Ashley’s response to Chad (the Obamacare poster boy)

My name is Ashley Dionne and I’m a 26-year-old recent graduate from Michigan.

The phony Obamacare signup poster boy [Chad Henderson] made me want to send a message about how Obamacare is really affecting people....

I graduated from The University of Michigan in 2009. In my state, this used to mean something, but even with a bachelor’s I was told I was too educated and wouldn’t stay. I watched as kids with GEDs and high school diploma’s took the low-paying jobs for which I applied.

I went back to school and got a second degree and finally found work at a gym. I work nights and only get 32 hours a week for eight dollars an hour. I’m unable to find a second job at this time.

I have asthma, ulcers, and mild cerebral palsy. Obamacare takes my monthly rate from $75 a month for full coverage on my “Young Adult Plan,” to $319 a month. After $6,000 in deductibles, of course.

Liberals claimed this law would help the poor. I am the poor, the working poor, and I can’t afford to support myself, let alone older generations and people not willing to work at all.

This law has raped my future.

It will keep me and kids my age from having a future at all.

This is the real face of Obamacare and it isn’t pretty

Obama Bucks

Don’t read or buy this book

I thought it was just me that had a problem with "The Great Controversy, past, present, future; how it will end." Don't bother to buy it, or even accept it as a gift.  It's being advertised on Glenn Beck.  First, it's so anti-Catholic, Martin Luther could have written chapter 3, "An era of spiritual darkness,"; second, it was written by a 7th Day Adventist woman, Ellen G. White,  in the 19th century, which isn't a good sign considering the number of Christian cults founded by women; third, some sources say large sections are plagiarized (although what difference that would make I don't know); fourth, Christians squabble over several different millennial theories and I think this is post-tribulation historical with 7th day accoutrements ending with guidelines from an 1880s newspaper, since White is one of the founders.  I'm not into that stuff myself, believing Jesus is coming back.  Period.

Have they found the reason for Colony Collapse Disorder?

“. . . in recent years, an alarming number of bee colonies across North America and Europe have begun to collapse. As part of the phenomenon, formally known as Colony Collapse Disorder, worker bees fail to return to the hive after their pollen-collecting trips nearby. We still don’t fully understand what’s driving this trend, but the list of culprits likely includes pesticides, viral infections, intensive agriculture and perhaps even the practice of feeding bees high fructose corn syrup in place of the honey we take from them.

New research, though, suggests there may be an overlooked problem: the exhaust fumes produced by diesel-powered engines. As described in a study published today in Scientific Reports, a group of researchers from the UK’s University of Southampton found that the pollution produced by diesel combustion reduces bees’ ability to recognize the scent of various flowers—a key sense they use in navigating and finding food sources.”

http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2013/10/are-diesel-exhaust-fumes-to-blame-for-honeybee-colony-collapse/

White House talking points on NBC Meet the Press

Rand Paul does a good job of setting her straight on how power of the purse works, still, her bias is aggravating. He has to explain how representation works.  70% in his state don’t want Obamacare, so why should he try to save it?  She gives new meaning to lapdog media.

Harry says—a book you’ll enjoy

Do you know a boss (not yours) well enough to need a stocking stuffer for Christmas? This is only $9.95--"Harry says; boss talk without the warm fuzzies," edited by Bruce Feldman. (Blue Point Books, 2006, isbn-13: 978-1-883423-12-4).  I received a review copy and have had quite a chuckle reading it. You can read the whole book on your coffee break--very brief. I cite the page number and that's the only thing on the page.

"Judge people by what you have seen them do, not by what they say they did. And never confuse, "I can do it," with, "I have done it." One is confidence talking. The other is experience." p.22

"Doing it over is not quality control." p.40

"Count on the boss being the only one who knows that landing the plane near the airport isn't good enough. Either a job is done right or it isn't." p. 43

This one sort of reminds me of some of the government's War on Poverty programs that have spent billions, and the final report says it hasn't worked in 40 years, so Obama orders up more money (Head Start). "My employees don't mind making mistakes as long as they get paid for fixing them."  p.54

If you've ever been forced to work on a team: "Working together is a way to carry around a lot of weight if it's evenly distributed. Otherwise, it's a way to start a lot of trouble."  p. 58

Another first for Obama

According to the House Committee on Natural Resources, the Obama administration has taken the unusual step of shutting down only the most popular tourist memorials in the nation’s capital, including the World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the National Mall. Other, lesser-visited sites, have been left open.

"Via William Jacobson, NBC's affiliate in Washington, D.C. reports that police ordered tourists and Vietnam war veterans who were visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall to leave the memorial at one point on Friday.

After one group of veterans went around the barricade, "the park ranger told them the wall was closed," NBC's Mark Seagraves reported. "Later another group of vets showed up and moved the barricades. At that point, the memorial filled with vets and tourists. That's when police came and moved everyone out."

Now THAT’s a love letter!

October 5, 1780
"I have told you, and I told you truly that I love you too much. You engross my thoughts too intirely to allow me to think of any thing else. You not only employ my mind all day; but you intrude upon my sleep. I meet you in every dream-and when I wake I cannot close my eyes again for ruminating on your sweetnesses. 'Tis a pretty story indeed that I am to be thus monopolized, by a little nut-brown maid like you-and from a statesman and a soldier metamorphosed into a puny lover. I believe in my soul you are an inchantress."

Alexander Hamilton to Elizabeth Schuyler, October 5, 1780, two months before their wedding

Banned Books Week

Oh darn.  I missed Banned Books Week.  It was last week and I was in the hospital (briefly) and paying attention to bigger issues. Yes, BBW is a hoax. You can get these books anywhere. What the American Library Association calls a ban really means someone complained about a book--it wasn't banned or burned. No American author in the USA was threatened--that's for Europe and the Middle East. We have the right to complain, too. It's covered in the First Amendment.  We pay for our public libraries and schools--should we be thrilled with every selection? Can we say, "Why so many Martha Stewart?" What about poor quality binding or illustrations? Is that OK to complain about? Or price? Or disrespect toward a race, gender or religion? Or new books on the occult outnumbering new titles for a religion a bit more common in the neighborhood, for instance, Christianity? Banning of sorts does exist, but it starts in the back room where decisions are made on what to buy. And the library field is overwhelmingly liberal.

Who opposes Obamacare? Most Americans.

I went to the polls directly to see what was said. The story that accompanies the USA Today-Pew Poll blames the Republicans for a misinformed public and that of the 19% without insurance, only about 40% know they are mandated to get insurance. This does not surprise me; they are young, or poor or non-political--millions could have had insurance either through Medicaid or their employer, but just didn't sign on. This was completely unnecessary legislation.

Comparing Diltiazem (Cardizem) and Atenolol

Results comparing Diltiazem with Atenolol for Cardiac Arrhythmia are based on 701 research studies conducted by health experts on 309,631 patients, trial data from the FDA, and 877 patient discussions on the web. Regarding effectiveness, health experts concluded Diltiazem was effective about as often as they concluded Atenolol was effective. Regarding safety, health experts concluded Diltiazem was safe about as often as they concluded Atenolol was safe. However, in FDA trials, the average incidence rate of the top 5 side effects common to both Diltiazem and Atenolol was lower in Diltiazem. Finally, patients on average mentioned experiencing side effects common to both treatments more often with Diltiazem

She’s dead, but not a terrorist. Democrats unhinged with hate words

DC Police have said the woman they shot and killed today (unarmed last I heard) was an isolated incident, and not an act of terrorism. Meanwhile, Democrats have called Republicans jihadists, arsonists, anarchists and terrorists for resisting a health care law that will consolidate government control over more of the economy without any health benefits for the people.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/shots-fired-u-s-capitol-report-article-1.1475378

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/22/pelosi-republicans-legislative-arsonists-government-shutdown

Democratic lawmakers are definitely not holding back with name-calling lately, even comparing conservatives to arsonists, people with bombs strapped to their chests, and extortionists.

http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/10/66593/

Don’t declare a win yet

I think conservatives are getting too excited about the roll out failures of Obamacare. It might take years to get the bugs worked out. And if you've ever battled insurance companies over messed up payments or health records (like the time my husband was billed for a pap test), just multiply this by a number you can only imagine. Keep your eye on the (government's) goal. Whether it was a deliberate plan to fail or not 1) it's the first day and involves a number of computer systems that track our daily lives and usually they don't communicate; 2) the ultimate goal is single payer. This has never been about better health; it's always been about control and power. Even the SCOTUS declared it legal only because it is a tax. Unfair taxation was what birthed this nation. And it may be what kills it.

Barry-cades

What they put around the WWII memorial in Washington, DC to frustrate the veterans who'd had their trip planned for weeks. Thank you Republican representatives who came to their rescue and removed them.  In a number of cases, the National Park Service only supervises parking lots, and local groups pay for and control the memorials. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/1/elderly-veterans-force-entry-wwii-memorial-defianc/

                     

$197 million was raised to build the WWII memorial in DC, a project suggested and promoted by Marcy Kaptur (D) of Ohio for 5 years before it was finally approved. The federal government chipped in $16 million, the rest came from from individuals, veterans groups like the American Legion and VFW, and corporations. I donated. I want it open.

Janice Crouse reports Democrats are hiring protestors to march at WWII and other DC memorials ... paying $15. Homeless and others earning some extra cash.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/shutdown-overreach-more-guards-at-wwii-memorial-than-benghazi-park-service-closes-park-it-doesnt-run/article/2536710

The government shut down scam

When the rest of us have a set back or need to budget, we move money from the non-essentials. Not the government. Those departments raced to spend their allotment before the end of the fiscal year (Sept. 30) because of the use it or lose it mentality, and always asking for more based on what was spent the previous year. If I were short of cash, I would be making coffee at home for 5 cents instead of paying $2 at a shop where I could chat with my neighbors. If I were running low, I'd make every trip in the car count. And I'd make sure my church pledge was paid before I'd take out the credit card at Macy's.

This government shut down has happened 17 times since 1976. I bounced one check in 53 years because I had 2 checking accounts when I was a private contractor and wrote a check on the wrong account. Imagine your credit rating if you'd done this that often. And you don't even get to print money!

Head Start closures being reported

A report for WCTV by Julie Montanaro is being discussed on Facebook.

Here’s my take.  Some of the Head Start employees (often parents of the children enrolled) may suffer from the shut down, but there is evidence that any boost the children get disappears by third grade. 40 years and this is the research. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/executive_summary_final.pdf    The report  ( Head Start Impact Study. Final Report. Washington, DC. January 2010) was sat on for four years and released on a Friday evening in Feb. 2010, so you may have missed it. Obama chose to increase the funding for Head Start anyway, as you can see from the graph, and maybe that’s the story. In government if spending billions doesn’t work, spend more.

The mission of Head Start was to give poor children a "head start" for school readiness—make up for all that middle class children got at home in vocabulary, reading readiness, socialization, good nutrition, etc. It was part of that social experiment called the “War on Poverty” of the 1960s. 40 years and $8 billion later it has failed in its mission. The most successful event to lift children out of poverty is the marriage of their parents. Co-habiting parents yields about the same results as single parent home. Poverty falls to 8% compared to 56% for single parent families. Marriage of parents also gives them a boost in health and education, and children raised with fathers are less likely to enter the criminal justice system.

Uncle Sam just isn't a good step-father because government can't be a parent and apparently isn't all that great at being a pre-school facilitator. Head Start isn't the only program--many churches support pre-schools in low income neighborhoods (mine included). My neighbor runs one--it's a delightful program. And the results are about the same--dedicated, loving, committed personnel pour their lives into these kids. The best we can say about Head Start (and private charities that do this) is that the children are safe, well cared for, and often employs the parents.

Buried deep in this article about budget increases for Head Start FY2011 you find a reference to the 2010 report of its failure of mission, although it doesn’t link to the government report I cited above. http://earlyed.newamerica.net/blogposts/2010/a_closer_look_at_obama_s_fy11_budget_head_start-27490

Little pets

A Rhinoceros Beetle from Costa Rica can reach the size of 6.75 inches.  That’s a horn in the front.  They are harmless, I’m told.

And then there’s my grand puppy, Abby, a Chihuahua, dressed for Buckeye football.

Socialists, humor about

Socialists, humor about

Happy 10th blogiversary to me

Jorn Barger of Robot Wisdom coined the term "weblog" Dec. 17, 1997.  It meant a diary or log kept on the world wide web in reverse chronological order, or simply BLOG, that others could read. Technically, I started blogging on October 3, 2003, but then back dated it to October 1 because it just looked untidy the other way.

Barger thought blogs should be primarily links to other people’s writings. Why I don’t know.  I like to include links to the articles and sources I cite, but it’s just plain boring to come across a blog that has two sentences and then a link to someone else who thought of it first and did the research.

I’m not sure when blogging peaked—maybe 2005-2006, as least for young people—so it was hot less than a decade.  Now if I want to read the people I met blogging I need to track them down on Face Book, Twitter, or Pinterest because after 2012 it was just hard to find them.  Social media has moved on to the pithy and brief, the bitter and sarcastic.

For this blog I’ve written over 12,000 posts and had about 580,000 page views in 10 years (Blogger tracks that for me).  But I have 9 other blogs, or maybe 10, so all told, I’ve said and read a lot in 10 years. I used to print them off (don’t really trust Google to maintain Blogger forever), but that soon became a space hog in my office, so I quit doing that about 5 years ago.

Here’s what I used to blog about—13 topics.  The longer I was retired, the less I wrote about libraries; the older I got the less I said about parenting; after a few years, I’d pretty much exhausted my memory on the good old days and family stories; the people who ran the memes like Thursday 13 and Monday Memories and the poetry challenges all turned to other ventures.  So that sort of leaves “current events,” or what a mess the world is in.  And recipes.  That’s always a good fall back.