Why do Democrats talk about the gap instead of life style?

Facebook sent me a memo about what I wrote on November 1, 2014.

"This is why the Democrats have to talk about a gap rather than quality of life and consumption.

The typical poor household, AS DEFINED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, has ...

• a car and air conditioning, two color televisions, cable or satellite TV, a DVD player, and a VCR.
• If there are children, especially boys, the family has a game system, such as an Xbox or PlayStation.
• In the kitchen, the household has a refrigerator, an oven and stove, and a microwave.
• Other household conveniences include a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone, and a coffee maker.
• The home of the typical poor family is in good repair and is not overcrowded.
• The typical average poor American has more living space in his home than the average (non-poor) European has.
• By its own report, the typical poor family was not hungry, was able to obtain medical care when needed, and had sufficient funds during the past year to meet all essential needs."

The immigrants who come here probably know this; the media and politicians don't seem to.

Notice what is soaring?  College tuition and fees, not health care. Government is heavily involved in college loans.

C.A.T.C.H. Court and Judge Paul M. Herbert

October 31 I attended a presentation at UALC Mill Run campus on the C.A.T.C.H court of Franklin County, Ohio, which is a diversion program offering women victimized by human trafficking the chance to leave lives of trauma, homelessness, substance abuse and incarceration. It was started in 2009 by Judge Paul M. Herbert, a Christian, who had a personal experience with a woman in his court room that was like that of the disgraced woman in Luke’s account of the woman who bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  He told us the most important word in the Bible is “SEE.”

He told us that prostitution isn’t the glamorous, self selected life of “Pretty woman” the Julia Roberts film where women are exchanging sex for money.  He showed footage of severe physical abuse. We heard about branding with tattoos, pimps being “married” to all his girls, new identities, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones and rape.  That’s NOT sex for hire. . . it’s slavery.  One third of the prostitutes were in the field before age 15, and now average age is 12-13; 62% are before their 18th birthday.  Ohio passed a Statute of Human Trafficking, June, 27, 2012—every human trafficking victim is also a prostitute—victim and criminal. 92% of those arrested for prostitution also fit the definition of human trafficking.

The C.A.T.C.H. program graduates have a very high rate of success. We also heard from a graduate of the program, Vanessa Perkins who today is employed by the very court system that previously tried and convicted her and has completed 5 years of sobriety with no new offenses.  She serves on the Board of Freedom a la Cart.  Story here.

This video is very similar to the presentation I heard this morning.

https://vimeo.com/106539001

Thank you Suzanne Tyack who brought this program to UALC.

Justice Scalia and Justice Kennedy on the Constitution and our rights—polar opposites

If there was one phrase Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia could eliminate from our vocabulary, it would be "living constitution." "God, I hate that phrase," Scalia said. "I prefer 'enduring Constitution.' " (speaking at Santa Clara University this past week)

Our founders set up 3 branches of government with checks and balances and specific duties, the strongest and most powerful, given the most responsibilities was the House of Representatives because it was "power to the people," something they didn't have in Europe. Now a group of unelected judges, 5 of them liberals, have absconded with our rights, and defiled the constitution.

http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_29039405/antonin-scalia-tackles-constitution-at-santa-clara-university

A nod to the Nazis comes from Justice Kennedy. Obey the law or else, even though I made it up.

Responding to a question about marriage and abortion:

The justice responded by pointing out that only three judges resigned during Germany’s Third Reich — the government of Adolf Hitler — and said, “Great respect, it seems to me, has to be given to people who resign rather than do something they view as morally wrong, in order to make a point. However, the rule of law is that, as a public official, in performing your legal duties, you are bound to enforce the law.” “This requires considerable introspection,” he continued, “and it’s a fair question that officials can and should ask themselves. But certainly, in an offhand comment, it would be difficult for me to say that people are free to ignore a decision by the Supreme Court.”

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/426372/justice-kennedy-rule-law-requires-you-enforce-laws-i-made-david-french

Reviewing Doubting Thomas

Doubting Thomas? The religious life and legacy of Thomas Jefferson, Mark A. Beliles , Jerry Newcombe, Morgan James Publishing, Release date: Oct 31, 2015,  ISBN 978-1-68045-150-7, $29.99.

I’ve been getting really selective about accepting books for review—it’s like getting your name on a list of donors and hearing from groups you knew nothing about.

But, if you’re an American history buff, or you’ve been wondering about all the leftist and progressive propaganda about our founders’ faith, then you’ll like this book.  Every page has something I could quote, with good citations. (Bibliography has hundreds of sources.) For instance:

One time, John Adams was ruminating on the overall thrust of American independence.  Here’s what he wrote to Jefferson in 1813 (p. 195):

“The general Principles, on which the Fathers Achieved Independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen would Unite, and these Principles only could be intended by them in their Address, or by me in my Answer.  And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all those Sects were united:  And the general Principles of English and American Liberty, in which all those young Men United, and which had United all Parties in America, in Majorities sufficient to assert and maintain her Independence.”

From the download page: “While Jefferson may seem to be the Patron Saint of the ACLU, his words and actions showed that he would totally disagree with the idea of driving God out of the public square. Doubting Thomas documents that. . .

* Jefferson said that our rights come from God. God-given rights are non-negotiables.

* At the time that he wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom---major contributions to human and religious rights―Jefferson served diligently as a vestryman (like an elder and a deacon rolled into one) for the Episcopal Church.

* In 1777, he wrote up the charter for the Calvinistical Reformed Church in his town with an evangelical preacher, the Rev. Charles Clay--with whom he had a lifelong friendship. Jefferson was the biggest single contributor to this fledgling congregation.

* Jefferson had nothing but the highest praise for Jesus’ teaching, which he studied religiously (even in the original Greek), in order to pattern his life after that which he called “the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.”

* As president, he attended church on a regular basis at the US Capitol building, even sometimes recommending preachers to fill that pulpit.

* He had many positive relationships with orthodox clergymen and active lay Christians.

* He actively supported Christian causes, financially, in ways that would put the average Christian to shame.

* He set out to create a non-denominational college that accommodated Christian groups of different stripes.

Historical revisionism has distorted the religious views of Thomas Jefferson, making him far more skeptical than he was.  But there is no doubt that by the end of his life, he seemed to privately embrace Unitarian views of the Christian faith, while outwardly supporting and attending his local Trinitarian church. 

http://nashvillephotoboot.com/subjects/biographies-and-memoirs/leaders-and-notable-people/presidents-and-heads-of-state/us-presidents/163047150X.

Academicians tend to quote each other in their peer review journals.  Time to take a fresh look, and get off the anti-America train.

The Kennedys didn’t get rich and powerful by playing fair!

Joseph P. Kennedy III is the 22nd wealthiest member of Congress ($18.6 million). His wife Lauren Anne Birchfield also has some college debt. Her student loans remain (she’s in the hole some $50,000 to the federal government, Harvard and a Des Moines-based educational outfit). Really? I have nothing against the rich dynasty Massachusetts Democrats continue to send to Congress, but with all those trust funds, couldn't they pay us back for college? Roll Call. http://media.cq.com/50Richest/#

The main source of the Kennedy family wealth was amassed by his namesake in banking, real estate, liquor, films and Wall Street holdings. In 1998, the Kennedy family sold Chicago’s Merchandise Mart for $625 million, which the family patriarch had purchased in 1945 for $12.6 million. The deal allowed Kennedy heirs to receive a stake in one of the nation’s largest real estate investment trusts, according to the Associated Press.

Kennedy, who represents the 4th Congressional district, reported most of his assets are held in family trusts. The 2014 range - $18.7 million to $64.5 million – is higher than the $15.6 million to $55.8 million range he reported as a candidate in 2012. His latest report also includes mortgage debt of between $750,000 and $1.5 million on homes in Brookline and Washington, D.C., and student loans – owed by his wife Lauren Birchfield – of between $40,000 and $115,000.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/article/20150616/NEWS/150617085

Ben Carson, Seventh Day Adventist

I think it was Donald Trump, in attack mode, who first brought up the religion of Dr. Carson, Seventh Day Adventism.  All I knew about this group was they worshiped on Saturday, didn’t drink alcohol or eat meat, had a female founder, and were known for their good works and social action—i.e., they are living out Matthew 25. 

“Carson, the only African-Amercian presidential candidate for 2016, said two stories inspired him in his life: Up from Slavery, an autobiography of Booker T. Washington, and the account of Joseph's life in the Old Testament in the Bible.

"That really spoke volumes to my heart. Where you end up has a lot to do with the attitude you adopt in your life," he told the congregation”   http://www.christianpost.com/news/ben-carson-shares-with-iowa-church-how-he-became-christian-142552/#eVSeF3vf2jhgBMHk.99

Today I came across Teresa Beem who grew up in the faith and wrote a book about why she left. Then later she became a Catholic and in 2008 was interviewed on Marcus Grodi’s Coming Home Network. I also found a letter to the Adventist church written by her and her husband in 2001 on the scriptural reasons they left their church.

I’m accustomed to squabbles among denominations.  There are approximately 30-40,000 Protestant groups, all claiming Biblical authority, but in fact, the final authority rests with the believer, not the Bible, a tradition or a leader from the past. They see the Pope everyday in the mirror, combing their hair or putting on make-up.  Add to that all the Gen-X and Millennials who claim the faith of “None” meaning they are “spiritual” but not “religious” and they have a veneer of Christianity.  But I’m sure if Carson grows in popularity, the media will begin to make an issue of his faith—particularly what it teaches about Roman Catholicism.

Beem says her earliest memories of the faith are fear of Catholics—that they would come to kill anyone who didn’t worship on Sunday. And even today (she said in 2008 on the Journey Home) Adventism is growing particularly in South America among nominal Catholics, because it isn’t just evangelization, but fear that Catholics will rise up and kill them.  Wow.  I didn’t know that. Growing up Protestant (Church of the Brethren) I heard all the whisper myths, like Catholics worship Mary and statues and can sin without worry because they can go to confession.  Yes, I was told this by my little friends when I was about 9 or 10. Beem also says Adventists are conspiracy theorists and believe and teach the government will take away their religious rights based on the teachings of their founder Ellen White, using todays headlines to confirm many of her prophecies.

I believe Barack Obama was elected to a second term because millions of Christians (evangelicals and fundamentalists) stayed home and didn’t want to elect a Mormon, so they got a socialist who is giving away the store. Fear of Mormonism worked beneath the surface to elect Obama, so I hope we don’t get the fear mongers in the media (who mostly support Hillary) to attack Carson.

Beem on EWTN Journey Home (2008)

Beem and husband (2011)

Beem and husband letter of resignation (2001)

Abortion in the 7th Day church

Ted Cruz and the debate the media messed up

Islam: What the West Needs Know.

Documentary film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY4p39jeAVI

Peaceful, moderate Muslims are not following the tenets of Islam.  Even violent Muslims think they are peaceful—Islam is dedicated to establishing the faith in the world, and is therefore peaceful, even if people have to be killed.  The “verse of the sword” makes all other verses null and void. Kill them when you see them, wherever you find them (Christians and Jews).

Abrogation  in the Koran means later verses counseling Holy War, such the Sword Verse abrogate earlier verses counseling tolerance and peace .  When Westerners quote the peaceful verses, they ignore that they have been replaced.

There is no assurance of heaven, unless one dies as a martyr during jihad. Islam does not forbid suicide—and they don’t see it that way since the intention is to kill others.

Jihad means struggle. There are 164 verses in the Koran and many in the Hadith on jihad

They know how to use our rights with full knowledge they will try to destroy those rights.

Beautiful sacred music

To find inspiration for my morning bike (stationary) ride, I type in to Google, Choral sacred YouTube, so this morning I found

AGNUS DEI - Sacred Choral Music - The Choir of New College, Oxford. (recorded 1996) Album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRwhkBAeheM

Likewise, about 3.5 million others have also been listening to it.

I wonder where the performers are now, 2 decades later?

Director Edward Higginbottom

College of New College  web page and schedule of performances

 

Paul Ryan our new Speaker of the House

I listened to Paul Ryan's speech today. It was nice to be reminded by him how important the House is to the people. We tend to forget this, but the founders made the House the most important of the branches in Section 2 of Article 1, by listing it first. It has the power of the purse, the power to make law, the power to impeach, override vetoes, vote on members of Supreme Court and impeach them. Then the Senate, section 3, which originally were not elected but appointed by the states. Then comes the executive branch, in Article 2, section 1 where the President's duty is explained as Commander in Chief of the military who can make treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate and gives occasional speeches to Congress. Then coming in 3rd in power is Article 3, the judicial power, with no mention that they should make law or invent rights as they did in Obergefell decision. The founders did not want the government to control the churches, as it does now, when it tells churches they can’t offer the Gospel if they have food pantries receiving government food, nor did they want the courts to have the power they had in Europe. Instead it was to be power for the people, the House of Representatives.

It was a revolutionary idea in the 18th century—and maybe still is since we haven't been able to hang on to it.

Do good by doing well

I received a notice today that my investment advisor had purchased 10,000  bond shares in a company I'd never heard of so I researched it. (Another purchase notice was stock in Ford, but that company I understand.) Even after reading what it does (semiconductor equipment and yield management system) I didn't understand.  What I did understand is that one of the founders (Tencor) was a Czech immigrant who left a Communist country and became successful in the United States. After poking around the internet I found a physics post doctoral fellowship named for him (died in the 90s), employees volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, grant for superior papers by young STEM students, and a foundation to support the children of his employees in college.  The company KLA-Tencor is involved in a number of “good works.”  Doing good while doing well.  It’s the capitalist way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCLf7ylBQr4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5cHeZN_t7I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lomLzuLVkgQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRc4akRPpnA

Throw back Thursday—the sweatshirt

The photo is only about 10 minutes old, but the sweatshirt is about 15 years old.  There are only a few days of the year that I wear it—have probably only washed it twice. 

Prologue to newly released YouCat Bible by Pope Francis

“I’ll tell you something: There are more persecuted Christians in the world today than in the early days of the Church. And why are they persecuted? They are persecuted because they wear a cross and bear witness to Jesus. They are convicted because they own a Bible. The Bible is therefore a highly dangerous book—so dangerous that you are treated in some countries as if you were hiding hand grenades in your closet.

It was a non-Christian, Mahatma Gandhi, who once said: “You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilization to pieces, turn the world upside down, and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.” “

YouCat means Catholic Youth Bible.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/pope.francis.says.bible.is.a.highly.dangerous.book.that.he.loves.and.values.above.all.else/68097.htm

http://www.youcat.org/news/youcat-news/

Giving children a gift

Which candidate for president actually did something about giving children this gift? The Carson Scholars Fund, Inc. was founded in 1994 to address the education crisis in the United States. When retired world-renowned Johns Hopkins Pediatric Neurosurgeon Benjamin S. Carson, M.D. and his wife, Candy, read a research study about education in the United States, they were alarmed by the  findings. The study showed that our nation’s students ranked #21 out of 22 countries; next to the bottom of the list in science and math. Furthermore, the Carsons observed that many school display cases were filled with large trophies paying tribute to their sports teams’ achievements, while honor students were largely overlooked.” http://carsonscholars.org/

Appearances notwithstanding

Today the prompt at 3 Word Wednesday (a community for writers, poets and bloggers) is:

Nondescript, adjective: lacking distinctive or interesting features or characteristics.

Placid, adjective: (of a person or animal) not easily upset or excited, (especially of a place or stretch of water) calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity.

Quirky, adjective: characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits.

--------------------------------

She looked to be the perfect friend.
Just my type.
Bookish, nondescript appearance, sensible shoes.
But first glance, first impression can be misleading.
Beneath the placid wide eyes
Were archives of quirky questions never answered.

Update on exercycle “trip”

When I started this on Dec. 26, 2014, I had a nice little program that did calculations and showed me photographs, although it began at the Atlantic Ocean.  I thought I’d never get through Virginia, then shortly after I left that state, the website lost its funding, so I’ve been on my own (which isn’t too hard since I only go 5-7 miles a day, 26-27 calories for each mile.  In December I said I would ride to Indianapolis to see my sister-in-law Jeanne who is always our fantastic hostess when we travel to Illinois, but I’d soon zipped right on past.  So now I’m at 1583 miles on October 28, 10 months later.  I passed 35 pounds sometime in July, but haven’t lost any more weight, probably it was all that bread, wine and dessert for menu del dia in Spain in September. So I’ve decided to continue on to see in-laws Rick and Kate in Huntington Beach, and  Debbie, of course, Greg and Kari and the twins, too, who must be about two now (Nov. 22). Only 670 more miles to go.

The unhinged left

Melissa Harris Perry of MSNBC, who makes $1.2 million a year reading aloud for TV shows and is worth about $40 million while owing $70,000 in back taxes, chastised a guest for using the words “hard worker” when talking about Republican Paul Ryan. Seems that term is reserved for blacks who were slaves working in the cotton fields, which obviously isn’t her, since she’s bi-racial from a Mormon family. She also is the one who ridiculed Mitt Romney’s black grandchild and is a self-proclaimed chief of the word police. This woman has serious problems with race, words, and just being polite. She gives liberals a bad name.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/oct/26/melissa-harris-perry-rants-about-slavery-after-gue/#!

The plan to elect Hillary

There are so many things wrong with the Donald Trump run for President as a Republican I'm convinced he's a Democrat plant. Unfortunately, many Republicans either lost or never had conservative values and are falling hook, line and sinker. Go back and read about how Germans hungry for change and self esteem followed a man who promised them the moon with feel-good shouting and bombastic speeches.

The reason we've got an Obama second term is because so many Christians (I've heard 54 million, but don't really know) sat out the election and pouted because they didn't want a Mormon, or their favorite didn't run. Now much of that same group is set to do the same thing and elect Hillary Clinton. I think they are the children of the folks who voted for Ross Perot and elected Bill Clinton.

English services in Whittenberg, Germany

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDO2LlQRnhA

In 2 years (2017) we'll be celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The cathedral in Whittenberg, Germany, shown in this video is being renovated for the influx of tourists.  There is an English language ministry here of visiting Lutheran pastors for English speakers and tourists at Whittenberg.  You'll hear some really ragged congregational singing of "A Mighty Fortress," but lots of heart. Pastor this week (earlier this month) is Rev. Ronald Stehl of Red Wing. MN.  "How are you going to get to heaven" was addressed, and even Lutherans in his own congregation got the answer wrong, he says.

Bienvenidos Pto. Vallarta, Patricia

Hurricane Patricia was the strongest hurricane on record, and just messed up some trees and houses a bit when hitting Mexico, and there seems no loss of life.  Of course, there was a sand sculpture of Mary on the beach at Puerto Vallarta that was untouched. But surely prayer couldn't stop a hurricane.