Sportsmen for Obama?

A “Lifelong Republican” Tony Dean isn’t. Chad Baus must have watched BO’s speech last night (I didn’t). He says in an e-mail, “Obama just mentioned gun owners in Ohio in his "big speech", so he's obviously got us on the brain.” He knows Ohio is a key state--I think he was planning a visit to Toledo this week. According to Chad, Dean was mentioned a few years ago as a possible Democratic candidate for Congress and has supported anti-gun Democrats in the past according to this source

“For Tony Dean to have "switch[ed] parties to head a Sportsmen for Obama group" he would have to have done so at least two years before Obama was even elected to Senate, and five years prior to when he announced his presidential bid. Indeed, it appears the word "lifelong" is as difficult for Dean and the Obama campaign to define as the word "is" is to Bill Clinton.

Dean is quoted by the Dallas News as saying he's "99 percent sure a President Obama isn't going to infringe on gun rights." But seeing as Mr. Dean - who one blogger has dubbed 'South Dakota's Al Gore' because of his fervent belief in human-caused global warming - describes himself as a "moderate on the gun issue" who "opposes the NRA on most gun issues," his assurances about Obama aren't likely to be much consolation to pro-gun voters.

On his website, Dean has castigated the NRA for having "done little to protect gun ownership" and for having differing views on conservation issues, even while posting op-eds from the likes of Humane Society of the United States Executive Director Wayne Pacelle, who has been quoted as saying "we are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States...We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped in California. Then we will take it state by state."“

A politician who lies about his core beliefs, friends and associates? This is change and hope? I could call myself a life-long Democrat, as long as I don’t count the last 8 years, or the 4 years before that when I couldn’t find a single Democrat to support for any office local or national, or the 4 years before that when I was waking up after voting for Clinton. Surely, even life-long Democrats who have worked their buns to the bones for this empty suit Obama must be getting tired of this “change” mantra.

The 8 hour day and 5 day work week

This entry at Hispanic Pundit is 3 years old, but it's a good read any time, on how the desire for profitability works in our favor.

So, who gave us the 5 day, 8 hours per day, work week? Was it really the unions, was it really higher regulations? No, the historical answer is that it was Heny Ford who gave us the 5 day, 8 hours per day, work week. Ford was tired of continuously losing good employees, he was trying to increase employee retention and at the same time increase profits, so he basically doubled wages and implemented a 5-day work week, and in the process effectively invented the modern weekend. It is Henry Ford who is widely credited with contributing to the creation of a middle class in the United States.

In addition, if you look at why Henry Ford did this, you will see that his reasons had nothing to do with charity, and everything to do with increasing profits and dealing with the forces of competition.

It was also a profit motive that gave us health care through our employers (sort of a form of indentured servitude if you ever want to change jobs). After WWII, offering health insurance was a way to attract better workers in a tight job market. Of course, only the biggest firms could do it, so in the long run it was not good for competition or the worker.

What does Health Care Obamanation mean to you?

We've seen the ads. Is there anything in them that actually tell us what the state of health in the U.S. is? What do we really know about the uninsured, and if we knew, would it make any difference to the politicians or to the voters?

The percent of uninsured rose a bit in the U.S. during the Clinton years, dipped slightly in early 2000s (probably from SCHIP, a new program of the late 90s) and now rests at about 14-16% of the population (virtually unchanged in 20 years), depending on which source you use, the U.S. Census CPS and SIPP reports being the most accurate with the longest record. The actual numbers are up because the population has increased, so that's what will be cited in political ads and speeches. No politician will stand at a podium and say, "Despite all our promises and all the taxes you've paid, we're no further along on this than we were 30 years ago because we're inefficient, pork-fed pols who need poor people in order to get elected." However, only about half of that small group are uninsured for a whole year, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates about 16% of the uninsured go for 24 months without insurance. If it’s your family and you’re paying out $1000 a month to COBRA to your new plan, even one month is too long. It’s a bit like rejoicing that military deaths are far lower today than 20 years ago when there was no war. If it’s your son or daughter who died in Iraq, that’s not much comfort.

Who is uninsured? Actually, it’s the youngest (19-24, who also tend to be the people with “it will never happen to me” attitude), better educated, married, and higher income people who are more likely to go without insurance. Some people who claim to be uninsured on surveys actually have it through a government program (Medicaid or SCHIP), and some people who are eligible, don’t apply, and some who could have it through their employment, don’t choose it because they don’t want the co-payment.

Also, being uninsured does NOT mean a person gets no health care. If you've ever been to the ER, you know that. We all wait together. The uninsured may not seek care as early as they should, however, and that might cause problems down the road. Most of the political ads I’ve seen about health care actually involved people who had insurance (like Obama’s mother, or Hillary’s examples), but they were brought up as examples of the need for it to be “universal,” lessening what you and I have, and increasing what others have.

Still, with a new hurricane approaching New Orleans and all the reminders of stranded people, drowning buses, a racist mayor wanting a chocolate town, and a woman governor who didn’t know when to say “help,” I really can’t imagine that we want to FEMA-tize our health care.

What's going on in Spotsylvania County?

Its school conduct code is 40 pages! I haven't checked Upper Arlington's, so maybe they are all having this much trouble. I looked at the first page, which really seemed sufficient.

a. attend school regularly;
b. arrive at school ready to participate in learning activities;
c. accept responsibility for one's own behavior;
d. cooperate with school personnel and fellow students;
e. abide by all school regulations;
f. abide by all laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia;
g. complete all assignments fully and in a timely manner;
h. cooperate with school officials in the investigation of any violation
of school rules;
i. refrain from any action which hinders other students' safety,
welfare, peace of mind or achievement;
j. respect the right of teachers to teach and students to learn; and
k. assist the principal and faculty in the operation of the school as a
safe place for all students to learn and to develop socially.

Sounds reasonable to me. This doesn't--no one (parents and students, I assume) is allowed to link to the school web sites without permission, according to the code (p. 32, #14).

The school web site has all sorts of interesting things that I suppose bloggers or complainers could use. You can even find the nutritional value of the cafeteria meals on the school web site which seem to be 2 days Mexican and 2 days Italian with a meat/potatoes, or Asian or Jamaican item the 5th day, and a Grab 'n Go selection of salads or sandwiches.

Seen at James Taranto, WSJ, Best of the Web, who received the school link from a parent in the district who needed to hide her identity to pass along the information because she signed the code of conduct.

So what's in your school's code?

The stealth candidate

And I thought Clinton was Slick Willy and Nixon Tricky Dick. Obama has them both beat because even his most ardent, naive supporters know very little about him. You can't judge a man by his character if you don't have a clue who he is.

"Time and again, the man who draws so openly on King's legacy refuses to sacrifice an iota of possible political support by taking a principled stand on matters of racial justice that King said are matters of right and wrong. Instead, Obama makes cryptic or general comments that leave his position on important racial issues ambiguous or unknown." Juan Williams in today's WSJ

Unfortunately, I think we'll be finding out who he really is very soon. Republicans have contributed to this by choosing a candidate whose biggest attraction seems to be he's not as far left as Obama and will be tough on national security and doesn't advocate killing helpless babies. I wish there were more.

Do children need day-care or daddy-care?

If Democrats want to wag a finger this week, get all the men in a room and demand that they mentor and cajole young men about their responsibilities and to marry the mother of their children. And if you are divorced and can't take care of your first family, don't start a second. Even if the new wife or girlfriend nags. Barack Obama essentially did this during the primaries, and so did several other black leaders. I may not like his politics but he is a good role model for young men. But when the numbers are crunched, it will show that women contribute to poverty when they don't marry the fathers of their children and have babies before finishing high school. Feminists on the left need to report this instead of blaming President Bush, or men in general. Birth control? Just Say No, my sister.

These media poverty stories never change. Even though we can all look around and see an incredible difference between 2008 and 1988 or 1958, in the news it is always the same--doom and gloom. No opportunity. No jobs. Hunger. Hopelessness. It's extremely political, and if I were a Democrat, I'd be ashamed that none of the "hope and change" programs we promised in the past have made any difference. Except that one in the mid-1990s under President Clinton, when welfare was cleaned up. Oops. He was forced into that one by Republicans, and the left was fighting mad. But that is his legacy. Millions of women grabbed hold and became energized tax payers, developed a back bone and showed that old American spirit. Obama will try to change that if he becomes President by sneaking in reinforcements to keep women with a step-daddy in the house named "Uncle Sam." Universal pre-school? One more way to get more taxes and more control and show no gains. Universal pre-school will create more feel-good programs, a demand for more taxes to fight poverty, more low-income jobs to be administered by educators, and more reasons for mothers to get into the labor force. Head Start is over 40 years old--no gains beyond the early years of elementary school.

Take away: The poverty gap is no longer racial, it is marital.

Toledo's poverty statistics

Just in time for the convention, we're getting "new" stories on poverty and minorities. In Toledo ABC Channel 13 is pulling stats from the latest census report. 22.6% Toledo residents in poverty (family of 4) compared to 12.3% nationally. And 41.3% of those in poverty in Toledo are black. Instead of tracking the story by race, they should report it by marital status, because that's what causes poverty among women and children. No father in the home.

How is an unmarried woman with children going to show the same economic gains as a married woman and man with children, when counting "households?" That's two incomes against one. A four person household can be a woman with 3 children, or a husband and wife with 2 children, or two gay lawyers and their adopted children. Plus, now that boomers are retiring, the MSM should be reporting that incomes fall after retirement, even if "wealth" hasn't changed at all. But that doesn't play well in speeches and poverty stories.

Toledo Blade: "Overall, the Census found 37.3 million people living in poverty in 2007, of which 13.3 million were children. The poverty level for a four-person family in 2007 was $21,203. Among age groups, seniors had the lowest poverty rate at 9.7 percent, while children had the highest at 18 percent. The poverty rate for 2006 was 12.3 percent, but the change in 2007 was not statistically significant."

Apparently all our poverty programs put in place in the last 30 years have failed. According to a 1987 article in the NYT, “In 1980, Census Bureau figures show the country's overall poverty rate was 11 percent while it was 32 percent for blacks, 25 percent for Hispanic people and 10 percent for whites.” Poverty pimps will find ways to show it is higher now even if the poor own their own home, have an automobile, cable TV and cell phones. If you point out how poverty has decreased in cities (decreased around 50% in Toledo and Columbus by 2000), the Democrats will just tell you that's because the poor moved to the suburbs! Maybe all the "urban development" didn't help the poor? Perhaps all those environmental regulations pushed out industry so the working class have moved to retail and service industries?

Also, in reporting what's happened to gas prices under a Democratic Congress, let's also ignore the gains made during the Bush administration. The median household income in Lucas County, Ohio rose from $40,348 in 2005 to $42,296 in 2006. The percentage of people below the poverty level dropped to 16.8 percent in 2006 from 17.4 percent in 2005.

Smack down for Nancy

The most powerful woman in Washington needs to go back to catechism class.

“After Mr. Tom Brokaw, the interviewer, pointed out that the Catholic Church feels strongly that life begins at conception, she replied, 'I understand. And this is, like, maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the church, this [when life begins] is an issue of controversy,' " the release said.

[Archbishop Donald W.] Wuerl strongly disagrees.

He said, "We respect the right of elected officials such as Speaker Pelosi to address matters of public policy that are before them, but the interpretation of Catholic faith has rightfully been entrusted to the Catholic bishops. Given this responsibility to teach, it is important to make this correction for the record."

Wuerl pointed out that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear, and has been clear for 2,000 years. He cited Catechism language that reads, "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception … Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.”

My silk scarf project

I went back to the Rhein Center today to pick up my scarf, the one mentioned here. The pretty lady showing it off is our instructor, Sue Wills, a former youth pastor who now leads tours for young people with WorldStride's Christian Discovery at historical sites primarily in the East like DC and Philadelphia. She was very bubbly and encouraging--I'm sure the kids love her.



There was an opening in tomorrow's class so I took it and hope to make a much more stunning effort. This one is pretty, but has many mistakes on it. The white pipe frame is what we attached the scarf to in order to do the painting.

Columbus The Musical Crossroads

David Meyers knows more about the Columbus music scene than anyone I know, and he has a new book in the Arcadia series, Images of America, called Columbus The Musical Crossroads. It follows the usual format of about 130 pages and 2 photos per page with text. That's probably murder for a guy like Dave who has boxes of research and documentation, but it's fun for the reader.

“Columbus has long been known for its musicians. Unlike New York, San Francisco, Kansas City, Nashville, or even Cincinnati, however, it has never had a definable “scene.” Still, some truly remarkable music has been made in this musical crossroads by the many outstanding musicians who have called it home. Since 1900, Columbus has grown from the 28th- to the 15th-largest city in the United States. During this period, it has developed into a musically vibrant community that has nurtured the talents of such artists as Elsie Janis, Ted Lewis, Nancy Wilson, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Dwight Yoakam, Bow Wow, and Rascal Flatts. But, in many instances, those who chose to remain at home were as good and, perhaps, even better.”

I have only leafed through it (my husband brought it back to Lakeside with him), but I think Columbus boomers will get a kick out of Chapter 8, "Out of the Garage," which features the local high school rock and roll bands of the 1960s.

"Every high school had its personal favorite, and at Thomas Worthington it was the Dantes. Anchored by the precocious guitar work of Dave Workman and lead singer Barry Hayden's Mick Jagger-Ray Davies posturing, the quintet, which included Lynn Wehr, Joey Hinton, and Carter Holliday, had the best equipment and dressed in the latest mod clothing purchased on trips to New York.

Within a couple of years, at least one member of the band was earning more than his father playing weekends and holidays from school. The Dantes released three 45s before they found out the hard way that opportunities were limied for a cover band, no matter how good it might be." p. 110

Other Columbus teen bands of the 60s: The Triumphs; Vadicans; The 5th Order (Electras); The Grayps; The Rebounds; The Epics; The Shilohs; The Toads; The Thirteenth Dilemmas; The Dubonnets (Phantom Duck); The Trolls; The Edicates; Lapse of Time; In-Men; Four O'clock Balloon; The Fugitives.

Good job Dave--looking forward to dinner at the Bucket on the 11th.

Lakeside 2008 What’s going on in Week 10

We’re in the final week. June was rainy in northern Ohio--but we were in Italy. July and August have been fabulous, actually close to perfect, with perhaps the named storm Fay paying us a little visit on Thursday. I went to the Antique Show on Saturday with my neighbor Angela and saw something I liked the minute we walked in the door. She tucked it under the table while I browsed the other booths buying some little things, like a serving piece that matched my Community silver plate (wedding pattern), and two little pudding dishes to use for feeding our dainty, 7 lb. cat. I didn’t even haggle, although I know I should have. It might have been gone if I’d waited ‘til late afternoon when most of the dealers repack their trucks and vans and go home.


So I’m calling this our 48th wedding anniversary present--from me--and I think I’ll leave it here at the lake house, for lemonade or iced tea on the deck. It's frosted with hand painted flowers. The wicker tray is now holding the things that I removed to make room for it behind the glass doors so I could show it off. I asked the Michigan woman from whom I bought the set if she knew Mike and Judy Balluff (Michigan antique dealer and a h.s. friend) and she thought she knew the name.

Today was the final farmer’s market. I wasn’t able to get any beet tops this week, but did give in and buy a jar of homemade peach sugar-free jam. I resisted the white chocolate cranberry squares, and the iced scones that were at the same booth. Isn’t that the biggest pepper you’ve ever seen? I just can’t get over how different they taste fresh picked. And I’m not even particularly fond of peppers, but have managed to finish what I’ve bought the other weeks. Still only $14.75--red potatoes, green beans, bell pepper, corn, qt of peaches (the jam was a bit of a splurge I hadn't counted on.)

Yesterday I took a silk painting class at the Rhein Center. Scary, but fun. And not nearly as easy as the instructor said, especially if you’ve done other types of art, and this defies what you knew about materials and methods. Also, I’m really poor at doing craft type things. My fingers don’t work right and this required fastening a very delicate silk scarf to a frame in 20 places. I made two huge mistakes (beside wearing one of my better shirts to the class--had to switch to a smock). I haven’t seen the final product yet because the instructor was going to take all the projects home, wash and iron them, and then we pick them up today. I woke up at 3 a.m. and worked out in my mind how I could have done it differently. The class will be offered again on Wednesday and Friday, so maybe I’ll re-up.

The programming this week (called 22nd Annual Senior Venture) is only half interesting to me. Monday through Wednesday (6 lectures) is about the removal of native peoples (aka Indians) from Ohio. After hearing so much about the Confederacy last week, I wasn’t ready for more self-flagellation and guilt (is it fall out over the Iraq War?) over something I didn’t do and which has transpired since the beginning of human kind in the Garden of Eden. However, Thursday and Friday has some seminars I hope to attend--local history. There will be lectures on both Camp Perry, now 101 years old and which trained millions of national guardsmen, and the Marblehead Quarry (we have cracks in our plaster from their blasting limestone). Also on Thursday is a book review about "Great Lakes water wars." This is an issue critical to Ohio and the 10 other states and provinces touched by the Great Lakes, 1/5 of our planet’s fresh water. On Friday there is a tour of the quarry. This means Thursday is waaay over scheduled since my son and his girlfriend plan to visit that day.

Pastor Jennings has an interesting Bible study on Revelation this week, but I would have missed 2 of the 4 classes, plus it is offered during my regular nap time and I might doze off! We’ve really enjoyed his dockside services on Sunday.


Evening programming this week is a little less upscale and more local, and is at the bandstand in the park instead of Hoover Auditorium. I did go Sunday evening to hear an Ohio ELCA pastor perform his modern Christian lyrics to swing era popular songs, “Sentimental Journey,” using a lot of Glenn Miller. He even had Easter songs for Christmas caroles. Wednesday looks good--TOPS Swing Band from Cleveland (Tough Old Pros). The barbershoppers will be here Saturday night, from the Johnny Appleseed District. Sunday night will be the closing with fireworks over the lake. Then it is pack up the car and head for Columbus, assuming we don't leave after church on Sunday.

On every channel

This morning I switched on the TV after I turned on the computer. More for background noise than news. I knew what would be on all the channels. Oooing and Ahing over Michelle, her clothes, her children and breathless narration by TV reporters. So I moved through the channels to some that only come in very early in the morning. I got a reality show called “Blind Date,” then an informercial promising me a wonderful life if I’d only go with their program. Same ol, same ol on every channel.

Update: I've seen a lot of Michelle today. Coffee shop. Local news. She did a great job, is very pretty, and has adorable kids. For a woman who has it all--a successful husband, healthy kids, good job, excellent education, lovely home and is beautiful to boot, she sure was an angry whiner when she came through Ohio a few months ago. She's toned it down to just hope and change now.

Damning interviews on Fox and Friends

The MSM is so ga-ga and supportive of Obama that chills go up the reporter’s leg, according to Chris Matthews. Detractors love to pound Fox, but a Pew Study has shown a more balanced (and informed) viewership.

There were two damning interviews this morning on Fox and Friends that would have never made it to the story boards on CNN or broadcast. First, there was an interview with Diana Degette (D-Colorado) who was responding to a question about the Hillary vote. She reminded the audience that even if they were disappointed that Hillary wasn’t the candidate, they should remember that Obama, rather than McCain, supports the issues women care about, “Birth control and abortion,” she said. “You mean McCain is pro-life?” the reporter asked, and she skipped right on by. On the MSM, no reporter ever uses that term--they always say “anti-choice.”

Then Steven Doocy’s son Peter was “student on the street” interviewing college age students about why Barack Obama was so popular. He began by pointing out to the TV audience this will be the 18 year olds first opportunity to vote for someone other than American Idol, which gets something bizarre like 98 million votes, 80 million more than Obama. First he asked the young women (I recall one guy but he never spoke), about American Idol and what they looked for. I forget exactly what they said--confidence, and a great performer (I don’t think they mentioned talent). Then he asked them about what legislation on Barack Obama’s resume appealed to them. They were completely stumped. Stuttering stumped. When he asked about his presentations, they could rave about his voice, eloquence and youth, but nothing he said, believed or had accomplished. Steven admitted he did find a few young voters who knew more, but most knew nothing about Obama except for his performing ability.

How sappy is this? And we never did elect another Catholic president!

After Obama secured the nomination, CBS reporter Byron Pitts declared, “Barack Obama and his wife Michelle walked into history’s arms last night. … Just like JFK’s journey as the first Catholic president, America crossed a milestone. … One of America’s oldest and ugliest color lines has been broken, and there’s a new bridge for a new generation.”

Both of these interviews made my sex look really, really bad.

Aborton is the tar baby that sticks to the female vote, the Democrats have learned. It’s such a non-issue. Almost no babies make it out alive if a woman is determined to abort. All the wailing and marching of the last 30 years by conservatives have not changed the law, and no method of death, save WWII, has killed more humans in my lifetime (although the ban on DDT has probably come close). I’m guessing 95% of the women would say “although I would never have an abortion, I don’t want to take that right away from other women.” So when it’s someone else’s baby it’s OK? How liberal.

And celebrity? Why not elect Madonna (she's only 50)? Or Paris (is she old enough)? They draw crowds and men don’t complain about their legs.

She's a good liar

Will Hillary be able to convince her supporters she really thinks Obama is the best candidate for the party? She's got a better chance in 2012 if he loses.

“A day after Mr. Obama unveiled Senator Biden of Delaware as his running mate, the McCain campaign launched a television ad titled "Passed Over" that asks why the presumptive Democratic nominee snubbed his chief party rival, Mrs. Clinton, for the vice presidential slot.

"She won millions of votes, but isn't on his ticket," a narrator intones. "Why? For speaking the truth on his plans."

The ad then features images from the Democratic primary, when Mrs. Clinton questioned Mr. Obama about his lack of specificity on policy, his negative attacks on her, and his connection to a convicted Chicago developer, Antoin Rezko.” New York Sun, Aug. 25

Let's see, if Russia hadn't invaded Georgia and Obama gave that limp-wristed "let's talk" comment, Biden wouldn't be his VP choice, and if the Edwards scandal had been reported in the mainstream press (that was already in the tank for Obama), Hillary would have been the candidate. Lots of ifs ands and maybes in politics.

I think the Democrats who support Hillary will end up staying with the party. Democrats stick together like velcro, Republicans hold no longer than a sweaty handshake. As a Nobaman, I was concerned. I really thought he'd choose Hillary and be unbeatable. She's more liberal than Biden, got tons more votes, and has a huge, unhappy clutch of supporters. Biden has run for president several times and the voters said NO early on each time.

Sure wish McCain could add Bobby Jindal, but he probably needs to cook a bit longer since this is his first term as Louisiana's governor. Those two would be an amazing balance to the Obama Biden buttons. If he's smart (instead of wanting to put on that maverick mantel again), he'll take, Mitt Romney.

Then the DNC can bring out the dirt from the primaries. And they will.

Wouldn't this would make a good McCain ad: At a Democratic presidential primary debate in Las Vegas last November, [Biden, a Catholic] said that if he were elected president he would impose a pro-Roe test on anyone he appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. CNSNews.com

Update: Hillary has tamed her PUMAs. For now.

Suffering from No-see-ums

I've managed to go the whole summer with nary a bug bite, but Friday I visited an archaeological site on Johnson's Island, home of a Civil War Prisoner Depot. I think I've been attacked by a battalion of angry rebs--No-See-Ums, so named because they've infiltrated your clothing before you've noticed them, and you didn't think to put on any insect repellent.

There are over 4,000 species of biting midges in the Ceratopogonidae family, and over 1,000 in just one genus, Culicoides. The distribution of midges in the genus Culicoides is world-wide; 47 species are known to occur in Florida. Species belonging to the genus Leptoconops occur in the tropics, sub-tropics, the Caribbean, and some coastal areas of southeast Florida.

Breeding areas can be very varied depending on the particular species. Areas with substantial salt marsh habitat are major producers of many biting midge species. Additional sources for some species, like the bluetongue virus vector Culicoides sonorensis Wirth and Jones, include highly organic soil that is wet but not underwater such as those found with high manure loads in swine, sheep and cattle farming operations.More

Knees, elbows, chest and toes
I’m itching all over.
Some Cutter’s I needed
God only knows

Is it ghosts of the dead
Getting revenge?
Or too much history
Going through my head?

Midges also enjoy a charmed life in very cold climates. Seem to like penguin poop. Columbus Dispatch

Libraries out of their depth

You probably can’t pray or hold religious services in this library, but you can buy clothing. Call me stodgy, but I think libraries should serve the community with information about services, not the services themselves.

“The Good Buy Room has some great deals on gently used clothing. The Spring selection of wares are here and are very reasonably priced. When you come into the main library in Buckhorn next time, go downstairs to the lower level and checkout the wonderful selection.”

So many librarians really wanted to be social workers at heart. They wanted to help people save the world without seeing blood or a classroom or digging a well. In career counseling they were warned about the paper work, documentation, constant meetings, low pay and seeing no change in people’s lives, so instead, they gravitated to library science. No one alerted them . . . that. . .well. . . it’s supposed to be about information--collecting, storing, preserving, guiding and providing (plus all the above listed stuff). Increasingly it’s about networks, computers, licensing, and fund raising, but all with the goal of providing people with information they can use. Some libraries rent tools and supply day-care. Some have reading classes. Or teach crafts. Show movies. Put on rock shows with air guitars. Anything to raise stats.

Does this community not have a Women’s Club, or Veterans Group or Church or Hospital Auxiliary that is looking for a service project? Is there only one public building? Let the schools teach; let the churches read and follow Matthew 25; let the volunteer groups raise funds.

Obama and his relationship with Bill Ayers

The new 527 ad by a political group (I saw it for the first time today) doesn't go back far enough in detailing the problems Bill Ayers presents for Obama's candidacy, according to John Batchelor. "The Ayers-Obama relationship is warm, long-term, sophisticated, familial, and heavily documented" (according to the Annenberg material at the University of Illinois Library which like so much in Obama's background is not available for scrutiny).

"Speaking this Sunday 24 to a principal investigator in the Ayers-Obama relationship in terms of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge Program, Steve Diamond, of Global Labor blog, who started last Spring to unearth and explicate the significance of the Ayers-Obama work at the Chicago Annenberg Challenge Grant. The short version is that Ayers is a major-league radical education professor who travels the world (especially Venezuela) to promote a variety of pet progressive schemes such as using education budgets to redistribute wealth and possibly to bring about reparitions to descendants of slaves. Much of it is utopian tomfoolery and harmless inside a classroom of bored students. Nonethless, Mr. Obama could not have mistaken Bill Ayers for a lamb. And Mr. Obama also could not have missed the fact that Bill Ayers published and promoted his memoir of his years in the Weather Underground, "Fugitive Days: A Memoir," in the summer of 2001, so that the book and the author were featured in a New York Times profile published on September 11, 2001, a profile in which Bill Ayers boasted of terror bombing Congress and other 1970s vanities such as flag-stomping (left). It was stunning bad taste on any day, and fate made that newspaper the one forever buried in the remains of the World Trade Center. And yet afterward, Mr. Obama continued to serve on the Wood board with Bill Ayers, and there are reports that the families have remained close to this day." (From Batchelor's blog)

"I don't regret setting bombs," Bill Ayers said. "I feel we didn't do enough." Mr. Ayers, who spent the 1970's as a fugitive in the Weather Underground, was sitting in the kitchen of his big turn-of-the-19th-century stone house in the Hyde Park district of Chicago. . . He writes that he participated in the bombings of New York City Police Headquarters in 1970, of the Capitol building in 1971, the Pentagon in 1972. But Mr. Ayers also seems to want to have it both ways, taking responsibility for daring acts in his youth, then deflecting it. (from Ayers profile in NYT)

Why is this creep on the faculty of my university is my first thought, and second is, why do Obama fans find this so innocuous and not see the danger?

What you heard is not what you get after the campaign

In Great Myths of the Great Depression you read about the attempts by the federal government to shore up the economy. Most failed, and these failed Hoover programs of the final years of his presidency are what FDR built his Big New Deal on.

"Though modern myth claims that the free market “self-destructed” in 1929, government policy was the debacle’s principal culprit. If this crash had been like previous ones, the hard times would have ended in two or three years at the most, and likely sooner than that. But unprecedented political bungling instead prolonged the misery for over 10 years.

. . . The [1932] platform of the Democratic Party, whose ticket Roosevelt headed, declared, “We believe that a party platform is a covenant with the people to
be faithfully kept by the party entrusted with power.” It called for a 25-percent reduction in federal spending, a balanced federal budget, a sound gold currency “to
be preserved at all hazards,” the removal of government from areas that belonged more appropriately to private enterprise, and an end to the “extravagance” of Hoover’s farm programs. This is what candidate Roosevelt promised, but it bears
no resemblance to what President Roosevelt actually delivered.

Is there ever a presidential campaign in which the candidates don't tell us that they will cut government spending, get out of our business, and end waste? After the election, we voters always put that sign on our backsides that says, "Kick me again."

Thursday Thirteen and Friday Family Photo

Yes, I know it's Sunday, but it is also the 5th anniversary this week of our Amtrak trip to California in 2003, 16 days and 16 states. We parked our car in Toledo and traveled to Chicago with a special $6.50 ticket, cheaper than lunch. From there, it was on to Flagstaff, visiting the Grand Canyon, on to California for 5 days with the Bruce family to celebrate my father-in-law's 90th birthday, on up the coast, for a stay over Labor Day at Glacier Lodge (fires prevented us from seeing much), then back to Toledo and Lakeside. The only one of the 16 states I didn't "see" was Idaho because I was asleep.
At the Fullerton, CA train stationWith our fabulous hostess, sister Kate, in reflection, here we are ready to head for Glacier National Park. Yes, we did go 16 days with only this luggage, 2 carry-ons each. I'm wearing the 21 year old khakis I wrote about in the broken zipper entry here. I started this blog about a month after we returned, so I don't think I've talked much about that trip, but here are Thirteen Things worth remembering.

1. Best overall event: Visiting with the Bruce family for 5 days in California 2. Most emotional: Seeing the four Bruce siblings together with their Dad 3. Best views: Riding through Glen Canyon on a pontoon boat 4. Best restaurant meal: Khoury's in Long Beach with Aunt Dorothy, my dad's sister 5. Best train ride: Pacific Starlight, through California, Oregon, Washington 6. Best tour guide: Billy with "Over the Road" tours in Flagstaff 7. Most disappointing: Fires and smoke at Glacier National Park; we experienced but didn't see McDonald Lake, Going to the Sun Road, the Continental Divide, and Two Medicine Lakes 8. Biggest surprise: Meeting former members of our church, UALC, on the Glacier Lodge porch 9. Best value: Upgrade to sleeper on Empire Builder 10. Biggest blessing I missed: I thought he was a drunk cowboy on the train and ignored him, but later learned otherwise 11. Most never-before-eaten fruit: Huckleberries are ubiquitous around Glacier 12. Biggest scenery change: Western Montana and Eastern Montana, like a plumb line 13. Most destructive government program observed: cradle to the grave government care and disincentives for Native Americans; environmental regs for not removing dead trees and brush were a close second (fires)

Summer's bounty

It's peak season for cucumbers, and if you're lucky, you'll have a farmers' market near by or your supermarket will have locally grown. Fresh cukes and fresh green bell peppers taste very different in August than they do in January. Read the Whole Foods story on cucumbers.

Cucumbers are a very good source of the vitamins C and the mineral molybdenum. They are also a good source of vitamin A, potassium, manganese, folate, dietary fiber and magnesium and contain the important mineral silica. See all the nutrients

This week I've been sweetening a small amount of apple vinegar, adding a little salt and pepper, then slicing into it cukes, onions, bell peppers, and fresh green beans. I refrigerate it and shake it from time to time. Yummy snacks.

Today for breakfast I grilled two small, sliced Ohio peaches, jazzed it up a bit with a few sprinkles of cinnamon and a dash of sugar free maple syrup, added a few Michigan blueberries and topped it all with some walnuts. Then for lunch I grilled fresh green beans in a little olive oil, added onions, bell peppers, some frozen corn and in the final minutes some locally grown zucchini, turned the burner off and put on the lid to steam lightly. Heavenly.