Another great loss under Obama

Last July and August even the liberal news sources were reporting how much of our equipment and ammo Obama had lost to ISIS. And it hasn't gotten better, but he's still patting himself on the back for the great job he's doing and some of you are falling for it because you so wanted him to succeed.

http://hotair.com/archives/2015/06/01/just-great-iraq-may-have-lost-more-than-2000-humvees-to-isis/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/isis-weapons_n_5725418.html

http://nypost.com/2015/05/23/isis-rises-the-economy-falters-and-obamas-legacy-falls-apart/

Cauliflower Soup, my recipe

In an effort to add more vegetables to our diet (above 5-6), yesterday I made this delicious soup and there's not a drop left! Amounts are guesses the way our grandmothers did it.

Half a quart of chicken broth/vegetable broth (I had both on hand so mixed them)
Half a head of cauliflower (could be more or less, but it's what I had)
About 1/4 cup of chopped onion (could be more)
One large white potato cut into pieces (this is for thickening the soup, so don't use red unless you want runny soup), but it also serves, in my mind, as a vegetable.

Tender cook this and run through a blender. Add some Half n half. Again, I eye-balled this.

Because cauliflower is rather bland, I added just a smidgen of hot mustard, and I think that's what did it. Not enough to taste it, but it did give it some zip.

It was a cool, spring day, so it was just perfect. My side dish was sliced cucumbers and big giant strawberries, so that was 5 fruits/veggies for one meal.

Most of the recipes I scanned add cheese, but that's just more calories and this was very hardy and delicious without it.

The Jenner hysteria in the media

There are people who are amputees by choice; it's got a fancy name--Body Integrity Identity Disorder--and I'm sure someone's making mega bucks studying it and facilitating in the surgery. I know they have websites; probably even FaceBook pages seeking acceptance, honor and attention. Not unlike the formerly famous athlete named Bruce who is being applauded for being courageous for removing body parts (not sure he’s done that yet) and having his face and chest remodeled. There are millions who are just not happy in their own skin and body. Entire industries cater to them. Perhaps they need to volunteer in war torn countries where buried bombs are a problem, or with war vets, or auto accident victims in order to appreciate their God given and designed bodies.

Pro-life sermons

I got this e-mail yesterday:

"Dear Pro-Life Friend, When was the last time you heard a pro-life homily?"

That's easy. Never. You? Also, only one sermon on marriage--in about 70 years (don't remember those before that). So let's not blame the unbelievers, or the "liberals."

I can find good Catholic sermons on the internet on the purposes in God's creation and sexuality--just wish we had them in our tradition. The Catholic church is the only institution in the world strong enough to stand up to governments (although in some countries it cooperates with government), and in the U.S. I'm afraid it too will be silenced. Our churches, Protestant and Catholic, need more attention to the first 4-5 centuries of the church to see how to deal with a pagan culture and remain true to Christ.

"A society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized. Only respect for life can be the foundation and guarantee of the most precious and essential goods of society, such as democracy and peace." John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae

The old hymns

For my exercise on the stationary bike this morning I Googled "YouTube choral hymns" and found this nice selection. It's not the beat, it's the content I look for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpHf3hMnPfA

I grew up in the Church of the Brethren and I don't recall we sang anything that had a beat--and then in 1974 we joined UALC and became Lutherans and they missed out on those twangy camp songs too, being mostly ethnic Scandinavians (in our synod). Now we're ecumenical and have boomer music at one service and loud and bouncy at another, but I'm back with the hymns. The Brethren were pacifists and didn't have "Onward Christian soldiers" in the earlier hymnals although I think we all knew it. So it’s good to hear all the oldies but goodies.

Caitlyn Bruce Jenner

She wants to be real, but the cover of Vanity Fair isn't it. Although most cover girls are photo shopped and digitized. She's also a Republican and a Christian. Bruce Jenner had 6 children, 3 wives (married a total of 37 years), was father to 4 step children, was an Olympic athlete who visited the White House, made commercials based on his fame and TV reality star with his Kardashian family. But Bruce Jenner is gone--we know that because if we use his name or the wrong personal pronoun, we'll be corrected or called “transphobic.” We'll have to see what Caitlyn can accomplish after the media find a new darling to chase.

Identity theft information

What to do right away.

What to do next.

And then what to do.

https://www.identitytheft.gov/

The Rolling Stones rolled into Columbus Saturday

We were at an event yesterday enjoying great food in a party tent, when a woman I didn't know from Worthington told me she could hear the Rolling Stones at Ohio Stadium (OSU) at her home in Worthington. The Stones were tax exiles from Britain over 40 years ago--left when taxes on the rich were 83%. That's what Bernie Sanders and other Democrats want for the U.S.--only he says 90%. Let's chase away all the rich with their money for investing and buying expensive toys that will eventually come within our reach, like flat screen TVs and mobile phones (which used to be only for the rich).

College costs soar, material goodies plunge

Rolling stones

Sweet potatoes win the nutrition race

I don't usually serve sweet potatoes and potato salad in the same meal, but they were growing little shoots (both) so decided to use them but baked with some butter and pineapple. Right in the middle some how the stove top threw its circuit, and in the process, the oven was turned off, so they had a rough start and then over cooked. Sweet potatoes win the nutrition race and are only very distantly related to the potato which are part of the nightshade family. Also sweet potatoes are not yams, which really have little nutrition at all.

Here's a very nice chart from the Cleveland clinic.

Prostate cancer and nutrition

An excellent summary (2009) of recent research on nutrition, diet, exercise and genetics of prostate cancer.

Welcome June!

Ah yes, but I now drink decaf. I never thought it could happen, that I would look forward to it, but I'm fine now. And I have my dark chocolate drink for the energy boost.

May is something we look forward all winter, and yet it goes by so quickly with all it's memories. We've had really hot, and really cold, and some all in the same day. We started out yesterday about 3 p.m. for a Conestoga event, quite warm, and within an hour I was so glad I'd brought along a jacket. Not only was it a cold front, but it came with rain.

Not surprising, crime is on the increase in Baltimore

As the former mayor of Baltimore, so far left he could fall off, announces he will run against Hillary, ABC reports on the Baltimore crime increase. Not a word about the mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's and prosecutor's role in this mess--only that arrests have dropped sharply. If police were the problem in Baltimore, wouldn't less policing mean less crime? Plus, Rawlings-Blake's crime team is fleeing.

Crime report via AP

Criminal justice team leaving

Martin O'Malley

When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone

Wolves had been gone from Yellowstone for 70 years. Now they've been reintroduced with remarkable results. Small in number, mighty in ecological changes.

Check out this video, you'll be amazed.

Organically grown food does use pesticides

Research shows food labeled organic isn't more nutritious but does it use less pesticide?

"But the idea that organic foods are healthier isn't even the largest myth out there. That title belongs to the widely held belief that organic farming does not use pesticides. A 2010 poll found that 69% of consumers believe that to be true. Among those who regularly purchase organic food, the notion is even more prevalent. A survey from the Soil Association found that as many as 95% of organic consumers in the UK buy organic to "avoid pesticides."

In fact, organic farmers do use pesticides. The only difference is that they're "natural" instead of "synthetic." At face value, the labels make it sound like the products they describe are worlds apart, but they aren't. A pesticide, whether it's natural or not, is a chemical with the purpose of killing insects (or warding off animals, or destroying weeds, or mitigating any other kind of pest, as our watchful commenters have correctly pointed out). Sadly, however, "natural" pesticides aren't as effective, so organic farmers actually end up using more of them!*

Moreover, we actually know less about the effects of "natural" pesticides. Conventional "synthetic" pesticides are highly regulated and have been for some time. We know that any remaining pesticide residues on both conventional and organic produce aren't harmful to consumers. But, writes agricultural technologist Steve Savage, "we still have no real data about the most likely pesticide residues that occur on organic crops and we are unlikely to get any.""

Biggest myths

That's a lot of veggies!

The following is from the Harvard Medical School HealthBeat, May 28, 2015

"Several studies have shown that in countries where men eat a typical "Western" diet containing a large amount of meat, the incidence of prostate cancer, especially aggressive prostate cancer, is higher than in countries where plant-based foods are a primary part of the diet. Unfortunately, these studies weren't designed to prove cause and effect. So for now, definitive answers about prostate cancer and diet aren't yet in — although researchers are actively studying this topic.

Investigators have launched a federally funded national study to see whether a diet that's higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods than the typical Western diet will help control tumor growth in men with early-stage prostate cancer.

Participants in the Men's Eating and Living (MEAL) study will try to eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily — significantly more than the three to four servings consumed each day by the typical American man — as well as two servings of whole grains and one serving of beans or other legumes.

This clinical trial will include men 50-80 years old who have small, low-grade tumors and who have opted to have their condition followed closely (active surveillance) rather than undergoing immediate treatment. Researchers will randomly assign participants to telephone counseling about how to achieve the dietary MEAL goals or to a control group that receives standard dietary advice for Americans.

During the two-year study, the investigators will collect blood samples to assess levels of antioxidants and nutrients, and then monitor the men with PSA tests and prostate biopsies to determine whether the cancer is progressing. A pilot study showed the approach is workable, and that with enough telephone prompting, men can increase their intake of vegetables and other healthy foods. To learn more about the larger phase III MEAL study, or to enroll, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov and search for Trial NCT 01238172."

ACORN spawn stiffs Ferguson rioters

I really do wonder why blacks trust ACORN (under any of its name changes). Now they've been stiffed. "Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE), the successor group to the now-bankrupt St. Louis branch of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), stiffed the protesters out of promised money for protesting during the Ferguson riots."

Article here

The unpaid rent-a-mob operatives complain that MORE stiffed them the same way ACORN did to hired protesters throughout its 40 years of radical left-wing rabble-rousing. The ACORN network’s leadership was always predominantly white while its foot soldiers were mostly non-white, a fact that caused tension within the criminal community organizing outfit.

Rent a mob

We're not as generous as we like to think

I saw a poster on the internet about how much we provide in foreign aid (not the one shown here) compared to taking care of our own poor, veterans elderly, etc. Pure mythology. We just aren't that generous--at least in the area of foreign aid.

We provide very little aid, and much of it has strings attached. Some countries' medical aid, for instance, has strings attached tied to our attempt to change their social patterns--not using DDT or using contraception or not using contraception--or pressure to allow our military bases. Americans seriously overestimate, 1) percent of gays in the population, and 2) percent of our own generosity. Both figures are probably 2-3% at best, and maybe less, but Americans routinely will guesstimate 20-30%.

"The entire international affairs budget – which includes diplomacy and aid – is less than 2 percent of the federal budget. Poverty-focused development assistance is about half of that – for a grand total of 0.7 percent of the U.S. federal budget in Fiscal Year 2014. Americans vastly overestimate how much the U.S. spends on aid. Surveys report that, on average, Americans believe the U.S. spends as much as 30 percent of the federal bud­get on foreign aid, more than Social Security or Medicare." (The Hill.com)

On the other hand, we do take care of our own quite well--24% of the 2014 budget on social security, 24% in various health programs (Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP), and 11% for "safety net" or almost 60% of our budget. Defense is only 18%--much smaller than our social assistance programs. There's a lot of waste and graft in that and it provides huge salaries along the way for the legions who are helping the needy, but it's a fact.

Myths about foreign aid

Percentages of federal tax dollars

Cute Chihuahua mixes

I read through one of those dog breed lists (20 breeds that live the longest) today and noticed a number were "designer dogs" particular Chihuahua mixes/hybrids. This is not the site, but is one about Chihuahuas.

This morning's workout music

On YouTube: an anthology of famous Sacred Masterpieces performed by the Choir of New College of Oxford. It's a little slow and relaxed, but fine for my speed. Beautiful slides.

Choir

Cleaning out my office--list of books

List of books

Great religions of the world (National Geographic, 1971)

Ancient-future faith; rethinking evangelicalism (Webber, Baker, 1999)

The Christian calendar; complete guide to the seasons of the Christian year (Merriam, 1974)

Complete guide to Bible versions (Tyndale, 1991, pb.)

Renovation of the heart (Willard, Navpress, 2002)

What the Bible is all about (Henrietta Mears, Regal, 1966, pb.)

The challenge of today (1st state convention Methodist men, Columbus, OH, March 1915)

Infant baptism and adult conversion (Hallesby, Augsburg, 1926 pb.)

Brochures: God’s man of faith (Luther); Small catechism (Luther); Why Jesus have his life for us; Women of the Bible; About the sacrament of baptism; Abstinence; Enriching your marriage; The servant as Leaders (Robert Greenleaf);

Jesus and his times (Reader’s Digest, 1987)

After Jesus (Reader’s Digest, 1992)

I and thou (Buber, Touchstone, 1970 , pb)

The happy Christian (Murray, Nelson, 2015, pb)

The Lord’s Prayer (Noyes, First Congregational, Columbus, 1962, pb)

History, criticism and Faith (Inter-varsity, 1976 pb)

A book of prayers for boys and girls (Neumann, Wartburg, 1943)

My prayer book (Concordia, 1957)

The art of reading scripture (David and Hays, Eerdmans, 2003 pb)

Treasures from the Greek New Testament ;Wuest’s word studies (Wuest, Eerdmans, 1941 pb)

A brief story of the Augsburg Confession (Concordia, 1930, pb)

Devotions and prayers of Martin Luther (Baker, 1965, pb)

Women in the Bible helpful friends (Latham, Broadman, 1979)

Encounter with books; a guide to Christian reading (Inter-Varsity, 1971, pb.)

Blog (Hewitt, Nelson, 2005)

Liberty and tyranny (Levin, Threshold, 2009)

The new thought police (Bruce, Forum, 2001)

Right for a reason (Chicks on the right, Sentinel, 2014)

A simple Christmas (Huckabee, Sentinel, 2009)

Power to the people (Ingraham, Regnery, 2007)

My grandfather’s son (Thomas, Harper Collins, 2007)

Extraordinary, ordinary people (Rice, Crown, 2010)

Arguing with idiots (Beck, Threshold, 2009)

Culturally incorrect (Parsley, Nelson, 2007)

Paradise suite/Bobos in Paradise (Simon & Schuster, 2011)

Countdown to the Apocalypse (Jeffress, Faith Words, 2015, pb)

The bookshop, the gate of angels, the blue flower (Fitzgerald, Everyman’s library 247, 2001)

Glenn Beck’s Common sense (Threshold, 2009, pb)

Overton Window (fiction) (Threshold, 2010)

Flight Behavior (Kingsolver, HarperCollings, 1st ed., 2012)

Black Orchid (Harper, Signet, 1996) autographed by author

The book thief (Zusak, Knopf, 2005 pb)

The notebook (Sparks, Warner, 1996)

The Christmas Letters (Smith, Algonquin, 1996)

When I am an old woman I shall wear Purple (Papier-Mache Press, 1987,pb)

I am becoming the woman I’ve wanted (Papier-Mache Press, 1994, pb)

Women of words (Bukovinsky, Running Press, 1994)

Old age is not for sissies (Peter Pauper Press, 1989)

Making your own days (Koch, Scribner, 1998)

A dictionary of textile terms (Dan River, 1967, pb)

Women’s Magazines 1940-1960 (Bedford, 1998, pb)

Women writers at work, (Plimpton, 1989, pb)

So your husband’s gone to war! (Gorham, Doubleday 1942) with book cover, rare.

It was on fire when I lay down on it (Fulghum, Villard, 1989)

Sea biscuit (Hillenbrand, Ballentine, 2001)

On writing well (Zinsser, Harper, 1988)

Reading Lolita in Tehran (Nafisi, Random House, 2004)

Writing down the bones (Goldberg, Shambhala, 1986)

A book lover’s journal (for recording titles read) (Addison-Wesley, 1986)

A handbook of literary terms (Citadel, 1966 pb)

Concise Oxford dictionary of literary terms (Bladick, Oxford, 1990)

Dearest friend (Withey, Touchstone, 1981)

Life at the speed of Light (Venter, Viking, 2013)

Courage to be rich (Orman, Riverhead, 1999)

Healthwise for life, (4th ed. Healthwise, 2000)

Family guide to natural medicine (Reader’s Digest, 1993)

It’s always the heart (Constantine, Westbow, 2014, pb.)

I love horses and ponies, over 50 breeks (Scholastic, 2011)

New Yorker book of cat cartoons (Knopf, 1990)

Simply Divine (Harris, Prima, 1996)

The Desperate housewives cookbook (Hyperion, 2016)

Socialized history of the United States (Vannest, Scriber’s, 1934)

My Country, civics textbook (Turkington, Ginn, 1923)

Added to the pile on June 5

The I hate to housekeep book (Peg Bracken, 1962)
Handbook of medical library practice, 4th ed. vol. 1 (MLA, 1982)
Introduction to reference work, vol. 1, basic information sources (Katz, 1974, 2d ed.)
Emily Post's etiquette (Elizabeth L. Post, 12th rev. ed,1969)
Chronicle of America,(1990?)
The practical guide to practically everthing (Bernstein and Ma, Random House, 1995)
A pictorial encyclopedia of the oriental arts, China (2 vol. slip case, Crown, 1969)
Rural England (Mercer Puttnam, Macdonald Queen Anne Press, 1988)
The face of rural America (1976 Yearbook of Agriculture)
Off the beaten path (Reader's Digest, 1987)

War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy, Modern Library)
Poems, plays and prose of Pushkin (Modern Library c1936)
Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy, Modern Library, 1950)
Russian short stories 19th century (Oxford, 1953)
Tolstoy selections (Oxford, 1959)
Ivan Goncharov Oblamov (Everyman's, 1959)
Golovlyov Family (Everyman's, 1955)