New shoes and voting advice

This morning I went to Kohl's (15% off for seniors) to buy a replacement for my Nikes. This would be my third pair in 2009--having discovered that the way to combat hip pain in the middle of the night is to make sure I'm wearing sturdy shoes when exercising or walking during the day. So I did find an exact match for what I bought in the summer, Nike Steady VI, "Nike Steady VI Leather Women's Training Shoe, with textile upper and satin webbing detail." What attracted me to this shoe is its simplicity. It doesn't blink or bling, is plain white and relatively trim. Why women wear ugly fat purple and black shoes, I have no idea. If I do run an errand after exercise class I'm not embarrassed to walk into the grocery store. In fact, until I saw the photo, I didn't even realize the Nike logo was in grey--I guess I can't see it when I'm wearning them.

When I got to the check-out, the beautiful, young cashier noticed my "I voted today," sticker and asked me about the issues, because she was going to vote later--her first election. I told her there were 3 constitutional changes on the ballot, all unneccesary, and I specifically told her about Issue 2, because that's the one that has everyone confused by the conflicting ads. Is it pro-agribusiness or pro-animal rights? Or neither. I advised her (since that's what librarian types do) to vote no on all 3 because regardless of their merits or faults, it wasn't necessary to change the constitution to do what laws or regulations could do. The people in line behind me chimed in and agreed. They were in Columbus from a confluence of two other states that do have casinos (issue 3) and were vigorous in their condemnation of what happens, regardless of what money it brought to the state. Gambling always gets a foot in the door by pleading a good cause--like the lottery was going to solve all our education funding problems--but it's like opening the door to let out a fly, and bats, bees, and burglars come in.

I took a different route home because of the road construction in front of our house and you don't want to have to turn left going or coming. I passed a shopping center I used to frequent in my working days and was amazed by the changes, including a restaurant that is now under another name where my colleagues and I went many times.

Obama makes Bush his Blame Czar

"The Senior Adviser [Valerie Jarrett] seems to have forgotten that she is the power [fretting about the tea parties and town halls]. Admittedly, this is a recurring lapse on the part of the administration. There was Barack Obama only the other day, blaming everything on the president – no, no, silly, not him, the other fellow, the Designated Fall Guy who stepped down as head of state in January to accept the new constitutional position of Blame Czar. Musing on problems in Afghanistan, Obama blamed the "long years of drift" under his predecessor. The new president – OK, newish president – has been Drifter-in-Chief for almost a year but he's too busy speaking truth to the former power to get on top of the situation. It could be a while yet. In his more self-regarding moments, such as his speech to the United Nations, he gives the strong impression that the "long years of drift" began in 1776. Mark Steyn

Dear Mary Jo Kilroy

What are you people doing? HR3926 is even worse than the last one. And do you really believe that people your age with a serious illness like MS will be better served with Medicaid-lite? You are destroying one of the best health care systems in the world. Are you planning to give up your insurance and take the public option?

You have the worst e-mail template I've ever used. You don't use the extra 4 digits on your website--why do you want us to?

H.R. 3926

You can track it, or any legislation, here. Here is the pretty, but distorted and bloated, title: "To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care..."

And there's a word of caution at the site: "This bill is very large, and loading it may cause your web browser to perform sluggishly, or even freeze. This is especially true for old and/or bad browsers. As an alternative you can download the PDF of the bill or read the text on THOMAS." And they were right. I clicked. It spun a bit, then sputtered.

If you can get to Washington by Thursday there is a protest being planned. They are ignoring our letters, phone calls and e-mail. Congress just doesn't get it. They should have cleaned up the mess in the government plans we already have wasting millions a year. But no. They wanted something even bigger and messier.

I don't know anyone who has had their health insurance cancelled for going beyond the limits of the policy, or for not disclosing a prior condition. I'm sure it happens. However, I do know several who have waited months or years through numerous appeals, and piles of documentation, waiting for some level of government to act on their case. We also know, that this bill will cut the benefits for seniors, and that will immediately put a burden on the "sandwich" generation who will then need to be doing more hands on care--along with that garden the President wants you to plant in the back yard, and the clothes line you'll need as we become energy starved. Oh, hope and change.

Third Party Power

All the talking heads and political hacks are painting the congressional race in NY-23rd as a rift in the Republican ranks. It is not. It is a third party candidate proving that the Republicans and Democrats can be made irrelevant in the face of tea party power. It is proving this in the full glare of the national spotlight. And the only way that the entrenched politicians can save their own bacon is by spinning the story to distract the public from the obvious truth. All the king-makers’ horses and all the king-makers’men cannot defeat an honest tea party patriot once ordinary Americans wake up.

Read about it at American Daughter.

Vote NO on Issue 2 Ohio

What is Issue 2?

Issue 2 is a ballot issue that Ohio voters will decide tomorrow, in the November 3, 2009 general election. The issue proposes an amendment to the Ohio Constitution that addresses the care of livestock in Ohio.

The ads are even more confusing than issue 3, sometimes making the same argument for and against. But having worked in the agriculture library for three and a half years and the veterinary medicine library for fourteen (yes, I know that's strange for a Russian major, Spanish/History minor), I'm very, very familiar with the animal rights organizations and agribusiness. Either way, I smell a rat. There is absolutely no need for this. All areas of agriculture and animal health are extremely regulated both for safety and health of humans and animals. No one needs to amend the Constitution for this any more than they need to amend the Constitution to fix sidewalks, repair sewers, or build wind mills.

It's important to remember--there is no definition for "family farm." Not in the dictionary, not in the state constitution. It's just a useful tool for advertising and can mean anything you want it to mean.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture already has the authority to do all the things this newly created board is supposed to do.

Ohio is well covered by animal cruelty laws.

No other state in the nation has anything like this, not even wacko California.

See "Legal Questions and Answers about Issue 2,
The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board Ballot Issue"

Business Reply University of Illinois Foundation

Faculty Profile

The best and the brightest? Who?

"I don’t actually remember anyone accusing Obama’s team of being the best and brightest. I do remember one calling himself a Communist, another saying in public that Mao was her favorite philosopher, and another being Joe Biden. They were last seen picking a fight with Fox News that everyone agrees was idiotic, and getting in another public fight with their own handpicked general over the strategy they announced earlier this year." Dave Price at The blog formerly known as. . . commenting on Ted Sorenson's article

If you lived in the 60s, I guess all wars are Vietnam. Does anyone remember we abandoned our allies and sent millions to their deaths?

Isn't this how we got this mess?

Putting people into mortgages who couldn't afford them? And have you seen the fraud in the first period?

Administration Calls on Congress to Approve Key Housing Measures

"WASHINGTON, DC – Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan called on Congress to approve three important measures to improve housing and the housing market for Americans: extension of the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit for a limited period, extension of higher loan limits for home mortgages, and secure funding for the Housing Trust Fund.

"We welcome efforts taken by Congress to extend the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit for a limited period. This credit has brought new families into the housing market and contributed to three consecutive months of rising home prices nationwide," said Secretaries Geithner and Donovan. "In extending the credit, we urge Congress to include strict measures to combat tax fraud and protect responsible homeowners. We also urge Congress to act swiftly to extend the loan limits that currently apply to most mortgages, helping make rates more affordable for middle-class families. Finally, we will work with Congress to identify a financing source for the Housing Trust Fund, which will help provide decent housing for families hardest hit by the current economic downturn."

"These three measures will help support our efforts to stabilize the housing market by providing support for the recovery in housing prices, keeping mortgage rates low, and helping people who can afford their homes to avoid foreclosure," said Secretary Geithner.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said, "These three measures provide comprehensive support to our recovering housing market and continued access to affordable housing. While extending the tax credit and higher loan limits will help promote homeownership, funding the Housing Trust Fund will provide assistance to renter households impacted by the economic crisis." " from U.S. Department of the Treasury, October, 29, 2009

It feels good to be a victim

AlfonZo has another one. Rapping about victicrats.

HT Michelle Malkin

Geithner and Rangel combating tax evasion?

I think this message from tax cheat Geithner about tax cheat Rangel would be amusing if we can laugh and gag all at the same time.

"The legislation introduced today by Chairman Rangel and Chairman Baucus follows through on the Administration's commitment to combating offshore tax evasion and ensuring a level playing field. For too long, individuals have taken advantage of the system by hiding money in accounts overseas, while millions of families and small businesses here at home pay the price. This legislation will reduce the amount of taxes lost through the illegal use of hidden accounts and is the next step in making sure that everyone pays their fair share.

"This legislation fits well into the Administration's dual-track strategy of improving our domestic tax laws while increasing global cooperation on tax information exchange to help narrow the tax gap and create the fairer tax system we need. We have had great success recently in working with countries around the world to increase tax information exchange as part of the global effort to end offshore tax evasion.

"In addition to the leadership of Chairman Rangel and Chairman Baucus, I want to acknowledge the work of Senators Kerry and Levin and Representatives Neal and Doggett in support of a strong international tax enforcement agenda."

Rangel has out of the country real estate that rents for over $1000 a night but he claims just a mild oversight for 20 years. You try that. Geithner misreported his overseas income until he was caught, and then continued.

And these are the non-Marxists in the administration! Yikes.

ObamaCare and your insurance premiums. There’s no free lunch.

Despite indignant Democratic denials, the near-certainty is that their plan will cause costs to rise across the board. The latest data on this score come from a series of state-level studies from the insurance company WellPoint Inc. Using their own data it modeled ObamaCare in 14 states. Democrats who can‘t read their own bills or return calls and e-mails of worried voters, were lightning fast on trashing WellPoints data:

In all of the 14 states WellPoint scrutinized, ObamaCare would drive up premiums for the small businesses and individuals who are most of WellPoint's customers. (Other big insurers, like Aetna, focus on the market among large businesses.) Young and healthy consumers will see the largest increases—their premiums would more than triple in some states—though average middle-class buyers will pay more too.

Not even two hours after Wellpoint had presented its materials on the Hill, Democrats were already trashing it—which, considering that it runs to some 238 pages and took weeks to prepare, must have required remarkable powers of digestion and analysis. Link

HT Pauli

Sensibly green

I would call it just good stewardship and being frugal, but these days, green is a marketing term too. This Bed and Breakfast, The Artist's Inn and Gallery, in Pennsylvania has an interesting list suitable for most people.

Green PAJAMAS

Go to Michelle Malkin’s blog and read her “small list of “Peace and Justice” shakedown organizations connected to SEIU” (ACORN‘s evil twin).

There are thousands of these groups, gobbling up money from foundations, churches, private corporations, individual donors, membership drives, United Way/community chest apportionments, state and local governments and the federal government. Not all are connected to ACORN like SEIU, of course and many do a lot of good. But they speak a common language and can easily be manipulated by the party in power through their financing. I call them PAJAMA Organizations--Peace and Justice and More Aid Organizations. There is every manner of non-profit set up to drain off even more tax and private money with special programs to “help the poor.” Much of this provides employment for a huge clutch of people from administrators to janitors. I sometimes think that if families earning less than $35,000 disappeared tomorrow, half the remaining citizens would be without jobs--and so would fill in the gap to keep the cycle going. At an earlier blog I wrote about the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (Ohio Dept. of Development), that resulted from an effort in 1990 to help the homeless and has managed to grow into a $56 million item in the state budget focusing on “moderate income housing.” Now they’re disbursing ARRA money, passing out $17 million for the homeless, putting on conferences at nice resorts and giving millions to organizations to recruit unpaid volunteers to help people winterize their homes. Not to worry--the national NHTF was signed into law by George W. Bush in 2008, and its budget is in the billions. I'm sure your state has one too.

The Peace and Justice movement is propped up by think tanks and academics, as well as the government--the government, universities and the non-profits are a co-dependent revolving door. Think John Podesta. Clinton retread, Obama's transition team, now taking in Obama's rejects into his $25 million a year think tank. I’ve done it myself, although not in the PAJAMA game. As a researcher in the early 80s I moved from university department to non-profit to state government to university all on federal money filtered through grants to the state and foundations as a self-employed contractor (that way they don’t have to pay benefits).

Many Peace and Justice organizations have been reengineered in the last decade to assure a steady income stream by bringing in “green” issues--very big in poverty programs now--just the way many marketed products are. I think a number are simply black “reparations” spray painted green. I just looked through the web-site of the library non-profit I worked for in the early 80s and the first item on the page was on “greening.” That should be worth a few bucks on the next grant.

NY RINO Scozzafava quits

She was a loser before she started. It was a mystery to me why she didn't run as a Democrat. Or weren't they having her either? Maggie thinks she wasted a huge amount of money.

HT Maggie's Notebook and Real Clear Politics.

Red grape skin may help sickle cell sufferers

"AUGUSTA, Ga. – An extract in red grape skin may be a new treatment for sickle cell disease, Medical College of Georgia researchers say. Link

The extract, resveratrol, a natural chemical typically found in red wine and various plants and fruits, has been found to induce production of fetal hemoglobin, which decreases the sickling of red blood cells and reduces the painful vascular episodes associated with the disease.

Most fetal hemoglobin production ceases after birth, but in patients where it remains the predominant form, it can result in fewer complications, says Davies Agyekum, a second-year Ph.D. student in the MCG School of Graduate Studies.

In sickle cell disease, abnormal hemoglobin causes red blood cells to sickle. The abnormal shape impedes blood's passage through vessels and can cause excruciating pain and other complications because of the blood's oxygen deficiency.

Davies is working with Dr. Steffen E. Meiler, vice chair of research for the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, on an eight-week animal study to determine if the combined anti-inflammatory and fetal hemoglobin-producing properties of resveratrol, a dietary polyphenol, can reduce the severity of sickle cell disease.

Hydroxyurea, an anti-cancer agent and the only Food and Drug Administration-approved therapeutic drug for sickle cell disease, increases fetal hemoglobin. Davies says reseveratrol-based therapy might be easier on patients.

The Ghana native recently received a three- to five-year $15,000 scholarship from the Southern Regional Education Board State Doctoral Scholars Program, a program aimed at increasing the number of minority students who earn doctoral degrees and become college and university professors."

One of the worst education stories I've read

A blogger from Detroit who has a fascination with photographing abandoned buildings came upon a middle school building abandoned in 2007. I was browsing his photos of the library (it would rip out the heart of any librarian) and then found this horror story. He could find no one who cared, so he's destroying the stash himself.

"After my first visit to the shattered middle school, I am haunted by what I found in one office: hundreds of file folders containing student psychological examinations complete with social security numbers, addresses, and parent information. I sat and thumbed through them. Many contained detailed histories of physical and sexual abuse, stories of home lives so horrifying I still can't get them out of my head: sibling rape, torture, neglect that defies belief. The detailed reports explained emotional impairments, learning disabilities. There was another box full of IEPs. The dates revealed that many of these students are still in the school system somewhere. I found several of their faces in the 2007 yearbook.

I spend the next few months trying to track down someone who cares. I send e-mails to the school's former principal, offering to go back and collect these records for her or destroy them. She never responds. I call my mom, a retired special education teacher and erstwhile administrator to determine the extent of malfeasance. Then I call the school district's legal department and leave voice mails warning them of the liability of this gross violation of student privacy. I never receive a response. I track down the school psychologist to some address in Troy. Nothing. It turns out a daily newspaper reported abandoned records like these within many of the 33 schools closed in 2007 and the district did nothing. No one is responsible. Someone else was supposed to destroy them. The company that had been paid to secure the school never did its job."

It's enough to make you homeschool, isn't it? And to cry for those poor, pitiful children that no school, no matter how good, will ever be able to save. But what excuses do the adults--the administrators of Detroit's school system have? They took the tax money to teach, test, classify and pigeon hole the children, and then abused them yet one more time. I'm ill. I'm sorry I read this.

Is Obama a Muslim?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCAffMSWSzY

Did he lie to us during the campaign? I watched this video, and although it is disturbing, it's hard to know how much has been edited out which may have explained the statements. I see what the left does to Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck to rile up the net wackos and extremists, watched that Congressman distort and lie about the Republican health care plans, and I'm sure it can happen with our President.

He says he is a Christian, I've heard his Christian testimony, so I'll accept him at his word. Christians aren't saved by what they do or say, but by the work of Jesus Christ on their behalf. If he IS a Muslim, as the video purports, then blacks, homosexuals and women should be the most worried. Plus it would make him a infidel for claiming he's a Christian.

What I found deeply disturbing was hearing him talk in the glowing terms about other countries, their accomplishments and culture (Muslim all) and yet he doesn't have a decent, kind, knowledgeable word to say about his own. Birthers believe he was born in Kenya; I sometimes think he was born in another century or on another planet, he's so out of touch with what it means to be an American! That obsequious, smarmy behavior in itself ought to clue the Muslim leaders and our own that something's very fishy about this guy.

Seven months ago

I didn't buy into The Obama Deception movie conspiracy theories, which was also extremely hostile toward Bush. But here's what I said on April Fools day this year, and that hasn't changed. His poll numbers are plummeting here in Ohio, both for job, economy and the war, so others are catching on to what many knew even in 2007. This misnamed "health care reform" [it's health care take-over], the clap and trade bill, the bowing and butt kissing to foreign enemies and banana republic dictators, the sneering at our history and accomplishments--it's all taking a toll in the polls.

Someone said on the film, forgotten who, that if they cataloged all his lies, the film would never end, because they continue. Yes, I'd agree with that charge, too. It is truly amazing that a man who worked as a "community organizer" for nearly a decade, and never became a tenured law professor or wrote a law article or even practiced law, but wrote 2 autobiographical books, got hired by Illinois to represent a district for which he did nothing and which is still poor, and then got elected President on the basis of his looks and ability to speechify and talk black (something he had to learn as a foreign language as an adult). Call it a conspiracy against the American people if you wish, but really, Obama simply makes us look like a bunch of vacuous fools. . .if we're so great and wonderful and good, why would we let this happen?

Take off your apron, Mom

I'm going through the photo albums, starting with the piles of extras, to select some for a special album to display at our 50th celebration next year. I thought this one was sort of funny, taken at Lakeside summer of 1984 with our friends Ron and Jane who had come up for the day from Columbus. I'm always reminding people to take off their sun glasses when being photographed, but apparently I forgot to take off my apron. We were all thinner, didn't wear glasses yet, and had more hair, and I still use that apron purchased at one of the Lakeside antique shops twenty-five years later.

A few years ago we attended Ron and Jane's 50th, a surprise party at a downtown hotel--they thought they were going out for dinner with their daughter and son-in-law who live in Ireland, and their sons who live locally. It was a great party, but we'll be doing something a bit more modest. Jane is a retired RN and Ron for years owned a painting business. Now he leads a Bible study my husband attends each week for which he produces reams of research and personal thoughts. We met them when we were all members of First Community Church back in the 1960s.