Why we call them union thugs

In your face, know your place in Wisconsin harassing Walker supporters.

HT May Rant and Rave

Is there Fast Food in Iraq?

MMWR report in JAMA

Of the resettled Iraqi refugees (San Diego) over 18, 24.6% were classified as obese, and 64.3% of those over 65 were hypertensive.

You'll need aerobic exercise to benefit your brain

In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study, "scientists started with 120 elderly volunteers who were relatively inactive but did not have dementia. Half were randomly assigned to begin walking 40 minutes a day, three days a week for a year while the remainder only stretched and performed toning exercises for the same time period. After 12 months, the group that walked showed an average 2% growth in the hippocampus compared with when they began, while the control groups suffered a more than 1% shrinkage in the same region compared with when the study started.

“If you estimate the change at an individual level,” says study co-author Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois, “a yearlong exercise program can turn back the clock about two years with respect to the volume of the hippocampus.” "

"Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory, "
PNAS 2011 108 (7) 3017-3022; published ahead of print January 31, 2011

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/31/want-to-improve-your-memory-take-a-walk/#ixzz1Euftky36

Expensive lunch, but interesting Christian missionaries

Today I attended a luncheon and information session sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Faculty and Staff at the Faculty Club on the Ohio State campus. The topic was human trafficking, aka slavery. Yes, it's still a big business--bigger than the transatlantic slave trade of the 18th century . . . estimates run to 12.7 million people, and some figures are higher. It's very lucrative--humans can be resold many times. And about two million of them are children. 46% of "johns" (male customers) would knowingly buy sex from a minor according to a survey of perverts. That's why, I suppose, the Planned Parenthood abortion clinics don't report their underage clients--they're in on it, as undercover videos have shown.

The speakers were Joe Chongsiriwatana, a former software engineer, who will be representing ZOE International Ministries in Thailand. Joe and his wife Yumi met and married at Ohio State, recently lived in San Francisco raising their 3 children, and have been called by God to minister to children in Chiang Mai, Thailand, children either who have been sold into prostitution and have been picked up by the police and brought to the facility, or those about to be sold by their parents.

The other speaker was Connie Anderson, Director of Justice Ministries, for the Great Lakes area of Intervarsity. She talked about a few local programs and ministries for victims of prostitution and trafficking, like Price of Life, DOMA International and Gracehaven Shelter and CORRC. She commented that the problem is so huge you don't know where to start, so she suggested (with a slide of a snow covered mountain) that we kick a few rocks to start an avalanche.

IJM - Reality of Human Trafficking from International Justice Mission on Vimeo.

But what irritates me is what I had to pay for parking. $5 for a salad bar isn't excessive, but $6.00 for 2.5 hours of parking is. All the parking lots and garages on the OSU campus have changed in recent years--I can't even remember the last time I was there. When I got to the gate I saw the sign "no key cards until 4 p.m." and the price sign I saw was $2 for 3 hours, but that apparently was for evening. So it was an $11.00 salad.

No wonder "children" are insured to age 26

Poor things. Look how they dress!

Blogrolling is gone

I'd noticed my blogrolling lists windows had been blank for some time, so I went in to look at it and discovered the service no longer exists. It apparently became infected with malware and the owner decided to take it down. So I've deleted. It was a useful aggregator. I was on Over 50 Bloggers, State of Ohio Bloggers and Bear Flag League (California) bloggers. Unfortunately, I had removed the direct links to the bloggers I really liked. Unintended consequences to getting too techie.

Why should we believe him on other health and life issues?

During the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama consistently misrepresented his position on the "born alive" abortion issue. That he is strongly pro-choice was never an issue. He's in the bag with Democrats on that one. All of George Bush's protections for unborn life and embryonic stem cell research (my reason for changing my party affiliation in 2000) have pretty much been rolled back. But Obama was so far over the cliff on the born alive issue (a baby born alive is killed outside the womb), that even strong pro-choicers like Catholic Nancy Pelosi couldn't support that method. Then he lied about it. It was two and a half years ago, but as health care issues keep coming up, and he needs to clarify his position on everything from Muslim countries' riots to war in Afghanistan, to prisoners at Gitmo, to unions destroying state budgets, I have to ask, why should we believe anything he says?

One of these things is not like the others

Didn't Sesame Street have a song like that?

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

The CDC calls the following 5 items, "high-value prevention services" which can save 100,000 lives each year.

1. Smoking cessation assistance
   
2. colorectal cancer screening
   
3. breast cancer screening
   
4. annual influenza immunization
   
5. daily aspirin to prevent heart disease.

Three quarters of former smokers quit on their own. And I don't know anyone who successfully, permanently stopped smoking with a government sponsored workshop, phone call counseling, nasal spray or a drug patch. Do you? The studies only have a few months or a year follow-up, but somehow the drug companies have got that one included in many government programs.

But I have heard of other uses for the nicotine patch I might consider--like improving memory in older persons. Now that I could get into.

Only the aspirin and the immunization are actually preventative. Two of these are screening for what you already have or will have. Breast cancer screening can find a lump--but doesn't prevent it. Colonoscopies can spot trouble spots that will become cancer but aren't there yet.

Kline: Morrison thwarted his abortion clinic case

Because Phillip Kline is/was a Republican pro-life attorney general, I suspect he will be found guilty of ethics charges. This is a tangled case, but we do know 164 girls under the age of 15 (78 in one year) had abortions with Planned Parenthood owned clinics and Dr. Tiller, the Kansas Killer of the pre-born, clinics. Paul Morrison is the Democrat (link to 2005 story) who replaced Kline and the charges of child rape went away (near as I can tell). If you interpret this story and testimony differently, please comment. If you want to argue the merits of abortion or underage sex, don't bother. You'll be deleted if you try to put that trash on my blog.

Kline: Morrison thwarted his abortion clinic case | CJOnline.com

Doctors who wrote "passes for teachers skipping classes," will probably not see any charges. Ethics violations are sweet at the feet of the DNC and Obama's reelection committee.

More Civility by Obama minions

"On Feb. 13, just the other side of the news cycle, a post on "Organizing for America," the website for the president's campaign arm, urged progressives to protest a proposal from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to reform public-employee benefits and limit collective-bargaining rights. The message, from Organizing for America's regional director for Wisconsin, began this way: "We've got a fight on our hands and it's personal."

Stephen Hayes: So Much for a 'More Civil' Public Discourse - WSJ.com

Redecorating is not for the timid

Or the old. Actually, it isn't even redecorating. When the Miller Brothers (614-203-4997) were here in January 2002, we decided not to paint out the gray and black trim that worked rather nicely with the floor colors. We just had the orange dining room, the brown living room, and the red hall and family room painted, leaving some of the trim that was in good shape not repainted. But over time, and with the ceiling repair needing a fresh coat of paint, we decided to finish the paint job we started in 2002. Whew! That's a lot of trim! It included 10 doors, all cross and Bible, all but one both sides. Crown molding in the entry and in the stairwell, requiring a tall ladder, and a very large 5-shelf built in bookcase on the upper level that I think was designed to be a closet, because it is so deep and includes a laundry chute. Today Paul told me it could be 30 days before the paint would "set" enough to put back heavy books and magazines, but he would read the can label to be sure. Right now the books (many of which belonged to my parents, grandparents and great grandparents) are sitting on a bed in the guest room, and the magazines (my collection of first and premiere issues) are on the floor and in one of the laundry baskets.

You can see the gray and black trim in the entry hall. The hall walls will now be light and the trim the khaki color that is on the living room trim. Makes the area much lighter.

Parents Upset With Teachers' Viagra Lawsuit - Milwaukee News Story - WISN Milwaukee

Milwaukee Public School teachers are fighting to get Viagra in their drug plan--costing the district another $800,000. I wonder if that helps with educating Wisconsin's children? Wonder what else the district could do with that money? The demonstrations at the state house is costing about $3 million a day. Now that's some serious change.

Parents Upset With Teachers' Viagra Lawsuit - Milwaukee News Story - WISN Milwaukee

The Showdown Over Public Union Power

By fleeing the state and their jobs, the Democrats of Wisconsin have shown the nation how seriously they are indebted to the unions, which support only Democrats. This shows the primary reason we should not have government workers unionized. It corrupts the government with payola, favoritism, cronyism, influence and in the case of teachers, it doesn't do much for the education of children to have the union bosses more concerned about their own power rather than education, which the state has decided is one of its jobs. Businesses do it too, you say? No. They split their donations, and in recent years, especially on environmental issues, the Democrats are the biggest recipients of big business donors because more regulation drives out their competition, and Democrats just love regulation.

"Public unions are also among the biggest players in national politics. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (Afscme) has been the third-biggest contributor to federal campaigns over the past 20 years, having given $43 million. The National Education Association is number eight with $31 million in contributions, while the SEIU—half of whose 2.2 million members are government workers—is No. 10, with $29 million in campaign donations.

Unlike businesses and industry groups that are also big givers but tend to split their donations between the parties, some 95% of government workers' donations has gone to the Democratic Party, whose members are far more likely to favor raising taxes and boosting spending than are members of the Republican Party.

Steven Malanga: The Showdown Over Public Union Power - WSJ.com

Doctors signing "sick" notes in Wisconsin for mental health

If doctors really were signing notes for absences for those at the union riots in Wisconsin, that would be an ethics violation and probably HIPAA too, so I'm sure Obama's Justice Department will want to investigate. . . yeah, that'll happen. On the other hand, if those were imposters (aka actors) playing "doctor" for the TV cameras and the demonstrators, they are probably in violation of the Screen Actors Guild code.

Quite a demonstration for school children, who now see how it is done and can copy. If you don't like what's going on, then lie, cheat, or steal (from the other taxpayers who are paying your bills). Also, be rude, loud and hostile to prevent others from speaking.

One recipient said she wasn't advised about mental health issues by the "doctor" but about her civil rights and what to say to her employer. When is the last time a doctor discussed that with you--on a street corner?

Story by McIver News Service

Still in Hiding. Could Union Bill Be Passed Separately Tuesday?

Illinois is enjoying a brief influx of tourist dollars as the Wisconsin Democrats hole up in the Best Western Clock Tower Inn in Rockford. They have abdicated. Should be replaced, in my opinion. An AP report at WTMJ says:

"Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says his chamber of the Wisconsin legislature will convene to pass non-spending bills and act on appointments on Tuesday even if minority Democrats remain out of state in an effort to block a vote on Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill. Could one of those bills be the union aspect of the budget bill, in a separate vote on Tuesday? Democratic state Sen. Jon Erpenbach told The Associated Press on Monday that Republicans could attempt to attach the part of the proposal taking away collective bargaining rights to an unrelated bill and pass it Tuesday."

Read the rest here. Capitol Chaos: Could Union Bill Be Passed Separately Tuesday? | Today's TMJ4 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin News, Weather, Sports, WTMJ | Local News

Boomers Find 401(k) Plans Come Up Short

You have to read to the midsection or botton to see why: many boomers started too late with too little. Vanguard now recommends 15% be set aside for retirement.

Boomers Find 401(k) Plans Come Up Short - WSJ.com

Also, I'm not sure who came up with that idea that retirement requires less than your working life. It's very expensive to do the things you waited all your life to do--or in my case, didn't know you wanted to do until you got there. And no, you can't retire early if you are paying off your kids' college loans (or your own), got a divorce in mid-life, still have a mortgage, want a second home, or you want to go out to eat a lot and travel more.

Gen-Xers will have to learn from the Boomers' mistakes: Increase your savings, decrease your want list. Also, real estate is only an investment if you buy it to rent it. If you live in it, it is your home. If it is your home, all those nice things or decor are something to enjoy now, instead of later when you are 65 or 70. If that matters to you, don't complain when the bill collector (disguised as Father Time) comes around.

Night of the Orange Moon

There was an amazing sight on Friday night, February 18, just as the daylight was dimming in the west. The moon began to rise in the east, and it glowed bright orange. I'd never seen anything like it. We were returning from a dinner out with Corbett family members at Arthur's Deli in Dixon, Illinois. The orange moon wasn't quite as bright as my brother's sweater, but it was close!

Me, my brother, and my sister.

Management styles

Pastor Drumel said this morning that there are three types of management styles (he was a manager of chaplaincy services at a Baptist Hospital in Memphis before coming to UALC): Risk taker, care taker and undertaker. Churches need to be risk takers and not do things the way they did 10 years ago, or even five. So do individual Christians.

Wisconsin Democrats hide out in Illinois

We've just returned from northern Illinois where the Wisconsin Democrats are hiding out. Actually, if they'd just travel a little south of the state line and visit Mt. Morris, where we were staying, they could get a good look at how a striking union can bring down a viable, vibrant town that used to have industries and schools. Wisconsin seems to have a wise governor who wants the public unions to give back some to the state. But that might take some power and bucks from their bosses.

Why the World is Better Off Without the USSR

The world is a much better place without the USSR. Some professors and academics (and particularly American Communists) think it's a close call. Not someone like Ilya Somin who grew up there who answers philosophy professor, Brian Leiter.

The Volokh Conspiracy » Why the World is Better Off Without the USSR

Poverty Measures in the United States

Recently I was discussing poverty statistics and guidelines with several friends. We all were using a different figure. Well, that's not surprising, so do all the government agencies. USDA, HHS, Labor, the military, DoE, Dept. of Educ.--all use a different figure, and programs are usually not figured on the base, but on calulations like 120% of poverty, or 135% of poverty, etc. The 2009 weighted average poverty threshold of $21,954 for a family of four represents the same purchasing power as the corresponding 1963 threshold of $3,128, which is when the figure was first developed by Mollie Orshansky, an economist and statistician at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Back in the 1980s, when I was researching this a bit more carefully, I calculated that I was able to feed my family of four (2 teenagers) for less than the figure the government used for the "Economy food plan" on which poverty statistics were based. That's because I contributed my own labor, and was able to drive to a supermarket to purchase food, which many poor cannot do. The highest figures I've seen have been posted at the Lutheran Food Pantry which gives a base income by number in the family for qualifying for 3 days of food donations.

Although most poor families don't actually have 2 adults and 2 children (if there were 2 adults, the family usually isn't poor), that is the figure that is used in calculating the needs.

Johnson's War on Poverty, begun in the early 1960s, ended up being a war on the poor. We employ millions of people at the state, local and federal level with the money to defeat poverty, but actually, it simply provides a nice middle class living for those who service the truly poor. Occasionally, there are families who get a boost or are tied over during a rough patch, and those are the stories you'll read about in the paper. But for the most part, the poor are penalized by these programs. If they get married, they lose a benefit. If they get a raise, they might be disqualified for an important medical benefit for a handicapped child, or education benefit, so it's better not to move ahead.

Poverty statistics are used by politicians to keep certain cities firmly in the Democratic camp, while Republicans, who have never been stingy with tax dollars, are called pikers and meanies. Until Obama, President Bush was the all-time big spender on social programs. How's that working for you, America?

HHS Poverty Guidelines Family of 4, $22,250

Low Income Levels Dept. of Ed. Family of 4, $33,075

Lifeline, telecommunications benefits for low income You're on your own figuring this one out--I couldn't

Ohio HEAP (Energy): 200% of poverty level, Family of 4, $44,100

Fashion--it's not for everyone

Tennis shoes with banded hosiery that make a woman's legs look 50 lbs heavier. Other than an anorexic 12 year old, not sure who could wear this (from WSJ, Feb. 14).

Good Governance Jargon

This is a paragraph from JAMA--no need to tell you the topic, you'll see the problem just by reading it and trying to imagine where in the world or this globe does such a governing vehicle exist? (I've parsed it a bit for spacing, but have copied it word for word.)

"International principles of good governance
require
policy makers to act transparently,
engage relevant stakeholders,
and be held accountable.
Policy makers must make clear
the reasons for,
and provide evidence supporting,
their decisions.
Stakeholder engagement ensures that
the voices of affected communities are heard.
Additionally,
policy makers should
be held accountable for
fair deliberation and
ultimately success.Take Obamacare (PPACA) as an example. Was its passage transparent? Were the stakeholders (that's citizens) engaged? Has Congress or the President or the staff who drafted it been held accountable? Were the reasons for this takeover made clear to your liking? Was there supporting evidence for their decisions? Were the stakeholders heard, but ignored, shouted down, demeaned or ridiculed? Were the policy makers held accountable, or did they just leave office to draw a government pension leaving it to the rest to figure it out?

This paragraph was not about Obamacare, but it does say it is about "international principles," and we know how the present administration swoons over that.

Date of baptism

Last week Pastor John Stozenbach talked about his baptism in the sermon (on baptism), and mentioned the date, and then asked us if we knew the date of our baptism. I didn't. I was pretty sure it was 1950, but didn't have a clue about the day. So I' e-mailed a friend, Sylvia, who still attends that church and is my age and asked her if her mother might have recorded it (she had great scrapbooks since she was the oldest child--I was lucky to have a photograph being third). Sylvia went to the church archives and found out our class was baptized on April 2, 1950 at the Mt. Morris Church of the Brethren. I looked up the date and that was Palm Sunday. I didn't have a "confirmation" verse, but John told us to select one if we didn't. So I've chosen Acts 2:42, which describes the early church group of the baptized 3,000 converted after Peter's sermon. There were four elements of their life as a church, 1) teaching of the apostles, 2) their fellowship together, 3) sharing a meal (eucharist/love feast) and 4) prayer. Isn't that a nice model, even for old timers in the 21st century?

Then it occurred to me today that when we joined UALC in 1976 it was on Palm Sunday also, and that we were confirmed, whereas those who were Lutherans were received by letter of transfer. So Palm Sunday was a big day.

Aunt Muriel, 1917-2011

My mother's sister, Muriel, died last night. In 2009 my grandmother's youngest sister, Ada, died. Now they are all gone, but safe in the arms of Jesus.

Muriel, a teen-ager, at my parents wedding, 1934, far left front.

Two years ago at her birthday party.

The Young and Restleft--a Soap Opera for our Times

Sometimes these people just leave me speechless--and that's hard to do.

"Shame on those who got their education for free telling today's young they must start their working lives mired in debt.

Shame on the generation that got everything, took everything and bought everything and left latter generations with nothing.

Shame on the cowards who sneer that those standing up for their interests, when every day the cowards reap the benefits of those who took a stand in years past."

You dolt with no sense of life before 1970. I left college with zero debt because I didn't borrow money. I worked and saved during high school, earned it working part time in college, and spent it on tuition, books, housing, and NO WILD LIVING, and when it didn't meet my needs I borrowed from my parents. It's called "being a grown-up."

And the rest is just drivel I can't address since I don't hang out with people who are takers and not givers.

Sorry I forgot to copy the website--probably isn't worth visiting. Called himself Sleezy or Snippy or Sleepy, something like that.

The Bucket List

A high school friend has told me that Lakeside is on her "bucket list." So I've sent her the schedule for this coming summer, which is now just 4 months away. Here's the schedule, but it couldn't possibly tell you all there is to do there--art classes, lectures, movies, live entertainment, bird walks, shuffleboard, tennis, swimming, boating, people watching and lake enjoying.

Danny and Phil

August sunrise

Shuffleboard in Central Park

Why no comments about the Obama interview with O'Reilly?

I don't like the way O'Reilly conducts his interviews and I don't like the way the interviewees, whether Obama or some other government official, never answer the questions. Each has his own agenda. Also, Obama's mannerisms, words and stammering bother me. Like the White House comments right now on Egypt. The WH has waffled more than John Kerry on this, and flip flopped more than an Egyptian sandal. For a guy who doesn't even like or respect our military, of which he is the commander and chief, he sure is expecting a lot from theirs. He sounds like he's campaigning.

Got gas?

Gasoline prices in Columbus, Ohio for the last 6 years.

Will Egypt's army take control?

"CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's military announced on national television that it stepped in to “safeguard the country” and assured protesters that President Hosni Mubarak will meet their demands in the strongest indication yet that the longtime leader has lost power. In Washington, the CIA chief said there was a “strong likelihood” Mr. Mubarak will step down Thursday.

State TV said Mr. Mubarak will speak to the nation Thursday night from his palace in Cairo.

The military‘s dramatic announcement showed that the military was taking control after 17 days of protests demanding Mr. Mubarak‘s immediate ouster spiraled out of control.

Footage on state TV showed Defense Minster Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi chairing the military‘s supreme council, with around two dozen top stern-faced army officers, seated around a table. Not at the meeting were Mr. Mubarak, the military commander in chief, or his vice president Omar Suleiman, a former army general and intelligence chief named to his post after the protests erupted Jan. 25.

That could be a sign that Mr. Suleiman, as well, was being pushed out of power."

Egypt army takes control, signals Mubarak on way out - Washington Times

History of Prostitution

Before I pass along this interesting reprint (1937, Eugenics Society) of a 19th c. book, I'll copy a few sentences.

"It has been well observed that a people's virtue or vice does not consist in the arithmetical increase or decrease of immoral actions, but in the prevailing sentiment of an age or people, which condemns or approves them." Russia, p. 262

The author had just summarized how late Russia had entered the modern era, and how in the Elizabethan age of England the Czar of Muscovy was considered a barbarian. Maybe he's not saying we get the government and culture and values we deserve, but I think that sentence could apply to our current age.

"The Watul, or Gipsy tribe of Kashmir is remarkable for many lovely women, who are taught to please the taste of the voluptuary. They sing licentious songs in an amorous tone, dance in a lascivious measure, dress in a peculaiarly fascinating manner, and seduce by the very expression of their countenances. . . and have been known to amass large sums of money." Semi-civilized nations, p. 420

My, doesn't that sound like the movie star gossip rags I browsed while waiting in the grocery store line yesterday. When the author gets to New York in his survey, he divides its prostitution into five grades, the first being the wealthy kept women of wealthy men; then those in comfortable brothels run by former prostitutes; then on to the immigrant women with poor English, the Irish below the German; and the fourth group he calls repulsive refuse, diseased and drunk with vagrants for clients. The last group are even more wretched, and have no shelter, are starving, drunk, and begging for a glass of gin. The author describes them as the outcasts of society, and the direction those in the higher classes are moving.

Good Samaritan saves a tire

At church Sunday, someone took the time to write out a note and slip it under the windshield wiper of my husband's car, "low tire." This nice person wasn't counting on the way my husband processes information. All he saw was a restaurant check (other side) and he put it in the car thinking it was from me (this baffles me, since this isn't how we communicate). Last evening he brings the "restaurant check" to me and asks what I want done with it. I looked at it and didn't recognize the name of the restaurant, so I asked him where it came from, and he said it was on his windshield. So, being a clever investigative librarian, I turned it over and saw the note. "Someone has left you a note. Do you have a low tire?" "Don't think so, but I'll go look." He came back in the house and confirmed that yes, one tire was very low. He'd already made a number of errands that day. So today he took his SUV to our son at Jack Maxton, who found all four were low, but one was really low.

Thanks, who ever you are, for saving a tire or preventing an accident.

Closet cleaning tip

I saw a way to trim your closets: turn all of your clothes hangers around, then turn them back when you wear an item. If the item is never warn in a season, (year), consider discarding.

I don't need that trick. I can tell by looking in the closet what hasn't been worn, and there are several reasons: 1) Doesn't fit; 2) isn't comfortable; 3) it's not attractive on me; 3) it needs to be ironed, and if I wear it, I'll have to iron it.

So this morning, 6 nice cotton blend blouses are leaving the house. All have enough cotton in them that I spray starch and iron and look rumpled 10 minutes after I wear them, so I tend to choose something else. Four light weight cotton jackets--one is ugly, one wrinkles, one is uncomfortable and one doesn't fit. Also a fancy 2 piece blouse that I've worn for winter dress-up events, but it's actually too sheer to be comfortable in any weather. A kitty vest that I really like, but is about 12 years old.

This jacket is leaving home.

Confused, bothered and befuddled — Everyday Math

Since I don't have grandchildren, I'm not really up on what children are learning in school these days. The closest I came to any gossip was several years ago when my husband complained about an elementary science/math class in which he volunteered on the Hilltop (low income). Even the teacher couldn't figure out the problems and asked him for help. It was his last year to volunteer--it was like watch child cruelty. Then a few weeks ago I was in the middle of a discussion (I was just listening) of a mom, a teen-ager, and a software writer who were discussing something called "spiraling" and "Chicago Math" aka "Everyday math." The 10th grader was obviously a bright young lady, but she had decided to avoid all routes to what might have been a promising career in science, which she loved, because of the way math was taught. She never could get that "a-ha" feeling of accomplishment and feel comfortable moving to the next concept. She was planning on a career in literature, she told me. So I looked it up--Chicago Math (University of Chicago) or EM, Everyday Math. As one who was never really strong in math, but have found it useful to know the multiplication tables, how to divide, know what a percentage means and calculate my grocery bill as things pass through the clerks hands, I think this sounds absolutely awful. Sort of like those awful story problems in third grade--if a train is going 15 mph, and a donkey runs along side, how long before it gets to Chicago. Sounds like some egg heads have hijacked our math classes so the Japanese, Chinese and Indians can get hired on emergency visas 10 years from now.

Confused, bothered and befuddled — Joanne Jacobs

If you've never heard of EM or Chicago Math, view this YouTube, and you be. . . stunned.

Dietary Guidelines Call for More Exercise, Less Food

Just to look at me, you probably wouldn't notice I've lost 80 lbs. Yes, 20 lbs. in 1960, 20 lbs in 1983, 20 lbs in 1993 and 20 lbs in 2006. Same 20 lbs each time. And by the miracle of the fashion industry I weigh 10 lbs more in 2011 but am 2 dress sizes smaller. Who knew?

The new guidelines don't look all that different than the 2005 guidelines. Maybe they are pushing more exercise? Anyone can lose weight. All diets work. It's keeping it off that's the problem. But I will admit that the weight I lost in 1983 stayed off the longest, because it was through aerobics, and not by dieting. Whatever crosses the lips and tongue eventually has to be atoned for in energy use. The 20 lbs I lost in 2006, which was by eating healthier--more fruits and vegetables, and saying no to desserts, French fries, pizza, and salty snacks--began creeping back in the fall of 2007 when we went to Ireland, and were eating lots of wonderful food 3 times a day on a Illini Alumni Tour. Then the Italy Tour in 2008 pretty much restored everything I'd lost in 2006. My goodness that Italian food is good.

Some people say they just don't know why they gain weight. I know exactly why. Today, instead of 5 vegetables which I would have eaten 4 years ago for lunch when I was losing weight while eating healthier, I had a sandwich with meat and cheese, some chips, and a few pieces of dark chocolate.

Dietary Guidelines Call for More Exercise, Less Food - WSJ.com

The Oct. 27, 2010 JAMA featured several articles on obesity and testing interventions on class II and class III obesity. This study included commercial weight loss programs. It seems to be a rather successful weight loss with follow up after 2 years. Unfortunately, there was no significant effect on cardiopulmonary fitness, cholesterol levels, physical or mental quality of life, or depression. There was a reduction in C-reactive protein levels and improvement in leptin levels.

The greatest obesity problem in the U.S. is among African American women, of whom about 28% are obese, much higher than black men or white women of Hispanics. And would you believe they are pondering whether there is a biological factor?

"The degree of adiposity associated with a given level of BMI varies by age, sex, and racial and ethnic group.​ Relative to white men and women at the same BMI level, black men and women tend to have higher lean mass and lower fat mass.​ The relative, although not absolute, health risks associated with a given BMI level may be lower for blacks than for whites. Asian populations tend to have higher body fat percentages at a given BMI level and possible higher risks; however, this theory has been disputed.​ Considerable discussion has addressed the public health and policy issues of using different BMI cutoff points for different ethnic groups that have different relationships with BMI, body fat, and health risks." Katherine M. Flegal, Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, 1999-2008. JAMA. 2010;303(3):235-241.

Why the privileged left the "Workers' Paradise"

"In January 2010, my father went to hear a talk by Boris Gulko, a Russian Jewish chess grandmaster who had won the USSR championship in 1977 and later emigrated to the United States, eventually winning the US championship as well. Knowing my interest in chess history, my father asked whether I had any questions I wanted him to pose to Gulko. One of my proposed questions was why Gulko had decided to leave the Soviet Union. My father said that this was a stupid question. The answer was too obvious.

Nonetheless, I persisted in urging him to ask it. After all, Gulko had been a privileged member of the Soviet elite who had every reason not to risk those privileges.

Gulko’s answer to my question was a telling one. He said that he did not want to be a “slave” anymore. Despite his relatively privileged status, he could no longer tolerate life under the control of a totalitarian state that, among other things, could take away all his privileges at any time.

Like most Soviet Jews, Gulko had experienced plenty of anti-Semitism. But it was not so much the special oppression of the Jews that led him to emigrate, but the generalized oppression he endured along with all the other citizens of Lenin’s Workers’ Paradise. My parents’ motives for leaving were in many ways similar to Gulko’s. They too were fleeing communism as much or more so than anti-Semitism. Only their decision was easier than his, since they didn’t have as much to lose."
Ilya Somin Memoirs

Somin's story of his family's coming to the USA when he was 5 knowing no English is very interesting. You can hear him debate the constitutionality of Obamacare here.

The 1099 Repudiation

During the debate on healthcare PPACA (pee pee and caca) virtually everyone alarmed by the taking over of our choices pointed out the problems with the 1099. Why didn't Democrats see it then? Because they are sheep, milling around, bleating, running away from the herd dog trying desperately to keep them from going over the cliff. The 1099 form would have been one more way to destroy American small business--they can't fool me--the big corporations wouldn't have batted an eyelash and would have passed the costs along to the consumer as they gobbled up smaller companies.

"Democrats now claim that the infamous 1099 business reporting mandate that the Senate repealed this week was an accident, as if they were as surprised as everyone else to learn that this destructive provision had crept by itself into law. The truth is that the 1099 rule emerged from the same core ideology as ObamaCare, and its overwhelming repudiation by Democrats may be an important inflection point in the health-care debate."

Review Outlook: The 1099 Repudiation - WSJ.com

Light Rail and Sustainability--what does sustainable mean?

Does it mean, it works if the government throws enough money at it?

"Let me present one fact, from Federal Transit Administration’s 2009 survey of public transit authorities, whose data is linked in various ways here. Or you can download the summary spreadsheet here. For all US light rail systems in total:

User fares paid per passenger-mile: $0.18

Total cost per passenger-mile: $2.22

Taxpayer subsidy per passenger-mile: $2.04

Since I live in Phoenix and the Phoenix light rail system seems to get particular praise as a “success” from light rail supporters, here are the Phoenix light rail numbers;

User fares paid per passenger-mile: $0.07

Total cost per passenger-mile: $3.89

Taxpayer subsidy per passenger-mile: $3.82

So there, folks, is your sustainable technology. As I have written before about sustainability, “I do not think that word means what you think it means.” "

Coyote Blog » Blog Archive » Light Rail and Sustainability

Not sure I'm reading the spread sheet correctly, but it looks like one line of light rail in Seattle has a fare of $.15 and a subsidy of $20.52. Seattle also has a trolly system called SLUT (South Lake Urban Transit) that is the most expensive in country--or was that the world?

'String Him Up' (Justice Thomas) and his wife too

Isn't it some sort of hate crime to threaten a black man with death by lynching? Isn't it a crime to threaten a Supreme Court Judge? This Common Cause group, rallying to bring down capitalism, sure sound like a scary group. I wonder if Janet Napolitano knows about them?

'String Him Up' - WSJ.com

"Common Cause is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1970 by John Gardner as a vehicle for citizens to [destroy capitalism and] make their voices heard in the political process [by threats, intimidation and lies] and to hold their elected leaders [but not Democrats or Socialists] accountable to the public interest." Web Site with my editorial remarks

Should Islam Be Classified as a Religion?

"Concerning the definition of religion for First Amendment purposes, many factors need to be taken into account and compared with the Judeo-Christian religious tradition for which the First Amendment was intended. Religion as we have known it has been good for society. It has nurtured morality, strengthened the family, fostered public service and encouraged social harmony. Islam, on the other hand, is self-segregating, fosters ideas of Muslim supremacy and thereby sows seeds of social discord. Even its tradition of charitable giving is solely for the benefit of fellow Muslims and it utterly destroys the family through its adoption of polygamy.

In addition, Islam is the only religion that requires territorial sovereignty – its laws are laws of the land rather than laws of the heart as we are accustomed to finding in religion. In the Western tradition, legality and morality are two different things. In Islam, they are one and the same. And as Muslims press for their laws to become laws of the land, especially by suppressing criticism of Islam, the clash between these two systems of thought will intensify.

There is, however, a current of modern thought seeking to elevate a laudable personal virtue, that of tolerance, over the greater principle of justice. Is it just to tolerate polygamy in the name of religious freedom? The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in 1878, Reynolds v. United States, it is not. Is it just to tolerate the unequal right to inheritance for women? Is it just to tolerate forced marriage? Is it just to tolerate antisemitism? Is it just to tolerate the preaching of hatred toward non-Muslims? Is it just to tolerate the teaching that Muslims are superior to non-Muslims and that men are superior to women? Is it just to tolerate a parallel legal system based on inequality? There are things that our society cannot tolerate and expect to survive. Justice must take its rightful place above tolerance.

If Islam could be reclassified as primarily a social and political ideology, then the Western world would have a powerful tool with which to deal with its spread and could begin the process of containment in the same way the West contained communism, which in the end, seems to be the only realistic option before us with regard to Islam."

Read more: Should Islam Be Classified as a Religion? > Rebecca Bynum

Who says we're spending too much on health care?

Both Democrats and Republicans say the ever rising cost of health care is unsustainable. Republicans want sensible cuts, less regulation, tort reform, more competition across state lines, and less graft and corruption to lower our costs; Democrats are aiming at single payer--i.e., government pays all, which will raise the cost for everyone through higher taxes, just not at the doctor's office.

But who decided we pay too much? Have you looked at what the "average" household unit pays for health care compared to other items in our budget? 5.7% or $2,853, is what the household unit of 2.5 people with a gross income of $63,091 pays for health care. That household, imaginery as it is, pays 6.9% of its spendable income on household funishings, supplies and operations. Who in the government is demanding that Obama pay for your next couch or dining room suite? That household is paying 6.5% for vehicle purchases, and 17.6% total for transportation. Except for the recent cash for clunkers, when the government paid people to take out new car loans and destroy the only cars poor people could afford, we don't hear the government demanding that Honda and Toyota lower their prices or give away their products.

We pay 12.4% of our spendable income on food--7% at home and 5.4% away from home. I doubt that Obama is going to suggest that all the employed women quit and start cooking more at home so they won't be taking the kids to restaurants--or maybe he will if it's McDonald's. And entertainment, if you toss in cigarettes and alcohol is higher than healthcare at 7%.

So the next time you hear a reporter whether CNN or Fox, or a politician, left or right, moan about the rising costs of health care, ask him about the mortgage on his house, or the loan on his car, or what restaurant she's stopping at after work.

Taxes cost us 14.8% of the average paycheck, not household unit, much more than healthcare, and it will be going up as healthcare costs get buried in every additional piece of paper and rule change the government will throw at us with PPACA.

It just could be, health care is the biggest bargain in our budget.

Consumer unit

Paycheck percentage for taxes

Suspend Obamacare Rules Until SCOTUS Decision

"in the spirit of recent discussion about bipartisan initiatives to root out counterproductive regulations harming the economy, here’s a suggestion. Until the Supreme Court issues a ruling, the Obama administration should suspend enforcement of the regulations from the Affordable Care Act that have proved to be the most burdensome to doctors, entrepreneurs, consumers, and savers and investors." John Berlau, Money News, Feb. 2, 2011

Read more: Suspend Obamacare Rules Until SCOTUS Decision

Bed Bugs | University of Kentucky Entomology

Just received an invitation to attend a meeting on bed bugs at OSU, with dinner afterwards. Think I'll pass. But reading through this very long and detailed explanation from the UK entomology dept., I see that only DDT takes care of the problem--no amount of cleaning or low level pesticide seems to do the trick. However, the fact sheet doesn't recommend DDT--of course not.

Bed Bugs | University of Kentucky Entomology

And for a very biased, but unhelpful Newsweek account, read this.

Immelt’s appointment has labor leaders concerned

I need to stock up on incandescent light bulbs. Soon you won't be able to buy them. The last U.S. plant has closed (Winchester, VA). I hate those squirrely thingies. It takes about 4 to make the same amount of light as one regular. Obama talks out of both sides of his mouth--says Republicans ship jobs to China. What? So what is Immelt doing? Shipping jobs to China with Obama's blessings.

Immelt’s appointment has labor leaders concerned - Jobs & Hire

Current Drug Shortages--Some hospitals are in tough shape

What's behind this? Seems to be a much bigger problem than 2007 and 2008. Is it the impending doom of Obamacare? Years of over regulation? Loss of profit by the manufacturers, who afterall, aren't in this as volunteers or church ladies.

"The supply of these drugs has tightened in recent years as the generic-drug industry has consolidated, with many of the drugs now made by just one or two companies. In many cases patents have long expired and the original brand-name drug is no longer being produced.

Federal regulators have also stepped up enforcement of quality standards, limiting the ability of large manufacturers to ramp up production.

The drugs—typically used in hospitals and outpatient clinics—often require complex manufacturing processes with long lead times. Because factories produce many kinds of medicines, companies say they can't easily make more of one without creating a shortage in another.

The Food and Drug Administration reported a record 178 drug shortages in 2010, up from 157 the year earlier and 55 five years ago"

Drug Shortages Distress Hospitals - WSJ.com

The Reality of Drug Shortages — The Case of the Injectable Agent Propofol | Health Policy and Reform

Read list of Drug Shortages > Current Drug Shortages

Old Bag Of Nails in Tremont Center

When we lived on Abington, we were one of Old Bag's most loyal customers when it opened. We have a tradition of a Friday night date. But some time during 2003, I think, it changed the menu and took off two of our favorites. We met Bill and Joyce there (although we'd been attending the same church for years) and started going out together. After the menu change we four moved on over to Rusty Bucket on Lane. Don't mess with the favorites.

Tremont Center - Old Bag Of Nails

Politico leaves out Schumer's big gaffe

The problem is, Charles Schumer said we have 3 branches of government--the House, the Senate and the Presidency. If you watch the entire video you hear it; if you read Politico, that part is left out.

"I would urge my Republican colleagues that no matter how strongly they feel [insert gaffe here, you know, we have three branches of government. We have a House. We have a Senate. We have a president. And all three of us are going to have to come together and give some] … it is playing with fire to risk the shutting down of the government just as it is playing with fire to not raise the debt ceiling," Schumer said. "That could lead to terrible, terrible problems."

Here's how it works, Chuck:

Five blogs

were updated today--Illegals Today, Growth Industry, Church of the Acronym, Collecting my thoughts, and Coffee Spills, plus several Facebook entries. Snowed in.

Chicago Blizzard: City Officials And Residents Brace For Snow Storm

Weather news from Chicago. Stay home.

Chicago Blizzard: City Officials And Residents Brace For Snow Storm - WGN

1994--it wasn't all that long ago people were asking

What is the internet, anyway?