BibleOpoly

We had lunch at our friends' home yesterday and then we divided into teams and played BibleOpoly. Lots of fun and laughter, as we paid rent, took offerings, went to purgatory/meditation, the abyss, passed Go, bought property in Tyre and Corinth, while we bought materials to build our churches.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bibleopoly-Board-Game/11035061

What do Democrats stand for?

Now the Democrats are going to fight infrastructure improvements just as they've stonewalled tax cuts, support for the military, and shot down the DACA solutions--just because they weren't their idea. The bumper sticker creators for the 2018 elections will have a lot of material.

"For too long, lawmakers have invested in infrastructure inefficiently, ignored critical needs, and allowed it to deteriorate. As a result, the United States has fallen further and further behind other countries," Trump's message read. "It is time to give Americans the working, modern infrastructure they deserve."

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/11/news/economy/trump-infrastructure-plan-details/index.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-trump-infrastucture-illinois-20180212-story.html

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/02/11/schumer-trump-infrastructure-plan/

What if Rob Porter were a woman?

The latest hype in the media about a White House secretary reminds me of all the security clearance problems Bill Clinton had because he was using his wife's suggestions. I tried to check Google, but the algorithms are all set to show me only left leaning sources like Vox, WaPo, New York Times, etc. on Porter. Oh, the outrage. Now if Rob Porter (who denies the claims) were a female staff member who abused her ex-husbands, we'd never hear about it.

Most abused men don't report it--either police won't believe them, or they don't want to be exposed as a wimp, but it's not uncommon. Also abuse among LGBTQ is very high, but not discussed in the media. "The National Violence Against Women (NVAW) survey found that 21.5% of men and 35.4% of women reporting a history of cohabitation with a same-sex partner had experienced physical abuse in their lifetimes; the corresponding rates for men and women with a history of only opposite-sex cohabitation were 7.1% and 20.4%, respectively." Journal of General Internal Medicine, Aug. 2011.

https://www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2018/02/07/white-house-staff-secretary-rob-porter-resigns-after-allegations-of-spousal-abuse/

Letter to my statistics professor

You are in Cape Town, and I’m in Columbus, Ohio.  Through the miracle of on-line learning and MOOC, I am in week 6 of your Coursera offering on Understanding Medical Research, in which you often stress the importance of statistics, choosing the right tests, and having access to the original data. I'm definitely a statistical outlier among your students--I'm 78 and retired in 2000, and have had no math since 1955. And although this class doesn't demand a heavy background in math, I even had to review fractions, percent, and square root!

So, in the Nov. 28, 2017 JAMA there is an article, "Adherence to Methodological Standards in Research Using the National Inpatient Sample," that caught my eye, and impressed upon me everything you've been teaching us. I was surprised to read that of 120 articles (the sample) of the 1082 (the population) published in a 2 year period using data from 35 million hospitalizations in the U.S., 85% did not adhere to 1 or more required practices of the AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), and 62% did not adhere to 2 or more required practices. A total of 79 of the 120 in the sample (68.3%) did not account for sampling error, clustering, and stratification; 62 (54.4%) extrapolated non-specific secondary diagnoses to infer in-hospital events, and so forth.
So I began linking the people involved; not only did the researchers get it wrong, the peer reviewers missed the errors, as did the editors of the medical journals (some with a high impact factor). The articles with incorrect statistical information were used to get promotion and tenure at universities.  Possibly policies and regulations for hospitals may result from some of these published articles with careless statistics, or, a "medical journalist" will attempt to translate the results for a layman, and it will be reported in the media.

In the U.S. we have been subjected to a horribly expensive electronic medical records law which all physicians and hospitals had to incorporate (I think it began around 2010).  There was no evidence this would improve medical care, but it was apparently "needed" so researchers had more data to mine.  I still have to ask for my medical visits from Dr. A to Dr. B, two miles apart, to be faxed because these systems don't talk to each other. Now with all this data ready to be mined, someone will mess up the statistics!

So, Dr. Juan Klopper, you are definitely needed, and will never run out of things to talk about.

What a parent likes to hear, Thank You.

From Michael Smith:

"My youngest son is 29. He called me last night to thank his mother and me.

When I asked him why, he told me that he and a couple of work friends were talking about the Spacex Falcon Heavy launch test yesterday and he had to explain to one of the friends - a 25 year old college graduate - that the rocket was not electrically powered.

My son was aghast at how a person could go through 4 years of college, get a degree in accounting, hold down a job for nearly three years and still have absolutely no concept of basic physical science. His friend believed the rocket had Tesla batteries in it. How that could create thrust, she couldn't explain - but she was really happy it was environmentally safe. His friend was totally blown away when it was explained to her the rocket was not battery powered but burned a mixture of liquid oxygen and kerosene to create thrust.

When I asked him why he was thanking us, he said "Because you and mom would never have allowed me to be that stupid."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_Heavy  I don't usually cite Wikipedia, but this one looks pretty thorough, and I don't know enough about Falcon Heavy to even do the research.  But I do like it when kids say Thank You to their parents--even if they are almost 30.

We have had voter fraud for years

Democrats scoffed at the dead being registered to vote, or 35 people with addresses for an empty parking lot, or students voting both in the town of their college and their parents' town, or illegal immigrants lining up to vote because who will stop them but a racist, or God forbid, having ID to vote. Yet even with tons of evidence of home grown voter fraud, most of which is their own, they have a fantasy that Russian hackers can get into voting machines run by 50 states and change votes. They [Clinton campaign + Obama administration] can use the FBI to go after Carter Page who was paid to give speeches in Russia when the US and Russia relations were fine. Yet Democrats defend the Clintons who took millions from foreign influences, including the Russians. It looks like Democrats want to bring down the government.

The faith of millennials exceeds boomers

"Many so-called mainline denominations are collapsing — but these almost invariably are those that have tried to “keep up with the spirit of the age” rather than with the Holy Spirit. Quoting one sociologist: “When the so-called progressive churches question the historicity of Jesus, deny the reality of sin, support abortion, ordain clergy in same-sex relationships and perform their marriages, people desiring real Christianity head elsewhere.”" Fr. George Rutler https://www.lifezette.com/faithzette/young-people-religious-worship-far-happier/

What has become of Donna Brazile?

So what ever happened to Donna Brazile?  Is she in witness protection?  Still alive?  Her tell all article was a bombshell—remember?  Clintons don’t forgive. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/02/clinton-brazile-hacks-2016-215774

"President Barack Obama’s neglect had left the party in significant debt. . . left the party $24 million in debt—$15 million in bank debt and more than $8 million owed to vendors after the 2012 campaign—and had been paying that off very slowly."

"[Wasserman Shultz]  told us about the hacking only minutes before the Washington Post broke the news."
 
“Wait,” I said. “That victory fund was supposed to be for whoever was the nominee, and the state party races. You’re telling me that Hillary has been controlling it since before she got the nomination?”

"Right around the time of the convention, the leaked emails revealed Hillary’s campaign was grabbing money from the state parties for its own purposes, leaving the states with very little to support down-ballot races."

"I had to be frank with him [Bernie]. I did not trust the polls, I said. I told him I had visited states around the country and I found a lack of enthusiasm for her everywhere. I was concerned about the Obama coalition and about millennials."

Summary of the Memo

Comey, FISA, Spying on Trump

Even the most loyal Clintonista and Democrat know these facts, even if they claim the memo helps Putin.

1. The FISA warrant was obtained using the dossier.
2. The dossier was "opposition research" paid for by the Clinton campaign.
3. The warrant was used to spy on Trump, a private citizen.

You can fret over the role of Comey, McCabe, Rosenstein, Ohr and his wife, or Stzrok and his lover, the various media who received leaks and reported them as fact, or President Obama all you want, and deny, deny, deny, but the facts which have been known for months will smack you in the face.

"We told you so! Mueller's toast. Nunes is a hero and Trump . . . well, he's a genius. What a grand day for liberty-loving patriots and a dour day for the fetid and olid Deep State. Bwahahahahaha!" Lionel Nation.  Yes, I had to look up "olid." He's a word master. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doOztgjJBdY

He began as a Trump critic, but has come around.

https://spectator.org/obamagate-confirmed/

Sonja Ness comments: "So priceless that Obama led the MSM in a cry of Trump is basically insane for claiming he was wiretapped a year ago...and all the sheep believed it, while the folks with their eyes wide open, were branded conspiracy theorists. All the hate we have seen in this last year is all based on a created, hate filled narrative bought and paid for by Hillary and Co...again, mind reeling. Go ahead and give it the old Google to refresh your memory on how Trump was absolutely ripped apart and had “baseless claims” for the wiretapping...I don't know about you all, but I am absolutely pissed, disgusted and angry at this absolute corruption, we the people have been lied to and not only that played like a fiddle by those in high places...let that sink in."

Name calling and pejoratives--convenient but not accurate

Not sure where the charges of racism against Trump come from. It's the classic middle school bullying technique. Your mom wears combat boots.  That’s not exactly right.  I do know. It's the leftists' favorite word to stop all discussion and they hate him so it is used constantly.

Islam is a religion trusted by millions of all ethnicities and races, yet when he tries to stop terrorism, he's a racist Nazi using dog whistle words. MS-13 preys on immigrant neighborhoods both for victims and members, yet the MSM talking heads call that a code word for his racism. They think the MS-13 gangs only exist in the mind of Fox News, probably because they don't live in those neighborhoods and have doormen and security guards. The "Hispanics" I see on TV or who are politicians are whiter than I am, and obviously have gotten to the top of their game through persistent "shadeism" in their or their parents' homeland.

We all know immigrants built this country because whether they arrived in 1600s from Europe, 2005 from Ghana or 15,000 BC across a land bridge from Asia covered by rising water when glaciers melted (global warming)--we all came from somewhere, including Trump's own mother. The left refuses to distinguish between the concept that some immigrants come to the U.S. legally and some don't. They use a very broad brush and only glorify those who broke the law. More votes that way.

Crumbs for Deplorables begins today

Wouldn't that make a nice bumper sticker for mid-term elections?

The Treasury Department estimates that 90% of individual taxpayers will see an increase in their take-home pay according to USAToday.

U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called the new tax law a “scam” that “does violence to the vision of our Founders.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the day the tax bill passed “one of the darkest black-letter days in the long history of [the] Senate,” and said the bill was designed to stuff “money into the pockets of the wealthy and the biggest corporations.”

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 begins today decreasing taxes. One man on Facebook said his weekly paycheck was $185 more.  But that's just crumbs according to Fancy Nancy who is a millionaire.

Note to Maxine: Your president paved the way for Trump

If President Obama had done in 2009 what President Trump did in 2017, cut regulations and taxes, instead of dumping that ARRA money on his friends who got him elected, he too could have had a legacy. But it was never in his ideology or mind set to let the economy free. He took over 1/5 of the economy, spiked student loans, and was lukewarm on energy independence. Fracking, ironically, saved his butt.

https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/fracking-boom-masks-obamas-horrifying-economic-numbers

https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-12-02/us-sees-historic-jump-in-health-cares-share-of-the-economy

Strangling regulations and total state control were all he had been taught by his socialist mentors, professors and fellow travelers, all he understood. He could have invited American companies to come home. But no. Punish, divide, and choke off initiative. Apologize and whine, beat down the people for the sins of others. Eventually the people ignored him and scrambled out of his regulation built ditch, little thanks to him. They knew in their hearts they were better than his vision for America.

Hope for the future--Thoughts after the State of the Union speech

"For the first time since the 80s, I am thinking it may be possible for my children to enjoy the successes possible through hard work that were obtainable in the past in this great country. Our economy is finally growing again, and in a big way! Optimism is back. Common sense changes are happening, like deregulation of job killing laws. Employment is up for minorities. Jobs are coming back to America that were leaving in the last several decades because of our more competitive corporate tax rates. Trade will no longer favor other countries more than the USA. So happy to see our country returning to what it used to be and the possibility of people thriving via hard work again. MAGA!"  Jennifer Rymer Krawsczyn

What is a Student’s t-test?

I’m taking a statistics course on line through Coursera, and this is quite a challenge since my last high school math was in 1955, and although this class is not “math,” the instructor certainly uses words like fraction, percentage and square root.  So I find myself often going to Google to find explanations.  Today (week 5 of a 6 week class) the instructor (who is from Cape Town and has a bit of an accent in English) told us about Student’s t-test.  The reason it’s called that is the man who came up with this test worked for a brewery, and had to publish anonymously. Since it is now known who he was, I don’t know why they don’t just call it the Gosset t-test. Maybe statisticians are a little OCD?

I’m using this video to flesh out what the instructor told us—I watched his video twice and still didn’t get it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTmLQvMM-1M

Watch for these symptoms

Flu symptoms for adults

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough—This is VERY important.  You think you’ve turned the corner, but you’ll fall in a hole.

William Yoder, father of my niece and nephew

B. William Yoder, 90, formerly of Goshen, died Jan. 20 in Tampa, Florida. He was born July 22, 1927 in Conway Springs, Kansas to Levi M. and Gertrude (Miller) Yoder.

He is survived by a daughter, Cynthia (Ron) Rees, Bradenton, Florida; a son, Gregory (Michalene) Yoder, Tampa, Florida; five grandchildren, Catherine and Christopher Rees, William, Jennifer and Rachel Yoder; one great-granddaughter, Alyssa Rees Pillsbury; sisters, Mary (Alvin) Miller, Goshen, and Gertie (Orvil) Christner, Wolcottville; and brothers, Alvin Yoder, Middlebury, and Lee Yoder, Thailand; and nieces, nephews, cousins and friends to mourn his passing. Following World War II, he served with PAX for several years in Europe building homes and infrastructure. Without a high school diploma, he entered Goshen College where he met and married Carol Corbett in 1960.

He graduated with an associate's degree. He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol; sisters, Anna Troyer, Edna Troyer, Sarah Miller, and Polly Mast; and a brother, Samuel Yoder. William was a well-known livestock auctioneer for over 50 years in the Michiana area and in charge of organizing the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale auctioneers for 38 years.

He was an assistant zone administrator for Parents without Partners. He was a member of 8TH Street Mennonite Church, Goshen Exchange Club, Elkhart Moose Lodge and National and State Auctioneers" Associations. Friends may call Sat., Jan. 27 from 9:30 until the 10:30 a.m. funeral service at Yoder-Culp Funeral Home.

Pastor Brenda Sawatzky Paetkau will officiate. Burial will follow at Violett Cemetery.

Note: in recent years Bill had been living in Florida with his son and daughter.

Bill with great granddaughter Alyssa a few years ago

How the LAPD stays fit

Our niece (foreground, white shirt) showing her fellow LAPD officers how to workout and push themselves to their full potential. Dripping sweat, pushing hard, lifting weights and heart rate up. She loves that!  Makes my 40 minutes on the treadmill at Lifetime Fitness look pretty tame. She's the mother of three, twins who are 3+ and a 15 year old. Her husband is also a police officer.

Healthy sauteed cauliflower

I would leave off the turmeric.  Just can’t develop a taste for it. But if you like it, go for it!
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=243

The World’s Healthiest Foods says:  “From all of the cooking methods we tried when cooking cauliflower, our favorite is Healthy Sauté. We think that it provides the greatest flavor, texture, and overall recipe success. Healthy Sauté—similar to Quick Boiling and Quick Steaming, our other recommended cooking methods—follows three basic cooking guidelines that are generally associated in food science research with improved nutrient retention. These three guidelines are: (1) minimal necessary heat exposure; (2) minimal necessary cooking duration; (3) minimal necessary food surface contact with cooking liquid.

Begin by cutting cauliflower florets into quarters and let sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance its health-promoting benefits. To Healthy Sauté cauliflower, heat 5 TBS of broth (vegetable or chicken) or water in a stainless steel skillet. Once bubbles begin to form add cauliflower florets (cut into quarters) and turmeric, cover, and Healthy Sauté for 5 minutes. Toss with our Mediterranean Dressing. For details see, 5-Minute Healthy Sautéed Cauliflower.”

One cup has 28.5 calories, and is very high in some important vitamins like C and B.  It’s available in white, purple, green and orange.

“While the U.S. is the world's largest producer of broccoli, when it comes to cauliflower, it is not remotely close to China or India, which produce 74% of the world's cauliflower. Given the remarkable nutritional benefits of cauliflower, we hope that this pattern will change over time and the cauliflower will become a more widely enjoyed cruciferous vegetable. "

Trump in Davos

Imagine taking the MCAT, entering a marathon, or facing another player on the tennis court, and believing you can't do your best and worse, announcing it to the other guys. Sort of like our last president.

"Trump has been making the rounds in Davos, holding bilateral meetings with other world leaders and conducting business roundtables." http://dailycaller.com/2018/01/25/european-ceos-trump/?