The great American tea party

I agree with most of this except compulsory 2 years of service. A volunteer military has served us well; I don't want conscripts in control of the government or the military.

HT Murray.

Information for the Ohio Tea Party, April 15, tax day.

Ashley Judd, myob

Ashley Judd

HT Patrick Joubert Conlon

A book I don't intend to read

The front page editorial of our church newsletter this week was on the Christian's image problem, based on the book unChristian by Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman, published in 2007.

First of all, Christians don't get their marching orders from outsiders who hate them, they get them from Jesus. Second, any book about Christians that comes highly recommended by PW is suspect in my opinion. Librarians are 223 to 1 liberal to conservative, and based on my own PL's collection, they are quite hostile to Christianity and particularly conservative Christians unless the book was written by Rick Warren or Billy Graham and has appeared on the best seller list for at least half a year. It's the #1 way to ban a book--just don't buy it! If it's hostile to Christians, buy 10 copies.

"This is a wonderful, thoughtful book that conveys difficult truths in a spirit of humility. Every Christian should read this, and it will likely influence the church for years to come."--Publisher's Weekly -- Publisher's Weekly, starred review"

Third, non-Christians get their image of Christians about 90% from the media, Hollywood, TV, college professors (who take delight in shredding the freshman's faith) and gossip. They are completely uninformed. Who is it that has told them we are knuckle dragging dopes lynching homosexuals? Katie Couric and Dan Rather? Most gays are killed by other gays. How homophobic is that? We watch a lot of "Law and Order" reruns. I know if a priest or pastor appears in the script, he'll be the slimeball abuser or murderer. How could non-Christians possibly have any other view than that "Christians are judgemental, homophobic, hypocritical, too political, too sheltered and too insensitive?"

Imagine if Christians came out with a survey that smeared the character and patriotism of millions of their fellow Americans of a different faith? Now that would be one way for Christians to make the prime-time news, wouldn't it? The Kinnaman/Lyons survey uses a pretty broad brush for Episcopalians, Lutherans, Catholics, Orthodox, Pentecostals, Coptic, Amish, Mennonite, Baptists, Nazarenes, UCC'ns, Disciples, Salvation Army and all their various subdivisions that run hospitals, hospices, food pantries, after school programs, recreation centers, nursing homes, private schools, prison ministries, housing programs, AIDS ministries, clothing resale shops, day camps for kids, domestic violence shelters, adoption programs, foster homes for neglected children, medical clinics in poor neighborhoods, athletic camps, afterschool supervised care, and hundreds of others, in addition to the primary work of the Christian, the marching orders from Jesus, which is evangelizing the uninformed, uneducated and unbelievers who responded to the Kinnaman and Lyons polls.

The author of the article suggests we read the book and then pray and ask God for a changed heart. So, if this is what he's seen at UALC, then why is he still on the staff taking their money for his salary? If Jesus hasn't changed the hearts of our members, why should a book based on interviews with unbelievers do it?

"I'm tired," by Old Jarhead

This post by Robert A. Hall , a Vietnam vet is flying around the internet via e-mail, which is how I first saw it. It's well worth reading in its entirety. Here's the opening paragraphs

"I’ll be 63 soon. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce, and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I’ve worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven’t called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn’t inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there’s no retirement in sight, and I’m tired. Very tired.

I’m tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth around" to people who don’t have my work ethic. I’m tired of being told the governme nt will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy or stupid to earn it.

I’m tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I’m willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the leftwing Congresscritters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community investment Act that created the bubble help them—with their own money.

I’m tired of being told how bad America is by leftwing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the religious freedom and women’s rights of Saudi Arabia, the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for gay people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela. Won’t multiculturalism be beautiful?"

Obama sends a message of weakness to Iran

Sixth Grade teacher’s lesson in socialism

The following appeared in the Casper Star Tribune, March 20, letters to editor.

"I am conducting an experiment in my classroom for the benefit of my pupils. The results so far have been not only telling but also very entertaining.

The children liked the idea behind the story of Robinhood. They seemed to think that President Obama was a modern day Robinhood.

So I proposed that we also share, taking from the haves and giving to the have nots. The children thought that this was wonderful!

I told them that what we will do is average grades in the classroom. Those scoring an A can surely afford to accept a B or a C in order to transfer some of the value of their scores to students that were not doing so well to help them out.

On the first test the average score was a B-. Some students that has studied hard we a bit unhappy, but others that had not studied as hard were very happy.

The average score from the second test was a D. Without the motivation of a reward for their hard study, few of the students bothered to study at all. Those few that did study (and carried the class to the D) were very upset, as were most of the other students whom thought that they would "ride on the coattails" of the harder working students.

I cannot wait for the results of the next test and to see the reaction of the students. This little experiment in socialism is turning out just as expected. However, for my pupils a life lesson is being delivered which they had not anticipated, and that is the real value of this exercise."

Actually, I always felt this way about group or team projects where you received a grade or bonus based not on your own effort, but the group. There usually were at least one or two deadbeats who let others do the work while they complained, showed up late, or slept in.

Is this English?

". . . health disparities for disenfranchised individuals who are the victims of violence through ecologically-based interventions."

Yes, this is in Amy Bonomi's CV and she's an OSU professor on Facebook.

I think the problem grew when "wife beating" became "domestic violence" became "spousal abuse" became "intimate partner violence." The language is completely out of control.

Does she mean liberals?

Liberals have been in charge of the education of our young people, especially on the college campuses, for the last 40 years at least. So is it them she's writing about?

"[Susan] Jacoby argues [in her book The Age of American Unreason] that a mutant strain of public ignorance, anti-rationalism, and anti-intellectualism has developed over the past four decades and threatens the future of American democracy."

If she were a conservative, she wouldn't be speaking on the college campuses, right? Maybe she should have a heart to heart chat with the various feminists, area studies administrators, and feel-good, non-intellectual professors and see what they can contribute to her theories? Could they be squelching honest inquiry? Surely not! I still remember the young man who worked for me who was taking a women's studies course as an elective, and was terrified to use the word "human" (because it contained the word "man") in his paper. And then there was the OSU student I worked with during the McCain campaign:

"He told me that he has seen every one of Michael Moore's movies in his college classes! It was required. One was a biology course, one was a political science course, and I've forgotten the other two. For one class final in a Latin American history course the only question was to write an essay on the seven best things Fidel Castro had done for Cuba. In another course where the students needed to write a persuasive paper, he chose "Why the U.S. needs to drill in ANWR." His instructor, an honest but not particularly ethical woman, told him at the outset he'd need to choose another topic. She'd have to flunk him because he'd never be able to persuade her, no matter how good his argument or bibliography, she said. He says the ridiculing and trashing of the Bush administration has been relentless in all his classes."

Oh yeah. That really encourages intellectual honesty and debate. I looked through some reviews and found the usual collection of villains--fundamentalists, conservatives, Bushies--really odd since they haven't been in charge of Hollywood, the media, TV late night, gaming industry, cable entertainment, and have a tough time getting their books on to the shelves of the public libraries. Straw man up; knock him down. Yawn. Maybe she needs to check under the covers elsewhere?

There are 3 copies in our public library, which is going for another bond issue. Yes, right on top of all the stimulus applications our city government plans. Maybe we could get a 2-fer? Just got one about 2 years ago--maybe 3--I voted against it. Now that they don't have to buy 16 copies of anti-Bush titles, they should have enough money to run the place without putting their hand in our pockets again.

What did Peggy expect?

Peggy Noonan didn't like George W. Bush--I think because he didn't use her writing skills to promote his administration. As the years rolled on and the phone didn't ring, she went from wistfully subtle to wonkishly snark. Then during the 3 year long 2008 campaign she snuggled up with the Obama loving journalist crowd, lusting for his smooth talk and sexy ways. Party's over:

"These are the two great issues, the economic crisis and our safety. In the face of them, what strikes one is the weightlessness of the Obama administration, the jumping from issue to issue and venue to venue from day to day."

Sorry, Ms. Noonan, you lost me some years back. Maybe it just struck you, but most conservatives knew he was a wimp on security and profligate spender, way back. Don't come looking for safety and sound economics now. That's not what he signed on for.

Updating my trip log

It's a bit tedious, but I am continuing the trip log of the cruise, "Steps of Paul," but I have redated all of them for March 18 so they will be consecutive. So you won't see them at the top of the blog page. Yesterday I did a print preview, and although I'm not yet to Israel, it was over 30 pages. Yes, I'm old fashioned. I don't trust technology and I print anything I want to really save. Here's my Holy Land tour. The photo album is already put together, thanks to my husband who feels better than I do and is a tad more organized. He took over 700 photos, winnowed that to about 500, then bought an album that holds 402, so still had to make some painful decisions. He had it ready to show his breakfast group on Thursday.

What is a googlebot?

Occasionally this site is visited by "googlebot" located somewhere in California I think. For a 24 hour period it visits often and long. What is this? A person? A bot? Anyone know? Does your site get this? One visit last night was for 150 minutes or something like that. Is it updating my secret files?

Poverty study features tiny demographic

There's a new poverty report out on gay and lesbian couples who are poor (saw it in USA Today). Someone was running out of things to study, because in cities the poverty rate for male couples is 3.3% and for married couples 5.1%. Gay men are the wealthiest and best educated democraphic in the country--and yes, I'm sure some might be poor and uneducated. It's a tiny demographic to begin with. And children of same sex couples are less likely to be poor than children of single women simply because there are two incomes and 4 eyes. Apparently the study authors want to prove that lack of marriage benefits hurts children. Sorry, won't wash. For years no one but us paid our insurance, we had no retirement plan until we were in our 50s and I'm not eligible for my husband's Social Security because of my teacher's pension. Neither the government nor marriage can fix some things.

Traditional marriage between a man and woman, with the woman married to the father of her children, is statistically best in every study done for children in every category. That doesn't mean there aren't individual exceptions or that you didn't have a wonderful step-father, or a fabulous single mom. Think big here. Very few children grow up in poverty when it's done the way God planned it.

Friday Family Photo--Victory Garden

I see the First Lady is planting a Victory Garden on the White House grounds ala Mrs. Roosevelt, I guess because of her husband's deficit--certainly it's not because of the war. Those may be the most expensive beans and tomatoes she'll ever eat by the time you add in the cost of civil service employees to tend it, chase the rabbits away, and tote the water.




My father, who was in his 30s, enlisted in the Marines in March--and we appear to be in summer clothes, so this must be a few months later as we posed for our "victory garden" photo for Mother to send to him. Later we would all drive across the USA (I thought it was a great adventure) in that Ford to be near Daddy, and that's why I attended school in Alameda that fall.

Where's the teleprompter when you need him?

James Taranto's Great Orators of the Democratic Party

• "One man with courage makes a majority."--attributed to Andrew Jackson

• "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."--Franklin D. Roosevelt

• "The buck stops here."--Harry S. Truman

• "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."--John F. Kennedy

• "So for everybody in Washington who's busy scrambling, trying to figure out how to blame somebody else, just go ahead and talk to me, because it's my job to make sure that we fix these messes, even if I don't make them."--Barack Obama

Call in the reserve team

Why can't you find a single government official who will claim responsibility for those bonuses? Now it's Holbrooke, in addition to Dodd, Frank, Pelosi, Bernanke and Geithner who didn't know. Tweet! Is there anyone left on the bench to call to the floor?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Obama administration special envoy Richard Holbooke was on the American International Group Inc. board of directors in early 2008 when the insurance company locked in the bonuses now stoking national outrage.

Holbrooke, a veteran diplomat who is now the administration's point man on Pakistan and Afghanistan, served on the board between 2001 and mid-2008. During that period, AIG undertook the aggressive investment strategies that led to a near-collapse and forced a multibillion-dollar federal bailout.

President Barack Obama has insisted his administration was not responsible for AIG's financial woes, and a White House spokesman said Thursday that Holbrooke was unaware of AIG's decision to award retention bonuses to key employees.

"Mr. Holbrooke had nothing to do with and knew nothing about the bonuses," spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

The press would have crucified Bush for this one

Jay Leno slip. I'm not a very good athlete, but it would have never occurred to me to compare myself to the people who challenge themselves to compete in Special Olympics. They are true athletes in very sense of the word--heart, courage and ability. Is this something people joke about? If so, I've never once heard it. Poor TOTUS.



Here's what Special Olympics does for families with children who want to participate.

Airline with no heart

Our flight between Athens and JFK was on Olympic. I don't do a lot of flying, but it wasn't as nice as Lufthansa. Grumpy staff. Choice between a movie, cartoons and Frazier TV show. With tourism struggling, I think they could do more to be accomodating, pleasant (like smile), and we'll never know what made many of us sick--the water, the food or just a stomach bug we passed around, but some people have been extremely ill. Me? The works. There's a bathroom 5 ft. from my desk.

One woman in our group (but not on our flight) fell in the Cairo hotel and fractured bones in both legs. In other words, was totally disabled for a 31 hour trip and in horrible pain. Unfortunately, they apparently didn't get the medical flight insurance that one of our members had recommended (it's quite cheap). Anyway, although (I heard this 3rd hand) there were 6 empty seats in first class, they wouldn't let her and her husband sit there to have more room for her legs. So one in our group, who did have first class (and her husband was ill), moved to coach and let the injured woman have her seat. But the injured woman's husband and another man had to come from the coach section and carry her to the rest room. This happened on Delta.

Bad. Bad for business. We had a number of Greek Americans on our flight, but I don't think there were any on hers. On the other hand, other than complaining in Greek, I don't know what help they would have been. I don't know if there are any other airlines to take you to Athens.

P.S. The barf bags on Olympic are much more durable than Delta's. If you get sick, be sure to take a number with you as you exit the plane. We had about 10 between us and used them all.

The cost for hope and change--women and minorities hit hardest

“President Bush ran budget deficits averaging $300 billion annually. After harshly criticizing Bush's budget deficits, President Obama pro­posed a budget that would run deficits averaging $600 billion even after the economy recovers and the troops return home from Iraq. [Where, oh where, are all the weepers and moaners who decried the cost of the war for 6 years? nb]

The President's tax policy is the only sharp break in economic policy. President Bush reduced taxes by approximately $2 trillion; President Obama has proposed raising taxes by $1.4 trillion. In doing so, President Obama has rejected the most successful Bush fiscal policy. In the 18 months following the 2003 tax rate cuts, economic growth rates doubled, the stock market surged 32 percent, and the economy created 1.8 million jobs, followed by 5.2 million more jobs in the next 27 months. Not until the housing bubble burst several years later did the economy finally lose steam. Pro-growth lawmakers should embrace tax relief policies that have proven successful, while rejecting the runaway spending that has been business as usual in Washington. . . President Obama's pledge to halve the budget deficit by 2013 is hardly ambitious. The budget deficit will quadruple in 2009 to $1.75 trillion, and cutting that level in half would still leave deficits twice as high as under President Bush.” The Obama Budget

Will Congress stop the mob mentality and accept the blame?

Little in our congressional history can match the ridiculous behavior of this past week's hearings and mob scene over these bailout bonuses, written into a contract Congress hastily made in the final months of the Bush administration and early weeks of Obama's. They have embarrassed the entire country and the new President acting like gangs of thugs looking for blood. The bonuses are "retention contracts" to save AIG--or does Congress want to destroy a company it just bought? And $165 million is pennies next to the trillions they are sprinkling around, including to the willing hands of my own wealthy suburban government here in Ohio, and the combined losses to our retirement funds and other investments. The phony outrage is cover for the fact that neither Geithner or Paulson nor Congress or Bernacke have a clue about how to "bailout" the economy--they should have just let it recover on its own with the laws and regulations already in place and stop trying to "save" bad investments and failed government programs. A decade of failed programs in the 1930s and 40s taught them nothing except how to throw good money after bad.

“WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner confirmed yesterday that his department urged Sen. Chris Dodd to water down the executive-bonus limits included in last month's stimulus bill, a move that allowed the payment of $165 million in bonuses to American International Group employees.

As the House readied legislation to crack down on the outrage-inspiring bonuses, Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat who chairs the Banking Committee, and Geithner appeared at odds over who was really responsible for Congress' failure to prevent them in the first place.

Dodd, on the defensive over a loophole that enabled the bonuses to go forward, claimed the Obama administration insisted he modify his proposal to rein in bonuses at companies getting billions of dollars in financial bailouts so that it would only apply to payments agreed to in the future - thus clearing the way for the AIG payouts.” From Combined News Services report.

I hope the President enjoyed looking silly on Jay Leno's program; I awoke for a moment and heard him stammering at one soft ball questions, and pushed "click" for the 1970s reruns. Apparently the teleprompter (i.e. TOTUS) wasn't allowed on stage. See his blog for more on Obama's ad libs and the embarrassment it causes TOTUS.

What has happened to your nest egg?