Benign fascism

“In the Twentieth Century, a nation of great beauty and culture embraced Fascism, and a backward peasant society embraced Communism, and the most evolved civilization in Europe embraced Nazism. And observers still wonder why the great anglophone democracies were almost alone in not going down this path. I think the reason's simpler than it seems: No one - Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao, Franco - had devised a form of totalitarianism appealing enough to seduce them. Now they have. As the Bundy example illustrates, a free people will cheerfully abandon bedrock principles like equality before the law if state power is being used to torment a racist or a homophobe or someone whose very presence offends against the citizenry's sense of its own virtue. Whether or not this is a middle-of-the-road fascism, it's certainly a very flattering strain: what, after all, is wrong with benign despotism in the cause of preventing  "climate change" or transphobia - or ensuring that Nevada's desert tortoise has an area the size of the United Kingdom to gambol and frolic in?” Mark Steyn

Does it matter if Cliven Bundy is a racist? Not to her

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0zoee4k7yE#t=61

Mark Steyn says: “. . . if what the Bureau of Land Management is doing is wrong, the fact that Cliven Bundy is a racist sexist homophobe whateverphobe doesn't make it right - any more than at Ruby Ridge FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi shooting Vicki Weaver in the back of the head as she was cradling her ten-month-old baby and running away from him is made right by the fact that she allegedly had "white supremacist" sympathies.”

Un-African, and un-presidential

There's some fuss right now that Obama was playing golf instead of going to his aunt's funeral. Actually, Auntie Zeituni has caused him a lot of grief as a free-loader and law breaker who needed the Bush administration to pull Obama out of a mess with her in 2008 (a lot of thanks he got). Bush officials issued a 72-hour cease-and-desist order to all fugitive apprehension teams to spare Obama embarrassment over his auntie right before Election Day when it came out that she had been living illegally in the U.S. for some years, and had evaded a 2003 deportation order.

And look, his Kenyan father was a polygamist, as was his father, so she was only a half aunt in a family full of halves some with their hands out for a favor, expecting "my brother's keeper" treatment. Still, one of his half brothers, Malik, who is not a millionaire, managed to make it.

For his book and his political career, Obama's African family was useful when need presented itself. " A delegation of African relatives flew in for Mr. Obama’s inauguration in 2009 and received royal treatment." http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/us/politics/amid-politics-obama-drifted-away-from-kin.html?_r=0

The racism of Bundy vs. Biden and Reid

On the internet you never know what is true or what has been edited. Yesterday I read two accounts from blacks who are Cliven Bundy's friends who say he isn't a racist. I also read some of the full interview (and no way to verify that), which had obviously been edited to hurt his case against the BLM, because everyone knows it's worse to be racist than a gov't agency planning to kill or steal cattle of a private citizen. However, some of us remember the Biden and Reid comments about Obama during the 2008 campaign, which in my opinion were much worse, and they are elected to the most powerful offices in the land, and are Democrats. Bundy is just a cowboy.

As reported by CNN: “His [Biden] remarks about Obama, the only African-American serving in the Senate, drew the most scrutiny."I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," Biden said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man." “

LA Times: And Reid didn’t apologize until 2 years later, 2010: “Harry Reid, the Democrat Senate Majority Leader and the national government's highest-ranking Mormon, has admitted now remarking apparently with some amazement on the nation's highest-ranking black Democrat as being notably "light-skinned" and having "no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one."

What is PB2?

“It is powdered peanut butter, which is not nearly as strange as it may sound. To make it, the manufacturers squeeze the oil out of roasted peanuts, and what remains is the powdered peanut butter – all natural with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. When you’re ready to eat it, you mix a bit of the powder with a little bit of water, and you get the same consistency as full-fat peanut butter, but with 85% less fat calories.” Daily Garnish Blog

Flourless brownies made with PB2,

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup PB2
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

325 degrees, 9 x 9 pan, 30 minutes. Beat egg and egg white. In a large bowl combine the PB2, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and mix well with a spatula. Add the egg and egg whites and stir. Add water, honey, vanilla and stir with a spatula until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool, then cut into 12 bars cutting 3 rows x 4 rows

Why the wealthy have done well under Obama

It’s a puzzle considering how Obama demonizes the “fat cats” that the upper 20% have done so well the last 4-5 years (aka the recovery) and the rest of the economy flounders. Record numbers are on food stamps, and many college new graduates are discouraged. Unemployment among young black men is much higher than before the recession.  This semi-annual report from Blackrock gives a pretty good explanation of how quantitative easing has helped the investors in stocks.  Now, this is a policy of the Federal Reserve, not the President’s, but at least he didn’t nix it.  If you are invested in a pension, 401-k or 401-b or IRAs, you’ve seen a similar, but smaller advance. People with CDs or savings accounts (usually less wealthy) have seen their savings eroded.

“One year ago, US financial markets were improving despite a sluggish global economy, as easy monetary policy gave investors enough conviction to take on more risk in their portfolios. Slow but positive growth in the US was sufficient to support corporate earnings, while uncomfortably high unemployment reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve would continue its aggressive monetary stimulus programs. International markets were more volatile given uneven growth rates and
more direct exposure to macro risks such as the banking crisis in Cyprus and a generally poor outlook for European economies. Emerging markets significantly lagged the rest of the world amid fears over slowing growth and debt problems.

Global financial markets were rattled in May when then-Fed Chairman Bernanke mentioned the possibility of reducing (or “tapering”) the central bank’s asset purchase programs — comments that were widely misinterpreted as signaling an end to the Fed’s zero-interest-rate policy. US Treasury yields rose sharply, triggering a steep sell-off across fixed income markets. (Bond prices move in the opposite direction of yields.) Equity prices also suffered as investors feared the implications of a
potential end of a program that had greatly supported the markets. Markets rebounded in late June, however, when the Fed’s tone turned more dovish, and improving economic indicators and better corporate earnings helped extend gains through most of the summer.

Although autumn brought mixed events, it was a surprisingly positive period for most asset classes. Early on, the Fed defied market expectations with its decision to delay tapering, but higher volatility returned in late September when the US Treasury Department warned that the national debt would soon breach its statutory maximum. The ensuing political brinksmanship led to a partial government shutdown, roiling global financial markets through the first half of October. Equities and other
so-called “risk assets” managed to resume their rally when politicians engineered a compromise to reopen the government and extend the debt ceiling, at least temporarily.

The remainder of 2013 was generally positive for stock markets in the developed world, although investors continued to grapple with uncertainty about when and how much the Fed would scale back on stimulus. When the long-awaited taper announcement ultimately came in mid-December, the Fed reduced the amount of its monthly asset purchases but at the same time reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining low short-term interest rates. Markets reacted positively, as the taper signaled the Fed’s perception of real improvement in the economy, and investors were finally relieved from the anxiety that had gripped them for quite some time.

The start of the new year brought another turn in sentiment, as heightened volatility in emerging markets and mixed US economic data caused global equities to weaken in January while bond markets found renewed strength. Although these headwinds persisted, equities were back on the rise in February thanks to positive developments in Washington, DC. For one, Congress extended the nation’s debt ceiling through mid-March 2015, thereby reducing some degree of fiscal uncertainty for
the next year. Additionally, investors were encouraged by market-friendly comments in new Fed Chair  Janet Yellen’s Congressional testimony, giving further assurance that short-term rates would remain low for a prolonged period.

While accommodative monetary policy was the main driver behind positive market performance over the period, it was also a key cause of investor uncertainty. Developed market stocks were the strongest performers for the six- and 12-month periods ended February 28. In contrast, emerging markets were weighed down by uneven growth, high levels of debt and severe currency weakness, in addition to the broader concern about reduced global liquidity. The anticipation of Fed tapering during 2013 pressured US Treasury bonds and other high-quality fixed income sectors, including tax-exempt municipals and investment grade corporate bonds. High yield bonds, to the contrary, benefited from income-oriented investors’ search for yield in the low-rate environment. Short-term interest rates remained near zero, keeping yields on money market securities close to historic lows.”

Income inequality?

Is this income inequality or job choice?  The owner of a local commercial and residential moving company, Two men and a Truck (franchise), is a woman, Gail Kelley. Right now, you can interview for a job at $12/hour lifting and moving heavy objects, but after 21 years as the owner, Ms. Kelley probably makes a lot more.

The President needs to know there are choices people make that can account for their success.  According to ColumbusCEO she originally wanted to be a ballerina, but failed. Then she wanted to be an artist (has a BFA from CCAD). After working for Radio Shack for 16 years, she and her husband bought this franchise and moved to Columbus. Now after business success she has started painting and is selling her work. Business success has allowed her to be an artist.

The real income gap—the occupation, not the gender

According to ColumbusCEO magazine, May 2014, there is a considerable income gap—among professions. Salary averages for a range of executive and professional occupations:

Annual Mean Wages—BLS, May 2012, Wage estimates (it doesn’t say if this is a national or local mean)

$40,970  real estate agents

$60,829  HR specialists

$67,080,  accountants

$71,500  architects and engineers

$82,600 software application developers

$122,,810  lawyers

$169,920 CEOs

$247,240 surgeons

The BLS figures are quite removed from occupational surveys (it is much lower).  Maybe the professions are promoting a rosier picture? Or different information?  For instance the Information Architectural Institute posts the salaries closer to the high nineties and includes the age ranges, benefits, geographic spread, education level, etc.

“For example the median expected annual pay for a typical Human Resources Manager in the United States is $89,406 so 50% of the people who perform the job of Accountant I in the United Sates are expected to make less than $89,406,” reports Salary.com .

The nationwide mean for CEOs is $176,840, but in Columbus it is $176,230, Indianapolis $189,100, and Cleveland $188.320, but the BLS figures are $169,920. Quite a gap between Columbus and Indianapolis, both state capitals and home of many businesses and industries.

Anyway, there is a big differences between a female real estate agent and a female surgeon, a male accountant and a male CEO.

ACA affects employment expansion

A new survey demonstrates the Affordable Care Act's negative impact on employment. According to the Journal, "nearly half of small-business owners with at least five employees, or 45% of those polled, said they had had to curb their hiring plans because of the health law, and almost a third—29%—said they had been forced to make staff cuts, according to a U.S. Bancorp survey of 3,173 owners with less than $10 million in annual revenue that will be released Thursday." WSJ editorial, April 24, 2014

“As part of its "Faces of the Affordable Care Act" multimedia feature, the Journal is profiling two small businesses—T. Cain Grocery Inc. of Fairhope, Ala., and retail and wholesale bakery Ovenly LLC of Brooklyn, N.Y.—and it will revisit them periodically to update readers on critical decisions they face or have made as they cope with the law.”  WSJ report

Decreasing the increase

The Democrats believe in and pass federal programs that require coercion and the Republicans believe in and pass federal programs that require choice. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of difference in cost or outcome. They all require sending money to Washington and letting them design the program. I sometimes wish the Republicans were the cheapskates (with our money) the Democrats accuse them of being--but all they can do is decrease the rate of increase--which brings out the howls that Republicans hate the poor, women, gays and children. Health insurance costs were increasing at a lower rate under Bush than Obama, but they were still increasing.

Reid rants

Imagine!

Glenn Beck is not a preacher or priest—he’s an entertainer with a political message

I first heard Glenn Beck on the radio right after 9/11. He was so silly in between thoughtful messages, I hated the program, and complained to the local a.m. station. Then I listened about once or twice a week in the car--Friday was really bad. Then he got a program on CNN (painful debut) and then moved to Fox where he really began to blossom with interesting guests. He's one of the best interviewers on TV or radio -- so different from Hannity or O'Reilly--and is fair even to those he disagrees with.

Then he said "take this job and shove it" and started his own TV network to add to his publishing and touring companies. Not only is he an author of many books, but he is a collector and devoted to American history. All over the country groups called 9/12 (for changing lives after 9/11) sprang up and he probably did more for book clubs than Oprah. A mention on his show shot authors to the top of Amazon, even those long dead. He had massive turnouts in Washington DC and Israel for his public presentations inspiring conservative movements without controlling them.

Liberals hate Beck, as do many traditional old guard GOP. Some Christians rail against him for his less than orthodox version of Christianity--a mixture of Mormonism, vague spiritualism with some Catholicism, and fundamentalist end times bias. But when he starts sounding like a preacher instead of an entertainer with a political message, I just tune him out. He is libertarian, pro-life, an advocate for the disabled, and a recovering alcoholic.

I know who my shepherd is and He knows me. I get hateful e-mails from Christian preachers and friends about Beck. Meanwhile the other side, the one that booed God three times at their last convention and put abortion in its basic beliefs, continues to take over the country.

Thought for today

Home again

Back from our Easter trip to Illinois. We met many new people. Like the two policemen, young, handsome and polite, who gave us a $130 ticket near Greenfield, Indiana, and the fine crew of good old boys who rescued us with a tow and tire repair near Danville, Illinois. Got to see the inside of an auto repair shop that was established by the owner's grandfather in 1924.  But great service!  If you’re ever near Danville and need help, call Carnaghi Towing and Repair, Tilton, IL.  Don’t ever ignore your “check tire” light.  Get it up on a rack and look for nails causing a slow leak.

We spent Wednesday evening with my husband’s sister Indianapolis, then went on to Illinois and spent Thursday through Sunday with my sister. We had a nice visit with my cousin Dianne. The ladies of my high school class had a breakfast at a local restaurant, while my husband was having breakfast with a group of men from the Church of the Brethren in Leaf River.  We had dinner with my brother and wife Saturday evening at La Vigna near Oregon. On Easter Sunday we attended services at Trinity Lutheran and had a nice Sunday brunch in Polo at LaBranche which is an extension of the facilities at the White Pines State Park.

On the trip I finished reading "Maisie Dobbs" for our May book club.  I'm not crazy about detective genre, but this was very interesting. Enjoyed it a lot. This is the first in a series, and I just might try another one.  It used to be that I would get car sick if I tried to read in the car, but that doesn’t bother me now.  Also started (audio) of the infancy narratives of Jesus by Benedict XVI and also liked that. I've probably read those dozens of times, and never found what he did.

What’s happening to college tuition rates of increase?

I don't think who is in the White House should affect college tuition, but this is odd--huge increases in the last 5 years.
•The 14% real increase in average published tuition and fees at private nonprofit four-year institutions from 2008‑09 to 2013‑14 was larger than the 9% increase over the previous five years.
•Average published tuition and fees at public two-year colleges increased by just 4% in inflation-adjusted dollars, from $2,425 (in 2013 dollars) in 2003-04 to $2,530 in 2008-09, but by 29%, to $3,264 in 2013-14.

And now the federal government has control of the loans? Looks like we're headed for another bubble ready to burst just like housing in 2007.

https://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/tuition-and-fee-and-room-and-board-charges-over-time-1973-74-through-2013-14-selected-years

http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2014/04/14-income-based-repayment-akers-chingos

This isn’t the real cost

The greatest cost is in loss of time and bonding between mother and child.  Most day care/childcare workers don’t have the level of training and love as the child’s mother—if they did, they’d be paid higher salaries or they’d open their own business, or become an administrator (who earn about the same as teachers) and hire the day care workers. No one in a nursing home says, “I wish I’d spent more time at the office and less at home with the kids.”

The average annual cost of care for an infant in a day-care center can range from $4,863 in Mississippi to $16,430 in Massachusetts, according to a report last year by Child Care Aware of America. Depending on your state, the average cost of full-time care for an infant in a day-care center ranges from 7 percent to about 19 percent of the state median income for a married couple with children, the report adds. In 2012, in 31 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual cost for an infant in center-based care was higher than a year’s tuition and fees at a four-year public 

The median salary of a day care worker is $8.94/hour, less than a receptionist, a retail clerk at WalMart, a cashier, a stocker, security guard, a fork lift operator, photo technician in department store, etc.  Unless she has a child in the center and gets a break on her costs, I’m thinking she’ll move on rather than go on food stamps.

And children are resilient, they can perhaps overcome this.  But what about Mom? How can she make up for the hours and years her child is in day care, and she’s 20 miles away in the classroom, or behind the computer, or driving in traffic?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/youd-better-budget-for-that-baby/2014/04/15/791a3ccc-c4d7-11e3-b574-f8748871856a_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines

http://www1.salary.com/Retail-Stock-Clerk-Full-Time-salary.html

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobs/qt/childcare-worker-earn.htm

http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/mothers-prefer-home-child-care-by-people-they-know/2231074/

http://www.naccrra.org/sites/default/files/default_site_pages/2012/ccgb_mothers_workforce_jan2012.pdf

Rise of the superbug

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikZQPB45Zbw

University of Texas at San Antonio microbiologist Karl Klose discusses the problem of antibiotic resistance in a 2013 TEDx talk.(There’s a gap in the middle—a technical talk with no tech back-up.)

Humans have more bacterial cells than human cells.  Yuk.

Snow on tax day, April 15 in Columbus, Ohio

Our next door neighbor’s deck.

Walhalla Ravine, Columbus

True health

"Scientific research has multiplied the possibilities for prevention and treatment, and has discovered therapies to treat many illnesses", said the Pope. "But when we speak of in full health, it is necessary not to lose sight of the fact that the human person, created in the image and semblance of God, is a unity of body and spirit. These two elements are distinct but inseparable, because the person is one entity. Therefore, even illness, the experience of pain and suffering, does not relate only to the bodily dimension, but to man in his entirety. This creates the need for an integral treatment, that considers the person as a whole and unites medical care with human, psychological and social support, spiritual guidance, and support for patients' families". Pope Francis, April 12, at the  Congress of the Italian Society for Oncological Surgery