Carolyn Westhoff, MD, receives outstanding abortionist award

Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which has been lobbying the government to require religious groups to cover contraception and abortion. In 2010 its outstanding award for abortion provider was Carolyn Westhoff and it was presented by late term abortionist LeRoy Carhart.

The Census and Poverty

The official measure of poverty in the U.S. Census completed in 2010 doesn't reflect the progress we've made over the years. 1) The Census does not count the benefits of anti-poverty programs, which have expanded sharply over the past 40 years [Earned Income Tax Credit, Medicaid, SCHIP, WIC, TANF, food stamps, and housing subsidies]. 2) It accounts for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, a benchmark that is slow to incorporate new consumer products (it took 15 years to include cell phones), misses changes in the quality of goods, and doesn't fully reflect the low prices at big-box stores such as Wal-Mart. CNN Opinion, Bruce D. Meyer and James X. Sullivan

"A better way to determine who is suffering from the current recession is to look at people's spending, which includes things like housing, food, and other goods they are able to enjoy. Preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for consumption in 2009, like the Census figures, also indicate a rise in poverty, but tell a very different story about who is suffering most from the current recession. . ." Census poverty figures show no change for the elderly, but consumption/spending figures do. Using those figures poverty has decreased since 1980.

If these poverty calculations are revised, I suspect it will be in time for the 2012 elections, so that Obama can show that instead of increasing poverty, his administration has decreased it.

Bad Karma, wasted tax dollars

Why did our tax money go to Finland to build the . . . Karma? How does this help American workers?

“With the approval of the Obama administration, an electric car company that received a $529 million federal government loan guarantee is assembling its first line of cars in Finland, saying it could not find a facility in the United States capable of doing the work.

Vice President Joseph Biden heralded the Energy Department's $529 million loan to the start-up electric car company called Fisker as a bright new path to thousands of American manufacturing jobs. But two years after the loan was announced, the company's manufacturing jobs are still limited to the assembly of the flashy electric Fisker Karma sports car in Finland.”
ABC News

In a test conducted Wednesday by Consumer Reports magazine, the niche-market $107,850 sports car conked out completely, after a short ride at 65 miles per hour on a Connecticut test track.

World history from a Conservative perspective--respect and hope

The following is from the first page of Conservapedia's article on World History. It's virtually inseparable from the World Civilization introduction I took at Manchester College, because then no one denied it was important to use the Bible as a source for history, and everyone used BC and AD in describing a time line. My instructor was Gladys Muir. She was in love with history and established the Peace Studies program at MC in 1948. There are now hundreds of peace studies programs in colleges, but I doubt there has ever been a less peaceful time, and the 20th century was the most violent in all of world history, especially for governments killing their own citizens.

"World history" is the true story of thought, ideas, culture, language, wars, governments, and economic systems throughout all of mankind's history. This includes billions of people over thousands of years. Every source is available to us, including the Bible. Everything mankind has ever written, invented, observed, conquered and destroyed is part of "World history." For example, we will study how Carthage was built into a power, and how it was then forever destroyed by its enemies from Rome.

Our course will place a special emphasis on aspects of World history that continue to be influential today, such as world religions and cultural conflicts; we will link what happened in ancient times to what is happening today. We are the product of our past. You can think about whether that is a good thing, or a bad thing. Perhaps the answer depends on what we make of it. We will make use of the Bible, which is the greatest history book ever written.

American history covers only about 400 years; World history concerns over 5000 years, going back to the first evidence of recorded events. Our class covers much of the material in a course on Western Civilization or European history, but we cover more too. We will learn about Islam and Hinduism and all the forces that continue to shape our world to this day. One cannot fully understand 9/11, violence in the Middle East, or hostility between India and Pakistan without learning World history.

We will consider how mankind progressed in understanding the unseen, such as truth and gravity and God. In mathematics, mankind progressed from the discovery of geometry (Greeks) to the concept of "zero" (Indians) to calculus (English). In economics, mankind progressed from wage and price controls (Romans) to the "invisible hand" of the free market (Scottish), which then unleashed tremendous prosperity. Government progressed from rulers who claimed to be gods (Egyptians), to monarchs (Middle Ages), to constitutional republics (United States). World history spans from pre-Christian to Christian. What are we progressing towards now? We will learn to use history to predict the future.

Do not be misled by thinking that ancient peoples were dumb or boring because they lacked the technology of modern society. The Egyptians, for example, cleverly built the massive pyramids using techniques that no one to this day can figure out or duplicate. In 2600 B.C., they constructed the pyramid of Khufu containing 6 million tons of stone extending to a height of 481 feet. The workmanship was superior to anything we do today: the rock base was virtually flat, not varying in elevation by more than a half-inch; its orientation is precisely aligned with the points of a compass; its stones were perfect fits. Inside was a chapel, a causeway, and a temple. It amazes architects to this day. We would not be able to duplicate it, and no one knows how the Egyptians were able to build these intricate structures 4600 years ago. Many other cultures, from Mesopotamia to Greece to Rome to India to China, invented things and discovered knowledge that no one today is smart enough to duplicate. Can you build a useful wheel, or make paper?

A word about terminology: "B.C" means "Before (the birth of) Christ" and "A.D." means Anno Domini (Latin for "in the year of our Lord") or simply "After (the birth of) Christ." The "1st century B.C." means the 1st century before Christ, counting backwards, which are the years 100-1 B.C. The "6th century B.C." is thus 600-501 B.C. The 20th century (A.D.) included the years A.D. 1901-2000. Because A.D. means "in the year of our Lord," the truly proper form is to put the date after the A.D., as in A.D. 2006. Dates are based on the birth of Christ, and it is wrong to erase Christ from the annotation, as school textbooks do with "BCE" for "Before the Common Era" and "CE" for "Common Era." To convert from a public school textbook, remember that BCE = B.C. and CE = A.D.

World history divides into four sections: Ancient History (Creation-A.D. 500), the Middle Ages (A.D. 500-1500), the Pre-Modern Era (A.D. 1500-1900), and the Modern Era (A.D. 1900-Current). The Renaissance (A.D. 1300-1600), including the Reformation, overlaps with the Middle Ages and Pre-Modern Era. Note that dates are not precise in this course: the further back in time we go, the less we know about the actual dates of key events. For events before about 1000 B.C., most estimated dates are actually plus or minus a few hundred years.

Let us begin."

She's obviously among the 1%

If the New York Times is hurting for subscribers how in the world does it afford a pay out like this?

(Reuters) - Former New York Times Co (NYT.N) Chief Executive Janet Robinson received a total payout of nearly $24 million after she left the newspaper publisher at the end of last year, according to a regulatory filing on Friday.

Robinson, a 28-year veteran with the company, has yet to be replaced by Chairman and Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr, who is temporarily acting in her place. Robinson's package includes a $4.5 million consulting fee that The Times had agreed to pay as part of her exit package, as well as pension benefits and performance-related payments.

Excluding the consulting fee, Robinson would have been paid the same amount whether she was terminated, resigned or retired, according to the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Parents sue for wrongful birth

No test is perfect. Once back in 1963 I was told I was pregnant but I wasn't--it was another woman's test with a similar name. Some couples are told there's something wrong, they continue with the pregnancy and the baby is perfect. Some people refuse the test because they know the purpose--to kill the child if it isn't perfect. 93% of Down Syndrome babies are aborted based on tests developed for the sole purpose of killing them. Those scientists' mothers should be so proud. Then there's the Levys:

"A couple is suing a health center for 'wrongful birth' after a prenatal test intended to pick up whether a foetus has Down syndrome failed - and their daughter was born with the condition. Ariel and Deborah Levy, from Portland, Oregon, who have two other children, said in a lawsuit they would have aborted their daughter Kalanit - who is now four - if they had known."

Pre-natal test was wrong

Two more health laws to drain our tax dollars

There are two more buckets with holes in them for health tax dollars called, 1) The Plain Writing Act of 2010, and 2) National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. Supposedly, graduates of our government schools, plumped up with federal dollars and requirements for not falling behind (NCLB) or racing to the top (RttT), can't read instructions or understand basic health information so there will be more awarding of grants and contracts to entities to promote and teach "health literacy." Plain writing is defined as "clear, concise, well-organized and follows best practices. . . " Have you ever tried to read and understand PPACA (aka Obamacare law)? If you are in the ESL field, here's your next golden goose. If you're a teacher retiring at 55 with only a $70,000 pension for 30 years work and need to set up a non-profit to qualify for health insurance or to make more money, here's just the vehicle. Fill out the paper work, name your company, rent some space, and bring in the people the schools failed when you were teaching.

According to a recent study published in February 2012 Health Affairs, intended I think to point out that Americans don't understand basic health instructions, only 14% were below basic, the other 86% were either proficient, intermediate or basic. That's about the same percentage that didn't have health insurance or hadn't applied even though they were eligible, and therefore the government needed to take over the entire industry.

What is health literacy? Are there smokers who don't know they are at risk for lung cancer? Am I the only one who knows I should be exercising more, but instead sit here and blog? Are there sun lovers who don't know about skin cancer? Are there gay and bisexual men who don't know about HIV and oral HPV or how they transmit it to their partners? Are there apple shaped women with thick waists who ignore their doctors warnings about breast cancer and diabetes? Is there an alcoholic who hasn't tried to shut up the spouse, friend or employer when drinking came up for discussion? Is it really lack of knowledge? Or is it lack of willingness to do the changes necessary to be healthy?

Spanish language TV--Univision

Sometimes I watch Univision--the only Spanish language TV in our subscription plan. It's also the whitest TV I've ever seen. I'd say it takes me back to the 50s, except my parents didn't have TV. If it weren't for immigration stories or sports, I'd never see a brown person on Univision. Even the actors on the commercials are white. And have never seen a black or Asian in a feature or on staff. All newscasters and journalists are white. Novelas (soaps) actors are all white. Entertainment shows are white (although there are brown people in the audiences). I'm used to Fox News which has a good cross section of ethnicities--much more so than broadcast or other cable TV. Univision is billed as "the new American reality." Don't think so.

What is "Outreach and Engagement" other than a very well paid position?

Joyce Beatty, The Ohio State University Vice President of Outreach and Engagement, whose salary was $326,000, won the Democratic primary race for Ohio’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday March 6, so she’s left her position. So, just what is “Outreach and Engagement” that it pays so well, that one would leave it to make even more in Congress, I wondered? I looked at what other universities did with departments named this, and am still baffled and confused, but it’s definitely well paid.

After reading through the various descriptions of O & E, and particularly what's going on at Michigan State which seems to be the most active, I think it's a way to get scholarly credit for faculty who are busy with off campus activities and need credit for promotion and tenure. So O & E was created with lots of big, squishy and undefinable words. I could be wrong about this, but it is a hodge podge from library, to extension, to on-line courses, to partnerships with businesses in the community. There don't seem to be any departments of Outreach and Engagement at Harvard and Yale or Cornell, or they may have it under a different term. University of Michigan includes the word Sciences in its department. The vaguest definition seemed to be Ohio State's (at the bottom).

[Michigan State] University Outreach and Engagement (UOE) is a campus-wide resource dedicated to helping faculty and academic units construct more extensive and effective engagement with the communities of our state, nation, and world . . . It involves generating, transmitting, applying, and preserving knowledge for the direct benefit of external audiences in ways that are consistent with university and disciplinary missions.

[Oregon State University] Outreach and Engagement at Oregon State University enhances access to enrichment and problem solving through reciprocal relationships for the exchange of knowledge and resources in partnership with individuals, communities, businesses, industries, government, and educational institutions.

[University of Illinois] "The term 'public engagement' reflects the reality that so much of what we do takes the form of faculty members collaborating with communities, agencies, and organizations to address critical issues. When our faculty, staff or students become involved in a public engagement project, they are entering into a contract, in which both they and those they engage with, have much to gain through the sharing of and creating, new knowledge to the benefit of both campus and community." Chancellor Richard Herman, September 2004

[James Madison University] Outreach & Engagement serves as a catalyst by utilizing JMU resources to create mutually beneficial partnerships, advance educational opportunities, and empower individuals and our extended communities.

[University of Colorado Boulder] At CU-Boulder, we define outreach and engagement as the ways faculty, staff, and students collaborate with external groups in mutually beneficial partnerships that are grounded in scholarship and consistent with our role and mission as a comprehensive, public research university.

[University of Minnesota] As one of the very few land-grant research universities located in an urban setting in the United States, the University of Minnesota has made a priority of discovering solutions to the many complex issues facing urban communities. Reflecting that vision is the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), housed in a renovated building in North Minneapolis in the heart of a highly diverse community. A new model for university-community engagement and urban problem solving, the center is home to a dozen University programs committed to research and problem-solving in authentic and engaged partnership with individuals and organizations in Northside communities.

[University of Southern Indiana] We serve individuals of all ages through noncredit programs, on-line learning opportunities, off-campus courses, dual credit programs for high school students, the Bachelor of General Studies program, certificate programs, continuing education for various professions, and more.

[University of Idaho] Through outreach, the University of Idaho develops engaged scholarship and student learning opportunities. Outreach adds value to our teaching and research activities by helping build partnerships with stakeholders in Idaho and beyond. Engagement at the University of Idaho involves two kinds of partnerships: internally, across colleges and disciplines and externally, with stakeholders in Idaho and beyond. Outreach occurs from every college on UI’s Moscow campus, the UI Library, and from each of the University’s physical locations around the state. Our outreach infrastructure includes 42 county Extension offices, UI Boise, UI Idaho Falls, UI Coeur d’Alene, multiple research and learning facilities, and the telecommunications infrastructure that bridges physical distance.

[The Ohio State University] Mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations are central to both the definition of outreach and engagement and how the Office of Outreach and Engagement does its work. We exist to work in collaboration with faculty, staff, students, and units to enrich Ohio State’s partnerships with the community and to embed outreach and engagement into colleges and departments. We are pleased to work with the following affiliated program: Service-Learning Initiative supports the integration of outreach and engagement into teaching.

Obesity in children--big business

No pun. According to medical research overweight children are at higher risk for respiratory, metabolic and cardiovascular problems. (See MMWR 2011;60:1673-1678) They are also at risk for government inspection of their home made lunches and becoming a cause for the 2nd highest office in the land, the First Lady. Obesity in children has actually been decreasing since the late 90s, which puts millions in research grants to universities and industry from USDA and HHS at risk. Obesity in children is decreasing among all races, ethnicities and socio-economic groups, but faster among whites and Asians, which makes the decrease very unfair and it should probably be investigated by Congress.

Psalm 55: I'll fly away

David said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove. I would fly away and be at rest."

America’s Most Biblically-Hostile U. S. President

David Barton has a long list. Be prepared.

America’s Most Biblically-Hostile U. S. President

Perhaps you don't care, but I hope you do. Here's a selection--I think the full record runs over 10 pages if printed. I don't think it even mentions asking Georgetown to cover religious symbols when he gave his first speech as President there.

February 2009 – Obama announces plans to revoke conscience protection for health workers who refuse to participate in medical activities that go against their beliefs, and fully implements the plan in February 2011

March 2009 – The Obama administration shut out pro-life groups from attending a White House-sponsored health care summit.

May 2009 – The White House budget eliminates all funding for abstinence-only education and replaces it with “comprehensive” sexual education, repeatedly proven to increase teen pregnancies and abortions. 31 He continues the deletion in subsequent budgets.

July 2009 – The Obama administration illegally extends federal benefits to same-sex partners of Foreign Service and Executive Branch employees, in direction violation of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

October 19, 2010 – Obama begins deliberately omitting the phrase about “the Creator” when quoting the Declaration of Independence – an omission he has made on no less than seven occasions.

April 2011 – For the first time in American history, Obama urges passage of a non-discrimination law that does not contain hiring protections for religious groups, forcing religious organizations to hire according to federal mandates without regard to the dictates of their own faith, thus eliminating conscience protection in hiring

August 2011 – The Air Force stops teaching the Just War theory to officers in California because the course is taught by chaplains and is based on a philosophy introduced by St. Augustine in the third century AD – a theory long taught by civilized nations across the world (except America).

September 2011 – The Pentagon directs that military chaplains may perform same-sex marriages at military facilities in violation of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

February 2012 – The Obama administration forgives student loans in exchange for public service, but announces it will no longer forgive student loans if the public service is related to religion.

February 2012 – The Air Force removes “God” from the patch of Rapid Capabilities Office (the word on the patch was in Latin: Dei).

Breitbart Harvard tape of Obama

I'm puzzled that people are so excited with the tape of the Harvard student era Barack Obama speaking on behalf of Derrick Bell, radical racist professor (nice to see he could speak without a teleprompter, though). I'm more concerned about Obama's behavior today. When word got out the tape was going to run at Breitbart.com, it was then edited by another source and sanitized, taking out Obama and Bell hugging. Would it have made a difference in 2008? He sat in the pew at Jeremiah Wright's church for a decade and ignored the hate and racism there, so this doesn't look too outlandish. Other than the massive cover-up the media did in not vetting him, what's new here? And didn't we know already that the media had his back?

The Thought Police from the Left

When have you heard Rush Limbaugh, or Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly or Laura Ingraham call for a leftist entertainer to lose his job? Even someone as disgusting as Bill Maher or Dave Letterman when ridiculing Sarah Palin or her children?

March 8, 2008

It was this day in 2008 that Columbus got 20.4" of snow. It broke a number of records.



What I blogged that day: "I shoveled a path behind my van this morning, thinking things didn't look too bad, but once I got out on a main street, I discovered that although it had been plowed by the city crews, I couldn't see anything, nor could I turn around. So I continued driving until I got to Panera's and pulled in. I struggled up to the door only to see a sign that said, Sorry, but due to the weather, we aren't opening until 8 a.m. A staffer took pity on me and let me in, turned on the fireplace, and brought me a cup of coffee and a newspaper. Wasn't that sweet? Now that is customer service! I asked him if he'd like to be my grandson. I didn't stay long, and when I went back to my van, it took about 10 minutes to scrape and clean enough to see the road I couldn't really see. Two good things. No one but me and the snow plows were out there. Also, I'd replaced my tires in the fall--and they really came through for me."

Occupy this--Gabe Newell billionaire

I know nothing about video games, but noticed at Forbes that Gabe Newell, co-founder and managing director of Valve Corporation, is one of the richest people on the planet at 49. With an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion dollars, he ranks 854th out of 1,226 global billionaires. He's also a college drop out, married, and overweight (judging from his photos). He used to work for Microsoft and took his money in 1996 and invested in his own idea for video gaming. See how that works, Occupiers, Whiners and Lefties? Also after browsing a few minutes, I get the impression he's not too popular with the competition. I even saw some YouTube videos where he is portrayed as a monster.

Forbes story

How safe are oral contraceptives over the long term?

HRT--hormone replacement therapy--is estrogen and progestin. The published results of two studies on HRT a decade ago raised concerns regarding its safety. Women had a higher risk of breast cancer and heart disease--and about 15 million post-menopausal women stopped taking them immediately, after having been assured for years that they lowered breast cancer risk, osteoporosis and heart disease. My own GP is quite conservative and he believed back then that 10 years were enough for HRT to be messing with a woman's hormones and had already switched me to another medication for osteoporsis protection by the time those studies came out.

The same hormones in HRT are in birth control pills and those are being given to ever younger women, even teenagers whose bodies are still developing, and for more years than my generation. Breast cancer, stroke and heart disease are increasing among younger women. At Planned Parenthood young girls are given oral contraceptives after abortions while also being given antibiotics, which interfers with the effectiveness of the hormones. Thus the girls often return within a year for another abortion. Oral contraceptives increase the risk of breast cancer, but not as much as abortion does.

Progesterone
Ditch the pill
Health warnings on oral contraceptives
Menopause and perimenopause

My health insurance

My health insurer is the largest in the nation--CMS. Haven't heard of them? It has been in the news a lot--often with scandals, over charges, out of control costs, and incompetency. Its owners are constantly in hot water for unexplained cost increases. Just last week I got a "This is not a bill" for my 2010 flu shot. Its owner is seeking a massive expansion through it's other health plans so it can put the competition out of business by first cutting costs and expanding coverage, then by raising costs when there are no options left. Here's it's full name in case you don't recognize the acronym. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In a 2009 study by Kaiser Family Foundation , the average household on Medicare spent 14.1% of its income on health care, compared to 4.3% spent by non-Medicare households. Of this amount, 62.9% went to premiums for Part B, Part D, and Medigap, 18.1% goes to prescription drugs, 15.3% to medical services, and 3.8% to medical supplies. Out-of-pocket spending for Medicare beneficiaries grew from 11.9% of income in 1997 to 16.1% in 2005, in spite of the advent of Medicare Part D.
Medicaid and CHIP Provide Health Coverage to nearly 60 million Americans
Fraud and Abuse in Medicare
"In the latest effort to enlist seniors in the fight against Medicare fraud, federal officials have overhauled Medicare billing statements to make it easier to find bogus charges without a magnifying glass." Washington Post, March 6, 2012

Retiree confidence levels change since the Bush years

Some people forget that G W Bush also inherited a recession. The percent of retirees in 2001 who felt very confident or somewhat confident that they had saved and invested sufficiently for retirement ranged from 74% in 2001 to 79% in 2007. In 2008, that dropped to 64% and then to 60% in 2011 as the recession ground on despite a massive influx of federal funding. Link to Research. The gloom and doom in the business community is palpable as they are hit by more and more taxes and uncertainty about health care. Expansion is mostly out of the question, unless you're a petroleum driller in North Dakota. This affects those of us who live on retirement incomes whether Social Security, or defined benefit plans or our own savings/investments. Obviously, two things jump out about those years--the current recession that started in 2007 changed the investing mix and caused retirees to reevaluate their retirement plans and spending, and the baby boomers began entering the retirement demographic.

Those of us who were born before or during WWII whose fathers fought in that war and whose parents were teen-agers or young adults during the Great Depression have a different attitude than baby boomers about saving and sufficiency. We also have benefited from stronger family safety nets and we know the difference between “wants vs. needs." The value gap will expand for Gen-Xers who were accustomed to even more “stuff” replacing spiritual and familial values. In the 1940s and 1950s even children whose parents never took them to church heard Biblical admonitions on values and thrift in school before the Supreme Court ended it in the 1960s. "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” Matt 6:19-20

Herbert Marcuse and "Repressive Tolerance"

In searching for the intellectual foundations of the anti-free speech movement, it is necessary to look back as far as the 1960s, and possibly before. Clearly, one of the most blatant intellectual attacks on free speech is the infamous essay “Repressive Tolerance”, written in 1965 by the well-known German Marxist, Herbert Marcuse. “Repressive Tolerance” is nothing less than the definitive blueprint for the “political correctness” movement that ails us to this very day.

Link