You go girl—Nikki Haley

Usually I don't reply to party, candidate or non-profit surveys--they are always an appeal for money. But yesterday I got one for Republican something or other with Nikki Haley's name as the headliner. So I filled out the survey, added some money, then an orange sticky note,

"Nikki Haley for President 2024."
Three term SC House; Governor SC 2011-2017; Ambassador to UN 2017-2018. Graduate of Clemson; experience in business; active in civic affairs. Parents are both immigrants from India. Wife and mother of 2. She has stated, "I'm not pro-life because the Republican Party tells me, I'm pro-life because all of us have had experiences of what it means to have one of these special little ones in our life." She was rejected for a child beauty contest because she didn't "fit" in the black or white categories for SC which had 2 contests. You've come a long way, Nikki.

Are needy people losing SNAP?

Have you heard your Democrat friends (if you still have any) howling or posting memes about 700,000 people losing food stamp (SNAP) benefits? Actually millions have come off Food Stamps because of Trump's improving economy, but we'll have to fight that later. The October poverty report was amazing.

“The change is limited to able-bodied adults without dependents, so you don't need to envision little AOC crying with no food after daddy died.

There are currently 3 million such people—able bodied adults with no children--receiving food stamp benefits. The overwhelming majority have zero employment and earnings.

Under the rule, some recipient able-bodied adults without dependents who have received aid for more than three months would be required to take a job; if a job is not immediately available, recipients would be required to undertake training, perform community service work, or at least look for a job.
The reform is quite modest: Two-thirds of all recipient able-bodied adults without dependents are exempt from the requirements.”

This sounds a lot like the welfare reform of the mid-1990s. Able body adults need to work for their own self-esteem and work experience so they can move ahead.

https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/12/08/the-truth-about-the-new-food-stamp-work-requirements-effects/?

I admit, having worked in a jobs program for JPTA in the 1980s, I know there are people who will NEVER be eligible in a meaningful way for work.  We will need to support them the rest of their lives.  You wouldn’t want them near you, either stocking shelves or emptying bed pans. Jobs today can be terribly complex, even checking numbers on a clip board. 

Shep is out, Bill is in at 3 p.m.

Unless he keeps the same writers, Bill Hemmer should be easier to watch than Shep. I just turned Shepard Smith off; however, because the company was listing left anyway, not sure it will affect the viewers. Fox has always been more moderate and middle of the road than CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and the alphabet broadcast.  Its analysis and experts are better, its women prettier, its humorists funnier, and its tone friendlier.  Its ratings show. CNN must be getting subsidized because it has lost so many viewers I'm surprised it can pay the utility bills. Fox's news is news, and its opinion is opinion.  Any discerning viewer should be able to tell the difference. Tucker, Laura and Hannity are opinion shows. The Five and Outnumbered are up to the minute panel news commentary, but always with at least one liberal on board. Bret is straight news—doesn’t even change his expression. I predict Bill will sort of be right down the middle—news with a little opinion on the side.

https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/bill-hemmer-shepard-smith-fox-news-1203429749/

“As a journalist, l am extremely grateful for this opportunity. 2020 will undoubtedly be a year of great significance. Leading our breaking news division with a signature hour has enormous value to me, personally, and to our audience,” Hemmer said in a statement. “We’ve got a fantastic team here and I am excited to get to work.”

Hemmer used to work for CNN and has been at Fox about 15 years.

Tumor Treating Fields—a review and graphic

Treatment for glioblastoma approved in 2015.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6406491/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29349613https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29349613

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28298023

“In 2011, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a tumor treating fields (TTF) device for treatment of recurrent or refractory GBM. More recently, the FDA approved the TTF device as adjuvant treatment for newly-diagnosed patients after completing standard-of-care surgery and chemoradiation. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) added the TTF device as an option for treatment of newly-diagnosed GBM. Despite FDA approval, skepticism remains regarding this therapy. In this review we discuss the current evidence supporting treatment with the TTF device and its limitations.”

TT Fields Treatment https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/brain-tumor/tt-fields-tumortreating-fields-for-brain-tumors

• The TT fields treatment device is portable and may help people treat their cancer while continuing their normal activities.
  
• People undergoing TT fields therapy use small transducers that are attached to their head with adhesive bandages. Hair must be shaved in order to use the device.
  
• The transducers are connected to wires, which are plugged into a battery that is about the size of a book. The batteries fit into a bag that the person carries with them, either in a backpack, across the body, or over the shoulder like a messenger bag.
  
• The system comes with multiple batteries and a charging station. The user is alerted when batteries need to be changed.
  
• The therapy is continual, but people can unplug the device for short times
  

The plan to destroy your religious freedom

LGBTQ activists want to make disagreements and different religious beliefs against the law. The Fairness for All Act adopts the faulty reasoning of the Equality Act, treating all disagreement about the nature of marriage and the biological basis of sex as illegal discrimination. That's not fairness, that's anti-American.

• Pete Buttigieg, Democrat candidate for President, is not gay enough for this crowd.
• Your beloved sister or niece who are lesbian and accepted by the family and community will not pass muster.
• Your best friend from high school who is gay and a Republican will not be gay enough.
• Andrew Sullivan is not gay enough, "The gay left hates and wants to persecute orthodox Christians, however much good they do. And they’ve taken over the movement."

This is about power, not love and acceptance of differences.

Rumors of economic downturn, again

Remember when Trump took the oath of office, and all the liberal economists were predicting disaster? I’ve looked back through the 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 predictions. It isn’t all stock market talk—it’s farmers in Tennessee, or truck drivers cross country, or realtors.  Each little blip brings out the “what are we going to do about this monster in the White House?”

The last recession ended in June 2009--before the first dollar of ARRA went out the door. They come around about every 10 years (GW Bush inherited the 2000 recession), and usually the recovery is fast unless the government interferes too much with "help." I wonder why liberals keep trying to talk us into an economic down turn? Maybe because they are desperate to see Trump fail and will damage the whole nation for that goal? The October Census report on poverty and the November report on jobs where almost mind blowing for the Democrats--they are so eager to bring down the most successful president in our life times.

John Kerry on Joe Biden

"I’ve never before seen the world more in need of someone who on day one can begin the incredibly hard work of putting back together the world Donald Trump has smashed apart."

• Other than blowing up the good old boys' club in Washington, just exactly what has Donald Trump smashed?
• More NATO countries paying their share?
• The embassy moved to Jerusalem?
• A tax cut for the middle class?
• Best employment figures ever for blacks?
• Securing our borders?
• Reducing the numbers and power of ISIS
• Best economy in 50 years?
• Giving black men in prison a fair shake?
• Declaring Merry Christmas?
• Cleaning up the VA? Defunding Planned Parenthood?
• Record number of employed?
• Starting to build the wall that Democrats agreed to?
• Ending aid to Palestinians?
• Cutting 22 regulations for every new rule introduced?
• Challenging the lap dog media?

Wow. That's some smash up.

Although Obama hasn't directly endorsed Biden, his surrogates are rushing to the rescue "loose lips sink ships Joe." Kerry is a surrogate for Obama. All Democrats know that dog whistle.

There’s Good News in the Bible, but also in the economic news

There's a lot of good news out there if only the liberal media would let you in on it. The U.S. Census Bureau’s latest report on income and poverty, which came out in October found real median family income up 1.2 percent from 2017 to 2018, real median earnings up 3.4 percent, the number of full-time, year-round workers increased by 2.3 million, and the poverty rate declined from 12.3 percent to 11.8 percent, with 1.4 million people leaving poverty. That's why Democrats want to impeach the President. The poverty and earnings report combined with the November jobs report could just signal that not as many people need the federal government, and for leftists, that's tragic news.

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/the-world-is-getting-better-its-just-that-no-one-tells-you-about-it/

There are many items of good news in this article—from medicine to technology to environment.

Sebastian Gorka, interview

Sebastian Gorka, former White House adviser and author of the new book "The War For America's Soul," sat down with Daily Caller's Stephanie Hamill to discuss the 'left's assault on America' and what can be done to preserve what made this country 'great in the first place'.  Unfortunately, I can’t use that link although I’ve listened to it on Facebook, so I’m using a different interview, with Candace Owens, a rising star on the PragerU channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YZJFVBCzSY

I listen to Gorka occasionally 3-5 p.m. on talk radio 98.9 FM in Columbus.  His parents fled Hungary due to Communism, so he was raised in England, and is now an American citizen. He campaigned for the president, and was briefly in the Trump Administration, and is still very loyal. I think he’s had his show about 2 years, having replaced Michael Medved in that spot. He interviews some interesting guests and also takes calls, although he’s not very patient with anyone who doesn’t have his conservative, pro-Trump views.

A troika (тройка) of tyranny dragging a sleigh with a broken runner

Writing about the three partisan academics who spoke against President Trump at the hearings--Victor Davis Hanson:

"We are reminded that, outside small captive audiences on campus, academics are not very good public speakers and usually argue on the basis of presumed authority rather than facts and analysis. The three partisans came across as nasal, whiney, emotional, biased, and self-referential — and their past anti-Trump tweets, and partisan careers, clips, and interviews only confirmed the current stereotypes. On Ukraine, they said the same old, same old thing in mostly the same old ways."

Can’t wait until the Republican controlled Senate gets to call witnesses to the crimes the Democrats have perpetrated.

Obamacare overrun and fraud

About a year ago they discovered some massive fraud in Obamacare--one report found that about 93% of single people who benefited weren't eligible in the big Medicaid expansion and a huge percentage were earning over $100,000. So I decided to check and see if any heads every rolled. But of course, Obama had left town, and Trump was being blamed for being mean and cruel. This is the most recent I found.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sallypipes/2019/09/03/new-bombshell-report-reveals-obamacares-epic-medicaid-waste/#1238fc73e314

"Medicaid was established to serve the genuinely needy: low-income Americans, seniors, the disabled, and poor children. Obamacare flooded the program with able-bodied, working-age adults—that is, people who could likely secure private insurance on their own.

By the end of 2016, some 11.5 million able-bodied adults had enrolled in Medicaid because of the expansion, more than double the original enrollment projections. This brings the total number on Medicaid to 65.6 million. The cost of the expansion has been higher than expected, too—76% more per person."

What is your acceptable number?

At least 12,000 late-term abortions take place every year in the United States, according to Guttmacher Institute data (research arm of Planned Parenthood). Almost none out of medical necessity. And that's OK with Nancy Pelosi, Pete Buttigeig, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and the rest of the gang. And they perpetuate the lie about "save the life of the mother." Nor will they vote to save the life of a born alive aborted child. There was a time in our history when only one politician would say that--Barack Obama. But, he did promise to fundamentally change the country. Promise kept.

Let me ask you, Democrats, what is the appropriate number of lives to snuff in the name of feminism? You can handle 12,000--how about 20,000? Or maybe 10? What's your number?

Name calling—the last resort for Democrats

I've never been able to figure out how Donald Trump gets slammed with that racist meme. He called MS-13 thugs and terrorists. Well? Did he say all Hondurans? Or all people attempting to break into our country? No.

He tried to block people from a few Muslim dominated countries until they could be vetted--Obama's list--because the countries didn't have viable governments. Do you have any idea how many countries are dominated by Islam? About 24% of the world's population. Do you really think the President was blocking that many people, or that Obama had all of them on a list?

But once ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, NYT, WaPo, Politico, HuffPo, and all the late night comedians, has-been movie stars and women dress in pink body parts costumes get on a roll, they just crash down the mountain.

Here's a photo of President Trump and the award he and other patriotic, diverse Americans--Rosa Parks, Muhammed Ali--received in the 1980s, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which recognizes American citizens who embody “patriotism, tolerance, brotherhood and diversity.”

If Democrats can't call a white person racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic or white supremacist, they are left tongue tied and speechless and go back to their knitting-- promoting abortion.

What’s your favorite Christmas movie?

So far with my binge watching the Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel, my favorite is "Christmas at the Plaza" (2019). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10921042/ Maybe it's because it's the only one I've watched start to finish (others I've watched in sections, sometimes finishing at the gym), or maybe because I marveled at the American accent of Elizabeth Henstridge who was flawless, or maybe because it's about an archivist (2nd cousin of a librarian) or maybe because it was fun to see Julia Duffy whom I haven't seen since Newhart. Or maybe because it even had a senior citizen romance in it. Something for everyone.

Beautiful hymn of praise in the book of Tobit

This morning I've been reading the story of Tobit, Anna, Tobiah and Sarah. Such an interesting cast of characters including a demon named Asmodeus and an angel named Raphael. Such beautiful hymns of praise and promise. It's a shame we Protestants don't use it. You don't need to read it as either fact or fiction, just enjoy it for God's amazing works and the praise offered to him.

I really identified with the husband/wife conversation between Tobit and his wife Anna, that is still being repeated to this day.

Backstory: Tobit was a wealthy, successful man who became blind and lost his wealth. His wife had to support the family so Tobit sent son Tobias off to recover money he had in another land. Anna is not happy! It goes sort of like this as they are awaiting his return.

Tobit chapter 10. Now his father Tobit was counting each day, and when the days for the journey had expired and they did not arrive . . .

Tobit: “Is it possible that he has been detained? Or is it possible that Gab′ael [kinsman] has died and there is no one to give him the money?” And he was greatly distressed.

Anna: “The lad has perished; his long delay proves it.” Then she began to mourn for him, and said, “Am I not distressed, my child, that I let you go, you who are the light of my eyes?” She begins to weep and wail.

Tobit: “Be still and stop worrying; he is well, my love, he is safe. They probably had unexpected business, the man traveling with him is trustworthy and is one of our own kinsmen. Do not worry.” [Women just love to be told not to worry and awfulize.]

Anna: “Oh stop it! Be still and stop deceiving me; my child has perished.” And she went out every day to the road by which they had left; she ate nothing in the daytime, and throughout the nights she never stopped mourning for her son Tobi′as, getting no sleep at all."

Now, doesn't that sound familiar?

P.S. It all turns out and God is praised--see Chapter 13 for Tobit's song of praise. Raphael the angel when he reveals his true identity tells Tobit, "A king's secret is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be made known with due honor."

The Lakeside Pavilion—Giving Tuesday

Tomorrow is "Giving Tuesday," and my in-box is swamped. We'll be donating to Lakeside Foundation to help restore the pavilion built in 1988. It's special to us. We attend church there on Sundays during the summer, and I understand the east deck will be dedicated to Rev. Irwin Jennings, our summer time pastor. We had our 50th wedding anniversary there in 2010. Bob is a member of the sailing club which is tucked inside. It was a very hot summer in 1988 and we were strolling on Oak Street and saw a cottage for sale. The lakefront looked good -- better than anytime in our memory. The 1909 pavilion had been replaced by something really ugly in the early 1960s, and it was replaced by a fairly authentic replica. So we took the plunge and although loans were over 10% then, we became cottage owners. Here's the story of the Lakeside Pavilion.

https://blog.lakesideohio.com/2019/11/15/pavilion-east-deck-to-be-named-in-honor-of-the-rev-irwin-janet-jennings/

https://blog.lakesideohio.com/2019/11/26/history-of-the-lakeside-pavilion/

https://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/08/antiques-roadshow-bruce-version.html

How to kill the gig economy

I've never used Uber or Lyft, but I can see the big hand of government regulation killing the gig economy. "The Seattle City Council unanimously passed legislation Monday that will establish a minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers and raise per-ride taxes to pay for city programs." All in the name of protecting the worker. So tell me again city officials how some of the poorest, but most ambitious people, are going to build your "affordable" housing ($52 million) and the City Center connector ($56 million) that is millions in debt and which you've failed miserably to build?

https://www.geekwire.com/2019/seattle-passes-minimum-wage-uber-lyft-drivers-raising-fees-rides/

Jesus is Lord even if we are mad at him and don't want Christmas

Mother's Day 2010

In the early years of the United States, many Christians didn't celebrate Christmas at all--it was just another day--because it had been spoiled by drunken parties and materialism common among the British. Sort of like today. My mom never had a Christmas present as a child, although I think there were cards exchanged at school because I have some of them. My dad did remember getting a new pair of overalls as a kid and somehow they scraped together enough money to buy candy. Ironic that they were so poor and my mom's parents had money, yet dad's family found something to celebrate and mom's made it just another day, no celebration. They did loosen up after grandchildren, and learned to enjoy the holiday.  Just the other day I bought a box of art supplies that reminded me of something they gave me when I was maybe 8 years old. I'll probably never open it, because I don't draw anymore, but it was fun to see it.

The first Christmas I remember was 1944 in Alameda, CA when Dad was in the marines in WWII. Scary times. I know I had memories earlier than that because I can remember I thought that singing carols in the fog (that smell of the Bay has stayed with me) was very different than singing carols in the snow in Illinois--I just have no specific memory of 1943 or 1942. Also we didn't have a church which seemed odd to me. We went to the school gym for a Christmas program. I suppose the military towns had grown so fast there was no thought of churches. There was death and destruction everywhere, so people probably thought God had left town.

My faith was just something passed along to me by community, family and tradition until 1974, then I believed. Lots of questions I plan to ask Jesus because things haven't always worked out. I don't know how 20th century American Christians got the idea that faith was all happy clappy touchy feely. 100 million people lost their lives in the 20th century due to socialism/communism totalitarian governments--a huge number of them where Christians. And neither God nor the U.S. military saved them. And that doesn't count the war dead--another 40 million--and then it was Christians fighting each other!

On the other hand, I've had so many blessings over the years that others have missed, I'll probably ask about that, too. Although, I sort of suspect everything will become clear without even asking. As Paul says, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood."

Things are really foggy for me now, but someday I'll know.

Today is the first day of Advent, a time we look back, to the first Christmas, the birth of Jesus, and forward to when he comes again in glory.  It's the first day of the new Christian year, a time the church gives us to start fresh.  It's true that Christ has already taken his seat at the right hand of God, but

"now he comes to be born in the narrowness of our lives to be incarnate in us, to give his love to the world through us, through our flesh and blood. . . The reason why we are where we are this Christmas, in this house, family, office, workroom, hospital, or camp, is because it is here in this place that Christ wants to be born, from here that he wants his life to begin again in the world"  (Caryll Houselander, "Lift up your hearts" 1978.) From Magnificat, December 2019

Clarence Thomas on liberals

Justice Thomas: "I felt as though in my life I had been looking at the wrong people as the people who would be problematic toward me," Justice Thomas said in the documentary. "We were told that, 'Oh, it's gonna be the bigot in the pickup truck; it's gonna be the Klansmen; it's gonna be the rural sheriff.' But it turned out that through all of that, ultimately the biggest impediment was the modern-day liberal. They were the ones who would discount all those things because they have one issue or because they have the power to caricature you."  https://pjmedia.com/trending/justice-clarence-thomas-takes-revenge-on-joe-biden-he-wanted-to-get-rid-of-me/

How true. Although I was a Democrat at the time, I was excited about this appointment by GHW Bush in 1991. I remember where I was when it dawned on me what liberal professors at OSU were about. They don't walk the talk. We were at lunch in the Faculty Club and I naively assumed all of us overeducated state employees would be thrilled with this nomination. "Bush is just doing it because he's black," she said, "He's just not qualified."

He has been an amazing justice, and his autobiography is one of the best political and cultural histories I've ever read, "My Grandfather's Son." You'll learn more about the black experience reading that book than attending a year's worth of SJW sniping at a university.

Baby Alexandria

I rarely remember a sermon--and we have such good pastors. Nothing personal--it's a learning disability I've learned to work around since I was a child. Joe Valentino had such a stunning story in his Thanksgiving sermon it's stayed with me--and I'd love to be able to do what those parents did. I may not have all the details correct, but here's the gist of it.

I remembered seeing a notice in the November 17 bulletin about the death of baby Alexandria, and Joe told her story. This much adored and awaited for little girl had a stroke at birth and didn't die, but she was brain dead. Her parents took her home and made a vow to enjoy every moment of her life, to love and cherish her as if each day were their last together. I could hear gasps from the other pews. I believe she died about a week later, and they had kept their vow. We never know what day is our last together, so always be kind and loving and thankful for the time you have.