White males aren’t the primary culprits

Most mass shooting offenders are not white males, most have legal weapons, and most have mental problems.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map?page=1

The myth of the growing gap

Can it be both ways?  Liberals claim that federal transfer programs have decreased inequality, yet moan about growing inequality even with 123 transfer programs in education, nutrition, fuel, housing, health, child care and tax rebates. If there is growing inequality (and it's a myth the media perpetuate--spendable income inequality is not increasing, increased capital is not bad for labor, wealth is not a zero sum game, and high income taxes do not necessarily lead to a more equal outcome--Forbes.), I'd look at how the government has fed this, just as it's fed the growing college debt by floating so many loans.

By age 60,

70% of the population will have experienced at least one year within the top 20th percentile of income;
 
53% of the population will have experienced at least one year within the top 10th percentile of income; and
 
11.1% of the population will have found themselves in the much-maligned 1% of earners for at least one year of their lives.
 
At the same time, it’s much more rare for a person to reach the top 1% and stay there. According to PSID data, only 0.6% of the population will experience 10 consecutive years in the top 1% of earners.

http://fortune.com/2015/03/02/economic-inequality-myth-1-percent-wealth/

http://www.forbes.com/sites#/sites/jeffreydorfman/2014/05/08/dispelling-myths-about-income-inequality/

Oreos move from Chicago to Mexico, taking good jobs

“Irene Rosenfeld, the head of Mondolez (the food conglomerate based in Illinois that has Nabisco in its portfolio), a woman touted for breaking the glass ceiling upon becoming the head of Kraft Foods and then its spin off, announced that rather than invest $130 million in modernizing the plant in Chicago, where Oreos have been lovingly produced for the past 100 years, she will instead move the jobs to a new factory in Mexico. The result: a loss of 600 well-paying and community-sustaining jobs on Chicago’s Southwest Side.”

http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/18259/oreos-union-busting

Farmers Almanac prediction for 2015-2016 snowfall

Carson comeback to an atheist

Who are the good guys?

Yesterday I caught a few minutes of Rush while out on errands; same impression I had when I heard him last week. Why is he supporting Donald Trump? He says he isn't, but I know what he sounds like when he's taking sides. Just because conservatives are irritated by the spineless frauds they elected who lie and vote like Democrats, doesn't mean you support someone worse. Get out there and support the good ones.

Well, how do we know who the good ones are?  It’s a large and deep bench.  All with talents and weaknesses.

Obviously, handling the opposing forces in DC is different than Madison, Columbus, Austin, or Baton Rouge. It's a different culture and the colleagues and enemies are different. You need alliances and experienced staff. But I don't want a socialist, I don't want someone who's fuzzy on life issues, I don’t want a dynasty, I don't want a flip flopper who calls his flips "progressive" when they looked like flops to me. And I don't want someone who divides us into victim groups.

I want a strong economy, and strong security, although increasingly that depends on global forces. That said, a weak, bowing president and sycophant Congress doesn’t help our case with our global partners.  I know from history and the economic and social failures of the 60s War on Poverty that mandatory health insurance that fines or makes criminals out of citizens who don't obey is a very dangerous road to go down--good jobs, not forced insurance, is what helps the poor.

So start with what matters most to you, and hold your nose for the rest. For instance, Jindal has had more opportunity to offend my friend Diane who lives in Louisiana than me, and Kasich has been able to offend me, but probably not her. So support and vote with what you know.

Bernie the Socialist bombs on 20th century history

I don't know why Bernie Sanders was talking about Hitler winning an election, but he was wrong, and his followers were retweeting his misinformation. I suspect as a socialist he was trying to avoid any connection with the Nazis (National Socialism) and wanted to pin that label on conservatives.

Nazis were all for government control; they were statists. They killed and imprisoned their own citizens, as did the Communists in the USSR. No Republican administration or Tea Party or libertarian group in the U.S. have done that, but Democrats have. Hillary Clinton has made up new lies about women, based on nothing but her desire to crawl out from under her email server which has collapsed on her. Why can't these candidates tell the truth?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/08/28/why-you-shouldnt-retweet-sanders-claim-that-hitler-won-an-election/?

Madrid; including side trip to El Escorial, on YouTube

El Escorial is more than an impressive palace for a divine monarch. It's packed with art and history — offering an evocative trip back to Spain's most fascinating age.  Rick Steves 

We’ll be seeing this during our trip to Spain in September for our 55 anniversary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OUIKm8e7Y0 (short)

Quick look at the majesty of Madrid; I plan to skip the pigs’ ears.  Happy pigs eat acorns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hifYpfW4NjI (extended)

Valley of the Fallen, memorial for the Civil War

Granada and Cordoba. “Andalucía's Moorish heritage sparkles in the historic capitals of Granada and Córdoba. And the pride of the Reconquista and the power of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand enliven the region's great sights.” Rick Steves

Only God is victorious is repeated 9,000 times in the palace, The Alhambra. Spain was a Muslim country for 700 years.

Cordoba: http://www.spainthenandnow.com/spanish-history/cordoba-historical-overview/default_41.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36UPumotJQ8

Applesauce snacking cake

I like Splenda, I think it is pretty accurate in flavor and measurements for substituting for sugar, however, I suspect always using low fat or low sugar or egg substitutes in bakery goods is counter productive.  For example, here’s Domino’s Sugar recipe compared to Splenda’s for Applesauce snack cake.  I can’t find a nutrition break down for the sugar version (usually Splenda is listed at about 170 calories, and regular about 400), but I suspect if you just ate a smaller piece of the sugar/butter version you’d be better off than eating two of the Splenda version (which is what I would do because the substitutes don’t satisfy). The Splenda version seems to be more highly spiced—that’s a whole lot of cinnamon! It also contains less applesauce.

Cake ingredients using sugar:
1 cup - Domino® Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup - quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup - all-purpose flour
1/4 cup - butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup - water, chilled
1 - egg
3/4 cup - applesauce
1/2 cup - raisins
3/4 teaspoon - baking soda
3/4 teaspoon - cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon - nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon - salt
1/4 teaspoon - baking powder
1/4 teaspoon – cloves

Cake ingredients using Splenda, low calorie shortening and egg substitute
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup reduced-calorie margarine
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Happy 95th anniversary, women

95 years ago women got the right to vote. Big whoop. Women had already made great strides in every area before they got the right to vote--they had a higher graduation rate than men, they had employment, they owned businesses, they'd accomplished public health miracles through women's clubs and agricultural extension, they established the first public libraries, they were speakers at lyceums and actresses in theater and fledging film, they were inventors, designers and musicians and artists. They were pastors of churches. Many states and localities already had voting women, as did churches. Most important, they were wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, taking care of business in the home and on the farm, where butter and egg money kept many families afloat. Getting the vote, although morally right, made almost no difference in women's lives. Their efforts in temperance and abolition were far greater and more important. And until Obama was elected, I'm not sure they even made a difference in who was in the White House, and that's not benefitted the poor, minorities or women.

          

Lakeside family sells their cottage—a poignant story

Those of you who own homes in Lakeside or rent there, or went there as children or who have followed my blogs about Lakeside will enjoy the article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal about a couple selling their cottage at 4th and Maple, "Last Summer in Lakeside,"  by Clare Ansberry which had been in the family since 1873. It's very well written and mentions Robert Putnam (who lived there as a child) who was one of our speakers this summer speaking from his research "Our kids; the American dream in crisis."

From the article:  " . . .milestones--the first tree climbed, the first fish caught, the first crush--or when part of a meaningful family tradition." We've got a photo of our son and his first fish.

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/print/WSJ_-D001-20150826.pdf

Cousins’ Corner, owned by the Gregg family

We’ve owned our cottage since 1988 and are still considered the new people living in the Thompson place.

When the Democrats got something right—tough on crime and drugs

The Democrat party platform for Bill Clinton's second term was tough on crime, drugs and illegal immigrants. You almost can't tell it from Trump's 2016 campaign. And you actually can see the drop in violent crime rates from 1993 through today--so funding more police, stiff prison sentences and stopping crime at the base actually did work. Mandatory sentencing, zero tolerance, etc.  That Democrat policy particularly benefitted black neighborhoods which were the primary victims. But that also put more black criminals in jail (rate is 8x that of white violent crime), which now Democrats are calling racism (without looking at their own party's policies). The Democrats' campaign to stop illegal immigrants with tougher border policing and monitoring employers (it was the law) didn't seem to be as successful as decreasing violent crime and putting drug sellers in jail.

Liberals (of today) blame the tough on crime movement on Republicans, but they in fact, were not strong enough to implement it because with Democrats and President Clinton behind it, Republicans went along.

Were serious signs overlooked?

I was watching news coverage of the mental state of the former TV news colleague in Virginia who killed two reporters of WDBJ-TV live on camera yesterday then uploaded his murders to Facebook like an ISIS terrorist. Other colleagues said he interpreted everything as racial. It's unfortunate that someone didn't spot his problem--or maybe they did and were afraid to say it out loud for fear of being called racist.

About 45 years ago, and I still haven't forgotten her, a pleasant, plump, middle aged woman joined our adult education committee at First Community Church. She mentioned she was a faculty wife and her husband taught at Ohio State. There was the usual chit chat and joking as we all introduced ourselves, and suddenly her face clouded, and she said (paraphrase), "I know you are all in on it; you know about my husband's affair; you're covering for him; I won't stand for it."

We were all just stunned. Apologies were made for anything offensive we'd said, the meeting proceeded, but after the meeting we all got away from her as quickly as possible. Of course, we were not at fault—she was obsessed with her marital problems and decided we all knew.

The true cost of minimum wage

So who gains from raising the minimum wage? Politicians and labor unions. Minimum wage increases tip the balance in favor of higher-skilled—and higher-wage—unionized workers by raising the floor from which they negotiate compensation. Politicians, on the other hand, can act like they did something for the little guy while receiving union support—which is no small matter. In 2012 alone, government union SEIU Local 668 spent more than $200,000 of its members’ dues on political activity and lobbying. . .

http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/research/detail/the-true-cost-of-minimum-wage

Last October, the Wall Street Journal editorialized  about  the “minimum wage” campaign:
Amid a historically slow economic recovery, 1970s labor-participation rates and stagnant middle-class incomes, we understand that people are frustrated. Harder to understand is how so many of our media brethren have been persuaded that suddenly it’s the job of America’s burger joints to provide everyone with good pay and benefits. The result of their agitation will be more jobs for machines and fewer for the least skilled workers.

http://capitalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/LW1508-final-for-posting-150801.pdf

Three posture tips to get the most out of a core workout

Good posture is important, even during exercise. Quick posture checks before and during a core exercise routine can help you avoid injury and squeeze the biggest benefit from your workout. Here is what you need to know:

1. Stand up straight. When instructions for an exercise ask you to stand up straight, that means keeping your:

   • chin parallel to the floor

   • shoulders even (roll them up, back, and down to help achieve this)

   • arms at your sides, elbows relaxed and even

   • abdominal muscles pulled in

   • hips even

   • knees even and pointing straight ahead

   • feet pointing straight ahead

   • body weight evenly distributed on both feet.

2. Stay in neutral. Neutral alignment means keeping your body in a straight line from head to toe except for the slight natural curves of the spine. Whether you're standing or seated, that means your spine is not flexed or arched to overemphasize the curve of the lower back. One way to find neutral is to tip your pelvis forward as far as is comfortable, then tip it backward as far as is comfortable. Neutral is roughly in the middle. If you're not used to standing or sitting up straight, it may take a while for this to feel natural. A neutral wrist is firm and straight, not bent upward or downward.

3. Get the angle. When angles appear in exercise instructions, visualize a 90-degree angle as an L. To visualize a 30-degree angle, mentally slice the 90-degree angle into thirds, or picture the distance between a clock's minute hand and hour hand at one o'clock.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/3-posture-tips-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-core-workout

Sunday evening thoughts, 6 p.m.

Today I've been thinking about a testimony I heard in church this morning. It wasn't a "come to Jesus" call, but a story about how homeless, indigent and ill people are helped in his community in North Carolina at a small facility supported by as many as 500 volunteers. It takes in people recently released from the hospital who have no home or family to return to. No government money is accepted so they can freely offer the Good News of salvation in Jesus. Many of those who are helped will never make it back to main stream life or jobs or health; but that really isn't what Jesus calls us to do. Serve them, and we meet him. Bless those faithful who not only serve, but give the rest of us hope.

I had planned to attend sunset vespers at 8 p.m. tonight--my last chance before returning to Columbus to watch a sunset over the lake while praising the Lord, but the rain is already in Toledo and moving this way.

Beautiful lakefront church service today

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receive.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
And give him the glory, great things he has done!

Sung at the service by the lakefront, August 23, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-15v9iworAU

And now for the choral music (we didn’t sound this good).

Photo by Beth Sibbring

Lakeside cottages--late 20th early 21st century vernacular, pt. 2

21st Century
Early 21st century cottages at Lakeside Chautauqua, Ohio, a summer community on Lake Erie on the Marblehead peninsula. The first four are designed by Robert Bruce, Architect.

The Foley House (2002) is a “healthy house” for which light gauge metal was used for the floors, walls, and roof framing instead of chemically treated wood.  The design, although modern, is reminiscent of stick-built Victorian styles of 100 years before.  The wrap around porch has multiple skylights with clerestory windows along the great room for maximum natural light.

This 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, story and a half for Wes and Sue Kunze (2004) is my favorite Lakeside cottage—it’s small, fits the lot and neighborhood perfectly, has a pleasant open floor plan, and a delightful porch. This is a summer home.

This style roof is called a clipped gable, and the owners, the Blossers, specifically requested that in the design.  This story and a half home on Fifth St. E. and Elm Ave. has  1763 sq. ft., with four bedrooms plus a loft—it accommodates many people and has a lovely wrap around porch partially screened. Originally the owners used it as a rental, and only in the summer.
 
This 2007 photo of the Gurney house on 7th and Walnut faces a park and was designed for a steep lot and has a full basement with 2,063 sq. ft. living space and an open porch.  It is a year around residence.  After 5 years the owners were allowed to add a garage to the east (this is a coverage rule) , so the very large tree was removed. There are now 4  trees shading the house, and mature flowering shrubs so it would be difficult to see this much of the house  today.  

Facing Perry Park on 2nd St. with a wonderful view of Lake Erie, this home was new in 2015, and replaced a smaller brick traditional style home. Part of the large porch is screened, and part open, plus an open porch/deck on the second floor.  For many years a 3rd story was discouraged by the Lakeside Design Review Board, but so many of the newest homes have them, that  is apparently not the case today.  It almost dwarfs the beautiful stick Victorian next to it.

One of the first of the big ones going up with a 3rd story, this home facing Elm is reminiscent of Victorian styles. I think it was built around 2003.

This bungalow style was popular in the early 20th century, so this has followed that design of a gable roof with shed dormer with windows in threes and large pillars on the porch. The owners were adding a garage (5 year coverage rule) when I walked by in the summer of 2015, which probably means this was built around 2010. It’s a summer home.

This neat ranch style with a porch facing Oak Avenue instead of the side gives the perfect impression of many of the 1920s and 1930s summer homes, but with all the modern conveniences like indoor plumbing and central air and heat. Was built about five years ago.

This three story lake front “cottage” replaced a very handsome Dutch Colonial which had a large tree fall on it during a storm (see next photo) I’m not fond of this look, but it is the direction the newer cottages are going. Up. Big. Wide.
.
The early 20th century Dutch Colonial which was on the lot of the above cottage.

This one replaced a large 4 unit cottage we stayed in around 1976.  It has a similar style (see photo below) and size of the hip roof cottage it replaced and I believe it went up around 2013 probably first used in 2014.  Now a single family. Good view of the lake and the “most beautiful mile in Ohio.”

We rented this, north west unit above, as it appears covered for the winter weather. Right on the lakefront, so that can get very severe.  Site of Phil’s first fish catch.

This cottage on 2nd St. was new within the last 10 years, but has an interesting history.  It replaced an A-frame with a large deck overlooking Perry Park, a style not typical in this  area, however, that cottage had replaced a garage converted to a cottage about 100 years ago, which burned in a fire set by “rum runners” on the lake leaving 3 lots open.  I chatted with one of the owners (of a family) who lives in Arizona.

This home on South Oak above 7th was built during the past year, and I just noticed it on my walks this summer.  It has a low gable roof, with very clean lines and very little trim.  It reminds me more of a Florida home, but fits nicely in the newer neighborhood which has been created since 1999.

The owner of this cottage on the last lot on Oak told me it was built in 1999, so I’m grouping it with 21st century.  Although the story and a half style is a fooler, it has 5 bedrooms.  The current owners added a connecting area to the garage which they use for laundry and storage.

I think I noticed this cottage on Oak about a year ago, and actually don’t know if it is a complete makeover of an older building, or if it is completely new. It has gables to the front and side, with a shed dormer and open porch.  However, there is nothing left if the older structure is in there somewhere. I’ve never seen anyone there I could ask, but if I find out differently, I’ll revise this entry to correct it. Update: Aug. 3, 2016.  I finally saw someone on the porch, so I stopped and asked.  There had been a house on this lot and they did incorporate a few walls so that it was easier to get it approved.  It is one floor; no stairs to what looks like a second floor with a shed dormer.

This is typical of many of the 21st and late 20th new build vernacular cottages.  Lots of gables, double deck porch, shingle trim, with a nod to Victorian, but still with all modern conveniences.

This eclectic style on South Oak Avenue is reminiscent of some 20s-30s bungalow cottages that had gable roofs with shed dormers on the side or front; it has a nice enclosed porch but with part of it open.  80 years ago, that meant it was remodeled to accommodate some of our fierce storms, but today they are designed to have some protected and some open areas.

Strickland wants to stop executives from earning more—“It must stop now.”

I got a FB message from Ted Strickland (running for governor of Ohio): “CEOs and executives get higher bonuses and stock options, while middle class wages haven't budged. It makes no sense, and it must stop now.”

Well, Ted, let’s look at the government sector, since that’s your area. The federal government pays its employees substantially more than they would earn in the private sector. The current federal pay system:

• Pays hourly wages 22 percent above that of comparable private sector workers;
• Provides more generous health care and pension plans;
• Provides total compensation on the order of 30 percent to 40 percent above similarly skilled private sector workers; and
• Offers near-total job security and insulates federal employees from recessions.

The excuse for this is government workers are better qualified by education and skills, so perhaps that applies in the private sector, too? And CEOs have no job security--if the stock takes a dip, or she can’t compete, it’s out the door. Sort of like Democrat governors. (Strickland lost his reelection to Kasich).

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/07/comparing-pay-in-the-federal-government-and-the-private-sector

Sheriff Clarke on victimhood

Cultivating victims for voters must cause the party some burn out, because they've moved on to the less than 1% who are transgendered, less than 2% who are gay, while elevating the 15% who are Hispanic [made up word that is meaningless], ignoring the 38% of aborted babies who are minorities, and frolicking at parties with the upper 1% of entertainment celebrities who contribute to their campaigns.