Richmond Oval Skating Complex in Vancouver

A lovely building. With some interesting features.

"Each ribbed panel is clad in standard 2x4 plywood, milled from trees reclaimed from the forest floor—victims of the insidious pine beetle that decimated much of the local tree stock. There are nearly 1 million board feet of this wood—tinged slightly blue as a result of the infestation—in the roof structure. The 2x4s are staggered, and the resulting openings (which look like linear perforations) expose acoustical material to help dampen sound in the arena."

The site I'm checking says the USA has 32 medals, gold 8, silver 12, bronze 12. After the Olympics this building will be used as a community center with room for basketball, badminton, and iceskating. The architectural firm, Cannon Design, will begin the retrofit process after the Olympic crowds leave.

Blue Shoes returns to Mill Run

Today the Visual Arts Ministry of UALC is hanging a new show by the men and women of Blue Shoe Arts, which helps artists with disabilities create original art - outsider and folk art, found object sculpture, painting and drawing, fabric art and cartoons. They are supported by the sales of their own art and the MMRD sheltered workshop in an old shoe factory in Lancaster, OH. We purchased one of Joseph Greene's paintings of Noah and the Ark two years ago when they had their first show at Mill Run. Everyone who sees it, loves it. I'm no longer a member of the ministry, but so many people are out of town, I agreed to help.

The Mill Run campus of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church is open Sunday through Thursday, so be sure to make a special effort to see it if you are in the building, or looking for something interesting to enjoy or purchase. The above photos are from the previous show.

Glenn Beck reads poetry and recommends books

If you watch Glenn Beck, your TBR list will get a bit long. Not only does he write books, he recommends them. And interviews the authors. Today he had three authors on his show (this might have been a repeat because of the health care summit taking most of his show time), The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us And What We Can Do About It, by Joshua Cooper Ramo (Little Brown & Company 2009); The survivors Club by Ben Sherwood (Grand Central Pub., 2009); and America's Prophet by Bruce Feiler (William Morrow, 2009). Recently he's also been really pushing A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror by Larry Schweikart. You can take the Survivor's Club test answering questions about winning the lottery and finding a grizzly in your path. I came out as a "thinker," like Hillary Clinton, Steve Jobs, and Chesley Sullenberger (after providing a score they list celebrities with those characteristics. From Feiler's book, Glenn really became enamored with the Statue of Liberty and Emma Lazarus' poem. His complete reading list.

Petulent, rude, whiny, dismissive and sneering

And that was just their leader. Who cares about the color of his skin, it sure is thin. He shouldn't have skipped so many sessions when he was a Senator. Would've learned the rules. As Democrats droned on and on and on with stories of teeth, cousins and phone messages, McCain was rudely told to stop campaigning. Really, I was shocked. I'll take a cowboy's manners and presidential decorum any day over this stumbling grand stander. Clown in chief Reid claimed no one considered reconciliation! And Dick Durbin. Did he really say we should all just have the health care plan that federal employees have. Has he noticed how they get to pick and choose their "Cadillac" coverage from private insurers? The ones other Dems are calling rapacious crooks and want to destroy? Has he noticed their club is already a select group in wealth, education, race, and gender? There was really no reason for Republicans to show up. . . except they showed up the President and his party. And that they did.

Scrap the bill. Start over.

The story of the housing meltdown from an economist

Nobody caught on--not Greenspan, Bush, or Frank. And Barney Frank is still pushing more home ownership--without standards. But Bush will continue to be blamed because it happened on his watch. Video interview June 29, 2009



Sowell asserts in his book, "The Housing Boom and Bust," that politicians in Washington were trying to solve a problem that didn't exist.

"The problem that didn't exist was a national problem of unaffordable housing," Sowell explained. [And he's quite correct--housing was quite affordable in central Ohio.]

"The housing in particular areas, particularly coastal California and some other areas around the country, were just astronomically high. It was not uncommon for people to have to pay half of their family income just to put a roof over their head. So that was a very serious problem where it existed.

"But it existed in various coastal communities primarily and a couple of other places. Unfortunately, the elites whose strongholds are on the East and West Coasts don't seem to understand that there's a whole country in between, and in most of that country housing was quite affordable by all historical standards.

"So they set out to solve the problem by setting up a federal program to bring down the mortgage requirements, the 20 percent down payment and that sort of thing, and by forcing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy up those mortgages from the people who no longer had to meet the same requirements.

"The banks had no choice but to go along because the regulators controlled their fate. So the banks would simply sign up people, sell the mortgages to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It now became Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's problem. And that meant it became the taxpayers' problem." [quotes from Newsmax interview]

Repairs and improvements

If you own rental property: "A repair keeps your property in good operating condition. It does not materially add to the value of your property or substantially prolong its life."

I wonder if the the genius who wrote this ever tried to sell or rent a house with mold, discolored wall board, or sagging ceilings because the plumbing, gutters, or leaks weren't fixed. It might not add value, but if you neglect repairs, you can certain subtract value.

"You can deduct the cost of repairs to your rental property. You cannot deduct the cost of improvements." Improvements you depreciate. And if you understand depreciation, you should be a CPA, not a landlord.

Skills you need to find a job

One of my temp jobs I had in 1976 (see below) was with JTPA (successor to CETA)--Ohio Senior Training and Employment Program (STEPS). I worked with a wonderful group of women in an efficiently run state agency. I wrote publications, planned workshops, travelled throughout the state, and wrote speeches for the head of another government agency. I learned so much on that job, not the least of which was job hunting skills (because I had to write about them and teach them in workshops not because I used them). However, I got the job in aerobics class overhearing my instructor talking about it--and that's how most jobs are found, "networking." Still, there are other important points I learned, and have updated to account for new technology.

1) If you're unemployed, your job is to find a job. Spend 40 hours a week researching, interviewing, networking, updating skills, writing thank you notes, and knocking on doors. If you do internet social networking about job hunting, be careful what you say. Never, never bad mouth your previous employer or boss.

2) Dress appropriately for the interview (this might take some research if you are 18-25). If you love that big hair look from the 80s, you might want to reconsider what it says about you. Cut the gray pony tail if you're a guy.

3) Develop a fabulous resume, brief is best. Use a professional or have someone proof it for you. Anything you have on the internet may speak louder than your resume, so better check that out. Read requirements carefully! Some companies don't want paper; some don't want attachments.

4) All jobs need good oral and written communication skills. If you've been text messaging for 4 years, you might need a brush up on how to spell "you" and "are."

5) Eye contact, body language, posture, good grammar--they say more about you than you know. Video tape yourself--watch for all those unneccesary uhs, now, hmmm, etc. It's a form of stuttering and doesn't make a good impression. Just don't put anything on YouTube.

6) If they take you to lunch (this is customary at the university), it's not because you look hungry. Your table manners will be observed. How you behave in a social setting will be important to your colleagues.

7) Do I need to remind you to be on time? No excuse will be accepted--they've heard them all--babysitter didn't show, mother in law is ill, snow plow covered the drive, etc. etc.

8) Also, do your homework on the company! At least know what they produce, service, loan or build.

9) Be prepared for really dumb or tricky questions. Maybe they can't ask your age, but they can chit chat about other things that will trip you up if you're lying.

10) One last thing--although they can't ask about your kids, they can spot baby spit up on your clothes.

I won't even go into drug testing, but there are now companies that won't hire smokers, and they test for it. If you need to worry, you're probably not right for the job anyway.

Should you take a temp job?

We joined our church, UALC, on Palm Sunday 1976 and the next day my husband lost his job. The economy was a mess--he was already on a 4 day week and had changed firms about a year before, so it was "last hired, first fired." I have no recollection what we did about insurance--probably didn't have any, and if unemployment benefits were available, we didn't know about it. He found another job in 3 weeks where he quickly became a partner and owner, and which he left in 1994 to start his own sole proprietorship. But the shock of being unemployed with a wife, kids, mortgage, car payments, etc. affected his health and confidence for years.

Before he found a job, I signed on for temp work. I doubt that we had any savings to speak of. I was a stay at home Mom and the kids were in 3rd and 4th grade. I had dabbled in job-sharing, a big idea in the early years of the Woman's Movement of the 70s, but the baby sitting arrangements were appalling. After signing with a temp agency who located the jobs for me (taking a percentage of my salary), I did some interesting office work at various local firms like Ashland Chemical, Battelle, plus a medical office at Ohio State University. I distinctly remember it was my first experience socializing with women who had live-in boyfriends, and as the older woman (36) in the staff room on coffee break, I got an earful on why this is always a bad idea. Especially for the kids. No sharing of bed and utility bills is worth that. It was a bit like second hand smoke. Stinks as conversation.

In early 1978 through 1983 I began taking part-time, contract jobs. Yes, I was on the "government dole," as my dad liked to point out. All these jobs, mostly library or clerical, were from federal government grants, massaged and funnelled through state or university offices with a long red line of employees above me taking their cuts. Sometimes my benefactor was the USAID (Agency for International Development, State Department), sometimes FIPSE (U.S. Dept. of Education) or some other library funding group, and once Dept. of Labor, JTPA. But one stint was with a private company--a chain bookstore. Wow, what an eye opener. State workers have cushy jobs compared to private industry, and believe me, I couldn't wait to get back! Running an electronic cash register is not as easy as a library computer. Someone always had to rescue me with the gift card/discount stuff. Now, as a retiree whose pension depends on investments in the private sector, I see things a bit differently.

If you do take a temp job to tide you over, remember they are great learning experiences, and may actually lead you to your next best job. Just keep your mouth shut on coffee breaks.

Thursday thirteen--13 tips from waiters

This is from the Reader’s Digest, August 2008, and supposedly, real wait staff offered “tips.” I think #12 is important. Don’t take so much time that you hurt the waiter and the owner both! And #5 is good in any business. Treat people as you want to be treated. #4 is funny and suggests a touch of hostility, don't you think?

1. Avoid eating out on holidays and Saturday nights. The sheer volume of customers guarantees that most kitchens will be pushed beyond their ability to produce a high-quality dish.

2. There are almost never any sick days in the restaurant business. A busboy with a kid to support isn't going to stay home and miss out on $100 because he's got strep throat. And these are the people handling your food.

3. When customers' dissatisfaction devolves into personal attacks, adulterating food or drink is a convenient way for servers to exact covert vengeance. Waiters can and do spit in people's food.

4. Never say "I'm friends with the owner." Restaurant owners don't have friends. This marks you as a clueless poseur the moment you walk in the door.

5. Treat others as you want to be treated. (Yes, people need to be reminded of this.)

6. Don't snap your fingers to get our attention. Remember, we have shears that cut through bone in the kitchen.

7. Don't order meals that aren't on the menu. You're forcing the chef to cook something he doesn't make on a regular basis. If he makes the same entrée 10,000 times a month, the odds are good that the dish will be a home run every time.

8. Splitting entrées is okay, but don't ask for water, lemon, and sugar so you can make your own lemonade. What's next, grapes so you can press your own wine?

9. If you find a waiter you like, always ask to be seated in his or her section. Tell all your friends so they'll start asking for that server as well. You've just made that waiter look indispensable to the owner. The server will be grateful and take good care of you.

10. If you can't afford to leave a tip, you can't afford to eat in the restaurant. Servers could be giving 20 to 40 percent to the busboys, bartenders, maître d', or hostess.

11. Always examine the check. Sometimes large parties are unaware that a gratuity has been added to the bill, so they tip on top of it. Waiters "facilitate" this error. It's dishonest, it's wrong-and I did it all the time.

12. If you want to hang out, that's fine. But increase the tip to make up for money the server would have made if he or she had had another seating at that table.

13. Never, ever come in 15 minutes before closing time. The cooks are tired and will cook your dinner right away. So while you're chitchatting over salads, your entrées will be languishing under the heat lamp while the dishwasher is spraying industrial-strength, carcinogenic cleaning solvents in their immediate vicinity.

Link to Reader's Digest
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My Hot Wheels went to Haiti

It's not that I had a large collection--eight still in their wraps. I never joined a club. My nephew Ron gave me two dups from his large collection some years ago, and I still have those. But really, I was never going to do anything with these. So we packed them carefully in my husband's bag, and I hope he's found some boys in Haiti that would like them.

I've been amazed at the creative collectors I've found on the internet. Ugly sock puppets; pillowcases for soldiers; fruit labels; fountain pens; old musical records about prisons; tons of stuff our mothers threw away, and then there's that whole social networking thing where you collect friends.

The boomers are turning 65

Click to enlarge
Scary, isn't it? The generation that affected everything in our culture from education theories to music to recreation are entering . . . the falling years. Yes, according to JAMA more than one-third of adults 65 years and older will fall each year, and two-thirds of those who fall will fall again within 6 months. But before you rush out and buy a walker, keep in mind, that includes people in their 90s--the parents of the boomers. And people on multiple medications which may be keeping them alive, but unsteady from the toxic mix. Still, it's important to keep some of these tips (above) in the forefront of your consciousness. Exercise that includes strength, balance and flexibility can go a long way toward preventing falls. I cringe when I see a mid-lifer or 50-something jogging in the streets--I know that I'll be paying for that knee or hip replacement down the road. To say nothing of being hit by a car or biker. For goodness sake (and the taypayer's sake) use some common sense about pounding the life out of your joints! Many communities have exercise programs that are free or low cost, like body-recall; and if you live in a neighborhood that has good, obstacle-free streets and sidewalks, a walk outside is good. Many malls are open early for walkers. Our exercise class substitute instructor called yesterday and cancelled. I'm going to meet the class at the door and see if I can talk them into walking instead.

The obesity challenge

Today I was watching a very interesting program on the cable channel Biography about George Lucas. A lot of it was old footage of the development of his early films like American Graffiti (1973) and Star Wars (1977). Lots of fun to watch. However, the old clips of 37 years ago showed how thin he was in his 20s, a beanpole really . . . and how heavy he is now. Not obese by Columbus standards, but certain chunky. Plump. Chubby. I wonder what the government can do about this. Michelle, the CDC, hundreds of foundations and non-profits, all sorts of government grant money are being thrown at this problem. And he's not poor. Not a minority. He's rich, got health care. Gosh. Won't that skew the stats? JAMA is reporting that the government is so impressed by what it's been able to do with taxing cigarettes (although since it's been taxing tobacco for 360 years I'm not sure it's all that successful and hurts primarily the poor), that it wants to use the same methods for fighting obesity that it has used for fighting nicotine. I guess you won't be able to eat with anyone else in the room. Second hand calories, you know.

Insulting the Tea Parties

This video of Keith Olbermann, criticising tea parties for not being "diverse" while his colleagues at MSNBC are all white, is a hoot. But then, he probably had been gazing at his own navel so long he didn't notice.

13 Columbus pastors going to Washington DC

But not for the cause of social justice. Not for the poor. Not for Christ. I think it's the same gang that went after Rod Parsley. See my other, other blog.

New books on my shelves (or couch)

After exercise class yesterday I stopped at the public library branch and found out the book I'd placed on hold had 9 other holds! Wow. It's called The Checklist Manifesto. It's been getting some buzz--the author was even on the John Stewart show. I'm not a list maker; I resist lists. But as I age, my internal list generator has sputtered. Freakonomics blog agrees. Even those of us who don't like to make lists, will probably like this book. JAMA reviewer wrote: ". . . is beautifully written, engaging and convincingly makes the case for adopting checklists in medicine. . . a direct call to action to change the way health care is delivered."

So while I was there I spent $7.50 at the used book cart--3 books and one genealogy journal. I like my vegetable grilled fresh in a little olive oil--maybe 4 or 5 mixed together. But I bought Sensational Vegetable Recipes anyway. Thought maybe the photos would inspire me. Good quality paper and excellent photographs. Filo vegetable pouches. Cauliflower fritters with tomato relish. Sweet potato muffins. Hmmm.


Then I picked up Taste of Home Annual Recipes 1999. It's always fun to read while watching TV, and I'll probably take it up to our lake house, because it's compact and won't take up much space. Peachy Pork Chops. Turkey Salad for 60. Chocolate-filled Cream Puffs. The calorie police are coming! Watch out.


The third book was Prevention's Ultimate Guide to Women's Health and Wellness. I think this is on the bargain shelf at major book stores now because it's 2002. But this one looks like it's never been opened. Must have seen what the author said about women and smoking! Lots of white space, colored boxes with anecdotes, decent photographs for the exercise section. One doctor says she tells all her patients this: 1) Exercise regularly, 2) maintain a healthful weight, and 3) use exercise to control moodiness. Advice for backs: bend your knees rather than your back--will reduce strain. Another doctor's advice on coughs: 1) try to avoid decongestant nose sprays, 2) use cough suppressants sparingly, 3) don't insist on antibiotics (I'm surprised that there would still be doctors that would give these out on request).

Cross posted on my book blog.

Registered voters for Obama--illegally

Still working hard for Obama and the Democrats, studying Muslim cultures at Oxford. I see he has a Facebook page. Don't think I'll "friend" him. A very temporary resident and voter in Columbus--just long enough to register voters.

"The house on Brownlee according to Malkin contains out of state folks here only long enough to register others, and vote absentee. They are Marc Gustafson, Heather Halstead, Daniel Hemel, Jen Kyle and Greg Nolan. Nice, clean cut looking Ivy League type kids (except Gustafson and Halstead (a couple?) are no kids) working for non-profits, government and businesses, all here to steal our election. Two Truman scholars and two Marshall scholars. Tell me again, Heather MacDonald what exactly you don't like about Sarah Palin's small town, western values and ethics? I'd put her up against these moral midgets any day." My blog, Oct. 15, 2008

Dogs will be dogs

IRS Publication 17, p. 172: "Loss of property due to damage by a family pet is not deductible as a casualty loss unless the requirements discussed earlier under Casualty are met." So I looked at that section, and it referred me to the above. The only example given is your new puppy pees on your oriental rug. Because it is expected and not unusual that puppies do this, you can't claim this damage. However, if the dog pees during a terrorist attack or government demolition of your home, you might have a case (IMO). But you might also have bigger problems.

Monday Memories--Bus Rules

Most of the away athletic and musical events I participated in when I was in high school involved car pooling. But somewhere along the way, the Board of Education decided we could use the school buses. So of course, a few rules were written up.

The Use of Buses for Athletic Games (1954)

1. Bus fees, 30 cents for short trips and 50 cents for long trips, will be collected before the bus leaves. There must be a minimum of 35 students in order to use a bus.

2. After signing to ride, no cancellations will be permitted later than 24 hours before departure. All students signing to ride will be liable for payment of fees, unless a cancellation is made in time.

3. Students must be ready to go at the time of departure. The bus will not wait on latecomers.

4. A faculty or adult sponsor must be on each bus, beside the driver [I think this means in addition to, not sitting with].

5. No moving about when the bus is in motion, no rowdy or boisterous behavior. Windows must not be lowered without permission and then not below the designated point. There must be no shouting or whistling to persons outside the bus, nor should arms or any part of the body be extended from bus windows.

6. Waste paper and other refuse must not be thrown on the bus floor nor from windows.

7. The driver and sponsor are to have absolute authority over students riding in the bus. If students wish the priviledge of using buses for transportation to athletic games and other school activities, cooperative and courteous conduct will be necessary at all times.

8. All students going in the bus must return to Mt. Morris in the bus.

Now compare those rules to the Renton, Washington school bus transportation handbook. Notice the difference in language. The "must" and "must not" has given way to "should" "may" and "is expected." Kinder, gentler--but far more serious problems are anticipated. Lots of "suggestive" phrases--not demanding obedience, but certainly hinting that there would be trouble (rarely specified).

Your child should appreciate the important part he/she plays in accomplishing SAFE and EFFICIENT district transportation.

Bus passengers should arrive at the bus stop no sooner or later than five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.

students are expected to stand a safe distance from the street and avoid activities that could injure themselves or others.

Safe, respectful conduct is expected of all passengers to insure safety

Certain activities may result in immediate suspension from bus riding privileges. These include (obscene gestures, pointing a laser, smoking, doing drugs, assaulting the bus driver. . . things we couldn't have imagined)

For reasons of safety and health and in order to comply with state law and district policies, the following items are not allowed on a school bus: (list included animals, guns, knives, open containers of food, cd players, etc.)

Our list at MMHS went to the students, who were expected to comply; the Renton guidebook was for parents, who are expected to explain the rules to the kids.

How's that working out?
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What tax laws are new for 2010?

On p. 38 of Publication 17, it says, if you want to know what tax laws (affecting credits, IRAs, withholding and estimating) are new for 2010, look in the front of this publication (17). If you want to know what is expiring in 2010 you'll need Publication 505. Sorry.

How long should I keep my tax records?

"You must keep your records for as long as they are important for the federal tax law." p. 18, Publication 17. It could be 3 years, or 2 years, or 6 years, or forever if you've tried to evade taxes. For property, don't throw anything away. And if you plan to file for Social Security, it looks like you should be saving Copy C of the W-2 forever, also. Just in case there's a screw up and someone's been using your number. Looks like you need to keep the copies of your returns too, just in case. You can get a copy from the IRS (form 4506), but it will cost you. And it's not speedy, either.