Language equivalencies

On ABC's Good Morning America today Rachel Martin was reporting on the problem the Democrats are having with "the big tent." Loyal, card carrying Democrats who believe the unborn are viable human beings were called "anti-abortion," (because Martin is a liberal*), and the others in the party were called believers in "a woman's right to choose." Hardly equivalents. If anti-abortion is the reporter's choice for one group, the equivalency in English is pro-abortion. If right to life is the reporter's choice, then the equivalency is a woman's right to choose. This is why reporting two viewpoints in the MSM isn't necessarily balanced or fair, or even good English. It's like Edwards calling adultery a mistake and error in judgement. The scarlet letter--Democrats seem to have a problem with A words.

*Until a few days ago, Rachel Martin was with NPR.

Writing fiction at Lakeside

This past week I've been in a beginning fiction class here at Lakeside. I write thousands of words a week--but I rarely do fiction, or even read it unless assigned by my book club. It's been great fun, and I've become sort of attached to the character I sketched out and then developed as the week went on, Ophelia, aka Philly, Lia, or Opy, depending on which other set of characters she's with. Her nieces and nephews call her Opy. Anyway, I have no plot. Poor thing. Stuck here in quiet, lovely Lakeside plotless.

But our teacher, Martha Moody (Best Friends, The Office of Desire), is loaded with them. She also mentioned yesterday that she had recently taught in an Arab-Israeli village. So I googled her webpage, and here's that story--but it's not fiction.

Yesterday a group gathered at the Rhein Center to celebrate its 10 year anniversary. The parents, widow and extended family of C. Kirk Rhein, Jr. were there to joyously remember him, and we all thank them for this wonderful memorial.

Avocado smoothie

Why? That's the word that comes to my mind. Not only why would you make a smoothie, but why avocado (admittedly, I don't like them). But Small Bites is always an interesting read, at least the entries I've read. Here's the recipe I will never make, but maybe you're feeling adventurous today.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup skim or soy milk (plain or unsweetened)
1/2 cup halved strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 Hass avocado
1 Tablespoon wheat germ
1 Tablespoon oat bran
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed

NOTE: For a less thick smoothie, add extra milk or water, depending on your specific caloric preference.

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend for 20 - 30 seconds.

NUTRITION FACTS:

381 calories
18 g fat (2 grams saturated fat)
15 grams fiber
3 grams added sugar (if made with plain soy milk)
11 grams protein

Excellent Source of: Monounsaturated fats, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid.

Good Source of: Copper, folate, potassium

I'd just rinse off and cut up a few strawberries, sprinkle with blueberries, and add a little Cool Whip (or nothing), if I wanted a treat. But even so, I've learned that "treats" even healthy ones lead to "snacks" which lead to overeating. If I snack on a piece of fruit, I want a chaser of cheddar cheese. Also, I think drinking your calories, even if they are "good for you" is one of the reasons Americans are getting fat. It's not nearly as satisfying, it doesn't require sitting down and paying attention to what you're doing, and speeds up the process. The writer of Small Bites just loves flaxseed (ground). Adds it to a bunch of stuff. I tried that a few times and found it truly. . . awful. I think it sat in the back of the refrigerator until I took pity on it and threw it out. Andy has a nice video on the 5 healthiest foods to always keep on hand, and I have 4 of them and wholeheartedly agree--especially the canned black beans and boil in a bag rice. But please, no floating flaxseed. Yuk.

It's called adultery, Mr. Edwards

Ring around the rosy. Ashes. Ashes. A lot of words when we already have one that does the job.

"In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs. I recognized my mistake, and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. Although I was honest in every painful detail with my family, I did not tell the public."

I always thought it was odd he would go through the stress of the campaign and subject his family to it all for his personal aggrandizement and glory when he was needed at home to support his ill wife and frightened children. Now we know. Stress has a serious impact on health--what about the effect of his personal behavior on his wife's health! What a crumb bum. Now he's added even more pain to their lives and to his disappointed, loyal supporters who contributed many hours and hard earned money to his campaign.

Can polar bears scam architects?

The Al Gore polar bear hoax was disproven a long time ago

"Pictures of a polar bear floating precariously on a tiny iceberg have become the defining image of global warming but may be misleading, according to a new study.

A survey of the animals' numbers in Canada's eastern Arctic has revealed that they are thriving, not declining, because of mankind's interference in the environment.

In the Davis Strait area, a 140,000-square kilometre region, the polar bear population has grown from 850 in the mid-1980s to 2,100 today.

"There aren't just a few more bears. There are a hell of a lot more bears," said Mitch Taylor, a polar bear biologist who has spent 20 years studying the animals." Story source

But don't tell the AIA which is still offering "can competitions" with endangered animal themes. And of course, bear experts disagree. But on this they don't,

"Contrary to concern over a celebrated photograph of a bear and its cub floating on a tiny iceberg, the animals often travel in that way, he said.

"Bears will often hang out on glacier ice or large pieces of multi-year ice," he said."

“An UnBEARable Truth,” by New York City architecture and interior design firm Butler Rogers Baskett, took Jurors’ Favorite with a moving depiction of two stranded polar bears—one trapped on a tiny ice flow with its head stretched skyward, while the other struggled to stay afloat in the water, no land in sight. In addition to its sculptural and structural purity, the jury stated it was the perfect metaphor for global warming and commended the entry for addressing the interspecies issue. AIArchitect This Week.

Even at Lakeside we can not get away from this drivel. Our singer this week, Kathy Mattea, is a shill for Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth. How inconvenient for those of us who see it as a political hoax but pay our gate fees, assessments and property taxes to be here.

The Jonas Brothers

This morning I've been watching this week's boy band (are they still called that?) the Jonas Brothers. They are hot, I mean, in the popular sense.

"The Jonas Brothers have sold millions of albums, scored big with the recent Disney Channel movie "Camp Rock," and are now, oh, about as famous as Miley Cyrus was two weeks ago. In fact, the boy band's Hanson-like stars, ages 15 to 20, may have just surpassed her as the objects of your child's affection." Boston Globe

Because as my status as the fashion police, I immediately noticed their clothes. I hope it catches on. They were wearing 1) clothes that fit, 2) that covered, 3) decent hair cuts, 4) one brother was even wearing a white shirt with a tie. And they sort of prance like the audience's grandmother's crush, the Rolling Stones. What is this retro look? Oh, be still my heart.

Lakeside 2008 Ice Cream we all scream

Sunday was the Hotel ice cream social, and the weather was perfect, the color fabulous, the eats terrific. Even I contributed brownies--I didn't buy though. I waited until Wednesday evening, and we went to Coffee and Cream for a huge dish of ice cream and watched a crowd of high school kids and their parents swarm down Walnut Avenue (our 2 block long business district)--they're here for band camp.

The American Legion Band provided the wonderful music at the Ice Cream Social, the SOS guys offered Kids Sail, volunteers cut the cake and dished the ice cream, the pavilion was turned over to the children for organized games, the Women's Club was having its annual book sale, and God lavished us with bright sunshine and refreshing breezes.

Eating ice cream and cake by the lake
Clowns to entertain, a quilt and painting to raffle
and lots of games for the kids
Here comes lil' brother
even babies can do this
and the band played on

Obama's Lost Years

is the title of a Weekly Standard article that sifts through his many columns and articles that appeared in The Hyde Park Herald and the Chicago Defender during his years in the Illinois Senate.

What they portray is a Barack Obama sharply at variance with the image of the post-racial, post-ideological, bipartisan, culture-war-shunning politician familiar from current media coverage and purveyed by the Obama campaign. As details of Obama's early political career emerge into the light, his associations with such radical figures as Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Father Michael Pfleger, Reverend James Meeks, Bill Ayers, and Bernardine Dohrn look less like peculiar instances of personal misjudgment and more like intentional political partnerships. At his core, in other words, the politician chronicled here is profoundly race-conscious, exceedingly liberal, free-spending even in the face of looming state budget deficits, and partisan. Elected president, this man would presumably shift the country sharply to the left on all the key issues of the day-culture-war issues included. It's no wonder Obama has passed over his Springfield years in relative silence.

As Obama tracks to the center to pick up the votes of the Obamacons and undecideds, this should be interesting reading. Frankly, I've been amazed at his transformation in the past two years. He's either the most crafty politician of our era, or has top flight handlers and managers.

It's OK to hit back if he's old

Paris Hilton has a very clever comeback and is using her pretty face and McCain's celebrity ad about Obama to strike back. She has proven she can read text as well as Obama and that it's still OK to ridicule old people (anyone over 30 to her). However, you can't call Obama anything if you are describing his physical appearance, his education, his speech, his family, or his values. It's all a racist sub-text according to the lefties. On the other hand, he's allowed to grab onto conservative ideas to fool the voters and hide his Marxism, because that seems to be the elephant no one, not even McCain, wants to talk about. But this is OK

"He is the oldest celebrity in the world, like super old. Old enough to remember that dancing was a sin and the beer was served in a bucket, but Is He Ready To Lead?" and the images show John McCain.

John McCain may never be blond, may never be President. But Paris will never be known for anything but her family name, and will definitely be old some day. She should thank McCain for showcasing her flailing career. Let's hope the AARP and the VFW goes after her on behalf of the millions of men and women, black, white and brown, skinny and fat, she has insulted.

I'm betting Britney wishes her handlers had thought of this. Her career needs some help too.

Keno

Just one more way to tax Ohio's poor Thanks, Gov.

It is never good public policy to advocate people throwing money away. The state lottery is a tax upon lower income Ohioans and is played and promoted in urban centers. This 'tax on the poor' is the wrong way for the state to raise money. Strickland's Shell game, Ohio Roundtable

How gambling ruins lives

But it made a good campaign issue

In 2006 many Democrats were promising impeachment. Of course, they've done nothing (about anything they promised you), because, well, they're Democrats with approval ratings even lower than the President's. Not to worry; if you can find no impeachable offenses--go for impeachment-lite, a committee hearing where you can stack the deck with all your buddies from code pink, the Obamatites, and lefty authors who need to sell their trash rather than have it buried in the stacks. It's all about the cameras.

At one point, when Conyers told Cindy Sheehan she would have to leave if she didn't stop shouting from the visitors section, he called her by name, as if she were a special constituent of his. Which, in a way, she is now. Conyers didn't try very hard to keep the crowd quiet. He called them "visitors" but they were more like clients or patrons of the proceedings. . .

If you believe the president really told deliberate lies to take the country to war for personal or idiosyncratic reasons, you must believe the president behaved monstrously. But none of the Democratic witnesses--and none of the Democratic members of the committee--could keep their focus on the war. They also wanted to talk about Bush's abuse of executive privilege (by refusing to let White House personnel testify in congressional investigations), his abuse of signing statements (putting his own interpretation on enrolled bills while still signing them into law), allegations that he gave preference to Republicans at the Justice Department--charges that shouldn't be in the same league with wrongly dragging the nation into war.

We're in good hands

If Lakeside's young people are any indication, our nation is in good hands--or will be in 10-20 years. And our schools are perhaps doing a better job than nay sayers report. I'm in a fiction class at the Rhein Center this week and most of the class is about ages 12-15. There's only one other adult. These beautiful kids are incredibly articulate, motivated, aware, and fabulous writers. I was stunned. I'm definitely the slacker in the group when it comes to writing. I didn't meet any young people like this among my children's classmates in the 1980s (and Upper Arlington has one of the best school systems in the state), none in my generation, and none in my parents'. They are better than most of the fiction bloggers twice their age with college courses that I've read. Some of my "classmates" have been writing seriously and energetically half their lives. Admittedly, that's not a lot of years on my calendar, but it's huge on theirs. Even taking into consideration that maybe it's typical for teens to exaggerate a bit--28 novels and published poetry (which one girl reported)? True, she admitted that the novels weren't finished or polished, but when I was her age I was writing a short paragraph once or twice a week to "Dear Diary." And supportive! I think they've all been in critique classes before--they listen attentively and find something good in each piece when we share. They know the vocabulary of writing and how to use it. And when I say they are beautiful, I include physical beauty as well. Yet, most report being on the outside among their peers. Some of that I'm sure is the normal teenage angst where you ardently believe everyone else has it together, but also people who go on to become novelists, artists and screen writers probably do have a different emotional stair to climb. They are definitely on their way.

This is the Rhein Center's 10th year of offering classes. Established in a dilapitated, boarded up building in memory of C. Kirk Rhein, Jr., a son and grandson of Lakesiders lost in TWA Flight 800, it is now a pleasant, busy, humming hive of laughter and effort. I'm sure it's a joy every day to family members to see this building so well used.

In the afternoon I'm in a flower painting watercolor class. I rarely do flowers, although I have tried. I learned a new technique, and if you get even one "take away" from either a class or a sermon, it's a good day. One of my classmates is in my husband's perspective drawing class in the morning. She was so excited about it--gives me something to think about, she said. Whatever! Figuring out perspective is just frustrating for me.

Then in the evening Sue and I went to the movie theater in Lakeside (the only one in the county) to see "The Visitor," a very low key, but touching and timely film about personal loss, friendship and illegal immigration. Well worth seeing if it comes to your area. The NYT review is good, if somewhat nit-picky (but that's what they are paid to do), and this one really over reaches, as though those of us who are insulted and dismayed by an immigration law, first established by liberals in the 60s "to be fair" by limiting whites and westerners, have no heart or soul. Nonsense in wasted pixels.

The low down on the uptick in AIDS

The newest JAMA isn’t available to me yet, but for the typical New York Times hysterical editorializing of health information news, see yesterday’s paper. I read about the "big government cover up" (subtext: it’s all Bush’s fault) story at the coffee shop this morning.

Opening paragraph: “The AIDs epidemic in the U.S. is about 40% worse than the government has reported.”

First of all, there is no epidemic in the U.S. AIDs or HIV affect a tiny percentage of the population--mostly promiscuous, young, risk-taking gay men and IV drug users. Studies as early as 15 years ago in public health journals showed that after all the valiant efforts of the gay community to clean up their behavior or die (and many of them did both), the younger gay men rushed right back to the bath houses and sex without condoms once the drug cocktails became effective in extending their lives, but they also spread the disease and picked up other STDs which lowered their resistance. You don’t find out the role of gay men in this story until about paragraph 15 (53% of new infections are in young gay men, an extremely small demographic).

Second, you find out if you read far enough, more accurate measures account for the increase changing the results and numbers. There’s no government plot folks, move along. The CDC, which did the most recent study and all the previous studies, IS THE GOVERNMENT (think FEMA with a little black bag and clip boards) .

Third, the author of the NYT article attempts to hint at a conspiracy to keep this quiet because 2 peer review journals returned it when it came out in October 2007. That’s not the least bit unusual--I used to be a peer reviewer. Often they are sent back because the statistics or procedures are not clearly explained, they exceed the word limit, the citations are incorrect, or the data false or misleading. The redo improves the piece. That JAMA will report it is also not unusual--its editorial policies are about as liberal as the NYT. It was embargoed so it could be presented at a conference, but someone violated that--all in the public’s best interest, of course (sarcasm alert).

Fourth, in true NYT fashion, President Bush is faulted for the billions spent on AIDS in foreign countries, rather than attacking the epidemic at home. The guy just can't win.

Fifth, here’s the best line in the article. Someone in CDC is quoted as saying “We’re not effectively reaching men who have sex with men and African Americans to lower their risk.” Yeah, like no gay man knows that gay bars and bath houses and downlow (closeted homosexual) with the ladies is risky behavior. And I just know that gay teens and 20-somethings would most certainly stop having sex if CDC just put out enough posters, TV ads and brochures. Just the way the government has successfully controlled smoking and obesity.

Giving up on plastic

The other day I heard some kids chanting while biking up our street--“paper, plastic, Styrofoam.” I have no idea if this was some counting game they’d learned in a social studies class--a PC, 21st century “one potato, two potato. . .”--or if they just like the rhythm. A British blogger is recording his daily effort to live without plastic--not cutting up his credit card, but rejecting anything served or stored in plastic, and it’s harder than he thought. Even the loose fruit at the market he learns was shipped in huge containers of plastic to protect it--maybe more than those packaged fruits.

Glance around your house today, you'll see the problem. Looking around my living room, porch and kitchen here at Lakeside, I have some sympathy. It’s hard to live without plastic. After supper, I tossed out the plastic container and lid from the deli for the chicken salad; my Sunday coffee came in paper but has a plastic lid; I’m storing tomorrow’s coffee in a one quart plastic container; I made it with my new $14 Mr. Coffee machine, most of which is plastic; the shelves on the door of the 5 year old refrigerator are plastic, as are the drawers--I have 2 extra drawers taken from the 1960s model it replaced and they are metal; all the left overs and fresh stuff are stored in plastic containers or bags; the cord to my digital camera is stored in a plastic bag, as is the camera (plastic case) when it’s in my purse; my favorite #2 BIC (and I must have 50 of them) are plastic “mechanical pencils;" the basket on my 40 year old bike is plastic, the seat is plastic and I have it covered with a plastic grocery bag in case it rains; the bag from the optometrist for my new plastic frame glasses is plastic as is the bottle of lens cleaner; the cover on the 20 year old TV is plastic painted to look like wood; the flashlight under the TV stand is plastic; the jewel case for the several CDs on my desk are plastic; one of our porch wicker chairs isn’t wicker at all--it’s woven plastic to look like wicker and wears much better than the real stuff; the spiral binder on my blogging notebook is plastic and the cover clear acrylic (a plastic); over on my bookshelf many of my books have plastic spirals; all the pill bottles on the kitchen counter are plastic; the counter top is Formica--a plastic laminate; the kitchen trash can is plastic with a plastic bag inside ; the bag where I put the glass bottles and plastic containers for taking to a recycling location is plastic; our 10 year old outside trash containers which replaced the dented and abused metal cans are plastic; when I go to the Farmer’s Market and select lovely locally grown fruits and vegetables from the farmers’ wagons, the growers dump them into reused plastic bags; the kitty litter box is plastic and I scoop the poop into plastic grocery bags with a plastic slotted tool; my 20 year old dish drainer and dish pan are plastic as are all the containers of soap and cleaners under the sink which probably has some plastic pipes; I have a few colorful plastic drinking “glasses” and dishes in the cupboards; the doggie gate for our “grand puppy” which keeps her from pestering our cat is plastic; the cat’s feeding dishes are plastic--50 year old melamine; the night lights in all the rooms are plastic as are the wall covers for the outlets; our mini-blinds are plastic; the hand lotions and all my cosmetics are in plastic bottles; my computer case is plastic as is the mouse; the surge protector for my computer is plastic; my printer is plastic; the cover on the thermostat is plastic; the elaborate frame around a grandfather’s baby photo (ca. 1875) is probably celluloid, an early form of plastic; my white athletic shoes which look like leather are really plastic as are the tips of the cotton shoe strings; the buttons on my blouse are plastic (my slacks are so old that the zipper is metal, but most these days are plastic).

Environmentalists are really sort of snobs, aren‘t they? Especially the American and European e-nuts and greenies who jet around and want you to drive a little electric car so third world citizens will stay simple, culturally pure and starving. I’m a strong believer in recycling--it’s economical, saves resources, and creates jobs. However today's environmental movement is about 95% political and 5% spiritual. A huge power grab. Plastics have obviously enabled the ordinary person like me to live or buy the way only the wealthy could afford 40 or 50 or 100 years ago. Americans have lifted entire countries out of poverty by buying plastic doo-dads we really don't need in a global market. Buying locally grown produce and carrying it home in a cloth bag in the natural wicker bicycle basket to be stored in a cool root cellar or wind powered refrigerator, or growing your own, is fine if you live in rural California, or for 3 summer months in Ohio, but that’s a pretty restricted diet for most of us. People who can live without plastics probably have servants, or a 2nd world life style.

Also, is it just me misremembering, or weren't the environmentalists of the 1970s telling us to use plastic bags to save the trees and disposable diapers to save on water and utilities?

Don't Drink the Cool-Aid

says Seth, one of the Fat Triplets, who appears to be a Libertarian and a conservative Christian. He says his brother Scott, also an FT, is a huge Obama supporter, so he is going to look at, not his charisma, but his policies.

What kinds of laws would he pass if his party is given complete control of congress?

How will he re-shape America?

What does he believe about the role of government?

"I think that an objective analysis of his speeches, voting record, and past policy initiatives will reveal Barack Obama to not be left-of-center (as my brother believes) but to be FAR-LEFT. You may ask, FAR-LEFT of what? What will form a baseline standard for evaluating his policies? Relative-to-what do I consider Barack to be on the FAR-LEFT.

And my answer, put simply, is the constitution. The REAL Contract With America that should form the basis of ALL political discourse and policy building is the constitution. Every elected official swears to uphold it. . . . I believe that what Obama has in mind for the country is extreme. I hope to show, by constitutional standards, that on the issues in which he should want an assertion of government power (the protecting of innocent human life) that Obama is on the extreme WRONG end of the spectrum. And that on issues in which he should desire a shrinking of government and infringement of federal power into our daily lives, Obama is, again, on the extreme WRONG end of the spectrum." And he promises to tell us more.

Obama needs help

says David Gergen on ABC's This Week (Sunday chat show) because McCain finally burst his balloon. Imagine. The world sees him for what he is, a good looking story teller with no substance and no experience who can excite the crowds, and now that he isn't soaring in the polls, it's because McCain is taking the low road? He had all the press all the time, all over Europe and the mid-east, and McCain gets snarky about his celebrity status, and now Gergen is panicked.

Our house guest

Wanna play?
I'm sure glad we don't have a 44 lb cat like the one that's been on the news lately. Our cat and our daughter's dog together weigh about 11 lbs., but there's lots of hissing and growling going on. Yes, we're puppy sitting for the next week while our kids are in Colorado. I have a long list of requirements, including snacks of yogurt and treats of fresh green beans. Our cat doesn't snack--that's why she weighs 7 lbs instead of 44.

Don't even think about it

She didn't die without a verb

You may recall (or not) I've written a poem about the obituaries--and how sad it is that some die without a verb. Pastor Petersen at Redeemer Lutheran in Fort Wayne knows his scripture and his verb phrases

". . . reported that Vivian has been relieved of this life's burdens and gone early to the reward of faith in Jesus Christ. She has come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord."

It doesn't mean her parents aren't grieving. I have two sons buried in Illinois; wish I'd known then what I know now. But the resurrection is coming.

Defeating Islamic terrorism

Iraq the Model blog says

Terrorism cannot be defeated by killing Bin Laden or even killing every single existing member of Al-Qaeda, especially considering the decentralized structure of terrorist organizations. Terrorism can be defeated by offering a model for a bright future that gives people who have suffered for so long hope and saves them from despair.

Iraq is now closer than ever to becoming this model, and victory in this chapter of the war is within hand…unless Obama succeeds in ending the war his way.

Other Obama Posts at Collecting my thoughtsOn abortion
Windfall Profits Tax
Speeches without Teleprompter
Obama and new taxes
Europeans prefer Obama
Obama's marxism
Don't ask, don't gossip
The real hope and change
Listening to Obama, a poem
Hymn for the Obama campaign
The isms in this campaign
Obama and the Israel tantrum
Obama's Illinois record
Speechifying
The Obamas and the poor
Who's next under the Obama bus?

with contributions by Sununu.

Who needs art classes?

I saw this fun add-on at Cathy's site.

You submit a photo to any one of many possibilities at PhotoFunia--billboards, t-shirts, appliances, and there you are!

This week at Lakeside there are two art classes (one for portraits) and two writing classes being offered that I might consider. My husband is also teaching, but his classes are too hard! I don't write well on assignment, and my last portrait effort certainly wasn't as good as this little computer trickster.