Annual reports for non-profits

I don't like glitzy annual reports for non-profits. If you want to find out how they are using your money and helping society for all their federal tax benefits and huge salaries for CEOs you have to wade through page after page of posed photos and graphs that tell you nothing. Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio was the latest I was trying to read--but the most recent report is 2012, and for the section for homeless (Faith Mission) it is 2011. I began my search trying ...to find out what had become of the Interfaith Hospitality Network begun by churches in 1988 (became a building run by the YW around 2005), and in the process found the new offices of the LSSCO. Fancy digs in Worthington, far, far away from hunger and homelessness. As they say in DC, bad optics. Also while waiting for pages to load, I discovered there is an app for locating homeless shelters. For the Obamaphone?

I stopped supporting LSS several years ago when I found out their health insurance covered abortion.  This was before the Obamacare push.

Remember the sad stories about bankruptcy due to medical costs Obama told us?

To Sharyl Attkisson:

October 20, 2014 at 7:59 pm
When Obamacare started, I had a first class HMO. But the entire industry exploded in costs and I could not afford $3,000/month premiums. So, I am desperate to find another insurer. And I find what is called an A+ carrier and start paying $1,000/month. BUT: (1) drug costs increased several fold; (2) no coverage for DME and other features I had enjoyed; and (3) HERE’S THE BIG ONE–IT WAS BOGUS COVERAGE! My wife suffered a stroke; after four (4) days her hospital bills exceeded $35,000; AND THE CARRIER SAID: “SHE HAD NO COVERAGE” “SHE WAS NEVER ADMITTED” and “WE PAID ALL WE HAD TO” [$750!]. We had to declare bankruptcy. I connect the bogus carrier with the total and outrageous destruction of the health insurance industry due to Obamacare. The entire system was so ravaged by uncertainty, confusion, and deceit, that FRAUD SKYROCKETED.

HAPPY ENDING: My wife and I qualified for Medicare last month–and we now pay very little. [Of course, it DOES have its limitations, but...]

More sad, terrible stories about the ravages of Obamacare and what it has done.

Using an exercise tracker on-line

Fellow blogger and Facebook friend Joan suggested this site for tracking my cycling. Can also use it for running or walking. "This site provides free online tools to encourage you to keep walking, running or cycling. It includes an exercise log to help you track your mileage. You can choose anonymous walking and running partners with your same goals and track their progress along with your own." Not sure I've figured out if it's easier than writing it down, but I think it's for someone's research. Looking at the log, I'm by far the oldest. Also, I only wanted to bike to Indy to see my sister-in-law Jeanne, but it has me going to the west coast. I’ve been tracking it, and I think I’m at about 35 miles, and it always shows me  a photo of where I am.

Today I had 5 minutes on a tread mill at a doctor’s office for an ABI test, to see why my right leg hurts (possibly PAD). It involves taking your blood pressure before and after exercise.  It wasn’t too difficult, and the technician was very nice, which is always a plus.  So I added the 5 minutes to my chart.

 http://exercise.lbl.gov/index.html

Nine schools of economics explained

http://www.businessinsider.com/table-different-schools-of-economics-2014-6?IR=T

From the man who bought you "the shortest economic textbook in the world"; and "13 things Economists won't tell you", here is Ha-Joon Chang's ultimate pocket guide to the differences (and similarities) between all the economic schools of thought.

Read more: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-25/pocket-guide-understanding-different-schools-economics

The Shady Bunch

Old, tired re-runs, pushing progressive/socialist ideas that have been failing Americans for 100 years.

The golf game wedding snafu in Hawaii

I think the biggest non-story this week is Obama's golf game forcing a military couple to change their wedding plans. I don't think much of Obama as a president, but are we really to believe he personally arranges his golf games? This is a matter of security, and lately his security has been very lax. And so was that of the golf course, which made the decision. Someone should be fired for not noticing the mix up before it became a news story. He should send them a nice gift—a phone call doesn’t do it.

With so many scandals to choose from, I hate to see conservatives wallowing in stuff like this that he had no control over. We had something similar happen at our daughter's wedding in 1993. The senior pastor decided he needed the kitchen of the church to feed Billy Graham volunteers for one of his crusades in town that week. We'd had the fellowship hall for the reception reserved for 9 months--paid up front. Fortunately we had a great Christian caterer, who managed to work the kitchen by preparing the food elsewhere and bringing it in. I was one unhappy Mother of the Bride and had a real melt down. I think Joanie Poynter, our niece and the maid of honor, was the peace maker, and it wasn't even her church. Always helps to have a cool head. And that wouldn't be me. Ever.

Rip Van Sanders emerges from Sleepy Hollow

Democrats haven't had a single new idea in 100 years, and Bernie's 12 points prove it. Democrats are old, tired, and running on fumes of slogans like "hope and change." They have no one on the bench except Hillary. No governors; no young exciting Senators.  They rallied around Barack Obama in 2008 and abandoned him in 2010 and 2014.   I've heard this my entire life-- improve infrastructure, raise minimum wage, throw a bone to the women (even though recent graduates out earn men), more education to keep the liberal profs employed, progressive income tax.  We have done it all, Rip Van Sanders, wake up. It's the 21st century.

 http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/12/bernie_sanderss_12point_socialist_plan_for_america.html#.

What would de Blasio tell Malik’s mom?

Gee, I wonder if de Blasio warned his bi-racial son about this, or are the police keeping his neighborhood safe for his kids?

“Sometimes he wants to go over to my sister’s house nearby, to hang out with his cousins, but he can’t because he has to cross gang lines and walk past all these gang members on some of those blocks. And all he ever hears on the news about our neighborhood is shootings, gangs and violence. Malik knows he’s not safe,” she said." (Chicago Sun Times)

I don't think Obama's letter to Malik will do much for the boy--" Please know your security is a priority for me in everything I do as President." He’s done nothing for blacks or Chicago in 6 years.  Instead,  Obama has invited race hustlers like Sharpton to the White House, and Eric Holder who thinks there are too many black criminals in prison is on his staff.

Losing our tech touch—Monday Memories

“Young people in Britain have become a lost generation who can no longer mend gadgets and appliances because they have grown up in a disposable world, the professor giving this year’s Royal Institution Christmas lectures has warned. “

It happens. I didn't know the simplest skills like plucking a chicken or cleaning the wick on a kerosene lamp or putting the bit in the draft horse's mouth that my blind grandmother could do with ease.  There was a time (in my teen years) when I knew how to change a flat tire.  I used to know how to thread a 55 year old sewing machine. And in my 50s, I could code html for a web page. I hope I don't lose my ability to make an apple sour cream pie--I've never written down the instructions. A German immigrant housekeeper who worked for my grandparents would make that for an after school snack for the children (my mom and her sibs) after the long cold walk from the country school, Pineview,  uphill both ways, carrying a cello (or so the story went).

 

My mom, second from left, front row, and her brother Clare, second from right, back row.

BulletProof coffee—new word

It’s coffee with a dollop of butter. Supposedly energizing. These directions sound way over done.  But since I prefer Half n Half in my coffee, a bit of butter wouldn’t be a stretch.  I’ve even tried coconut oil. I use decaf, but might try this.  The blender idea sounds good. Remember when butter was demonized? Remember when white margarine came in bags, with a color button so no one would be confused that it might be butter.  As a child, that was my job to mix the butter—it was great fun.  Then came sticks and tubs; then came the warnings about how bad it was for us.  I switched to butter about 2-3 years ago. Everything tastes better.

5 Steps To Bulletproof Your Coffee

#1 Make coffee: Brew coffee as you normally would.  Make sure it’s the right kind of coffee. [ad for a type], read this post to find the best coffee in your area. Use a brown paper filter.

#2 Pre-heat blender: Boil extra water and pour it into a blender while your coffee brews to pre-heat the blender.

#3 Froth: Empty hot water from the now pre-heated  blender and add the brewed coffee, butter, and MCT oil.  Blend  until there is a thick layer of foam on top like a latte. A Blend-tec or Vitamix blender will do it quickly, a normal countertop blender takes longer, and a hand blender works ok if you don’t have a real blender.

#4  (optional) Add cinnamon, vanilla, dark chocolate,  or a sweetener like Stevia, erythritol, or xylitol (this is technically a sacrilege if you use awesome beans, but some people love their mocha…)

#5 : Put on a satisfied look and enjoy the high performance buzz from your creamy mug of Bulletproof Coffee as you watch your chubby, tired coworkers eat low-fat yogurt and twigs for breakfast.  It’s almost unfair.

178.4 miles to Indy

I'm on my way to Indianapolis to see my sister-in-law Jeanne on my exercycle. So far I've gone 13.2 miles beginning Thursday the day after Christmas.  I don't have a fit bit or chart, I'm just jotting down the mileage.

Spaghetti and meatballs—healthy in modest portions

“Thanks to the iron and protein from the beef, lycopene from the tomato sauce and energy-producing carbs from the pasta, this dish is a healthy trifecta. If you stick to modest portions and lean beef, you can enjoy its benefits without overdoing it. Limit yourself to three ounces of meat and a cup of cooked pasta per serving. Pump up the health benefits by using whole-wheat pasta and adding mushrooms to the meatballs to add fiber and cut fat.”

This was on one of those ubiquitous internet lists, “10 foods that are healthier than you think.”  I thought I’d stop while I was ahead. Beef has become so expensive, it’s not difficult to “stick to modest portions.” With a nice green salad with lots of veggies, and maybe some garlic buttered bread,  this is my idea of the perfect mid-winter dinner.

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.