Phil Robertson preaches it

Preaching in California for our eternal health care.

A beautiful day

How to destroy more entry level jobs—get the unions involved

Requirements for entry level

“Many fast food workers are high school students because the industry doesn't require much in the way of formal education or experience, and offers plenty of part-time positions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that around half of food service workers were employed part time in 2010. Some employers have strict dress and appearance codes, while others provide more leeway. However, a neat, clean and polished appearance during the application process gives a good impression and can help you land a job.”

The job also requires adequate communication skills (pronunciation, grammar, ability to make eye contact, etc.) arriving on time, and not chattering with co-workers or reading smart phones while on duty. Good manners are a plus.  Workers are on their feet a long time.  The worker must be able to follow directions without getting mouthy or arguing.

I love cabbage—this looks so good

Garlic Rubbed Roasted Cabbage Steaks

This is a simple side dish worthy of a dinner party and couldn’t be easier to make. Four ingredients, a couple of minutes to prepare and toss in the oven for an hour.

Ingredients

• 1 (approximately 2lb) head of organic green cabbage, cut into 1″ thick slices
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 to 3 large garlic cloves,
• smashed kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• spray olive oil OR non-stick cooking spray Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Pull outer leaf off cabbage (it’s usually dirty and nasty looking), cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into 1″ thick slices. 2. Rub both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic. 3. Use a pastry brush to evenly spread the olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices. 4. Finally, sprinkle each side with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. 5. Roast on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 30 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. Serve hot and Enjoy!

Copied from Jodie Strickland’s FB page, who got it from Skinny Body Care with Greg.

Not everyone has snow

But this is a lovely, if stylized, memory of Christmas as it probably never was.  I saw it at Flyover Culture on Facebook, which has the most beautiful photos of our country.  And promotes the conservative values and culture which I admire. We do have a light dusting of snow this morning and I’ll be meeting with friends of 30+ years for coffee.

Yesterday we got a note inside a Christmas card updating us on a small family we haven’t seen since Christmas 1965.  They were renters of the apartment in our duplex where we lived in Champaign, IL.  When we waved good-bye to them and their little daughter, I didn’t know we’d still be in contact almost 50 years later.  Except we aren’t. Until this year, the card simply had a signature.  Somewhere along the way the husband’s name was dropped from the card, then we got one photo card years ago with mom, daughter (now grown) and her husband.  The note reports the daughter’s daughter has just graduated from college.  However, the note which updated us, was intended for someone else and got in the wrong card.  Sigh.

Monday Memories—listening to the Christmas story

Some children may have learned the Christmas story from TV cartoons, but I can remember sitting on the interior stairs of our school in Forreston, Illinois (12 grades in one building) while the principal, John I. Masterson, read aloud the story from Luke 2.

January book club selection

"There are as many species of socialism as there are species of insects, and Thatcher loathed them all. I use the word "socialism" here as a shorthand for a system of government in which property is largely owned or controlled by the state, rather than by individual citizens, and in which wealth is redistributed to create a more egalitarian society. Equality is the ideal, coerced redistribution the means, and state the agent." Claire Berlinski, "There is no alternative; why Margaret Thatcher matters," (Basic Books, 2008)  the January selection for our book club.

                           

December 22, The American Prohibitory Act

“On December 22, 1775, the Parliament of Great Britain, under Lord North, First Lord of the Treasury, decided that sterner measures would be taken to subdue the rebellion now underway in the 13 American colonies. To this end, they decreed a blockade against the trade of the American colonists by passing the Prohibitory Act. “All manner of trade and commerce” would be prohibited, and any ship that was found trading “shall be forfeited to his Majesty, as if the same were the ships and effects of open enemies.”  The goal of the Act was to destroy the American economy by making it incapable of operating by means of prohibiting trade with any country.”

It became a declaration of war.

The Founder’s  Blog

A sweet card

I didn’t know there was an Equine Cancer Society.

The Equine Cancer Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the education of all horse owners on equine cancer. ECS also helps to raise funds for equine cancer research. Cow's Cause, named for Scout aka "Cow" the inspiration behind ECS, raises funds for the veterinary care of horses fighting cancer.

This and that. . .

I made snickerdoodles with dried cranberries today for a Christmas party tomorrow (like I REALLY needed this).  I actually tasted the raw dough.  Remember when we were kids and that was the favorite part of Mom’s baking?  Now everything is unsafe.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/beware-of-raw-cookie-dough/?_r=0

Tooting my own horn. I think I have licked the caffeine addiction and the awful coffee at home syndrome. I've been drinking coffee since I was 13--and trust me, I'm a librarian who researches everything, coffee doesn't taste good, some just is less awful than others. It's an acquired taste and it actually does have health benefits--with or without the caffeine. Maybe it's the cold weather or da...rk mornings, but showing up at the coffee shop down the road at 6:30 a.m. just doesn't have the appeal it used to, so I've been making decaf at home, but a little stronger than directions. I've bought half n half, and just about, almost, maybe it tastes fine. I still show up occasionally to make sure everyone at Panera's is OK, but it will save about $10 a week for my Travel to Spain in 2015 fund. Even a small amount of real coffee will cause me problems, but not to worry--it actually helps some people with arrhythmias.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/coffee-new-health-food

Thursday I made the Cheeseburger in Paradise, but used sausage just to see if it might be good for a brunch.  The next day I gave a slice to my son who had stopped by to give us his Christmas ham.  He called later raving about it.  I guess it passes the test, uh?

David Meyers and Elise Meyers, well known Columbus authors (prisons, popular music, Lazarus history, Columbus jazz, true crime), are beginning a new project--the famous, now gone (as of 2000) Kahiki restaurant. I'm guessing some of you went there for special events in the past and perhaps you have memories or old photos you'd like to have memorialized in their new book. You can e-mail me for further information on arrangements to share what you know about a Columbus landmark.

                            

My friend Lynne loves to say around this time of year that we are closer to Spring than we were in September.

It’s hard to choose, he told so many

Obama’s next big grab, because the last one was so successful

“If you believe the left, the leading economic problem that Americans face today is not a lack of jobs
or the cost of living, but a crisis . . . of income inequality. . .

The left inflicts poverty and then campaigns against it. It raises the prices of products and the cost of services, it devalues incomes, destroys jobs and raises energy prices… and demands even more regulatory powers so that it can finally solve the poverty mess it creates once and for all.”

http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-poverty-of-income-inequality.html

Tolerance is not a Biblical value

              

Shocking isn't it?  Love, compassion, gentleness, kindness, patience, cheerfulness, respect, humility, conjugal fidelity, familial caregiving, honesty, happiness (blessedness), beauty, discrimination between right and wrong, justice flowing from God, the existence of and battle against evil, mercy, work, sharing, responsibility, wisdom, hospitality, gratitude, obligations to God and family, unity as God's creation, holiness, chastity, virtue, children as gifts of God, corporate worship, and many more can easily be located in the Bible and church tradition.

Not on the list of Biblical values are tolerance, Marxism, statism, utilitarianism, multiculturalism, sustainability, environmentalism (worship of Mother Earth), diversity, nihilism, redistributive justice, redistribution of wealth (aka stealing), lasciviousness, permissive sex, cohabitation, unity created by national or political grouping, disrespect for the aged, poor and unborn, relativism, fraud, --these and many others are all the province of the secular culture. Humanists and progressives may borrow temporarily some values and ethics from the Bible and not hurt or change who they truly are, but Christians are at grave risk when borrowing from the secular culture for their values.

Obama Repeals ObamaCare

I don't recall in my lifetime, any mess worse than Obamacare. He's all but admitted it doesn't work, he's violated his own law more times than we can track, offered cronies and supporters cover until after the next election, and has pulled back on the individual mandate (but is still going after Christians with a conscience). All major social legislation since the 1930s has had at least some support of both parties. The Democrats own this one 100%.

“HHS and the Senators must have coordinated in advance because literally overnight HHS rushed out a bulletin noting that exemptions are available to those who "experienced financial or domestic circumstances, including an unexpected natural or human-caused event, such that he or she had a significant, unexpected increase in essential expenses that prevented him or her from obtaining coverage under a qualified health plan." A tornado destroys the neighborhood or ObamaCare blows up the individual insurance market, what's the difference?

The HHS ruling is that ObamaCare is precisely such a "significant, unexpected increase." In other words, it is an admission that rate shock is real and the mandates drive up costs well into hardship territory. HHS is agreeing with the Senators that exemptions should cover "an individual whose 2013 plan was canceled and considers their new premium unaffordable." In her reply letter, Mrs. Sebelius also observes that some people "are having difficulty finding an acceptable replacement." She means the new plans are overpriced.” WSJ Review and Outlook

What the Left has left us for manhood

If you haven’t seen it, the guy on the right in the red jammies, its advertising for Obamacare over a cup of cocoa.  This juxtaposition is just too funny.  But sad, too.

A promise kept

Until the 20th century, virtually all Christian churches taught the same as the Roman Catholic on contraception and abortion. The HHS mandate is intended to end whatever vestige of Biblical teaching is left, and Sebilius a Catholic is leading the way. Not that Protestants have protested.  I’ve certainly never heard a sermon in my church on the sanctity of life, or even marriage for that matter.  Until the current administration, almost all Christian churches and denominations with the exception of a few "mainline" (and poorly attended) agreed on homosexuality. In fact, until the last election, even the President was coy and evasive about same sex marriage, flip flopping as he went to please which ever audience he was addressing.  With the leadership of "Hollywood" and celebrity values and the government's attacks on the first amendment freedoms of speech and religion, and the 4th amendment guarantees of privacy rights, indeed in 5 short years he has fundamentally changed the country. The idea that our Constitution and our Bill of Rights which originally were intended to protect us from an overbearing, oppressive government has been flipped to the government is our friend and buddy here to help us out of all messes and jams. This has pretty much been Obama’s goal. He’s reaching it with the help of Christians.

Obama’s vision—Pajama Boy and Julia

O

“Perhaps the goal of OFA was to create a readily mockable image to draw attention to its message, in which case Pajama Boy was a brilliantly successful troll. The right immediately Photoshopped him into the Mandela funeral selfie and emblazoned his photo with derisive lines like “Hey girl, I live with my parents” and “How did you know I went to Oberlin?” “

Julia needed the help of Obama-supported programs at every juncture of her life, and Pajama Boy is going to get his health insurance through Obamacare (another image shows him looking very pleased in a Christmas sweater, together with the words “And a happy New Year with health insurance”).

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/366806/pajama-boy-home-holidays-rich-lowry#!

The biggest lie and the biggest story of 2013

“The lie of the year, according to Politifact, is “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.” But the story of the year is a nation waking up to just how radical Obamacare is — which is why it required such outright deception to get it passed in the first place.

Obamacare was sold as simply a refinement of the current system, retaining competition among independent insurers but making things more efficient, fair and generous. Free contraceptives for Sandra Fluke. Free mammograms and checkups for you and me. Free (or subsidized) insurance for some 30 million uninsured. And, mirabile dictu, not costing the government a dime.”

Charles Krauthammer

“Three years ago I predicted that Obamacare would turn insurers into the lapdog equivalent of utility companies. I undershot. They are being treated as wholly owned subsidiaries. Take the phrase “strongly encouraging.” Sweet persuasion? In reality, these are offers insurers can’t refuse. Disappoint your federal master and he has the power to kick you off the federal exchanges, where the health insurance business of the future is supposed to be conducted.”

Phil’s mission—to tell people about Jesus and love them

The big lie Obama tells again and again

Another favorite lie of Obama is the BIG ONE--income gap/inequality. Few remember this but Bush took office with the effects of the 1999 recession on his hands; income of the top 1% plummeted well before 9/11. You've probably forgotten because Bush didn't waste a lot of breath blaming Clinton. And the income of the top 1% has been going up since, and has really taken off under Obama.  Have you heard him mention how well they are doing—surely you’ve seen the photos of the parties.

Also, wealthier households are usually married couples and better educated. Why promote education as a solution to poverty if you demonize those whose parents, grandparents and self have finished college? And do the math. Two wage earners with college educations are better off than a single mom who didn't finish high school. There will be a gap!

The biggest loss in wealth in 2008 was from the housing recession. Progressives will argue this to the grave, but it was our own federal bank regulations (the 1977 CRA and its expansion)  intended to help the poor by putting them in mortgages they couldn’t possibly afford and punishing banks if the didn’t, that created that. Blacks and Latinos were hurt the most in the housing collapse. CRA was bad for the poor and bad for the country, and ended up hurting everyone.

Also, people are retiring at a baby boomer rate--that means pensions pay less than jobs and people move down a quintile or two. We certainly did. Our children now have incomes much higher than ours, but it wasn't that way in 2000 when we had two incomes. Boomers also have different work rates and divorce rates than pre-boomers.  Women earned much more than previous generations, and the men earned less. After divorce, they both have less.

Yes, Obama’s big one is the wealth gap—the gap has always been there, but his policies plus factors he had no control over because they began years ago are the reason.  Yes, the federal government discourages marriage and encourages dependence on hand outs, and that’s not a good formula for wealth building.