Democrats’ record on WMD

Democrats have misled us before about WMD. At the end of the Clinton years, we had Kerry, Edwards, Kennedy, Albright, Waxman, Pelosi and Pres. Clinton to mention just a few convincing us of the threat--but they thought Gore would be president and needed to stir up fear. Democrats seem to have amnesia about Congress and the committees meeting in 2002-2003 before the Iraq invasion.

Today no one seems to be sure just who is using gas in Syria, but for the 100,000 already dead in this civil war of Muslim against Muslim, does it really matter? Are children gassed more dead than those who died in bombings? And who gives the U.S. the moral authority to "punish" the perps? With Iran threatening to attack our only ally, perhaps Obama needs to call Congress back from vacation.

• "He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983." Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998-[This was at the same Ohio State University appearance as Madeline Albright.]

• "Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."
  Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

• "We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandated of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them."
  Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002

• This one has a very familiar ring--like this week? "I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force-- if necessary-- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security."
  Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

• I guess now we know where those WMD went the U.S. inspectors couldn't find in Iraq. I mean, could all those leading Democrats be wrong?

Murray Trout, guest blogger, died on Monday, August 26

I was sorry to learn that Murray Trout of Mt. Morris, Illinois and The Villages in Florida died unexpectedly Monday evening.  He had been seen on his usual route that day, biking around the little town he loved and often wrote about. I’d known Murray since 1954 and was on his e-mail list which kept the ex-pats informed of local events and his political views.  This is sad news. I haven’t seen an obituary. I will miss his “Another Mounder passes. . .” e-mails.

Here’s a photo of Murray letting his views be known in Washington, D.C. about 3 years ago.

Murray wrote a nice time line from 1957 on about Kables and printing in Mt. Morris for my blog. http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/12/story-of-kables-and-mt-morris-timeline.html

What will he do about Syria?

Yup. I have friends and relatives who abandoned support for Bush because of the wars for which he had Congressional approval. They helped vote in Obama, who gave comfort to the enemy while a Senator, dawdled around about the surge in 2009 until Afghanistan lit up again and now he's lost more men in 4 years than Bush did in 8, and he's ready to go to war in Syria not even caring that we'd have to support one or the other of two really bad players. The U.S. leader has zip, nada, zilch credibility.

Obama’s gay agenda—from Minority Republican

“He [Obama] lied to the public when he was presidential candidate Obama, stating that he held the conviction that marriage was between a man and a woman, and is a sacred act before God. Over the course of a couple of years, he has abandoned that "deeply held conviction" and is now pushing a global "gay rights" agenda. He either lied then or he's lying now. Either way, he's a liar. Sure, all people deserve human rights, including the unborn (a group of people President Obama refuses to defend). . .

Every culture has moral standards, and the moral standards of American culture have declined to the point in which Christians must understand that we always have been and always will be counter-cultural. If we live as we should and believe what God says in His Word, we will not agree with many of the cultural norms embraced by modern culture, especially as this nation strays further and further from the moral foundation that this nation was founded upon, morals that were borrowed from Christianity and the Christian Bible. It is the choice of the people. If you are a Christian, the best way to fight the tide of secular humanism and moral relativism that has swept the world is through prayer, evangelism, and discipleship. This brings about a change not by law or force, but changes the mind and transforms the heart so that people will know and love the ways of God. Let's do our part! Share the gospel with someone today.”

The Civil Rights Movement—intellectually bankrupt

 

Juan Williams in today's WSJ contrasts the 1963 and 2013 marches. He notes that by 1963 the Civil Rights movement had stalled--". . . Few schools had integrated after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision nine years earlier. One hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil Rights Act was stuck in Congress."' The accomplishments he notes--the Emancipation, the integration of schools, the push for a meaningful Civil Rights act--were all by Republicans and Democrats were dragging their feet. Now it is the Democrat party again with locks on all the major cities and supporting the outrageous abortion rate for black women and the decimation of black families that is again blocking future progress for fear the race baiters will lose their power.

The regressive progressives

The March this past week-end was anything but progress. Now there's a black president, governors, cabinet, military, etc. and they are terrified their lies about race won't work! These race baiters fear progress for minorities--it would put them out of their jobs which rely on always stirring up hatred. And they were over counted and left the mall a mess, but they always do.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/24/march-washington-50th-anniversary-martin-luther-king/2693667/

Is this clear now? Obamacare and children—final rule

Who could possible untangle this?  But that’s government Obamacare.

The final rule [Obamacare, aka ACA] clarifies that former foster children are already a population that is eligible to be determined presumptively eligible (the rule does not extend to current foster youth as they are already Medicaid eligible and don’t need to be determined presumptively eligible). The rule also clarifies that individuals under age 21 will continue to receive Early, Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) services either through the Alternative Benefit Plan (ABP) or as additional coverage that supplements the ABP. The final rule makes clear that CMS does not have statutory authority to require states to provide EPSDT services beyond age 21, but acknowledges that states have the flexibility to design and offer voluntary enrollment in an ABP targeted to former foster care children that provides a more comprehensive array of health coverage than is provided through the regular state plan. http://childrensmonitor.wordpress.com/2013/07/12/cms-issues-final-rule-on-the-aca-and-foster-care/

The election, gay marriage and Syria

This morning's lecture at Lakeside Chautauqua is on the 2012 election. I think I'll skip that. I know why we lost--Christians, libertarians, independents and conservatives stayed home and pouted because their favorite candidate was no longer in the race. If you can't win against a man with a disastrous record who lies all the time and was already involved in several scandals (increased since then), there's not much hope.

“You may be in favor of raising taxes on the rich, increasing support for the poor, nurturing the planet, and repealing Section 14(b) of the Taft-Hartley Act, but if you don’t support gay marriage, you’re out of the club.” (Michael Kinsley) And to think as recently as 2012, President Obama had not publicly supported it in his campaign, and in fact, in 2004 he said he supported the law of the land (DOMA) to one group and was against it to another. He seemed to blame Bush for the 1996 law which Biden voted for. But his grasp of history and time has always been shaky. Abortion, however, he's been perfectly clear on that one.

Both the Clinton administration and the Bush administration had "intelligence" that reported on chemical and biological warfare of various middle eastern governments against their own people. It's a good hook for Americans who have a collective memory of ignoring what was happening in Europe in the 1930s. However, we've been suckered twice. Let's not have another president push us into a civil war where we have no national interest and can offer no humanitarian aid. But at least, Bush consulted with Congress and had its backing; Obama does not. Nor can we trust the U.N. on this.

Monday Memories—travel

I saw a website about what states have been visited. I'm so fortunate to be able to just report those I haven't visited. Louisiana, Alabama, South Dakota and possibly Colorado (don't remember the exact route). I think it was night and fire season passing through Idaho--so didn't see a lot. Hawaii was awesome, but Oklahoma was perhaps the biggest surprise. Loved it. Travel if you have the opportunity. And my cousin Gayle should report the states they haven’t lived in! How many moves in 54 years?

This amazing skyscraper in Bartlesville, Oklahoma was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

This beauty is the art museum in Toledo, Ohio.

Here I am in New York in 1963 at Niagara Falls.

Annapolis, Maryland in 1999.

Highest Paid Public Employees—Football coaches

A government terrorist “training guide” that mirrors the IRS plan for conservatives

The Obama administration has a nasty habit of equating basic conservative values with terrorism. And now, in a document full of claptrap, its Defense Department suggests that the Founding Fathers, and many conservative Americans, would not be welcome in today’s military,” said Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton. “And it is striking that some the language in this new document echoes the IRS targeting language of conservative and Tea Party investigations. After reviewing this document, one can’t help but worry for the future and morale of our nation’s armed forces.”  No mention of Nidal Hasan’s problem that was well known, but overlooked.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-defense-department-teaching-documents-suggest-mainstream-conservative-views-extremist/

Fetal ultrasound images from Mayo Clinic

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fetal-ultrasound/PR00139

A baby's cardiovascular system begins developing five weeks into pregnancy, or three weeks after conception. The heart starts to beat shortly afterward. Twenty-three weeks into pregnancy, or 21 weeks after conception, a baby begins to have rapid eye movements. A baby's eyelids begin to open 28 weeks into pregnancy, or 26 weeks after conception. The same technology that shows us these wonders also shows problems with development, for instance the hand is revealing for a type of mental retardation.  Or the gender--many people don’t want a girl. So many women are advised to destroy the baby. Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama and the platform of the Democratic Party declare this is moral and legal and not a war on the weakest or the disabled or women. Pelosi claims to be a devout Catholic, but if so, her beliefs are in violation of the church’s teaching on creation and life. In my opinion, she is just a devout Democrat.

Old paint brushes

I was trying to remember this today. From Old House Magazine website:  “Soak gunked-up nylon brushes in hot vinegar for up to 30 minutes to remove paint and soften the bristles. Afterward, wash them in hot, soapy water, brushing off paint as needed, then rinse and let dry—good as new.”  Now if we tried this with gunked up window hardware, would it work?

7 Ways to Reuse A Banana Peel

No, I haven’t checked these out, but we  use a lot of bananas. Might be worth a try on bug bites or warts.  I wonder if it works on callouses? So I googled it, and found someone who thought so, “Banana peels also are wonderful for removing callus from your feet....just put the inside of the skin next to your foot, put on a sock and go on with your day....repeat for 3 or 4 days and you will have feet SABA.”

1. Help Your Garden Grow: Bananas are naturally high in potassium and encourages plant growth. Use banana peel or puree entire banana and bury/turn with soil.
2. Shoe Polish: Use the peel to make your shoes nice and shiny.
3. Stop the Itch: Rub the inside of a banana peel on a bug bite helps itch relief.
4. Pain Reliever: The oil in a banana peel will help relieve the pain from burns and scratches.
5. Wart Removal: Tape a piece of banana peel on a wart, continue until it’s gone.
6. Make Houseplants Gleam: Just like peels can shine shoes, they can also be used to make the leaves of plants shine.
7. Removing Splinters: Similar to wart removal, tape a piece of the peel over the splinter. The enzymes will help dislodge the splinter and heal the wound.

Lakeside Antique Show today

I didn’t see anything at the dealers, but there was a yard sale about 2 blocks away and I found two books for $.50 each, The folklore of Maine, by Horace P. Beck, 1st ed., 1957, nice cover, perfect condition, but dull to read, and the 1998 hardcover of Taste of Home Annual Recipes. These recipes are very similar to what I already make, but they are useful for jogging the memory.  I think today I’ll make “Calico eggs,” which has peppers, onions and tomatoes.

Also saw a very easy looking sausage dish, “Sausage granola squares.”  1/2 lb of bulk sausage, 3/4 cup of granola cereal with fruit and nuts, and 1 egg slightly beaten. Combine, put in 2 qt. baking dish, at 375 for 20 min.  It doesn’t say to lightly cook the sausage and drain first, but I would. 1 serving (1/2 cup) equals 205 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 74 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 7 g protein.

 

Perhaps God’s love is like this

Yesterday we were eating lunch in the dining room of the Hotel Lakeside.  We’d ordered our food and were waiting while conversing with our friends Rob and Lynn.  Then I heard a crash.  At the next table there was a mother and her two young daughters, perhaps 7 and 5.  Somehow, the older girl had knocked her plate to the floor, and it shattered with glass and food all scrambled.  I was very surprised because the floor was carpet over wood.  But there it was and everyone turned to look.  The little girl got down and started to clean it up.  I was horrified.  I expected to see blood any moment.  “Oh don’t do that,” I said out loud because her mother seemed immobile and couldn’t see what I saw.  Then the mom got up and started to clean it up, as slowly some staff appeared.  Finally, she sat down and a bus boy with a tray picked up the food and shards of glass.  After he left and everyone in the dining room returned to the soup and salads, the little girl’s frozen face crumbled, and she got down and ran to her mother’s lap where she sobbed and sobbed.  Mom didn’t say a word—just held and rocked her.

The dish was still broken; the food was still ruined; and yes, people had stared at her and she was still embarrassed to have been the “big girl” in the restaurant who had spilled her food.  But Mom held her.  It’s a reminder to me of how God’s love works. He can’t always undo what we did, but he can hold us close until the hurt and embarrassment goes away.

         

Slipping on idioms and phrasal verbs

Although I’ve never heard anyone say #21, it means you’d be back where you started if you made a 320 degree change. Here’s some detail on Home In and Hone In. I’ve always said this the “American way.”

Home in means to direct on a target. The phrasal verb derives from the 19th-century use of homing pigeons, but it resurged in the 20th century to refer to missiles that home in on their targets. It’s also commonly used metaphorically, where to home in on something is to focus on and make progress toward it.

Hone in began as an alteration of home in, and many people regard it as an error. It is a very common, though, especially in the U.S. and Canada—so common that many dictionaries now list it—and there are arguments in its favor. Hone means to sharpen or to perfect, and we can think of homing in as a sharpening of focus or a perfecting of one’s trajectory toward a target. So while it might not make strict logical sense, extending hone this way is not a huge leap.

Enarson Hall becomes Hale Hall at Ohio State University

A little back story on an OSU Today story about the renaming of Enarson Hall.  Dr. Harold Enarson (d. 2006) was the 9th president of Ohio State and really promoted programs for minorities and women, establishing the Frank Hale Center and pushing for a female president. I see in the news that Enarson Hall has been remodeled and renamed for Frank Hale. It will be the home of the Hale Black Cultural Center and the offices of Outreach and Engagement and Diversity and Inclusion. The man who was so inclusive has been excluded. Oh well, maybe they can find another building for naming rights. By today's standards (like for Gee, who got a $5.8 million retirement package after being fired for loose lips) Enarson was paid a pittance--$50,000, according to Bill Studer’s very excellent oral history now in the Knowledge Bank. http://fod.osu.edu/news/files/Hale_Hall.pdf

One of the first things I learned when returning to OSUL in 1978 (Agriculture library, USAID soft money for the ag credit collection) was not to donate memorial money to an institution whether it be a college, church or hospital. The next administration just takes the funds or room or scholarship and uses it for whatever. At that time, the Arnold Credit Library was an actual room with nice furniture and a collection in the Ag Admin building on Fyffe Rd.(We librarians would have called it a “closet library.”) The college wanted the endowment and the space, so they moved the painting of Mr. Arnold to an alcove in the Ag library, squished in some of the collection, named a paper file for him, and put me in charge of the ACTS file.   It was nice for me, and most of Mr. Arnold’s immediate family were deceased, and if anyone came looking for it, they could show the painting. I have no idea where it is now, since that was 35 years ago. A similar thing happened when I was in the veterinary library (which I think now is administratively linked to Ag). When Roberta Garrett was still the librarian there were very limited funds to buy textbooks so a fund was set up and it memorialized a number of deceased and retired faculty. By the time I got there in 1987, it was long forgotten and accumulating money in whatever office in the university oversees endowments. No one ever notified me that there was a little pot of gold waiting to be spent and growing each year. Finally, a staff member with a good memory happened to mention it to me, he did some searching, and the money was freed up to be spent as it was intended—textbooks for the library for students.

I usually disregard suggestions for memorializing. Recently, one of my close friends from childhood (we rode our tricycles together), a professor at the University of Nebraska, died. The memorial suggestion was ACLU, so if you know anything about my politics, that wouldn’t be a good match. So another friend and I went together, purchased two books of poetry by Ted Kooser, a friend of the deceased, and donated them to the public library in the town where we all graduated from high school. I hope when someone selects the book they’ll read the bookplate and wonder who was Nelson T. Potter, Jr.  If they don’t I know, they’ll enjoy the poetry. I often contribute to a nursing/retirement community in my home town (Pinecrest in Mt. Morris, Illinois) and it is either for immediate needs, like mattress replacement, or for a fund for people on Medicaid (Illinois is going broke) so the place doesn’t have to close due to irresponsible state public pension funds.

Anyway, if you want to read Bill Studer’s record of Enarson’s oral history, it’s at https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/handle/1811/482 , also because Enarson was a member of the Truman administration there is another oral history in the Truman library at http://www.trumanlibrary.org/oralhist/enarsonh.htm

Enarson Hall on the OSU campus   was originally the Student Union, and named for Enarson in 1986. It was slated to be torn down, then was saved by student action and was put on the National Register and named for Enarson.   http://herrick.knowlton.ohio-state.edu/taxonomy/term/226

Would a white nationalist be fired?

Daily Beast [Newsweek] reports, “An employee at the Department of Homeland Security runs a racist website in his spare time and advocates the mass killing of white Americans, gays, and black leaders he believes are traitors, according to a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Ayo Kimathi, a small-business specialist at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a branch of the DHS, is a "gay-bashing, revenge-seeking black nationalist" who runs the website War on the Horizon. The site calls for mass murder of white people, rails against "fag rights," and attacks a slew of black celebrities as "race traitors." In a statement, the ICE said it "does not condone any type of hateful rhetoric."

I'm guessing the government would find some way to fire this guy if he were a white nationalist. We should learn from Dr. Hasan and the Ft. Hood murders to take these people seriously.

Paula Priesse on the Christopher Lane murder

August 21st on her Facebook wall –

Unlike “white Hispanic” George Zimmerman, not much is being made in the media today about the racial makeup of those responsible for the murder of Christopher Lane. No mention of their racist tweets or their love for violent rap lyrics. The dirty little secret is that 13% of the population commits 50% of the murders in this country. For reasons the media never wishes to discuss. Like how big government libs are responsible for our failing inner-city schools. Or how 50 years of Dem policies have created a culture of black government dependency. And worst of all, how these same failed policies have destroyed the black American family. In 1965, 25% of black babies were born out-of-wedlock. That number today is 73%. Finally, we have Jesse Jackson’s Twitter reaction today to Lane’s murder: “Praying for the family of Chris Lane. This senseless violence is frowned upon and the justice system must prevail.” Is that it Jesse, frowned upon? What should be “frowned upon” is never taking seriously race-baiting profiteers such as yourself. P

I won’t hold my breath for Oprah to find something unhistorical to say, or Obama to identify with one of the perps who might remind him of himself.