Going after Newt with the G-Word

Notice how liberals always bring up the scary G-word? And I don't mean God.

"On Wednesday night, Candance Gingrich-Jones, the openly gay half-sister of GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, appeared on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show and endorsed President Barack Obama."

They do that hoping to defeat Republicans who might be supporters of Newt, who didn't reject a family member who was gay. That's how narrow they are and how little they know about Republicans, who love their gay relatives, some of whom are also Republicans. They've got one finger pointing out and three pointing toward themselves for hypocrisy, devisiveness, and fear mongering.

Latest issue of Edible Columbus is free

Edible Columbus issue 8 (Winter 2011) is complimentary and available at a number of local stores. I got mine at Giant Eagle. I met the publisher and editor-in-chief, Tricia Wheeler, about 2 years ago when we sat next to each other at Panera's and I notice she had a mock-up of Issue 1 (I collect first issues). We talked about the concept (buying and eating locally), and when we said good-bye, she asked me my name. I told her, and she said, "We live in your house!" They had purchased our home of 34 years from the people we sold it to.

The First Amendment puts limits on Congress, not us!

One of the reasons for the First Amendent's guarantee of religious freedom (Congress couldn't establish a religion and couldn't prohibit the free exercise of religion) being listed first was the power in some of the colonies of some established churches, particularly the Congregationalists and the Anglicans. They had become fat, lazy and rich through taxing everyone for a state church. Doing something frivolous on Sunday could get you mobbed, or thrown in jail. The American colonies which became the 13 states had many, many denominations and sects--Dunkards and Mennonites (my background), Presbyterians and all sorts of Dutch and English Calvinist groups, German Lutherans (my current church but with the Scandivanians mixed in), Quakers, Moravians, French Huguenots, Baptists, Roman Catholics, and Jews. New York alone had 12 different denominations.

These "dissenters" wanted to be free of the taxes and wanted to preach their own faith from the pulpits (many states had state-paid ministers). The first amendment was added to the Constitution in "The Bill Rights" and was intended to stop government supported sects, not to create a wall of separation and have religion (more specifically Christianity) removed from the public square, as our Supreme Court has done for the last 50 years.

Now we have a federal government hostile to religion (primarily any group respecting The Bible) with many state and local governments following along. Instead of Christianity, a religion, it promotes "spirituality" in environmentalism, multiculturalism, greenish-Gore climate protection programs, humanism, progressivism (the core of socialism), feminism, and globalism. "Spirituality" is very subjective and has no outside standard of truth, with the result that adherents soon become coersive and demand compliance to their version of truth, the very principles the First Amendment was supposed to prevent.

Sustainability and Stewardship are not synonyms!

Stewardship is a Biblical and spiritual principle--God created the world, he is the owner and appointed man to be a manager of his creation, a job for which he must give an accounting (Luke 12:42; 16:2; I Cor. 4:2). There are numerous Biblical stories about responsible servants and house/estate managers. The concept of stewardship affirms that God retains his sovereignty and that his creation is good and applies in all areas of life.

Sustain as a verb (to prop up, to maintain, to cause to continue, to endure) has a very different connotation than steward (to manage, to supervise, to control). In English, a very flexible, innovative language, you can make a verb into a noun by adding suffixes such as -ship or -ability or -ment. However, sustainability is not in my Webster's 2nd International (1948) nor my Webster's Collegiate 9th (1983)--so it developed sometime after the first Earth Day (1970), our most recent return to pagan goddess worship.

In contrast to God's revealed "creation is good" in Genesis, other religions treat the material world as bad and dark, always in conflict with the light, and it's up to humans to either rise above it through altered states (meditation), or redeem it.

In my opinion, as an ethical concept sustainability is an unruly teenage noun dressed in the latest fad fashion with tattoos and nose rings, chasing and teasing the much older and wiser noun, stewardship. It's an orphan who reports to no higher power, certainly not to our Father God, a newcomer who loves to hang out in pagan temples with secular and mystical spiritual leaders.

Think of it this way if the above is too esoteric. If you have a pension, do you want it to endure and run on the lowest level of maintenance, flat lining on life support with infusions from all cultures and governments around the globe, or do you want it to thrive with sound management and control in a market economy guided by the God of the Bible?

"Selfless Audacity" Means Creating a Sustainable Not-a-Business Model

Since librarians as a group are already 223:1 liberal to conservative, what do you suppose "selfless audacity" means in the publishing field? Libraries will not only be selecting (purchasing) the book, but publishing them. Will any conservative title see the light of day or ever make it to the library shelves?

"Selfless Audacity" Means Creating a Sustainable Not-a-Business Model | Peer to Peer Review

Conestoga Christmas program

Last night our Conestoga group (Friends of the Ohio Historical Society) met at Saint Joseph Cathedral, 212 East Broad St., Columbus, for a wonderful dinner, tour of the building and an organ concert. I couldn't begin to describe the beauty of the organ, which took two years to build, and the fabulous concert performed by Cathedral Director of Music, Paul Thornock. There is a series called "Cathedral Concerts," and the next one will be Sunday, December 11, at 3:00 p.m., for Lessons and Carols for Advent and Christmas.

Some Christian books have no Gospel (good news)

This drives me crazy. My husband says I'm fighting a losing battle, he's heard me say it so often. Gospel-free Christian books. Christian "how to" books that are longer than the New Testament. Like Willow Creek's book on "Leading life changing small groups." Lots of mnemonic devices like: Mission statement--mandate, method, model, mechanism, means. Discipleship--Grace, growth, group, gifts, good stewardship. Leadership--Love, learn, lead. Chapters on structure, on leadership, on personal growth, group life, crisis care, and resources. What's missing? The Gospel.

No one was better at making lists, giving tips, and admonishing the slackers than Paul, who basically structured the Christian church after the resurrection of Jesus. But he also began with the basic gospel before he launched his topic so they were all on the same page and had the correct foundation.

I've checked the website, and there is a 2007 revised edition--the one in hand is 1996. However, it's virtually impossible to tell the good news, without the bad--sin and God's wrath. And modern day evangelicals think it's unkind or harmful to point out sin. Therefore, they have nothing to offer except a mechanical list of rules to follow to change or modify behavior.

Monday Memories--Christmas in the 1940s

When I remember Christmas 1944, I'm aware that at that time, I remembered Christmas back in Illinois and I knew it was different, but 1944 is really the earliest clear memory. In 1944 Mother had moved her family of four little children in a 1939 Ford to a foreign land filled with people of many ethnicities and strange customs--California. It even smelled funny to me--Alameda and Oakland--you could smell the Bay and the ocean. My father was in the U.S. Marines and the country was at war.

On the one hand, it was a scary time for a little child, but on the other, it was fascinating. Ribbons of highway, miles and miles of flat land, eating in restaurants, sleeping in camps, strange bugs and animals, mountains, desert, the great Salt Lake, picking up hitch hiking soldiers to help with the driving, and always our strong Mother who seemed to have everything under control (but who was only 32 and had probably never driven outside of a few counties in Illinois.

We lived in a stucco ranch house in Alameda. We went to school with children of many types--Filipinos, Chinese, black, Oakies and Arkies, visited local sites like the San Diego Zoo (although that's certainly not close to Alameda--maybe it was San Francisco), and played with neighborhood friends. I can't remember a Christmas tree in that house, but I suppose we had one. I do remember Christmas caroling in the fog--that's how I know I had memories then of earlier Christmases--because I remember thinking how odd we didn't have snow. I recall going to a community gym where I think we had church, and hearing a group sing "White Christmas," which in those days, was a "new" anthem of nostalgia. Somewhere in the mix my mother's brother Clare was killed in China and my father shipped out so our reason for being there was over.

Dad came home when the war was over (to our house in Illinois) shortly before Christmas 1945--I seem to remember an announcement that he would be home for Christmas. What I remember are the glorious presents Mom had wrapped--and I do remember that tree and the excitement. A doll house and a sled--to be shared by all--but it seemed to me that she must have "broken the bank," and indeed, 30 years later my daughter and all her cousins had played with that same 2 story doll house in mother's basement--having been "redecorated" many times.

For Christmas 1946 we must have been in Forreston in the little farm house that didn't have a bathroom until Mother installed it, because I remember receiving my first Bible, a KJV which I still have. I think I remember going back to Mt. Morris and possibly Franklin Grove to have dinner and presents with my grandparents, but we did that many years, so I've sort of put those memories through a blender and filter. We were attending Faith Lutheran Church so it's possible we were in a Christmas pageant. We weren't Lutherans, but that church took us in and made us feel welcome.

Norma in 1946
By Christmas 1947 we had moved to a lovely 4 bedroom brick house with a big porch and yard. We girls all had paper routes, and it seems to me the snow was very deep. Christmas 1947 meant spending hours near the tree with my brother, shaking and handling presents, trying to guess what might be in them. The tree was real, and I recall some of the ornaments were Disney characters. I remember clothes hand made for my dolls from scraps left from the dresses Mom made for me. I still have some of them. The four of us sang in a quartet for community groups with my oldest sister the accompanist--Frosty the Snowman, Winter Wonderland and White Christmas. I don't think we had a lot of talent, but the Cuteness meter was off the charts, especially with my charming little brother.

At Christmas time at the Forreston school which contained all 12 grades, all the classes would gather in the hall and the principal, John I. Masterson, would read the Christmas story from the Bible--the Luke passage. As one of the younger students, I thought being together with the high school students was more awesome than the actual celebration.

Good times, good memories, thanks for reading.

World's Shortest Books--a list going around

MY BLACK GIRLFRIENDS
By Tiger Woods
________________________________________

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY COUNTRY
By Jane Fonda & Cindy Sheehan
Illustrated by Michael Moore
Foreword by George Soros
________________________________________

MY CHRISTIAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS
& HOW I HELPED AFTER KATRINA
By Rev Jesse Jackson & Rev Al Sharpton
______________________________________


THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BILL
By Hillary Clinton
_________________

Sequel: THINGS I LOVE ABOUT HILLARY
By Bill Clinton
_________________

THINGS I CANNOT AFFORD
By Bill Gates
____________________________________

THINGS I WOULD NOT DO FOR MONEY
By Dennis Rodman
_________________________________
THINGS WE KNOW TO BE TRUE
By Al Gore & John Kerry
_____________________________________
GUIDE TO THE PACIFIC
By Amelia Earhart
____________________________________

HOW TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST
By Dr. Jack Kevorkian
__________________________________
TO ALL THE MEN WE HAVE LOVED BEFORE
By Ellen de Generes & Rosie O'Donnell
__________________
GUIDE TO DATING ETIQUETTE
By Mike Tyson
__________________________________
THE AMISH PHONE DIRECTORY

_______________________________________
MY PLAN TO FIND THE REAL KILLERS
By O. J. Simpson
_______________________________________

HOW TO DRINK & DRIVE SAFELY
By Ted Kennedy
_________

MY BOOK OF MORALS
By Bill Clinton
With introduction by
The Rev. Jesse Jackson
and forward by
Tiger Woods with John Edwards
_______________________________________________

HOW TO WIN A SUPERBOWL
BY THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS
_______________________________________________
AND, JUST ADDED:

My Complete Knowledge of Military Strategy
By Nancy Pelosi
_______________________________________________
And the shortest book of them all.........

THINGS I DID TO DESERVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
by Barack Obama
------------------
HT Kay Ferris

Have a blessed Christmas and a joyful New Year

If you're a Christian and grumpy that the signs at the stores all say, Happy Holiday, keep in mind you still have the freedom to greet people any way you wish!

"Jesus loves you--happy Christmas."

"Have a blessed holiday with your family."

"May the New Year bring you blessings from God."

"God bless you for your help."

"I'm really enjoying the Christmas music in your store."

And so forth. No one can steal your joy unless you hand it over.

Former SEIU Boss Andy Stern Becomes Albatross then gets a Columbia appointment

I noticed that Andy Stern, former boss of SEIU, and frequent visitor at the White House and Obama confidant had been appointed to a faculty position at Columbia, Senior Fellow for the Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy, an interdisciplinary academic center jointly administered by Columbia Business School and Columbia Law School.

I thought that was odd since I had a vague recollection he'd had some legal problems--does that make him qualified for a position with a pricey Law School? Then I found out that just a month before his Columbia appointment he'd been declared an albatross by Publius Forum. They were certainly wrong about that!

Former SEIU Boss Andy Stern Becomes Albatross « Publius Forum

I stopped donating to the University of Illinois because of Bill Ayers being on the Chicago campus--each time I'd get a request I scribble a note across and mail it back. I think Columbis graduates should do likewise.

This should be fun!

A friend has given me her book manuscript to read--world history. Will be a challenge. I'd learned a lot just reading the forward. I can tell we have different ideas for adverbs, but I think that's just writing style.

Before the Closer, we enjoyed Moonlighting with Bruce Willis

Moonlighting was Bruce Willis' first really big break with Cybil Shepherd. Then he married Demi Moore and they have 3 daughters, all with very odd names. He remarried about 2 years ago. I don't follow his movies, maybe he needs the money. Lots of people have been hurt by the reession.

As was reported earlier in the week by various celebrity real estate gossips, Golden Globe and Emmy winning actor/action star Bruce Willis listed one of his many properties in the rural and rugged mountains of Hailey, ID with an asking price of $15,000,000.

The Real Estalker: Is Bruce Willis Bailing on Hailey?

Compensation Report for Architects

"Payroll employment at U.S. architecture firms was in excess of 240,000 at the end of 2007. By the end of 2010, firm employment levels fell to under 156,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, producing more than a 25 percent decline in payroll positions over this period." But strangely enough, compensation is up for the industry. "Architecture compensation increased 32 percent between early 2002 and early 2011, compared to 27 percent for all professional and related staff in the economy, and 25 percent for all private workers. Architect compensation increased faster than economy-wide compensation during the period of strong economic growth between 2005 and 2008, but slower during the economic downturn. . ."

The American Institute of Architects - AIA Compensation Report, Economics

Olive and Obama on Iran violence

My Mom (d. 2000) would have voted for Barack Obama--she and Dad (married 65 years) always crossed out each others votes. Mom also didn't spank us when we misbehaved. She would have said, "I'm deeply disturbed by your behavior," and given us "the look" or lectured us about our responsibility. Sometimes, we wished she would just spank us and forget the lectures. Thought about that today hearing Obama's "harsh" criticism of Iran. What a wuss--even though I think he's invaded without Congressional approval three countries.

Obama faults Iran for British Embassy violence

Can you define "Health Care Provider?"

You see that term, health care provider, everywhere. "Call your health care provider if you have signs xyz" or "Check with your health care provider to see if. . . " People zone out and fill in the blank--usually thinking DOCTOR. But that's not what it means. Go to Google and check an on-line dictionary. Yes, according to the CFR, it does include an MD or DO, but also, "Any other person determined by the Secretary to be capable of providing health care services." Also, podiatrists, dentists, clinical psychologists, optometrists, and chiropractors; nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, clinical social workers and physician assistants; any health care provider from whom an employer or the employer's group health plan's benefits manager will accept certification of the existence of a serious health condition to substantiate a claim for benefits;

but also

Church of Christ practitioners, if listed with the Church of Christ Scientist in Boston; and Native Americans including an Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiian recognized as "traditional healing practitioners."

ACORN Housing is at it again--with more government money

ACORN got busy changing its name after some bad publicity, but there are 170 ACORN affiliates and it is difficult to track them and their mischief. They are still hard shell socialists and a little nutty on the inside regardless of the name. Plus, they are just old fashioned crooks. "Organizing" was also removed from Obama's election campaign name, our Organizer in Chief, but it's still the same Alinsky principles.

HUD’s office of general counsel and the GAO have both claimed that Affordable Housing Centers of America, or AHCOA, is not affiliated with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN. AHCOA formerly called itself ACORN Housing, but changed its name after the 2009 ACORN meltdown.

The Obama administration has awarded more than $700,000 in taxpayer funds to AHCOA despite a 2010 law stipulating that no taxpayer funds could be awarded to ACORN “or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or allied organizations.”

ACORN Housing | Housing And Urban Development | GAO | The Daily Caller

What is this called? Stammering in print?

I was looking through a very dull book which I found could hold my attention if I just wrote down useless, parenthetical type phrases. Eventually, I could find one or two sentences that contained the core of the author's intention. The following is from ONE paragraph on page 185 of The freedom of a Christian, Chapter heading, "Why Remember."

Perhaps, therefore,
--though there is something to be said for that--
but, rather,
to be sure
perhaps, . . . or perhaps
but, in any case,
--in which, presumably--
at any rate

The few paragraphs leading up to this indecisive stew contain the phrases:

Clearly, the question is actually. . .
Whatever we may think of . . .
though, as we shall see
but it is clear
Or, to take a very different sort of. . .
nevertheless, we can think of instances
granting that these people should
perhaps we could argue
and, as it were,
and, more important still,
we have to ask
perhaps, therefore,
even granting that, however,
Quite often, to be sure,
--though there is something to that--
at least in part
Or, perhaps better,
it is not fitting, therefore,
if, on the contrary,
perhaps, in so doing,

Whew! Don't you just start looking for a buzz saw or hay mower?

This particular chapter first appeared in First Things, no. 135 August/Sept. 2003, pp. 20-24.

Reaganomics and American Character by Phil Gramm

I never voted for Ronald Reagan--I was a Democrat in those years, more by habit than by thought or investigation. I've since come to see my error. Interesting piece in Imprimis (Hillsdale College) by Phil Gramm.

"Ronald Reagan did not believe America was in decline, but he did believe it had been suffering under wrongheaded economic policies. In response, he offered his own plan, a program for creating economic freedom that came to be known as Reaganomics. Of course, most of Reaganomics was nothing new. Mostly it was the revival of an older understanding that unlimited government will eventually destroy freedom and that decisions regarding the allocation of scarce resources are best left to the private sector. Reagan explained these old ideas well, and in terms people could understand.

But there was also a new element to Reaganomics, and looking back, it was a powerful element and new to the economic debate. It was the idea that tax rates affect a person’s incentive to work, save and invest. To put it simply: lower tax rates create more economic energy, which generates more economic activity, which produces a greater flow of revenue to the government. This idea—which came to be known as the Laffer Curve—was met with media and public skepticism. But in the end, it passed the critical test for any public policy. It worked."

Read the rest here. Hillsdale College - Imprimis Issue

Radio talk on the internet

Listening to Jason Mattera on 77 WABC AM New York on the internet. He writes Human Events, conservative web site. First time listener. Discussions have been food vendor laws in New York City, concealed carry, and Al Sharpton and Obama's reelection campaign.

It's the end of a wonderful day. Beautiful church service, great sermon by Pastor Eric on Jesus asking Peter, "Do you love me," and greeting many old friends. Wonderful turkey tetrazinni for lunch with pumpkin pie (all from leftovers). The tree is up and decorated while a new Christmas CD from Nancy Sponseller played in the background. Then back to church at 2:30 for a very well attended art show reception--Pusecker 3 generation show. Then home for a nap.

Art show at Mill Run church