What about Fox–Michael Smith

“Let's just think about this for a minute - since 1995, the Fox News channel has been the only broadcast outlet, cable of otherwise, that has featured Republicans with conservative views. At one time or the other every pundit on Fox's prime time lineup has been vilified as a right wing extremist nut job. Hillary Clinton even accused them of being in league with Richard Mellon Scaife to form the VRWC (Vast Right Wing Conspiracy).

Even (or perhaps because they are) presenting a conservative point of view, Fox News has been #1 overall with the most #1 shows for the past decade+ and in doing so has earned the badge of honor from the left as Faux News because they report on things the left would rather us not know.

Megyn Kelly asks a tough question of a tough,"hard shelled", assertive, non-conservative newly minted Republican who was a Democrat until the last decade and then worked to become the Reform Party (the party of Jesse Ventura) nominee. Said "hard shelled" candidate goes on to whine incessantly for weeks against Fox and makes sexist grade-school comments and tweets regarding Kelly.

Said candidate gets softball interviews and the red carpet rolled out for him at Democrat friendly media outlets and shows, inducing Meet the Press, ABC and NBC. Said Democrat biased media uses said candidate to spout off how the other candidates in the race simply can't match up to such majestic accomplishments and gargantuan ego of said candidate, essentially the same thing Hillary would do if she wasn't afraid of slipping up and getting saying something that would get her indicted.

So tell me again how Fox is the tool of the Democrats and the GOP establishment? It would seem to me that there is a tool but I would propose that it isn't Fox News.

For goodness sake people, look at who you are aligning with to attack Fox.”  From Michael Smith’s Facebook.

Biden confused about FDR—especially his accomplishments

Yes, Joe Biden really said this in Sept. 2008 while campaigning, but the worst error is thinking FDR did anything about the Great Depression, which he extended into the 1940s.

Black Lives Matter even when they aren’t victims—tell the organizers

There are many things BLM protestors (funded by leftists with deep pockets) can do--like read victim reports of the Department of Justice, and the FBI. New policing and law enforcement laws--including tough on drugs--of the Clinton years have brought down crime and saved many black lives. Since 1993, the rate of serious violent crime has declined by 75% from 29.1 to 7.2 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older, but has taken an uptick under Holder and Obama. The rate of violent victimization increased 17% with a black president and black AG--mostly among whites. Violent crimes against American Indians is almost double the rate for blacks--and it is also intraracial. Those not killed or injured matter too.

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv11.pdf

General Mills to spend millions on climate change

Not to be too cynical, but the more "climate change" laws and treaties the U.S. can foist on developing countries, the more goodies are left for the western, developed countries. I'd rather the money be spent on things that will actually help people, in developing countries like pure water, better infrastructure, fairer import/export agreements, stop protecting tyrants, etc. To put Appalachian coal miners out of jobs while China is building all the new dirty coal burning facilities is dumb; to waste billions on chasing a carbon myth when African women still carry dirty water in their pails walking miles from home makes no sense. But it's good advertising.

http://grist.org/climate-energy/general-mills-pledges-100-million-to-combat-climate-change/?

On Monday, the food giant announced plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent in the next 20 years, and said it will be investing more than $100 million in renewables and improved energy efficiency in its facilities. Other large food companies have also set greenhouse gas reduction targets, but General Mills’ plan stands out because it involves the whole supply chain, from farmers to eaters.

Almost too embarrassing to read

The newest batch of Hillary’s illegal e-mail stash reveals her sycophantic, bootlicking, weasel word lackeys begging for attention and favors.  Lanny Davis was Bill Clinton’s special counsel. Here’s just one example:

“He grovels for a favor in a 2010 email with the subject line “Personal.”

“[A] personal favor My dear friend Hillary: I hate to email you too much and to ask you for any favors,” Davis writes before proceeding to ask her for a favor. “I feel as if I am taking advantage of a great privilege that you allow me to send you a personal email every so often. But this is a favor that I fully understand for 100 reasons might not be appropriate or comfortable for you to say yes to.”

Davis launches into a long-winded diatribe about an article that is going to be written about his law firm and humbly requests that Clinton say nice things about him—but not before telling her she is nearly as important to him as his own wife.

“Aside from Carolyn, my four children, and my immediate family, I consider you to be the best friend and the best person I have met in my long life,” Davis writes. “You know that from the dedication and appreciation of you I have always felt and expressed to you over four decades. So that is why your comments would mean a lot to me, even if just a written statement.” “

In 2009 after the first 100 days, Davis wrote an equally abject confession about how he’d converted to Obama, after supporting Hillary in the 2008 campaign.  The man knows no shame. And she was his “best friend” in his long life.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/01/inside-the-new-hillary-clinton-emails-all-the-secretary-s-yes-men.html?

In the short term . . .

Older individuals who undergo knee or hip replacement are at high risk for myocardial infarction (MI) [heart attack]  in the first postoperative month, a general population-based study found.

In the long run, joint replacements benefit the heart health.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/298756.php

Among those with hip OA who underwent hip arthroplasty, 128 had a heart attack during follow-up, compared with 138 controls. However, the team notes heart attack incidence was higher for hip arthroplasty patients in the first 6 months following the procedure, before declining to a lower level than those who did not have surgery.

The researchers also found that patients who underwent hip or knee arthroplasty were at greater risk of VTE - a collective term for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) - years after the procedure, compared with controls.

DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, most commonly in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis. PE is a common complication of DVT, occurring when a blood clot breaks off and makes its way to the lungs via the bloodstream. It is estimated that around 300,000-600,000 people in the US develop DVT or PE every year.

Title of the research article: “Total joint arthroplasty and the risk of myocardial infarction - a general population, propensity score-matched cohort study,”  Yuqing Zhang et al., Arthritis & Rheumatology, doi: 10.1002/art.39246, published online 31 August 2015, abstract.

Age and the Presidency

I would never belittle someone for her age, some people my age do amazing things.  But I have personally experienced how the body and mind just don't do as instructed despite years of accumulated wisdom and education. I remember 60 with great fondness--sort of a surprise for someone who not too long ago thought 30 was really over the hill. I've watched a lot of presidents age quickly in office--Bush and Obama seem to really have aged right before our eyes--looking tired, wan, wrinkled and gray.  Perhaps it's the constant TV and internet exposure.  But the age of the Democrat bench for 2016 really worries me.

Warren is the youngest, and she would be almost 70 if she won the election and took office in 2017, in addition to being a millionaire flake who lied about her ethnicity to get special perks and speaks with forked tongue about the rich. Joe Biden, well, even Democrats call him their crazy Uncle Joe. It turns out he’s the best thing that ever happened to Obama, because he makes him look good.  Bernie?  Advocating openly a philosophy that has killed millions in the 20th century. And this folks, isn't dementia.  It's just wrong headed, pie in the sky socialism, the foundation of both Communism and National Socialism the major killers of their own citizens of the last century

Salted Caramel Sauce

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes, plus cooling

Follow these easy instructions to create sweet salted caramel sauce at home. Perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, cheesecake, sweet breads and more!

Ingredients:
•1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
•6 Tablespoons (90g) salted butter, cut up into 6 pieces*
•1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream*
•1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1.Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a high heat resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
2.Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
3.Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
4.Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes.
5.Very slowly, drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
6.Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
7.Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down before using.
8.Cover the caramel tightly and store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Warm the caramel up for a few seconds before using in a recipe.

Additional Notes:

*Unsalted butter may be used instead, though I prefer salted. No other changes need to be made to the recipe if using unsalted.

*Heavy cream (approximately 36% milk fat) may also be sold as whipping cream. Light whipping cream (30% milk fat), or double cream (48% milk fat) may be substituted.

Black Lives matter marchers call for killing police

The president is silent. Violent crime is down dramatically the last two decades and mostly in black neighborhoods through better policing and tougher sentences pushed by the Clinton administration. This is a George Soros funded organization; the man is up to no good and promotes socialism, although he himself is mega-rich.

When Sarah Palin used the word "target" in her political ads, the Democrats yelled she was to blame for the Gabby Gifford event shootings. But it's crickets from liberals about "black lives matter" and "hands up don't shoot" hate lies and their connection to the deaths of three policemen in one week.

http://dailycaller.com/2015/08/29/black-lives-matter-protesters-chant-pigs-in-a-blanket-fry-em-like-bacon-video/

President Obama’s attacks on police began the first month of his presidency when he blamed the Boston police for responding to the call of a break-in at Louis Gate’s home.  He said they acted stupidly because they questioned Professor Gates and didn’t know it was his home.  Eric Holder continued the drum beat and they both have sent administration representatives to funerals without considering whites, Hispanics or blacks killed by blacks.

The crime rate for blacks is 8x that of whites, which means black families are the victims and suffering.  Even so, crime has dropped drastically in the last two decades after the Clinton administration released money for more police.  Now the Obama administration (along with Baltimore and New York mayors) wants to reverse that amazing life saving trend.

According to the US Department of Justice, blacks accounted for 52.5% of homicide offenders from 1980 to 2008, with whites 45.3% and "Other" 2.2%. The offending rate for blacks was almost 8 times higher than whites, and the victim rate 6 times higher. Most homicides were intraracial, with 84% of white victims killed by whites, and 93% of black victims killed by blacks. (which means far more whites are victims of black offenders than the other way around)

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf  Rate of crimes, racial

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p13.pdf  Prison populations in 2013

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/bvvc.pdf  Black victims of violent crimes

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ndv0312.pdf  Domestic violence

 

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1973 Oldsmobile Delta—RIP

Our son's gorgeous 1973 Olds convertible. Great for parades and drives in the country in the fall. It caught on fire on his way to work this morning.  RIP. He got out without getting hurt, and that's what is important.

Income inequality has decreased in the U.S. in the last decade

If one looks at after-tax income, the increase in income inequality over time is greatly reduced. If one goes further and factors in the government’s attempts to redistribute income, income inequality is not increasing in the U.S. at all. This after-tax, after-transfer income essentially is a measure of how much stuff you can consume (either by buying it or because somebody gave you free stuff). And, as demonstrated by Gary Burtless of The Brookings Institution (a center-left think tank), income inequality measured this way has actually decreased in the U.S. over the decade from 2000-2010.

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

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