Saturday, March 11, 2023

Taibbi and Shellenberger Twitter testimony

The House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government held a hearing featuring testimony from independent investigative journalists Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger who were involved in the “Twitter Files,” a series of articles on how government agencies and lawmakers interacted with the social media company over content moderation.

Both men are highly respected writers/journalists, yet the Democrats tried to demean and insult their integrity and credentials.





Dr. Meryl Nass discusses how her career was ruined and she was silenced

 Dr. Meryl Nass SUSPENDED By Medical Board For Defying Mandates w/ Dr. Kelly Victory – Ask Dr. Drew - YouTube

After defying mask mandates & the CDC on COVID-19 treatments and mRNA vaccines, Dr. Meryl Nass was suspended by Maine's Board of Licensure in Medicine and ordered to undergo a psych evaluation. Though the board claims they received complaints about her medical practice, Dr. Nass says the complaints were fabricated by activists using targeted harassment to censor her freedom of speech.

 “The BOLIM, a regulatory extension of policies enacted by Governor Mills, was intent on silencing her,” said Gene Libby, Dr. Nass' legal counsel. Dr. Meryl Nass is a board-certified physician with over 40 years of experience in all areas of internal medicine. She is a nationally recognized expert on epidemics who has consulted for government agencies around the world, especially focusing on anthrax, Zika, Ebola, and biological warfare investigations. Follow Dr. Nass at https://twitter.com/NassMeryl and at https://MerylNassMD.com

Dear Conservatives, I apologize

Dear Conservatives, I apologize (Dr. Naomi Wulf, Democrat) Dear Conservatives, I Apologize (substack.com)

"I believed a farrago of lies. . ."

"There is no way for anyone thoughtful, even if he or she is a lifelong Democrat, not to notice that Sen Chuck Schumer did not say to the world that the footage that Mr Carlson aired was not real. Rather, he warned that it was “shameful” for Fox to allow us to see it. The Guardian characterized Mr Carlson’s and Fox News’ sin, weirdly, as “Over-Use” of Jan 6 footage. Isn’t the press supposed to want full transparency for all public interest events?"

"Sen Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate minority leader, did not say the video on Fox News was fake or doctored. He said, rather, that it was “a mistake” to depart from the views of the events held by the chief of the Capitol Police. This is a statement from McConnell about orthodoxy — not a statement about a specific truth or untruth."

"Jan 6 has become, as the DNC intended it to become, after the fact, a “third rail”; a shorthand used to dismiss or criminalize an entire population and political point of view.

Peaceful Republicans and conservatives as a whole have been demonized by the story told by Democrats in leadership of what happened that day."

You can read her entire piece, although she doesn't seem to catch on that the "mostly peaceful" meme repeated by Tucker was a reference to MSM journalists standing in front of burning buildings in 2020 claiming the Floyd riots were mostly peaceful.

Jesus Revolution and Isaac Watts

I haven't seen the new movie "Jesus Revolution" yet but reading through the history of the movie and the era, I realize it coincided with the years we became involved in the church in the late 1960s, first at First Community Church in 1967, then at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church in 1974, both in suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. So, our participation was more with small service groups within established churches, than with the worship movement. Whether or not we were aware of it, we were participating through prison reform, a fair housing group, marriage encounter groups, Cursillo, and the move at UALC to add a contemporary worship program to the regular Sunday schedule (which we no longer attend) beginning on week-nights crowded into the fireside lounge with guitar music.
 
This morning I was reading about Isaac Watts, born in the 1600s, and who as a teen-ager decided church music was too stuffy and boring and began to write his own hymns, which became very controversial, outraging many older church goers, but which also became extremely popular and spoke to the needs of the people. He wrote over 600 hymns, many we still sing today (Joy to the World, When I survey the wondrous cross), and paved the way for the more prolific Charles Wesley, who wrote thousands of hymns.

The Wesleys, John and Charles, went on to awaken and evangelize our country in the 18th century, and so the tradition of periodic movements to refresh and revitalize Christianity continues. And we saw it again last month in Asbury, KY.

Friday, March 10, 2023

David Clyde Bartow, 1939-2023

Sorry to learn of the death of my old friend and high school classmate, Dave Bartow. We had many sparing matches on FaceBook and many others chimed in on our arguments, but he was such a sweet guy. I think I last saw him about 20+ years ago at a reunion. I remember in high school he was an outstanding athlete and always had a big smile.
Obituary of David Clyde Bartow

David Clyde Bartow, 83, passed away on March 8, 2023. He was born July 11, 1939 to Clyde Orval and Elizabeth Mary (Schueller) Bartow, the youngest of five children: Bettie, John, Harry, Robert and David. He was raised in Mt. Morris, IL where he graduated high school after lettering in track, football and basketball. Dave enjoyed spending time with furbaby Copper, golfing, fishing, long car rides and watching the Chicago Bears. He wasn't a cold weather fan so he shared his time between Pensacola, FL and Columbus, WI. He is survived by his children; Terry, Steve and Tammy (Joe), grandchildren; Lisa (Jeff), Elizabeth (Grant) and Ashley (Ti), great-grandchildren; Kaiden, Kaliana and Lukas; ex- wife and mother of his children Marilyn (Maxey) Breunig; many nieces and nephews; as well as many good friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings. A memorial gathering will be held at a later date in Poynette, WI.

 

Looking back over 22 years of arts ministry

Bob will be leaving the Visual Arts Ministry of our church as of June 15, 2023. He has been with VAM for over 22 years. On April 5 he will be 85 and can no longer do the labor required to put a show together. It's very heavy work which begins with getting the ladder into the car, and then out of the car and up to the second floor, pulling out the hanging supplies from the VAM closet, and then arranging all the artwork on the floor before the others arrive to help. Bob has many fond memories and will miss all of the current members. For about 10 years after 9/11 (a meeting night) our little group met at Rusty Bucket to start off the church year and celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.

The ministry was developed with the opening of the Mill Run Campus in 2000, and the second floor corridor became the Upper Room Gallery, with classrooms available for check-ins and pick up of art, and good spaces for a reception. A few shows were held at Lytham Road Campus, most recently the 7th Annual Seven-day Art Challenge, The Bob and Norma Bruce show, and the Ned Neely show.  VAM supported many unusual and exciting shows like Blue Shoes (mentally challenged); the school children from Highland Elementary (2004) with the UALC volunteers; Columbus Dispatch graphic artist (Greek Orthodox) Evangelia Philippidis display of religious themes; Sibylle Custis, local artist active in women's art groups; photography of UALC member Bill Keintz of the Amish of Holmes County, Ohio; local architect and artist Dave Schackne; local artist Judith Vierow; the wildlife and world travels photography of OSU Professor Charles Capen, DVM; the Creche society show organized by members Donna and Dave Hahm; also a group trip to Akron for a show of Charles Close, photo realist; creation of our special Sacred Art Corner at Mill Run with the eclectic art of John Kohn of Delaware, OH; four programs VAM facilitated for the Thursday morning Senior Bible Study group and lunch--John Kohn, Pastor Steve Marshall, the chalk artist from Arizona, the internationally known watercolor portrait artist Mary Whyte of South Carolina, and Cody Miller, a local artist who worked with Good Will Industries; a very large retrospective show of the work of Gordan Keith, well-known local artist (then deceased) who designed the cross, candle sticks, baptismal font, altar pieces and Mary window for UALC; many shows for local artists' groups including Central Ohio Watercolor Society, Worthington Art League, Upper Arlington Art League, Digital Artists of Central Ohio, Women's Art Guild of Central Ohio, Westbridge Camera Club, and the Pump House Guys; and of course, our first show was our own "archives" show from storage of banners for the inauguration of the hanging system and in 2003 we began the annual UALC quilt group show.

  
Cody Miller Three kings
 
Pump House Guys
 
Highland School first grade art
 
VBS shirts 
 
Chalk talk 
 
Mary Window,  Gordan Keith, Lytham Rd.

 
Creche show

Quilt Show, Cross with verses
 
 
VAM meeting at Rusty Bucket 2010

 
Hanging a show after mounting the art of kids

 
The church at Mill Run

Other blog stories about the Visual Arts Ministry

Collecting My Thoughts  Scripture and trees.  About a purchase made by VAM in 2003.

Collecting My Thoughts  Lutheran Churches in Columbus Ohio.  This was a plug for our church mentioning the activities including VAM.  I think I wrote it because I couldn't find a listing on the internet. Interesting because a lot has changed.

Collecting My Thoughts  Blue Shoes Art Show in 2008

Collecting My Thoughts: Blue Shoes returns to Mill Run  Blue Shoes show in 2010.  These artists are all mentally challenged, and the social worker from the agency came to one of our meetings to talk about the artists.

Collecting My Thoughts   This blog was about Mother's Day, but last 3 paragraphs are about UAAL show at Mill Run in 2008.

Collecting My Thoughts  Ohio Artists Show, 2009 at Lytham Road Campus.

Collecting My Thoughts  Colored Pencil Show, mention of 168, Hilltop artist, and UAAL. 


Collecting My Thoughts  The 2006 quilt show, with some history of the guild.

Collecting My Thoughts  Quilt show photos.

Collecting My Thoughts  This is about a photography show in 2003 by Joe Wagenhals, who had huge shows, and was either a member or regular visitor at UALC MR.   Also mention of an advent show, the quilt show coming up and the new hanging system. To Enter Press The Area Buttons (aworldofpictures.com) this is a link to Joe's photographs

Collecting My Thoughts  VAM show by watercolorist Jeri Platt of her paintings of Haiti  in 2008. 

Where we are today

The Covid studies showed in the early months of 2020 that those over 70, obese, or with other conditions were at risk, and younger people weren't. Not enough money in that, so after a vaccine originally limited to the vulnerable in early 2021, the rest of the country was railroaded into lockdowns and vaccines. Except the low-income workers. (Even though most poor people in USA are white, we're already getting the "systemic racism" of Covid lockdown studies). They got the privilege of being the cashiers and delivery people and the restaurant employees who got to feed and clothe the wealthier classes who stayed home and worked at their computers. Even the churches bowed to the pressure of being less essential than Kroger cashiers. Masks and lockdowns have since been proven ineffective in stopping the spread. Voting rules were set aside without the people's approval further creating divisions among citizens, friends and families. Vaccines have been only partially protective--a few months. Yet many of the mandates still are in effect; the vaccines still have emergency use approval supposedly because nothing else is available (which is forbidden to even mention). Biden slapped mandates on schools, corporations and government agencies with the help of Big Pharma and Big Tech after initially creating doubt in the vaccine because Warp Speed was a Trump policy, destroying careers and the economy as he moved on to the biggest drug of all--naked, raw power. FDR even with the Great Depression and WWII didn't have the power Biden does. To keep the power, the federal government then subcontracted censorship to "non-profit" misinformation agencies, so now we are swimming in lies and censorship caused by the very people who should be protecting us.

Thursday, March 09, 2023

The J-6 set up to destroy Trump

The J-6 clown show lied to the nation about Jacob Chansley, Ray Epps, and Brian Sicknick and we've all seen the evidence now. The whole point was to destroy Donald Trump, not to find out what happened the day that Pelosi failed to protect the Capitol. Looks like there needs to be another investigation.

Now that Republicans (barely) control the House we're finally getting the truth about masks, lockdowns, and infections, what went on inside the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the disastrous pull out of August 2021 when Biden ran away from Afghanistan, killing Americans, Afghanis and letting Putin know he could attack Ukraine. Worst president in my lifetime.

The tapes of what else happened on January 6

 Tucker Carlson is drawing a lot of fire from both the GOP entrenched leaders, the Democrats who wanted to lynch Trump, and the Leftist Media, not to mention the hateful women on the View.  Why?  He showed more detail of the January 6 riots.  People armed with American flags walking around with police who didn't seem alarmed.  



Tuesday, March 07, 2023

The link between periodontal disease and arthritis

 They are now connecting the dots.  It was known there was a connection, but which came first?

"For many years, there had been suggestions that the oral bacteria causing periodontal disease might contribute to rheumatoid arthritis. For instance, past studies have found that periodontal disease occurs even more often in people with rheumatoid arthritis. People with both conditions also tend to have more severe arthritic symptoms that can be more stubbornly resistant to treatment.

What’s been missing is the precise underlying mechanisms to confirm the connection. To help connect the dots, a research team, which included Dana Orange, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, and William Robinson, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, decided to look closer."

Connecting the Dots: Oral Infection to Rheumatoid Arthritis – NIH Director's Blog

I had gum surgery for periodontal disease about 45 years ago.  I think I also had surgery for a frenectomy at the same time (removal of labial frenulum between front teeth).  Very painful.  Don't let them tell you it's no big deal. Anyway, until recently I've had no pain in my fingers.  Some in left hand now--don't know if it's arthritis or just old age.

Makes me want to leave the computer an floss.  

I've got a cold

So, on Sunday morning I realized I had a scratchy throat, my usual sign of a cold coming on, and I stayed home from church and took a nap. (I've since watched Joe's sermon on the Parable of the Sower at our on-line site).  My son-in-law brought me some Zicam rapidmelts, an OTC homeopathic cold remedy. Instead of a 3 day lead up to stuffy head and coughing and sneezing, I had only one day. My colds are usually 2.5 to 3 weeks--let's see how this turns out. What's been your experience?

My last cold was probably July 2022 at Lakeside, a first since the Covid lockdown, which did protect many from colds and flu according to the articles I read, but then they returned with a vengeance. That one was at least 2-3 weeks before I felt comfortable being in public and not wearing a mask. Both times, to be on the safe side, I did the Covid test and it was negative.

Adults get approximately two to three colds per year, and young children who go to elementary school or kindergarten have an average of around five to eight colds per year. When my children were in elementary school our family would have about 10 colds per year (one year we were in a study which is how I remember). Bob had fewer colds than the rest of us--being out of the house more probably protected him, because we were a little cesspool of germs on Abington Road.

We had been to a wonderful concert Saturday evening, so I did call my friend Lynn I'd been chatting with closely and suggested a heads up for whatever she takes to stay healthy.  She's had so many health problems with cancer and heart the last 4 years, I didn't want her to be unsafe, since I assume I was infectious before I had any symptoms.

Sunday, March 05, 2023

Dr. Zhivago redux

Flipping through the channels today I came across the Dr. Zhivago movie, 1965. It's 3 hours, but 30 minutes of scenes of Russia's Civil War, WWI, Bolsheviks and Communist regime I was reminded of the current battles in Ukraine killing thousands more Russians just as in the early decades of 20th century. It was too much. Some of the script reminded me of the lies of today's Leftists. Hollow and deadly. Anyway, it was so depressing while they were losing their home and being destroyed by the Communists, I switched to HGTV for "reality."

Saturday, March 04, 2023

Once upon a time there were two presidents

President Donald Trump froze travel from China as too risky when a city with a SARS lab showed an unusual uptick in deaths. Nancy Pelosi and other leftists called him a racist.

President Barack Obama froze funding (both federal and private) of gain of function research in the U.S. as too risky. But someone at NIH found a way to fund it in China.

So which President is the racist with the most damage to the Chinese people as a result of his executive action?


Friday, March 03, 2023

CPAC now meets all over the world.

https://youtu.be/8Oim0ZzKhnI Nigel Farage speaks at CPAC about how because of Covid we English speaking countries gave unlimited power to governments, giving up freedoms it took centuries to develop. Don't let it happen again, he says.



Ukrainians and Russians side by side in UAE

A new restaurant in Dubai offers Ukrainian expats a taste of home : NPR

Fashion isn't as important as a taste of home.
"She's dining at Yoy with Iryna Klevetenko, from Kyiv. Both women have been living in the United Arab Emirates for several years. They're enjoying borsch on Yoy's outdoor terrace overlooking a dancing fountain and the landmark Atlantis resort hotel.

Klevetenko says the bling and luxury of Dubai feel surreal as she grapples with horrors of news from the war in her country. The war changed her priorities.

"Before, you were, like, I want Dolce and Gabbana bag," she said. "Now it's like, who cares about Dolce and Gabbana bag. We just want war to finish, that's it.""

Thursday, March 02, 2023

Speaking of inflation

Tonight, I was sorting through old bills--really old--like over 60 year old invoices and cancelled checks. Fuel oil, lumber, paint, furniture, taxes, insurance. Then I came across a cancelled check for a restaurant dated Sept. 11, 1961, our first anniversary. I remember it well. I was 8.5 months pregnant and could barely sit close enough to the table to eat. I was wearing my one nice outfit, a light brown 2 piece with a white fluffy blouse. But the check was for $7.00. I thought that couldn't be right, so I ran it through an inflation calculator (Federal Reserve). $7.00 in 1961 came to $70.04 in 2023, for 900.4% inflation. To double check I used a U.S. CPI inflation calculator, but it wouldn't do March 2023, so I had to use December 2022, which was $69.25.  Close enough.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

My new log book for exercise

 My Strength and My Shield: A Realtree™ Journal by Ellie Claire | Goodreads

This is a cute little journal in a camo style with inspirational messages inside. My old exercise journal has no design or flair and I think I bought it in Spain at a "dollar store" run by foreigners.  The Spanish just call them "the China store," instead of Dollar Tree.  That one is dated September 5, 2018, with about 6,500 miles ending with about 15,500.  I think my first one was around January 1, 2015. My new one is made by Ellie Claire Gift and paper Expressions c2016. I bought it at Marc's for maybe a dollar or $1.49, but you can find it at Thrift store sites on the internet for about $5.00.

At first when checking this journal I found a page for Ella Claire, who had a blog, recipes, poems, etc.  Not the same person.  There is also a St. Ella Claire and she's not it either.  

Why the lab leak theory is being reported now

Why now? Why is the lab leak story issued by Dept. of Energy making headlines? Why the leftist lapdog media who rushed to support Biden at any cost especially the truth doing the duck and cover? The same liberal media which constantly spread lies about conspiracy theories, blaming Trump, and cancelled his supporters.

The 3 Ds. Desperate, Desperation, and Desperados.

1. The Biden administration is desperate to continue the war on Trump and his supporters. They accused him of xenophobia when he closed air traffic from China in January 2020. They called him a racist when he called it the China virus and said he believed it was a lab leak in April 2020. Nancy Pelosi continued to welcome Chinese tourists through the Spring of 2020 and vilified Trump supporters accusing them of "hate crimes." Democrats impeached him for a phone conversation with Zelenskyy which was monitored but which also implicated the Biden family in criminal behavior (Read the transcript--you'll be shocked how the media misled you)! Now they need to deflect as Biden has been proven wrong, wrong, wrong.

2. There is desperation to make Americans forget that it was Trump who launched warp speed, getting a vaccine into the arms of the American public before he left office. They want you to forget that Biden, Harris and others said they wouldn't trust the vaccine because Trump supported it. They want you to forget the vaccine should have been used for the elderly and compromised, and not children and young adults. They began the gaslighting and fear campaign which later was flipped to become a hallmark of their increasingly fascist regime. Trump also began the 2 week pause in our normal routines that went to 2 years under Biden, and Trump began flooding the economy with Covid money which was supposed to compensate the people for loss of income. It was overkill and Biden used that bad plan to swamp us with inflation and more spending. All the while he continued to vilify Trump and his supporters as he continued Trump's plan.

3. The desperados in the Biden administration are looking for two avenues of escape from this mess. a) Build distrust (more) of China as it now looks like it might assist Russia in the war against Ukraine, which has become Biden's war by proxy, and b) find a way to dump Joe Biden and Kamala Harris before the 2024 election by making his choices and leadership look uninformed and misguided. (No need to make Harris look bad--she may be the worst government official ever--not even Democrats wanted her in 2020.)

Desperate is from the Latin word desperatus meaning without hope (spero), or despairing. And that describes the whole crew in Democratistan who have been condemning all patriots who disagree to the "misinformation jail."

Friday, February 24, 2023

Lenten goals--cleaning instead of fasting

My Lenten goals are getting a slow start. This week it was tackle the cupboards and bookshelves of the kitchen. I'm on the first shelf of cookbooks in the kitchen--next will be the "junk drawer."  I'm already stuck at the computer. I'm looking at a recipe take away from the Home & Garden Show, Feb. 25-Mar 5, 2006. As I recall I picked it up because we went to a demo for a chocolate peanut butter torte with bananas in honor of Elvis' birthday at Gourmet Galaxy Cafe which was sponsored by Whole Foods, Columbus Dispatch, Home Source Interiors, etc. Before I put this in the stay or go pile, I'll just mention 2 recipes easy enough for 80-somethings to learn (each 2 pages features a Columbus chef or personality with their favorites. 

1)  Manny Malhotra of the Columbus Blue Jackets (hockey) offered, "Asparagus a la Manny" which requires 1 bunch of asparagus, salt and pepper and olive oil and aluminum foil.  2) The COO of Donatos (pizza chain based in Columbus) and daughter of the founder reported that she had worked in all areas from take-out window, making night deposits, spreading sauces and cheese to dotting pepperoni slices to the edge, but there was no recipe.

When I went back and checked my blog, I see I had written about this cookbook in 2006. https://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2006/03/2228-chocolate-peanut-butter-cream.html.

By the time I got to shelf 3 I was browsing Vols. 3-5 of "A Taste of Columbus" by Beth Chilcoat. Vol. 5 was 2000, and she began the series when her children were small, and by this one she had grandchildren. I had inherited these from my daughter who had given them originally to her mother-in-law, Marilyn.  All are done in calligraphy with lovely drawings of Columbus' historical scenes. Chilcoat's husband (also co-author) died in 2006 of ALS, and she later wrote about widowhood and grief. Cap City Diner Meatloaf by Jimmy Mohammed has 28 ingredients (mostly herbs and spices) in vol. 5.





Thursday, February 23, 2023

DEI ODI SDPTA OSU

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion's Strategic Diversity Planning, Training, and Assessment Unit at Ohio State University is offering a fine selection for minds of mush at a stomach turning and very expensive buffet. After 9 months student/staff/faculty gets a certificate in a new mind set, the entry key to the various corporations trying to meet DIE standards.

DEI Foundations

Social Identity 101

Microaggressions 101

Microinterventions (follows Microaggressions)

Microaggressions and Me

Navigating Difficult DEI Conversations

Practice Makes Progress: Microinterventions

Reflect and Reset

Covid 19 and anti-Asian Racism

"In addition to the above workshops aimed at DEI educational experiences, the Office of Strategic Diversity Planning, Training, and Assessment also offers Inclusive Excellence Workshops providing guidance on planning and assessment. We also maintain a list of additional DEI education resources and trainings available from other units at Ohio State."