July 5 clean up

On my morning walk today--about 6 a.m.--the sun was barely visible. A thick haze. I saw about 20 Canada geese newly arrived and honking. And although the lakefront didn't look like the Washington Mall after the Obama inauguration, it was pretty sad. I don't think most Lakesiders litter like this, but there were hundreds of guests and many, many children spreading blankets, setting up chairs, and bringing along food and drink for the long, long wait of an hour or so. [sarcasm]

I know the groundskeepers will be out to do the clean up soon, but I picked up things as I went along: plastic cups with lids, spoons, forks; plastic water bottles--some never opened; empty boxes of sparklers and exploding rocks; soft drink cans; napkins and tissues; paper coffee cups; blankets, towels, folding camp chairs; dog leash; broken fixture for in-ground watering system; battery operated something with a strap; pair of white socks. But I didn't disturb the biker in a sleeping bad at the east end or the plastic bag of dog poop at the west end.

What may be the most time consuming for the grounds staff and which is the fault of Lakesiders are the hundreds of softball size+ rocks that people bring from the lakefront to anchor their blankets in case it gets windy. Each one of these will have to be picked up by hand and thrown back into the rip-rap in order not to damage the mowing equipment. Bad, bad on the people who don't pick up and remove their rocks when they take their blankets back to the cottage.

Lakeside provides at least 4 styles of trash cans, which may be part of the problem. Some people don't know whether the container is for certain plastics, or just cans, or for paper trash, so they just leave the mess on the park benches.

The above photo is actually from July 2008--haze is haze on any days.

Kagan hearings conclude

After what the Democrats did to Robert Bork and Justice Thomas, I'm not a bit surprised that these hearings don't reveal much. We all know who she is and how she'll vote.

Among those who remain concerned about Kagan is Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) who told a reporter that he "was disappointed in the hearings." As Sen. Sessions put it: "I felt she was less than open, less than candid with us. . . she didn't say much. I thought she obfoscated her philosophy . . ."

Asked if he would vote for her confirmation, Sen. Sessions replied: "I am going to continue to review the record . . . my comfort level with this nominee is less today than before the hearing started . . . several different aspects of her testimony worried me . . ."

ACLJ • American Center for Law & Justice

What the Earth Knows

Although I believe in creation as told in Genesis (In the beginning God. . . ), most environmentalists and global warmists don't, so they could benefit from this calm assessment in American Scholar of geologic time. The web page was pretty messed up on my screen, so I'm linking to the print version.

"The geologic record as we know it thus suggests that climate is a profoundly grander thing than energy. Energy procurement is a matter of engineering and keeping the lights on under circumstances that are likely to get more difficult as time progresses. Climate change, by contrast, is a matter of geologic time, something that the earth routinely does on its own without asking anyone’s permission or explaining itself."

The American Scholar » What the Earth Knows » Print

U.S. Budget and Economy: Long-term Unemployment

This blogger is not an economist, a politician or a partisan--he's a math major who collects and charts data. The average and median duration of unemployment have risen to their highest level since 1948 and 1967, respectively. The average has reached 35.2 weeks and the median has reached 25.5 weeks weeks, according to government data. Whatever Obama is doing, isn't working--at least not for the long term unemployed--although some believe he's not spending enough money. All of the durations are starting to trend down except for the longest, those unemployed for 27 weeks and over.

Bush and other presidents also struggled with recessions (gray band in chart), and you can see on Davis' charts where those long term unemployment figures went. We know from both Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt in the 1930s and 40s, that pushing money at it and more government interference, isn't the solution. FDR led us further, deeper and longer into an economic swamp. Even the threats (promises to redistribute through higher taxes) made by Obama in 2008 frightened investors and rocked the economy.

U.S. Budget and Economy: Long-term Unemployment (updated)

My Father's Daughter -- The Story of Hannah Pool

This title was on NRO's summer 2010 reading list. It looks really good and both the professional and reader reviews at Amazon are positive. Maybe something for next year's book club?

Hannah Pool was adopted by British parents from Eritrea and "grew up in middle-class comfort in England, missing the hardships, deprivation, and war in Eritrea. But she also grew up with the fantasy of many adopted children of someday being reclaimed by the birth family, as well as the guilt of being curious about her birth family and seeming ungrateful of the adopted family. In Pool’s case, there were the additional layers of differences in race and nationality. Still, when a biological brother contacted her, she wavered for 10 years before returning the contact. At nearly 30 years old, Pool returned to Eritrea to meet her family and reconnect with the culture of her birth.

Writers who recommend titles include Denis Boyles, Orson Scott Card, John Derbyshire, Nancy French, David Gelernter, Jonah Goldberg, Allen Guelzo, C. R. Hardy, Arthur Herman, Hugh Hewitt, Carrie Lukas, William McGurn, Eric Metaxas, Joseph Pearce, John J. Pitney, Father George W. Rutler, Hans von Spakovsky, and John Yoo.

Amazon.com: My Fathers' Daughter: A Story of Family and Belonging (9781416593690): Hannah Pool: Books

Six Months to Go Until The Largest Tax Hikes in History

Here's some good news for Obama supporters and the main stream media. The biggest tax hike in our history is just down the pike. Despite all those promises, despite all that transparency and all the hopey changy swoons. Yes, it's change all right. More statism, more government control, more freedoms lost. You didn't really believe he could get the money for redistribution of wealth just from the wealthy, did you? For starters. . . the Bush tax cuts are going to expire. After that, there will be the Obamacare new taxes--20 or so. Then the AMT, new taxes on employers, and changes in charitable deductions. Oh, you Democrats must just be popping your buttons, you're so proud of your guy. And your fall back will always be, "It's all Bush's fault."

"Personal income tax rates will rise. The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed). The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent. All the rates in between will also rise. Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates. The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:

- The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%
- The 25% bracket rises to 28%
- The 28% bracket rises to 31%
- The 33% bracket rises to 36%
- The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%"

But read more here: Six Months to Go Until The Largest Tax Hikes in History

HT Murray for the link

The Overton Window

I bought The Overton Window for my husband for Father's Day (and 2 shirts).  So far, he's enjoying it.  We've been married almost 50 years and I can't recall ever seeing him read fiction.  I don't read much fiction myself, but thought I'd be the one reading this.

"Glenn Beck's latest bestseller is a work of fiction -- but the method of political subversion it is based on is all too real. Named after its originator, the late Josef P. Overton, "The Overton Window" is a way of manipulating public opinion so that ideas once thought of as radical become acceptable -- while ideas once considered mainstream become fringe. Move "the window" of acceptable opinion and you change the debate. Change the debate and you change the country. " NRBS

It's been resting comfortably at the top of the NYT list and Amazon, and of course has been panned and criticized by the LA Times, WaPo, and NYT. I mean, could Glenn Beck do anything well? I think he has more subscribers than the New York Times does.

Portland police re-opening Gore investigation - Road Runner

I think I preferred not knowing the sex details of the Al and Tipper marriage.

Portland police re-opening Gore investigation - Road Runner

His alleged affair with his film producer

Stuff I like--Neutrogena Age Shield Sunblock

I don't "do" sun, but my husband is a sailor and even more fair skinned than I am (and a red-head when he had hair).  So I bought this product for him, Neutrogena Age Shield Sunblock, SPF 45.  One day when I knew I would be outside at an event I used it in place of my regular moisturerizer, and it is just fabulous.  It is non-greasy, has no fragrance, makes your skin feel fabulous, and I haven't seen any reaction with my own make-up.  Neurogena also makes a product called Age Shield, so I assume this is the same product with some sun block added, but I've been fooled before.  I haven't actually tried the one called Age Shield Face, just "Age Shield Sunblock." Therefore, I use it on my arms, neck and legs, too. Maybe it's my imagination, but I think it is a bit reflective--I like that.

Esta Tiera no es Tuya

Propaganda and/or education? It's a thin line, isn't it? Last night's program at Hoover was Sones de Mexico Ensemble [Chicago]. "The mission of Sones de México Ensemble is to educate, research, preserve, arrange, present, perform, and disseminate Mexican folk and traditional music and dance to children and adults of all nationalities, physical abilities, and cultural and ethnic backgrounds." The members of the group seem to all be Americans of a variety of ethnicities who focus on Mexican folk and traditional music and perform as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. I don't have a problem with that. Remember that dance group from central Ohio, Zivili, that preserved Yugoslavian, Bulgarian, south Slavic etc. folk music and dance (terribly minor key) and most were not of East European ancestry and didn't know any Serbo-Croatian except what they were taught in song? Did the dissolution of Communism and the civil war kill that group? Haven't seen them in awhile.

And possibly La Raza's [The People, The Race] strength and politics will kill this government approved, Grammy nominated ensemble. La Raza also believes "Esta Tierra Es Tuya" (This land is Your land, this land is MY LAND). Given its militancy, disturbances on Cinco de Mayo, and kids not being allowed to wear or display the American flag at schools in the SW, I think I'd remove that one from the repertoire.

I left after that retooling of an American favorite, went back to the cottage, made some pop corn and watched two ABC comedies I'd never seen before--"Cougar Town" and "Modern Family." After the docu-faux-drama of Washington DC and the media trying to whip up racism and hate, these were exceptionally funny.

Immigration laws and/or amnesty

President Bush lost support of his party in droves for proposing amnesty for illegals--I'm sure he didn't call his temporary worker program that--but that's what it was. His plan, during a booming economy, was intended to benefit employers, and I think his motives (political) were quite transparent.

"Yet even with all these steps [more border patrols and law enforcement], we cannot fully secure the border unless we take pressure off the border--and that requires a temporary worker program. We should establish a legal and orderly path for foreign workers to enter our country to work on a temporary basis. As a result, they won’t have to try to sneak in. We will enforce our immigration laws at the work site, and give employers the tools to verify the legal status of their workers--so there is no excuse left for violating the law. We need to resolve the status of the illegal immigrants who are already in our country--without animosity and without amnesty." (2008 State of the Union address)

BTW, we already have a temporary worker program--I have a friend in the landscape business and she's employed the same Mexicans for 15 years and they go home after the season. Those families and her family benefit from this, and Mexico certain benefits because it doesn't need to improve its route to opportunity within its own borders and the same wealthy class can maintain power.

President Obama is also using immigration as a political club. Without reading SB1070 he and his AG declared it racist profiling and illegal. Arizona wouldn't need this law if the federal government were able to handle the problem. In his case, it is to buy votes of minorities, not to help employers. Right now, we certainly don't need more cheap labor, but he needs more labor union members and needs to find uninformed new voters to replace the liberals and moderates he has driven away.

"Several Senators have learned of a possible plan by the Obama Administration that would provide a mass Amnesty for the nation's 11-18 million illegal aliens. Led by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), eight Senators addressed a letter to the President asking for answers to questions about a plan that would allow DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to provide an amnesty if they can't secure enough votes for a bill in the Senate." (Numbers USA)

More on week 2

Yesterday I attended a very interesting seminar on "Identifying and Managing Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome" by Laura Schmitt and Kathy Parker of North Coast Cancer Care, Inc. I learned a lot, but then when you start from zero you can only improve your score. Only a small percentage of breast and ovarian cancer are hereditary, but the red flags are

1. breast cancer before age 50
2. Ovarian cancer at any age
3. Male breast cancer at any age
4. Multiple primary cancers
5. Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry
6. Relatives of a BRCA mutation carrier

Kathy is a patient advocate, and talks to groups about her personal story which includes three in her sibling group of 8 who have the syndrome, and many of her nieces and cousins. She had prophylactic surgery to improve her chances of survival.

This morning our herb study group painted canvas bags with herb leaves. It was challenging for this non-crafty person, to say the least. I used the "less is more" concept and chose only 3 herbs, using each 3 times. Now I have a pretty bag to take to the Farmers' Market.

My friend Nancy and I (met in 1973 I think) went to the Hotel Lakeside for lunch today to celebrate her birthday. She first told us about Lakeside in 1974 and found a cottage for us to rent.

The program this afternoon is on the Rise of Partisan Politics. I can't recall anyone worrying about this other than Democrats, can you? When they filabuster, it's just because they care and want to stop something unholy and awful the Republicans want; when Republicans do the same thing, they are being partisan and hyper-critical and uncivil. We have two parties, and most of the time they are twiddle dum and twiddle dee. Together they have made Congress almost irrelevant, turning over and playing dead for the President's Czars or the Judiciary's interpretation. The last bi-partisan support for anything that I can remember was in 2003 when Bush got a lot of support from Democrats for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, using the intelligence on WMD gathered during the Clinton years. But then the Dems tried to run from that and called it Bush's fault. So that's what bipartisanship will get you!

Thanks, Mr. Sunil Ahuja, author of "Congress behaving badly;" I think I'll take a nap.

Ohio politics

You've got to feel a bit sorry for Governor Strickland--indeed, all governors--he's out beating the bushes for new jobs, industry and investment in his state. But what good is talking up the possibilities, lauding small business and pressing the flesh, while Obama is doing everything he can to bad mouth capitalism, demonize investors, suck up to foreign governments and shut down our economy through ineptitude or deliberately thwarting the clean up efforts in the Gulf? How many small businessmen say "I hope I never add staff or products," or "I hope I have to take a bailout from the feds, or survive on a state grant"? Business = capitalism = growth = jobs. After Obama kills the oil industry and the Gulf coast economy, coal will be next, and that's very bad for Ohioans. Fifty-four percent of Ohioans disapprove of both Obama's and Strickland's performance. Those numbers will go higher--I don't think either one can buy more popularity by throwing money our way before the election. The people are on to this scam. John Kasich has inched ahead of Strickland in the polls and 45% of Ohioans favor an Arizona type law compared to 35% who don't--and Strickland says he wouldn't sign it if the legislature passed it.

Ohio politics

Fannie-Freddie Fix at $160 Billion With $1 Trillion Worst Case

When will Congress call Fannie and Fred in for the hot seat tongue lashing?. Never. Both parties are to blame. Better to go after "big oil" or bankers or evil capitalists. Their mistakes were no accident, they are 100% the fault of the Congress which created the Federal National Mortgage Association, known as Fannie Mae, in 1938 to expand home ownership by buying mortgages from banks and other lenders and bundling them into bonds for investors. It set up the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., Freddie Mac, in 1970 to compete with Fannie.

Fannie Mae and Fred Mac will cost the American taxpayer more than the BP spill and clean up. Estimated at $160 billion and rising, possibly to $1 trillion.

Fannie-Freddie Fix at $160 Billion With $1 Trillion Worst Case « Finance Blog

Tea Party Candidate Opposes Abortion Even In Cases Of Rape, Incest

I have no idea who this candidate is or why this is pulled out of all her employment, education, social background and positions as the most critical. Will this candidate continue the degrading programs that prey on women and keep them 2nd class citizens?  Will she work for smaller government?  Does she believe in the free market? Has she lied about her positions or pretended what she said in the past doesn't matter today?  Is this inconsistent with her other views?

If you believe a fetus is a viable human being, is she less viable if the impregnation were violent or despicable? The headline is about pushing the "oh no" button rather than thinking something through logically. Why would any sane person want to compound a terrible crime with one even more violent, one that leads to death when the helpless victim has done nothing wrong?

Pasta with walnuts and Ricotta

Tonight I watched three cooking shows--Italian, Mexican (I think), and Thai. But they were all using Italian cheeses. Anyway, I just love walnuts and eat them everyday. I decided to look up Lydia's show (it was a 2009 rerun) and found a blog which described what I saw, and explained about roasting the walnuts, since Lydia's were purchased that way. I don't think the pasta I saw on the show was Fettucini, but I'm not sure she said. Check out Plated, Jessica and James, a musician and painter who live in NY and love to cook.

Day by Day Cartoon by Chris Muir, The Declaration of Independence Updated

We got a framed print of the Declaration of Independence for Christmas from our son. It's an amazing document. The Chris Muir cartoon of yesterday substitutes a few words and phrases (Obama for King George), adds in the Stimulus Bill, Health Care, immigration, czars and Cap and Trade, and the result is a very spooky caligraphic version for 2010.

"He has combined with Democrats, RINOs, Progressives, Communists, Dictators and Tyrants to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution and unacknowledged by our laws. . . "

Day by Day Cartoon by Chris Muir :: June 27, 2010 Archives

Many legislators aim to copy Arizona immigration law

Arizona's SB1070 is set to take effect July 29, 2010. "It requires police to check the immigration status of anyone they think is in the country illegally. Violators face up to six months in jail and $2,500 in fines, in addition to federal deportation.

Lawmakers or candidates in as many as 18 states say they want to push similar measures when their legislative sessions start up again in 2011. Arizona-style legislation may have the best chance of passing in Oklahoma, which in 2007 gave police more power to check the immigration status of people they arrest.

Bills similar to the law Arizona's legislature approved in April have already been introduced in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Minnesota, South Carolina and Michigan, but none will advance this year."

I'm looking at "Reporting requirements for private boat operaators in the Great Lakes Region (Jan. 2008) and I can't see how this is different. The Border Patrol can come aboard your boat and check the documents of the master and all passengers. Immediately upon arrival in U.S. waters all alien boaters must report (around here that is Put in Bay, Cedar Point, Port Clinton, Cleveland,Mentor, Eastlake, Fairport, and Ashtabula) or face a possible $5,000 fine for the first violation, $10,000 and confiscation of the boat for the next, and/or imprisonment for one year.

Where do you people from California, Wisconsin, Chicago, and even local school districts etc. get your information on the treatment of illegals at our northern borders or Arizona? Why shouldn't police, sheriffs, state patrol have the authority to apprehend people in the country illegally especially in the course of committing another crime? If you're willing to trust the government with your health care records, your banks, your auto dealerships, why are you so touchy and protective about illegals who are bringing in drugs, trafficking in humans, and taking jobs from Americans?

The Associated Press: Many legislators aim to copy Ariz. immigration law

Naughty kitty

Doesn't she look so sweet and dainty? So obedient and purrful? She's becoming a very naughty kitty--after 11 years. She has learned that if she puts her foot in her water dish, she can lick it off her dainty foot. But if she tips it over with her foot, it goes all over the floor, and woot! that's even more fun. She started this in Columbus, and it's really dangerous because of the dark marble tile we can't see the water. So we put her water in a very heavy RRP pottery "dog" bowl we found in the basement when we bought the cottage. Here at the lake we've put her water dish inside a larger bowl, but she still finds a way to see the water spread on the floor.

An even more wonderful, tasty pie

We love rhubarb pie.  But it's a bit tart, especially if the rhubarb isn't young and tender.  So you throw in some strawberries, and that helps sweeten it.  But strawberries turn to mush when baked in a pie and the texture of a strawberry-rhubarb pie isn't pleasant to the tongue even if the taste is (in my opinion).

Friday I decided to use up the rest of Tuesday's Farmers Market rhubarb which I had cleaned and frozen with sugar and flour and was ready to go. But it was not enough for a 9" pie, and I had blueberries, but not enough for a pie, so I mixed them, blueberries on top.  What a fabulous pie.  The blueberries hold their shape and burst when you take a bite.  They sweeten the rhubarb, but do not cover the flavor (they are rather bland). I think it is a much better fruit pie combination than strawberry-rhubarb.

Photo is from another summer, another pie time.