Reminds me of some pets I know

There’s a reason for the perceptions—behavior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw1lrfFN2HM#t=27

Jason Riley of the Wall Street Journal, who always has facts to back up what he says.

She had to face down a true believer at a social event

“At this point, one of the spouses, whom I’ll call Tiny Tim, announced that Obamacare would correct all this. Everyone, he said, will get better insurance and better medical care, all for a lower price, and there will be no more uninsured. (Hmm…. Where have I heard that before?) I rained on his parade by saying that many of the uninsured were not lining up to buy insurance. Instead, those enrolled under Obamacare were often previously covered people who had been forced onto Obamacare when they lost their own insurance. (See my discussion about that issue here.) Moreover, those who did not qualify for subsidies were seeing substantial increases in their premiums and deductibles, caused in part by increasing medical costs.

At this point, I offered not a statistic but an example: I know a woman from one of my conservative groups. She’s single, self-employed, in her high 50s or low 60s, and was forced onto Obamacare at the end of 2013. When I saw her at a luncheon about three months ago, she was livid. She’d liked her old insurance, which was affordable and provided the coverage the wanted. Her new policy after she lost her old one doubled her premium and her deductible, and saw her paying for a lot of things she didn’t need or want (such as fertility treatments).

Somehow this anecdote enraged Tiny Tim. He drew himself up to his full height of 5’2″ (I am not exaggerating), tried to lean over the table to get into my face (something you can’t do when your short), shook his stubby little finger at me and, with spittle flying from his mouth, announced that I was a liar. “There is no such woman. You’re lying! Lying!” Let’s just say he failed to intimidate me.”

Obama true believers can’t face it.

My run in with an Obamacare Fanatic. “Conservatives deal with facts and reach conclusions; liberals have conclusions and sell them as facts.”

Just good colors

Just looked at my FB photo--wearing the same sweater and scarf to church today. It's the reason I always ask my daughter for clothes for birthday and Christmas. Although she hasn't noticed the weight gain, so I had to remind her this year I no longer wear an S. I had to return the birthday outfit this year for a little skosh in the watchamacallit.

Later: I got so many comments and compliments.

Martha and me

If you wake up in the middle of the night (and can change rooms) turn on Martha Stewart. The other night she made a roux (white sauce) out of sour cream and flour. That was it. So I tried it on Christmas Eve, and it's so simple and tastes really good on hot vegetables. A bit more pizzazz. She said you can add it to hot broth (when making soup) and the sour cream won't separate.

I’ve checked the internet to see if this is listed, but didn’t see it. Really, it wasn’t a dream.

Quiz on heart disease—I got about 70%

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, killing more women than all forms of cancer combined. One in four women die of heart disease, while one in 30 die of breast cancer. Obesity isn’t the biggest risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 39.5% of Americans are at risk for heart disease because of inactivity. The percentages of U.S. adults with other key risk factors are: obesity, 33.9%; high blood pressure, 30.5%; cigarette smoking, 20.8%; high cholesterol, 15.6%; and diabetes, 10.1%.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/rm-quiz-heart-myths

Internet users say they are better informed than 5 years ago

I'm definitely better informed about some rather specialized things than I was 5 years ago--my 2nd cousins once removed, Beyonce and the Kardashians, crazy scandals of the Obama administration, but I think I know less local stuff since we no longer get a newspaper. I did all my research for my new kitchen appliances on the internet, and they still are not properly installed and we're looking at January 2015 (purchased in September). I don't use a cell phone except to call my son, but I saw a woman at Kohl's this morning doing amazing things with hers that I didn't even know were possible. I'm using the internet more for recipes, and my own file less. Data isn't information isn't knowledge isn't wisdom, as the sign in my office used to say.

http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/12/08/better-informed/

Report is based an online probability survey conducted September 12-18, 2014 among a sample of 1,066 adult internet users, 18 years of age or older.

Is this the worst Christmas song ever?

“Do They Even Know It’s Christmas?” is voted as the worst Christmas song ever by this writer at a Catholic site. It's from Band Aid 1984. He says it disrespects Africa and has images of neo-colonialism. However, efforts to end poverty or hunger always improve the heart of the giver, and rarely the recipient in the long term, in my opinion.

http://www.catholicismusa.com/worst-christmas-song-ever-po…/

Frankly, I didn’t remember it, even when I found it on the internet it brought back no memories.  But it must mean a lot to some because there were people defending it, believing they had made a difference.

http://thefederalist.com/2014/12/03/do-they-know-its-christmas-is-the-worst-christmas-song-ever/

http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2014/12/17/worst-christmas-song-ever

“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was released in 1984 as part of Band Aid, an effort organized by Bob Geldof in response to a famine that struck the east African nation of Ethiopia. The song certainly captures the spirit of the season, as its charitable aims are noble enough. The problem, however, is in how these good intentions are translated into word and deed. The song describes Africa largely as a barren wasteland, “Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears.” It continues in this vein. Africa, the onetime breadbasket of the Roman Empire and home of the Nile River is a land “where nothing ever grows, no rain nor rivers flow.” The title question likewise plays into the supposed desperation of the continent. The only “Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom.” The response to this call is supposed to be charity from the affluent West, to “feed the world” and thereby “let them know it’s Christmastime again.”

https://medium.com/@magattew/stop-raising-money-for-relief-and-start-investing-in-africa-bd5c44a75557

In 1984, when Geldof’s first African Christmas song was released, no one thought of investing in Africa. Since then, China and India have already begun their path to prosperity.

Now some of the fastest growing nations on earth are African. Yes, Ebola is an urgent humanitarian cause that must be addressed, but we have long passed the point where it is legitimate (if it ever was) to re-enforce the stereotypes of a billion people when we have a very specific health crisis at hand.

Update on Miley the rescued Husky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guXVL-mMcbI

Includes a cute Chihuahua called Frankie in the story who became Miley’s friend. I watched an interview with her new owner today on Fox News.  Her dogs and her husband had died.  She was one of about 500 who applied to be Miley’s owner and says the dog has save HER.  She’s the one shown in the back ground taking photos and from the looks of her home, Miley is one lucky dog.

Maisie Dobbs mysteries

If I didn't belong to a book club, I'd probably never read fiction. But last year the group read "Maisie Dobbs," by Jacqueline Winspear, a mystery about the aftermath of WWI. For porch reading, my husband who reads less fiction than I do, picked it up this past summer, and liked it, so our daughter found 2 for him at a Marblehead (OH) used bookstore. I bought him 5 more for Christmas. There is another (the 11th) due in 2015 and I still need the 2nd and 3rd. http://www.jacquelinewinspear.com/novels.php

Much of our culture—books, movies, history—focuses on WWII.  We forget what a terrible tragedy WWI was—lives lost and countries realigned.  The series is interesting from that point of view.

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/03/3601-only-7000-dead-and-wounded-today-i.html

Biblical archeology—list of resources

Bibarch.  http://www.bibarch.com/

  Seems to be a list of sources and links. Biblical archaeology, with its concentration on the Levant, deals with the study of the archaeology of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. Through biblical archaeology scholars gain a fuller perception of the events and the lifeways of the peoples described in the Bible. In biblical archaeology we reconstruct the lifeways of biblical peoples and learn of the cultural change, known as cultural process, in their civilizations.

Biblical archaeology review magazine  http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/magazine/

“Biblical Archaeology Review is a one-of-a-kind archaeology magazine that acts as a bridge between the academic study of archaeology and a broad general audience eager to understand the world of the Bible better.” Written for scholars and lay people, Christians and Jews, Catholics and Protestants, Evangelicals and main line members. I signed on for a free e-book, but not sure of its direction or slant; included with e-mail updates.  I think the church library at UALC has this.

American Schools of Oriental Research http://www.asor.org/ 

Digital newsletter archives at the site. Publishes The Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (BASOR)  “a leader among peer-reviewed academic journals of the ancient Near East.”  Digitally you can read table of contents, abstracts and preview of the first page.  I could read this on JSTOR (if I’d up date my OSU record). Latest issue (in Dec. 2014) seems to be May 2014, and there are 2 issues a year.  Other features like archives of photographs. http://digilibtest.bu.edu/sth/archon-asor/index.php?p=digitallibrary/thumbnails&collectionid=32

This will be updated as I find more that interest me.

The Serenity Prayer—”enjoying one moment at a time”—don’t miss that!

God, grant me
The SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change,
The COURAGE to change the things I can,
And the WISDOM to know the difference;

LIVING one day at a time;
ENJOYING one moment at a time;
ACCEPTING hardship as a pathway to peace;
TAKING, as Jesus did, this sinful world, as it is, not as I would have it;
TRUSTING that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will;

So that I may be REASONABLY happy in this life and
SUPREMELY happy with You forever in the next. Amen.
Adapted from Reinhold Niebuhr

Helman and the VA scandal

Oh my.  Do I really want to look into this expanded VA mess? It had all been swept under the table by removals and firings, and now Helman brings a law suit to get her job back, and someone unwraps the garbage. She couldn’t be blamed for the wait times, but could be fired for accepting improper gifts from lobbyists.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2886481/Judge-weighs-firing-Phoenix-VA-director.html

Sharon Helman was removed from her job after the Phoenix VA became the epicenter of allegations that veterans died while waiting to see a doctor

Judge also found Helman could not be fired because of the secret lists and long wait times, saying the VA did not prove that Helman was involved

House VA committee chair Jeff Miller said the ruling serves as a reminder that additional Phoenix VA employees must be held accountable

Dismissal was justified by acceptance of nine improper gifts from a lobbyist including airfare around the country and entry into amarathon

Other gifts were a trip to Disneyland for 'what appears to be six of her family members for an 8-night stay' and $729.50 for five tickets - and parking - to an August 2013 Beyonce concert

She continued to receive an $170,000 annual salary even though she was on administrative leave.

A trip to the library

I went to the library this morning to return a book that had been sent by mistake (same title as the one I wanted) and ended up spending a lot of money. It wasn't open yet, so I took a walk around the park for 10 minutes—it was a beautiful day and not cold, plus the land is flat there and doesn’t bother my bursitis.  Then  I went to Giant Eagle to do a little after x-mas shopping (always a shock since I usually buy groceries at Marc’s).  Then on to Macy's to check out some sales. While there I found a "little black dress" and used what was left of my Sept. birthday balance from my daughter. Now I need some place really nice to wear it. Libraries can be very expensive.

Liberal judge encourages violence

This liberal white judge is endangering people in the black community and police officers. These two thugs are violent, and should be off the streets to cool down. The excusers claimed the man who shot 2 police was just one crazy lone wolf; these two have also advertised their anti-social, irrational behavior and the judge is ignoring that and the law. What's her record on domestic violence or child abusers? Are they getting freedom after threats and violence? Devon Coley was freed by Judge Johnson without bail two days ago after making threats against NYPD. Travis Maye was freed after punching a police officer.

http://nypost.com/2014/12/25/judge-frees-another-cop-hater-who-punched-officer/

Criminal Court Judge Laura Johnson wouldn’t be ignoring threats and punches against women by their boyfriends—or would she?

 

http://nypost.com/2014/12/26/de-blasio-must-decide-by-new-years-eve-whether-to-appoint-anti-cop-judge/

When Harry met Obamacare

Harry Lewis writes: “After signing up for ObamaCare on Christmas Eve (ObamaCare forced the cancellation of my private health insurance), I now realize that people on public assistance waive virtually all of their privacy and autonomy rights as a condition of being eligible for public assistance. And ObamaCare treats you like you're on public assistance, forcing you to waive your privacy and autonomy rights to get health insurance. That's because of the "tax credits", really government subsidies, paid for by other taxpayers, that the poor are getting. That's the high price of the ObamaCare entitlement: millions of Americans surrendering their privacy and autonomy against their wills, whether they're poor or not. ObamaCare defines the deviancy of government intrusions down in a profound and shocking way, as millions more Americans are about to discover.”

When I was being interrogated by the ObamaCare representative over the telephone about my background as part of my application for new health insurance through the federal exchange, she asked me a series of intrusive and demeaning questions, i.e., are you an ex-con; are you an illegal alien, etc. (after she knew I was a lawyer) without ever asking me a key question: have you had health insurance before? That's an important omission. The Obama Administration doesn't want to collect that information, because it exposes how many Americans (like me) were stripped of their insurance as part of the ObamaCare debacle. Democrats then proclaim ObamaCare a success as part of a propaganda campaign that discloses only the number of people signed up, without disclosing how many sign-ups are casualties of ObamaCare's first phase: the forced cancellation of millions of private policies like mine. Even the Nazis kept scrupulous records of the number of concentration camp inmates they executed. Not so the Obama Administration with ObamaCare.


The omission also highlights the moral depravity of ObamaCare in two other important respects: Obamacare deliberately destroyed continuity of care, while lying about that destruction to those of the American people who already had health insurance and doctors. The Democratic Party lie: "If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor" and "if you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan", which they thought politically expedient, was a lie about continuity of care to those who already had a health plan and a doctor. As every health care professional knows, continuity of care is about keeping records of medical histories. Without a medical history, a physician is practicing medicine in the dark. That greatly increases the risk of medical malpractice, and of injury or death to the patient. The Democratic lie about continuity of care hugely increased the risk to patients of being injured or killed in the medical system because of the catastrophic destruction of continuity of care on a system-wide basis. The previously uninsured, of course, without a health plan or a doctor, bear no such risk.

Finally, health insurers know that people who have been insured before tend to be more responsible in their personal lives, and that there's a previously existing database of patient information that can be drawn upon to adjust risk in their actuarial calculations. ObamaCare's failure to ask about previous insurance makes a final, damning point: responsible behavior by patients doesn't matter in the veterinary health care system that ObamaCare has created. In veterinary medicine, the degree of health care the pet receives is determined by the budget of the owner, not by the pet itself.

Friday family photo, Christmas 1982

Gabby Hayes was his nick name—his beard was coming in white but his hair was still red. The cat’s name was Mystery and she lived to be 18. After that Christmas I became the shortest person in the family.

The unvaccinated

With the exception of meningitis, I had these plus scarlet fever.  Trust me, it’s not pleasant.

Lots of jolly eating this season

Christmas letters—I love them

Some people make fun of Christmas letters, the ones from friends you hear from once a year, but I love them. Monday we caught up with friends in Texas who had lived in Columbus only one year during a recession and her company transferred her here. He worked briefly for my husband (so it was probably 1994) while trying to find a job. When we visited San Antonio 20 years ago his former employer gave us a tour of the city. Their darling little pre-school boys whose school photos we got every year are all grown up with careers, homes and one is married. Hardly seems possible.

Now instead of school and sports we're reading about the frailties of their parents, assisted living, and Alzheimer's. Janice writes of her dad: "On one of his more lucid days he told me he was going to sit right there in his chair until God came to take him home. Amen." Praise the Lord, he still knows what is important and eternal.

Today I got my first Christmas letter from cousin Barry and his wife Rose Anne. We’ve connected on Facebook, although didn’t know each other well.  I’ve only met her once, in 1993 at a family reunion.  But from the photos of the grandchildren, I’ll need to be updating the genealogy database. Another Christmas letter (hand written) from cousin Sharon in Canada included photos of the homes of our ancestor in Lancaster, PA.