What really spooked the market?

This past year we've been discussing with our financial adviser about when to start drawing down the IRA, 401-k, etc. There is a formula, you know. You can't just start willy-nilly taking money out or you might have some serious tax problems. David said, "It depends on the election. The Democrats will raise taxes, and that will be bad for the market. But it will also determine if you start it in tax year 2008 or 2009." So why has the market dropped so rapidly--aside from all the media trying to talk the country in to a recession, that is? Business smells a Democrat president. The Democratic party is now the party of the rich, so I'm sure they'll take care of their own. It's all the rest of us, especially boomers moving into their retirement years with supplemental savings and pensions invested in the stock market who will suffer.

We already know the way to stimulate the economy is to cut taxes; it works every time, even for Democrats. But that doesn't penalize the successful, hard-working American, even if it does bring in more monopoly funny money for Congress.

Measuring the microwave

My daughter stopped by the other evening and asked for a tape measure to check the distance of my microwave oven from the stove top. She has plans to buy one for under a wall cabinet to free up space on her kitchen counter. She has some gift cards from Christmas designated for this and is anticipating additional gift cards from her staff (they haven't had their Christmas party yet) to pay for it.

It struck me that anticipating something additional to help pay for it is the way some Christians (Roman Catholics, anabaptists, Methodists, pentecostals, etc.) think of grace. Yes, "Jesus died on the cross for my sins," and yes I'm acceptable in God's eyes, and yes it is a gift, but I just need to add a little bit here and there (with the help of the Holy Spirit, or more Bible Study, or more prayer, or a second blessing, or more visiting the sick or aiding the poor, or more helping migrants) and then I'll be truly righteous and acceptable. I can't rest with "just" this gift, hand me a tape measure so I can see how I'm doing. In other words, the hardest thing for a Christian--particularly Americans--to do is abandon self-mastery or seeking or thinking or doing, and just let Jesus Christ stand in the gap and be our righteousness before God.

From an eternal perspective (or even my own perspective) we Christians look pretty silly. We're holding a perfect gift in one hand and a tape measure in the other, and missing the point that it is complete, all the while looking beyond the wonderful gift we already have for another gift, another renewal, another revival, another-something to make us more worthy in God's eyes. More worthy than Jesus?

Article 4 of the Augsburg Confession:

Our churches also teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works but are freely justified for Christ's sake through faith when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven on account of Christ, who by his death made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in his sight (Romans 3:4).

Friday, January 18, 2008

Are you a Democrat, a Republican, or a . . .

Hurry on over to Doyle's blog and read this. It's a good laugh. I'm surprised Murray hasn't sent it to his group.

The intolerant left

Arthur C. Brooks has an article in the WSJ today titled, "The intolerance of the left." For absolute hatred, scorn and intolerance of leaders, candidates and beliefs, the left is way over the edge.

Comparing the hysteria of right wing pundits in 1998 for President Clinton, on a temperature scale where zero was freezing, Gore and Clinton got the lowest score from 28% of the right wingers for an average temperature of 45. Bush-Chaney got an average temperature of 15 and 60% of the left have them a zero. More lefties would support Saddam Hussein than Bush, and routinely compare him to Hitler.

This week I heard a Christian woman say she was really torn by the Biblical command to pray for our leaders because she hoped Bush would be assassinated in his latest mideast trip. Need I suggest which political party she belongs to?

I said I didn't support Hillary Clinton for President, but if that was the nation's choice, I would certainly be on my knees every night (and not in a Monica way) in prayer for her and the nation! So when you hear liberal pols or preachers bemoaning how intolerant and hostile our politicians or public square have become, nod your head. It's true, especially of the liberal you're probably listening to.

Who was Sylvester Caleb Robinson?

In 1909 my great grandfather David GEORGE (1828-1912), living near Franklin Grove/Ashton, Illinois, had a book reprinted, "The economy of human life" and dedicated it to Sylvester Caleb ROBINSON. Is this name familiar to anyone? The book was given to various people in the Lee Co. area, so it could turn up in a home library. The book claims to be ancient eastern literature, but it was written by Robert Dodsley of England.

I posted this request in 1999 at a county web site but didn't hear anything. One thing I do know is that Grandfather was on his way to California to find gold around 1849-50, when he stopped in Illinois. I also know that there was a Sylvester Robinson who died in California seeking gold who had some ties to Winnebago County (Illinois) because that's where I saw the note about his death (in the county history, I think). I also know that Grandfather worked in Winnebago Co. as a carpenter when he first came to Illinois. He saved his money then bought acreage in Lee County. No one in my family knew why he'd settled in Illinois until a 90 year old niece living in Iowa told my mother in the 1970s the story about him and a friend traveling to California to look for gold.

Grandfather owned two copies of this book, one published in 1845 and one 1848. The oldest one came with him from Pennsylvania. The book was so popular it wasn't out of print for 100 years and was published in many languages. Then when he was very old, he had it reprinted as a gift for friends. It's entirely possible that the book's dedication is just part of the reprint plates and has nothing to do with my great grandfather, who paid to have the little book reprinted and then distributed it.

Or maybe he added the dedication--he was a farmer who loved to read and had only a common school education. He had no way of knowing the book was published first in 1750 by an Englishman (and neither did most scholars), and was not written by an "ancient Brahmin" and then translated from Chinese:

"This reprint of a Sacred Book that is undefiled by companionship of neither a Jacob, a Solomon, nor a David,--is dedicated to Sylvester Caleb Robinson (possessor of its original), the purity of whose life so strikingly illustrates the efficacy of its inculcations."

The arrogance of power

Today at my coffee blog. And it isn't even about politicians!

Why haven't the media scrutinized Obama?

Charles Krauthammer in a Washington Post article writes that the New Hampshire win by Clinton was a good thing. Obama up to now gets to smile and charm, and no one asks any tough questions:

The freest of all passes to Obama is the general neglect of the obvious central contradiction of his candidacy: The bipartisan uniter who would bring us together by transcending ideology is at every turn on every policy an unwavering, down-the-line, unreconstructed, uninteresting, liberal Democrat. . .

Special interests? Obama is a champion of the Davis-Bacon Act, an egregious gift to Big Labor that makes every federal public-works project more costly. He not only vows to defend it but proposes extending it to artificially raise wages for any guest worker program.

On Iraq, of course he denigrates the surge. That's required of Democratic candidates. But he further claims that the Sunnis turned against al-Qaeda and joined us -- get this -- because of the Democratic victory in the 2006 midterm elections. . .

Even if you believe that a Clinton restoration would be a disaster, you should still be grateful for New Hampshire. National swoons, like national hysterias, obliterate thought. The New Hampshire surprise has at least temporarily broken the spell. Maybe now someone will lift the curtain and subject our newest man from hope to the scrutiny that every candidate deserves."

Predatory Borrowers

Tyler Cowen at NYT writes: "IT’S NOT JUST THE LENDERS There has been plenty of talk about “predatory lending,” but “predatory borrowing” may have been the bigger problem. As much as 70 percent of recent early payment defaults had fraudulent misrepresentations on their original loan applications, according to one recent study. The research was done by BasePoint Analytics, which helps banks and lenders identify fraudulent transactions; the study looked at more than three million loans from 1997 to 2006, with a majority from 2005 to 2006. Applications with misrepresentations were also five times as likely to go into default."

So keep that in mind as Washington Democrats (and some Republicans) want you to bail out people who fell for creative financing and then made it worse with fraud.

Kip at Stitch in Haste calls them consenting adults. "What is so "cruel" about being unsympathetic to those who deserve no sympathy? Competent consenting adults, hoping to game the system, got burned -- not by any "predatory lender" but by their own miscalculation (dare one say "their own greed"?). They could have stayed out of the housing market. They could have waited until their finances and credit improved. They could have done their homework before they signed the forms. They could have been, forgive the repetition, competent consenting adults."

Bill Fleckenstein says we've run out of bubbles--capitalism has boom and bust cycles: "We have experienced a wild, drunken binge, and we are going to have a hangover. But the best policy for the country would be to accept the hangover, head to the gym, start working out, and get stronger and healthier for the next go-round."

Shifting my loyalties

At least for awhile. I just couldn't shake the image of Jimmy Carter every time I listened to Mike Huckabee. I like Mike for believing God hung the moon and the stars, and for not wanting to kill the unborn, but he really does sound like a 1970s Democrat much of the time. Let's see what Mitt can do.

Obama won this round!

Choke. Gag. "What's your greatest weakness?"

John Edwards: My greatest weakness is that I care too much, Tim. For 54 years, I’ve been fighting. I emerged from the womb with my dukes up, ready to do battle with every fiber of my day-old being.

Hillary Clinton: My greatest weakness is that I get impatient — impatient with people who don’t care as much about children as I do.

Barack Obama: My greatest weakness? Sometimes I misplace stuff. I’m a little disorganized. It’s probably a good thing I’m not in charge of my own schedule.

Seen at Sister ToldJah. And one commenter asked, How can you care so much about children and support aborting them?

Why Al Gore can't control the climate

and should get his big footprint off our economic necks. A) He's not God. B) He's not a scientist, he just plays one on TV.

10 episodes of global warming and cooling that cannot have been caused by atmospheric CO2
1. 15,000 years ago, sudden climatic warming caused dramatic melting of large Ice Age ice sheets.

2. A few centuries later, temperatures plummeted.

3. 14,000 years ago, global temperatures increased.

4. 13,400 years ago, global temperatures plunged.

5. 13,200 years ago, global temperatures rose rapidly.

6. 12,700 years ago global temperatures plunged sharply

7. 11,500 years ago, global temperatures rose sharply

8. 8,200 years ago, a sudden global cooling lasted a few centuries.

9. 1000 AD global temperatures rose several degrees to begin the Medieval Warm Period, which lasted a few centuries, then around 1230 AD dropped 4 degrees C in 20 years.

10. 1600 AD global temperatures cooled several degrees at the beginning of the Little Ice Age.

See this page by Don J. Easterbrook, list of publications here. His was just one of 100 scientists that I could have listed.

The B Word

"How often do we hear and use the B word? We're really busy. Can you think of the last time you asked a friend how she was doing and she said, 'Great. Things are really moving slowly. . .' " p. 20

Yes, if you had asked me, that might not have been my exact phrase, but yesterday when I told a woman sitting next to me in Bible Study, who whispered she'd been too busy to complete the lesson, that I'm never busy, you would have thought I'd said, "I have leprosy." It truly is almost a sin on the level of adultery a large carbon footprint to admit you don't like to feel "busy" or rushed or frantic so you plan accordingly. Living that way--frantic and busy--is the adrenalin rush, the home-grown, safe and legal drug for millions of Americans. But not me.

Usually, I wouldn't choose to read the book I'm reviewing, "One month to live; 30 days to a no-regrets life," but someone noticed my blog and made me an offer I couldn't refuse--a book to write about. I wasn't busy, so after some negotiation, I said Yes. More to come.

When is a course description a lecture in disguise?

When it's "gender studies." This is University of Illinois, Fall 2007 course listing. The seething anger in this course description is palpable. Don't be fooled. There are set-asides for women and minorities in all government building projects, and like affirmative action, they hurt women and minorities in the long run because their credentials are then always in question. If I were a female architectural student, I sure wouldn't waste my precious hours (it's a difficult curriculum) on going to this class--I'd just read the description and turn in a paper using all the victim jargon I could think of.

Architecture 424/Gender and Women’s Studies 424: GENDER AND RACE IN CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE (Anthony) TR 11:30-12:50 210 A Architecture

Out of all licensed architects in the American Institute of Architects (AIA), why are only 11% women, 3% Latino/a, 2% Asian, and less than 1% African American? In 2006, what accounts for such staggeringly low figures? Why has architecture lagged so far behind its counterparts of law and medicine, where sizeable advances already have been made? When so-called “minorities” are rapidly becoming majorities in so many American cities, what are the consequences when the diversity of the population is not reflected in the diversity of the architectural profession? And how can this be changed? How can the new generation of architects better respond to diversity and begin to change the culture of the profession? How can you, personally, make a difference? The purpose of this course is to introduce students to an aspect of architecture that has all too often been overlooked: the role of women and people of color (i.e., African Americans, Latino/Latina Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and others). As in many other fields, the work of white males has historically dominated architecture. Furthermore, due to the persistence of the "star system," valuable contributions of women architects and architects of color, for the most part, have not been recognized. To a certain extent, this pattern can also be seen in the related environmental design professions of landscape architecture and urban design. This course calls attention to the work of both women architects and architects of color as consumers, critics, and creators of the environment--as clients and users, writers and researchers, design practitioners, educators, and students. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.

Subtext: White Men: watch your backs!

Evangelical Visitor, vol.1, no.1, 1887

Technically, I can't put this in my collection of premiere issues because it is scanned and on the internet in the collection of Messiah College for The Brethren in Christ Church (River Brethren). One of my great- great- somethings was a founder of this denomination [see correction below], so I thought I'd take a look. Reading through it, nothing seems any different than the German Baptist Brethren/Church of the Brethren of the 1880s. There was an annual conference, "love feast" (communion) with foot washing, modest clothing for both men and women. It was a mix of Mennonite, Brethren and Methodist, with emphasis on piety, just like the other Brethren. I'm not sure why these groups had to split up--it's usually the leadership--nor do I know why they didn't all vote to get back together in 2008 (300th anniversary) since the 6 or 7 groups are tiny by themselves. Together they probably don't reach 100,000 in membership in the U.S. Ah well, they didn't ask me, and I haven't been a member for over 35 years.

Having said that, I found this item by "C.S." from Louisville, Ohio sounding just like the "emergent church" controversy of today:

It has been, and is yet the aim of some professors of religion [i.e. people who profess to be religious] to get religion into such a position, that there is no cross connected with it. Men have been trying to dress up religion so that the offense of the cross should cease. . . they make daily compromise with the world.

Another fun item was reminiscences of the "old days" in various Ohio counties--like the 1850s--that people sent in. One obituary observed that the "brother" was not a believer, although he was married to one. The cost was $1.00 a year for 12 issues, and if you wanted to write something for the paper, you submitted it in ink and used only one side of the paper. The Elkhart, Indiana church had had a June Love Feast at the Brethren Meeting house, 16 mi. south of town with wonderful testimonies, Bible studies, exhortations, and a supper, with people returning home the next day rejoicing.

Based just on the numbering (vol. 121, no.1, Winter 2007), I'm guessing that the (new title) journal for BIC "In Part" is the granddaughter of Evangelical Visitor. She's handsome, fashionable, and topical, but not as spiritually satisfying.

Update: I checked my genealogy database and my notes say that my ancestor, John Wenger, split from the River Brethren in Montgomery Co. Ohio over issues of closed communion and meeting houses. His group (Pentecostal Brethren in Christ) were known as the Wengerites. All this is in Daniel Wenger's book on the Wengers. His son Christian Wenger was the father of my great-grandmother, Nancy. This may be more than you wanted to know about a tiny Ohio sect, but "The name Brethren in Christ became more common and about 1861 three groups in OH called themselves Brethren in Christ; the original River Brethren, the Wengerites and the Swankites. The River Brethren officially adopted the name Brethren in Christ in 1863 at the outbreak of the civil war in order for drafted conscientious objectors to obtain legal recognition as members of an established religious organization opposed to war. By 1924 the last of the Pentecostal Brethren in Christ had joined the Pilgrim Holiness Church (which merged with the Wesleyan Methodist Church to form the Wesleyan Church)."

Change as a campaign theme

USAToday (Jan. 15) reports "demand for change," "change directions," "new course," "major shake-up," and "call for change"--whimpers from the electorate it anecdotally interviewed. Why? How old are these people? Ten? It's got to be the silliest one word mantra I've heard. We've had either a Bush or a Clinton in the White House since 1988, and Hillary is preaching change!

Barry Obama's cute and a good orator. So what is change-worthy about that? A politician's song and dance. What's new? Just because George W. Bush wasn't fluent, doesn't mean you fall all over yourself for mellifluous tones and call and response rhythm.

And why would we elect a trial lawyer who's Johnny-one-note on universal health care when trial lawyers are one of the reasons our medical cost are so high and people are leaving the medical profession. "Change" he says, so everyone can have Medicaid level health care instead of just the poor.

And why would we elect a man whose idea of "change" is to trade in wife #1 for a trophy wife--someone younger, richer and more svelte or blond than the first (or second, in Rudy's case).

Why should we elect from a group of senators who now claim "change" for the social security system they haven't looked at seriously in 8 years, who have failed to stop the AMT, a very punitive tax originally set up to catch 155 rich folk and now affects millions, and haven't stopped the earmarks going to their colleagues in their "scratch my back" but don't change now schemes.

Why would we expect change from senators or governors who don't think it is important to secure our borders, or to have an ID to vote, and who see no reason not to continue luring Mexican citizens here with promises of social benefits like education, health care, housing, etc.

None of these candidates, Republican or Democrat, fit my definition of "change," so I haven't even considered that as a requirement.

Desperate and dateless in Michigan

Let's see. A failing economy. High unemployment. Tax increases. And a female leader at the wheel. That's the formula Republicans should be pointing out in Michigan, but they won't. They're giving the same happy talk you hear from Democrats! Jennifer Granholm, Michigan’s Democratic governor, just keeps doing more of the same. A real 1960s-1970s sort of gal (although I have no idea how old she is.) Tax her way out of the highest unemployment rate in the country; chase away the population that still earns money; cater to the unions. Is this the "change" the Dems keep talking about for the national level.

They always win in Michigan:

1992 Clinton
1996 Clinton
2000 Gore
2004 Kerry

Why bother? They just don't get it up north.

Crazed war vets?

Or maybe crazed journalist looking for a scrap of a story. The New York Times ran a lengthy story about the violent crime wave among returning Gulf War vets, but Power Line crunched a few numbers, and based on the numbers of men and women who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq (700,000+ in 6 years), the violent crime rate for veterans is much, much lower than the general population of that 18-24 age group. The liberal media will stop at nothing to malign our men and women in the armed forces.

And another thing: "Here's another idea: the Times' story on veterans' crimes repeatedly focused on the role of alcoholism, which the paper associated with the stresses of military service. How about a survey that compares alcoholism rates among reporters and soldiers? Just on a hunch, I'll wager a dollar that the alcoholism rate for reporters is higher."

4524

Maybe not the top 10

but certainly better than a lot I've heard. Scientists for better PCR sing about it here. I saw it at the JMLA blog that saw it elsewhere. PCR is polymerase chain reaction which enables researchers to produce millions of copies of a specific DNA sequence in approximately two hours. The music video reveals its history. Kinda catchy . . ."PCR when you need to find out who the daddy is. . . PCR when you need to solve a crime. . . " Great looking performers too.

The job hunt

Matthew, the Well-dressed Librarian has landed a job, and posted some great advice on December 11. He's gay, fashionable, bright and witty, but because I worked a temp job in the employment field in the 80s, and interviewed more librarian candidates than I can remember in my last job, I can testify that he is absolutely on target. Good manners and good taste will help in all fields, so it won't matter if you're looking in another area.

Monday Memories--Bible Studies I have known

Over at Daniel's site (Alaskan Librarian) I saw a note about John Cotton's Milk for Babes, a catechism published in 1646 and in print for 200 years, intended for children and new Christians. It has been digitized by the University of Nebraska. What makes it interesting (for me) is that it includes in this version, information on how it was digitized, including corrections of typographic errors. Sample:

Quest. What is Prayer ?
£nsw. It is a calling upon (a ) God
in the Name of Christ, by the helpe of
the Holy Ghost, according to the will
of God.

I think this is a great definition for prayer, because I've had a bit of a struggle seeing it as "conversation," and "a relationship," which is what we hear these days. I see nothing wrong with the word prayer. Christ's disciples didn't say, "Lord, teach us conversation techniques."

That aside, it did get me to thinking about all the Bible studies I've attended over the years, including last night's led by me, on Matthew's account of Jesus teaching his people how to pray.

My very earliest memories of Bible study are from Faith Lutheran in Forreston, Illinois, and Mrs. T.B. Hirsh using the flannel graph. She (the pastor's wife) was very dramatic and no child ever watched TV more closely than I watched those brightly painted disciples and shepherds move quickly around a flannel field of green and gold, blue and gray. Her nimble fingers would press a cloud in the sky, or a grove of trees on the horizon, or a staff into a hand, all the while I was waiting for the climax of the story from her deep, booming voice. Oh, it was wonderful. I'm sure I had Bible stories at my home church in Mt. Morris before we moved to Forreston, because I remember the little handouts and glossy Sunday School papers with full color pictures, but in my memory bank they've been relegated to the bleacher seats by the more entertaining Mrs. T.B.