-law was sick on Christmas Eve, so he didn't get in the photo. My son still hasn't found the woman I blogged about two years ago, although there was one who was pretty close (except she wasn't a Christian). Sigh.

Thursday Thirteen--13 highlights of 2007
in no particular order

1) I learned to really love vegetables. I was really packing on the pounds--I called it blogging weight because I got broad band and sat more. I started adding veggies in 2006 I rarely ate and didn't particularly like, grilling them in a little olive oil. Now in 2007 I have 5-6 a day for lunch, and love it! I'd never go back to sandwiches, chips, cookies and leftovers!

2) Short term construction mission to a Christian school in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. This was actually my husband's trip, but I benefited vicariously. He's still talking about it and will go again in February. He also found some new subjects for his paintings that aren't boats or barns.


3) Serving communion. We've served at the 8:30 traditional service for several years, and I enjoy it more than anything I've done at church, but this year I volunteered for more opportunities--especially during Advent. It really put the season in perspective. Although I loved singing in the choir, my voice remained squeaky and scratchy, so I dropped that.

4) We have a delightful calico cat, but volunteered to puppy-sit our daughter's Chihuahua while they vacationed in LasVegas. I think we had more fun than they did. Abbie was extremely well behaved and didn't act like a spoiled diva until the last day when she decided they weren't coming back.
5) Our fabulous September trip to Ireland with Alumni Holidays International with new friends from the University of Illinois and the University of Georgia. Except for catching a cold at the end of the trip, it was absolutely perfect.

6) Our two class reunions, Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis, and Mt. Morris High School in Mt. Morris, Illinois.

7) Get togethers with my extended family and friends in Illinois in July. Aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces, nephews, classmates, even a funeral for the mother of a childhood friend, and a visit to Forreston, Illinois to visit a war memorial.

8) Buying new clothes for the weight loss and pitching the old.

9) Redecorating the master bedroom to go with our new Amish made arts and crafts bed.

10) The visit of my husband's sister Deb and her husband John who live in Tustin, California. They were married in September 2006 and my husband walked her down the aisle with her other brother. Divorce separated them in childhood, but friendship brought them together as adults. It's never too late to be a big brother.



11) Fun times with special friends, some new, some long standing--Joyce and Bill, Wes and Sue, Sharon and Eric, Ron and Jane, Carol and Bob, and our SALT group and VAM group from church.

12) Watching my husband have so much fun sailing on Lake Erie. It's a late in life love, but a mistress I can tolerate and appreciate.

13) Learning some new technology tricks. My laptop as failed so often, I have learned to load the software myself. I've got an easier-to-use digital camera, and a few things still in the box that I will save for 2008 challenges for my brain.

Four million Canadians

are descendants of an estimated 100,000 orphaned and abandoned children sent by British care agencies to Canada between 1869 and 1939. Researching a "Home Child of Canada" is described in the Nov/Dec issue of Family Chronicle. At least 200,000 are descendants of Scottish orphans. Go to www.collectionscanada.ca to begin a search, if your grandparents or great grandparents were British child immigrants to Canada. From there go to immigration and citizenship, and eventually you'll get to home children (scroll down) which is divided into databases by years. Just reading the story in Family Chronicle brought tears to my eyes. It seems in every generation there is a social theory that comes to the forefront on what to do with unwanted or inconvenient children. Afterall, many of these children were street urchins before taken off the streets by various agencies and homes. Bonding them out as servants (some were adopted, however) seems cruel by today's standards, but not when compared to abortion of the unwanted or letting them wander the streets of industrial cities.

The article also includes websites for various British Home children's stories and accounts, such as Tweetybird, Marjorie Kohli, Perry Snow, Annie MacPerson, Maria Rye, Louisa Birt, Dr. Barnardo, Quarrier, Middlemore, Fegan, and Church of England and Roman Catholic. In many ways, if you are searching for a lost history, you are better off with this system because of ship records, medical records, and institutional records, than you are with the closed adoptions of the 1960s-1980s which deny adults any information not only about their own past, but their ancestors too.

If your library doesn't carry this journal, you can probably get a copy of the article on interlibrary loan. "Home children--British child immigrants to Canada," by Janice Nickerson, Family Chronicle, Vol. 12, no. 2, Nov/Dec, 2007, pp.16-19. The magazine's website said it does not sell back issues.

It's not because

We are not fat or
snug in our jeans because
we watch TV ads and
billboards pointing to drive-thrus.

If that were the case,
I would drink beer,
smoke cigarettes,
drive a Mercedes,
and take several kinds of laxatives.

If that were the case,
I would have shiny floors
sparkling sinks,
buy Titleist golf balls
and tickets for Broadway shows.

Say and blame what you will,
but I like the taste,
feel, and energy
on my lips and tongue.

For Totally Optional Prompt, "Letter to the editor" theme, January 3, 2008
Poetry button by Boogie Jack

Mother's Commonplace Book

Both my mother and grandmother clipped things from magazines and newspapers or copied them, pasting and saving them in notebooks. When I was a little girl I would sit in a quiet spot and read what she had saved--poems, articles, proverbs, sayings. Most reflected what she believed. The earliest clipping was 1946--a cartoon of Father Time holding the leftovers of WWII handing the bewildered Baby 1946 a broom with an apology--the latest 1999. My niece Julie copied her notebook and distributed it among family members. I just noticed tonight that the size notebook she used, about 6 x 8, is the size I use for my blogging notes.

This one she typed out, and titled it "The Watcher-Mother." I looked it up on the internet, and found it with the author's name and a different title. This poem doesn't reflect Mother's parenting style--but it's pretty accurate for her own mother.

Watching for Us [The Watcher-Mother]

She always leaned to watch for us,
Anxious if we were late,
In the winter by the window,
In summer by the gate;

And though we mocked her tenderly,
Who had such foolish care,
The long way home would seem more safe
Because she waited there.

Her thoughts were all so full of us--
She never could forget!
And so I think that where she is
She must be watching yet.

Waiting till we come home to her,
Anxious if we are late--
Watching from Heaven's window,
Leaning from Heaven's gate.

-Margaret Widdemer

Margaret Widdemer (1884-1978) graduated from Drexel Institute Library School in 1909. She wrote both protest poetry (some still used in women's literature classes) and sentimental verse. She also wrote novels and short stories. Looking through some things she wrote, I also see an interest in death and "the other side." The wife in her novel "Rose Garden Husband" is a librarian. In 1919 she shared the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry with Carl Sandburg.

Seen somewhere

Always cite your sources. . .

4481

New tires

sure do feel good when there's an inch of snow on the ground and traffic has ground it down to ice. I was parked on a little incline at the coffee shop, sensed a little slippage, but not much. I bought them about 3 weeks ago. I so rarely watch TV that if it weren't for e-mails, I wouldn't know what else is going on. Lots of snow in northern Illinois and northern Ohio.

USAToday reports that Miami could have 30 degrees, and frigid temps will go as far south as Key West. Detroit yesterday had a 7 hour storm that dropped 15" of snow in three counties. O'Hare cancelled 150 flights due to the weather. A 100" snow storm is being forecast by computer models for the northwest. I think they already have quite a bit--maybe they mean 100" accumulation.

Meanwhile, Al Gore, call home. You've messed up some expectations.

This map from Weather Underground shows the deepest snow as a light coral color. Don't miss the wonderful photos at this site.

My frozen car door blog is getting many hits today.

<<<<<---------and in other news-------->>>>>

My husband is still "under the weather" so he's cancelled the exercise class today at UALC Lytham Rd, and I'm picking up his paintings at an art show that comes down today. So I've changed into corduroy slacks and flat shoes, and I'm off to battle the elements.

Four years ago, gearing up for the 2004 campaign

Four years ago about this time I was complaining about our President:

But I do wish George Bush would stop spending money like a drunken Democrat (no name, but you know who I mean). In fact, his spending increases are far greater than Clinton’s on domestic programs for the same time period in office. This makes it difficult for Democrats to criticize him on domestic policy, since those are their pet programs, resulting in a fractured and lack luster campaign. Also, it is hard for Republicans to rein him in, since he is their guy. A responder to a Cato Institute paper says he “has become the "Mother of All Big Spenders."

Nothing's changed. He's a Republican, but not a Conservative. No one will soak the rich the way GWB has--the tax coffers are now around 60% supplied by the richest, compared to about 54% under Clinton. The Democrats' tax increases will be to punish success, not to grease any economic squeaky wheels. And they'll hit all of us who live on investments in our retirement. So where does that leave Edwards and his "two Americas" theme--the man who made his fortune suing the very companies we need we for surgeries and cancers, driving up the insurance costs of doctors, all the while promoting universal health care to dumb down the whole system. Want universal health care in a disaster like an epidemic or terrorist attack? Look to FEMA and Katrina for results. Want cheaper health care? You won't find it in Washington. In addition to what I pay for Medicare coverage (a lot), I'm paying $132 a month for Medi-gap.

New Year's Dinner

Just us. Eating in separate rooms. My husband is sick, so the house is zoned. But here's the menu for tonight. After all, it is a new year.

Beef roast in barbeque sauce
scalloped potatoes with cheese
tender, crisp asparagus
cherry topped, sugar-free cheesecake

He's in 7th heaven with all the football, and has a little table by his side for food. It reminds me a bit of Christmas 2003 when he decided to have his shoulder surgery between Christmas and New Year's so he could watch football on TV while he healed. He was so deathly sick and in such pain, none of us enjoyed anything!

Good-bye Charlie

And I just found him. It's over.

The most popular New Year's Resolution

Do we even need to research this? It's most likely to "lose weight," "lose 10 pounds," or "get in shape." So I've looked back over my notebook for inspiration, and here's a few tidbits, some encouraging, but most not.

The hallmarks of successful weight loss maintenance include a low-calorie diet and high energy expenditures--1300-1800 calories a day consumed, and 2600 calories spent a week in physical activity.

Medications for weight loss haven't worked well compared to lifestyle changes. In fact, Robert Lustig, MD, says their effect is "underwhelming."

Based on observation of who uses them, I'd say that diet drinks and special diet foods help make people fat. These foods, in my opinion, don't taste right and create a craving for more. Want low fat? Add some water or milk. The label says that's the first ingredient. Or use less of the real thing.

According to the EPA, removing 100 lbs. of "stuff" from the trunk or back seat of your car will improve your fuel efficiency by 2%. Removing 10% of your body weight from your "trunk" or "back seat" will improve your own energy efficiency too.

Losing the sloppy jeans and t-shirt look, a close shave, and a good haircut can probably make a man look 10 lbs. thinner. Math clue: baggy sweat pants and shirt add, they don't subtract.

The ordinary person without type II diabetes has average health care costs of $2848 a year, including $541 out of pocket costs; the person with type II diabetes has annual health care cost of $9,797, with oop of $1566. In 2006, the nation spent an estimated $22.9 billion on direct medical costs related to diabetes complications (www.aace.com).

Research shows that kids will eat more of anything after watching food ads, so the advertising doesn't necessarily build brand loyalty, but does increase weight. Turn off the TV or computer and send them outside to play.

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2007;167:766-773) found a clear relationship between being overweight and filing Workers' Comp claims. Employees with a BMI 40 or over had 11.65 claims per 100 FTE, where recommended weight employees had 5.80. So on a job interview, does the HR person see you and your skills or $51,091 vs. $7,503 per 100 FTEs and more lost work days? Think about it. Is that really discrimination or watching the bottom line (no pun intended)?

Children with sleep disorders are often hyperactive, have attention deficit, and more absenteeism from school, according to a study in JAMA, June 27. Obesity, adnoids, tonsils, facial abnormalities, colds and allergies are contributing factors.

Women who weigh themselves every day are on average 7-8 lbs lighter than those who don't. Just wearing a pedometer will increase your activity level.

Obese people tend to sit for 150 more minutes a day than their lean counterparts.

Only 30% of older women get regular exercise.

Healthy eating doesn't fix everything. JAMA reported in the July 18 issue that women breast cancer survivors did no better on special low fat, high fruit/vegetable diets than the control group who ate the recommended 5 servings a day. The researchers were surprised and disappointed.

Out of the frying pan into the fire: according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences some powerful drugs used for treating mental illnesses cause patients to gain so much weight that they often develop life-threatening complications such as diabetes and heart disease. I've seen this happen to a loved one who was depressed and suicidal last year at this time, and mentally healthy today but 70 lbs heavier.

Arthur C. Brooks observed in the WSJ (2-17-07) that a BMI of below 25 can't be "normal" if so few people are there. Overweight men give more money to poverty relief and also are more generous with their time in volunteering than thin men. Brooks suggests that denying one's self may translate into denying others.

Of all the "foodie" books I noticed in 2007, this one, "What to eat: an aisle by aisle guide" by Marion Nestle (2006) looked really good. I haven't read it yet, but she has my philosophy, "eat less, move more," and eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Arranged like a tour of your supermarket, the book is, according to a CDC review, "a revealing look at the standard practices of government agencies, retailers, and food manufacturers that the complex world of food sales comprises." I have certain aisles at Meijer's that I won't walk through.

About a year ago, JAMA reported that in a study of the four major diet plans, the only successful people were the publisher and the author/researchers who got the grant. None of the diets worked well, or consistently, and none of the groups (ladies) were really following them.

It's not rocket science. Reading and following even well-intentioned, healthy recipes can add pounds. A roasted pear, walnut and feta cheese salad has 400 calories. A side dish of fresh, tender crisp asparagus has 88. And if you're like me, the cheese will make you hungry.

Considering how many presidential candidates are suggesting that universal health care is the solution and not the problem, I'm concerned by how many positive research articles I see on 1) government regulation of food intake, 2) surgery as a solution for obesity in order to lower long term costs, 3) attributing obesity to social class, race and poverty.

And why am I an expert? Yes, I research and take notes. However, as an adult (I was reasonably skinny as a kid), I've lost a lot of weight--20 lbs. in 1960, 20 lbs. in 1982, 10 lbs. in 1987, 20 lbs. in 1993, 10 lbs. in 1998, and 20 lbs. in 2006-07. Plus multiple smaller adjustments along the way. Right now I have a refrigerator full of luscious desserts left from our party on the 30th. The cherry cheesecake hasn't even been cut! Tough decisions ahead. Need to start the new year right--how about you?

4476

I've been tagged--7 weird/random things about me

Here are the rules: Link to the person (Dancing Boys Mom) that tagged you.

Post the rules on your blog.

Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.

Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

[I'm pretty sure I've done this one before--but here goes. The fact I'm doing this means I'm out of topics.]

1. I have 11 blogs, or 10 if you don't count the one that is completed and never added to, or 12 if you count the one that isn't at blogger.com.

2. [deleted] I hate to exercise, sweat, or breathe hard. I know it's good for me, but I've never liked it, and guess I never will. But right after I wrote this I went outside and walked a mile because the sun is shining. When I was 43 I joined an aerobic dance class and lost 20 lbs. But I still hated it.

3. I was an excellent student--mostly A's, and I loved school, but I think I withdrew from college 4 or 5 times. I've sort of forgotten the details. Rather than get a bad grade, I'd just withdraw.

4. I have all my permanent teeth, even four wisdom teeth.

5. I never worked in the first profession for which I trained (teaching).

6. I had grandparents until I was 43.

7. I do not like to be "overscheduled" (busy), so I plan accordingly. My theory is that people are as busy as they want to be.

My tags:

1. Matthew
2. John
3. Lady Light
4. PJ
5. Janeen
6. The Laundress
7. Emelou

The Christmas Exchange

The mirror looks nice in the bathroom--it was an exchange for a cast iron utensil too heavy for me to use. But the good news is, I found the itty-bitty Martha Stewart roaster I wanted at K-Mart--about $8.00. Then I exchanged the flannel pj's, fuzzy slippers and red dressy t-shirt for two jackets I am wearing for parties. Both with a wine or cranberry color backbround. While at K-Mart I found a nice T that would go with both--$4.00. The paisley print must have 10 colors, but I'm thinking only gray or wine/rust will work; the longer jacket with mandarin collar and side splits is wine (shown here in loden).

Generate your own jargon

With just a click, this little ap will provide the verb, adjective and noun you'll need to write that important grant proposal, or just stupify your friends. Educational Jargon Generator. I saw it at Joanne Jacobs blog and she saw it somewhere else. I've seen print versions for political speeches.

I wonder if Joe Morgenstern uses something like this to write his film reviews for WSJ? Friday he reviewed "There will be blood." As usual, by the time I worked my way through the complicated phrasing and multiple layers of performances by which actor played who in other films I didn't see, I had no idea why Daniel Day Lewis should have an Oscar for this. Four and five clauses per sentence using commas and dashes followed by parentheses just make my eyes swim.

The Eco-friendly rich

It's easy to be kind to the environment if you are over 65 and living on a teacher's pension and social security. We need less; buy less; budget more; conserve more. Plus we've learned that more stuff is just a burden to store and move around. But it's not so easy if we're rich with a "I deserve it" attitude. Last week USAToday featured a boomer couple using a solar powered water heater for their swimming pool. What sacrifice!

One of my favorite indulgences of opulence is Architectural Digest--you really see how the rich live in that magazine. And the green ads! What a hoot. The January 2008 issue has a special advertising section for just green money makers. Green renovating? Be eco-luxury and eco-gorgeous with the SBS-245 from Liebherr which combines your wine and food storage with 5 temperature zones in one eco-friendly unit! Of course, you'll want a refrigerator in your home office, your media room, your guesthouse too, so everyone will be happier with chilled drinks near by. A wine cooler in the pantry or bar is especially convenient, but when selecting these appliances look for the ENERGY STAR label so you don't waste energy.

Then you'll want to upholster your furniture with Edelman Leather, tanned with ancient techniques without chemicals (everyone knows that old ways are more natural and eco-friendly, right?) using vegetable dyes. You can even have that exotic jaguar, zebra or leopard print silk-screened onto cowhides to complement your new decor. Not to worry about the animals though, every hide is a by-product of the food industry, so you are actually preventing waste!!

And what could be more eco-friendly than a 65" flat screen LCD TV from a plant in Japan that has reduced its CO2 emissions by 76,000 tons per year!

Don't forget to rip out the HVAC system and replace it with a radiant heating and cooling system by Uponor (formerly Wirsbo)--eliminate allergens, use pipes (embedded in your wall$) made of polyethylene tubing, which unlike copper will not corrode (whatever happened to natural?) and enhance your indoor air quality.

And why not build a New England style home (originally designed by hardy folk to battle wind and snow on the east coast) along the windwept dunes of Malibu? Or a huge mansion in Palm Beach, FL that is inspired by jungle houses of Southeast Asia (designed by primitive peoples to work with that environment). Ah, the rich grow green. I'd love the irony if they weren't liberals trying to shove a limiting lifestyle on others while they merrily spend away.

And for the rest of us

hybrid cars which will take years to pay for, or ethanol spewing God-knows-what into the atmosphere while raising food costs

energy efficient bulbs containing mercury, made only in China in dirty coal burning factories, soon to be required by federal mandate, even though there are dozens of appliances that won't accept them

reusable cloth bags to carry into Trader Joe's to buy frozen fish from Indonesia and nuts from the Philippines

sale of carbon off-sets so we don't need to do with less, while cutting down trees in the midwest to grow more corn for ethanol

donations to "green" groups (with no track record)

public transit campaigns in suburban areas where it is a tax boon doggle for politicians, mostly Democrats who have grabbed the top 20 earmarks in the current Congress

employment in marketing firms that are now producing self-laudatory brochures and advertisements promoting green products

brands that say "organic" but not "grown in the USA."

Martin Luther's Christmas Book

Several weeks ago I checked out this title from our church library and forgot about it. Because of its seasonal topic I was only supposed to keep it one week! Now I'm reading it, and think it is so wonderful, I want to buy a copy. Luther's writing is timeless, and he wrote on every imaginable topic.

If I'm reading the publication data on the verso correctly, the editor, Roland H. Bainton, put it together with selected woodcuts from German artists of the era in 1948. This paperback is by Augsburg Fortress, 1997. Unfortunately, Bainton is a bit vague on where to find the originals, citing "the index to the sermon on the Gospels in the Weimar edition of Luther's works, vol. XXII," and suggests the stories are more beautiful in the original German. The back cover tells us that this little devotional contains 30 excerpts from Luther's Christmas sermons and that Bainton, a renowned Reformation scholar, translated and arranged them into eight topics. A reviewer at Amazon.com says that this represents 1/20th of what Luther preached and wrote about Christmas.

This is from the first chapter, "Annunciation."

"Our Lord Jesus Christ was born of a line of ancestors whom the Evangelist Matthew arranges with artistry into three groups of fourteen patriarchs, fouteen kings, and fourteen princes. Among the latter were a number of disreputable characters, as we learn from the book of Kings, and there were no savory women. God holds before us this mirror of sinners that we may know that he is sent to sinners, and from sinners is willing to be born."

So much of today's emphasis in evangelical churches is on Jesus as a friend and buddy, a close relationship, personal self-worth and happy, clappy, feel-good worship services, and service to God in order to feel good. Many of the songs are "I, me, my, mine" or "we, we, we." Luther never loses the awe and majesty of God come in the flesh, but also he doesn't let us forget why we need a savior. And as with all presentations of the Gospel, if you don't start with sin, you have no climax or ending either.

He takes the smallest part of the story and builds a sermon--like the birth of Christ taking place during a census and uses it to explain the Christian's relationship to government, or why virginity is not superior to marriage, or what low-down grubby work sheepherders had to do, or why the Wise Men, whom he called the sons of Abraham, were just learned, honorable men and not kings or princes. Always, Luther asks us to return to scriptures.

Why did the star not take the Wise Men straight to Bethlehem without any necessity of consulting the Scriptures? Because God wanted to teach us that we should follow the Scriptures and not our own murky ideas.