Norma's plan for wealth and security--at your expense

This may look a little ragged---I sketched it out in about 10 minutes at the coffee shop this morning and I only have a little time before I leave for exercise class, but here's a reasonable draft. If you follow this, you'll be set for life with a very comfortable income with lots of perks, plus you'll feel so good about doing good.

1) Bring together a group of like minded friends--in your home would be best--for coffee and dessert.

2) Present a "problem" or "need"--could be anything you've noticed and tsk tsk'd about.

Maybe water use on the OSU golf course

wild life in the creek that runs through the neighborhood

non-native species, birds or plants, taking habitat and changing the ecology

roaming homeless people who show up in the community riding the bus from down town

no afterschool social programs or latch key for autistic children

be creative!

3) Everyone shares their "rolodex"--who we know, our neighbors, friends, members of city council, members of the state legislature or regulatory boards, boards of directors of non-profits, boards of trustees at the university and colleges we attended, department chairs at OSU, members of local Chamber, Rotary, Lions, etc.

4) Plan a fund raiser--maybe a silent auction, a "run for awareness," or a tent at a larger community festival, art show, or school event. This not only raises money but broadens your base of support--you need more people to feel invested emotionally and mentally in your plan.

5) Write your mission and vision statement/plan; open a bank account; rent a P.O. box for an address; appoint officers. I, of course, will be at the top. Find recognizable names and appoint a board that won't have to do anything except have their names displayed. Make sure one of your volunteers is a lawyer. You'll need a charter and organizing document. Apply for 501 C 3 non-profit status for your organization (charity, scientific, save animals, etc.). After you get this, it's doubtful anyone will check on you in the future, unless you do something screwy, like appear on the Glenn Beck show or dance nude in front of the city building.

6) Apply for grants from local foundations. Grant writing is an art--so you'll want to find a member in your group that has some experience in this. I used to do this, but it was years ago, so you won't ask me.

7) Using that small amount of grant money you can do a marketing campaign, pay for a professionally designed web "presence" and offer one or two educational events (again, this isn't for information, but for broadening your base of support). Get your little group on facebook and Twitter. Blog it to death. So far, you've not saved a single bird, or drop of water, or plant, but it takes a lot of money and time to gear up for the big reveal.

8) Reevaluate your mission, members and message. Redesign to become "green,", "sustainable," or "eco-something." No matter what your original concern was, this step is absolutely critical for further funding.

If you chose wildlife, you can expand to deer killed on the interstate, and you know what that means--big bad SUVs and semi's slurping up petroleum products shipped here from the middle east making us oil dependent so we need more wind mills to save the deer and stop the war in the middle east. See how easy it is to grow?

If you chose afterschool programs for autistic children, you can branch into investigations of products, healthy foods, anti-vaccine campaigns, or any of the larger health care concerns. There are lots of people on this band wagon, so it's a little dicey--not as safe as energy needs.

9) Apply for major funding and gifts--national foundations (there are thousands of these set up by rich entreprenuers to protect their wealth and run 2 generations later by feel-good, guilt-ridden descendants), state grants (which come from and are laundered from the federal) and federal grants when you're ready. There are thousands--most with very little oversight until the next administration comes in, so now's a good time.

10) Put me (or you) and your BBF BFF (a BBF was a local hamburger) on salary--nothing flashy--maybe $75-80,000 a year with full benefits. This is all covered in the 501 C 3 instructions. You don't want to raise any red flags. But make it comfortable. It's the perks that come from the travel to conferences and meetings in exotic locales, the schmoozing with other movers and shakers, and all those great connections for home loans, investment opportunities and good deals at wholesale that really make this job pay.

I don't want you to think I was smart enough to think this up on my own. No, I just read an interesting history of a non-profit in their latest annual report, and this is how the Ohio Housing Trust Fund went from a rag tag group of volunteers with no budget 20 years ago to a constitutionally backed budget of $56 million in the 2008-2009 Ohio Biennium Budget. Or you can follow and back track any group linked to Fannie Mae, whose front man is Barnie Frank. Just now I googled, "affordable house" + Fannie Mae + grants and found an amazing group of attractive annual reports. Go to it--I have to run to class.

CNU--Another non-profit seeking to change you

The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is the leading organization promoting walkable, neighborhood-based development as an alternative to sprawl. Not the nanny state exactly, but certainly one of the nagger earth groups. Many of these same building and design career groups gave us urban sprawl and mile after mile of cul-du-sacs and congested feeder roads 30-50 years ago. Now they’re unhappy with it, want you to move back down town, and walk every where. Good luck!

"CNU takes a proactive, multi-disciplinary approach to restoring our communities. Members are the life of the organization – they are the planners, developers, architects, engineers, public officials, investors, and community activists who create and influence our built environment, transforming growth patterns from the inside out, and making it easier for people to live healthy lives. Whether it's bringing restorative plans to hurricane-battered communities in the Gulf Coast, turning dying malls into vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods, or reconnecting isolated public housing projects to the surrounding fabric, new urbanists are providing leadership in community building.

Our relationship with our members allows us to do more than just talk about the problems of the built environment. Together, we are creating tools that make it easier to put New Urbanism into practice around the world.

CNU advocates the restructuring of public policy and development practices to support the restoration of existing urban centers and towns within coherent metropolitan regions. We stand for the reconfiguration of sprawling suburbs into communities of real neighborhoods and diverse districts, the conservation of natural environments, and the preservation of our built legacy.

Rebuilding neighborhoods, cities, and regions is profoundly interdisciplinary. We believe that community, economics, environment, health and design need to be addressed simultaneously through urban design and planning."

Oh, and it is also an international movement and very, very green--asking for lots and lots of money from the government (that's your tax money) to tear down, and start over.

Key words to look for in this movement are: sustainable, targeted, mixed use, proximity, access, mixed income, self-sufficiency, community, transect-zones, pedestrian friendly, green-space, job-creation, transportation reform, housing mix, smart growth, street design alternatives, low-carbon--think a 1930s movie about a fantasy 19th century city--no cars, happy people chatting on street corners, and ordering from the butcher personally. Or the setting for the Huxtable townhouse on the Bill Cosby TV show in the mid-1980s.

Just remember, these are the people who just 25-30 years ago brought us urban centers that looked like cereal boxes in a row, empty pedestrian malls in cities to bring shoppers down town, shops and boutiques in renovated factories, and here in Columbus, we got the fabulous City Center, just about 20 years ago which is now slated for demolition. Here in suburban Upper Arlington we've got one of these "mixed-use" complexes about 2 miles down the road that looks totally inappropriate, with about 10% occupancy because of the recession, across from a mall that they are bulldozing and rebuilding.

Obscene profits of health insurance companies?

President Obama, July 22: "Now, you know, there had been reports just over the last couple of days of insurance companies making record profits. Right now, at the time when everybody’s getting hammered, they’re making record profits and premiums are going up."

Speaker of the House, Pelosi, July 27: “I’m very pleased that our Chair of our Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and member of the leadership will be talking too about the immoral profits being made by the insurance industry and how those profits have increased in the Bush years. We all believe in the profit motive; we all want to reward success. But having that success come at the expense of America’s working families — have that success come by withholding care, when a person becomes ill, is just not right and we’re going to take this issue in a new direction."

Don't you just want to weep over those immoral, record profits--and yet they are 86th measured by profit margin. There are 85 industries more profitable than Health Care Plans (includes Cigna, Aetna, WellPoint, HealthSpring, etc.). So who will they go after next? The brewery business? #1 is Brewers at 25.9%--no wonder Obama tried to cover his mistakes by inviting the guys over for a beer. #15 is railroads. #31 at 7.1 is cleaning products! Auto parts stores is 5.8 for slot 53--not even close to health insurance. Hospitals are #77. August 12, Carpe Diem

Fox News Ratings Soar After Snub From Obama

After Anita Dunn went after Fox News (and her admiration for Mao was revealed), the ratings on Fox soared. The top 11 shows are on the Fox News Channel. Why do you suppose that is? For starters, they present more than 24/7 ONO, the Obama News Only (pronounced Oh No!). In fact, with their commentators, there are usually 2, 3, or 4 points of views. But liberals are so ga-ga over their gotta-get-over-the-guilt candidate (who just keeps campaigning), they think anyone who questions him or his programs must be evil and shut down. The same people who went bonkers over the Patriot Act (which was bipartisan and intended for terrorists) have no problem at all shutting down a news agency and sending out thought police under the guise of "hate speech" regulations.

HT Silicon Alley Insider

President Obama wants to hear from you

Really. He said so many times. Not all blacks voted for him. Not all gays are liberals. Not all women are feminists. Not all Hispancis crossed the border in this century. Not everyone at the tea parties were Republican retirees. He says you should speak out, you should effect change, so JUST DO IT!!

Here are the president's words, and a link where you can go to write a letter to your local papers (based on your zip code) so you don't have to reenter the information several times.

“I have always said that I don’t think that the LGBT [insert your group here] community should take its cues from me or some political leader in terms of what they think is right for them. Real change comes from the bottom up, not the top down. As your President, I will fight to make LGBT equality a reality at the federal level. But it is the LGBT community [insert your name, family, group, church here] that has to decide what is in their best interest, and to help make it happen by engaging actively with the political process.”
Barack Obama, April 30, 2008


"This is what change looks like when it happens from the bottom up. And in this election, your voices will be heard.

Because at a time when so many people are struggling to keep up with soaring costs in a sluggish economy, we know that the status quo in Washington just won’t do. Not this time. Not this year. We can’t keep playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expect a different result – because it’s a game that ordinary Americans are losing….

The politics of hope does not mean hoping things come easy. Because nothing worthwhile in this country has ever happened unless somebody, somewhere stood up when it was hard; stood up when they were told – no you can’t, and said yes we can."
Barack Obama, February 13, 2008


". . . it’s so important that you continue to speak out, that you continue to set an example, that you continue to pressure leaders — including me — and to make the case all across America.
Barack Obama, October 10, 2009

Let's take him at his word. He wants us to speak up, stand up, demand no more same old, same old, from corrupt, pork crazed, deficit deranged politicians!

Then go to this link, it's extremely easy to fill out your message to your local papers, (it's Obama's own website) and be clear, specific and polite.

Here's mine--and I think I clicked on the Columbus Dispatch, WSJ and USAToday. Whether their editors are honoring these, I don't know. But it certainly is easier than contacting each one and trying to figure out different templates. It has a preview before you send, with an easy editing feature. Of course, Obama will have your home address and e-mail, . . . but oh well, did you think he wouldn't know?

Easy solutions for fixing health care [subject line you fill in]

[Message] Our system will work much better if competition across state lines is included in the plan. Once we eliminate the fraud from Medicare and Medicaid we will have a template for reform; but let's not add to that plate until we've cleaned it up. People in this country illegally are breaking the law and should not be eligible for any plan, not employers, not public option. The government should not be silencing people who have alternative views any more than it should be taking over private businesses and running them. And that includes insurance companies, car companies, banks, small businesses, large businesses. That's statism, and it's not the hope and change Americans voted for. Also, Democrats and Republicans both seem much too cozy with lawyers and don't want to consider tort reform. Why is that?

Also, legislators who have broken laws--ethics or tax--should be excluded from the process until they are cleared.

Only about 10% of our citizens are without health care in any given week/month. That's probably about the number who also want vaccines. When we get the vaccine campaigns correct without fear, scare tactics and declared national emergencies, maybe we can move to larger targets.

A generation that applauds for death panels

Last night Glenn Beck looked into the camera (wearing glasses) and reminded us there is a generational divide in support of the take over of America's health system, of the generation that is supporting the President's health plan. They applauded Robert Reich in 2007 when he spoke at Berkeley about how elders were not going to be treated because it is too expensive. Beck read to us a letter from a reader of Time magazine about their cover story on him. It truly was chilling.

"I had to wait through eight years of an administration that brought this country to the brink. Frankowski should sit down quietly while the rest of us get to the task of cleaning up Bush's mess. Besides, this health-care debate isn't about those over 30; it's about the millions of uninsured, recently graduated young people saddled with loans we can't imagine paying off, who are sick and tired of living in an abyss created by our elders' stupidity. Obama would be smart to focus on college towns. Step aside, grandma. We want health care and we want it now."

Today I came across a blog, SanityRanch.com no longer active, where the last item written Aug. 22, 2008, was this:

I just received my eldest daughter’s senior year yearbook from Pomona High School, Arvada CO. I am at the moment shaking as I write this post. The yearbook, cover to cover, bears a font which would be perfect on a slasher-flick poster. It’s a Halloween font, with every single letter dripping black blood. Every page, every header, and to cap it off every single child’s name in the baby picture section. MY child’s name, right there above her angelic smiling toddler face, dripping black blood.

This is the result of a generation of children raised with time-outs. This is the result of a teenaged yearbook staff allowed to run the entire process without adult supervision. This is the result of a generation of kids being raised in what has been described as a culture of death. Names above baby pictures, dripping blood.

The kind of thing people like Michael Schiavo, and nearly the entire nation of Denmark and the state of Oregon, might just approve of.

Traumatized, shocked, appalled. And thinking quite seriously if litigation.

My daughter’s senior memories, dripping black blood.

Long before Glenn Beck was even at Fox, she certainly knew about this generational divide.

Is it H1N1, just regular flu or a cold?

There are reports that any flu patient seen by a hospital or doctor is being reported as having H1N1, which could account for the numbers in the latest crisis the government is promoting. A few days ago CBS reported in a month's long investigation, state-by-state results of tests for H1N1 found that most cases were negative. (Remember, never waste a crisis--Rahm Emanuel) Although why, during the health care push Obama would want to emphasize how ineffective and chaotic this drive to get people vaccinated is, I can't imagine. If they can't handle this, how will they handle 300 million? In Columbus, you can't even get the regular vaccine, and people stand in line for hours on a rumor for H1N1. Anyway, I looked it up, and maybe this is just another urban legend, but here's what I found, and I think I've read this before.

"H1N1 is a type of viruses, comprising dozens different strains. No specific strain was ever shown to be the cause of this particular new swine flu, chiefly because it was never shown to be present in all the cases, then or now. But from the outset, the national media was counting all these numbers as cases of the disease even there was no verifiable method for specifically identifying the disease. Without a screening test, the cases were being diagnosed by symptoms only. This is precisely what happened with the nonexistent Avian flu of 4 years ago. [5] If we're diagnosing by symptoms only, then any case of any flu can be counted. And that's exactly what has happening here all along with swine flu."

No longer than these vaccines have had to be developed and the short time to be proven effective, we're essentially testing them on children! Another doctor says there has been no testing since July--so why are these being counted as H1N1 if no one knows?

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Will Obama attack them too, or are they protected from his anger and ire because of their Spanish surnames? The web site of the El Paso Chamber (all in English, incidentally). According to today's WSJ wealthy Mexicans are migrating to El Paso in the largest number since the revolution of 1910. Link. Murder has exploded in Juarez, now at 300 a month (Isn't that more than Iraq and Afghanistan?). Even the non-rich need body guards to stay in business, so they are moving to El Paso.

Cindy Ramos-Davidson, chief executive of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said her staff was swamped with requests from Juárez businesspeople wanting to settle in El Paso. They started more than 200 companies in the 12 months ended July 31, a 40% jump from the same period last year.

WalMart believes Moms don't watch Beck

On October 9 I wrote to Eduardo Castro-Wright of Walmart in Bentonville, AR about pulling advertising from Glenn Beck because of pressure from groups like Color of Change and MoveOn.org. I pointed out that they need a capitalist country if they are going to succeed and advertising with Beck, an old fashioned "muckraker" will help restore our economy (even though he's not a journalist--most of them are either dead or cowed into submission by pressure from special interest groups or the White House). Even though there is a black man in the White House, we Americans are being insulted and called racists by the leftist and marxist groups that support him. So when Obama showed he was one of them--prejudging an entire segment of the country in the Gates incident--Beck called him on it.

Do you know what Walmart wrote back? In an unsigned letter some department called "Executive Communications" wrote a reply very condescending to women, addressing me as "Dear Norma," about my "reaching out to us."

"Our ads are targeted at moms, and fundamentally these ads are about saving people money so they can live better. We buy advertising on shows that run the spectrum politically and socially because we want to be on the programs moms are watching. As our core customer, she is "the boss." At the same time, we want to make sure our commercials don't appear in programs that detract from the message we are trying to deliver."

Wow. Apparently they haven't read any of the conservative, politically astute mommy bloggers that I read. Ladies, I think you have your work cut out for you. Walmart thinks you're not interested in the future of the country. And just where is that "spectrum" of different political and social ideas? Even the comedy and drama series are getting their talking points from the White House. Are the moms only watching football? Gambling? Food channel? Those are the only shows I can think of whose outcomes haven't been influenced by the White House directives to continue campaigning for Obama's take over of health care and the global warming myths.

Also, there's a grammatical error in the first paragraph, but I won't embarrass them by pointing it out on my blog. Also, they seem to think Glenn Beck is a cable "news" show--another mistake. Opinion disguised as news is what Katie Couric and the New York Times do.

Rosie's done one thing right

Her chair. I saw a photo of her today in USAToday doing her Sirius XM radio show on satellite. It appears she's sitting in an Aeron Herman Miller chair. Oh, how I miss mine.

She's irreverent, irrelevant and irritating, but she loves Obama so she won't get get hassled for her opinion by the White House, which only complains about right wing opinions and tries to close them down. She'll probably have Anita Dunn, the Mao-admirer who told high school kids he was an example of choosing your own path in life (not mentioning he was responsible for the deaths of 70 million.) Maybe they could discuss body disposal.

Bonita's Apples

Bonita is a blogger I follow who takes the most wonderful photographs--especially of food (always very healthy and often over a campfire), her family outings in the mountains or interesting places, and her Bahai fellowship. We got permission to use one as a reference photo for a painting (by my husband) and this is the result. The cat didn't want to get up so she came along for the show. He didn't like it, but I made some suggestions and I think he's going to keep it. I think a bit more dark on the right side of the oar would really give more depth, but he says no.

Our trip to New England October 1977--Monday Memories

Today I was looking through the photo album of our trip to New England in October 1977. The photos were taken with my little instamatic camera and the plastic pages of the album have pretty much sucked out all the color, although I think it was gray much of the trip. Plus I taped the description on the open end, so it's virtually impossible to take any photos out. But here's one that many people, particularly artists, will recognize--Motif #1 in Rockport, Massachusetts. It may be the most painted scene in America.

Also on that trip we stopped in Boston for two days and stayed with my college roommate, Dora Hsiung and her husband, who is also an architect and a watercolorist like my husband. Dora and I roomed together at McKinley Hall at the University of Illinois. So I went into Google to see what shows she's doing these days and found a slide show selection of her work of fifty wall hangings, installations and sculptures, many large-scale, which are on view at the Chinese Culture Center (CCC) in San Francisco as part of its Xian Rui (Fresh and Sharp) exhibition series. She is a fabulous artist, and I still have the fabric piece she gave me in 1977, and always look forward to their Christmas cards.


Find more images like this on Chinese Culture Center Online Gallery


Photos of Dora and me in the 50s and 80s

Still clueless about what Obama is doing

ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" October 25.

When will our vigilant, "free" press wake up? Yes, they are nibbling around the edges, but only Laura Ingraham nails it. Where else do you see this kind of passion from the White House, except when attacking America's free speech? And this is the guy who's had a free ride to the White House from the press--yes, even from Fox News. But Laura, the ratings will make no difference when he shuts you down after shutting you out! It's all a cover so we don't focus on what's really happening.



HT David Zurawik, Baltimore Sun.

The fun way to change behavior

Probably works better than lectures and finger wagging from the nanny state.

Florida gets the most--$580,096,634

Treasury Dept. Press Release on ARRA Housing money

Call me crazy, but I think "supporting local developers," "working quickly," "tax credits," "innovative programs," and "building affordable housing," are what brought us to this mess.

"WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration's efforts to strengthen communities and ease pressures on the housing market, the U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced $284 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funding to spur the development of affordable housing in California. To date, 45 state housing authorities have been awarded a total of $3.1 billion in payments in lieu of tax credits for affordable housing projects.

This innovative Recovery Act program allows the federal government to partner with states to support local developers and helps ensure that housing developers can access the financing necessary to build affordable housing," said Treasury Deputy Secretary Neal Wolin. "We have worked quickly to make available more than $3 billion to state housing agencies, and we expect to see continued efforts at the state level, so that these funds can be delivered to the communities that need it most."

In May 2009, the Treasury Department launched an innovative program to provide payments in lieu of tax credits to state housing agencies to jump start the development or renovation of qualified affordable housing for families across the country. Upon receiving notice of these allocations, state housing agencies manage a competitive process to disburse funds to qualified developers. This is an ongoing program open to additional state applications through 2010."

More low income people pushed into mortgages they can't afford to supply jobs for the building trades and unions.

Maybe it's Kerry's first term?

At some very far left blogs, I've seen grousing (swearing, cursing, gutter language like you wouldn't believe!) that Obama is doing a Bush third term. No indeed, they are not happy with the hope and change--it looks like Bush retreads to them. They know and we know why he's waffling on his assurances to us during the campaign. So Dick Cheney's speech at the Republican Convention in 2004 looks more interesting. Maybe, Obama is really Kerry's first term, minus the experience and the military service, of course? Wanting to be under the authority of the UN, seeking approval from our critics, flip flopping on a variety of issues--yes, except for the lack of experience, it all sounds very familier.

"The President's opponent is an experienced senator. He speaks often of his service in Vietnam, and we honor him for it. But there is also a record of more than three decades since. And on the question of America's role in the world, the differences between Senator Kerry and President Bush are the sharpest, and the stakes for the country are the highest. History has shown that a strong and purposeful America is vital to preserving freedom and keeping us safe — yet time and again Senator Kerry has made the wrong call on national security. Senator Kerry began his political career by saying he would like to see our troops deployed "only at the directive of the United Nations." During the 1980s, Senator Kerry opposed Ronald Reagan's major defense initiatives that brought victory in the Cold War. In 1991, when Saddam Hussein occupied Kuwait and stood poised to dominate the Persian Gulf, Senator Kerry voted against Operation Desert Storm.

Even in this post-9/11 period, Senator Kerry doesn't appear to understand how the world has changed. He talks about leading a "more sensitive war on terror," as though Al Qaeda will be impressed with our softer side. He declared at the Democratic Convention that he will forcefully defend America — after we have been attacked. My fellow Americans, we have already been attacked, and faced with an enemy who seeks the deadliest of weapons to use against us, we cannot wait for the next attack. We must do everything we can to prevent it — and that includes the use of military force.

Senator Kerry denounces American action when other countries don't approve — as if the whole object of our foreign policy were to please a few persistent critics. In fact, in the global war on terror, as in Afghanistan and Iraq, President Bush has brought many allies to our side. But as the President has made very clear, there is a difference between leading a coalition of many, and submitting to the objections of a few. George W. Bush will never seek a permission slip to defend the American people.

Senator Kerry also takes a different view when it comes to supporting our military. Although he voted to authorize force against Saddam Hussein, he then decided he was opposed to the war, and voted against funding for our men and women in the field. He voted against body armor, ammunition, fuel, spare parts, armored vehicles, extra pay for hardship duty, and support for military families. Senator Kerry is campaigning for the position of commander in chief. Yet he does not seem to understand the first obligation of a commander in chief — and that is to support American troops in combat.

In his years in Washington, John Kerry has been one of a hundred votes in the United States Senate — and very fortunately on matters of national security, his views rarely prevailed. But the presidency is an entirely different proposition. A senator can be wrong for 20 years, without consequence to the nation. But a president — a president — always casts the deciding vote. And in this time of challenge, America needs — and America has — a president we can count on to get it right.

On Iraq, Senator Kerry has disagreed with many of his fellow Democrats. But Senator Kerry's liveliest disagreement is with himself. His back-and- forth reflects a habit of indecision, and sends a message of confusion. And it is all part of a pattern. He has, in the last several years, been for the No Child Left Behind Act — and against it. He has spoken in favor of the North American Free Trade Agreement — and against it. He is for the Patriot Act — and against it. Senator Kerry says he sees two Americas. It makes the whole thing mutual — America sees two John Kerrys.

2004 Republican National Convention on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2004

Has Bill McKibben abandoned Jesus for Al Gore?

Looking back through his writings, I'd say YES. Five or ten years ago he was obsessed with correcting self-centered, me-and-Jesus Christianity, the failures of dispensationalism on the one end and Rick Warren on the other, with some CO2 and environmentalism as top dressing. Oddly, I didn't find much criticism of the humanistic, communistic, peace and justice Christians. The ones whose churches have emptied out from lack of following Jesus. From admiring Cuba's agriculture, to criticizing just about everything in American culture, his Christian veneer is desperately thin, even five years ago. Yesterday, the big 350 event, shows he's completely moved to climate changism. Algorism. No more "let's pretend". Since Jesus put all Creation in motion, (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. John 1:1-3 RSV), it's odd to see yet another man-made, spiritual but not Christian, movement go global. Ah, the power of the internet. Paul was much more convincing back in the first century and demanded much more of people than demonstrating, painted faces, group projects, and protests. Yes, much more demanding.

Hundreds of photos at the 350 site. From expensive sail boats to high tech bicycles. But I thought this one on the site of a destroyed culture seemed to best illustrate what eco-fundamentalists want for us--especially America. Didn't the rulers of some of these civilizations need human sacrifice to stay in power?

Atheist Pat Condell speaks out on free speech

It's not often I agree with an atheist about religion, but this be one of those times.



Our First Amendment rights are under attack.

Giving out awards

A The New Republic Jonathan Chait notes in "The case against awards" that:

"A recent statistical analysis by Robert T. Hodgson, published in the Journal of Wine Economics (I kid you not), found that a wine that wins one competition is no more likely to win another competition than any other wine. Which is to say, wine awards are handed out completely at random. If you listen to movie buffs, they will tell you that the Academy Awards regularly commit unforgiveable sins of commission or omission. Look closely at any field that gives out awards, and you will probably find that injustice is more the rule than the exception.

I've often suspected as much at art shows when I look at the winners. However, since I think the point of his article was to reference Obama's recent prize when he erroneously says, "the committee frequently chooses recipients in order to encourage or empower them, rather than to reward actual achievement" at least I can't think of any examples, one person comments:

Originally the award was designed to be given to those who had done the most to bring about peace. This means it should go to international mediators and those who make peace with their internal or external enemies. While there might not be good candidates every year, there are many who fit this criterion who haven't received the award. It took the Nobel Committee in Oslo 23 years to award Carter for mediating the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. There are two figures in the Obama administration who deserve it for their work in the Clinton administration: George Mitchell for mediating the Good Friday Agreement in Belfast in 1998; Richard Holbrooke for mediating the Dayton Accords for Bosnia in 1995. Obama should give each of them half of the peace prize.

I think I could go for that--split it with people who deserve it. Although wasn't Clinton given the credit for the Belfast Agreement? He certainly is revered in Ireland.

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