NSA and Obama

http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/how-the-nsa-is-tracking-people-right-now/634/

“. . . the National Security Agency is collecting billions of records a day to track the location of mobile phone users around the world. This bulk collection, performed under the NSA’s international surveillance authority, taps into the telephony links of major telecommunications providers including some here in the United States.”

Letters to President Clinton

There are a number of adoption stories in the Bible. Moses' name was given to him by his adoptive mother, the daughter of Pharoah who "drew him out of the water." The Bible doesn't say what his Hebrew name was, but according to the Midrash it was Tuvia. He kept his Egyptian name even after he knew he was a Hebrew. Rabbi Genack writes that as an Egyptian royal and not a Hebrew slave he asserted the then-unknown principle of the freedom and dignity of man. "It is therefore, Moses the Egyptian, and not Tuvia the Hebrew, who is destined to be the giver of the Law and the "father of Prophets" who will mouth the Divine imperative", (Deut. 16:20) "Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord you God is giving you." p. 12, Letters to President Clinton, (Sterling Ethos, 2013)

This book recommendation might surprise you, but hear me out. "Letters to President Clinton; Biblical lessons on faith and leadership," edited by Rabbi Menachem Genack, Sterling Ethos, 2013. Bill Clinton was a Southern Baptist who became friends with Rabbi Genack in 1992; they began a written dialogue that continues to the present. Genack also recruited other Jewish friends to join in the Biblical  reflections/commentary. These have been compiled and edited by him with comments dealing with the context and setting. Each essay is only a page or two, easily finished in one reading and organized by general topic, the largest probably being "Leadership," but also including "Sin and Repentance," "Creation," "Community," "Faith," "Dreams and Vision," and "Holidays." Protestants tend to cherry pick slections of the Old Testament to fit either "end times," or their denomination's teaching on Jesus. This is a fresh and delightful look at how Jews see those same stories and passages, along with the scholarship they've developed over thousands of years.

Rabbi Genack is rabbinic administrator and CEO of the Orthodox Union's Kosher Division, overseeing the certification program of some 7,000 food-production facilities in 80 countries. OU is America's oldest Orthodox Jewish communal organization, embracing over 400 synagogues across North America (from publicist). Whether you buy it or get it from your library, you'll enjoy this book (just don't expect to agree with everything, but that should be the case with all books about the Bible).

Letters to President Clinton: Biblical Lessons on Faith and Leadership Edited by Rabbi Menachem Genack,
Sterling Ethos/OU Press, New York, 2013. 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-4549-0791-6

This would be an excellent Christmas gift, Christian or Jew, Democrat or Republican.

Reviewed: http://www.ou.org/jewish_action/11/2013/letters-president-clinton-biblical-lessons-faith-leadership/

Hayek on my bookshelves

Road to Serfdom, written by F.A. Hayek for a British audience but not published until 1944,  has become a “classic,” and one I’d never heard of until Glenn Beck’s show on Fox. Beck probably did more to get people reading than Oprah Winfrey. Any mention of a title, and the warehouses were empties.  The left just hates the way it dismantles and warns about socialism, authoritarianism and totalitarianism.

I have vol. 2, the “The definitive edition,” with text and documents, edited by Bruce Caldwell (University of Chicago Press, 2007). There are 20 volumes in the provisional collected works by Mr. Caldwell.

Here’s something appropriate because of the lies with spin we’ve been subjected to lately.  From “my mother had no health insurance,” to “I never knew my Uncle Omar” to “You can keep your doctor, period,” this explains the thinking.

“The word “truth” itself ceases to have its old meaning.  It describes no longer something to be found, with the individual conscience as the sole arbiter of whether in any particular instance the evidence  . . . warrants a belief; it become something to be laid down by authority; something which has to be believed in the interest of the unity of the organized effort and which may have to be altered as the exigencies of this organized effort require it.” . . . produced cynicism, loss of the sense of even the meaning of truth, the disappearance of the spirit of independent inquiry and of the belief in the power of rational conviction. . . every branch of knowledge become political issues to be decided by authority. . . “ p. 178

Worse than even I could have imagined

RE: OBAMACARE A comment posted on the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare FB page

"I actually made it through this morning at 8:00 AM. I have a preexisting condition (Type 1 Diabetes) and my income base was 45K-55K annually. I chose tier 2 "Silver Plan" and my monthly premiums came out to $597.00 with $13,988 yearly deductible!!! There is NO POSSIBLE way that I can afford this so I "opt-out" and chose to continue along with no insurance.

I received an email tonight at 5:00 P.M.... Informing me that my fine would be $4,037 and could be attached to my yearly income tax return.

Then you make it to the "REPERCUSSIONS PORTION" for "non-payment" of yearly fine.

First, your drivers license will be suspended until paid, and if you go 24 consecutive months with "Non-Payment" and you happen to be a home owner, you will have a federal tax lien placed on your home. You can agree to give your bank information so that they can easy "Automatically withdraw" your "penalties" weekly, bi-weekly or monthly! This by no means is "Free" or even "Affordable."

Really, folks, how does this help the low income/poor? Democrats:  Do you have an explanation for this travesty?

How the White House memorializes Mandela

With a photo of Barack Obama.  But I’m sure he knew nothing about this.

Will unions be able to improve service at this Grandview Heights McDonald’s?

I have no idea how many protesting the fast food wage (entry level, starting job, many for teens) are not working there and are union plants.  I was browsing one of those rating systems for one in our area, and I’m guessing these employees are all doing well, and looking for advancement.  This store is at 911 W. Fifth St., Grandview Heights, Ohio, and the customer gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

                                   

“Yes, I know I am reviewing a McDonalds, but we all should know no two McDonalds are the same. All health comments aside lets get right down to the results.

This McDonalds is really, really busy during meal hours, days when I choose to stop in a get breakfast on the way to work I always worry when I see the line completely wrapped around, but I have never waited more than about 7 mins, usually its around 5 mins.

They have yet to mess up my order at all or do anything else that would lead to complaints. When I decide to eat inside I find the restrooms, eating area and kitchen clean. I even like that they let a local semi "weird" guy just watch the TV in there all night when he just gets a coffee, which they may or may not make him pay for.

All in all this is probably one of the best McDonalds in Columbus and since I do not plan to go around all of Columbus to try them out you will just have to take my word for it.”

I worked for 25 cents over minimum at a Readmore Bookstore in the early 80s.  I wasn’t even worth that.  I was just awful at learning the cash register and figuring gift coupons. And my being a librarian with an MLS was useless to my employer. 

Barack’s uncle Omar

I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for Obama (aka White House) lying about his uncle. He was out of the room when the truth genes were passed out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/12/05/after-denying-they-had-met-white-house-now-says-obama-lived-with-uncle/

It's just stunning what the smartest man on the globe claims not to know.

Jay Carney (paraphrase): "No one asked him (Obama) when the original report came up." So it seems No one, Someone, Anyone and Everyone are ganging up again on the President. They are probably all Republicans and members of the Tea Party.

Rick Warren’s new book, The Daniel Plan

                         

Today Gretchen Carlson interviewed Rick Warren about his "The Daniel Plan" which is about healthy eating and exercise, and she specifically asked what he thought about the Obamacare mandate requiring Christians to violate their conscience and teachings, and after telling her Christians had the first hospitals he moved right back to talking about his book and didn't answer her question which included a clip of Cardinal Dolan on NBC.

One of the guests with Warren commented on obesity and brain function. Compared to people of normal weight, overweight people’s brains look 8 years older and obese people’s brains appear 16 years older. Warren has lost 65 lbs.--so maybe that was his problem with answering a very clear question.

http://bebrainfit.com/lifestyle/drains/the-toll-being-overweight-takes-on-your-brain/

Some clergy don’t have enough to do

More than 60 clergy of the Washington, DC area have signed a letter to the NFL and Washington team owner Dan Snyder calling for D.C.’s football team to change its name (Washington Redskins). I wonder if they could get 60 DC clergy to protest abortions in Washington, which is about 30/1000 compared to 19.6/1000 in the rest of the nation. I wonder if 60 clergy join in the March for Life that is held every year on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Which kills more people--a sports name (also used by American Indian schools as a mascot name) or dismembering and decapitating living babies in utero. Have they protested this: "Multiple individual plans available on the D.C. health-insurance exchange specifically cover elective abortion but not hearing aids, routine foot-care, and routine eye-care." Where's the outrage about 40% of the abortions in DC are for low-income minority women?

Those aren’t footballs in those bellies.

Twain has a familiar ring

People with short memories say, or at least liberals say, no president has been as abused as Obama (they've already forgotten the horrid things said about Bush). But Mark Twain was vicious about Teddy Roosevelt. "[No] President before who was destitute of self-respect & of respect for his high office; we have had no President before who was not a gentleman; we have had no President before who was intended for a butcher, a dive-keeper or a bully, & missed his mission by compulsion of circumstances over which he had no control. . . and. . . "Roosevelt is far and away the worst President we have ever had, and also the most admired and the most satisfactory. The nation’s admiration of him and pride in him and worship of him is far wider, far warmer, and far more general than it has ever before lavished upon a President, even including McKinley, Jackson, and Grant."

That worship thing sounds familiar, doesn't it?

What not to wear

I thought of that cable show “What not to wear” when I saw Hillary in this odd outfit.

Maybe it looks better without the teleprompters.

Let’s estimate how much is owed to the insurance companies since Healthcare.gov can’t compile that information

This is Reuters, not Fox, for all of you who are checking my sources. I found out about this from Fox though, as the news was quietly released by Reuters around 8 PM last night.

"Health plans will estimate how much they are owed, and submit that estimate to the government. Once the system is built, the government and insurers can reconcile the payments made with the plan data to "true up" payments, he said."

That's right. Your federal government is going to send your tax dollars to insurance companies based on their ESTIMATES of how much they are owed.

I love that phrase "once the system is built". Really? They created a health care plan with no provision for payments?

From Dr. Anna Loska Meenan

Healthcare.gov still riddled with ADD

A market based alternative to Obamacare

1. Obamacare moves American health care in the wrong direction. It undermines the doctor–patient relationship, centralizes health care decisions, and increases health care costs.
2. Therefore, Obamacare should be stopped and fully repealed.
3. Once this is accomplished, Congress and the states should pursue patient-centered, market-based reforms that get health care reform back on track.
4. Such reforms should focus on letting individuals choose and control their own health insurance; allowing the free markets to respond to consumer demand; encouraging employers to provide portable health insurance to their workers; helping those in need through civil society, the free markets, and the states; and protecting the right of conscience and unborn children.

After Obamacare

Obamacare can’t fix stupid

David Horowitz

Watched an interview with David Horowitz on Glenn Beck tonight. He used to be a Communist, as were his parents. He discussed his book "Black book of the American Left." He says Jarrett and Axelrod, Obama's advisors, had the same upbringing he did, but have remained Communists. He says the take over of the country began in the schools, and mentioned the junk history films by Oliver Stone that are shown in schools so will probably be absorbed by little heads of mush   (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/magazine/oliver-stone-rewrites-history-again.html)  Years ago, when I was still a Democrat (which was a much different party then) I read his autobiography. He’s quite a prolific writer and this is his collected writings, but there will be more in the series.

This link is to an interview at Heritage Foundation.

Cranberry-Orange Caramel Corn

This sounds good—if you’re having a crowd in so you don’t eat too much.

Yield: 10 cups

Ingredients

• 10 cups popped popcorn
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup whole almonds
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, undiluted
• 1 teaspoon orange or vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place popcorn, cranberries and almonds in a large bowl; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan heat butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and orange juice concentrate over medium heat until butter is melted. Bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in extract and baking soda (mixture will foam).
3. Pour syrup mixture over popcorn mixture in bowl; stir to coat well. Spread evenly in a large, rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake 30 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. Stir caramel corn as it cools on baking sheet. Store in an airtight container.

The Popcorn Board | 330 North Wabash Avenue | Suite 2000 | Chicago, IL 60611

Giant Eagle Holiday Greetings

                       

        

Yesterday I got a notice from Giant Eagle that I had "saved" $320.36 in 2013 by shopping there--$147.01 in fuel perks, $3.15 coupons, and $170.20 weekly specials. I really don't like playing games with my food, but I do have a loyalty card (reluctantly) and buy gift cards, and some bakery specials, or dash in dash out things at the Giant Eagle closest to my home (a mile). I only mention this to remind us how efficiently the private sector manages to keep track of a fraction of the U.S. citizens, but Healthcare.gov still can't even figure a subsidy or a price for a few thousand, but expect millions of currently uninsured. This website was contracted out to many companies (probably political cronies like Michelle's college roommate) with no one in charge of the overall concept. It was designed to fail so Obama could quickly move on the the next step: single payer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/health-care-enrollment-on-web-plagued-by-bugs/2013/12/02/e3021b86-5b79-11e3-a49b-90a0e156254b_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines

Monday Memories—Class of 1958 reunion

The class of 1958 of Mt. Morris High School had a class reunion on July 6, 2013, and I just noticed the photo at the Mt. Morris website.  Except for Carol Hayes and Kay Egan, I’m not sure I would recognize these people. Most of the activities I was in at MMHS they were too, like band, Pepsters, GAA (the girls, anyway), yearbook, dances, and church youth groups.

Magic Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

Yield: 8 servings
4 Tbsp butter
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I’m going to use left over turkey from Thanksgiving)
Up to 2 cups mixed vegetables (can use frozen, fresh or a mix)...
¼ onion, diced small
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups reduced fat biscuit mix
1 ½ cups skim milk
1 ½ cups chicken broth
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes (if using canned broth, use all 3)
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup

Heat oven to 350° F. In a 9X13 dish, place butter in cubes and allow to melt in the oven.

Heat the broth and dissolve the bouillon, set aside.

Remove the dish from the oven and layer chicken on top of the butter, do not stir.

Place your favorite mix of vegetables and onions on top of the chicken, do not stir (I used corn, green peas, carrots, spinach and bell pepper).

Top with the cheese, no stirring! Combine the biscuit mix and the milk, pour over the top and again, do not mix!

Mix together the broth and the cream of chicken soup, pour THIS over the top of everything, again, DO NOT STIR…yep, it looks like a mess, but bake for 45-50 minutes and the magic happens!

Remove when top is evenly browned and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. This is absolutely delicious!

By Cristal R. of SBC, Enjoy, seen at Gail’s Recipe Share