I'll probably only make it through lesson one of thirty since I'm neither a pianist nor an organist, but it certainly is interesting. AOG Lessons for the New Organist. https://www.agohq.org/lessons-for-the-new-organist/
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Monday, January 13, 2020
How lifers make a living in Congress—Bernie Sanders
Some of my regular readers are old enough to remember the Jimmy Carter years; he was ousted by Ronald Reagan because people were so upset by the economy. It was a terrible recession, and I didn't have a job in my regular field, library science, but found one being alert to gossip in my aerobic class.
Through my aerobics instructor, Corey, I got a temporary government contract job through JTPA (formerly CETA) This is where the federal government takes your tax money, filters it through all the DC bureaucrats, then sends it to the states which employ a lot of people to fill out the forms to get it, where it is filtered through the state (Ohio) bureaucracy, then smaller programs are developed, where it is further spread out among local agencies and non-profits.
I worked for STEPS, Senior Training and Employment Program. Senior workers (over 50) had been hit particularly hard by that recession, so our little group of 5 or 6 went around the state putting on workshops and developing publications. It was a dream job for me, and I was employed. I even was able to write speeches for the head of the Bureau of Employment.
That's what most of these employment programs do--they employ the people who work in them. I don't know if a single person over 50 ever found a job due to our efforts, but probably thousands of government workers, either civil service, or grant temporary like me, or Area Agency on Aging employees, or the many training centers set up for teaching and skill development (private), the landlords who rented the space, or the small caterers who provided the lunches we served at the workshops managed to get through that recession. Plus, I met great people (state employees are fantastic) and had a good time--learned so much about how government works and why so many people sat alone in offices with nothing to do while we temporary workers were very busy.
This is a tiny picture of what Bernie and others in Congress have been doing for a living for their entire lives. They live well, but not much changes for the people who really need help.
Comparing terrorism charges
June 14, 2016 at 1:57 p.m. EDT
Update: On Tuesday, President Obama sharply dismissed Donald Trump's critiques of the fight against terror in a brief statement. "If there is anyone out there who thinks we are confused about who our enemies are," Obama said, "that would come as a surprise to the thousands of terrorists who we have taken off the battlefield." Last December, we tried to quantify those "thousands." Washington Post
Obama killed thousands of terrorists by his own account, and perhaps every one was necessary and had the proper advice from the military and approval of the appropriate committees. All the T's were crossed and the I's were dotted according to proper regulations. But then why with only a few strategic terrorist leaders taken out, men who'd been declared war criminals by previous administrations, is Trump criticized? Because Democrats are out of their minds with Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Truly, can we believe anything we read in the media or any Democrat in Congress if they are this biased?
Sunday, January 12, 2020
The Baptism of the Lord
Today I was prepared to celebrate the Baptism of the Lord with other traditional and liturgical churches, but it didn't happen. So I'll post a reminder here as a heads up:
The Baptism of the Lord 2020: Sunday, January 12, 2020
The Baptism of the Lord 2021: Sunday, January 10, 2021
The Baptism of the Lord 2022: Sunday, January 9, 2022
The Baptism of the Lord 2023: Sunday, January 8, 2023 (transferred to Monday, January 9, in the United States and other countries where the celebration of Epiphany was transferred to Sunday, January 8)
The Baptism of the Lord 2024: Sunday, January 7, 2024 (transferred to Monday, January 8, in the United States and other countries where the celebration of Epiphany was transferred to Sunday, January 7)
The Baptism of the Lord 2025: Sunday, January 12, 2025
The Baptism of the Lord 2026: Sunday, January 11, 2026
The Baptism of the Lord 2027: Sunday, January 10, 2027
The Baptism of the Lord 2028: Sunday, January 9, 2028
The Baptism of the Lord 2029: Sunday, January 7, 2029 (transferred to Monday, January 8, in the United States and other countries where the celebration of Epiphany was transferred to Sunday, January 7)
The Baptism of the Lord 2030: Sunday, January 13, 2030
Matt. 3:13-17
Acts 10:34-38
John 3:22-30
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Mr. Smith goes to sixth grade
A certain man in my life (for his protection I’ve made up a name) decided he’d try substitute teaching in his school district. We’re about the same age, so right away, you know he’s too old to take on such a dangerous assignment. It reminds me of the years my father was taking temporary jobs in his retirement, such as night watchman at a prison or driving a school bus. The bus driver job was the tougher one he said.
Things are different these days, Smithy told me. He first logged on to his computer at home and entered a password, and found the list of available spots for the day.
“Ah, that one looks good for a first try. Only half day, and at a near by smaller school. Sixth grade math. I should be able to handle that.”
When he found the school he was buzzed in (all doors were locked) and Smithy says the look on the receptionist’s face when she saw a 78 year old should have clued him in there was trouble ahead. He walked about half a mile down the hall to the classroom. The regular teacher was probably late-20s and had a well prepared lesson plan for the afternoon. She met with him about 15 minutes and explained that at 11:57 he would open the door (to the outside) where the students would be lined up. At the correct time he opened the door and led the students in, and they all started to run to different locations, but most took seats in his classroom.
Smithy hadn’t taken “Education” courses in college like I did (he had taught college level), but I remember the first instruction in Education 101 is “Don’t smile until Thanksgiving” or they’ll think you’re a push over. Yup. He smiled. Immediately 5 or 6 boys began to act out and take advantage of the old dude, fresh meat. There was a boy in the class who was “mainstream” and had an IEP and wanted a pass to leave. All was lost after that. He completely disrupted things and the other boys began with the smart aleck remarks teasing the challenged student.
One boy was so disruptive Smithy decided to escort him back to his seat (they were running around the classroom). Smithy didn’t know the rules, but the students did. “You can’t touch me—take your hand off my arm,” the little snot told the man old enough to be his great grandfather.
That class was 12 to 1. Then the 2nd period was about 25 minutes, time to prepare. At 2:02 there was a time period called “Social Emotional Learning, SEL. During this time they were to concentrate on the book, “Who moved my cheese.” Not sure how that applies to math, but apparently it is something about anticipating change and time management. The book was published over 20 years ago and has sold over 26 million copies in 37 languages. The main characters are two mice and two quasi-humans called Hem and Haw.
The third period was 2:30-3:11 (school dismisses at 3:11, teachers stay until 3:30) and Smithy only had about half a classroom. This seemed to be a time out/study hall period for people who were in trouble. Some one had quit band, and someone else had been kicked out of choir, and so forth. The librarian saved the day. The kids were so disruptive that she entered the classroom and told them they were being too loud and to quiet down. Smithy was stunned. The class came to attention immediately and were quiet when she showed up. They were angels.
And through it all, one little Asian boy worked diligently on his studies. Nothing the rowdy gang did distracted him. Smithy said, “He’ll be the class valedictorian.” The boys were the disrupters, the girls mostly tried to help. They provided directions to the correct locations, but to the boys, he was just fresh meat.
Smithy was so thankful it was just 3 hours, but he still had a fairly long evaluation to complete. He offered his advice on how the day could have gone better, like more time with the classroom teacher, and who had been helpful. He asked if he could come back as an observer and watch how the regular teacher handled the discipline and instruction.
But he particularly wanted to shadow that librarian and see what her tricks were.
Update: January 19, 2022.Mr. Smith remembers that day as yesterday. When he went in to talk to the Principal about the situations he faced that dreadful afternoon, and he was given a facial expression of "heard this all before". The reason was given that the school district, upon consolidation with another district, had to accept students (poor white trash) from the trailer court just outside the city. OH MY, WHAT LOGIC!!!
The other memory of that fateful day has been finally put to bed with my check for $6.47 from the TRS (teacher retirement system) and the State of Illinois. Yesterday, after 2 years on my part to save that system $$ by not sending out reports and other correspondence quarterly, I was allowed to close my TRS account. It took numerous phone calls (the first informed me I could not close this wonderful cushion for retirement) and other negative comments about why I would be foolish to "CASH" out and the last being an 8-page notice regarding what the IRS is going to do to me if I took a "LUMP SUM DISTRIBUTION". The final threat was that if I pulled out of the union, I would never be allowed to re-up again!!!! PRAISE THE LORD
Mr. Smith holds a Substitute Teaching License through 2025 through the Regional Office of Education #47 for the Counties of X, Y, and Z after submitting and passing the following:
- 1-9 Employment Eligibility Verification,
- Illinois teaching certificate,
- College Transcript,
- Mandated Reporter Status for Child Abuse,
- Physical exam,
- TB Test,
- Fingerprint based criminal history,
- Successful check of the Illinois Statewide Sex Offender Data Base,
- Successful check of the Illinois Statewide Child Murderer and Violent Crimes Against Children Data Base.
SMITTY
Spend time with adults? Is he crazy?
I think adults who write about children have bad memories. 63 years ago I didn’t have any of these qualities when I entered college. And based on what I read on Facebook and other blogs, many of my contemporaries have not learned along the way. Basic math? Still struggling with that.
“What do [entering college students] need? Academically, they need to be able to read analytically and write clear literate prose. They need to be able to recognize an argument and formulate one of their own. They need to be able to analyze and apply ideas from one source to a problem in another, think logically, and do basic mathematics. These are all valuable, but two other things are actually more important.
The first is that a student must “have the lights on.” They have to care. If education is seen as something they “get through” to get a largely meaningless credential – their “entry slip” to enter the corporate rat race rather than as a place to develop needed skills and wisdom – then they cannot and will not get an education.
The second thing a prospective student needs is maturity. Another way of putting this would be to say, they need to grow up: become dependable adults who take responsibility for themselves and for the common good of the community of which they are members.
How does that happen? One answer is they need to develop the virtues: wisdom, justice, temperance, and courage. How can they develop these virtues they so desperately need?
Answer: Adolescents need to spend time with adults if they are ever going to learn to be adult. They need the experience of working with and for other people. They need to work within a group in which their well-being depends upon others doing their jobs well and in which the well-being of others depends upon them doing their jobs well. They need to mature by training in a craft in which excellence is demanded and expected.”
https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2020/01/11/college-when/
Randal Smith is the Scanlan Professor of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
Friday, January 10, 2020
More money for obesity research?
"For decades, experts at CDC, National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Education, the Administration for Children and Families, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been researching and developing strategies to prevent and address obesity among children and adults nationwide." (The State of Obesity, 2018)
And apparently their strategies aren't working except to ask for more money to fund more research to pay more government workers. 1999-2000 30.5% adults obese; 2015-2016 39.6% obese. I don't find that impressive. Don't cut our budgets--we need that money to address obesity! To fail bigger!
Looking through the research, I see. . . racism is embedded.
- The differences between blacks and whites are called INEQUITIES.
- The differences between black males and black females (more likely to be obese) are called differences.
- The differences between Asian American men (more likely to be obese) and Asian American women are differences.
- The differences between Asians and whites (more likely to be obese) are called differences.
- The differences between rural (more likely to be obese) and urban are called differences.
- The differences between first generation and second generation (twice as likely to be obese) are called differences.
- The differences between Filipino Americans (more likely to be obese) and Chinese Americans are called differences.
The UMC split began a long time ago
“ In 1968 the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church finalized the plan of union to form the UMC. But by the time they completed their 1972 Book of Discipline, the die for the UMC’s dissolution had already been cast. The doctrinal section of the Book of Discipline reframed Wesleyan doctrine around the newly-coined Wesleyan quadrilateral in a way that privileged theological pluralism at the expense of doctrinal fidelity. Whereas Wesley emphasized spirituality in Scripture through his Explanatory Notes and tradition through his Christian Library, the theological commission behind the Book of Discipline turned theological pluralism into a principle emphasizing human experience as the core of theological method.”
https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2020/01/a-failed-experiment-in-methodist-unity
I wonder what will happen at Lakeside?
Thursday, January 09, 2020
Finally, relief from vertigo
This week I was down for 4 days with vertigo. People call it being dizzy, but it's worse than that for me--I can hardly tell the ceiling from the floor, and tip over even sitting down. And although you don't die of vertigo, if you fall at 80, it's a serious problem. Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths.
It happens when a tiny crystal gets dislodged from your inner ear, and really messes up your balance. I had it when I was about 50, really bad, and then again this past week. But at least this time I knew what it was and didn't think I was having a stroke.
You can wait it out for a few weeks, get a prescription, or try some maneuvers to dislodge the crystal (get a diagram from the internet), or see your doctor who might try some head turning maneuvers to move the crystal. I did see a doctor yesterday and by that time, it had pretty much cleared after my daughter read instructions on turning my head--although that took about 12 hours to get better. Still, just in case it's something else, and if you're old enough for Medicare, it's still a good idea for the doctor to look in your eyes and poke around. There is a virus that causes similar symptoms and also Meniere's disease which can cause hearing loss.
After a few days in the house, not driving or going to the gym, the January sun never looked so good, even if it was to go to the doctor.
The frustration of being a Republican
The hardest thing to get used to when I registered as a Republican in 2000 (didn't change my values, but the Democrats had long ago left me) was the way they don't hang together to achieve a long term goal. Democrats are like Gorilla glue, Republicans wander around in search of rubber cement to peel off. When I watch these piss ants back stab and whine and toss the ball to the Democrats when the President clearly had every right constitutionally to do what he did, whether Ukraine or Soleimani, the smoke just comes out of my ears. Mike Lee and Rand Paul, you spoiled middle schoolers, do you really want Pelosi to have a win, or maybe take the presidency?
The booming Trump economy creates a labor shortage
So many Democrats believe Trump's economy talk and tweets are "spin." They whine, post stupid memes, and have no respect for people trying to get ahead after Obama's 8 years of slow growth (except for the rich--they did well after 2009). That's because Washington Post, NYT, CNN and MSNBC mislead the sheeple, or just lie.
From today's Wall Street Journal:
"The remarkable jobs rally at U.S. small businesses continued in December. That’s according to the latest National Federation of Independent Business monthly employment survey, due out later today.
NFIB’s Chief Economist William Dunkelberg reports:
Job creation did not change from November, with an average addition of 0.29 workers per firm, the highest level since May. Net job creation had faded from February’s 0.52 workers per firm to September’s 0.10, but is back in strong territory. Finding qualified workers remains the top issue for 23 percent reporting this as their number one problem, 4 points below August’s record high.
The desire to hire among the owners of small firms remained robust. According Mr. Dunkelberg, “The 2019 small business labor market ended in much the same way as it began with strong hiring, elevated levels of open positions, and higher employee compensation.” Speaking of rising wages, the NFIB economist notes: “Attempting to fill open positions, historically high percentages of owners plan to raise worker compensation.”
In some industries, the competition for labor is especially fierce.
NFIB reports:
Sixty-two percent of construction firms reported few or no qualified applicants and 46 percent cited the shortage of qualified labor as their top business problem. Comparable figures for manufacturing were 63 percent and 24 percent respectively. Growth is clearly constrained in these important sectors by a shortage of workers."
The Washington Post today got it half right--reported on the booming job growth, but then attributed it to rising minimum wage! How dumb does a business columnist need to be (or who is threatening him) to write that? Minimum wage is a huge deterrent to a healthy economy. Wages are going up because of labor shortage--workers are promoted and new ones hired at good salaries if they can walk and chew gum. It's not rocket science, except for MSM. A very small number of workers even in recession made minimum wage, most made more.
In 1980, when the federal minimum wage was $3.10 ($9.41 in 2018 dollars), 13% of hourly workers earned the federal minimum wage or less. Today, only 2% of workers do. The number of federal minimum wage workers has decreased from 7.7 million in 1980 to 1.7 million today. This is partly due to states establishing higher minimum wages than the federal level. I guess Democrats want more people to be earning minimum instead of less? I don’t get it!
The accomplishments of President Trump that Galli ignores in his impeachment for Evangelicals Christianity Today article
1. The appointment of two Supreme Court justices, 50 judges to federal circuit courts of appeal, and 133 federal district court judges (plus two other judges to specialized courts). All of them are committed to interpreting the Constitution and the laws according to the original meaning of the words and not according to their personal policy preferences. This is a good result of immeasurable benefit to the future of the country, for it guarantees that laws must be made by elected legislators who are accountable to the people, not by judges who are appointed for life and have no effective accountability to the people as a whole. Many of these judges will serve for decades to come.
2. Significant tax cuts that have resulted in remarkable growth in jobs and wages. The good results are already seen in the paychecks of millions of workers, with the highest percentage growth occurring in low income jobs, the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years, and the lowest black and Hispanic unemployment rates ever recorded.
3. Massive elimination of wasteful government regulations, giving a strong boost to business and job growth.
4. Strengthening our military with passage of the largest defense budget in our history.
5. Standing up to China and firmly opposing their long-time theft of our intellectual property, including much copyrighted and patented information.
6. Moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and in general being a strong friend of Israel.
7. Supporting laws and actions that protect the unborn child’s right to life, including permitting states to defund Planned Parenthood, reinstating and expanding the Reagan administration’s Mexico City Policy which halts funding to groups that promote abortion overseas, strengthening conscience protections for individuals and organizations that have sincerely held religious beliefs about the sanctity of human life, and requiring insurance companies to disclose to customers if their plans cover abortions.
8. Building as much of a truly effective border wall as could be built in the face of intransigent opposition by Democrats.
9. Withdrawing from the misguided Paris Climate Accord, which would have significantly increased energy prices in the U.S.
10. Issuing executive orders that protect religious freedom, such as rescinding the Obamacare HHS mandate that forced groups such as Little Sisters of the Poor to provide access to abortifacients through their health care plans or face massive fines, finalizing new rules that protect the rights of conscience for pro-life medical professionals, and the Department of Justice issuing 20 principles of religious liberty to guide the Administration’s litigation strategy and protect religious freedom.
11. Revoking the Waterways of the U.S. regulation, which wrongly took control of millions of acres of people’s private property
12. Gaining approval for the Keystone pipeline, the Dakota access pipeline, and oil exploration in a tiny section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
13. Finally retaining energy independence for the United States (we now produce more energy than we consume)
14. Rescinding Obama-era regulations that required schools to allow biological boys to enter girls’ restrooms and locker rooms in high schools
15. Driving ISIS out of large areas that it had controlled in Iran and Syria
17. Supplying Ukraine with needed weapons to defend itself against Russia
18. Persuading several NATO allies to increase their defense spending
19. Protecting freedom of speech on public university campuses by denying federal funding to institutions that do not protect student speech.
20. Promoting more ability for parents to be able to choose their children’s schools by appointing Betsy DeVos, a veteran school-choice advocate, as Secretary of Education.
Fact checking Trump’s lies
"Do Trump’s tweets contain lies? Galli (Christianity Today article condemning Evangelicals who support Trump) himself gives no examples, but the Washington Post on December 16 carried an article, “President Trump Has Made 15,413 False or Misleading Claims over 1,055 Days.”
What exactly are these alleged lies?
Strongest economy? The Washington Post article contains a link to their “Track Checker” webpage, where the “lies” are listed by category. The most common one (repeated 242 times) is Trump’s claim that that the US economy is now “perhaps the strongest economy in our country’s history.” But the Post says this is a lie because “By just about any important measure, the economy today is not doing as well as it did under Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson or Bill Clinton – or Ulysses S. Grant.”
What the Post doesn’t tell you is that it depends on what you are measuring. The total economic output of the United States in Eisenhower’s last year (1960) as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) adjusted for inflation, reached a record high of $3.26 trillion. By 1968 (Lyndon Johnson’s last year) it had risen to $4.8 trillion. In Bill Clinton’s last year (2000), GDP was up to $13.1 trillion. The current projection for 2019 is that GDP under President Trump will reach $21.4 trillion. Therefore, judging by the total economic output of the United States, it is completely true to say that we are currently living in “the strongest economy in our country’s history.” Trump is not lying, but the Post is using some other measurement (such as percentage growth rate) in order to claim that Trump has told this lie 242 times."
One of my liberal Democrat relatives is supposed to be a whiz in math, yet he too makes this common mistake. Doesn’t adjust for inflation or doesn’t distinguish among rate, percentage, or number. It’s easy to lie for the fact checkers, too.
Eric Metaxas on Christianity Today
Here’s text of Eric Metaxas’ Wall Street Journal article . . . provided by Kelly Kullberg.
“The magazine Christianity Today—which bore the imprimatur of its founder, Billy Graham —once arguably represented the broad middle of “American evangelicalism.” But a recent editorial calling for President Trump’s removal through impeachment confirmed the magazine’s creep toward that Slough of Despond populated by liberal elites and Joe Biden.
The article cleared its throat—and conscience—by declaring “unambiguous” the “facts” of the president’s guilt. Having thus defenestrated objectivity, the editorial cited his behavior in general as “profoundly immoral,” his character as “grossly” so.
But these subjective pronouncements promote a perversion of Christian doctrine, which holds that all are depraved and equally in need of God’s grace. For Christianity Today to advance this misunderstanding is shocking. It isn’t what one does that makes one a Christian, but faith in what Jesus has done.
The reason for the editorial is that evangelicals pronounced Bill Clinton unfit for office because of his moral failings. Thus, claim Mr. Trump’s detractors, evangelicals are hypocrites who’ve sold their souls for political power unless they issue a withering philippic against Mr. Trump. Christianity Today’s long-faced essay is meant to be that dressing-down, triggered by the “facts” of the impeachment.
But does the Clinton “character” comparison make sense? Aren’t the political realities different two decades later? The triangulating practicality and moderation of the Democrats under Mr. Clinton have been trampled beyond recognition by something untethered and wild, like horses racing to Venezuela.
In the 1990s some Democrats were antiabortion. Neither party could exclusively claim the high ground on this deepest of moral issues. Mr. Clinton spoke of making abortion “safe, legal, and rare.” No longer.
Despite ultrasounds and 4-D imaging, Democrats endorse abortion with near unanimity, often beyond viability and until birth. If slavery was rightly considered wicked—and both a moral and political issue—how can this macabre practice be anything else? How can Christians pretend this isn’t the principal moral issue of our time, as slavery was in 1860? Can’t these issues of historic significance outweigh whatever the president’s moral failings might be?
The pejorative du jour is to call evangelicals “transactional,” as though buying a loaf of bread and not simply praying for one were somehow faithless. But what is sneeringly called “transactional” is representational government, in which patriotic citizens vote, deputizing others to act on their behalf for the good of the country. Isn’t it conceivable that faithful Christians think Mr. Trump is the best choice?
But some left-leaning evangelicals long ago grew tired of being portrayed as jug-headed rubes and prudes. After Mr. Clinton’s acquittal, these Christians opted out of the “culture wars,” pretending it possible merely to “preach the Gospel” and avoid politics. They gave the good family man Barack Obama a mulligan or two, winking at his repudiation of traditional marriage and his dehumanizing unborn children.I
n this genuinely transactional compromise, Christians supporting Mr. Obama missed the moral forest for the trees. Now, in calling for Mr. Trump’s removal, they are missing the haystack for the needle. Can those troubled by Mr. Trump not at least imagine that removing him could lead to something even worse? Can the Democratic metamorphosis into an openly antiborder, socialist movement responsibly be ignored?
The stakes are therefore even higher than in 2016, not least because many are rightly scandalized at the attempts to undo that election. Perhaps voters could be excused for hoping to pry Old Glory from the grasp of unelected J. Edgar Hoovers at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Christians especially blanch to see religious liberty—once thought settled under Mr. Clinton with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993—suddenly under serious attack. Christians are staggered to see good souls who stand by millennia-old religious convictions portrayed as deplorable bigots. Democrats—and many Republicans, too—simply look away, seemingly resigned to a culturally Marxist future in which they too may at any minute be rent asunder by woke mobs.
Given this new reality, is it any wonder Mr. Trump’s bellicosity often draws cheers? Or that the appointment of originalist judges has become so urgent that some people are willing to countenance a chief executive who tweets like a WWE figure?
For those of us alive to this strange moment in history, arguments that this president’s inchoate moral failings somehow require his removal from office seem not only disproportionate, but preposterous. Christians worship a man who flipped over the tables of corrupt money changers and drove them from the temple with a whip he fashioned for that purpose. Or must one now assume Jesus was an angry white male without access to mental-health care?
The editors of Christianity Today have made the mistake of “straining at a gnat but swallowing a camel.” Since most evangelicals concur with Abraham Lincoln in seeing America as “the last best hope of earth,” it should hardly be discomfiting or shocking that they would rally behind a president with the fortitude to defend that vision of America.”
Mr. Metaxas is the author of “If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty” and host of the nationally syndicated “Eric Metaxas Show.”
Wednesday, January 08, 2020
Exercise—making New Year’s Resolution?
Can you lengthen your life?
“Even frail older adults can benefit from regular physical activity. One NIH-funded study included over 600 adults, ages 70 to 89, who were at risk for disability. They were randomly placed in either a moderate exercise program or a comparison group without structured exercise. The exercise group gradually worked up to 150 minutes of weekly activity. This included brisk walking, strength and balance training, and flexibility exercises.
“After more than 2 years, the physical activity group had less disability, and if they became disabled, they were disabled for a shorter time than those in the comparison group,” Bernard explains. “The combination of different types of exercise—aerobic, strength and balance training, and flexibility—is important to healthy aging.” NIH’s Go4Life website has tips to help older adults get and stay active.”
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/06/can-you-lengthen-your-life
Michael Smith guest blogging on Trump and Iran
"The three top candidates for the Democrat nomination - Biden, Sanders and Warren - all three came out yesterday [Jan. 7, 2020] with statements that Trump is lying America into another war while never acknowledging that Iran has been a provocateur for years (and the US has held back) or that Iranian leadership is nothing but liars and propagandists.
This from the leaders of a political party that unconditionally supported a president who was comically awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for purely political reasons even though:
- America was at war for every single day of the Obama/Biden administration's two terms.
- Twice as many soldiers died in Afghanistan in the first three and a half years of the Obama/Biden first term than in all eight of Bush's two terms.
- The Obama/Biden administration's use of drones eclipsed Bush's by a huge amount, earning him the nickname of "Drone King".
- The Obama/Biden administration bombed 7 countries (Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya and Syria), three more than Bush.
- Obama, Biden and Hillary destabilized Libya and in the process, sat by as 4 Americans were murdered in Benghazi - then lied about what they did, what they didn't do and where they were as it was happening.
- Obama set a "red line" in Syria over the use of chemical weapons and when it was crossed, did nothing.
- Obama ordered the targeted assassination of an American citizen in Yemen via drone strike.
- John Kerry, former Secretary of State for Obama, has admittedly been in Iran working with the Iranian regime against President Trump's policies.
Look, war is dirty business - and fighting an asymmetric terrorist threat is even more so - but these Democrats have no standing to criticize anything Trump does after standing by during the Obama years, or in Biden's case - having been neck deep in the decision making process of Obama's actions.
OrangeManBad delusions do not change history.
Democrats support terrorism
"Qassem Soleimani was an arch terrorist with American blood on his hands. His demise should be applauded by all who seek peace and justice. Proud of President Trump for doing the strong and right thing." Nikki Haley
“According the Obama Department of Defense, Qasem Soleimani was a terrorist directly responsible for the murder of over 500 US service men & women. Why are congressional Dems outraged that he’s finally dead?” Ted Cruz, TX
But the 2020 gang continue to grieve Soleimani’s death.
Tuesday, January 07, 2020
Soleimani’s death
"President Trump’s order to take out Qasem Soleimani was morally, constitutionally and strategically correct. It deserves more bipartisan support than the begrudging or negative reactions it has received thus far from my fellow Democrats." Joe Lieberman
JOAN R. BARRIS, Good-bye to a great friend
So sad to hear of the death of Joan Barris, co-owner with her husband Dan of the Idlewyld Bed and Breakfast in Lakeside, Ohio. We had such fun together. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, a terrific hostess and art and writing teacher. We enjoyed many breakfasts at their great B&B. I last heard from her on Dec. 29, at Cleveland Clinic, awaiting a stent procedure.
Another friend from Lakeside posted at Joan’s Facebook wall:
“It is with a very heavy heart that I am sharing the news that our dear friend Joan Barris has made her heavenly transition after an illness and hospitalization.
Many of you know Joan and her husband Dan as the wonderful innkeepers at Idlewyld B&B in Lakeside. I first met Joan in 2006 while attending an Artists Way retreat organized by Sandie King. I fell in love with Idlewyld and chose to host my next Indigo Connection retreat at Idlewyld. I returned to host retreats annually through 2017 and also began attending the wonderful watercolor painting workshops she hosted. Joan not only hosted our groups, but participated with us in most of our activities. She mothered and mentored us as our wise elder and will always be remembered for the very witty notes she took and later used to create poems for us each year as our retreats concluded. She was a creative soul in every way I can imagine and always curious to keep learning.
One of my fondest memories of Joan came three years ago while I was going through a very difficult time in my life. My husband George had just been hospitalized for many weeks and was transferred to a neurological rehabilitation facility. Joan had been following our journey and praying for us. I was able to visit Lakeside briefly for respite and stopped by Idlewyld to catch up with my dear friend. We sat quietly together on the sofa and I remember she held my hand and recited the poem below. Perhaps these words will help you find peace at this time of loss too. By sharing this, I see how spirit has allowed the circle to connect our first meeting with today's emotions.
These are the beautiful words from Artists Way author Julia Cameron that Joan used to comfort me in 2017
I wish I could take language
And fold it like cool, moist rags.
I would lay words on your forehead.
I would wrap words on your wrists. '
'There, there,' my words would say -
Or something better.
I would ask them to murmur, 'Hush' and 'Shh, shhh, it's all right.'
I would ask them to hold you all night.
I wish I could take language And daub and soothe and cool
Where fever blisters and burns,
Where fever turns yourself against you.
I wish I could take language
And heal the words that were the wounds
You have no names for.
I do not yet have details regarding a memorial service. Please pray for her beloved husband Dan and for the family at this time of sudden loss. May Joan be embraced by the glory and beauty of her creator.”
From the obituary: Joan R. Barris, age 85 of Olmsted Twp., passed away January 5, 2020. Beloved wife of 65 years to Daniel; loving mother of Joanmarie (David) Vanaski, Martin Barris and Maribeth Barris; cherished grandmother of Summer Vanaski, Cori (Jacob) Snowberger and Katie Barris; great-grandmother of Amelia Barris, Landen Snowberger, Dayten Snowberger and Zinovia Barris; dear sister of the late Virginia Johnson; aunt of Gail Johnson.
Joan was the owner of Idlewyld Bed and Breakfast in Lakeside, OH for more than 30 years. She enjoyed watercolors and writing. She coached synchronised swimming at the Lake County West-End YMCA.
The Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at 1 PM in the Chapel at Sunset Memorial Park, 6245 Columbia Rd. North Olmsted; where the family will receive friends from 11 PM until the time of service.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be made to Lakeside Chautauqua, www.lakesideohio.com/giving/ today. www.dostalbokas.com
Marcia the military wife comments, guest blogger
The group where this was posted is generally conservative, and apparently some are unhappy about the President taking action (far less than Obama did with drones where he once in 2014 killed civilians at a wedding and the target wasn’t killed) because like Obama, he’s promised no more wars. So Marcia is letting whoever got snarky, have a piece of her mind.
“As I sit here on the tail end of of my husband’s latest six month deployment to Kuwait, I’d like to as calmly as possible ask the many members of this group to tone down the anti military posts.
I’m not sure why the death of an Iranian terrorist and murderer is triggering you into general anti military sentiment, but if it is, perhaps you need to sit down and ponder why that is and what it is you truly believe.
I apologize for getting heated and using salty language in reply to some antagonists. Two decades of frequent separation from my spouse while working full time and raising my kids is weighing heavy on me. Maybe it’s the broken dryer or the faulty wiring in the garage door, or the fact I need to spend about $1000 on tires for ANOTHER 4000 mile move to Alaska. Maybe it’s how my kids have managed to break the flusher handle on two toilets in my house and I’m debating if I should hire a handyman or wait until my husband returns or try to YouTube it and do it myself with all my free time.
Maybe it’s because my 9 year old daughter is now in weekly counseling.
Maybe it’s because I’ve never lived even remotely close to my family or the fact I gave birth to my first child alone because my husband was in Korea for a year. Maybe people who have zero idea what military service entails should sit down and shut up for a minute, and realize that if they sound like coastal liberal elites, then maybe that’s exactly what they are.”
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