Pentagon shooter killed by police

36-year-old John Patrick Bedell of California is dead, killed by Pentagon police after he wounded them. Story from WaPo.



As an aside, I think Bob Orr used to be in Columbus.

Update: The Pentagon shooter had a history of drug problems and arrests, especially marijuana.

Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: Anti-Tea Party Crowd Disappointed, Again

4 chords, 36 songs

Do the songs all sound alike to you? Maybe they are. Here's a fun way to review a little recent music history.



HT Opining Online

A bribe is a bribe is a bribe

Naming the brother of "undecided" Jim Matheson of Utah to a judgeship is just a bribe, no matter his brother's qualifications and credentials. This one really stinks.

Obama Now Selling Judgeships for Health Care Votes? | The Weekly Standard

The Two Kinds of Freedom

Both parties want you to be free. Democrats want you to be children. Republicans want you to be adults. The Cumberland Post: The Two Kinds of Freedom

Thursday Thirteen--13 things not on my bucket list

A bucket list supposedly contains things to do before you die (kick the bucket). I don't have one. But if I did, these would NOT be on it.

1. A primitive camping trip with no privy, hot showers, decent coffee or restaurant within miles.

2. Join the Peace Corps, Americorp or Vista or any other government based volunteer effort.

3. Attend a workshop on self-esteem, or any "do-over" workshops for that matter.

4. Update my resume and go back to work.

5. Publish a novel (writing it maybe, but not publishing).

6. Plant, hoe and harvest a garden.

7. Read the complete works of any author.

8. Public speaking.

9. Win the lottery.

10. Bathe the cat.

11. Ride a ferris wheel or roller coaster.

12. Appear on "What not to Wear" for $5,000 worth of new clothes.

13. Get a sun tan, or do anything sweaty.

Obamacare: Still a Threat to Your Life

The decimation of our health care system under Obamacare begins with government mandates, regulations, bureaucracies, and controls. There are close to 100 new health care bureaucracies, boards, commissions and programs in the proposed plan pushed by Obama, according to The American Spectator.

For just a little bipartisanship, ask yourself would either Bill Clinton or Dick Cheney, both political has-beens with limited usefulness to the current administration and a long history of heart problems treated with the lastest technology by the best doctors, be alive today if Obamacare were in full bloom?

Paygo?

A $10 billion emergency spending bill is now law despite the one-man campaign (Bunning R-Ky) to delay the measure. Senate Democrats could have brought the issue to a vote at any time, but chose not to--preferring to paint the Republicans as bad guys. Guess they don't remember all the mischief they caused with funding the troops.
The president was lauding Paygo
Wasn't it just days ago
Until a someone
A brave Republican-one
Stood and said no go.

Trying To ‘Alinsky’ The Tea Party Movement

I'm not aware of a single violent act resulting from the Tea Party Movement--but it certainly has brought out the wrath and violent tendencies of the left and the media.

"Using tactics straight out Saul Alinsky’s Rules For Radicals, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has released a scathing report attempting to isolate and ridicule the Tea Party movement. Filled with leftist talking points and blanket statements, the SPLC report, “Rage On The Right: The Year in Hate and Extremism,” asserts Tea Party alignment to “Timothy McVeigh and Olympics bomber Eric Rudolph,” “hate groups,” “furious anti-immigrant vigilante groups,”and ”so-called ‘Patriot’ groups.” In the eyes of the SPLC, the average American citizen is
“shot through with rich veins of radical ideas, conspiracy theories and racism.”
Southern Poverty Law Center Tries To ‘Alinsky’ The Tea Party Movement

In fact, the Tea Party movement may be the best thing to happen to both parties in this country, who have long ignored the ordinary citizen, who thought all he/she needed to do for representation was vote and send money to PACs and party machines. It's a new day, and as usual, those in power don't relinquish it easily.

I got an e-mail from Murray today who writes that he and his wife "went to the weekly Tri-county Tea Party meeting last night here in The Villages. The featured speaker was Jason Sager who is running for the House of Representatives in Florida's 5th district. There were about 160 pumped up people in attendance to hear Jason provide insight to the destruction that's taking place in our Federal government. The mood of the audience was unified towards returning our government back into the hands of WE THE PEOPLE. The usually silent seniors have had enough of the spending, the healthcare bill and sharing the wealth philosophy of the Obama administration. Meetings like this are happening all over our great country. We ought to thank Obama for waking us up so we can begin the "change" that we thought we were going to get!"

A bunch of pumped up Florida senior citizens, and the left is so afraid they're demonizing them. It's pathetic, but I guess something had to wake us up.

What smoking does for you, Mr. President

Makes you cough.

Makes you stink.

Makes you short of breath.

Makes you feel more stressed, especially if you can't get to a cigarette.

Burns up your discretionary money--$4.00 a pack, so if you are smoking 2 packs a day, that's a huge chunk. A trip to Europe after you're out of office.

Puts you more at risk for preventable diseases

heart disease
stroke
cancer of the larynx
cancer of the mouth
cancer of the bladder
cancer of the cervix
cancer of the pancreas
cancer of the kidneys

Opens you up to respiratory problems

bronchitis
emphysema
asthma attacks

to say nothing of yellow, stained teeth, periodontal disease and wrinkles.

And smokers tend to die 7 years earlier than non-smokers.

That said, and obviously I think it's a horrible, life diminishing habit, I think you guys in the government are going too far. "Promoting Health Through Tobacco Taxation" JAMA, Jan. 27, 2010. The very first tax you imposed in office was primarily on lower income people, by raising cigarette taxes.

Obama's colon

Isn't it terrible when the whole world knows the state of your colon? It seems that President Obama's recent clean bill of health has turned up high cholesterol, a stubborn addiction to cigarettes, and the fact that his doctors used a virtual colonoscopy. Colon cancer is the only cancer we can prevent with screening. The other types of screens find it after the fact; this one finds polyps which can be removed before they become a problem. There is a lot of colon cancer in my family, so I'm extremely grateful for colonoscopies, although the prep isn't pleasant (and it's the same for virtual and traditional methods).

While traditional colonoscopy can remove polyps at the same time that they are detected, a virtual exam cannot. However, only about 10% of patients will have polyps that require removal. On the other hand, a virtual exam has its own advantages. It is very safe and does not require sedation. The virtual exam is usually completed in about 15 minutes and patients can drive themselves home afterward or immediately return to work.

In 2008, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services, issued a report that found that there was not enough evidence to determine whether Medicare should cover virtual colonoscopies. Medicare based its decision not to cover the virtual exam on the task force's findings." . . . [and on the cost if additional problems were found]

Mark E. Klein, the author of this editorial, concludes that this "do as I say, not as I do" is why Americans don't trust their government with health care--read the whole article here.

Frankly, I think that 10% figure is enough of a reason to go with conventional procedure--if this runs in your family; it means the polyps are then removed immediately. With the virtual, a second procedure is necessary. Also, I don't believe the WSJ article mentioned that most insurance companies don't cover it--so why pick on Medicare? Gulp! Did I just defend the government?

Visually challenged churches

Usually I reserve my complaints, sighs and weeping over visually cluttered church spaces for my own church (4,000 members). It has 3 campuses in a variety of architectural styles spaning 70 years, with landscaping, parking lots, narthexes, restrooms and halls loaded with clutter, to say nothing of sanctuaries and fellowship halls with peculiar concessions to ministries, pop culture, worship styles, lighting and HVAC. Walls, restroom mirrors, doors and yards are used like bulletin boards by careless people although there is a bulletin board "ministry." In 1993 when my daughter was married at Lytham Rd., I had to throw a "mother of the bride" hissy fit to get the dangling movie screen and huge Peavey speakers removed from the sanctuary for the wedding ceremony. Mission posters have been hanging for years at Mill Run and have become wall paper instead of a vibrant call to action for members. There's a trash container in the front yard. Oh well, apparently very few people see this. But they will travel to Europe to see beautiful cathedrals.

Today I passed Advent Lutheran on Kenny Road. It really is a lovely small church (300 members). It began with a modest multipurpose space as many congregations do, and then added a few years back a beautiful sanctuary. There are few churches in Columbus with a more pleasant and restful appearing worship space. Unfortunately, someone has decided to advertise the enrollment period for their preschool by hanging a banner on the outside wall of the sanctuary facing Kenny Road. Back in the not too distant past the congregation of Advent Lutheran (ELCA) voted to commit funds, time and effort to expanding and beautifying--to putting on a lovely face for the thousands of cars that pass their way each week. And they succeeded. I thank them everyday for their sacrifice. And when Hurricane Ike went through in the fall of 2008 and ripped off their roof, it was repaired immediately. They didn't leave it a blue tarp eyesore. They don't put their "save the environment" trash container in plain view the way UALC does--they keep it as far from sight as possible. They landscape their drive way and parking lot. They are good neighbors in Upper Arlington.

And then someone spoiled it by hanging a banner on the outside of a very attractive wall. And by the way, if I didn't know what it was advertising, the sign is probably not readable at 35 mph.

Adam McInnis, Christian Singer

Clicking through the Facebook “friends” list (does anyone really have 5,000 friends?) of Noel McInnis (we played trombone together in high school), I noticed Adam McInnis, so I clicked to his bio to see if they were related. They aren’t (unless there’s a whole other part of Noel I didn’t know), but I was really blown away by some of Adam's delightful, passionate music. Enjoy!

Adam McInnis "Since I Spoke Your Name" from Adam McInnis on Vimeo.

More housing loans and guarantees

This certainly isn't new to this administration Release No. 0090.10 Probably some form goes back to the Depression, but I've never understood why the USDA is in the housing business. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of more than $130 billion in loans and loan guarantees. So when you're looking at government housing problems you need to poke around, because it isn't all where you think it might be. In Fiscal Year 2009 USDA guaranteed loans to buy, build, or renovate more than 4,200 affordable rural rental housing units. 2010 will be $129 billion more. (That's not ARRA money, which is many billions more.) And this isn't for farmers, or even small towns. It's any area outside a major city. Could be the 'burbs. According to this site, you can get 100% financing with no need for mortgage insurance, no money down, and no loan limits. Sweet! Isn't that how we got into our current mess? USDA employs over 6,000 gov't workers in its housing programs. And that's not counting all the bank employees it keeps afloat.

Award for doing not much

Yesterday we received a Certificate of Merit. For doing not much of anything! Who do they think we are? The President of the United States?

Here's what it says on good quality card stock with fancy script and type font:

"Be it known to all who bear witness that this highest honor which
may be bestowed by RNC Victory 2012 has been awarded to
(US)
A recognized leader in
Ohio
on this 19th day of February
in the year 2010 for
DEDICATION, SACRIFICE and COMMITMENT
To the Republican Party and our efforts to elect the next
Republican President of the United States in 2012

Then there are two signatures and a little gold embossed elephant at the bottom. Really!? The voters elected an attractive, glib candidate no one knew or vetted in 2008, and now we're supposed to do it with the other party? Contributing $25 during the last campaign, to elect a man we really didn't like and was the better of the bad salvagable only because of his running mate, means we're dedicated and committed? Well, it was a bit of a sacrifice. Didn't like McCain as a candidate or Senator (he's a RINO plus), although I admire his personal service to the country.

I think this is the millennial generation hover award. Isn't that the group that has to get an award for showing up? Someone slipped up on our age.

New t-shirts from Haiti

Everything's back to normal here. My husband's working on a video of this trip--adorable classroom scenes of the younger children. One was Pam Mann's English class and the children recited numbers up to 20 and the days of the week. He has about a thousand mosquito bites, or perhaps "no-seeums." He got those when he went down to film the Massacre River. Smaller than ours. His arms look like he's got the measles. Always interesting experiences to tell about Haiti when he gets home. He loves his students--it's an excellent school with highly motivated kids. Here we are wearing matching t-shirts to exercise class. I think this says, "We're advancing," (front) "together, together, for another Haiti" (back) in Creole.

Upcoming shows from talented friends

Jeanie's show is at Ursus, 2814 Fishinger Rd. Upper Arlington, OH 43221, March 1-April 30, 2010; and Sharon's benefit concert is Sunday, March 14 at 5 p.m. with Synchronicity Trio is at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 35 E. Stanton Ave, Columbus, OH 43214, just a bit north of Morse Rd. A freewill donation will go to Faith Mission Homeless Shelters.

Reading Hemingway

There was a dad sitting in a lounge chair at Panera's this morning reading Hemingway to his son. The son was about 9 months old and teething. Seemed to work. He took his daddy's finger out of his mouth long enough to give me a big smile.

Killer whales and wailing kitties

It surprised me to learn that the whale trainer Dawn Brancheau at Sea World who was killed had a loose pony tail which might have looked like a toy/food to the Orca Tillikum which just did what whales do. People who live and work and care for animals should understand animal behavior and never let down their guard, or forget that animals have instincts. Whether they are 11,000 lb whales, or 11 lb dogs. For instance, my 11 year old cat will still attack my shoe strings. I don't know what she thinks they are, but they send a signal. Another cat we had never figured out the tail thing (this one's never noticed her tail). And what cat or dog owner doesn't know not to stare their pet in the eye--even to tease--and if they do, should know not to put their face up to the pet's nose. Yes, maybe 99 times she just licks your nose, but the 100th time she bites, draws blood, sees your reaction, and from then on, you're in trouble.

The dog bite statistics for males is telling. Young male children are bitten by young male dogs, owned by young adult males. See a pattern? Dawn was not a male; Tillikum wasn't a dog. But I'm sure there are patterns that whales follow. I don't blame the whale, and I don't blame captivity. The whale has probably lived longer and had a better life than in the wild. Better than many human beings. Whale trainers are probably safer in a tank with a whale than on a California freeway. But long, loose hair? No, not ever.

Condescension

John Podhoretz: "My sense of this summit is that President Obama is exactly as he always is — extremely intelligent, knowledgeable about policy details, so certain of the rightness of his views that he has no compunction about declaring the views of his antagonists to be merely politically convenient rather than substantive, startlingly condescending at moments, and even more startlingly long-winded when he gets going. As a result, he both looks good and bad in these settings — good because he's serious and doesn't appear to be a fanatic, and bad because of the condescension." From Taranto's Best of the Web, Feb. 26.

Liberals, of course, don't see Obama this way. They see a guy who is so much smarter, more virtuous and better than everyone else so of course he should appear this way and hog the TV time rather than listening. So why would that be condescending? I mean, are you paranoid if everyone really is out to get you? And if he stammers badly while groping for words, well, he's just waiting for the rest of us peons to catch up with his brilliance.

Although I'd have to disagree that he looks good, in any circumstance.

Just ask Google--applesauce to oil

We're having a few couples from church in tomorrow evening, and for dessert I'm serving warmed fresh blueberries over lemon cake with a dollop of real whipped cream. I'd thought some of mixing the blueberries in little blobs into the unbaked cake and swirling, but fortunately remembered the disaster of a few years back when I decided to mix cooked blueberries into a vanilla pudding mix for a pie. Because these mixes all have a little yellow food coloring (called yellow 5 or yellow 6) to make them look yummy and inviting, if you mix in blueberries, you get something that looks like pea soup--gray green. The taste doesn't change at all, but a lot of what we taste is really done with our eyes (which is why I always clean and take down the cobwebs before I invite people over for dinner). So, that disaster was avoided.

The Betty Crocker Super Moist Lemon cake mix (I never make a cake from scratch) called for 1/3 cup of oil. Now, that's not awful, but everyone I know is watching the calories, so I decided to substitute applesauce for oil. I know you can do it in baking, I just didn't know the proportions. That's where Google comes in.

Google answers millions of questions a day--I know because some of them end up on my blog since I write on 50 bazillion topics. Here's what I learned. In baking it's about a 1:1 swap, but don't do it with cookies or snacky things that need a bit of crispness or you get "frankensnack." Even with this cake, I used a little less than 1/3 cup of applesauce, and added about a tablespoon of oil. If the cake tastes a little less than perfect, the blueberries will cover for me; I've tasted them and they are fabulous. 2 Tbsp. flour, 3/4 c. Splenda, a few shakes of cinnamon, and a Tbsp. of butter; heat just to the point they start to burst. Then I'll reheat them before serving, but they won't be mushy.

My little Sunbeam mixer was a wedding gift, so it's 50 years old. I think I've blogged about it before. The cord is stiff, it falls out of its connection, it trips the outlet switch, and the beaters fall out about every 45 seconds. But how many more years will I be making cakes, so I don't replace it. Besides, at this stage, it would be like kicking out a member of the family.

Well, it's about time to take the lemon cake out of the oven. Smells heavenly. I'll let you know . . .