My 2010 Chrysler Town and Country Van

This is a stock photo, but it's about right. I bought it yesterday. It's like marrying a total stranger you met in a bar and waking up in the morning and wondering what did I do? Actually, it's not like that, since I've only been married once, to a man I'd known for 2 years, and never go to bars, so that's fiction, just like a lot of other examples, parables, fairy tales, etc., that has confused some of my readers when I explained Neal Boortz' fictional story about Carrington Motors. But it's really odd anyway.

This morning I went out to the garage at 6 a.m. and climbed in. I wanted to be sure I knew where the lights were because I knew I'd be leaving home in the dark. When I picked up Paul (son-in-law's father) for church this morning, I didn't know which button to push to open the passenger door. When I went to Panera's after church and decided to practice in the parking lot, I managed to power down all the windows but didn't know what to do to get them back up--and it was rather nippy. Also, the key thingy is a bit sensitive and I seem to be beeping the horn.

This van is about 13" longer than my 2002 Dodge Caravan, which means my husband and I have traded sides in the garage. That means when backing out in the dark of the first day of our "marriage" I was headed for the neighbors' bushes instead of the road. Also, it seems to be wider, because I can't get out of the driver's side without bruising my left calf. The frame seems to be about 12" away from the seat in which the rest of my body is waiting for a foot to hit the ground. And I'm not terribly tall.

And junk. Oh dear. Where will I put my junk? Although Chrysler has designed lots of neat storage, some under the floor, nothing hides things quite as well as a bench seat--like the huge road atlas, my extra athletic shoes in the big orange box, the snow scrapper/brush, and a pile of JAMAs. Now the passenger row has bucket seats, not a bench. My old van had a storage net anchored between the two bucket seats in the front--this van has a tidy little box, not expandable. The T&C has all sorts of pockets and cup holders in the door and between the seats--I guess for all the people who eat in their cars. It's a 7 passenger van, but I think you could serve snacks for 12. I don't eat much while driving, but I do drag along a lot of "stuff," none of which will fit in these little compartments.

However, there's a lot to love, too. It's awfully comfortable--no complaints about my Dodge, but this T&C makes it feel like a horse cart--or my husband's Ford Explorer (a fancy name for a small truck). Oodles of positions for the seats, and the middle and back row can disappear into the floor all together if you want to carry a small pony, dry wall, or some living room furniture with you. There are dual ventilation controls and back of the van vents, but I haven't figure that out. We weren't interested in a GPS system but this does tell me which direction I'm driving and the temperature. But I really liked the price. It had about $4,000 in discounts, plus they gave me $4,000 for my van, so it was under $20,000, making it cheaper than my Dodge was in 2002.

I went a bit more high tech in this search. Because of Chrysler's financial trouble, I was afraid this style might disappear. And it still could, of course. It's not like God created it--mortals invent things like AGW. I first saw the ad in the Columbus Dispatch. I went on line and looked up all the specs and printed them out. Then I e-mailed two dealers (the one who had the ad, and a Dodge dealer) explaining what I wanted. I got prompt responses and we chatted by phone with me questioning everything on the printout I didn't understand. One salesman sent me a brochure. But the Dodge salesman wasn't even coming close to the T&C in features or price. So after lunch, we drove to the east side (that's another bad point, location of dealer) which seemed like we were going to Pittsburgh, test drove it, and made a deal.

If you've had as many minivans as I have, you'll see this one is more boxy like some of the newish sedans or even the original mid-80s minivan--maybe muscular would be the word. I hope it gets good mileage like my Dodge, which was just great on the road.

Some sing in the shower

Our church, UALC, is using an Advent daily meditation based on Handel's Messiah, written by John Gugel. You can purchase a CD to go with it, or use your own. I have miscellaneous selections from the Messiah, so have been looking up the different selections on YouTube. An amazing variety. One of the most gutsy is this one (Every valley shall be exalted), by a man recovering from a bad cold who appears to be singing in the lavatory off the kitchen. But I also found some really upbeat and jazzy versions by a contemporary (well, 1989) Christian group First Call, as well as a variety of churches which had performed this classic favorite of the season. They are not as polished as the pros, but their devotion and energy is worth watching.

Herman Shuman, obituary

 

James Shuman, me and Herman Shuman (82), 1998

 Herman was the grandson of my grandfather's older sister, Sarah.  We were second cousins. I had met the family in 1949 traveling with my grandparents, and again in 1998 when we went to Pendelton, IN to visit them. James Shuman, his son who is my age, is a genealogy guide for the various Brethren groups, and we'd had discussions on the internet.  He was visiting from California, so we decided to meet and exchange information. Herman and I continued to write at Christmas, and he called me a few years before his death to let me know he'd been ill and wasn't sending cards.

"Herman Shuman, son of Luther and Florence (Miller) Shuman was born November 21, 1916, near Pendleton in Madison County, Indiana in the home where he lived for 93 years. He was baptized into the Old German Baptist Brethren Church on August 25, 1935, to which he remained faithful.

He was married to Ruby Reavis, daughter of Henry and Mary (Long) Reavis, on March 28, 1937, and together they raised four children. He passed away in his sleep on November 24, 2009, at the age of 93 years and three days.

He spent his working years as a farmer. He was a minister in the Old German Baptist Brethren Church for over 60 years.

His companion was called away on April 5, 1994, after 57 years together. He continued in generally good health for another 10 years. Then a weak heart and the accumulated problems of the years began to afflict him.

In February 2005, he fell while in Florida, and was in and out of the hospital at Lakeland, and was finally transferred to a hospital in Anderson, Indiana. At that time, his daughter Lois moved in with him and looked after him for the remaining years. For the past year, his daughter, Sara gave him the nursing care he needed, as he was in and out of the hospital numerous times.

Through it all, he remained cheerful and uncomplaining, and he gave a good testimony to those around him. He authored several books, and he working on a history of the brethren in Central Indiana at the time his health declined.

He will be keenly missed by his two sons and two daughters, James and his wife, Dorla of Modesto, California, David and his wife, Virginia, Sara Miller and her husband, Randy, and Lois all of Pendleton; five grandsons; four granddaughters; seven great-grandsons; 11 great-granddaughters; one great-great-granddaughter; and a brother-in-law, Paul Reavis and his wife, Thelma of Rossville, Indiana.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pendleton Emergency Ambulance, P.O. Box 165, Pendleton, Indiana 46064."

Herman was the author of "The Country Preacher," a biography of Elder Solomon Stoner of the Old German Baptist Brethren.  There is one photo in the book of Herman and his family with Elder Stoner in 1951 in Canada. Ruby, Solomon and Herman standing, David, Sara and James in front; Lois was born in 1952.

Update:  I received an e-mail from Cousin James in January 2010.

"I am very sorry to be the one to tell you that my father passed away at the age of 93 years, 3 days, on November 24, 2009 (I thought my sister Lois had notified you of that). He had been in gradually declining health for the past few years, and especially the past 14 months. He had been taken to the hospital many times during those months, and had returned yet again with a serious infection. He appeared to be responding to treatment, and we were hopeful. He had slept during the evening, then was awake and visiting at 11 - 11:30 pm with Sara, who was spending the night in the recliner beside his bed. She told him she was dimming the lights so they could both get some sleep and he cheerfully said, "All right!" Soon he was asleep again, and she drifted off, only to be roused in less than an hour by the nurse tapping her knee. She said, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but your father just passed away." Sara is certain there was no struggle or unusual sound at all, since she had been caring for him daily for over a year and was alert to his calls for assistance.

So his passing was as easy and peaceful as could have been hoped for. As the minister said at his funeral, "He crossed over Jordan nearly dry-shod." And although we miss him greatly, because his mind was clear and sharp to the very end, we rejoice that he was finally freed from a body that was no longer cooperating with him very well at all; it was taking most of his time and energy just to stay alive, and there were fewer "good days" in between increasing lengths of "bad days."

We are adjusting to not having an older generation to look to and care for, but it will take quite a while to finish up his estate. My brother David, who has Parkinson's, is the "surviving trustee" of his revocable living trust, which held all his assets, and sister Lois is assisting him in doing some of the legwork and making the phone calls, etc. that are required. My wife and I have already committed to spending 6 weeks or more there next summer to help distribute his personal property as we go through a houseful of "stuff" accumulated over 93 years (he was born in that house!)."

Update 2017: When I noticed that David, the younger son,  had Parkinson's at the time of his father's death, I checked for his name, and found that he had died in May 2016.

"PENDLETON- David Lee Shuman, 75, of Pendleton, died May 28, 2016 in his home while surrounded by his loving family after a 20-year-long battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was born December 28, 1940 in Anderson to the late Herman and Ruby Shuman.

He was a graduate of Wabash College and Purdue University. He worked with computers at First Savings for 15 years and then at Indiana University and Purdue University in Indianapolis for 15 years until Parkinson's Disease forced him to retire.

He enjoyed fishing, landscaping, studying the Scriptures, computer technology, and spending time with his family. He was a member of the Old German Baptist Brethren Church where he served the Lord faithfully till death.

He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Virginia Ann (Terry); three children, Jeffrey (Tricia) Shuman, Bethany (Craig) Skiles, and Kathleen (Randy) Hufford; 11 grandchildren, Lindsay (Brad) Graybill, Brandon (Ruth) Skiles, Kelly (Rick) Land, Katelyn Hufford, Morgan (Clark) Deaton, Ashley Hufford, Mandalyn Skiles, Justin Hufford, Megan Hufford, Hallee Shuman, and Trent Shuman; �and four great-grandchildren. Also surviving are his siblings, James (Dorla) Shuman, Sara (Randy) Miller, and Lois Shuman; along with several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., Monday, May 30, 2016 at Wilson St. Pierre Funeral Service and Crematory, Lahm Chapel, 211 E. State St., Pendleton, Indiana 46064.

Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at the Old German Baptist Brethren Church, near Pendleton with the home brethren officiating. Burial will follow in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Pendleton.

A special thanks to Dr. Goshert, Dr. Stevens, Hospice, our church family, and Dennis and Betty Hopkins."

Friday Family Photo--the baby quilt

February 1969, patchwork baby quilt made by my mother.

"Of all the treasures I can boast
I love the patch-work quilt the most.
She pieced it in the long ago,
With patient stitches, fine and slow,
Each block devised of dark and light
Small diamond pieces, looking quite
Like piled-up boxes, or like stairs
To lead you upwards unawares.

I almost hear her voice once more
And see the quaint old things she wore,
The dolman, and the Paisley shawl,
Myself a child again, and all
My childish faith and love surge up
To fill my worn heart's empty cup;
Of all the things she once possessed,
I love the patch-work quilt the best."

"The Patch-Work Quilt," by Eve Egleston Hoyt, 2nd and 6th verses
If I'd made a few notes in 1969, I could have identified most of the fabric in this patch work quilt my mother made. Not today. The memories are gone. In fact, I lifted this photo and poem from my Memory Patterns blog written in 2005--and reading through it, if I hadn't recorded some of those items even 5 years ago, they'd be lost forever. Even if you have no interest in blogging current events as I like to do, a blog is wonderful for family memories and photos (but please, not every step they take--be selective).

And here are the babies in my daughter's kitchen, just yesterday as we went over the river and through the "woods" to celebrate Thanksgiving at her house. Oh, I love having adult children who can cook for me. We had the most fabulous leftovers for dinner last night--and they sent the carcass home with me--we'll have wonderful soup and casseroles.

We had a wonderful holiday, and I hope you all did too.

Security at the White House

It's so odd, isn't it, that the media goes crazy over Michele and Tareq Salahi who went to Obama's first state dinner without an invitation? All this hubbub from the folks who totally ignored the Climategate story (except for Fox) which is HUGE and should bring down the cap and trade scam to tax us into oblivion (but probably won't with the media's complicity), and couldn't figure out if Maj. Nadil Hasan was crazy or a terrorist. ABC was just outraged. Did it even mention the release of 10 years of e-mail and data that showed manipulation in the climate change research? At least Mrs. Salahi had on an attractive dress that covered her lovely figure as would be fitting considering the culture of the honored guests. After all, they did pass the security check--they weren't armed, or a threat, they just weren't invited. Besides, with a name like Tareq Salahi perhaps Security didn't want to be insensitive and ask questions. Look how far that attitude got Maj. Hasan in the military.

Ohio has bedbugs

And so does your town, apparently. There are bedbug task forces in New York, Columbus, Cincinnati, Chicago. I just heard about it.

And there is a chemical that is 100% effective, according to the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture.

"In tests at the University of Kentucky, the chemical killed 100 percent of the bedbugs exposed to it within 24 hours and kept on killing after eggs hatched, Beal said. That compared with a 16 percent kill rate after 72 hours for a commonly used household insecticide against one strain found in Cincinnati, and 40 percent in another strain."

The department asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Oct.23 for an emergency exemption to allow the use of Propoxur in residences according to the Dispatch. From the reading I did, that doesn't sound likely.

Huffington Post article

THANKSGIVING BLOGGING BREAK

It's a mistake at my house to ever clean out a drawer. Take yesterday. I stopped to read a 1981 invitation for a reunion of McKinley Hall (University of Illinois) residents which included married names, and found my old roommate on the Internet. I've e-mailed her, but. . .I find so many things set aside for another day. Things I could finish if I weren't blogging or researching crazy health bills or reading your blog. I am up to my mascara-free eye lashes in
dust,
clutter,
halls to deck,
unread books,
unprinted files,
shirts not ironed,
buttons not sewn,
computer glitches,
recipes not tasted,
sinks not scrubbed,
decorations to unpack,
Christmas letter labels,
notes to the ill and bereaved,
good
deeds
left
undone,

holiday money appeals to examine,
walks to take before it gets too cold,
veterinarian and doctor appointments,
and to top it all off there is mold growing in the store room!

Does anyone need a dark green baby crib
just 42 years old with a few missing pieces or
wooden poles for heavy lined drapes or
a bathtub grab bar (we have no bathtub) or
five kinds of solvent and wallpaper paste?
Update for a joke:

~ A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn't find one big enough for her family.

She asked a stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?"

The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."

Just like the old days

Not a creature is stirring. It's the Ohio State-Michigan game today and all of Buckeye land is glued to their TVs. Except me. It was just like the old days of 1960 this afternoon. I stretched out on the couch and took a nap while my husband watched. He had a game plan. About 11 a.m. he prepared his lunch and set it aside. About 11:55 he came upstairs, warmed it up, and took it back to his favorite chair. This is one organized football fan.

Twiddle dum and Twiddle dee--"spending on things that matter"

Do you remember that phrase after the last election? "Now maybe we can spend money on things that matter," by rejoicing, teary Obama supporters. What a laugh. The welfare state grows no matter who is in office, sometimes more under Republicans, but definitely under the less-than-conservative two Bush presidencies. Once a human services program is in place, who controls the White House or Congress makes little difference in its growth.


"The most significant growth in Human Resources spending is attributable to Medicare and "Health Care Services," an OMB category dominated by Medicaid. Still using constant dollars, these two categories combined to account for 8% of Human Resources outlays under Kennedy and Johnson, 15% under Nixon and Ford, 17% under Carter, 21% under Reagan, 26% under George H.W. Bush, 31% under Clinton, and 34% under George W. Bush. Measure all the Human Services outlays from 1962 (the first year of more detailed OMB historical tables) through 2007 in constant dollars, and it turns out that Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security accounted for just under two-thirds of the total."

More interesting facts about the persistence of poverty and the corresponding growth of the welfare state at "Reforming Big Government."

Ohio’s HB 318

Late Wednesday, Ohio Senate Democrats rejected the latest Republican amendments to HB 318. The bill will attempt to fill the $851 million gap in the FY10-11 budget. The Senate Finance Committee has adjourned indefinitely--for time to enjoy a Thanksgiving Holiday while thinking this through. Too bad our federal Senators didn’t do the same--they could have used the T-holiday to read through 2074 pages commiting us to trillions of debt and the takeover of private businesses, all for the extremely small percentage of Americans who don't have health insurance (and that won't even change!). Then they could have enjoyed a turkey tryptophan stupor instead of gorging on this other turkey stuffed with pork and shredded taxpayers‘ investments.

Following are the provisions rolled into the substitute bill that were highlighted by Senate Finance Chairman Sen. John Carey (R-Wellston) during Wednesday evening's hearing. This information was provided by AIA Ohio which has a horse in this race, the Ohio Construction Reform Panel's recommendations which could determine how architects will do business with Ohio for the next decade. Notice the money hoped for from casino fees.

- Allows one-third of the scheduled income tax reduction to go into effect rather than freezing the full reduction. This nets the state $278.7 million in FY10 and $284.0 million in FY11.

- Creates a trigger mechanism by which an increased portion of or the full scheduled income tax rate reduction would occur if the governor moves forward on VLTs, or if excess casino revenues are generated within the biennium and could be used to offset GRF.

- Restores $25 million in FY10 and $35 million in FY11 for chartered, nonpublic schools that were disproportionately cut in the budget process.

- Transfers the casino licensure fees, approved by voters as 'State Issue 3,' into the GRF to offset current regional job program expenditures. This provides $200 million in FY11.

- Grants waivers for school districts regarding unfunded mandates for all-day kindergarten and class size reductions.

- Allows school districts to privatize transportation services if they choose to do so.

- Provides flexibility in state report cards for school districts that failed to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) in certain sub groups.

- Allows broader use of joint purchasing by education service centers and school purchasing consortia.

- Includes SB190 ROTC high school credit provisions.

- Requires DAS implement paperwork reduction/cost savings strategies. This is estimated to save $10 million/year.

- Includes comprehensive sentencing reforms. This is estimated to save $20 million in FY10 and $30 million in FY11.

- Establishes an oil and gas drilling pilot program on state-owned land at Salt Fork. This is estimated to bring in $10 million in FY11.

- Removes pay cut language as it is now contained in SB209.

- Creates a privatization commission to study state functions that could be privatized.

- Specifies that future collective bargaining contracts let by the state will coincide with the state's biennial budget time frame.

- Requires that three state agencies (natural resources, education, and transportation) undergo performance audits.

- Studies a state government restructuring plan similar to those proposed in SB52 and HB25.

- Studies potential cost savings and economic benefits to Ohio employers and injured workers by allowing private insurance companies to compete with the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC).

- Requires the auditor of state's office to determine if BWC has adequate reserves compared to industry standards and to recommend rebates if an over-reserve is determined to exist.

- Studies cost savings that may be achieved if the state were to go to a four-day workweek.

- Transfers functions of the School Employee Health Care Board to DAS and deletes GRF appropriation in the Department of Education. This saves $800,000/year.

- Transfers $15 million per fiscal year from the liquor profits fund into the GRF.

- Transfers $15 million per fiscal year from the Housing Trust Fund into the GRF.

- Transfers $1 million per fiscal year in total from three public safety education funds (83G0, 83N0, and 8440).

- Specifies that the insurance settlement funds for the Lake Hope State Park lodge be used for the purpose of fixing that site.

- Uses half of the current scrap tire fee to provide funding to the state's soil and water districts.

- Ensures correct appropriation authority for the Department of Mental Health's 408 line item.

There are many things in here that deserve a closer look--and it's happening in all states, not just Ohio. Like that Housing Trust Fund--that's created from real estate transfer fees, but is used in conjunction with federal funds for housing programs. 20 years ago no state had this--now about 40 do. The high unemployment rate is squeezing the flood of tax money to a dribble. During the boom years, did anyone at the state or federal or local level think they should have paid down their debt instead of adding more programs?

Two Golden Ages of Television?

Peggy Noonan writes in the WSJ what she’s thankful for--the usual--friends, health, surviving. And then gets to this:

“And after that, after gratitude for friends and family, and for those who protect us, after that something small. I love TV, and the other day it occurred to me again that we are in the middle of a second golden age of television. I feel gratitude to the largely unheralded network executives and producers who gave it to us. The first golden age can be summed up with one name: "Playhouse 90." It was the 1950s and '60s, when TV was busy being born. The second can be summed up with the words "The Sopranos," "Mad Men," "The Wire," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "ER," "24," "The West Wing," "Law and Order," "30 Rock." These are classics. Some nonstars at a network made them possible. Good for them.“

Looks like I missed both golden ages. My parents didn’t have TV when I was growing up so if I ever saw Playhouse 90 (1956-1961) I don’t remember it. I was just too busy going to school, dating or working at the drug store to sit down and watch TV. And of the second group I’ve only seen Law and Order (now in its 20th season), and much of it only in reruns--miss Jerry Orbach. Hardly ever watch it these days--too predictable. The others in the second golden age I’ve never seen.

Over the years we’ve enjoyed Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966) both when it was current and later in reruns; Mary Tyler Moore (1970-1977) and the spin-offs Rhoda and Phyllis; Love Boat (1977-1986) was great for seeing all the stars not usually seen; Cheers (1982-1993); the Bill Cosby Show (1984-1992) and still laugh and identify with the family situations and love the fashions; Murder she wrote (1984-1996) with Angela Lansbury was never missed and we enjoyed it in reruns too; Golden Girls (1985-1992) although I think I saw this mostly on reruns; Murphy Brown (1988-1998)--great ensemble cast; Frasier (1993-2004) again mostly seen in reruns; Ellen (1994-1998); some of the movie channels like TNT and AMC for the movies I never saw when they were current; Third rock from the sun (1996-2001)--hard to believe Tommy is almost 30; we enjoyed Dharma and Greg (1997-2002); Monk (still current and watching it tonight); The Closer (now in the 5th season).

And remember the great variety shows--Sonny and Cher (1971-1974), Donny and Marie (1976-1979), The Captain and Tennille (1976-1977), Hee Haw (1969-1993) and now we even watch Lawrence Welk, which we never would have done in the 1950s and 1960s, as archives were dusted off with added interviews from the “Welk family” (1986- current) for its old time slot on Saturday evenings (tomorrow will be the Thanksgiving special on PBS).

The guy leading the global warming charge

If the interior of the earth is several million degrees hot, maybe that should be the cause of global warming instead of CO2 (which doesn't increase until after the temperatures rise, btw).

In explaining geothermal energy possibilities to Conan O'Brain Surgeon, Al Gore said, ". . . two kilometers or so down in most places there are these incredibly hot rocks, 'cause the interior of the earth is extremely hot, several million degrees, and the crust of the earth is hot ..."

Close Al. Close. No one really knows how hot it is, but the experts' guesses are 4-6,000 degrees. Maybe Conan could use some of those extra Palin fact-checkers on his show. Or Al's next gig could be making up numbers for recovery.gov.

Friday Family photo--the snow horse

I'm dating these photos as the winter of 1949-1950, or 60 years ago, and I'm guessing this is before Christmas, maybe the first snow, and the horse is a bit skimpy. I did a painting from a photo of one of my snow horses with my brother and dog and I have on a lovely plaid coat, which I probably received for Christmas, plus there was a lot more snow and my ability to sculpt a horse had improved a lot. Lady the dalmatian was a replacement for Curly, a shepherd mix, son of Pretty, who had her puppies under the neighbor's porch. During the summer of 1949 Curly disappeared (I was told) while Mom, my brother and I were on a trip with my grandparents. Lady developed skin cancer after we moved to Mt. Morris and only lived a few more years.

The other little boy on the left is Buzzy Brown--the only name I ever called him--don't remember his real name. He lived down the street. I think he was an only child and his parents were rather affluent. He seems to be wearing a matching hat and coat. To show you how thrifty my mother was--I'm wearing a homemade headscarf and mittens, and the mittens were lined with my father's wool Marine uniform from WWII. The blanket on the snow horse was from my grandmother's house, and I guessing it was from her mother's house of the mid-19th century. I am wearing over-the-shoe boots, but my brother isn't--although in the photo of the other snow horse he is. Perhaps he came outside to pose after all the work was done?

He's a poor step-dad and significant other

Eighty six% of the households in the top 5% are married couple families. Only 19% in the lowest 5th are married couple families. Do you suppose this affects the income gap? You betcha! Households with two full-time workers earn five times as much as households in which nobody works. Median income for households with two full-time earners was $85,517 in 2003 compared with $15,661 for households in which nobody worked. Median income for households with one worker who worked full-time all year was $60,852, compared with $28,704 for those who worked part-time for 26 weeks or less.

Oh, the injustice of it. Two married people who work have higher incomes than people who receive government money provided by the people who work. Not only that, but the median income of working people increased by 13% from 1987 to 2003, but those who don’t work and depend on Uncle Sam only got a 1.4% increase. Indeed, marriage may actually penalize poor people while helping their children (they get fewer benefits, but studies show children do much better with married parents). Both Democrats and Republicans tossed the ball of control back and forth during that time period. And since social programs (far exceeds defense) grew faster than anything else in government during those years, especially under Republicans, do you suppose we could conclude that Uncle Sam is not only a lousy step-dad, he’s not even all that great as a lover and significant other? Source

Government acronym: CSEPP

I didn’t know we had a Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) whose mission is to “enhance existing local, installation, tribal, State, and Federal capabilities to protect the health and safety of the public, work force, and environment from the effects of a chemical accident or incident involving the U.S. Army chemical stockpile.” According to the page I read, the stockpiles are secured on seven U.S. Army installations in the continental United States. The map, which was hot linked with colored dots, had eight dots. The first location I checked said it was one of six locations in the nation where chemical weapons are stockpiled.

The chemical agents of primary concern to CSEPP are the nerve agents GB and VX and the blister agents H, HT and HD. The chemical agents are stored in three basic configurations: (1) projectiles, cartridges, mines, and rockets containing propellant and/or explosive components; (2) aircraft delivered munitions that do not contain explosive components; and (3) steel one-ton containers. Most of the stockpile (61%) is in the latter form.

So how'd you like to live in that county? So is it six, seven or eight? Did one of these guys get reassigned to recovery.gov which has bungled many of the numbers and dollars for ARRA for jobs not lost?

I also learned that in 1985 the United States Congress ordered that these weapons be eliminated in the safest manner possible. So that’s what these websites are all about, the ongoing elimination of chemical weapons. "Enhance" in government speak means "eliminate." I guess that's why the health care bill is going to enhance the lives of so many seniors. If we haven't been able to get rid of these in a quarter of a century, what's the rush on health care?

Oh Canada!

A different take on a familiar tune.

I’m proud to be in Canada, by Lee Greenwood.



and an interesting new book by a talented Canadian writer, Denise Chong. Egg on Mao. A good reminder for us, too.

“What I realized while writing this story, as I was tracking this growth and development of a moral being, is that if you don’t stand up for those rights, if you don’t stand up against the indignities that accumulate in daily life, then the very values that you’re supposed to defend—like decency, dignity, goodness, respect—they all start to lose their currency,”

Egg on Mao: The Story of an Ordinary Man Who Defaced an Icon and Unmasked a Dictatorship (Random House Canada, $32.95), by Vancouver-born author Denise Chong. It has revived interest in the moral heroism of Lu Decheng and his friends Yu Zhijian and Yu Dongyue in the 1989 pro-democracy protests. Review here.

Just 24 days

Things have changed since my first child was born in 1961. The thought then was that they needed some time to build up immunity before meeting the world and its bacteria, viruses and contaminants. When I was on my way out of the coffee shop this morning I stopped at a table and asked, "How old is your little one?" "Three and a half weeks," she said. So I looked it up at several web sites thinking perhaps there was new advice. Doesn't seem to be.

"Immediately after birth, the newborn has high levels of the mother's antibodies in the bloodstream. Babies who are breastfed continue to receive antibodies via breast milk. Breast milk contains all five types of antibodies, including immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin D (IgD), immunoglobulin E (IgE), IgG, and immunoglobulin M (IgM). This is called passive immunity because the mother is "passing" her antibodies to her child. This helps prevent the baby from developing diseases and infections.

During the next several months, the antibodies passed from the mother to the infant steadily decrease. When healthy babies are about two to three months old, the immune system will start producing its own antibodies. During this time, the baby will experience the body's natural low point of antibodies in the bloodstream. This is because the maternal antibodies have decreased, and young children, who are making antibodies for the first time, produce them at a much slower rate than adults.
Once healthy babies reach six months of age, their antibodies are produced at a normal rate."

Add to that it is flu season; our government is hyping a pandemic; the mother might not be breastfeeding; the table where I sit always needs to be wiped down before I use it; it was noisy and confusing with strangers' voices (like mine) battering her little ears; she couldn't focus yet so was staring at the brilliant can lights above.

Maybe someday someone will investigate the increase in allergies and autism in today's children (peanut butter, gluten, pets, etc.) over those of 40 years ago and find out if they inhaled things in the built environment before their bodies were ready for the insult to their delicate systems.

On reading the new health care bill

There are 2074 pages in the Senate version of health care “reform.“ Fox News is suggesting that we not just accept the talking points of the Democrats, but that the ordinary citizen take a piece of the Senate Health Care bill, study it and send in comments. There is a template in which you can enter information you either like or don’t like. So I took the challenge. (HT Bob C.) I randomly selected a page--1896. That’s a huge mistake, I learned--you're probably better off to begin with a section that interests you. Oh well. I ended up in something called “Follow-on Biologics User Fees.” Call me crazy, but a “user fee” is a tax. Here’s a little poem to keep in mind while browsing this health care bill.

No matter who gets the fee,
it is passed on to me.
So don't be so lax,
Remember it’s a tax.
He said that he wouldn't,
We know that he shouldn't.
But we just can't win,
We've been lied to again.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t make heads nor tails out of this tax. I think a special college level course is needed in how to read a Senate or House bill. They first had to define a biological product, and to do that I had to see section 351 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262) (as amended by
this Act) and I had to familiarize myself with section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355) and section 3511 of title 31, U.S.C. for standards, and requirements prescribed by the Comptroller General, etc.

But I did see some very disturbing things in this unintelligible section, like dates (5 years after fiscal year 2012, for instance)--for review and audit that seemed to involve a population the size of a small city. Although the wording is “shall consult with“ not “will consult with“ so that might actually make a difference in who figures this one out and how much it will cost me in 2017. Assuming this reform hasn't seriously shortened my life expectancy, which today is somewhere in the 90s.

Eleven AP fact checkers for Palin’s book

Did AP fact check Obama's book? Just point to the article. It used 11 on Palin. She must really be a threat.

Associated Press writers Matt Apuzzo, Sharon Theimer, Tom Raum, Rita Beamish, Beth Fouhy, H. Josef Hebert, Justin D. Pritchard, Garance Burke, Dan Joling and Lewis Shaine plus Calvin Woodward all contributed to the article “fact checking” her book. Mark Steyn said that equaled about l.8333333 errors/facts per writer. Surely, if all 11 actually read it they could have found more. I find errors in books and web pages all the time. Spent some time tonight at a FEMA site and found three errors within three clicks. And the facts they disputed? Not so much. They were really flimsy--like “railed against taxpayer-financed bailouts.” Please? Most Americans on both the left and right have done that.

Has AP in 10 months of brilliant journalistic analysis even come up with 11 criticisms of Barack Obama? Like his deficit which makes George W. Bush, the biggest spender up to Jan. 20, 2009, look like a penny pinching piker? Taking over huge segments of the economy? Calling the Cambridge police stupid? Not knowing how or when to salute? Bowing to foreign leaders? Or his marxist passion to redistribute wealth? Or how about that terrorist trial he wants in New York City? Don't bother to count. It was just a rhetorical question.

Has AP ever looked so ridiculous?

If there are hungry Americans. . .

Then we have totally incompetent federal, state and local governments, because we tax payers have certainly done our part. We've given them enough money to cover the problem. $60.7 billion was the USDA's food assistance budget in 2008. Here's a tiny fraction of what went to the low income and poor, not for hunger, but for "food insecurity." Primarily, it pays the salaries of the people in the USDA "food chain," which include "public partnerships" like non-profits and churches.

Legislation
School Meals Programs
Child and Adult Care Food Program
Summer Food Service Program
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Food Distribution Program
Women, Infants and Children

Regulations
School Meals Programs
Child and Adult Care Food Program
Summer Food Service Program
Supplemental Nutrition Asssitance Program
Food Distribution Program
Women, Infants and Children
Farmers Market Nutrition Program

Policy
School Meals
Child and Adult Care Food Program
Summer Food Service Program
Food Distribution Policy Database
Charitable Institutions & Summer Camps
Commodity Supplemental Food Program
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
Nutrition Services Incentive Program
Processing Policies
Schools/Child Nutrition Institutions
The Emergency Food Assistance Program