How's your state doing on freedom of speech?

Nearly three-quarters of colleges and universities maintain unconstitutional speech codes, according to a report released today by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). Here's my alma mater--the school that used really poor judgement and hired Bill Ayers as a professor of education. Everyone else has to be silent, but terrorists can speak out about this terrible country and the state that pays his salary, I guess.

"In September 2008, faculty and staff members at the University of Illinois received a memo from the university’s Ethics Office informing them that, “when on university property,” they were prohibited from engaging in a wide variety of political expression, including attending a rally for a particular candidate or political party or wearing “a pin or t-shirt in support of the Democratic Party or Republican Party.” The memo even implied that faculty and staff could not drive onto campus with political bumper stickers on their cars. After news of the memo generated controversy, University President B. Joseph White responded with a vague statement that university employees needed to “use common sense” to determine what types of political activity were acceptable. Eventually, after extensive condemnation fromthe public and fromfree speech and academic freedom organizations including FIRE, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the American Association of University Professors, White issued another statement clarifying that faculty and staff could, after all, wear pins and t-shirts, place bumper stickers on their cars, and attend rallies on campus, provided they were not on duty at the time." FIRE'S Spotlight on Speech Codes, 2009

In last year’s report, FIRE gave 259 of 346 colleges and universities that designation: 75 percent, compared with 74.2 percent this year. I did a word search on Ohio for "red light" and didn't see Ohio State, but I think I noticed Ohio University.

WAAANNA

White and Asian Americans Need Not Apply. Although in California, it appears that Asian is a minority in a state where they are probably the 2nd largest group, and in Ohio, Asians are called "people of color." I've looked through some of the photos at the websites, and it appears the "one drop" rule still applies.

http://www7.nationalacademies.org/FORDfellowships/fordpost.html Ford Foundation

http://www.apa.org/mfp/pdprogram.html American Psychological Association and Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs

http://www.ucop.edu/acadadv/ppfp/ University of California

http://www.cis.cornell.edu/jobs/PostdoctoralFellowshipNotice.pdf Cornell

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=160822 Michigan

http://www.colorado.edu/graduateschool/DiversityInitiative/postdocs/index.html Colorado

http://www.trincoll.edu/Academics/DeanOfFaculty/AnnPlatoFellowship.htm Trinity

http://www.trincoll.edu/Academics/DeanOfFaculty/AnnPlatoFellowship.htm North Carolina

http://pharmacology.ucsd.edu/IRACDa/iracda/index.html San Diego

http://sbs.osu.edu/sbs/resources/SBS_Postdoc-ad-2008.pdf Ohio State University

The Mayflower Compact

In modern English: "In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are under-written, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.

Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our selves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the eleventh of November [New Style, November 21], in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Dom. 1620." from the web page, Pilgrim Hall Museum

Transcription of the Original: "In ye name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord King James by ye grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland king, defender of ye faith, &c.

Haveing undertaken, for ye glorie of God, and advancemente of ye Christian faith, and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to plant ye first colonie in ye Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in ye presence of God, and one of another, covenant & combine our selves togeather into a civill body politick; for our better ordering & preservation & furtherance of ye ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof, to enacte, constitute, and frame shuch just & equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & convenient for ye generall good of ye Colonie: unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnes wherof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd ye .11. of November, in ye year of the raigne of our soveraigne lord King James of England, France, & Ireland ye eighteenth, and of Scotland ye fiftie fourth. Ano: Dom .1620." From Mayflower families site.

This document is fundamental in the history of the United States, and appears in The Citizen's Almanac; fundamental documents, symbols, and anthems of the United States, (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Citizenship, Washington DC, 2007) U.S. Government Official Edition, ISBN 978-0-16-078027-1, for sale by the U.S. Superintendent of Documents.

However, in the official U.S. Government document, as it appears in this citizenship handbook (which is quite handsome, by the way), the words "In the name of God, Amen." don't appear, as they do in the original. It's a short document, fundamental, concise and clear; why leave that out? I couldn't see that the editors changed the words or meaning of an Emerson hymn (which I'd never come across before) or a Whitman poem.

There are researchers (University of Illinois) concerned that the Bush Administration has been making changes in government documents that only appear digitially--like numbers and names concerning the war, and that campaign promises of Obama have been scrubbed. There seems little concern about what is happening to "official authenticated and fundamental documents." If you send your child to the library to use various digital collections and compilations of American history, you'll find an extremely selective group downplaying religion, the role of churches, the great awakenings, morality, virtues, and instead highlighting corruption, racial unrest, gender inequity and depravity--probably the worst form of bias, banning, blacklisting and book burning I've seen in my years in the information field, because digital access is key (and easy) when the paper copies have all been withdrawn.

Why do people do these?

This must be the longest meme on the Internet, and I'm guessing there used to be more, because who would quit at #99? I “borrowed” this from Pauline who in turn borrowed it from someone else. The things I’ve done are starred; the ones I’d like to do are not on the list, but your mileage will differ. The ones I might never do are left alone. I guess I don't have any interest in Paris or China or seeing a concentration camp.

*1. Started your own blog. Yes, in October 2003 and 10 more--links on the right side bar.
*2. Slept under the stars. Oh, I’m sure--when I was a teen-ager--Camp Emmaus, and our own back yard (small town--different time).
*3. Played in a band. First chair trombone, high school band, Mt. Morris, IL.
*4. Visited Hawaii. Yes--1985 I think. Fabulous--nothing like it.
*5. Watched a meteor shower. Yes, seems like it was in the 1950s.
*6. Given more than you can afford to charity. Yes, but you always get more than you give--that‘s a promise from God.
*7. Been to Disneyland/World . Yes, both. 1977 California and 1986 Florida.
*8. Climbed a mountain. Someplace in California, summer 1957.
*9. Held a praying mantis Yes, as a teen. Haven’t seen one in years.
*10. Sang a solo. Yes, used to be a soprano--now have a range of about 5 notes.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. I’ve seen plenty on land and over Lake Erie.
*14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. Yes. I don’t take lessons unless I’ve learned a lot first. How else would I know I want to do it?
*15. Adopted a child.
*16. Had food poisoning. I remember that pie.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. I’ve seen it up close, but not that close.
*18. Grown your own vegetables. I dug up a small section of the back yard on Abington Rd. once. I think those were the most expensive tomatoes and pole beans on record.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa.
*20. Slept on an overnight train. We did Amtrak in 2003--great trip. Coach isn’t too great for sleeping, we did that a few nights too--cross country.
*21. Had a pillow fight. Probably camp or an overnight.
22. Hitch hiked.
*23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. I had so much sick leave left when I retired, I had to give up several months of sick days, but I’m sure I did at some point.
*24. Built a snow fort. And snow horses.
*25. Held a lamb. Or was that a calf.
26. Gone skinny dipping. No way.
27. Run a Marathon. I walked the “Raccoon Run” at Lakeside about 30 years ago.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
*29. Seen a total eclipse. With a huge crowd at a park in Illinois.
*30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. More times than I could count. Most recently in 2008 on the dock at Lakeside.
*31. Hit a home run. I’m sure I did when I was in grade school--I was a very good athlete then. We even played ball in skirts.
*32. Been on a cruise. Alaska 2001. River cruise in Germany/Austria 2005.
*33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. We were there in 1963, and again about 3 years ago. Better the first time--the tall buildings detract and create a misty fog.
*34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. How far back? Grandpa was born near Dayton, Ohio, Grandma near Ashton, Illinois. But I’m 9th generation, so that would be a lot of places to visit just in the USA.
*35. Seen an Amish community. Lots of those in Ohio.
*36. Taught yourself a new language. Not sure what “taught yourself” means. No one else can do it, right? But I’m not too good at it.
*37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. Oh, yes. Just about a year ago.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David. In Florence we saw the replica.
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
*43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant. A stranger paid for our meal once--thought our children were well behaved.
44. Visited Africa.
*45. Walked on a beach by moonlight. Ocean, but also Lake Erie.
46. Been transported in an ambulance. Can you get admitted faster if you go by ambulance?
*47. Had your portrait painted. By my husband.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
*52. Kissed in the rain.
*53. Played in the mud. And the road tar. Small town.
*54. Gone to a drive-in theater often as a teen. White Pines, between Oregon and Polo. Here's a list of some Illinois theaters that might be revived, but White Pines isn't among.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
*57. Started a business. I was certainly part of my husband’s--his staff, and I may have been named vice-president, or something. (He used to say, “The kids left home, Norma got tenure and the cat died, so it was time to start my own business.” Having benefits really helps the transition.)
58. Taken a martial arts class.
*59. Visited Russia. In 2006--took the train to St. Petersburg from Helsinki. I never thought it could happen (was a Russian major in college during the Iron Curtain years).
*60. Served at a soup kitchen.
*61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching .
*63. Received flowers for no reason. My husband loves surprises. One time a guy in a Gorilla costume delivered them and I think he sang.
*64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
*67. Bounced a check. Once. I had 2 accounts and wrote a check on the wrong one.
68. Flown in a helicopter. Could have done this in Alaska but I stayed in the lodge and took a nap and my husband went.
*69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. I incorporated them in the decorating.
*70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial. In high school on a church trip.
71. Eaten caviar
*72. Pieced a quilt. It only got to the top phase--never finished it, but I come across it every now and then.
*73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades.
*75. Been fired from a job. I was fired from Beaky’s Barrel (drive-in restaurant) because I couldn’t keep the orders straight and was too slow, but I was only 13.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone. Never.
*78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. It wasn’t exactly speeding--it belonged to a co-worker and I was the passenger, but we did make it to the highway.
*79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. Breathtaking. August 2003.
80. Published a book. I wrote it--no one wanted it. Just journal articles.
81. Visited the Vatican.
*82. Bought a brand new car. First new car was a Volkswagen--1964 I think. Bright blue.
*83. Walked in Jerusalem. Coming up in 3 months. So I’m fudging on this a bit.
*84. Had your picture in the newspaper. Several times. Most recently I think was about an art class I was in.
*85. Read the entire Bible. Might have dozed off in a few places or skipped a few OT battles and laws.
*86. Visited the White House. I think my niece’s husband got us up moved up in line--he worked for a gov’t agency.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. Watched Dad chopped off chickens' heads, and cleaned by Mom, but I never did it, never want to.
*88. Had chickenpox. Yes, and measles, whooping cough, pneumonia and scarlet fever, too. In the days before vaccines and penicillin.
*89. Saved someone’s life. I witnessed to someone who became a believer and later a pastor.
*90. Sat on a jury. Hope I never get called again.
*91. Met someone famous. Ran into Rod Serling in the Columbus airport years ago. Passed the “Jackson 5” in the hall at a downtown hotel in Columbus when they were still together. I've been to rallies for John McCain and George Bush, although I probably couldn’t get past the Secret Service.
*92. Joined a book club. Great group--I joined in 2000 when I retired. They stick to business and are all nice people. They’ve been together 26 years.
*93. Lost a loved one. Many.
*94. Had a baby. Two.
*95. Seen the Alamo in person. Library conferences take you to interesting places.
*96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake. I was pretty small, so I probably waded.
*97. Been involved in a law suit. One of those group things where you get 10 cents by the time the lawyer takes his share.
*98. Owned a cell phone. Technically--although I always ask which button to push if it rings.
*99. Been stung by a bee. Twice. Once in Forreston at Sauerkraut Day, and once while watch my son play pee-wee football--crawled up inside my slacks.

Happy New Year

Yes, it's a bit early, but I want you to click over and read the University of Nebraska at Lincoln Extension website, by Alice Henneman. I signed up for her newsletter many years ago, while I was still with Ohio State. This year she's looked for a way to use the letters in Happy New Year, and I think she's done a good job. The "R" stands for "reading materials." She uses a quote from Mark Twain, "Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." Now with the internet we have access to all sorts of strange theories, drugs, spiritual health gurus and health hype. Most of us, assuming we don't have a serious disease or haven't been in a terrible accident, need to eat less move more. ELMM. I know I do. (Would you believe I caved yesterday and bought a bag of corn chips--they weren't Fritos, but tasted just as good, and now I'll have to throw out what's left.) Of course you'd believe it. You've done the same thing. I have a friend from high school who has battled cancer twice, but she keeps walking and is an inspiration I'm sure to the entire town, who see her out there in all kinds of weather. Plus it pumps up those endorphins and strengthens her bones and resolve.

But back to UNL Extension in Lancaster County Nebraska, Go and read it.

Christmas shopping finished

It will be low key this year. Usually we've made a major gift to the children, but this year it will be a modest gift card and a book or two. Always a mistake, however, to stroll through Wal-Mart without lots of resolve. I went there to get my son's gift card, but wandered around finding things I didn't really need which almost doubled the bill. Like 6 kitchen towels for $5. My 40 year old towels are a bit faded and ragged, but they still work. I did find a floor mat made in the USA--"I'm proud to be an American." Didn't buy it. Found some wash clothes--those always get grungy fast--but passed on the towels. I was out of paper towels and some food items, so I picked those up. One bright spot--I had the most pleasant check-out person.

We haven't yet worked out how we're doing Christmas dinner--I think someone's waiting for me to act. Tomorrow we've got our couples group dinner and I'm taking my Christmas salad. I've had 3 hits on it today. So someone else is looking for ideas too--it's great--and very festive. The cards and letters are slowly coming in.

The Network

Usually I don't care for anything Chris Matthews does, but I think this MSNBC video of the Blago-Obama links is pretty good. He left out Patti's sister who is in the Illinois state legislature, but I'm not sure she was on the list to be considered for Senate. Also, Chris missed the opportunity to point out the other governors who went to jail were Republicans. Illinois is an equal opportunity state.



Also, I think the Illinois AG bears a striking resemblance in voice and face to that movie star formerly married to Bruce Willis. I've forgotten her name, she married a kid star, but remember she used to be on a soap, and I was always struck by her deep, husky voice.

Obama’s solution for corruption in government

The Blago story moves closer to BO with Rahm Emanuel's involvement (although I would be surprised if the Team O wasn't interested, money or not--appointment to open seats, usually through death or disgrace of the holder is hands in the cookie jar in every state that doesn't hold a special election). But Obama's ideas on how to reduce corrunption are instructive, seen at James Taranto's column.

It's just human nature, “making enough on the job” includes just about every official’s idea of his own needs, including Blagojevich, but I like Obama’s solution--more private sector jobs.

“We know that the temptation to take a bribe is greater when you're not making enough on the job. And we also know that the more people there are on the government payroll, the more likely it is that someone will be encouraged to take a bribe. So if the government found ways to downsize the bureaucracy--to cut out the positions that aren't necessary or useful--it could use the extra money to increase the salary of other government officials.

Of course, the best way to reduce bureaucracy and increase pay is to create more private sector jobs.”

Unfortunately, this speech was given in Kenya--I don’t think we’ll hear this theme at home. With so many jobs going to the non-profits and faith-based organizations who use government money to run their programs, the party in power doesn't have the patronage and control that a large bureaucracy does--and during the campaign, Obama promised to return that money to the government payroll. His handlers can see that this spreading the money around to the private sector through non-profits and government partnerships with business didn't bring the Bush Administration any loyalty or power base the way one would have if the government payroll had been engorged.

Why do they think they can make automobiles?

“The waste highlighted in this report is only a fraction of the more than $385 billion the federal government throws away every year through waste, fraud and duplication. Yet, each example in this report is a snapshot that tells a larger story, just as the Bridge to Nowhere justifiably became a symbol of the corrupting nature of earmarks. The story the American people already understand is that Congress’ inability to make common sense decisions about spending priorities is putting our children’s future at risk. Until Congress abandons the short-term parochialism that gives us LobsterCams and inflatable alligators, we will never get a handle on the major economic challenges facing this country,” [Senator Tom Coburn, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Relations]. See Full Report, "2008 Worst Waste of the year."

"We could say they spend money like drunken sailors, but that would be unfair--to drunken sailors. It would be unfair, because the sailors are spending their own money." - Ronald Reagan on Congress

Putting political pieces on the board the Chicago Way

Chicago Tribune writer John Kass writes on December 12 that Jimmy DeLeo is the real Illinois powerhouse who controls not only the governor, but Rahm Emanuel. Rahm is vacating a House seat, Rahm works for Obama, who is vacating a Senate seat. Why wouldn't Obama, or any incoming President, want a say in who gets appointed? Why shouldn't these guys trade favors for seats in Congress? These are politicians, for Pete's sake. The man behind the curtain

Other Tribune writers report U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. discussed raising at least $1 million for Blagojevich's campaign as a way to encourage him to pick Jackson for the job. Link.

The amount of money passing hands in Illinois is pennies compared to the give-aways in Congress. I don't know who DeLeo or Kass are, but do you feel like you're stepping in quick sand and afraid of what you'll find at the bottom? Is there a bottom? Or does it sometimes feels like a trick by the bailed out banks (remember those guys?) or the Fannie Mae execs or the Ben and Hank show so that we stay busy reading the headlines linking Chicago-Springfield-DC and not noticing what they did (or didn't do) with all our money?

Small business bears the brunt of regulatory costs

"The research finds (2005) that the cost of federal regulations totals $1.1 trillion; the cost per employee for firms with fewer than 20 employees is $7,647. . . Governement regulations cost more per household than health care.

Environmental and tax compliance regulations appear to be the main cost drivers in determining the severity of the disproportionate impact on small firms. Compliance with environmental regulations costs 364 percent more in small firms than in large
firms. The cost of tax compliance is 67 percent higher in small firms than the cost in large firms."

The 2005 findings were consistent with those of 1995 and 2001. So how will our government help small business in this time of economy strain? By adding more environmental regulations and higher taxes.

Read the full report for SBA here.

Serbs say he's forgotten his roots

Rod Blagojevich, whose first name is Milorad, son of Radissa, is a second-generation Serb-American. Blagojevich was the second person of Serb descent elected governor in the United States (after U.S. Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, who served as governor in the 1990s).

At Politika:

Miodrag writes: "Blagojevich asked American Serbs to help him financially but he's never done anything for Serbia. To the contrary, he voted for sharp measures against Serbia. ... He came to Belgrade in 1999 with Jesse Jackson to release four American soldiers captured in Kosovo [during the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia]. He did it only to promote himself. That person has never done anything for Serbs." Milos writes: "I'm glad that justice finally caught up with Rod Blagojevich. When he was a member of the Congress, he appealed to Serb Americans to give him donations because he was allegedly fighting for Serb issues. However, when he received thousands of dollars from naive Serbs, he never did anything positive at all for the Serb people. Rod Blagojevich always took care of himself and his pocket." Janko writes: "If somebody is not clear enough on what is a true American myth, the so-called American dream, he should look into the biography of Rod Blagojevich. He was always fighting for himself alone and went from zero to somebody. Serbs did not vote for him. He was elected governor of Illinois with the votes of African-Americans—that is Obama's voters." Slobo writes: "Well, one more piece of evidence that the Americans hate us. They don't let us steal."

Some people drop their middle name, some their first name. It's an American custom, and it's OK unless you're Joe the Plumber.

I didn't smell anything

The Jacksons vs. Obama

Remember last summer when Jesse Jackson didn't have his mike off and said he hoped for an Obama castration? Literally. I'm much too refined to quote him. You can just go to Google. So Blagojevich after the election finds out that he will get nothing for appointing Obama's favorite, Valerie Jarret, but can get a pay off from Daddy Jackson who has all that blackmail money from CEOs with the wrong number of minorities on their staff. The Obamarama Crowd then decided to pay Jackson back by turning on his son, the infamous #5. Now both dad and son have hired lawyers, Obama's still claiming to be tri-squeeky clean (heard nothing, saw nothing, said nothing), and the press is all shaking its collective talking head suggesting, "Oh well, we all know Blago was crazy." That way when he sings, as we know he will do to reduce his sentence (I've watched Law and Order for about 15 years), his reputation and credibility will be totally destroyed. Never you mind that Obama was on his team when he was running for Governor of Illinois--and didn't notice he was a few bricks short of a load. Jesse just needed that pay back. You just don't cross an Obama. After all, Grandma was a bank vice president and he's got all those Ivy League creds.

How do they find these sob stories?

My parents weren't wealthy, but they also didn't borrow money to send their children to college (I think one of us four were in college continually between 1953 and 1963). There were very few loans or scholarships in those days, and colleges weren't dependent on them as they are now. The more money is available for loans, the higher the costs go, is my theory. See the Measuring up 2008 report if you want to see how college costs have leap frogged over all other segments of the economy.


I went to a private Christian college, Manchester in Indiana, and then transferred to the University of Illinois; the costs at the two were comparable. I worked in high school and had enough saved ($1,000) for one year, but my parents covered the next two years. I got a small scholarship from my church, which embarrassed my father and he donated it back. I worked during summer break and about 10-15 hours a week while I was in school, usually either in the library or at a drug store near campus. I got married before I graduated and that was the end of the "gravy train," so I then had to borrow money from my father and pay it back, and I cobbled together some graduate stipends. I had to beg the powers at U. of I., as I recall, to be considered a state resident, because I'd married an out-of-state student, and like our names, the residency seemed to change with the spouse. I also got turned down for a better paid graduate assistantship because I was married, and had "a spouse who could support me." Ah those were the days!


Still, it doesn't sound as silly as one of the examples in today's WSJ, about a real estate agent working one of the most fabulous vacation spots in the country, San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington, who is struggling with her son's University of Chicago tuition as sales drop off. To add to the economic down turn stress, her husband has lymphoma. Someone in that family needs a spinal implant--either the mother or son. In a blink of an eye, I knew what my dad would have done. I'd be called home, the facts of life would be explained, and an offer presented--I'd either transfer to a state school, or I'd get a job.

Jane Sawyer, a real-estate agent in San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington, is struggling to keep her son, Michael Guard, enrolled at the University of Chicago, where he's now a sophomore. "I'm trying really hard so he doesn't graduate with a mountain of debt," she says.

As house sales fell this year, Ms. Sawyer says, her income tumbled to a third of what she'd made in previous years, while her expenses rose. Her husband, Michael's stepfather, recently had a stem-cell transplant for lymphoma. All of that has left Michael, 19, scrambling for money to stay at Chicago for the quarter that begins after Christmas. He already has some grants and student loans, covering about $20,000 of Chicago's $50,000-a-year bill. But he's been relying on his mother and savings from summer jobs to cover the remainder.

Michael, who studies philosophy and Spanish, is now considering asking his step-grandfather for a loan. He says he may skip the winter quarter and transfer to a cheaper school next year. "I hate the idea of having to borrow money," he says."

And to top it off, he's studying philosophy--what's the return on a degree like that? For this his mother lies awake at night trying to figure out how to pay his bills? Oh, yes, it is a very different time.

The PUMA's roar

There’s a big discussion on Rod and Patti Blagojevich and ties to Rezko who helped create the Obamaphenoma (she use to make really huge deals in real estate) over at PUMA P.A.C. (they call it Blagobamagate) where I saw this great old song by the Supremes. Sing it Blago!

Stress, work and health--of your baby

It's been a lot of years since I was pregnant--over 40, in fact. I do remember it being a time of some stress, although not from being employed. It wasn't all that easy to get or keep a job back in the 60s if you were pregnant. Some of the protectionist employment laws (there were special lounges and required work breaks for females--thinking I guess that men and women were different, something the feminists have tried to disprove) probably saved a lot of women. I do remember running the cash register at the Green Street Pharmacy and that my legs got really tired from hours of standing. However, emotional stress is probably just as damaging. I came across the following in "Take control of your aging," by Dr. William Marlarkey of Ohio State (Wooster Book Company, 1999). He did a lecture series at our church a few years back, but I didn't go--maybe didn't want to know? But this week I checked his book out of the church library.

"A study of pregnancy in attorneys noted that working a great number of hours during the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with a greater risk of miscarriage compared with lawyers who worked fewer hours. This study of 584 attorneys compared those who worked more than 45 hours per week with those women who worked less than 35 hours per week. The more hours a woman worked, the more likely she was to report feeling stressed. Those women who were partners or associates in a law firm were more likely to report stress, as were those involved in criminal law and litigation. Facts inducing stress were political intrigue, backbiting, lack of opportunity for promotion, advancement not determined by the quality of work, and lack of respect from superiors. Working more than 45 hours a week was associated with a three-fold increase in the miscarriage rate when controlling for other factors as age, smoking, and alcohol intake. Women who drank seven or more alcoholic drinks a week in the first trimester were five times more likely to have a miscarriage." p. 128-129

I don't like the bibliography in this book. Like many books that are written for a lay audience but contain technical material, there is a bibliography at the end, but no references to it in the text. So I had to go to Google to find the source of this article--in fact, as near as I can tell, his staff missed this one for the chapter on Stress, Emotions and Health. Here it is with the abstract, just so you know Dr. Malarkey isn't full of malarkey.

Self-Reported Stress and Reproductive Health of Female Lawyers.
Original Article
Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 39(6):556-568, June 1997.
Schenker, Marc B. MD; Eaton, Muzza PhD; Green, Rochelle MS; Samuels, Steven PhD

Abstract:
We studied the prevalence and relationship of stress and working conditions with adverse reproductive outcomes in a cohort of female US law-school alumnae. A total of 584 female lawyers (74% response), aged 25 to 63, responded to a mailed questionnaire. Job hours per week was a strong predictor of job stress. In a logistic regression analysis, women working >45 hours/week were five times as likely to report high stress as those working <35 hours/week. Marriage and length of time on the job showed a small inverse association with stress. Women who worked more than 45 hours/week during their first trimester of pregnancy were more likely to report high stress at work during pregnancy. After being adjusted for confounding factors, weekly job hours during the first trimester of pregnancy showed a strong independent association with spontaneous abortion risk (odds ratio [OR], 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4 to 6.6). Seven or more alcohol drinks/week was also independently associated with spontaneous abortion risk (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.5 to 18.1). Self-reported stress during pregnancy was positively but not statistically significantly associated with spontaneous abortion (OR, 1.4; 95% CI 0.8 to 2.3).

I mention this report because we think that being unemployed or having hours reduced is stressful, but based on what the workplace does to your emotions and body, perhaps it might be a blessing in disguise--especially if you are pregnant. But even if you're not pregnant, many things that happen in the workplace are not good for you. This layoff, cut back, job change just might save your life, or at least give you more years to enjoy your retirement when you've packed away the briefcase, locked the meeting room door, and sumitted your last report.

Cindy Hefner leaves Playboy

The photo I saw in the paper showed her in a business suit. Yes, although the women who work for her don't wear clothes, she does. Interesting that when you're head of a flesh for sale media giant that exploits both women and men, you get to appear in public fully clothed. Maybe it's the salary; maybe it's the brains; or maybe she's smarter than old dad (photos of him usually show him in pajamas or a robe)? Disagree if you wish, but it's been proven over and over that pornography and the exploitation of women are links of the chains that run through trafficking in humans, i.e., slavery, much of it for sex, an industry much larger in the 21st century than it was in the 17th and 18th. Ms. Hefner said she would like to engage in public service after she retires in January--maybe some non-profit work or serving on a corporate board. I have some ideas how she might expiate some of her sins:

• http://www.theirc.org/what/irc_antitrafficking_initiative.html


• http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/


• http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/


• http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2006/index.htm


• http://www.stopthetraffik.org/language.aspx


• http://www.freetheslaves.net/Page.aspx?pid=183&srcid=-2


• Red-Light Rescue

First Axelrod, now Emanuel, misremembered

It's getting so crowded under the bus with Wright, Grandma, Rezko, etc. The blog at ABC, also dancing around what is fast becoming obvious to everyone who is not on Obama's payroll

According to Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., Mr. Obama's incoming White House chief of staff, Emanuel, then-state senator Obama, a third Blagojevich aide, and Blagojevich's campaign co-chair, David Wilhelm, were the top strategists of Blagojevich's 2002 gubernatorial victory.

Emanuel told the New Yorker earlier this year that he and Obama "participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor. We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two."

Wilhelm said that Emanuel had overstated Obama's role. "There was an advisory council that was inclusive of Rahm and Barack but not limited to them," Wilhelm said, and he disputed the notion that Obama was "an architect or one of the principal strategists."

(An Obama Transition Team aide emails to note that Emanuel later changed his recollection of this story to Rich Miller's "CAPITOL FAX," saying, "David [Wilhelm] and I have worked together on campaigns for decades. Like always, he's right and I'm wrong.")

And have you seen the NYT chart of influence? Almost funny with the blank spaces.

Update: And now an Illinois a news source is not only pulling the story, but denying the meeting took place. "KHQA TV wishes to offer clarification regarding a story that appeared last month. . ." Funny they didn't correct it until today. And Jesse Jr. says he absolutely had no input. Personally, I think Blagojevich will really sing in order to get the charges reduced. You can't trust a guy with hair like that.

Laughing at Palin, but not Gore

This California wit twice mentions Sarah Palin in Alaska--three times if you count a reference to her husband--in writing about a coming snow storm for California. Nothing about global warming hype and Al Gore worship, however.