Is Grove Parc Plaza an example of politics as usual for Obama crowd?

Boston Globe looks at housing in his Illinois district. Not much hope or change here; move along.

"As a state senator, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee coauthored an Illinois law creating a new pool of tax credits for developers. As a US senator, he pressed for increased federal subsidies. And as a presidential candidate, he has campaigned on a promise to create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund that could give developers an estimated $500 million a year.

But a Globe review found that thousands of apartments across Chicago that had been built with local, state, and federal subsidies - including several hundred in Obama's former district - deteriorated so completely that they were no longer habitable." Boston Globe article

The Developers were Obama buddies, according to the Globe.

“Campaign finance records show that six prominent developers - including Jarrett, Davis, and Rezko - collectively contributed more than $175,000 to Obama's campaigns over the last decade and raised hundreds of thousands more from other donors. Rezko alone raised at least $200,000, by Obama's own accounting.

One of those contributors, Cecil Butler, controlled Lawndale Restoration, the largest subsidized complex in Chicago, which was seized by the government in 2006 after city inspectors found more than 1,800 code violations.

Butler and Davis did not respond to messages. Rezko is in prison; his lawyer did not respond to inquiries.”

Lakeside 2008 Nostalgia

That’s one of the big selling points of a Lakeside vacation--nostalgia. A return to a simpler, easier, less stressful time--sort of time travel in reverse. We began renting in 1974 and bought our cottage in 1988, 20 years ago. Believe me when I say, the Lakeside of today is not that of 20 years ago, and especially not 35 years ago, despite the 19th century cottages you might see. That quiet piece of Americana is a figment of our imagination; Lakeside’s what city people think small towns are today, and what small town people seem to remember of the place where they grew up. I grew up in two small towns and I remember outhouses, hand pumps in kitchens, linoleum rugs, kerosene stoves, and basements with dirt floors. Trust me, you don’t want that!

There were a handful of cottages selling in the $40,000 range in the late 80s, but they did need work. When we started renting in the 1970s, if there were comparable houses in Lakeside and Columbus, the Columbus house would cost more; by the late 80s, a Lakeside house of comparable size and modernity would cost more because many people were investing in second homes creating a demand.

Our first rental was an upper unit in a four-plex and cost $45 a week in 1974. We had a porch and I could see the lake and the children playing the park. That unit has now been combined with the one next to it and rents for about $1200 a week, but the view of the Lake is still there.

What I remember about Lakeside of the early 1970s is that renewal and upgrades were beginning. There was a gasoline crisis (in 2007 dollars it was higher than today), long lines at gas stations, and people were turning to places closer to home for vacations. At Lakeside, property owners were starting to straighten the foundations, replace moldy wall board, paint the cottages, and install an additional half bath under the stairs or in a closet, and maybe a ceiling fan. A few people had telephones, televisions and AC, but not many. Bicycles were old clunkers. I remember stopping by the Fountain Inn to watch a few minutes of a Soap Opera---many others were doing the same. Our unit didn’t even have a radio, I don’t think the vacuum cleaner worked, and the kitchen made me ill--couldn’t cook in it until about Wednesday.

By the 1970s, the large cafeteria eating places and boarding houses had disappeared because most cottages had kitchens, and government regulations put most of them out of business. But today’s "old timers" remember that Lakeside. If they are nostalgic for standing in line in the sun or rain to eat, it must be for the prices. But in the 1970s and 1980s the Hotel Lakeside served 3 nice meals a day, and it was lovely to eat in the dining room and look at the water. We really miss that, but the Association doesn’t seem to be able to hire a company that can make that work.

A huge difference I see today over the 1970s are the activities for children and family groups. When my children were little, there was bike riding, swimming, fishing, sailing lessons, hanging out with friends, a game of tennis if you could get a court, a playground, miniature golf and shuffleboard with adults, and story hour on Saturday at the Women’s Club. There was no children's beach; no kiddie pool. Now there are so many programs for kids in arts, crafts, music, sports, and spiritual life, I couldn’t even begin to count them. I think it reflects our need to schedule our lives or face panic. No child at Lakeside could possibly whine, “There’s nothing to do.” Programming for adults has more variety too, from nature walks, historical tours, wellness programs, and exercise routes as well as the usual lectures and Bible studies.

A number of things have disappeared from the Lakeside we first knew in the 1970s: The lakefront got chewed up in the high water period of the 60s and 70s, huge boulders were brought in to protect the property, then the water receded so the view is very different; old clunky bikes are all but gone--mine is 40 years old and has 28 year old tires, but it’s a rarity; boom boxes of the 1990s--all the kids have I-pods now; dress-up clothing--women are wearing shorts and baseball caps to Sunday services in the auditorium, and I’ve seen more butt-cracks on men in baggy cargo pants than anyone should be subjected to; the payphone-- everyone talks on cell phones; cigarettes--I rarely see a smoker in Lakeside, not even the litter; fixer-up cottages--you probably won’t find one if you’re hoping for a bargain--you’ll need to fix one up that was remodeled in the 80s; healthy weight--maybe it’s the baggy clothes but I’m guessing the average Lakesider is 30-40 lbs heavier than 35 years ago, although some still jog and the Raccoon Run is still popular; antique shops--I think there were four in the early 1970s--fun for browsing; automobiles are slowly moving to remote parking--there are more and more streets with yellow lines; fewer big name programs--in the past we’ve seen Pat Boone, Shirley Jones, Emmylou Harris, and others--now programming is more family oriented and few are extra charge--Eleanor Roosevelt actually visited right here where I’m sitting in 1940.

What’s here now that we didn‘t have then: modern kitchens; beautiful bathrooms; many new homes; more open porches; lavish flower gardens and decorating; The Rhein Center is now 10 years old--it’s been a wonderful addition for arts and crafts; lakefront church services--I think those started in the 90s; ATM machine; credit cards; Wi-Fi; cable TV; the current lovely lakefront Pavilion was built in 1988--we never saw the original one, only the horrid 1950s “modern” version; golf carts are everywhere; over 30 cottages have been redesigned or designed new by my husband--something we would have never anticipated in the 1970s when we first came through the gates.

What hasn't changed: the sunsets and sunrises; summer love; lines for ice cream; getting together with friends and neighbors you haven't seen for a year; beautiful Lake Erie; picnics in the park.

Other nostalgia since the gate fee was ten cents, with a few highlights of the season:

1873: Lake Shore Christian Home becomes Lakeside Company
1874: Lakeside dedicated, 5,000 people attend the program
1890: Francis E. Willard, of WCTU is speaker
1895: Susan B. Anthony lectures; Governor William McKinley is speaker
1901: Lorado Taft lectures on art; Gen. Booth, founder of Salvation Army is speaker
1921: Fisk Jubilee Singers; Lutheran Chautauqua begins
1922: William Jennings Bryan
1924: Dr. E. Stanley Jones
1929: Billy Sunday preaches to 5,000
1934: Amelia Earhart speaker; Lowell Thomas--reserved seats $.25
1936: Mary McCleod Bethune speaker
1939: Last run of the Northern Ohio Electric Railway between Toledo and Marblehead
1940: Eleanor Roosevelt visits Lakeside
1940s: Gov. John W. Bricker led a Bible class
1950: Robert Taft teaches Bible Class
1951: Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
1956: Marian Anderson sings; first Lakeside Art Show
1954: Island View platted; J.C. Penney teaches a Bible class
1965: Al Hirt, Jazz trumpeter; William Warfield; Mike Douglas; season pass $25
1970: Norman Vincent Peale
1972: Doc Severinson in concert
1973: Roger Williams plays; Lionel Hampton orchestra
1974: The Bruce family rents on Plum for their first visit to Lakeside
1975: Barby Bright and Jane Aigler open an art store
1981: Fred Waring
1982: Victor Borge
1983: Douglas Edwards, CBS News; Norman Vincent Peale
1984: Four Freshmen perform
1985: The Osmonds; Ray Charles; Duke Ellington Orchestra; Dale Evans
1989: Emmylou Harris; season pass: $175
1991: Shirley Jones (there was a storm and the power failed--the show went on with a generator)
1993: Four Lads; Four Freshmen
1996: Four Aces, Four Lads;
2002: The Turtles; Gaelic Storm
2003: Crew Cuts; Gary Puckett; season pass: $335
2005: Russ Taff; Phil Keaggy
2006: CeCe Winans; season pass $395
2008: John Davidson; Capitol Steps; Sandi Patti; season pass $435


19th century restored Lakeside cottage with landscaping

Why should I have to shop around?

Wal-Mart no longer carries the J.R. Watkins face cream I learned to love after purchasing it at the Port Clinton store last summer. I wonder if I can sue to require them to do so? Why should I have to shop around or send for it?

When I was researching the Gee accident story, I see Dr. Rebekah Gee, MD, MPH, an obstetrics and gynecology resident in the MGH/BWH combined residency program in Boston, was a plaintiff the Wal-Mart Massachusetts case forcing the mega-retailer to carry, Plan-B, a product the founders and owners find immoral and unhealthy. It kills embryos--it’s an early abortion without the trauma of thinking about a potential life.

It’s just amazing. Protesters try to force Wal-Mart to relocate or not build, denying jobs and low cost products in the area, and when they do jump through the hoops, they try to force them to change not only their business practices, but their personally held ethics and religious values.

Feb. 14, 2006 (Just in time for Valentine‘s Day, Wal-Mart announces it will carry Plan B) “A new [Massachusetts] state law that took effect late last year following heated debate on Beacon Hill requires all hospitals to provide the morning after pill to rape victims. It also allows pharmacists to dispense the pill without a prescription, but does not require them to do so. . . .

Sam Perkins, a lawyer for the three women, praised the board's decision and said he was prepared to file lawsuits in other states should Wal-Mart not overturn its policy. Abortion rights groups and women's organizations have also urged Wal-Mart to change its policy.

"From our point of view, they've bowed to the pressure of litigation, in part," Perkins said.

The plaintiffs — Katrina McCarty, 29, of Somerville, Julia Battel, 37, of Boston, and Dr. Rebekah Gee, 30, of Boston — were turned away when they tried to buy emergency contraception pills at area Wal-Marts.

The women said they knew they would be refused when they went to the Wal-Marts in Quincy and Lynn and that the action was planned with the abortion rights groups and lawyers.

"I'm proud to be able to tell my patients that they now can go anywhere for their prescriptions," Gee said. "My patients should not have to shop around." “

Gee’s attempt to fill the prescription was not personal, but a part of a planned action by abortion rights groups and Planned Parenthood. President Gee is a Mormon if I remember correctly. Should make for some interesting family discussions.

Now, will Wal-Mart be required to stay open all night, or to rush purchasers to the front of long lines at check-out? Will they need to stock kiosks outside bars on college campuses? How far do they need to go to satisfy the abortion lobby?

Happy Anniversary Ohio Sea Grant

Tomorrow, Friday July 18, Ohio Sea Grant will host its 17th State Legislature and Congressional Day on the shores of Lake Erie, giving state and local elected officials a chance to learn more about the issues facing the Great Lakes and what Ohio State University has done over the years to solve those issues. Ohio Sea Grant celebrates its 30-year anniversary as a NOAA program this summer. One of the dinner speakers will be Charles E. Herdendorf, Director Emeritus of Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab. He lectured at Lakeside last summer, and it was one of the most interesting programs we ever had.

What about heterosexual partners?

Seem to be a few inequities in the tuition break for OSU employees. Gay partners get a tuition break, but not garden variety partners? Technically, I suppose that's because of Ohio's marriage law--that marriage is between one man and one woman--but there are plenty of couples who live together for other reasons (hiding assets, don't want to lose pension benefits, are still married to someone else, etc.) who might wish to have a tuition break.

"Eligible dependents of some Ohio State employees no longer have to wait to take advantage of the university’s reduced tuition benefit.

Staff and tenure-track faculty have had a three-year wait from their date of hire to become eligible for the dependent tuition benefit. But starting fall quarter 2008, sons, daughters, spouses and same-sex domestic partners of eligible OSU employees can take a 50 percent reduction based on in-state undergraduate general and instructional tuition rates — 75 percent if two parents or partners work at OSU."

Why not foster children, siblings, nannies, and live-in in-laws? Y'all come. The state coffers are full!

President Gee's daughter and husband injured

According to the Columbus Dispatch, OSU President Gee's family has been injured in a scooter/SUV crash in Pennsylvania. We saw thousands of these scooters when we were in Italy (I think gas is about $9 a gallon there), but then, there weren't too many SUVs with which to collide. I remember Rebekah as a teen when her dad was heading OSU the first time. Her mother Elizabeth died of cancer; Gee later remarried and divorced.

E. Gordon Gee's son-in-law suffered what authorities said were life-threatening injuries Saturday night while riding a motor scooter in suburban Philadelphia with Gee's daughter, Rebekah.

Dr. Allan Moore, 31, was operating the couple's 2001 Vespa when it collided with a sport-utility vehicle. He was in critical condition last night in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with abdominal and head injuries.

His wife and passenger, Dr. Rebekah Gee, 32, was in fair condition in the same hospital with a broken leg and other injuries.

Rebekah Gee, the Ohio State University president's only child, was seated behind her husband as they traveled on a neighborhood street in Bryn Mawr, Pa., shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday.

According to the article, the police didn't say whether they were wearing helmets. Two doctors. Service in ER during training. One would hope so.

According to Wikipedia, President Gee has held more university presidencies than any other American. Prior to his resumption of the presidency of Ohio State on October 1, 2007, Gee was chancellor of Vanderbilt University from 2000 to 2007 and president of Brown University from 1997 to 2000, of the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1985 to 1990, and of West Virginia University from 1981 to 1985. I remember him best as an advocate of good library services and his bow ties.

Update: Allan Moore died on July 24. OSU account.

Lakeside 2008, Microblogging

The term microblogging is one with which I'm not familiar, but recently learned it means blogging about the minutiae of life even more than regular web logs (diaries)do--like "I just walked down the hall at work," or "I put $1.00 in the snack machine." Apparently, there are people who read microblogs. Story in Newsweek Although, I think you are limited to 140 characters. I'd not do well if that's a requirement.

So here's some minutiae instead of the heavy stuff of politics, retirement, left wing librarians, mortgage markets and travel. After all, I want to keep up with the trends even if I don't have Twitter.

Last night's dinner on our deck was baked pork chops, fresh beets, potato salad and my very own raspberry pie. With Cool Whip. All purchased either at the locally owned market, or the farmers' market in Lakeside.

After dinner we went dancing with strangers; great fun. There was sort of a hoe-down in front of the auditorium where everyone big and small, couples and singles, old and young danced easy square dance tunes you could do in a huge circle. Non-dancers could sit in folding chairs and watch. For one dance I was paired with a guy about 6'11" and we had a little toddler with us about 3 years old. Refreshments were giant cookies, watermelon and lemon-aid.

From there we went to the hotel lawn, moved a park bench and watched the sunset.

At home we watched Canadian public TV which is almost always a British series.

Today I wrote a letter and printed some of my Italian trip stuff for my aunt, however, it took 4 trips to the business district to get an envelope the right size and the right stamps (2 blocks).

While I was at the store that didn't have the right size envelope, I found the cutest blogging note books, so I went back and bought them after I mailed the envelope. Spiral bound, 100 sheets. Perfect.

My neighbor's son rented a scooter over on the islands and lost a flip flop. Then the scooter skidded and he put his bare foot down. Ouch. Skin gone on the bottom of his foot. This will need lots of healing, and no swimming in the lake.

I went to art class today. Sort of discouraging. Everyone always improves but me. I kid you not. I was a pretty good little artist even by age 12, so on Monday I'm usually the best in the class. By mid-week, I'm still 12, and everyone else has moved on. I really worked hard (she tells me I need to slow down and see negative spaces) on drawing my left hand. Problem was, when I finished, I realized I'd drawn 6 fingers--but I sure had great negative spaces.

My husband's gone sailing twice today, maybe three times.

Even geeks can be evil

Or he just has a lot of dirt on someone.

“Officials have arrested a city of San Francisco IT network administrator for locking up a multimillion-dollar city computer system, according to several reports stemming from a press conference with San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris. The employee, Terry Childs, 43, is accused of improperly tampering with computer systems and causing a denial of service, effectively locking out other top city administrators from the critical network.

Police believe Childs, as an employee of the city's Department of Technology, set up his own secret password that grants him exclusive access to the city's new FiberWAN (wide area network), and according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle, Childs gave police fake pass codes and refused to give up his own -- even while in jail. He is reportedly being held on a US$5 million bail.” See story at Technology News

And he has a criminal record for aggravated robbery and burglary--which city officials knew about. Isn’t California groovy?

Even the media people need to keep their jobs

An interesting story appeared on three national news programs Monday and Tuesday: amid all the bad news they were reporting, they actually brought on experts who were sensible, calming, experienced, and who said we have been through much worse times in the past 30 years (particularly in bank failures) and we will make it through this. Wow. It’s as though the advertisers, producers, writers and reporters suddenly realized they were contributing to the malaise and panic, and just possibly their OWN JOBS might be on the chopping block if they join the “sky is falling” crowd. Of course, it didn’t last long and they soon returned to their hysteria. It’s hard for a leopard to change his spots amidst the zebras. They all look like lunch. For people on fixed income and pensions, as we are, this is not a fun time to open the monthly statement. But from 2003-2007 it was a joy to meet with our investment adviser. It was like having a third person living with us who turned over his salary, but didn’t eat or use utilities or ask for the credit card to go shopping. What goes up must come down; all bubbles burst; nobody ever got rich (except federal and state bureaucrats and lobbyists) by asking the government for help.

The CBS Early show today actually showed how taking your lunch to work can equate to 500 gallons of gas in a year, a trip to Hawaii or contribute to a house down payment. The beautiful female lawyer who was interviewed was spending about $100 a week on just eating lunch at work--and she wasn’t even going to any great places. It’s amazing to think this woman went to college! And law school! I’m sure if interviewed about the state of the economy she’d be a whiner.

Here’s what I’d tell my son and anyone else worried about the economy: stop smoking (or some other expensive habit like daily lattes, lunch out or weekly manicures), put that money into your IRA, take a deep breath, and let the market do what it always does--correct and advance.

Freddie, Fannie and FEMA

Remind me again why we want the government to take over health insurance.

This little piggy went to market with Salmonella

Pigs raised without antibiotics are more likely to carry bacteria and parasites, according to a new study done at Ohio State University's Vet school.

While consumers are increasing demand for pork produced without antibiotics, more of the pigs raised in such conditions carry bacteria and parasites associated with food-borne illnesses, according to a new study.

A comparison of swine raised in antibiotic-free and conventional pork production settings revealed that pigs raised outdoors without antibiotics had higher rates of three food-borne pathogens than did pigs on conventional farms, which remain indoors and receive preventive doses of antimicrobial drugs.

More than half of the pigs on antibiotic-free farms tested positive for Salmonella, compared to 39 percent of conventionally raised pigs infected with the bacterial pathogen. The presence of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite was detected in 6.8 percent of antibiotic-free pigs, compared to 1.1 percent of conventionally raised pigs. And two naturally raised pigs of the total 616 sampled tested positive for Trichinella spiralis, a parasite considered virtually eradicated from conventional U.S. pork operations. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/porkfarms.htm

Let's not forget the Silent Spring fall out. More Africans have died from malaria since environmentalists took DDT off the market for mosquito control than ever died in the trans-atlantic slave trade. Lots of "natural" things can kill you. Mold, for instance. Nothing more resilient and natural than a bacteria strain or raging virus.

There's a lot of green in going green

It's deja vu all over again. I was working in the Agriculture Library in the late 1970s-early 1980s and have seen all the green economy, save-the-environment stuff before. In its newer, pantheistic version, it's a phenomenal building boon for state legislators, contractors, architects, and engineers. A huge green snow-ball, if you will. My husband's architectural and construction magazines are so deep into green it's crazy. It has created huge new investment and employment opportunities, much of it for the same corporations and industries that gave us the pollution! The proposed e-regs mostly benefit the largest companies which is why you see the heavy investment in Democratic candidates. Here's an item from Ohio State University's "News and Information"

The Ohio State University Medical Center has made a commitment to incorporate sustainable technologies, including energy conservation, into a $1 billion master plan for campus expansion. The EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory has provided funding to enable the medical center to track non-financial benefits such as greenhouse gas reduction, research productivity and community well being.

This will create a whole new cottage industry on campus and Washington measuring, reporting and publishing "non-financial benefits" of going green. A real feel-good opportunity for the folks in the social sciences who have probably been feeling under-fulfilled and unsatisfied on the Al Gorgasmic scale of experiences.

Bad taste? You bet!

The recent New Yorker cover is supposed to be satire. The Obama people are offended, as well they should be, and conservatives should be too, because it purports to be a satire of how conservatives see the presumptive first couple--he in Muslim garb and she as Angela Davis. Either way, it's bad taste and offensive and inaccurate. Do your part and don't buy it, complain to the advertisers, or cancel your subscription (I cancelled mine during the 2004 campaign, I think--the smears against conservatives were relentless and boring).

Italy, Friday Day 3, Positano

You don't know the meaning of "narrow, winding route" until you've shut your eyes tight on the Amalfi Coast. We started Day 3 leaving Sorrento for Positano and Amalfi. I've seen accounts that the locals are aggressive drivers, but faced with our bus, they were very well behaved. The scenery really is gorgeous if you're not sitting by the window ("don't look up, don't look down" were the first 2 rules I saw in a guidebook). The history of this area is a bit murky, with the first recorded information starting in the 9-10th centuries. But there are lots of wars, a fuedal system, maritime adventures and church squabbles to look into here.



Checking out the shops



and street signage
and lovely flowers of Positano
The parish church of Santa Maria Assunta in the Piazza Flavio Gioia.

Lakeside 2008, Week 4 week-end

Wonderful things just kept coming. Beautiful weather (except for sailors on Sunday), the wooden boat show, the Plein Air paint out, The Golden Dragon Chinese Acrobats (27 centuries of tradition) and on Sunday, with perfect weather in the park, the Cleveland Deutscher Musik Verien German Band oom-pa'd away for a happy crowd at the bandstand. The woman on the bench next to me whispered, "This must be what heaven is like." Saturday I took in a lecture on the history of Plein Air painting by Rick Dziak; Sunday we enjoyed Rev. Jennings at the lakefront pavilion church service (he told about getting ill and going to the ER after a flight home from Europe--very timely for me); ate breakfast at the Patio Restaurant (my husband has an art display there and has sold 3 paintings); I took some walks and bike rides, and signed up for an afternoon class at the Rhein Center on "Draw Better," this coming week.

Golden Dragon Acrobat show at the Auditorium (publicity photo)
Just a few of the beautifully restored wooden boats


This young man really captured his subject with the freshness of painting on site
Jeff and Sue; he's a member of our church's Visual Arts Ministry and owns a gallery in Columbus
Enjoying the German band

Italy, going to the dogs, cats and cows

We saw scooters every where--women zipping around in high heels and mini-skirts, children, groups, and dogs. What we didn't see were traffic lights.

Positano pup at the gas station
Isle of Capri cow
Orvieto kitty day 8
Orvieto kitty day 11
Orvieto cats
Orvieto dogs

The cheapest car to drive

is the one you own (paid for). My 2002 Dodge minivan will do just fine, thank you. Even if I were to sell it, they go for about $6,000 now, and a new crossover or hybrid would probably cost about $35,000 and only get 4-5 more miles to the gallon. I'd have to be driving 10x more than I do now to ever make that pay. In 2006 I think Consumer Reports estimated 5-6 years before the additional costs of a hybrid could be made up in fuel savings. And yes, they factored in rising gasoline costs. Whether they factored in the loss on what else that money could be doing, I don't know. This is my third Chrysler van--I love them. The seats are a perfect fit for mine. Ford and GM have discontinued their minivans. I hope Chrysler doesn't.

My beloved van enjoying the summer at the lakehouse.

Italy, Day 7 through 11, Umbria and Orvieto, Cathedral

There are probably hundreds of wonderful medium size towns where you could rent a flat for a few months and enjoy the riches of Italian culture, but for me, I'd choose Orvieto. You can turn down a street and be in medieval times, or ride down the mountain on a cable car and be in modern times. It has good access to the autostrada and enjoys public transportation. You could take the train to other towns for alternate cultures and experiences. At our wonderful 19th c. hotel, there was a group of art students from SMU finishing up a month's study. In addition to a wonderful farmers' market, there are small deli's and groceries with modern products. And the art and restaurants! Oh, my. Fabulous.







The Cathedral of Orvieto was built beginning in 1290 on the foundation of an older cathedral which was built on an Etruscan temple. It developed over a period of centuries, so although it was begun as Romanesque, it became Gothic and numerous architects, sculptors and artists worked on it over the years in marble, stone, glass, mosaic, and bronze. The window is attributed to Orcagna (Andrea de Cione). The four piers around the doors depict Biblical stories, beginning with the creation, moving to Messianic prophecy, then Christ's life, then finally the last judgment and Hell. Quite vivid, I might add. Glass panels have been added to protect the art from vandalism.

Hospitals--don't go there

My recent two day stay in a modern, metropolitan hospital, covered by my excellent insurance (although it will still cost me a bundle), has convinced me again there is never a good or safe time to be there if what you have isn't life threatening (although how do you know?). I didn't go to the ER because I was an elderly, poor person with no insurance and no regular doctor; no, the doctor on call for my doctor said to go there when I told her I had severe diarrhea, a temperature over 102, was recently returned from Europe and was napping on the floor of the bathroom and having some A-fib. Silly me. I didn't think to take a pillow and blanket with me. I got to the ER about 7:30 p.m. and was finally in a hospital bed about 5:30 a.m. Thank goodness for Depends, because in ER, if you're not bleeding or throwing up on the staff, you wait. As it was, I just threw some of my clothes away.

Hospitals these days (my first stay since 2002) are high tech, high touch. We had to go through a security check to even enter the ER waiting room. My medical data was entered into rolling computers three difference times, and only the first one knew who my secondary emergency contact was--the other two times I had to provide the information. So even within the hospital, I didn't seem to be connected. But bar codes and RFID (radio frequency identification), and wi-fi were everywhere. No where in these computers was the information that I am right handed, so if an IV is strung up (with all the electronic, data rich, error prone tags), in the crook of my right arm, I will constantly be setting off an alarm that will beep its little heart out until someone arrives to see if I'm dying, scratching my nose, or trapped in the rest room.

One new feature, although I don't know if the info ever got back to my own doctor, was I had two different "hospitalists" from my own doctor's practice. So at least, they knew of him. Every staff member of the hospital, from RNs down to housekeeping, seemed to have been through a "make the patient feel loved" workshop. I never saw so many smiles or had such quick response to the alarm light (after leaving ER).

Each year there are 44,000-98,000 preventable deaths in hospitals, according to one report I read on an FDA site, and 5% of the patients in hospitals acquire an infection. Here's where technology fails. I saw a housekeeping person once in my room--not that they couldn't have slipped someone in while I was napping or at night when I was asleep. But that's what I saw. She smiled and ran a dust mop on the floor of the room. Didn't empty the trash, take the soiled laundry, or clean the bathroom. I used the wash cloths to clean the bathroom floor and commode myself--then threw them away. What came up on the cloth was just plain old dirt, not evidence of my illness. If that floor had seen any hot water and disinfectant, it must have been months ago. No one offered to bag my soiled street clothes so they were just thrown in a closet, where if I'd been contagious, the bacteria or virus awaited the next patient. I finally asked someone to remove the bathroom trash which was getting quite ripe. God knows when the last time the telephone mouthpiece and keypad or TV remote had been cleaned. When Pastor John visited, he pulled down the window screens to cut the glare--no one else noticed. But then, he sees dozens of hospital rooms a week.

A food service person (smiling and friendly) brought me a tray and menu for the day. With my left hand (very low tech stubby pencil and paper) I circled jello and hot tea, figuring that would be safe. (Why do they have patients decide this?) For dinner I received half a baked chicken, broccoli, salad, coffee and cake. All the hot food was contained in something plastic scuffed, scratched and faded that seemed to be shedding its heat absorbing materials. I'm not phobic about heating food in chemically ladened containers, but really, this equipment looked unsafe at any speed. A little stainless steel dish sitting on hot water might be preferable and easier to keep sanitized.

Even if you don't plan to stay (and I didn't), take your own medications to the ER. You might be admitted, and they'll never get it right. I had such a headache from dehydration I asked for an aspirin. After an hour, I asked again, and was brought 2 Tylenol and a baby aspirin (which is on my daily med list) in a paper cup and it was entered on the rolling computer screen, after checking my barcoded wrist and asking me my birthdate. I don't like Tylenol, but took it anyway, and just had 2 baby aspirin that day. One day they couldn't get my one prescription drug, so it had to be ordered--I'm sure the cost will be out of sight when I get the bill. And why do hospitals give adults chewable 81 mg aspirin when they are much more expensive than the low dose adult kind? I was potassium depleted, and the pills could have choked a horse, but it took me awhile to figure out they were easy to break in half even as weak as I was--no one else suggested it.

One alert, smiling RN, after resetting my IV data monitor numerous times (I left the hospital 10 lbs heavier than I went in), decided to move the IV to my left arm. The smiling young med tech who looked at least 15 was apparently not yet finished with his training, and this took several stabs attempts under her supervision and coaching, but she smiled throughout the whole ordeal and was sympathetic. (It really does help the patient's attitude.) When I could read the BP data, it looked like I was dead--something like 105 over 55; and the high tech thermometer never registered over 97 despite the fact I felt like I had a sunburn.

Hospitals. Don't go there unless you have to.

Roving with Obama

If there's anyone Dems hate more than George Bush, it's Karl Rove. But he's a good analyst. And to hear Dems tell it, he's the brains, heart and guts of George W. Bush, who's just an empty cowboy hat who has managed to fool all of them, so maybe they ought to give him a listen.

“Instead of consistency, Mr. Obama has followed Richard Nixon's advice, to cater to his party's extreme in the primaries and then move aggressively to the middle for the fall.

In the primary, Mr. Obama supported pulling out of Iraq within 16 months, called the D.C. gun ban constitutional, backed the subjection of telecom companies to expensive lawsuits for cooperating in the terror surveillance program, opposed welfare reform, pledged to renegotiate Nafta, disavowed free trade and was strongly against the death penalty in all cases. But in the past few weeks, Mr. Obama has reversed course on all of these, discarding fringe liberal views for relentlessly centrist positions. He also flip-flopped on accepting public financing and condemning negative ads from third party groups, like unions.

By taking Nixon's advice, Mr. Obama is assuming such dramatic reversals will somehow avoid voter scrutiny. But people are watching closely, and by setting a world indoor record for jettisoning past positions, Mr. Obama may be risking his reputation for truthfulness. A candidate's credibility, once lost, is very hard to restore, regardless of how fine an organization he has built.”

Barack's Brilliant Ground Game Obama's been moving so quickly to the center, it's difficult for conservative bloggers to keep up, even if we know he'll change course once in office.