Sustainable Development is wealth redistribution

Your wealth into a giant green rat hole. I must get 3-4 items a week in my e-mail on sustainable development, buildings, products, and life style, both for my husband (architecture) and me (librarianship and news releases from OSU). As Christians, we are huge supporters of conservation and stewardship of God’s creation, but “sustainable” has become a code word for something much more sinister.

Both prophets and pundits, right and left, whether Glenn Beck, Tom DeWeese, Bill Maher or Van Jones , know "sustainability" calls for changing the infrastructure of the nation, away from private ownership and control of property to central planning first by our government, then by a world governing body--whatever entity the United Nations will evolve to. When you see the word “sustainable,“ you can safely substitute “wealth redistribution.”

We fought a few wars to defeat the centrally planned economic disasters based on the theories of Marx and Engels. You’re too young to remember millions of starving Ukrainians declared wealthy because they owned a cow or a wheat field, but the same thing has been going on for years in Communist North Korea. Those plans evolved and then failed in the USSR, its Eastern European satellites and Maoist China (which now under a cloak of capitalism owns us and is cautioning our president to cut back on his insatiable appetite for debt).

When our home grown Communist sympathizers found out that “revolution” wouldn’t work because the workers and labor unions of the USA already had too much freedom, material goods and wealth and were loyal to American ideals, they just drilled from within, driving our businesses off shore, and in 2008 we elected them (with a very long lead in from socialists and progressives in the government)! But for those who weren’t swayed at the polls or by campaign promises, there is always the great green hope and hype.

However, that hyped hope (cap and trade based on phony CO2 scare tactics) is death for the poor of developing countries. Did you see our food prices rise almost over night in 2007 when the bio-fuels fever really took over and land was being taken out of production for food and turned into bio-fuel for automobiles? We saw our price of bread, meat and milk go up a few pennies to a dollar, but in poorer nations, they were having food riots and killing each other as a shortage of wheat turned into a shortage of rice and cooking oil.

Tom DeWeese cautions us to pay attention to the language--we’ve been hearing some version of this since the 1930s--pausing only briefly as we finally dropped the cloak of protectionism after Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941

"We now have a new language invading our government at all levels. Old words with new meanings fill government policy papers. The typical city council meeting discusses "community development," "historic preservation," and "partnerships" between the city and private business.

Civic leaders organize community meetings run by "facilitators," as they outline a "vision" for the town, enforced by "consensus." No need for debate when you have consensus! People of great importance testify before congressional committees of the dire need for "social justice."

Free trade, social justice, consensus, global truth, partnerships, preservation, stakeholders, land use, environmental protection, development, diversity, visioning, open space, heritage, comprehensive planning, critical thinking, and community service are all part of our new language." Tom DeWeese

I wrote on this topic about a year ago, Prize for the most green words. Really made an architect unhappy; he thought he needed to attack me, instead of the topic at hand.

People are catching on

"Less than half the population believes that human activity is to blame for global warming, according to an exclusive poll for The Times. The revelation that ministers have failed in their campaign to persuade the public that the greenhouse effect is a serious threat requiring urgent action will make uncomfortable reading for the Government as it prepares for next month’s climate change summit in Copenhagen.

Only 41 per cent accept as an established scientific fact that global warming is taking place and is largely man-made. Almost a third (32 per cent) believe that the link is not yet proved; 8 per cent say that it is environmentalist propaganda to blame man and 15 per cent say that the world is not warming."

From First Things

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Katie Couric on the new breast guidelines

Isn't that just so odd? Katie says it's the REPUBLICANS making this into a political issue (she spoke on our local news show this evening). I guess those "women's groups" objecting and questioning the panel aren't DEMOCRATS? And it couldn't be that the DEMOCRATS have some of that transparent Pelosi tape over their mouths? Washington Wire (very liberal) at WSJ took the same tack (hmmm, almost like talking points were coming from the White House, isn't it?) Here's my favorite health writer, Tara Parker Pope

"The panel that issued the changes, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, advised doctors not to teach women to examine their own breasts, saying the self-checks led to more imaging procedures and biopsies but did not reduce cancer deaths.

Many women, particularly those of my generation, were mystified. Breast self-exams are inexpensive and noninvasive. No radiation, no fuss. You can do them in your own home, lying down in bed, in between checkups or mammograms. You don’t even need health insurance because they are free. So why not?"

Actually, the only detection that matters is your own--not the studies. Money raised for breast cancer for way too long has gone for education and detection, and not enough for research--just my opinion. That's always been my gripe about "runs" and "walks" for any disease of the week--the bulk of it goes back to support the organization doing the events, and then for education, and then a tiny portion for research.

Bernadine Healey was interviewed on Glenn Beck tonight and she said it should be between the woman and her doctor to decide. But Bernadine, there's that pesky insurance issue. . . women who have "cadillac" insurance are going to be taxed more, assuming their employer doesn't drop it, and that just might put a damper on what tests they're willing to put up with. And I know from Medicare, you don't just get any test or shot you want--it has to be one the approved schedule. If 40 year olds don't need it, maybe they'll decide 70 year olds aren't worth it either? Keep your eye on that Preventive Services Task Force once you're on the public health insurance.

Also, please read this story about Kerry Dumbaugh. I know her. She was interviewed in 2002 about a false negative mammogram, but 2 doctors could feel the lump. She was 42. Her grandmother died of cancer at 56--but her cancer had been visible for years. Kerry works for the Congressional Research Service and is an expert on China.

Now it's our turn to be Baby Jane

Baby Jane was born with spina bifida over 25 years ago. Her parents, on their doctors' advice,

"had refused both surgery to close her spine and a shunt to drain the fluid from her brain. In resisting the federal government's attempt to enforce treatment, the parents pleaded privacy.

What first piqued [Nat] Hentoff's curiosity was not so much the case itself but the press coverage. All the papers and the networks were using the same words to say the same thing, he says.

"Whenever I see that kind of story, where everybody agrees, I know there's something wrong," he says. "I finally figured out they were listening to the [parents'] lawyer."

He went after the story, later publishing it in The Atlantic as "The Awful Privacy of Baby Doe." In running it down, he found himself digging into the notorious, 2-year-old case of the first Infant Doe. That Bloomington, Ind., Down's syndrome baby died of starvation over six days when his parents, who did not want a retarded child, refused surgery for his deformed esophagus.

Then Mr. Hentoff came across the published reports of experiments in what doctors at Yale-New Haven Hospital called "early death as a management option" for infants "considered to have little or no hope of achieving meaningful 'humanhood.' " He talked with happy handicapped adults whose parents could have killed them but didn't. It changed him.” Finish the story here.

But keep in mind the slippery slope, and now fellow seniors, it’s our turn, and it's called ObamaCare.

Food insecurity is not hunger

"According to the USDA's annual poll, 17 million U.S. households reported some degree of food insecurity in 2008, up from 13 million households in 2007," writes Scott Kilman in yesterday's WSJ. I'm not sure when "food insecurity" became the term du jour, but it means at some point during 2008 someone in the family worried about not having enough food or their "normal eating patterns were disrupted." So that's what hunger has become to the USDA--worrying about food while HHS is wringing is bureaucratic hands over obesity. Even when unemployment was at 4.5%, journalists were writing food pantry and food insecurity stories, especially during the holiday season when many charities are making appeals. Now because of unemployment at 10.2%, people who used to contribute or volunteer at food pantries now are recipients, so the stories have expanded. In 2009 they are not directed at the president's policies, as they were four or five years ago. Even in food insecurity, Obama is untouchable.

And really, no modern day president can be blamed for hunger in the U.S., because it has been the policy of the government for the last 60 years to expand its largest welfare program to . . . farmers. And what used to be using up post-war surplus by giving it to the poor (blocks of cheese, butter, and boxes of dry milk back in the 60s and 70s) is now growing subsidized food to be given to the poor through schools (breakfast, lunch, afterschool and summertime snacks), churches (they usually run the summer programs), non-profits (they provide grants from donors and the government to buy the food), and federal and state "partnerships (redistribution of USDA money to many programs, rural and metropolitan)."

This at a time when there are entire households of adults and children where no one knows how to purchase or prepare food. I needed to buy 2 large containers of applesauce to donate to Faith Mission this week, so while I was going through the store, I jotted down some basic, non-prepared food items with prices.

Fresh items: 3 lb bananas, 8 lb. potatoes, 1 lb. carrots, 3 lb. apples, 8 lb oranges, 2 lb cabbage (total $11.18); main meal items: l lb pinto beans, l lb. black beans, 2 lb rice, 2 lb macaroni, 15 oz spaghetti, 26 oz spaghetti sauce (total $8.56); refrigerator case: 1 doz eggs, 1 gal milk, 1 lb butter, 2 lb cheddar cheese (total $7.45); beverage: 11.5 oz coffee to brew ($2.50). That came to $29.69, and for another $5.00 I could have had 2 loaves of bread and 16 oz. of natural peanut butter. For another $5.00 I could buy a 16 lb. turkey because they are on special right now. So for $40, that's a lot of food on the shelves, but someone has to buy it and someone has to prepare it who knows that beans with rice and potatoes combined with milk are almost nutritionally perfect.

But you can blow your way through $40 pretty fast buying soft drinks, potato chips, prepared individual meals at $3.00 each, crackers, cookies, etc. And it's not just poor people. On my afternoon walk yesterday I walked in a neighborhood that has a Tuesday trash pick up and at one home which I would estimate at $800,000, there were 6 plastic containers at the curb, all filled with flattened boxes and containers for processed food, many for the single server type. Her children probably don't qualify for school lunches, but they might be better off if they did.

See also my blog from April 2009 on What ever happened to food stamps.

A new blog coming on?

Sometimes it's like an itch you can't scratch, but I've been thinking about a new blog--would be my 13th I think. However, I have several I've not been keeping up, like my hobby bloggy on first issue magazines (I must have hundreds), what's on my bookshelves, coffee shop conversations (some are too wild to repeat), and the class reunion (it was 2 years ago).

The other day I scanned something for the class reunion blog. It was an award I'd earned in 8th grade for reading and was given at graduation. I had no memory of this or the books we read, and no one has responded to my questions. Surely I wasn't the only kid who got one of these? Total silence. But while I was rummaging around in the basement storage area, I again pulled out grandma Mary's box of clippings, papers and scrapbooks. And I could feel it coming on. . . a web log devoted to paper memorabilia.


Also just this morning I found a really nice blogger dot com template web site. I haven't looked at all the possibilities yet, but lots of variety and good design.

Maybe I could do it just for a month the way I did Memory Patterns in November 2005.

Non-obese and non-smokers, but still have clogged arteries

Well! Think of the research grants that will need to be rewritten! Read the story by Ron Winslow in today's Wall Street Journal.

We visited this museum when we were in Egypt in March. An amazing place, and we just scratched the surface. No cameras.

Invites to join Facebook

This morning I received an invitation from the fourth wife of the first husband of my sister-in-law to join her friends group at Facebook. Very nice lady. In my husband's family it really is until death do you part. Even if they get a divorce they still are welcome at the family events, which makes it nicer for the children who get to see their former step-parent occasionally. But I prefer blogging. I did go in and follow her link, however, and saw two other recent invitations (don't know how long that shows) and one has nine followers, the other has 109. The one who has 109 has never met a stranger, and she travels a lot. Long before e-mail and Facebook, you had to take a number to visit, or go shopping, or out to dinner. I don't think I even know 109 "friends," and I'm sure I don't want to go through junior high school again with people de-friending or refusing to even respond to my invitation to come to the party.

As it is, I'm on a number of e-mail discussion lists all sent and managed by men--four by guys who were in high school with me, and one from my husband's Wednesday morning men's group (he doesn't do e-mail). And they say women like to talk. The men do catch up.

Dirty little secrets in the House Bill reveal Obama’s claims for health reform are lies

"You lie." And this time it's the non-partisan and independent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services saying it, not a "Southern racist congressman" as the media tried to portray Joe Wilson.

" A report released Friday by the non-partisan and independent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency in charge of running Medicare and Medicaid, blows the lid off of every one of Obama’s claims. All of the following quotes are from the report itself [this summary is from The Morning Bell webpage]:

Health Care Costs Increase: “In aggregate, we estimate that for calendar years 2010 through 2019 [national health expenditures (NHE)] would increase by $289 billion, or 0.8 percent, over the updates baseline projection that was released on June 29, 2009.” In other words, Obamacare bends the cost curve up, not down.

Millions Lose Existing Private Coverage: “However, a number of workers who currently have employer coverage would likely become enrolled in the expanded Medicaid program or receive subsidized coverage through the Exchange. For example, some smaller employers would be inclined to terminate their existing coverage, and companies with low average salaries might find it to their - and their employees’ - advantage to end their plans … We estimate that such actions would collectively reduce the number of people with employer-sponsored health coverage by about 12 million.” In other words, Obamacare will cause millions of Americans to lose their existing private coverage. . .

Seniors Access to Care Jeopardized: “H.R. 3962 would introduce permanent annual productivity adjustments to price updates for institutional providers… Over time, a sustained reduction in payment updates, based on productivity expectations that are difficult to attain, would cause Medicare payment rates to grow more slowly than and in a way that was unrelated to, the providers’ costs of furnishing services to beneficiaries. Thus, providers for whom Medicare constitutes a substantive portion of their business could find it difficult to remain profitable and might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).” In other words, the Medicare cuts in the House bill are so out of touch with reality that hospitals currently serving Medicare patients might be forced to stop doing so. Thus making it much more difficult for seniors to get health care."

There is much more--go here to read the news about the lies we’ve been told or bring up the report and read it. Few, including your congressional representative, read the bill--so you might as well read the analysis.

Here in central Ohio radio land we are being annoyed by syrupy radio ads for Mary Jo Kilroy extolling her part in this mess (I think the ad campaign is sponsored by a union). Over half of government workers (local, state, federal) are now unionized, up from 17.3% in the early 1970s. Guess who your representative is really representing? Guess who wants to unload onto the taxpayer their health care responsibilities and pie-in-the-sky promises after taking workers' dues all those years?

Did Edwards want the Veep spot with Barack?

Democrats are arguing amongst themselves over this at Politico, but I thought this was a good explanation by a reader at Ben Smith: "Edwards was a stalking horse to draw votes from Hillary. He is a two faced lowlife and had no business running when he KNEW he was already busted with a pregnant mistress and cheated on his cancer stricken wife. As for Elizabeth she is an enabler and should not have helped him run. Obama used Edwards to siphon votes from HRC and now we have months with no decision for the troops and record unemployment. Thanks Johnny! Thanks Barack!"

Tell us how you really feel!

Louder with Crowder visits Gitmo

Obama has stained Gitmo. It’s well worth watching the whole thing. The terrorist prisoners certainly have it much better than U.S. prisoners. Find out what our enemies already know (thanks to Obama).

But how would it look?

Mark Steyn on the decisions not made. Thirteen dead--fourteen counting the baby.

"Two joint terrorism task forces became aware almost a year ago that Major Hasan was in regular e-mail contact with Anwar al-Awlaqi, the American-born but now Yemeni-based cleric who served as imam to three of the 9/11 hijackers and supports all-out holy war against the United States. But the expert analysts in the Pentagon determined that this lively correspondence was consistent with Major Hasan’s “research interests,” so there was no need to worry. That’s America: Technologically superior, money no object (not one but two “joint terrorism task forces” stumbled across him). Yet no action was taken.

On the other hand, who needs surveillance operations and intelligence budgets? Major Hasan was entirely upfront about who he was. He put it on his business card: “SOA.” As in “Soldier of Allah” — which seems a tad ungrateful to the American taxpayers who ponied up half a million bucks or thereabouts in elite medical-school education to train him to be a Soldier of Uncle Sam. In a series of meetings during 2008, officials from both Walter Reed and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences considered the question of whether then-captain Hasan was psychotic. But, according to at least one bigwig at Walter Reed, members of the policy committee wondered “How would it look if we kick out one of the few Muslim residents?” So he got promoted to major and shipped to Fort Hood.

And 13 men and women and an unborn baby are dead." . . .

" “Diversity” is one of those words designed to absolve you of the need to think. Likewise, a belief in “multiculturalism” doesn’t require you to know anything at all about other cultures, just to feel generally warm and fluffy about them. Heading out from my hotel room the other day, I caught a glimpse of that 7-Eleven video showing Major Hasan wearing “Muslim” garb to buy a coffee on the morning of his murderous rampage. And it wasn’t until I was in the taxi cab that something odd struck me: He was an American of Arab descent. But he was wearing Pakistani dress — that’s to say, a “Punjabi suit,” as they call it in Britain, or the shalwar kameez, to give it its South Asian name. For all the hundreds of talking heads droning on about “diversity” across the TV networks, it was only Tarek Fatah, writing in the Ottawa Citizen, who pointed out that no Arab males wear this get-up — with one exception: Those Arab men who got the jihad fever and went to Afghanistan to sign on with the Taliban and al-Qaeda. In other words, Major Hasan’s outfit symbolized the embrace of an explicit political identity entirely unconnected with his ethnic heritage.

Mr. Fatah would seem to be a genuine “multiculturalist”: That’s to say, he’s attuned to often very subtle “diversities” between cultures. Whereas the professional multiculturalist sees the 7-Eleven video and coos, “Aw, look. He’s wearing . . . well, something exotic and colorful, let’s not get hung up on details. Celebrate diversity, right? Can we get him in the front row for the group shot? We may be eligible for a grant.” "

It's probably an urban legend, but. . .

"Iranian Air Defense Radar: 'Unknown aircraft you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself.'

Aircraft: 'This is a United States aircraft. I am in Iraqi airspace.'

Air Defense Radar: 'You are in Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch interceptor aircraft!'

Aircraft: 'This is a United States Marine Corps FA-18 fighter. Send 'em up, I'll wait!'

Air Defense Radar: (no response .... total silence)"

Seen at DANEgerus

Palin on Newsweek

Sarah Palin had some photos taken for an article "I'm a runner," in Runner's World. I've looked at the article. The photos are cute. Newsweek didn't choose one with her son Trig--that might be a reminder to Democrats that they've successfully legislated about 90% of Down Syndrome babies out of existence plus untold millions of other babies that don't measure up to their high standards.

Besides, I've seen women show more leg than that just going to work--or they did when they were younger and looked better. Here's Sarah's comments on the Newsweek cover from her Facebook page.

"The choice of photo for the cover of this week's Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this "news" magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant. The Runner's World magazine one-page profile for which this photo was taken was all about health and fitness - a subject to which I am devoted and which is critically important to this nation. The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now. If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention - even if out of context."

Here's what Runner's World editor has to say: "On the cover of this week’s issue of Newsweek is a photo that was shot for the August 2009 issue of Runner’s World, in which Sarah Palin was featured on the monthly “I’m a Runner” back page. Runner’s World did not provide Newsweek with the image. Instead, it was provided to Newsweek by the photographer’s agent, without Runner’s World’s knowledge or permission."

Don't trust the internet--especially not dot gov

"Forget everything bad you’ve ever heard about President Barack Obama’s $787 economic stimulus. Combing through the data on the $18 million Recovery.gov website you’ll find tons of Obama stimulus success stories from across the country. In Minnesota’s 57th Congressional District, 35 jobs have been saved or created using $404,340 in stimulus funds. In New Mexico’s 22nd Congressional District, 25 jobs have been saved or created using $61,000 in stimulus cash. And in Arizona’s fighting 15th Congressional District, 30 jobs have been saved or created with just $761,420 in federal stimulus spending.

The it-would-be-funny-if-it-weren’t-our-tax-dollars-at-stake punch line here is that none of the above Congressional Districts actually exist." Morning Bell, Heritage Foundation.

and this one. . . Watchdog.org

"The government’s Web site that is supposed to tell taxpayers how their stimulus dollars are being spent, and which spends $84 million per year to do so, shows that $6.4 billion of the stimulus has been spent in 440 congressional districts that don’t exist [there are only 435 to begin with], according to a report by the Franklin Center, as reported by Watchdog.org.

The site, Recovery.gov, reports, for instance, that North Dakota’s 99th Congressional District has received $2 million in stimulus funding. But North Dakota has only one congressional district. The nation’s capital now contains 35 congressional districts, according to Recovery.gov."

And these guys want to take over health care.

Michigan got a bunch of new districts. . . According to Watchdog.org, the federal recovery Web site operates on an $84 million budget. One would think such hefty price tag would ensure more accurate reporting. Instead, it says nearly $6.4 billion was used to "create or save" fewer than 30,000 jobs in these 440 "phantom" congressional districts. That's almost $225,000 per job.

A note about town names

Many years ago I was looking at a letter written to my great-grandparents in the 1850s and it was addressed to the town of Ogle, Illinois. That puzzled me a little because I'd grown up in Ogle County, they had lived in Lee County, and I'd never heard of the town of Ogle. My dad, who knew every road and farm in northern Illinois (he delivered fuel oil and later owned a bolt supply service for farming equipment) explained it was an early name for Ashton.

Today I came across a clipping in my grandmother's quilt pattern file published sometime during or after 1982 (photos of missing children on the back, but no quilt information). The article is written for the Dixon paper by George Lamb who had written Historical Reminiscences about Dixon, Illinois in 1970. The column was called, "We Remember When," and included Nachusa (Taylor), Nelson (Summerset), Shelburn (Rocky Ford), Ashton and Franklin Grove. So here's the story.

In 1854 the railroad that passed through the eastern section of Lee County established a freight stop and at first called it Ogle Station. Later the name was shortened to Ogle and after a time this name was dropped in favor of the town title of Ashton.

In 1853 Christian Lahmann, who owned the tract of land south of the railroad several miles east of Dixon, platted about 10 acres of it and christened what the hoped would be a thriving new village, Chaplin. The name lasted only until the village of Franklin Grove was incorporated first in 1857 and, again, in 1865."

I'm sure all this is in the Lee County History (2 vols.) which is somewhere on a family member's book shelf.

Townhall meetings are OK in China, just not here

In the USA, citizens meeting peacefully to question President Obama's policies are vilified and criticized by our Congress, White House aides, and our media. Some citizens have been beat up or intimidated by SEIU Obama goons, and Obama didn't even say they acted "stupidly," nor have charges been brought against the union thugs in the Democrat controlled jurisdiction. Democrat operatives aren't calling Chinese citizens "tea baggers" and "astroturf."

"When the SEIU members went to the town hall meeting hosted by Democrat Congressman Russ Carnahan, did they have a fight on their minds? Were they spurred on by The President’s words or the HCAN national Field Advisor Margarida Jorge’s talking points? Did the favorite White House guest, Andy Stern promise the POTUS that the situation would be dealt with, as a way to curry favor with the King? We may never know if there was a specific instruction given, but we do know that four adults from the same gang decided simultaneously to mingle with the protestors and then single one out for a beating. We also know that the union has hired for them, Paul D’Agrosa one of the top criminal defense lawyers in St. Louis. Finally, we know that County Counselor Patricia Reddington, who serves at the pleasure of Democrat County Executive Charlie Dooley (previously a union member) is not moving the case." Big Government

According to ABC News, the Chinese townhall is OK, and no one has even "vetted" the questions. Do you believe that? [I don't.]

"In the afternoon at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Mr. Obama will host a town hall meeting with “future Chinese leaders.” Several hundred students, the youth of China, will join the President at the event, coming from many local universities.

Beforehand the White House solicited questions online which the President will respond to during the town hall. White House aides estimate hundreds, if not thousands, have already been submitted online.

The President will call on the roughly 400 college students in the audience at random and no one from US will have vetted their questions, The White House says. Aides says this event "is the same as if it were in Iowa,” referencing the many town halls then-candidate Obama held during the 2008 Presidential campaign.

The town hall will be live streamed on the White House website, an unblocked website in China, in order to reach the “broadest possible audience,” Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes says." ABCNews

An unblocked website in China. Interesting.

The Time Traveler's Wife--Monday Memories

We hadn't seen a movie since Julie and Julia during the summer at Lakeside, so last night we went to the dollar theater to see The Time Traveler's Wife. I'd gotten the basic story from someone at the coffee shop and was hoping it wasn't a chick flick. Having paid $3 for our 2 tickets and $4 for a small popcorn, we settled in for the 7:30 show. I didn't know it was about a librarian! Henry is born with a wandering gene that causes him to inexplicably move around in time, even sometime appearing as the older Henry with the younger Henry. Only his clothes remain when he "travels" so when he reappears he's naked so he's often rummaging around or breaking into stores to get clothes. He meets a young girl periodically as she is growing up (she brings him her brother's clothes so he can dress in the woods), and they finally meet in the mid-1990s in a Chicago library, fall in love, and get married. After several miscarriages they have a baby girl who also has his genetic anomaly, so she too is moving back and forth in time watching her parents. Interesting movie, and my husband liked it more than I did, since I'm not much into fantasy. Henry is played by Eric Bana who bears an uncanny resemblance to our son--same age, height, weight and coloring. I kept wondering where (which movie) I'd seen him, then I realized why he looked so familiar.



When we got home we discovered the cat had done a little time travel herself. She was a rescue cat with a few bad habits caused, we think, by her abandonment. To be kind, she "had issues" about food and had learned to survive by stalking trash cans. Ate everything in sight. Dug things out of the garbage disposal. Would be on the kitchen counter in a flash if you turned your back. But she's over 10 now and not so limber, and is a bit more relaxed and trusting about food. But last night she reverted to kittenhood and while we were gone jumped to the countertop, and dug out the chicken bones and potato skins and had them all over the floor when we got home. And when that one last kernel of popcorn hit the floor when I took off my coat, she gobbled that down too.

Sarah Palin's book, Going Rogue

I hadn't planned to buy a copy, and it certainly won't be accessible at UAPL if other titles written by conservatives are any example (16 copies of an anti-Bush book are in the budget--they trained us well--we conservatives buy rather than wait for a 2nd copy of our books). The venom and wrath of the left lashing out at her again will probably boost the sales. Here's an item that highschool friend Bob C. sent. The source seemed a little iffy, so I looked it up. It is written by Dewey Whetsell of Alaska, and he is a sax playing fisherman, a firefighter, and a writer, who has a few books to sell. This is the blog, Restless Brain Syndrome that reposted his article. It's gone viral on the internet, which either shows Dewey's talent as a writer, or that a lot of people out there still love Sarah.

I know why men find Sarah so threatening, or the left in general, but really, I just don't get the women who become hysterical at her name. Other than Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan I can't think of too many female politicians to do anything but ride the coattails of husbands and fathers.

-------------

"The last 45 of my 66 years I've spent in a commercial fishing town in Alaska. I understand Alaska politics but never understood national politics well until this last year. Here's the breaking point: Neither side of the Palin controversy gets it. It's not about persona, style, rhetoric, it's about doing things. Even Palin supporters never mention the things that I'm about to mention here.

"1- Democrats forget when Palin was the Darling of the Democrats, because as soon as Palin took the Governor's office away from a fellow Republican and tough SOB, Frank Murkowski, she tore into the Republican's "Corrupt Bastards Club" (CBC) and sent them packing. Many of them are now residing in State housing and wearing orange jump suits. The Democrats reacted by skipping around the yard, throwing confetti and
singing "la la la la" (well, you know how they are). Name another governor in this country that has ever done anything similar. But while you're thinking, I'll continue.

"2- Now with the CBC gone, there were fewer Alaskan politicians to protect the huge, giant oil companies here. So, she constructed and enacted a new system of splitting the oil profits called "ACES". Exxon (the biggest corporation in the world) protested and Sarah told them "don't let the door hit you in the stern on your way out." They stayed, and Alaska residents went from being merely wealthy to being filthy rich. Of course the other huge international oil companies meekly fell in line. Again, give me the name of any other governor in the country that has
done anything similar.

"3- The other thing she did when she walked into the governor's office is she got the list of State requests for federal funding for projects, known as "pork". She went through the list, took 85% of them and placed them in the "when-hell-freezes-over" stack. She let locals know that if we need something built, we'll pay for it ourselves. Maybe she figured she could use the money she got from selling the previous governor's jet because it was extravagant. Maybe she could use the money she saved by dismissing the governor's cook (remarking that she could cook for her
own family), giving back the State vehicle issued to her, maintaining that she already had a car, and dismissing her State provided security force (never
mentioning-I imagine-that she's packing heat herself). I'm still waiting to hear the names of those other governors.

"4- Now, even with her much-ridiculed "gosh and golly" mannerism, she also managed to put together a totally new approach to getting a natural gas pipeline built which will be the biggest private construction project in the history of North America. No one else could do it although they tried. If that doesn't impress you, then you're trying too hard to be unimpressed while watching her do things like this while
baking up a batch of brownies with her other hand.

"5- For 30 years, Exxon held a lease to do exploratory drilling at a place called Point Thompson. They made excuses the entire time why they couldn't start drilling. In truth they were holding it like an investment. No governor for 30 years could make them get started. This summer, she told them she was revoking their lease and kicking them out. They protested and threatened court action. She shrugged and reminded them that she knew the way to the court house. Alaska won again.

"6- President Obama wants the nation to be on 25% renewable resources for electricity by 2025. Sarah went to the legislature and submitted her plan for Alaska to be at 50% renewables by 2025. We are already at 25%. I can give you more specifics about things done, as opposed to style and persona . Everybody wants to be cool, sound cool, look cool. But that's just a cover-up. I'm still waiting to hear from liberals the names of other governors who can match what mine has done in two and a half years. I won't be holding my breath.

"By the way, she was content to to return to AK after the national election and go to work, but the haters wouldn't let her. Now these adolescent screechers are obviously not scuba divers. And no one ever told them what happens when you continually jab and pester a barracuda. Without warning, it will spin around and tear your face off. Shoulda known better."

Four little words

If you want to know why programs to end social ills or create social benefits never die, they only expand, just Google these four words, "dedicated revenue streams to" and then browse municipal, county, state and federal ways to keep a lot of people employed solving society's problems. Here's a few I found

• "The General Assembly has to think out of the box to come up with new and sustainable revenue streams." Democratic candidate addresses the Virginia state budget. The Republican suggested sacrifice and discipline.
  
  
• "Miami-Dade County Food and Beverage Tax: A Dedicated Revenue Source Invested for Results" [to end homelessness]
  
  
• . . . the General Fund would be placed under increasing stress in the next four years, making it hard to produce sufficient revenues to make up for the diversion of the two new dedicated revenue streams to transportation uses [New Jersey transportation proposals]
  
  
• Western Wyoming Community College Distict's Series 2007 Lease Revenue Bond SPUR Raised To 'A+' On Dedicated Revenue Streams
  
  
• The federal government could follow the example of enlightened states and municipalities that use dedicated revenue streams to fund arts and cultural programs. Some 40 communities nationwide dedicate a portion of hotel/motel taxes to arts and cultural programs, acknowledging that cultural activity attracts tourism.
  
  
• The VSO [Vermont Symphony Orchestra] must find new, permanent, and dedicated revenue streams to perpetuate this annual musical offering to the state’s most underserved regions.
  
  
• “As Colorado’s open spaces and agricultural lands continue to rapidly vanish, counties are searching for dedicated revenue streams to protect and preserve their valuable resources,” said Environment Colorado Land Use Associate Pam Kiely. “This legislation [sales tax increase] will provide an essential tool to tackle this problem.”
  
  
• "Americans purchase more than 30 billion single serving bottles a year—was used to create $3 billion-a-year revenue stream dedicated to a federal entity investing in the creation of clean water sources. A dedicated funding stream with a sound policy rationale to support investment ininfrastructure is not a new notion, just an underused one."
  
  
• [Robert] Moses leveraged tolls and other dedicated revenue streams to borrow money, and put shovels in the ground immediately even if all financing was not complete. He knew that once a project started it would be difficult to stop.
  
  
• As councilmember, I will establish one or more dedicated revenue streams to fund metro expansion. I will also seek funding from the federal government as well as our metro partners in Maryland and Virginia. [DC for Democracy, no party given, but he was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage]
  
  
• These proposals [tax on beverage and containers] could both increase dedicated revenue streams to preserve and promote City recycling and decrease the amount of waste to be transported through MTS sites.
  
  
• Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) introduced legislation this week (HR 3032) that would create a new trust fund, supported by dedicated revenue streams, to fund an expanded federal water infrastructure effort. [$10 billion from taxes on soft drinks, pharmaceuticals, and other consumer products, as well as a 0.15 percent corporate tax on profits over $4 million.]
  
  
• Some states also create dedicated revenue sources to support out-of-school time initiatives. Dedicated revenue sources raise and/or direct public funds for a specifi c purpose. Mechanisms for generating dedicated revenue include special taxes, guaranteed expenditure minimums, fees and narrowly based taxes, income tax checkoffs, and children’s trust funds. Creating dedicated revenue sources can be diffi cult, but this funding can provide resources for out-of-school time programs throughout a state, including rural communities.

And so it goes. I don't know what they'll do if people actually stop drinking soft drinks or using throw away containers. Find a new tax I guess. One important "dedicated stream" is that which funds the various housing trusts which now exist in at least 40 states. The one in Ohio went from almost nothing to $56 million (FY 2008) in just 20 years. I think ours is based on transfer of real estate fees, but your state may be different. Transfer of wealth is not just for the federal government.