Genetically Engineered Pig With Earth-Friendly Poop

Imagine the unintended consequences! Be sure to read the comments about Enviropig.

"The “Enviropig” has been genetically modified in such a manner that its urine and feces contain almost 65 percent less phosphorus than usual."

Meet the Genetically Engineered Pig With Earth-Friendly Poop | 80beats | Discover Magazine

Stain solutions

Here's a handy, dandy website from my alma mater, the University of Illinois. Or rather the Extension. Stain Solutions which is set to "grease" since "cat snot" didn't work. I'll have to browse a bit and see if it lists my favorite carpet spot remover, glass cleaner. Works like a charm (Windex or a knock-off from Meier's).

Speaking of colleges, I was going through a box of memorabilia the other day and found a clipping of my college graduation announcement from my hometown paper. Turns out I'd taken a class at Butler University and I didn't even remember! But last night I think everyone west and north of North Carolina was from Butler. Wasn't that a game! They had nothing to be ashamed of.

When Tea Party organizers say Take back your country

For some reason, they are racist haters and homophobes. How dare the Tea Party stand on the Constitution! When James Carville said it after the Democratic flop of 2004, well, it was just the coach laying out strategy (and it worked in 2006 by pretending to be moderate, middle of the road, core values candidates). "The book is organized under chapter headings from the Constitution, such as "The Common Defence," "Insure Domestic Tranquility," and "Establish Justice," under which he presents brief essays on Homeland Security, the deficit, jobs, the environment, etc."





The leftist media can say "Bush regime" thousands of times during his administration (a search of the Nexis database for "Bush regime" yields 6,769 examples from January 20, 2001 to the present) to proclaim their dislike, demean the war effort, and throw out road blocks to fight terrorism at home and abroad, but if Rush Limbaugh says "Obama regime," he becomes a racist who is accusing Obama of nefarious behavior, an act needing more government regulation of free speech. Drudge Report, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck are somehow a threat to the most powerful man in the world, a man supported uncritically by the little watched broadcast media and cable news and opinion shows, leader of the formerly most wealthy country in the world just by criticizing him.

Meanwhile, the federal appeals court today has ruled that the FCC doesn't have the authority to require "net neutrality." This is not a ruling about the good guys and bad guys of free speech, but big and bigger. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and eBay all have lobbied for net neutrality and stand to profit from it. This court ruling is a setback not only for the Obama administration, but also for Obama's corporate allies in the fight according to the Washington Examiner.

Child abuse in the news

You don't have to be a genius, or a math whiz or believe in conspiracies to figure out why the media plays up the problems in the Roman Catholic church. If it is 1% of the sexual and physical abuse problem, it's too much, and should be reported. The question is, when there is an elephant, why go after the gnat? Answer: What other organization or entity has as much power and clout to affect health care, education, and social agendas?

The dirty little secret is it isn't priests that children need to fear; it's the men their mothers bring home for a night, a month, a year, or a life time. Almost every day I read about a child somewhere in the country so battered and bruised he's dead or comatose by the time good old mom and her boyfriend finally take him to the ER and report he fell out of bed, or down the basement stairs, or accidentally hung himself in a closet, or burned himself with her cigarettes on his buttocks, or just happened to be walking around in 10 degree weather with only a pajama top while mommy and "uncle" party at the neighborhood bar. Little boys seem to be a high percentage of these victims. If Hollywood or TV execs had to produce stories about strangers in mom's bed, they'd have to shape up the twisted sexual values we're force fed year after year and stop the tirades against Christians. Don't send me links about danger from natural father or mother, or domestic violence in general. I've seen them, read them.

I've shared this story before, but it's worth retelling. In 1961 I was working the cash register at the Green Street Pharmacy. One of my co-workers about my age (21) who waitressed at the lunch counter never smiled or talked. I was expecting my first child and probably had the usual complaints about aches and pains, or maybe I shared my anticipation--don't recall why she opened up to me. She took out a photo of her little girl whom her live-in boyfriend had beaten to death. She was pregnant and had to testify during his trial--and permanently lost custody of that baby, too. He went to prison. I can still see her sad face when I read these boyfriend-batters-baby stories.

Explaining it to the grandchildren, guest blogger Murray

"Have you decided how you are going to explain to your grandchildren that their future has already been squandered?

That if they expect the same lifestyle that you had and fortunately still exists today, it's NOT going to happen for them?

That if they work hard to try to make it to the middle class or higher they'll have to do it while carrying someone on their backs?

That we screwed up and allowed Obamaism to dictate that we must share our successes with people who make little or no effort to succeed?

We have already helped them with their mortgage payments, buying cars, appliances, food, and weatherizing their homes. Then there are the bank and auto bailouts, Obamacare, and massive PORK spending all of which our children will have to pay for. Obama has only scratched the surface and he's still itching. Cap and Trade and Amnesty are coming up.

It has become quite obvious that Obama will lie, use deception, props, stage town hall meetings with planted questions and fake doctors, plus present people with hard luck health stories that are only partially true but are molded to sell his agendas. The only interview he has had where hard questions were asked was with Brett Baier of Fox News and it was a bust. Obama refused to answer the questions. Brett was criticized for interrupting the President in an attempt to simply get him to answer the questions. For Obama to answer them honestly, he would have to expose his massive destruction of our Republic.

The Stupak Eleven diversionary tactic on abortion was just to take the focus away from all the ugly things buried deep within the Obamacare bill. It worked. Ask yourself, if Obamacare is a good plan then why does Obama find it necessary to keep running around the country continually selling it after it was rammed through? There is no doubt that Obama will say anything to sell his agendas. Do not listen to what he says, but do pay attention to the results! They aren't the same."




Murray

Happy Birthday

Easter was a two-fer. Sometimes Thanksgiving is a Three-fer, since we have two birthdays that week. It's always the same question. "What shall I get for Dad?" " He wants a Dick Blick gift certificate." "I always get him that!" So I suggested that his summer print knit shirts were getting a bit shabby (probably 10 years old at least). "Oh Mom, the prints are no longer in style--it's all plain or stripes now!" So this summer, Lakeside will be shocked to see my husband in some new shirts! If it weren't for our daughter keeping tabs on fashion trends, we'd both look like yesterday's mashed potatoes.

We're eating apple pie in the photos (sugar free), but the "cake" is in the center of the table--Cheryl's Cookies, Sugar-Free in a wrapped birthday box. They are quite good.

NADA criticizes Obama over president's praise for GM dealer reinstatements? — Autoblog

If he reopens 661 dealerships he can put those on the plus side of the jobs ledger! Now, never you mind how does a dealer rebuild the trust with GM, his sales staff and his customers who have gone else where. Obama's never worked in the profit sector, so why would you expect him to have the answers?

"One of the most contentious aspects of General Motors' 2009 bankruptcy was the forced closing of 1,160 dealerships across the country. GM brass and the Obama Administration Task Force insisted that a smaller dealer body was necessary to make the Detroit, MI-based automaker viable again, while also helping to make the remaining dealers stronger. Opponents of dealer closings pointed to the thousands of dealership employees who would lose a job at a time when jobs are harder than ever to find. Dealers are also often among the most powerful small business owners in small towns, and that meant that the local congressmen were put in a tough spot, indeed."


NADA criticizes Obama over president's praise for GM dealer reinstatements? — Autoblog

Monday Memories--In your Easter bonnet

We served communion at the Easter Sunrise Service at our Lutheran Church. You can't really see the sun in our suburban neighborhood until about 9 a.m., but the windows were all darkened, and as we sang the first hymn, "Jesus Christ is Risen Today," the ushers pulled down the draping, and the lights gradually went up. With the pipe organ, full choir, and the processional it was sort of like a staged sunrise.

When I was in high school the community sunrise Easter service was a big event--I think it was on the athletic field at the high school and we sat on the bleachers. April services were better than March, sun better than rain or fog. I'm sure we ruined our new shoes in the wet grass. It wouldn't be a stretch if I said the girls were in little clutches, giggling and eying the boys. Some things haven't changed much in 55 years. I probably didn't do this more than three or possibly four times, but series of events in childhood seem to be in the "always" category. I can remember my Easter dress of 1955 and 1956, and although I know there are photos somewhere, I can't seem to lay my hand on them. I've been an early riser all my life, so sunrise services are just perfect for my internal clock. In my junior year, however, I overslept. My boyfriend came to the house to pick me up for the event, and the house was dark. So he walked in (no one locked their houses then), walked up stairs, past my parents' bedroom and into mine, woke me up, then went back down stairs to wait. That and my red shoes and noisy crinoline are about all I remember. Don't even recall who was the preacher that day, although the responsibility was rotated among the four churches.

Men and women don't dress up much these days, a little bit more for Easter. I actually saw two hats at church. But the little girls in the urban neighborhood UALC supports get to select lovely dresses which have been collected by members for weeks--with all the accessories, and they've been hanging in the hall at church before they are gathered up for distribution. Beautiful, dainty, gorgeous colors, delicate prints and bold designs. As we returned with family for the 11 a.m. service, the 9:30 (informal) was letting out, and I noticed the beautiful young teen girls almost all were in darling dresses.

Why do young girls get to have all the fun of dressing up?

Use of the word Terror

I subscribe to the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) reports. GTD is a project of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terror (START) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence, START, based at the University of Maryland, College Park. You may think our AG and newspapers don't use the word "terror," "terrorism" or "terrorist" much any more in describing those who would bring down the United States (although I think it's still an acceptable word in referring to Tea Party 70-year olds like Murray who marched on Washington carrying a sign, and groups of 9 or 10 Michigan militia). However, in the recent story I received about the Moscow subway bombing, I counted those words 30 times. So we know they still can use it when writing about other countries.

Speaking of that militia story, last week when I was on blogging break, I noticed that the Wall Street Journal devoted a full page to them on Wednesday. However, that same day within 7 miles of the White House, a drive-by shooter(s) killed or wounded 6 men and 3 women. I didn't see the words brown or black rage in that story (race baiters describing tea parties refer to "white rage" to describe people carrying signs, orderly assembly, and cleaning up after themselves).

Now he wants us to be patient and not rush to judgement!

The President is on the campaign trail again. Sarcastic. Whiny. Complaining. Showing is real face. Fooled them once; OK. Twice the independents wized up and left. Now shame, shame, maybe it will work again? An exodus of Democrats? Thuggery, arm twisting, Chicago goon politics, lies, obfuscation, pay offs to unions, Wall Street, insurance companies, bills too big to read, and Congressional pork. We've seen how they make the sausage. Let's not forget by November. The job growth is in the government sector. 16,500 new IRS agents for starters. Government IT workers to track your health care records--the same gang that can't get the Census right (although they'll find and count the illegals, I'm sure). Now he has to sell Obamacare as payback to those up for election, so he's on the road doing what he has always done best! Campaign. Even as a community organizer his talk was bigger and bolder than his walk--that community is in worst shape than ever. Hurry up and wait, Americans. Get used to it. Especially at the doctor's office.

“For the past year, Obama has been demanding that Congress enact his so-called reform immediately. Last July, it had to be done before the August recess. Then, after Democrats suffered big losses at the polls in November, it had to be done by the end of the year. It was so urgent that the House voted stayed in session late into Saturday night after Election Day, and the Senate actually voted on Christmas Eve. . . Last month, in a process as ugly as it was heedless of public opinion, Obama got what he wanted. Two weeks ago the time for debate was over. Now the president is still talking ObamaCare, trying to sell the public on what he and congressional Democrats have already imposed upon us. And he's insisting that the public owes it to him to be patient.” James Taranto April 2, 2010

The Obama Dependency Economy

". . . the U.S. economy has now lost a total of 3.8 million jobs since President Barack Obama signed his $862 billion stimulus plan. We are 8.1 million jobs short of the 138.6 million he promised the American people.

It is good to see the American economy finally recovering again. It demonstrates the resilience of the American entrepreneur in the face a punishing job killing agenda from Washington. And don't fall for any White House claims that this belated recovery is due to the stimulus."

Read the entire article here. Find out what the government coulda, shoulda, woulda do if economic recovery instead of more control of our lives were the goal.

And by the way, I'm still waiting to see what the ARRA funds will be doing on the Upper Arlington street just west of us. I drove the distance of the orange barrels, and don't even see a problem, let alone a worker. Meanwhile, the landscape company reworking our condo entrance (which included a Saturday and a brief snow storm) is finished.

I'll return after Easter. Lots to do this week, and I'm starting by going to a movie this afternoon. Precious. My husband turned up his nose, so I'll go alone. Besides, he really wants to watch basketball.

I was watching Kentucky and West Virginia play yesterday. Wow! What super athletes--every last one of them. Several thoughts floated through my mind as I looked up from my book (The Virginian, 1902). Not a single white guy on the floor. No women, either. No fat kids. No Asians. No disabled. Obvious age discrimination. They all had very expensive outfits and shoes (tax payers expense?) that most guys their age can't afford. Some probably had scholarships that others didn't even hear about. Last night those teams were the cream of the crop--and no one even cares that they aren't sharing their place on the team with someone less qualified, less tall, less skillful, less handsome, less melanin, less educated, less willing to work hard, stiffer knees and shorter fingers. Sports are really unfair. When will the President insist that athletes share the wealth?

The federal office that oversees the GSEs Fannie and Fred, right on its website, has diversity of employees as its number one goal. Imagine. The gang that can't shoot straight, that brought us our current recession, are looking for minorities and women and disabled, because they seem to think that's what caused the problem, but college athletic teams aren't. Go figure!

Male Answer Syndrome

When my children were toddlers, Phil Donahue was a local talk show personality in Dayton, Ohio, and I watched him everyday. If my friends came over with their babies, we'd watch him together. One thing I noticed 40 years ago was that no matter how famous the guest or how well-known the celebrity, when it was time for questions, the women in the audience asked questions, and the men expounded their own theories and ideas instead of mining for new information from the expert. Every program. Every guest! Many years later when I used to watch Charlie Rose on public TV, I observed that when he interviewed women authors, his questions were really expository and overly long and boring, often leaving her with nothing to say except, "Yes," or "No," or "I agree, Charlie." With male guests, he allowed them free rein and didn't interrupt them.

Today I was reading an artist's newsletter about Male Answer Syndrome, which led the artist-author to comment on the differeces between male and female artists. Apparently, it has had a name since the early 90s and I missed it.

How ObamaCare Will Affect Your Doctor

Billions for IRS agents to enforce Obamacare, but nothing for doctors. Not a pay raise; not a pat on the back. Not a penny. In fact, it will drive doctors out of business with higher taxes and lower reimbursement while adding more patients to the rolls. That's how he plans to ration care. It's only "fair," you know. Why should you have something you've worked for while others have nothing to reach for?

How ObamaCare Will Affect Your Doctor - WSJ.com

That would mean you have to stop killing jobs

Stop the war on the economy. Stop killing jobs

Cordless phones

When we moved here, the kitchen had what is probably second generation cordless phone--lots of heft, ugly as sin. Probably from the early or mid-90s. But we sort of got used to being able to walk around, or keeping it in the living room in the evenings. So I bought a GE 900 cordless phone for my husband's office about 5 years ago. I had to use the laundry room to dock it since you need a phone outlet and an electric outlet side by side, but that wasn't much of a problem. (I have no idea why the previous owner had both a phone jack and cable connection in the laundry room, but maybe she ironed more than I do.) Lately, it's been dying after an hour or two off the docking station, and he's been keeping the kitchen phone in his office (it no longer rings), and that's not handy or conducive to good marital relations. So today I looked up the cost of buying a new battery, Sanik 3SN-AA60-S-J1. Seems it is about the same cost as the phone was ($14-15.00). So he bought a new phone.

Stimulus evidence one year on

Watching the workers we hired to relandscape the condo grounds (below freezing today, and a Saturday) compared to 2 miles over where ARRA funds are (posted as) being used and nothing is being done, I thought about Barro's article.

The math is a bit over my head, but I can figure out the bottom line. Robert J. Barro says, "Viewed over five years, the fiscal stimulus package is a way to get an extra $600 billion of public spending at the cost of $900 billion in private expenditure."

The stimulus

ATT will take $1B non-cash charge for health care

And now it begins.

"AT&T Inc. will take a $1 billion non-cash accounting charge in the first quarter because of the health care overhaul and may cut benefits it offers to current and retired workers.

The charge is the largest disclosed so far. Earlier this week, AK Steel Corp., Caterpillar Inc., Deere & Co. and Valero Energy announced similar accounting charges, saying the health care law that President Barack Obama signed Tuesday will raise their expenses. On Friday, 3M Co. said it will also take a charge of $85 million to $90 million."

ATT will take $1B non-cash charge for health care

HT Bob who says, "They always say, and for damn good reason, "Hind sight tells the story." "

Obama Moves to worsen the housing mess

Haven't we been this route before? Didn't it lead to the bubble bursting in 2008? Did you know you can still get 100% financing, no money down, home mortgages (check out USDA--the food people--they also throw money at new mortgages). Now today we get the news that "The Obama administration on Friday announced broad new initiatives to help troubled homeowners, potentially refinancing millions of them into fresh government-backed mortgages with lower payments." Duh! 11,000,000 homeowners with property worth less than they owe, and the government continues to provide no-money down, 100% mortgage financing which is a 100% guarantee that the cycle will continue. Administration Moves to Assist Struggling Homeowners - NYTimes.com

Maybe we need a refresher on how our friendly government loan officer and enforcer got us here.

It has never been about health care--you've been conned

Today I was reading something from the American Roman Catholic Bishops about why they supported the health care bill--"the anguish of mothers who are unable to afford prenatal care, of families unable to ensure quality care for their children, and of those who cannot obtain insurance because of preexisting conditions." If that's all this health care bill was about, that could have been taken care of in a hundred pages or so. Isn't it amazing with all the food programs we've had in place since WWII, like SNAP (food stamps), WIC, commodity supplements, school lunch programs, summer feeding programs, after school snacks, school breakfast programs, fresh fruits and vegetables for the low income, TEFAP and food banks, the government only expands its assistance but never succeeds in feeding the poor? And even with all the Medicaid and Medicare, the SSDI, SCHIP plus all the non-profits and the power and wealth of the churches, all these people don't have health care? Whose pockets are being lined, who is taking a giant cut if it isn't getting to the needy? Why are more trillions needed if everything thrown at it since the 1960s isn't working?

And what exactly is a pre-existing condition? Our U.S. Census now reports that one sixth of us--50 million--are disabled. Other websites say that 111,000,000 have eating disorders, and 44,000,000 have mental problems. TV ads tell us that one in ten are autistic. And the stats on obesity and diabetes seem to change with the season. Soon, we will not have a single healthy, well-fed person in the United States! Won't the illegals be disappointed when they sneak in!! They could have been sick at home! These government programs must keep expanding, not because we are less healthy than 1950 or 1900, but because we are. No government program wants to go out of business due to success!

The ObamaCare travesty/takeover was never about better health; it has always been about government control and power. The Bishops should have seen this one coming, and raised a few more red flags, and not just about abortion. Millions of Catholics have lost their lives not just to legal abortion, not just to do-gooder DDT bans, but to democide--death by government. In gulags, in death camps, in reeducation camps, in starvation through collectivization. President Obama is ridiculing his opposition--he, the biggest advocate for abortion in the highest office in the land, in the formerly most powerful country in the world. Why in the world would the Bishops trust him with the rest of our lives?

Only the Word of God stands up to earthly powers. It's time to use it.