“So why not celebrate Christmas? Many cite the pagan rituals that have crept into the practice of Christmas. The Christmas tree, the giving of gifts, and the mistletoe among many other traditions do have roots in paganism. If we go back to 4th century ancient Rome, we see a Christianity struggling to evangelize a pagan society. One of the key ways those early missionaries evangelized the pagans was by taking pagan rituals and infusing them with Christian meaning. Those missionaries matched pagan holidays with new Christian holidays to help the pagans make smooth transitions into Christianity. There is nothing wrong with that. It's a somewhat drastic method of missionary work where you help new believers to remain in their cultural context while allowing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to transform the cultural practices. This allows people to remain in their "people groups" making "people movements" toward Jesus a much more likely possibility. And what do we see as a result? The ancient Christians succeeded, and the church grew by leaps and bounds.” A lifestyle change for peace
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Major Crimes can’t come up to the level of The Closer
I sat down to watch "Major Crimes" (spin off of The Closer) last night and immediately began to complain about the writing, acting, directing, location shots, story line, etc. In short, it stinks and I can't imagine how enough people like it to make it into the 4th season. My husband was enjoying it until I came in. He said, "Well, it seemed OK until you started watching.”
“Major Crimes follows the further investigations of the detectives in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Major Crimes division. The crime drama’s cast includes Mary McDonnell, GW Bailey, Tony Denison, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Robert Gossett, Phillip P. Keene, Jonathan Del Arco, Kearran Giovanni, and Graham Patrick Martin. “ Ratings.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
How the IRS began covering up its wrongful actions in early 2012
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has released a scathing interim report detailing extreme political "bias" throughout the ranks of the IRS that led to it targeting conservative groups in response to the anti-conservative group rhetoric "being openly and loudly espoused by the President of the United States."
http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/December-2014-IRS-Report.pdf
Criminal behavior by the IRS affects everyone, destroys trust in the government. Too bad we can’t get protesters to go out and march about that.
Arrest related deaths
From the U.S. Bureau of Justice, “Arrest related deaths.” 42% of persons who died during an arrest were white, 32% were black, and 20% were Hispanic. ( 2003-2009). Of the 98 million arrests, 4,813 resulted in deaths, 40% of which were homicide. 75% of those who died were involved in a violent crime.
So why is homicide for blacks at arrest out of proportion to their population? The offending rate for blacks is 34.4 per 100,000 compared to 4.5 per 100,000 for whites. Based on that figure, it looks like whites are more likely to be killed by police while committing a crime than blacks.
Uniform Crime Reporting
There seems to be a definition and a code for every possible crime in this report. Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. . . User Manual.
“The FBI UCR Program is a nationwide, cooperative statistical effort of over 18,000 city, university and college, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies (LEAs) voluntarily reporting data on offenses reported or known. Since 1930, the FBI has administered the UCR Program and continued to assess and monitor the nature and type of crime in the nation. The program’s primary objective is to generate reliable information for use in law enforcement administration, operation, and management. However, over the years, UCR data have become one of the country’s leading social indicators. Criminologists, sociologists, legislators, municipal planners, the media, and other students of criminal justice use the data for varied research and planning purposes.
The FBI UCR Program prepared this manual to assist LEAs in reporting crime statistics via the NIBRS. It addresses NIBRS policies, the types of offenses reported via the NIBRS, and guidelines for an agency to become certified to submit NIBRS data to the FBI.”
Example 2, Acting in Concert
A domestic argument escalated from a shouting match between a husband and wife to an aggravated assault during which the husband began beating his wife. The wife, in her own defense, shot and killed the husband. The responding officer submitted one incident report. The LEA should have reported this information via the NIBRS as two separate incidents because the husband could not have been acting in concert with the wife in his own killing. The LEA could have submitted one incident involving the Aggravated Assault perpetrated by the husband and the second incident involving the killing. This would have allowed the maintenance of the original incident number for record keeping purposes at the local level and simultaneously satisfied reporting requirements for the NIBRS.
Hate crime classifications are difficult:
Example 5
A 51-year-old black male wielding a tire iron attacked a 29-year-old Japanese-American male. The victim suffered severe lacerations and a broken arm. The incident took place in a parking lot next to a bar. Investigation revealed the offender and victim had previously exchanged racial insults in the bar; the offender initiated the exchange by calling the victim by a well-known epithet used against the Japanese and complained the Japanese were taking away jobs from Americans. The offense would be reported as 14 = Anti-Asian based on the difference in race of the victim and offender, the exchange of racial insults, and the absence of other reasons for the attack.
Do minorities not want safe streets and neighborhoods?
Harry Lewis comments: “The Politico article about NYC Mayor de Blasio's current political troubles is revealing. The Democrats interviewed, including David Axelrod, repeatedly assert that because NYC no longer is majority white, a new paradigm of policing is necessary. So Democrats think racial minorities don't want effective law enforcement and safe streets? Instead, they want criminals coddled, and crime victims unprotected? This is condescension and cynicism rooted in deep racism and contempt for racial minorities.”
“De Blasio allies often point out that the city has changed since the days of Giuliani. Blacks and Hispanics are now in the majority. The so-called Giuliani Democrats have largely passed away or moved. The same coalition that elected Obama also swept de Blasio to an outright win in the 2013 primary, helping him avoid a runoff.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/bill-de-blasio-113755.html
At one of Ohio’s elite colleges, Oberlin, which admitted black students as early as 1835 when they must have been made of tougher mettle than today, there’s a movement to suspend the grading system for black students—I think it’s the trauma of all the recent protests (which have mainly been made up of the Occupy Wall Street crowd). That’s the left’s idea of being progressive.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Susan Douglas vs. Donald Sterling
A University of Michigan professor, Susan Douglas, published an article and also tells her students in her classroom that Republicans are bad, she has the research, and she hates them. She keeps her job at a state university supported by Republicans' taxes. Yet Donald Sterling, like Douglas a Democrat, who makes many black men wealthy with jobs as athletes in a private business tells his black mistress in a private conversation he doesn't want her hanging out with black men. I’m guessing Tiger Woods didn’t want his white mistresses hanging out with black athletes either. For that Sterling loses his athletic team.
Which one has more influence on the minds of young people? I'd say the professor. She has published five books on American history and I can only imagine the nasty slant. “She has lectured at colleges and universities around the country, and has written for The Nation, In These Times, The Village Voice, Ms., The Washington Post and TV Guide.” [her bio] Not a single person was hurt by Sterling's racism, but Professor Susan Douglas maligned half the nation.
God’s sense of humor—bats
Bats are 1/5 of all mammal species. I find that amazing. Twice they've found their way into our home and we don't know how. The reason for their large number is they evolve very quickly--none of that million year stuff for them (which I don't believe anyway). But their population is recovering. Don't leave the door open too long.
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/279/1734/1797
How single moms make it
A mother replies to an article in the Washington Post about single moms. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/12/18/the-unbelievable-rise-of-single-motherhood-in-america-over-the-last-50-years/
“As a single mom left alone with two small children after my ex-husband left, I never used public welfare, educated my children in private schools through scholarships, and put myself through graduate school. One child graduated from medical school and the other is a dean's list student in college. The secret? They had a loving, nurturing and committed parent in their life who never missed a recital, lacrosse game, etc., even while studying for the bar exam. Was it hard? Absolutely. Was it impossible, no. With the help of lots of miracles, I was determined they would not be a statistic of their parents' faltered dreams. I didn't have the time/interest in dating and chose early on not to bring men around my two young daughters. I brought these two into the world and they were a priceless gift to me. As such, they were my top priority and remain so. Being their mom is my greatest accomplishment. If people looked on children more as a gift and treated them as such, the world would be better off.”
![10885085_10205755360669709_2023624790021200007_n[1]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcd8uH2fSb3dIcukmrRA_sFAwEMJL0XXs_oSeh8yVaWml-GGZCBHZdQaClNU1AreUjRqsf4x6E3oX0zj8TS_l8YrdV_W3tVOvntRonqRneg9zk9XR-_8Sb7tp4gMnaECjICWlbw/s1600-h/10885085_10205755360669709_2023624790021200007_n%25255B1%25255D%25255B3%25255D.jpg "10885085_10205755360669709_2023624790021200007_n[1]")
The Beast twists the story
The Daily Beast (on line Newsweek listing to the left) is claiming in a headline today, "Cops waging war on the mayor." Police go into minority neighborhoods and put their lives on the line every day. That's where the highest crime rates are according to the Bureau of Justice statistics. Crime has been reduced dramatically in the last 2 decades.Take the offender off the street and save black lives. But where's the political and financial gain for Sharpton in saving lives?
"Blacks were disproportionately represented as both homicide victims and offenders. The victimization rate for blacks (27.8 per 100,000) was 6 times higher than the rate for whites (4.5 per 100,000). The offending rate for blacks (34.4 per 100,000) was almost 8 times higher than the rate for whites (4.5 per 100,000)," . http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf
NYC was actually becoming a safe city for residents and tourists. deBlasio even teaches his son to be afraid of police and announces it! He ratcheted up the hate and fear for the police who were carrying out his policies on selling cigarettes. Sharpton, deBlasio, Obama and Holder have blood on their hands for this tragedy of killing 2 minority police officers and have painted a huge target on every police officer in every city.
Sarah Palin used the word "target" in a campaign ad and was blamed by Democrats for a mentally ill man shooting Gabby Giffords and others. Al Sharpton, Holder and Obama have openingly been fomenting race hatred, not speaking out when protesters were encouraged to kill cops with chants about kill the pigs. Now supporters of the protests are claiming the shooter was mentally ill and they bear no responsibility.
New to me—The Five Colleges of Ohio
It’s not that I’d never heard of these 5, just didn’t realize there was a term, “The Five Colleges of Ohio.” I’ve actually only been on a campus tour of Oberlin, although we see Ohio Wesleyan each time we drive through Delaware. Now that would make a good bucket list, wouldn’t it? Visit small colleges in Ohio.
“The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Higher Education and Scholarship in the Humanities Program has awarded $2 million dollars to The Five Colleges of Ohio, in collaboration with The Ohio State University. The grant establishes The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Languages to support language teaching and to build faculty interest and expertise in the uses of blended learning pedagogies.
The program will allow recent recipients of a doctoral degree in language from Ohio State to have a two-year liberal arts teaching and research experience at one of The Five Colleges of Ohio: Denison University, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University or the College of Wooster.”
So counting The Ohio State University, that’s six. Right? So that’s 5 colleges each with 2 post doctorate fellows in over lapping years for four years plus one collaborator. There should be enough even with the cuts for overhead. Not sure how it works for these, but for usual grants the institution takes 56% for overhead. . . or did when I was at OSU.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Adoption Assistance
This is odd. I was browsing the amounts of the 126 federal welfare and anti-poverty programs, and to my surprise saw that #23 in dollar amount was "Adoption Assistance." $2,480,000,000. $2.5 billion for adoption assistance? Right up there with the School breakfast program, $2.9 billion. Part of the $7,256,000,000 the federal budget allows for fostering and permanency for children, #17 on the list.
“Key federal programs supporting child welfare services include Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, Guardianship Assistance, Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, Promoting Safe and Stable Families, Child Welfare Services state grants, Child Welfare Research, Training and Demonstration, CAPTA state grants, the Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention grants, Abandoned Infants Assistance, Adoption Opportunities, and Adoption Incentives.”
So I Googled, and found that this is money for adopting special needs children. Each state seems to have similar requirements—the child can have physical or mental handicaps, black children are younger than white to be included, in custody of the state, can’t be returned to biological family, adopting family can be a relative, etc.
“Adoption Assistance – The Adoption Assistance program provides funds to states to subsidize families that adopt children with special needs who cannot be reunited with their families, thus preventing long, inappropriate stays in foster care. This is consistent with ACF's goals to improve healthy development, safety, and well-being of children and youth and to increase the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and youth. To receive adoption assistance benefits, a child must have been determined by the state to be a special needs child, e.g., older, a member of a minority or sibling group, or have a physical, mental, or emotional disability. Additionally, the child must have been: 1) unable to return home, and the state must have been unsuccessful in its efforts to find an adoptive placement without medical or financial assistance; and 2) receiving or eligible to receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), under the rules in effect on July 16, 1996, title IV-E Foster Care benefits, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
In accordance with the Fostering Connections to Success and Improving Adoptions Act of 2008, beginning in FY 2010, revised Adoption Assistance eligibility requirements that exclude consideration of AFDC and SSI income eligibility requirements are being phased in over a nine-year period, based primarily on the age of the child in the year the adoption assistance agreement is finalized. For FY 2012, the phase-in of the exclusion of consideration of AFDC and SSI applies to otherwise eligible children for whom an adoption assistance agreement is entered into and who have reached the age of 12. The revised eligibility requirements also apply to children based on time in care and siblings of children to which the revised eligibility criteria apply. In FY 2010, federally-recognized Indian tribes, Indian tribal organizations and tribal consortia with approved title IV-E plans also became eligible for the program
Funds also are used for the administrative costs of managing the program and training staff and adoptive parents. The number of children subsidized by this program and the level of federal reimbursement has increased significantly as permanent adoptive homes are found for more children. The average monthly number of children for whom payments were made has increased more than 80 percent, from just over 228,000 in FY 2000 to an estimated 429,700 in FY 2010 and 470,400 projected in FY 2012.
The Adoption Assistance program underwent a program assessment in CY 2005. The assessment cited the program’s success in increasing the permanent placement of foster care children, effective administration at the state and federal levels, and coordination with related programs as strong attributes of the program. As a result of assessment, the program is working with states to ensure that their Adoption Assistance laws and policies comport with federal requirements.” (Administration for Children and Families
Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees, p. 335-336)
I wonder if families who do not release a special needs child for adoption, who do not abuse him, or abandon her, whose child is never in foster care . . . are they eligible for help? More research needed.
Update: Another law, proposed. Don't know if it passed the Senate. H.R. 4980 requires states to track and report disruptions to finalized adoptions and guardianships, one of the biggest blind spots in research on the child welfare system. The few sample studies on the subject suggest that up to 30 percent of adoptions fail.https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/news/house-passes-adoption-incentives-package-senate-expected-to-act-soon/7653Shouldn’t every student have AVID?
If this is a good program that inspires, motivates and moves ahead children “in the middle,” or who are “under represented minorities” and it shows such remarkable success, why isn’t it standard for all students?
“AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by preparing all students for college and other postsecondary opportunities. Established more than 30 years ago with one teacher in one classroom, AVID today impacts more than 800,000 students in 44 states and 16 other countries/territories.”
http://www.avid.org/avid-impact.ashx
AVID:
- Teaches skills and behaviors for academic success
- Provides intensive support with tutorials and strong student/teacher relationships
- Creates a positive peer group for students
- Develops a sense of hope for personal achievement gained through hard work and determination
AVID students complete college entrance requirements at a rate of 2.5 times greater than U.S. students overall.
The War on Poverty
Notice that the bottom quintile is lifted briefly about 10 years, and after that the top quintile takes off. Poverty is lucrative business for politicians and bureaucrats.
With 126 programs to transfer wealth, there's not enough incentive to give up the government safety net and take the risk that education, investing and marriage require.
Who is behind the current racial unrest, and what do they gain?
Harry Lewis observes: “Two NYPD officers, one Asian and one Hispanic, were shot dead in Brooklyn execution-style by a black gunman who identified "revenge" for the deaths of Brown and Garner as his motive. The gunman had murdered his girlfriend in Baltimore the previous day. The racial tension on the streets of New York and the nation fomented by the President of the United States, the Attorney General of the United States, Sharpton, and others, and encouraged by the mayor of NYC, among others, has created an atmosphere in which violent criminals are emboldened to murder police officers in cold blood. Anarchists, communists, and fascists who have been stirring the racial pot for months with protests and demonstrations are celebrating these murders. The multicultural polarization of America, the deliberate policy of the Democratic Party, is leading to race hatred and cold-blooded murder. Is race war next?”
God is not dead in Gotham
Cheer up, you’re worse than you think,” Rev. Timothy Keller says with a smile. He’s explaining that humans are more weak, more fallen, more warped than they “ever dare admit or even believe.” Then comes the good news: At the same time people are “more loved in Christ and more accepted than they could ever imagine or hope.” Many Millennial Christians in NYC attend his Presbyterian church--and respond to his message. “Every other religion has a founder that says: ‘I’ll show you the way to God. Only Christianity of all the major world religions has a founder that says: ‘I’m God, come to find you.’
http://www.wsj.com/articles/kate-bachelder-god-isnt-dead-in-gotham-1419032446
My little book group that met at Panera’s a few years ago used his book,
And it is outstanding. Maybe I’ll reread it.
Part 1: The Leap of DoubtThere Can't Be Just One True Religion
How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?
Christianity is a Straitjacket
The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice
How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
Science Has Disproved Christianity
You Can't Take the Bible Literally
Part 2: The Reasons for Faith
The Clues of God
The Knowledge of God
The Problem of Sin
Religion and the Gospel
The (True) Story of the Cross
The Reality of the Resurrection
The Dance of God
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Al Sharpton and Bill de Blasio should be considered accomplices in this murder
Preach hate for police and this is what you get. Two policemen killed. Assassinated. Targeted. From the surnames, I’m guessing both were minorities—one Asian, one Hispanic. Alleged shooter Ismaaiyl Brinsley shot himself after being chased on foot.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/20/us/new-york-police-officers-shot/index.html
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/20/2-nypd-cops-shot-in-car-critically-injured/
“I’m Putting Wings on Pigs Today,” a person believed to be the gunman wrote in an Instagram post that referenced both Brown and Garner posted just three hours before the officers were shot, the New York Post reported. Al Sharpton has been arousing emotions of protesters who show up for all these rallies. deBlasio hasn’t been defending the NYPD.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/kerik-police-killings-nypd/2014/12/20/id/614261/
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