Thinking of Martha Stewart today . . . and how she decorated the jail

Wall Street Journal: "For our money, the most revealing words in FBI Director James Comey ’s statement Tuesday explaining his decision not to recommend prosecuting Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information were these: “This is not to suggest that in similar circumstances, a person who engaged in this activity would face no consequences. To the contrary, those individuals are often subject to security or administrative sanctions.” So there it is in the political raw: One standard exists for a Democratic candidate for President and another for the hoi polloi. We’re not sure if Mr. Comey, the erstwhile Eliot Ness, intended to be so obvious, but what a depressing moment this is for the American rule of law. No wonder so many voters think Washington is rigged for the powerful."

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/07/05/he-saidshe-said-hillary-clinton-vs-james-comey-on-her-email-practices/

http://www.wsj.com/articles/for-hillary-clinton-political-fight-over-emails-is-far-from-over-1467767839

Can a young couple live on one income?

Some young'ns think a couple needs two incomes to survive these days. Not true. You just have to rein in the gottahaves to the essentials. In the old days of the 1970s, we didn't have cable contracts, phone contracts, eating out several times a week, computers to play with, 2 or 3 cars, homes where everything matched or it got replaced (we even got by with laminate counter tops), TV in every room, college debts, credit card debt, very few people I knew were paying support for another family in another house and few took vacations except the rich (a cottage at Lakeside was $45/week). We didn't have a paid vacation or paid health insurance. And at our house, no one smoked or drank alcohol, and that is a HUGE savings. Refigure your budget with a 1970 plan, and see if you really need to go to work, ladies.

That said, today so many things are cheaper. Computers, TV, microwaves, clothing, even food are a fraction of the cost of 40 years ago. And compared to the 80s, mortgage rates are laughable. A tithe is still 10% and that's the best budgeting tool.

On how bad Trump is

I have never cared for Trump. I always suspected he was a plant by the Clinton-Soros machine to take out the candidates they feared because it was such a stellar group. However, as he continued to win, he began to stab his mentors and creators in the back, until he began to believe he could do it. And even if I'm right (or if I'm just into conspiracy theories), on his worst day he's better than Clinton.

Crimes and misdemeanors, but no intent

"FBI Director James Comey announced that the FBI will not recommend charges against Hillary. Although he said that there was extreme "carelessness" in handling classified information, the lack of intent to violate the law precluded prosecution. That's a bit of a surprise given that the Department of Justice is currently prosecuting Petty Officer First Class Kristian Saucier for a similar crime where no inten...t was involved. This gives rise to suspicions, verging on certainty, that the law is different when your name is Clinton, that laws are for the "little people" and not those in charge. As Kurt Schlichter has recently warned, the sense that there's no such thing as rule of law in today's America is likely to be quite corrosive. If Hillary can do this much damage to America's fabric now, how much worse will things be with her in the White House?"

https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/statement-by-fbi-director-james-b.-comey-on-the-investigation-of-secretary-hillary-clintons-use-of-a-personal-e-mail-system

http://www.9news.com/news/nation-now/glenn-reynolds-about-that-clintonlynch-accidental-meeting/264670390

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/fbi-recommends-no-charges-against-clinton-in-email-probe-225102

Explosion at the Bruce cottage

I decided to fix the last two eggs for breakfast this morning.  So I took out a heavy, deep, ceramic cereal bowl, sprayed it with non-stick spray, and cracked and dropped in the two eggs.  I covered it with a damp paper towel so I wouldn't have egg to clean up inside the microwave.  Zap for 1 minute.  Took a peek, then zapped for another minute.  I carefully removed the bowl (very hot).  Hmm. A slice of cheese would taste good on that, so I took the package out of the frig and removed a slice and placed it on the eggs, hoping it would melt.  It just sat there.  So I walked to the opposite side and took out a fork and knife. When I poked my wonderful egg/cheese meal with the fork it exploded.  And I mean, everywhere, including my nice light teal shirt that matches my teal and yellow summer slacks and all around the coffee pot and microwave.  Plus the steam scalded my right forearm. So, it wasn't cooling while I did those other tasks, it was building up steam.  There's a message here, and I'll figure it out.

A great story by a guy I don't know about another guy I don't know

This story by David Lester (don't know him) appeared on Facebook about the clean up in West Virginia after the recent flooding.

"On Thursday I was up to my ankles in every imaginable kind of waste helping a 70 some year old lady throw away every single one of her belongings. Then I look and another truck pulls in and this guy jumps out and says in a deep British accent "My name is Anthony...how can I help?"

That day we tackled every job that required no brains and lots of brawn and also strong stomachs. Came to find out Anthony heard about the flood devastation through friends in WV and international medi coverage and decided to fly in from London and help. He flew into Charlotte, rented a truck, loaded up with supplies and drove to Clendenin. I invited him to stay with us and he agreed. We shared military stories and he was a great guest. He returned every day back to the floods.

On Sunday (July 3) I didn't accompany him and he wound up putting a displaced elderly woman up in the Motel 8 in Dunbar for two nights on his dime. On this day of celebrating our Independence Day (which he calls traitor day😜) I wanted to give a shout out to this great guy that my family adores. Thanks Anthony for your kind heart and British wit!! And he doesn't do Facebook but I thought his efforts should not go unnoticed."

A wonderful July 4 story, don't you agree?

Looking for links I see a socialist web site is blaming funding cuts for disasters.  Really? For some people always look for political advantage.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/25/us/west-virginia-flooding-deaths/index.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/06/30/west-virginia-faces-new-reality-after-deadly-flood/86555454/

Did Thomas Jefferson read St. Robert Bellarmine

 There is no way to know if Thomas Jefferson ever read the original works of St. Robert Bellarmine. Chances are very good Jefferson knew of the writings of the 16th century counter-reformation Catholic who was extensively quoted in a book that was in Jefferson's library--a book that spoke out about the right of kings to rule. The Congressional Library still possesses a copy of Patriarcha, a book which once stood on the library shelf of Thomas Jefferson.  Patriarcha, was written by Robert Filmer, the privage theologian of James I of England in defense of the Divine Right of Kings and principally in refutation to the Jesuit Cardinal Bellarmine’s political principles of popular sovereignty.”

Jefferson's words echo that of a man who wrote two centuries earlier, and whose work itself echoes St. Thomas Aquinas.

With regard to the equality of men:

Declaration of Independence:  “All men are created equal; they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”

Bellarmine:  “All men are equal, not in wisdom or grace, but in the essence and nature of mankind” (De Laicis,” c.7).  “There is no reason why among equals one should rule rather than another.” (Ibid.)  “Let rulers remember that they preside over men who are of the same nature as they themselves” (De Officus Princ.” c.22).  “Political right is immediately from God and necessarily inherent in the nature of man” (De Laicia” c. 6, note 1).

With regard to the function of government:

Declaration of Independence:  “To secure these rights governments are instituted among men.”

Bellarmine:  “It is impossible for men to live together without someone to care for the common good.  Men must be governed by someone lest they be willing to perish” (De Laicia,” c.6).

With regard to the source of power:

Declaration of Independence:  “Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Bellarmine:  “It depends upon the consent of the multitude to constitute over itself a king, consul, or other magistrate.  This power is, indeed, from God, but vested in a particular ruler by the counsel and election of men” (De Laicis, c. 6, notes 4 and 5).  “The people themselves immediately and directly hold the political power” (De Clericis, c. 7).

With regard to the right to change the government:

Declaration of Independence:  “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government. . .Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient reasons.”

Bellarmine:  “For legitimate reasons the people can change the government to an aristocracy or a democracy or vice versa” (De Laicis, c. 6).  “The people never transfers its power to a king so completely but that it reserves to itself the right of receiving back the power” (Recognitio de Laicis, c. 6).

https://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2013/09/17/st-robert-bellarmine-and-the-declaration-of-independence/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellarmine-Jefferson_High_School

http://supremacyandsurvival.blogspot.com/2016/07/st-robert-bellarmine-and-declaration-of.html

https://suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/thomas-jefferson-and-st-robert-bellarmines-natural-law-teachings/

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6607&CFID=27181055&CFTOKEN=86110878

Let's not forget about Nigeria

Nigeria was the first mission field I heard about as a child.  Church of the Brethren missionaries would come to our church in Mt. Morris and talk about their work. The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria is now larger than the mother church denomination, but is experiencing terrible persecution from Muslims.  What follows is from The Catholic News Agency and is the most recent I could find, a report of June 9 of a meeting at Heritage Foundation.  It will take more than a hashtag to solve this.  Boko Haram is more lethal than ISIS according to the Global Terrorism Index and the number of displaced people is second only to Syria.

“What is unfolding in Northern and Central Nigeria is one of the worst, most neglected humanitarian crises in the world,” Elijah Brown, executive vice president of the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, stated at the Heritage Foundation on June 9, introducing the report.

Attacks on villages and schools by the terror group Boko Haram– most known for its April 2014 abduction of over 200 school girls in Chibok – have displaced millions in the last few years. Other problems that have arisen are attacks by militants of the Fulani herdsmen in the fertile Middle Belt region, destroying entire villages."

http://www.heritage.org/events/2016/06/nigeria

http://europe.newsweek.com/boko-haram-splinters-isis-over-child-suicide-bombers-us-general-473004

http://www.standwithnigeria.org/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/17/world/global-terror-report/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/11/africa/nigeria-suicide-bombing-boko-haram/index.html

13 foods to avoid at the grocery store

With the exception of potato chips (which I have trouble resisting), I avoid most of these foods--they are very high priced (per oz.), full of fillers, HFCS, and, just stuff bad for you. I switched to real butter years ago, never drink pop, bought almond milk once before seeing what a rip off it was, avoid most processed meat (have an occasional hot dog for old time's sake), eat only old fashioned oatmeal (90 seconds in the microwave), buy regular yogurt and add fruit at home. You do become addicted to flavors and textures, so keep this junk away from kids even if it sounds healthy.

http://thestir.cafemom.com/healthy_living/198850/13_grocery_store_staples_experts?

"Many foods seem harmless and appear to be healthy with labels saying "natural" or "low fat," but these items aren’t what you think. You can create the same product or buy a true healthier alternative."

Sounds of the early morning walk at Lakeside

When the city walker starts out for a morning walk in a small town along a large lake (like Lakeside, Ohio where we have our summer home) at first she hears silence.  But the sounds begin to roll in the ear soon.  At first it is the disgusting crunch, crunch of the Mayflies underfoot at every intersection with a street light. An experienced Lakesider just reminds herself--it means the Lake is healthy.

Then she hears the birds--sparrows, black birds, robins, cardinals, jays, mourning doves--and all the others that she's been told about on the morning bird walks provided by Lakesiders but can't identify. It's a beautiful cool morning, but some people are running air conditioning window units unaware, something I don't hear at home because everyone has whole house AC.  Then if the windows are open, I hear some muffled talking, probably from rumpled beds, and a baby, very young is crying.  Maybe a wet diaper? No sleeping in for the new mom and dad.

Now there's something I never hear at home--a screen door slams as the resident walks to the porch with a hot cup of coffee.  I can hear the boats patrolling the shore, probably from the Customs and Border Protection from a near by port.  Other noises, like the tiny business district waking up and getting ready for customers. Someone needs to take vacations at another time so this tourist area can be served. If it weren't for the fact I need to stay on the flat streets, I'd head for the lakefront for other sounds--almost like a different place, but just two blocks.

      

The Bill of Rights and our precious freedoms

There is no right to abort (aka kill) another human being in our Constitution or Bill of Rights. SCOTUS "found" that right in the 14th amendment--made it up. Fragile as a spider's web. We ARE absolutely guaranteed that the government won't deny us our religious rights, our speech, our right to assemble peacefully, our right to a "free" press, and our right to petition the government. If you know anything about western civilization* (which probably isn't taught anymore, you know why these are treasured freedoms).

And there's that 2nd amendment, which comes 2nd because it defends the first. It's no accident that while liberals whine about the 2nd and try to undo it, a much larger group of them are organizing against the first, particularly religion.

I have no problem with more checks on potential gun buyers, but that isn't the goal--destroying the 2nd amendment is the prize. And then those pesky freedoms outlined in the 1st.

*1215 (England) Magna Carta, somewhat evolved, from the unwilling King John by his rebellious barons, is signed. It will later be regarded as the cornerstone of liberty in England even though it was not for common folk.

1689 (England) Bill of Rights grants 'freedom of speech in Parliament' after James II is overthrown and William and Mary installed as co-rulers.

1787 Northwest Ordinance for new states and territories guarantees  trial by jury, habeas corpus, due process, and religious freedom. Excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishments were banned. Slavery was also banned in new territories.

1791 The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees five freedoms: of religion, speech, the press, right to assemble and right to petition the government.

The zombie or the joker?

I won't share the photo, but I saw a poster with Hillary as a zombie (half of her face melting and bloody and a staring eyeball, and The Donald as the Joker. That's pretty close to our choices. Except. She's a long time politician who has accomplished nothing, and he's a non-politician who's done a lot, some stuff better than others. She's running based on her female parts, saying it's our (women) time. But we've learned from this administration, that means nothing. Body parts can be changed with surgery and hormones, or just with a feeling.

The recent loss for Texas women and children in the Supreme Court: "And once again, it was the flip of Anthony Kennedy that managed to produce this decision. In the ledger, unseen, chalk up another accomplishment for Joe Biden: Kennedy’s appointment came as a result of the malicious blocking of Robert Bork to the Court, with Biden as the chairman in charge. Bork died, but Kennedy is the gift that (for Democrats) never stops giving." Hadley Arkes, The Catholic Thing.

A Supreme Court appointment is always "the gift that never stops giving" and even those you think are strong on the constitution have been known to flip. That is why the upcoming election is so important if you want to keep your country.

Of Democrats and dogs

In today's program at Lakeside Chautauqua about Cuba in the 1950s after the revolution, the Cuban born American lawyer Jose Mas mentioned the nationalization of all businesses, not just that owned by foreigners (Americans). Musing, I wondered if that's like stealing bakeries, flower shops and pizza parlors because the owners don't cotton to the government party line, so thus the jailing or fining of the owners. It's also why you see major corporations supporting pride parades--hush money and blackmail, or rainbowmail. Little businesses can't afford that, or have too many scruples.

In the afternoon I attended a delightful program at the Lakeside Women's Club, Officer Josh Young and Joe Joe of the Danbury Police K-9 Unit.  What a beautiful dog (born, raised and trained in the Czech Republic) and a terrific bond between officer and dog.  He is trained to find 5 drugs, and any derivative of those drugs.  And if you try to hurt Josh, he will probably tear you apart. There many children there, and I loved seeing how wonderful he was with the kids.

http://www.tactical-life.com/news/danbury-township-police-department-k-9/

What's in a name?

 "American society lavished scholarships on the upper-middle-class prep-school graduate Barack Hussein Obama but perhaps would not have done so much for just another Barry Dunham. It is not surprising that when George Zimmerman had been in a fight with Trayvon Martin, his scars were photoshopped away and his 911 call racialized. Would that have happened had he chosen to go by the name of Jorge Mesa?" Victor Davis Hanson

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/429215/anti-westernism-hypocrisy

Waiting

A Clinton Warren ticket?

I see the very wealthy and not so truthful Elizabeth Warren is on the war path against racism and bigotry instead of fighting lies, corruption and taking money from Muslim countries to influence our government. She's hoping to be on the most crooked Presidential ticket in the history of the U.S.

"In the wake of the UK's shocking Brexit vote, Hillary Clinton said these uncertain times call for "calm, steady, experienced leadership in the White House."

On "Fox News Sunday," Newt Gingrich said he found Clinton's statement "hysterical," pointing out that she's been wrong on foreign policy on everything from the Brexit vote to toppling Muammar Gaddafi in Libya to advocating for a "reset" with Russia.

"I mean, what has she been right about?" Gingrich said. "If we need more of this kind of experience, it’s a little bit like Casey Stengel once asking if anybody on the Mets could play the game. I mean, there’s no reason why Hillary Clinton’s experiences qualify for anything except retirement."

http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/06/26/newt-gingrich-hillary-clinton-was-wrong-brexit-libya-russia-more

Expansion of social problems for personal gain

Professor Ronald Wheeler is gay and teaches legal research (i.e., Law librarian) at Wayne State. His academic title is so long, it would fill a page. He has written about microaggressions which he expanded to include microassaults, microinsults and microinvalidations and proposes some solutions to preventing microaggressions from occurring within one's organization. Really. It makes me embarrassed to be an academic librarian (retired).

Like poverty, if this race and gender nonsense were ever to go away, so many people would be out of work (teaching, agitating, getting government grants, inforcing rules, filing hate crime claims, creating special offices that need directors), we'd have homeless academics.

An example of a microinsult according to Wheeler is: If a gay man wearing a wedding band is asked about his wife, and he says he has a husband not a wife, and the new acquaintance says, "Oh," and changes the subject, that's an insult or an aggression. See? You can't win. She didn't scream, or sneer, or quote scripture, she said, "Oh."

Hank Paulson

Hank Paulson was GW Bush's secretary of Treasury.  He has now endorsed Hillary, the crook for 2016. Hmm. If anyone can sniff out money, it'd be Henry Paulson.  Some thought he was one, too.  In 2015 he was supporting Jeb Bush. He was a partner with Al Gore in Cap and Trade because it looked like a good investment and he was on the inside.

I wrote a poem about him in 2008 during the Muslim pirates hostage crisis.

Barney, Nancy, Chris and Hank
threw us hostages in the tank
with bank terrorists taught by Acorn
just like bomber Bernadine Dohrn,
using minorities and the poor
with us as deals on the floor
of the House finance committee,
Oh Lordy, what a pity.

I also wrote a blues song during the October 2008 melt down with Henry in the refrain.

Mitigating factors, oozing out the wazoo,
Sell ‘em or hold ‘em, it’s all a rescue.
I’ve got the low down, trillion dollar
Ben and Henry blues.

A great loss for our church

This is so sad.  Two of the most talented servants of God and we've lost them both. Years ago when Mike Martin (on the right) was choir director at Lytham, I decided to join the choir. But after 50 years of not being in a choir, my soprano range was gone; I only had 4 notes, and they weren't even in a row, so after a year, I gave the gift of my silence. But spiritually, it was one of the best I've ever had at UALC. What a man of God! 

 And I can still remember the excitement when Eric first preached at Lytham in 2008. Oh the liturgy--praise God. Those at Mill Run where he leads the informal service never really got to have that. We benefitted from his special sermons rooted in his strong faith, based in his theater background and his outstanding scripture reading.  His classes were terrific. At a time when many young pastors think they must wear jeans with holes to relate, he always looked like a model. He and his wife and six children will be moving to Texas.  I'm just so sad.

Pavlo, Elvis and Noone

Wonderful program by Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits at Hoover Auditorium in Lakeside Saturday night. What a performer! He looks 45 when he comes out, and 75 when he finishes--really puts everything into it (he's 68). Noone and the Hermits had outsold the Beatles by 1965. The audience loved the sing a longs, and the impersonation of some other performers like Jagger and Cash (he's great at that).

Friday night we had a great Elvis impersonator, Mike Albert, and he'd shortened his show a bit which strengthened it. He's so great with the kids. I think he had them on stage at least 3 times.  Also his mother.

 The Saturday before we enjoyed Pavlo, (Pavlo Simtikidis) and because my husband takes guitar lessons, he was really thrilled.

Sunday there was a lecture on the Ross cottages (large, hip roof style, about 100 years old) for the archives program.  I blogged about them years ago. Learned we had stayed in 2 as rentals back in the 70s.

Art show begins this Tuesday and my husband is teaching perspective drawing at the Rhein Center this week. Day time programs are on Cuba.