Democrats vow to fight ANYONE Trump appoints

The attacks aren’t new.  1987 and 1989. Bork and Thomas.  30 years of liberals attacking conservatives and the Constitution. "The left’s attack on Bork had gone far beyond mere good-faith intellectual or ideological disagreement, devolving instead into “intellectual vulgarization and personal savagery,” “profoundly distorting the record and the nature of the man.”" (Commentary) And Justice Thomas described his nomination process as a "high tech lynching." Bork's experience became a verb--borking. Nastier than anything on social media in 2018, but it was 30 years ago. Ted Kennedy's lowest, ugliest point in his career, outside of Chappaquiddick.

My solution to the immigration problem

Here's my solution.

1. Issue more green cards for essential skills and abilities,
2. tighten up removal of those who overstay--like the tech industry.
3. Make those H-1B visas stiffer so Google, FB and Yahoo will hire more American graduates.
4. Enlarge the legal immigration quota and reduce the barriers and costs.
5. Obey the IRCA law--the one Congress passed and then ignored.
6. Take in more Christian refugees. More Christians have been martyred for their faith than any time since the first-second century.
7. Remove incentives to disobey the law.
8. Limit chain migration to immediate family with careful vetting.
9. The Democrats voted for a fence. Let's get on with it. And plug the tunnels, hire more guards, and use more drones.

The cap on H-1B hasn't changed--just the enforcement--or fear that Trump will follow laws. Obama and tech giants were super cozy and in love. He's going to work for Netflix. Browsing the internet you see some of our H-1Bs are going to Canada rather than overstay and be illegals in the U.S. Canada is 98% white and 90% open space where no one lives. Help them populate and diversify.

Time to turn off cable news

I didn't see hysteria, anger and angst about Obama from the regular MSM and cable media--although it was definitely on social media--despite the many strange things he said about America and fly over country, and his flubbed attempts at destroying the economy. Now the news media, especially cable news, are in hysteria mode over Trump, declaring every disaster imaginable, advocating mob violence,  ignoring the biggest killers of the 20th century (Communist regimes) and the devastation in Cuba and Venezuela and going for the Hitler comparisons. What is wrong with these people? Probably it's just for rating$ to bring in the clicks and dollars, but just in case they really are demented, turn them off, do not buy their products (hate, anger, lies).

Using Essential Oils

Our Herb Group (Lakeside) today heard a Lakesider, Karen Glassford, speak about “What’s in the bottle” this morning, about discerning the quality and efficacy of the essential oils that are now all the rage for a variety of health conditions from sleep, to changes in hormones, to skin problems.
Karen said her life was made better once she discovered essential oils

• better sleep,
• emotional support,
• more energy,
• better mood,
• better digestion,
• limited seasonal allergies,
• immune support
• non-toxic cleaning, youth renewal

She encouraged us to READ THE LABEL.  Many oils are diluted with synthetics, plasticizers, solvents, and may contain heavy metals, pesticide residue and a variety of impurities.  That didn’t shock me as much as this: the FDA regulations allow the manufacturer/bottler to claim 100% essential oil if it contains just 5% actual oil.

She encouraged us to buy “farm to table” if possible, knowing the grower and methods.  The grower really needs to be in control of the agricultural practice (such as soil, seeds, harvesting at peak), and be the owner, the distilling, quality control and testing, the use of fillers, and rejection standards. Always look for the amber glass—never buy from Amazon or a large distributor who is a long way from the grower.

I didn’t get a bibliography, but she often referred to Dr. Doug Corrigan, https://revolutionoilspodcast.com/revolution-podcast/essential-oils-vs-pharmaceuticals  and Dr. David Stewarthttp://www.thewholedog.org/WhyEssentialOilsHealandDrugsDont.pdf .  When I looked them up, one reviewer said Stewart’s book had a lot of errors, but I would not be able to judge.

Let Maxine speak her mind--Guest blogger Todd

Todd Thornton (school friend of our son):

 “I do not think Representative Maxine Waters should be fired, resign, jailed, or even sanctioned.

She should be given a bigger microphone and encouraged to speak at every opportunity. For she is, after all, the face of the Democratic Party in the US at this juncture in history.

She hates her country, is racist, ignorant, illogical, and shamelessly advocates a brand of socialism and true fascism that even Soviet Russians would find distasteful. Guilty of sedition, she is the best brand manager of the Democratic Party any Republican could wish for. She and that phony American Indian along with the world’s richest curmudgeon Bernie are the darlings of our leftist media, all determined to destroy America. They should all be proudly put on display and the American public reminded each day they are Democrats and exactly what that party stands for.

When given free reign to speak her mind, she will not only encourage millions of Americans to vote idiots like herself out of office, she will forever be credited historically as a deciding factor in the 2020 re-election of President Trump.”

Dreamland

Reading "Dreamland; the true tale of America's opiate Epidemic" by Sam Quinones. I recommend it. A perfect storm of Mexican drug dealers, pill mills, and pharmaceutical companies in high gear to combat pain, and how it all came together in Ohio. If we think making marijuana legal is a good idea, we need to rethink because it is "legal" drugs that have enslaved us. This book (2015) is now dated but updated daily in the news; the explanation of how the Mexican drug cartel works is happening before our eyes and now includes fentanyl as well as black tar heroin.

Joel Brucken

“The Lakeside sailing program has seen many changes over its 41 years, like kinds and numbers of craft, facilities, kids’ sailing and new people, but a few things never changed. Joel Brucken was always there. He took sailing lessons in 1978, the second year of the program, and was one of the very few who was continuously active every year since. Joel passed away this May after a long battle with cancer. Over the years he competed in regattas, the Mouse Island race, and for many years he was the coordinator of the August Cup, in which he entered with his 22 foot ‘All Day’. He and Angela were always at the end of the pier to watch regattas, attended all picnics and awards ceremonies, and hosted sailing parties. He encouraged his son, Brian and grandsons, Drew, Ben and Jack to sail; Brian and Drew later became sailing instructors.

Joel also participated in many non-sailing activities. He was a past president of the LPOA and on the Lakeside Board of Directors. Programs at Hoover, education seminars, property owners’ meetings—Joel was always there with questions and comments. He also enjoyed diverse events like Guys’ Club, Sunday night poker games, bird symposiums, even ballroom dancing, and he helped with the Heritage Society.

Joel will be missed by those of us who knew him. He was always there.”
- Maryln Dudrow

Do you think liberals might be losing it?

Mike Huckabee reported on Laura Ingraham show:

"By the way Laura, there’s a part of that story that hasn’t been told, you’re going to be the first to hear it. Once Sarah and her family left, of course Sarah was asked to please vacate, Sarah and her husband just went home. They had sort of had enough. But the rest of her family went across the street to a different restaurant. The owner of the Red Hen – nobody’s told this – then followed them across the street, called people, and organized a protest yelling and screaming at them from outside the other restaurant and creating this scene.”

You can help the children

Is it so much to ask that my liberal friends and family weeping over the children separated from adults by borders with fences, court cases and guards stop locking their homes, gated communities (like Lakeside) and cars/bikes/golf carts and allow any stranger to use them? After your homes are full of all that justice, the new owners can just vote you out. Sounds fair, good, and quasi Biblical, based on the memes being shared. You're an American--you've got too much stuff anyway.

Rising Income EQUALITY

Rising income EQUALITY may have helped elect Trump. When all the government transfers are factored in and no taxes on that "spendable income" the lowest quintiles are rising while others are going down. Some apparently see this as unfair. Shocking, right? I blogged about this years ago comparing a beginning librarian's salary (requires a master's degree) in my community with the transfer income of a woman who receives government benefits and works part time at a fast food restaurant. Wall St. Journal article today reports:

"The bottom quintile earned 2.2% of all earned income in 2013, but after adjusting for taxes and transfer payments, its share of spendable income rose to 12.9%—six times its proportion of earnings. The second quintile’s share more than doubled, rising from 7% of earned income to 13.9% of spendable income. For the third quintile, middle-income Americans, the increase was much smaller, from 12.6% to 15.4%.

Not surprisingly, high earners lost a considerable share of their earnings after taxes and transfers are taken into account. The fourth quintile’s share fell from 20.5% to 18.6%, while the top quintile dropped from 57.7% of earnings to 39.3% of consumable income. In other words, the top quintile’s share of earnings was 26 times that of the bottom quintile, but after taxes and transfer payments its share of spendable income was only three times as much. "

It would be political suicide to ever campaign on this--income inequality is the drum beat of both parties. But people do notice--just saying. Some even blogged about it years ago. Ironic isn't it, that the richest man in America, Jeff Bezos, who hates Trump with a passion, helped elect him.

Week 2 at Lakeside

The preacher of the week at Lakeside this week is Carl McColman, a anamchara, which means “soul friend,” and a seanchaí, or "story teller." He's not a minister; he's a retreat leader, author, and a contemplative. I'll check out Monday--see what it's about. His conversion story is a little different than most; he was raised a Protestant, converted to Paganism, then from that religion to Catholicism. Then at 10:30 on to Sam Quinones, the author of Dreamland; The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, who will give 2 lectures on the opioid crisis. Monday night is a silent film organist (and the film, of course). Sunday evening was the Choral Festival  Concert. Members of the choir are Lakesiders and singers from other choirs in the area who came for a week-end retreat of master classes and methods for choir directors.  Lakeside’s Coordinator of Worship Music, Michael Shirtz  was organizer and conductor.

The Blue Hen Restaurant in Lexington, VA

If a black member of the Trump administration, or a gay member, or the Social Media team Diamond and Silk, or a disabled Republican who voted for Trump, or a Mexican immigrant running for a GOP office, or a female spokesperson for Trump who wants to make America great again, or Alice Marie Johnson, who thinks Trump is terrific (granted clemency) were to come to the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, VA, they'd be served a four course menu of bigotry, distain, ignorance and folly. Fortunately, Sarah Sanders is a lot classier than the owner, and she left when being refused service and told why.

  

The Red Hen Restaurant, Lexington, VA

And no.  This is not a first amendment issue where the owner had religious concerns, long held, about serving a member of the president’s staff.  This is poor service, and would not be allowed for any protected group by gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion, but one is allowed to do this to a white female staffer of Donald Trump, which just shows you how insane our “hate” laws are. You can’t compare Valerie Jarrett to a fictional character in an old movie without losing your job, but you can kick someone out of your restaurant. You can threaten the president’s son on social media, and your movie will still open (Peter Fonda).  The difference is pro-Trump or anti-Trump.

The silly season

Q. Why did God make you?
A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven.
Baltimore Catechism (used in the U.S. from 1885 to the late 1960s)

The Q & A format for learning the basics of Christianity was popularized by Martin Luther, and a similar format was followed by Catholics for four hundred years. The U.S. version was revised several times and went from 100 questions to over 1200. Today it is popular again among home-schoolers.

I don't know what was used between the 1970s and 2005 when the current CCC was published. I've heard it called the "silly season" and sounds a bit like the Lutheran book we received in 1974 when we attended membership classes at UALC, which was orange and pink with balloons and theology to match. I think we have 30 years of poorly catechized Catholics and Protestants in the U.S. as fall out from that era.

Restaurant refuses service to a white, female customer

The The Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia refused to serve Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and her family last night because they hate conservatives. No more, no less. (Several people have told me the owner is the cousin of actress Meryl Streep, though I have no independent confirmation of this).

If you'd like to leave a review of what you think of this policy, then visit the restaurant's FB page at: https://www.facebook.com/redhenlexington

Disinformation/Fake News

The Left and Hillary supporters invented the term "fake news" and then Trump snatched it from them and used it against them. Then they disavowed their baby and threw it out.  Don't fall for the "media literacy" set-ups--they have agendas and are not neutral. Facebook, for instance, uses Snopes to help ferret out truth from fake. That’s rich.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=UQcCIzjz9_s

Sharyl Attkisson explains how this happened and what to watch for.  She goes back to the case of Richard Jewel and the Olympics to explain how biased, sloppy, erroneous, prejudiced and sensational news grows even 20+ years ago, and now especially through social media. “First Draft” is a non-profit that first used the term “fake news,” and then media jumped on the band wagon demanding someone control this. Attkisson suggests we follow the money—and she found the parent of the company Google.

 https://firstdraftnews.org/

“First Draft Coalition is a group of thought leaders and pioneers in social media journalism who are coming together to help you answer these questions, through training and analysis of eyewitness media.”  And it’s just a coincidence these “leaders” are all on the left, manipulating us.

When all the media are on the same page, that’s when we need to suspect “fake news.”

Making Trump’s case

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=eGuSdXiFtLk

CNN reporter ends up making Trump’s case for separation of families, but doesn’t realize it.  She acknowledges that children are used for sex trafficking and as drug mules.

Wellness seminar in Lakeside on nutrition

Actually, I wrote that yesterday.  This morning we’re going to the Idlewyld Bed and Breakfast www.idlewyldbb.com  owned by Dan and Joan Barris at 350 Walnut.  Best breakfast in town.  First I walked 2 miles along the Lakefront in the glorious sunshine.  Life is tough.

Today’s programing is on sustainability.  I’ve been hearing that, or a version of it, for 40 years, but I might stop in to hear the one on Lake Erie.  Tomorrow there is a seminar on Listening and the art of paying attention by a “geriatric life enhancement consultant.”  I could do that—I’m old and I don’t pay attention!

Also tomorrow afternoon is a book review by my friend Nancy Long on “Dreamland: the true tale of America’s Opioid Epidemic (Sam Quinones) at the Lakeside Women’s Club. Her birthday was this week and we went out for lunch at the Bluebird restaurant. www.bluebirdatlakeside.com I had the “Italian Lover” panini, which is fresh pesto, tender chicken, tomato, and provolone cheese with a side of fresh veggies.  Nancy had the “Rockin’ Robin” salad which was strawberries, crimbld goat cheese, roasted sweet potatoes, toasted nut-medley on baby spinach with maple-balsamic reduction.
Sometimes on Friday afternoon I attend the World Affairs program (it’s call dialogue, but you know how Lakesiders are).

That’ll work

Congress needs to solve this; could start with current law

This morning I listened to Paul Ryan talking about making special facilities for "families." Assuming there's a magic wand to get this past Democrats who need it as an issue going through the mid-terms, the first kid who is found out to NOT be a family member, but trafficked, will all be blamed on Trump.

Senator Schumer is challenging Trump to use his pen, make it go away,  the way Obama did. Since Democrats in Congress will never allow a "comprehensive immigration law" change and have blocked Trump on DACA, which has increased the problem,  and the border, here's an idea for the gridlock. Let's work with the laws now on the books!

Leaving children with parents in detention for weeks or months. Is that what Democrats want? Do you suppose the Democrats could find a judge somewhere, Hawaii maybe, to challenge that and let them go into the general population like the Obama years? Betcha.

Three percent returned for court date under Obama's "catch and release" program for illegal immigrant families. And we wonder why the government doesn't know where the children are? What if only 3% of the children have been trafficked? Is that OK? What if only 3% have joined MS-13. OK with Democrats?

Democrats are ridiculing “family values” of Republicans

They’re certainly right that sanctity of marriage is a Republican value, since Democrats have been in the business of destroying marriage and family since 1964, and Republicans do eventually absorb the cultural values imposed by liberals.

And they’re right that sanctity of life is a Republican value (for some Republicans); abortion doesn't appear in the RNC mission statement as it has in the DNC for 3 decades.

And they’re right that the federal government more often disregards the rights of the states when Democrats are in charge.

But they’re  wrong that the current dust up is about children from Mexico; the unaccompanied minors who are being trafficked for sex or labor come mostly from Central America 'with parents" and have passed through Mexico who doesn't want them, or won't take them as refugees.

And they’re right the protests against abortion are about liberty--the right of a child to live, the most basic form of all liberty.

I'm a little puzzled about the FBI probe, though--they confused me on that one. The left is OK with the bias shown at the highest levels? Is that OK in the Ferguson or Baltimore investigations?