Fact Checking Michele Bachmann's 'bombshell'

Get out your urban dictionaries, your slang dictionaries, and your porn words suitable for print dictionaries; the left is insisting that Michele's $105 billion isn't a 1) slush fund, 2) secret, 3) scam, or 4) insane. Of course, the fact checkers were from Washington Post, Polifact and Factcheck, all left wing shills in bed with the obamadmin. Republicans and Libertarians and even a math challenged librarian from Columbus can see the problem.

Fact Checker - Michele Bachmann's 'bombshell' on a 'hidden' $105 billion

Hot Air opines: "Few, however, were prepared for the extent of the deception embodied in the bill, which Democrats brokered behind closed doors and to the exclusion of members of the opposing party. That became apparent on Sunday, when Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-MN, dropped a bombshell on NBC’s Meet the Press, revealing that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains over $105 billion in health care appropriations."

Don't defund it; dump it.
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A whole blog about word and phrases twisting in the wind of the left.

The Myth of Green Energy Jobs: The European Experience

We have very clever capitalists in this country. They know where the money is and right now the green is in the green. The myth of green energy. Coupled with the same old government playas (using our tax money), we're off to the green races. Don't believe the climate scare stories or save dear Mother earth stuff--that's just window dressing. This is about who controls the next money scam. Every architectural/engineering publication that comes to our house is loaded with a tsunami of green advertising and government handouts against which the building trades are helpless--they can't get any other kind of work.

With $2.3 billion in Recovery Act tax credits allocated for green manufacturers, President Barack Obama and other Democratic politicians have high hopes for green technology. But their expectations clash with both economic theory and practical experience in Europe. Green programs in Spain destroyed 2.2 jobs for every green job created, while the capital needed for one green job in Italy could create almost five jobs in the general economy. Wind and solar power have raised household energy prices by 7.5 percent in Germany, and Denmark has the highest electricity prices in the European Union. Central planners in the United States trying to promote green industry will fare no better at creating jobs or stimulating the economy.

AEI - The Myth of Green Energy Jobs: The European Experience

Bill Moyers preaching to the choir--moreso than usual

With one left foot in his mouth and the other up his rear end, Bill Moyers explains to lefties at Huffington Post why the NPR is actually fair and balanced.

"Ron Schiller is a fundraiser, not a news director. NPR keeps a high, thick firewall between its successful development office and its superb news division. The "separation of church and state" -- the classic division of editorial and finance -- has been one of the glories of public radio as it has won a large and respectful audience as the place on the radio spectrum that is free of commercials and commercial values. If you would see how this integrity is upheld, go to the NPR website and pull up any of its reporting since 2009 on the Tea Party movement. Read the transcripts or listen to its coverage -- you will find it impartial and professional, a full representation of various points of view, pro and con, Further, examine how over the past few days NPR has covered the O'Keefe/Schiller contretemps and made no attempt to cover up or ignore its own failings and responsibilities."

The refreshing thing about conservative talkers, show hosts, and politicians is they know they have a bias--they'll even point it out, in case you miss it. Not so the lefties--they deny they are Communists or Socialists (although recent demonstrations show they are coming out of the Commie Closet)--they just assume no one of any value or intelligence ever has a different thought flutter past.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: What fools we are to think we can tame the wrath of nature | Mail Online

"We're just ants with cars." That about sums it up. And we continue to believe we're in charge--not only in charge, but that mankind is the problem in nature. Now that's really self-centered.

"But if all our collective scientific and technological brilliance served one purpose yesterday, it was to show us what a tsunami really looks like. Here was the first all-conquering intercontinental aquatic bulldozer ever seen live and in daylight. And it has served as a brutal lesson that, in the scheme of things, homo sapiens is not so sapiens after all. We are just ants with cars."

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: What fools we are to think we can tame the wrath of nature | Mail Online

Where is Obama? Where is America?

That's what the Libyan rebels have been shouting into the TV cameras. Sorry fellas, that's what they said in Eastern Europe and the Baltics as Roosevelt gave them away to Stalin. Read your history. Have you ever visited the saddest museum in history? It's in Tallin, Estonia. I'll never forget it. They were so sure the Americans would come.

I'm a neocon--former Democrat turned conservative. Totally disallusioned with the lies and idiocy of the Democratic party. Yet, I don't believe we should shed anymore blod over 7th century civilizations who hate Christians and Jews. Knowing Democrats as I do, I can't imagine why they think Sharia law would treat them well! It's a hopeless morass, and I hope we soon get out of Afghanistan and Iraq (Obama lied about that, too). But freedom fighters everywhere look to the United States. Why, I wonder, when we've disappointed so many?

The EESC president’s statement on the natural disaster in Japan and the Pacific region

"Mother Nature has again given us a sign. . ." Well, it wasn't Mother Nature, and I'm not sure it was even God, but it sure wasn't global warming. These people are just dopes.

The EESC president’s statement on the natural disaster in Japan and the Pacific region | European Economic and Social Committee

Way beyond pot and kettle

This is a Communist tool accusing patriotic, elected Americans of being tools of the capitalists. Hello! The unions tried but failed to destroy capitalism, so they've gone after our government--at all levels, including the teachers who control our children.
Trumka

“After the events of last night, I should say this is an absolute corruption of democracy,” said Trumka, who was the keynote speaker at liberal summit in Washington, D.C. “Last night, Scott Walker and his Republican tools in Wisconsin showed just how far they’re willing to go to pay back their corporate sponsors.”

The day-long Summit on Jobs & America’s Future featured several panels with high-profile names, such as former White House adviser [and avowed Communist] Van Jones.

Reed Krakoff set to hit fashion big-time after Michelle Obama carries $1,000 tote (and despite the price it's already sold out)

If a story looks really ridiculous, I run it through Snopes. I know. I know. Conservatives don't like this fact checking website because they say it's just a mom and pop outfit, but hey, I was a librarian for 25 years, and when I was checking facts, most of the time it was just me, by myself. Anyway, when I saw the story about Michelle Obama and the $1,000 handbag with a photo, I thought it was fake or photoshopped. First of all, it's an ugly, ugly bag,and second,it's teal and her shoes are blue. And this woman is giving "sacrifice" a bad name when she tells us to eat our carrots and she goes out for ribs. Could she really follow up that story with something this tacky? Don't know. I've always said her husband wasn't one of us, but I had hopes for her (by not one of us, I don't mean I'm a birther, because if his mother is an American, that's good enough for me).

Reed Krakoff set to hit fashion big-time after Michelle Obama carries $1,000 tote (and despite the price it's already sold out) | Mail Online

But not too much

"You cannot get 600 IU of vitamin D daily from diet unless you eat salmon 3 times a day and drink 2 gallons of milk a day," said Michael Melamed, MD, MHS, Albert Eistein College of Medicine, quoted in JAMA, 2011;305 in an article about the importance of Vitamin D. But don't go crazy--too much can cause problems and put you at risk for cancer, cardiovascular problems, falls and fractures.

The Public Servants Center

There's a new $189 million juvenile justice center in Cuyahoga County. It has a $23,000 custom-designed conference table and private gym for the judges. Some people have the decency to say they are embarrassed; other say they aren't sorry. I hope disturbed and delinquent children are impressed enough to ask how they can get in on this scam of the public.

AlterNet--all you have to do is read the story line--no content necessary

What planet do these people live on? What could Noam Chomsky possibly know about democracy? And those climate change/global warming folks? What a religion they've got! The old, tired feminist line that went out with the 70s. Governor Walker's lies--could they ever match the union bosses? Come on folks. Is this a retro, let the old times roll website like that TV station? See? You don't even need to read the stories, and I do mean stories as in fables, myths and fairy tales.

Maybe it's the government health care?

Isn't this odd. Those who are the most dependent on government health care seem to have the poorest results--and we're talking access and quality here, not the end result of poverty or poor education.

Health Care Quality and Access Are Suboptimal, Especially for Minority and Low-Income Groups

"National Healthcare Quality Report and National Healthcare Disparities Report released by AHRQ. The reports, which are mandated by Congress, show trends by measuring health care quality for the nation using a group of credible core measures. The data are based on more than 200 health care measures categorized in several areas of quality: effectiveness, patient safety, timeliness, patient-centeredness, care coordination, efficiency, health system infrastructure, and access. Few disparities in quality of care are getting smaller, and almost no disparities in access to care are getting smaller, according to the report. Overall, blacks, American Indians and Alaska Natives received worse care than whites for about 40 percent of core measures."

In 2003, a key finding was "Inequality in quality persists;" in 2008 it was "Disparities persist in health care quality."

2010 National Healthcare Disparities and Quality Reports

Even with all the nannying and nagging about healthy lifestyles (imagine the billions spent on this), there's been almost no change: "Healthy lifestyles: The NHQR and NHDR track five measures related to obesity, diet, and exercise; four measures related to nicotine and other substance addictions; and four measures related to transportation safety for children. Across these measures, most showed no improvement. Median rate of improvement was 0.9% per year. Most disparities did not change, but the Hispanic-non-Hispanic White and poor-high income gaps in counseling about smoking cessation narrowed." Sooo, you can close the gap on counseling, but it doesn't do any good? Is that what the research says? Cha-ching.

Will the run and hide liberals head for home now?

The Republicans of Wisconsin stripped the bill of funding language so that they didn't need a quorum and it passed. The Democrat fraidy cats disgraced their office and districts, so we'll see if the fourteen senators will return to Wisconsin from their hideouts and litter boxes. Oh yes, and Michael Moore wants the kids to stay home from school. Well, why not. The teachers are probably too tired to teach after weeks of hooting and yelling. Give the kiddoes some vacation, too.

Wisconsin Assembly Passes Walker's Anti-Union Bill | TPMDC

Mychal Massie debates absent liberals--Sharpton, Fauntroy and Morial

". . . before throwing more stones at the tea party for reported incivility — tea party critics should take a look at organized labor’s rallies in places such as Madison, Wisconsin and Columbus, Ohio and how protesters there are behaving in ways oftentimes worse than alleged about tea partiers."



Addressing Mr. Morial: “Why is it when you speak of bamboozled, at the end of the Civil Rights era — which I and others argue was 1964 — when over 80 percent of black homes were two parent households, 40 percent were business owners. Today we have uncontrolled abortion, uncontrolled crime, uncontrolled drop outs, no marketable education skills, no marketable employment skills, no marketable linguistic skills, no marketable social skills. Who’s been bamboozled? Who’s been conned?”

Read more

I predict

School bond issues, and probably library too (there were librarians carrying signs), are going to be dropping like flies based on the crass, rude, unpatriotic, and self-obsessed behavior of teachers, the general public, who are paid much less, are watching every night on TV.

Also, I'd be really surprised if NPR and public TV are going to be able to make their fund raising quotas after showing the world what a bunch of racist snobs their executives are and how they look down on anyone not like them. They don't need the government money, but they probably do need a few people to send in money to support Car Talk and Suze Orman.

Will Betsy Liley be the next to go?

New video released Thursday afternoon indicates National Public Radio intended to accept a $5 million donation from fictitious Muslim Brotherhood front group Muslim Education Action Center (MEAC) Trust – and that the publicly funded radio network might have helped MEAC make the donation anonymously to protect it from a federal government audit. . .
Liley said she and NPR have taken millions of dollars in donations anonymously before.

“We also got an $8 million gift,” Liley said. “I don’t know if you remember this; about two years ago a number of institutions, higher ed institutions, all with women as presidents, got donations that ranged from $5 million to $12 million. They were never identified who the gifts were from, but they totaled about $80 million dollars.”

Hmmm. That should make interesting research for a women's studies paper.

Read more at Daily Caller with video

In another video as she attempts to explain coverage of climate change to a donor who doesn't want the other side of the story, she gets off on the birthers and says NPR doesn't cover their point of view after stating 51% of Americans believe he wasn't born in the United States. So, does NPR cover the news, or decide what is news? For money. Not many people like Gaddafi, but NPR covers him, don't they?

Do little girls need a spa/salon?

Usually I applaud ingenuity in finding a niche business. But a beauty spa for little girls age 1-17 years old? Nah.

I picked up a free-circ magazine/newspaper at the library this week called Columbus Parent. I think I may have the first issue in my premiere issue collection, but since I'm waiting for the paint on the shelves to cure, the magazines are a bit difficult to look at. I was going to compare the ads.

So I checked the web link--didn't work, but found it on Facebook--located in Grove City, Ohio. The note said they were cuting back due to health reasons.

"We are a full service salon and spa serving girls 1-17 yrs old! Hair Cuts, Manicures & Pedicures, Make-overs, Birthday Parties! We will schedule appointments up till 9 pm on Friday and Saturdays. Sunday is for parties and large groups." I guess inviting a few friends over for cake and ice cream and party games is too retro these days.

Just what and how is a make-over for a 3 year old, I wonder? She's practically brand new!

ALA Joins CAIR to Oppose Radicalization Hearings Sponsored by Congressman Pete King

The American Library Association [ALA] has joined with the Council On American-Islamic Relations [CAIR] to oppose Congressman Pete King's congressional hearings to "show [the] extent of radicalization in [the] Muslim American community."

Do the hearings have anything to do with libraries? Exactly why is the ALA joining CAIR in this effort?

SafeLibraries: ALA Joins CAIR to Oppose Radicalization Hearings Sponsored by Congressman Pete King

Let's aim for the border--Canada

Canada is 6th in the world in economic freedom, and the United States is 9th. Baby steps. There's a lot that could be done to restore our economic freedom.

Country rankings for trade, business, fiscal, monetary, financial, labor and investment freedoms

"The United States’ economic freedom score is 77.8, making its economy the 9th freest in the 2011 Index. Its score is 0.2 point lower than last year, reflecting deteriorating business freedom, trade freedom, government spending, and monetary freedom. The U.S. is ranked 2nd out of three countries in the North America region, and its overall score is well above the world and regional averages.

The U.S. economy faces enormous challenges. The government’s recent spending spree has led to fragile business confidence and crushing public debt. Interventionist responses to the economic slowdown have eroded economic freedom and long-term competitiveness. Drastic legislative changes in health care and financial regulations have retarded job creation and injected substantial uncertainty into business investment planning."

----------------------------

"Canada’s economic freedom score is 80.8, making its economy the 6th freest in the 2011 Index. Its overall score is 0.4 point higher than last year, reflecting gains in fiscal and monetary freedom. Canada is ranked 1st out of three countries in the North America region.

The Canadian economy continues to sharpen its long-term competitiveness. Scoring high in many of the 10 economic freedoms, Canada performs particularly well in business freedom, financial freedom, property rights, and freedom from corruption. Straightforward regulations and the competitive tax regime facilitate entrepreneurial activity and lure dynamic investment. The corporate tax rate is scheduled to decline further to 15 percent in 2012."

Lower Costs and Better Care for Neediest Patients

The author, Atul Gawande, gets an A in writing/journalism and an F in economics/politics (Obamacare) and an F in racial profiling for referring to a Sri Lankan as having "cute rabbit teeth, but it's an excellent article about innovation and research. Jeffrey Brenner is an innovator--he knows how to lower medical costs by looking at the big picture. By analyzing block by block the hospital visits of Camden's residents "He found that between January of 2002 and June of 2008 some nine hundred people in the two buildings accounted for more than four thousand hospital visits and about two hundred million dollars in health-care bills. One patient had three hundred and twenty-four admissions in five years. The most expensive patient cost insurers $3.5 million. . . His calculations revealed that just one per cent of the hundred thousand people who made use of Camden’s medical facilities accounted for thirty per cent of its costs."Lower Costs and Better Care for Neediest Patients : The New Yorker
(If I'm not mistaken, there are similar studies on crime families and city maps.) I'm not sure I'd call Brenner's program "revolutionary," except in the sense it's how most healthy people live as a matter of routine--don't smoke, don't drink to excess, don't use drugs, aren't 300 pounds overweight; we know how to cook, take medication; we have stable relationships, we attend church, we socialize; in short, we're smart enough to take care of ourselves.

When offered a free clinic in their building which included a social worker assisting them with things most of us (reading this blog) know how to do, resulted in some worry and objections. . ."This doctor’s office, people were slowly realizing, would be involved in their lives—a medical professional would be after them about their smoking, drinking, diet, medications. That was O.K. if the person were Dr. Brenner. They knew him. They believed that he cared about them. Acceptance, however, would clearly depend upon execution; it wasn’t guaranteed. There was similar ambivalence in the neighborhoods that Compstat strategists targeted for additional—and potentially intrusive—policing."

Yes, how do you get people to give up personal freedom and bad habits in exchange for good health?

States in budget crisis--WaPo catches on

Better late than never--Washington Post finally realizes that union pensions are unsustainable. Whether it realizes these protests are about union survivals and not teachers' wages and benefits isn't clear, but at least they seem to realize they need to report SOMETHING!

Alaska, Arkansas and North Dakota are the only states without a budget shortfall. Illinois seems to be in the worst shape, at least in percentage. Now what was that again about the crazy Sarah Palin?

States in budget crisis | The Washington Post

Food sold in recycled cardboard--one more thing to watch for?

"Researchers found toxic chemicals from recycled newspapers had contaminated food sold in many cardboard cartons. The chemicals, known as mineral oils, come from printing inks."

BBC News - Food sold in recycled cardboard packaging 'poses risk'

NPR's Schiller caught in a sting--slams the Tea Party

Poor NPR. They just can't catch a break these days. I think they'd be much better off defunded by the government, then they could say what they please about the Tea Party, about race quotas, about Republicans, well, about anything. So, has NPR seen the "heavily edited tape," or are the executives taking Schiller's word for it? Has Ron Schiller ever been in the same room with a conservative, let alone heard them say all the awful things he spouts?

The NPR Vice President for Fund Raising (not sure of actual title) Ron Schiller told two men he thought were from a group like the Muslim Brotherhood some pretty nasty things about the Tea Party, which as we know, isn't really a party at all, but a grass roots movement of millions, unlike the Obama-Pelosi astroturf of unions and chains. Why he was getting so chummy with a group that wants to bring the world Sharia Law (he would definitely not be working under them), and even chuckled at their jokes, is beyond me. And as for "fundamental Christian," what would he call the group he thought he was talking to or the run of the mill environmentalist who worships the earth and wants us to return to the 7th century with the Muslims? Where are the videos of the "race baiting" Tea Partier carrying signs anywhere near as horrifying as what we've seen recently at the pro-union, pro-one world government demonstrations in Madison and Columbus?

— "The Tea Party is fanatically involved in people's personal lives and very fundamental Christian — I wouldn't even call it Christian. It's this weird evangelical kind of move."

— "Tea Party people" aren't "just Islamaphobic, but really xenophobic, I mean basically they are, they believe in sort of white, middle-America gun-toting. I mean, it's scary. They're seriously racist, racist people."

— "I think what we all believe is if we don't have Muslim voices in our schools, on the air ... it's the same thing we faced as a nation when we didn't have female voices." In the heavily edited tape, that comment followed Schiller being told by one of the men that their organization "was originally founded by a few members of the Muslim Brotherhood in America." There's no sign in the edited tape that Schiller reacted in any way after being told of the group's alleged connection to an Islamic group that appeared to be connected with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.

— That NPR "would be better off in the long run without federal funding," a position in direct conflict with the organization's official position.

Schiller is also heard laughing when one of the men jokes that NPR should be known as "National Palestinian Radio

In Video: NPR Exec Slams Tea Party, Questions Need For Federal Funds : The Two-Way : NPR

Mr. Schiller, who has a partner Alan Fletcher, is not married to or related to Vivian Schiller, who made a mess of the Juan Williams firing. His track record for fund raising brought him to NPR from University of Chicago.

Unedited version

The oil crisis--it's been going around

When the gas prices go up, the "Garfield" cartoon linked to the oil crisis comes around--oldest I found was early 2008. Remember, President Bush gave us an unsuccessful stimulus to try to goose the economy and it didn't work any better than Obama's. But anyway. . . without using a copyright cartoon of Garfield, here it is:

A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in our country.
~~~
Well, there's a very simple answer.
~~~
Nobody bothered to check the oil.
~~~
We just didn't know we were getting low.
~~~
The reason for that is purely geographical.
Our OIL is located in:
~~~
ALASKA
~~~
California
~~~
Coastal Florida
~~~
Coastal Louisiana
~~~
Kansas
~~~
Oklahoma
~~~
Pennsylvania and Texas
~~~
Our DIPSTICKS are located in Washington, DC !!!!


HT Murray

To the victor belongs the archives

As a Protestant (first an Anabaptist, then United Church of Christ, and currently Lutheran) I've had a pretty narrow view of history. In 2009 when our Lutheran church group travelled to the Holy Land we went with a group from the Greek Orthodox Church in Columbus, and that truly was my first association with this very important Christian heritage. All Christians share the early documents of the church and the ecumenical councils and the creeds. But the Protestant Reformation is strongly rooted in Rome, not Constantinople.

Today I watched the first 2 installments of The History of Orthodox Christianity. It's written, produced and distributed by GOTelecom (Greek Orthodox Telecommunications, Inc). Recently I've been listening regularly to St. Gabriel's Radio (WVKO in Columbus, OH) which carries a lot of EWTN syndicated shows like Mornings with Mother and The Father Corapi show, and I've learned a lot, been reinforced in many faith issues, and disagree a lot--just changing channels when they get to worship of Mary or purgatory. But to follow that up with the Greek Orthodox point of view on "tradition and history" of the church is quite amazing.

Also, the spread of Islam in the early church years and the lack of cohension and even human kindness between the eastern and western Christian church were appalling. It's sort of the difference between what the hen and the pig contribute to "ham and eggs." Also, the difference in the art to help tell the story is a real culture shock.

OrthodoxWiki
Orthdox Church in America

The Buckeye Union Lesson

Oh the screaming, yelling and angst at our state house. But tell me, do you know one union official who isn't a Democrat, Socialist or Communist? Public unions exist to keep one party in power, and work for one world government, and not for the good of the professions they claim to represent, the taxpayers, and certainly not the children of Ohio.

"The bill gives Ohio and its cities and counties new tools to manage the costs of some 360,000 state and local workers. They will earn pay increases on the basis of performance, rather than the automatic seniority and length-of-service increases that now apply beyond the annual increases negotiated by unions. It also allows collective bargaining for wages up to inflation, but not for benefits or pensions. Far from a "right" divinely etched into stone, Ohio only allowed government collective bargaining in 1983.

Workers will need to pay 20% of their health benefits, below the Ohio average of 23% in the private economy but above the 9% that now prevails in government. Mr. Kasich's budgeteers estimate that the bill would have saved Ohio at least $216 million in 2010 and some $1.1 billion for local governments, where most of the state's collective bargaining contracts are negotiated. Beyond the numbers, other details include prohibiting public employees from striking and giving local government more flexibility in contract disputes by revising a rigid binding arbitration process."

The Wall Street Journal: The Buckeye Union Lesson - WSJ.com

Today in History--Patsy Cline died--one of my favorites

March 5, 1963, Patsy Cline died in a plane crash.

The Disposable Woman - NYTimes

Charlie Sheen's TV show and behavior for the public in "real time" aren't the only things going on in our culture that say women are disposable. How about gay marriage, surrogate pregnancies, gay adoption of children, the disappearance of women from substantial roles in film after about age 40 when they are no longer sex kittens and too young to play grandma roles, and can we please get some women in the lighting design field? I'm so sick of buried can lights, lights that shimmer and quiver because they are "environmentally sustainable" and ugly lamps. Also, to look at the lack of women in the leadership of many businesses that need to grow from inspired entrepreneurship, I suspect the government is pushing them all into "public service." Unfortunately, there are female, morally bankrupt, addle-brained, implanted and botoxed counterparts of Charlie Sheen, but because they are more disposable, they don't last as long.

The Disposable Woman - NYTimes.com

To say nothing of the women so stupid they actually spend time with this abuser--or watch his show.

"Our inertia is not for lack of evidence. In 1990, he accidentally shot his fiancée at the time, the actress Kelly Preston, in the arm. (The engagement ended soon after.) In 1994 he was sued by a college student who alleged that he struck her in the head after she declined to have sex with him. (The case was settled out of court.) Two years later, a sex film actress, Brittany Ashland, said she had been thrown to the floor of Mr. Sheen’s Los Angeles house during a fight. (He pleaded no contest and paid a fine.)"

R&B and Rap entertainers running for cover of charities

Of course, we'll never know if the money really goes to charity--because who tracks that? Entertainers and politicians have a very low charitable donation rate, preferring that the government take care of those things on their behalf with other people's money. Even CNN caught on to the hypocrisy. Why would their agents even book them for these venues--never mind, I know, because they get a percentage of the huge fee. Do you suppose they'll cough up their percentage?



#more-6225

Poet from the past on my aunt's refrigerator, Arthur Frederic Otis

My cousin Dianne copied some of the clippings from her mother's refrigerator for us to enjoy. Her funeral was two weeks ago yesterday. Pastor Ginny of the Church of the Brethren had used some of her clippings in her eulogy. My husband said, probably thinking of our own top drawer, that he really enjoyed "The top kitchen drawer" by Arthur Frederic Otis. Just because (I'm a librarian), I checked this author in Google. I didn't find a lot, but more than what most people have. He was born in 1895 and died in 1984--a very long life for someone of his generation--almost 90. As near as I can tell his publishing life began rather late--the first thing I could find was from the mid-1940s, and he had a number of poems, verses, and short fiction published in the Saturday Evening Post, and The Rotarian, and I even found a few songs.

But sadly, the first thing I found was a death notice for his son, Arthur Frederic Otis, Jr. in an Illinois veterans' database: "Otis, Arthur Frederic Jr., Pfc., USMCR - Son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur F. Otis Sr., 600 Riford Rd., Glen Ellyn." In 1945, Arthur Sr. published (apparently privately) a book titled, "Forever nineteen." Searching a little deeper, I found this title listed with other books about WWII battle of Okinawa, where young, very young, Arthur was killed in action, June 20, 1945. How the family (I found 2 sisters in a historical society obituary notice) must have grieved, and I wonder if this publication, written when he was 50, started his writing career. Arthur Otis was also in the University of Illinois alumni database, but I don't know what his professional life was. In November 1948 he filed for copyright for a book of poetry, Dancing Shadows, 128 pages. However, I think his best creative act was the smiles of his readers, like Aunt Muriel, with his light verse about ordinary things like cluttered drawers, flat tires, and the things of everyday, mundane life.

Aunt Muriel (94) with her newest great grandson (7 weeks) a few days before she died. And if Aunt Muriel were alive, she would have loved this story!

Adult Stem Cell Research Avoids Ethical Concerns | Science and Technology | English

The latest issue of "Healthy Pet" (Winter 2010) has an article about adult stem cell therapy helping pets with arthritis, hip problems, ligament injuries, etc., however, I can't find much recent research that there's much progress for people. I think adult stem therapy is being done on humans in other countries. Praise God for George Bush, who held the line on embryonic stem cell research, which pushed researchers to look for alternatives with adult stem cell lines.

Adult Stem Cell Research Avoids Ethical Concerns | Science and Technology | English

CARL

"Paul Kengor says that conservatives were reluctant to face up to the truth about Obama because they didn’t want to be accused of “McCarthyism” for raising the issue of his communist connections. The 600-page Kengor book [Dupes] includes the excerpts of the [Frank] Davis FBI files that others have shied away from. Kengor, a professor at Grove City College, is not afraid to tackle the terrible truth. We need more like him in academia.

The difference between calling Obama an anti-colonialist, a socialist, or a Marxist mentored by a top operative of the CPUSA is that one category should immediately earn you an FBI investigation. Former FBI agent Max Noel says the Bureau used to investigate candidates for federal employment by analyzing Character, Associates, Reputation, and Loyalty to the United States. The first letters in those words make up the acronym CARL.

Obama could not have been elected president if he had been subjected to the CARL test. Leaving Davis aside – and he was on the FBI’s “security index” — Obama’s relationship with communist terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn was enough to disqualify him for the presidency. Photos of the Weather Underground bomb factory they abandoned in San Francisco in 1971 reveal these Cuban-trained terrorists were working on anti-personnel weapons, including stabbing devices, and had C-4 plastic explosive."

Exposing Un-American Activities

Builders Exchange needs director of membership development

"The successful candidate should have a bachelor’s degree in marketing or a business-related field. A minimum of two years sales experience is preferred. Knowledge of commercial construction, association operations and general database skills are also preferred. The Builders Exchange offers a competitive base salary, commission and benefits."

Builders Exchange - BX weekly online newsletter

Does that look like racial discrimination to you--asking for a bachelor's degree in marketing? I heard that Seattle officials think so. It's called social justice to defeat institutional racism to not require a minority (black) to have the degree others (white) must have to qualify.

It's practically an admission that 50 years of special recruiting, workshops, summer programs, loans, grants, and non-discrimination laws haven't worked--at least not for black males, who since the late 1970s have been losing ground in the college area--to both black women and white men.

Interview with Pete Holmes on Fox (near the end).

Summer Internship for Native Americans in Genomics (SING)

When I saw this I wondered where they were going to find the Native Americans in Illinois, but I recall that Ohio State you only needed to be 1/32 of (any race) to be considered eligible for a minority placement. Also, do they expect these Native Americans to return to "the community" to practice genomics?

Summer Internship for Native Americans in Genomics (SING) | The Institute for Genomic Biology

Number of Words in the English Language: 1,008,879

In English conversation class today (at our church) someone asked how many words are there in English. I guessed 2 million--someone else said 4,000. I was a little off, but not as far as she was. 1,008,879. I think that's the most of any language, however, some like Finnish, can invent new words just by adding pieces parts (which we sort of do too). We borrow from many languages, and English is now global. Did you know there are over 50 words for sheep in English? You probably won't ever need to know them, but in New Zealand, you might.

The Global Language Monitor » Blog Archive » Number of Words in the English Language: 1,008,879

According to another source, about 200,000 words are in common use today. An educated person has a vocabulary of about 20,000 words and uses about 2,000 during a week's conversation.

A Union Education - WSJ.com

". . . unlike in the private economy, a public union has a natural monopoly over government services. An industrial union will fight for a greater share of corporate profits, but it also knows that a business must make profits or it will move or shut down. The union chief for teachers, transit workers or firemen knows that the city is not going to close the schools, buses or firehouses.

This monopoly power, in turn, gives public unions inordinate sway over elected officials. The money they collect from member dues helps to elect politicians who are then supposed to represent the taxpayers during the next round of collective bargaining. In effect union representatives sit on both sides of the bargaining table, with no one sitting in for taxpayers. In 2006 in New Jersey, this led to the preposterous episode in which Governor Jon Corzine addressed a Trenton rally of thousands of public workers and shouted, "We will fight for a fair contract." He was promising to fight himself."

A Union Education - WSJ.com

In Ohio, you can't get a teaching job if you don't join the union. You might be a libertarian or a Republican, but you'll be paying to elect Democrats.

I've read through many articles about what is expected of teachers today and some of the rigid rules that interfer with educating children. I also talk to teachers. It makes me wonder, what really does a union do for these people except offer them expensive insurance and legal help if they are fired?

Also, politicians don't set up some of these ridiculous standards in a vacuum. It's coming from professional organizations and academicians--all probably formerly teachers. I have no idea why a teacher's performance or that of her school should be judged on how well a child with an IQ of 85 and one who is a recent immigrant learn English. They are teachers, not miracle workers! Where is the union in defending them against the state or federal standards? Anyone know how many classroom teacher jobs were saved by ARRA one time money as compared to administrators' jobs? Where is the union? Anyone know who came up with the current ridiculous math teaching fads? Where is the union?

Michelle Obama gets a Republican boost on obesity

It's the hypocrisy of her campaign that conservatives resent. Who's tending the WH garden? Her staff. She's a nag. And Governor Huckabee is putting weight on again, which I think shows how difficult this is even with education, knowledge and a TV camera in your face.

AFP: Michelle Obama gets a Republican boost on obesity

Mengumpulkan Pikiran Saya

Someone translated my Morgenthau article into Indonesian (I think): Mengumpulkan Pikiran Saya. I'm about to roll over to 405,000 visitors.

Brenda Leigh--you should be ashamed of yourself for misleading young women

We've borrowed and returned 2 seasons of "The Closer" from the library, and checked out seasons 3 and 4. We've thoroughly enjoyed the excellent writing and acting of this TNT show, which ends after the seventh season this year. Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) would be such a beautiful role model for young women who want to be both authoritative, tough and a good manager, but yet feminine and tender too. She wears modest feminine attire, loves her kitty, and is usually emotionally exhausted when coming home from work.) Unfortunately, the writers gave her a live-in boyfriend as a subplot (they marry in later episodes) to help her solve crimes and a former married lover as her boss for tension and humor at work. I guess it would just be too much work to figure out how she could possibly be a fine, capable woman and be sexually chaste too. Since the crime and the team's dynamics are the center piece each episode, how hard could it be to make Brenda really smart?

Since young women (and even some old) have decided living with the guy is an OK opening for marriage and long term plans like having a family, the divorce rate has soared and the child poverty rate has gone out of sight, with only 8% of children from married households living in poverty and 56% with single moms living in poverty. How smart is that, Hollywood, to promote this? Don't you want people to continue buying your product?

Women could virtually wipe out poverty in a generation just by having higher standards for themselves and the men they love.

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Newmont Mining Corporation

I see I've bought 50 shares of Newmont Mining Corporation (NEM), a gold producer, with significant assets or operations in the United States, Australia, Peru, Indonesia, Ghana, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico. Well, I hadn't planned to buy gold for my retirement portfolio, but apparently if you do, you'll be helping me.

Discovery & Development | Newmont Mining Corporation

SunChips' compostable bags get quieter

In a world of chaos and intractible problems, it's nice to know that sometimes there is a solution to . . . noisy snack bags.

SunChips' compostable bags get quieter | Drug Store News

Are they paid for recruiting for the government programs

I noticed this disclaimer on a private, non-governmental website encouraging people to sign up for government benefits. There are two ways (alluded to in the message) to make money doing this: 1) either the government reimburses them for the referrals, or 2) they resell the information collected from those who inquire.

"FamilyFinancialHelpUsa.net is not a government agency and is in no way affiliated with any government agency. This is not an application for Food Stamps, LIHEAP or HUD Public Housing. We are a private organization. We use the information you provide to connect you to the correct site to apply for food stamps, LIHEAP and HUD Public Housing in your state. Additionally we will give you the opportunity to participate in private offers that we believe may benefit you through email. We will also provide you with ways to get other free things that may interest and help your family after entering the site. You are not required to participate in these offers or buy anything to get access to your free financial aid and other free help for the family. Please support our sponsors who keep this site free."

Inspiring story by Jewish Ethiopian Immigrant to Israel

Hope and Change--it's not just a political slogan

Hope and Change is the message of the New Testament, and it was stolen by the Obama campaign because the clever marketing firm that ran the campaign knew the familiarity and the challenge of it have a comfortable, familiar ring, even if the candidate was preaching political concepts unacceptable to most Americans--concepts that have failed in every country they've been tried. "Hope and change" (the slogan) is also an underlying desire of youth--in my generation it was the 18-23 year old's mantra, but since adolescence has been lengthened since the mid-60s, so has young adulthood, and now it's the 20-30 year olds who yearn to make changes in the world and believe they are the generation to do it. Constant, unremitting change (they are fuzzy on this but it includes risk taking, hedonism/slackerism, entertainment and sports) is in fact their hope as they postpone marriage, family and career.

Paul lists seven questions in Romans 8.31-39

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have our only HOPE in Jesus Christ, and yes, because our lives will CHANGE, we CHANGE the world.

Do be fooled or misled by political slogans. Jesus didn't come to change political systems, or to be a humanist mystery called "peace and justice." He's not a member of any nation or political party. He's Lord and Savior of the universe, The Word of God, the Alpha and Omega, and he's Hope and Change.

In yesterday's sermon John Stolzenbach said he uses this passage from Romans at every funeral. Yes, it's truly amazing in listing changes and hope. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Life here is full of changes--don't leave home without hope.

A New Newt - Gingrich Tries to Reconnect With America

I don't care what he converts to or how many films he makes about a pope, I certainly hope Republicans aren't fooled again by nominating an unelectable candidate. Maybe the current Mrs. Newt believes him, but I don't.

A New Newt - Gingrich Tries to Reconnect With America - NYTimes.com

FBI File: However bad you thought Ted Kennedy was, he was worse!

Mayrantandrave has an interesting story about this sad, old man when he was young, frisky, interviewing Communists, and renting a brothel.

FBI File: Ted Kennedy and the Santiago Brothel « Mayrant&rave

There's a reason my parents left the farm

Barbara Kingsolver, author of Animal, vegetable, miracle (HarperCollins, 2007) our March book selection for book club is an excellent writer. But I could do without the preachy lectures. I've known for years, and so have our churches and government, that there is more than enough food grown in the world for everyone to be not just nourished, but fat! Growing it isn't the problem--it's the political systems that control and distribute it that fail. That was well publicized 40-50 years ago. And our own USA government through the U.S. Department of Agriculture has some pretty misguided regulations and policies itself.

So, despite her interesting experiment as Tiger Mom of the homestead, our personal food choices really don't make much difference, except for our own health. If I were to choose to eat 24/7 at McDonald's it doesn't change a Haitian dictator's behavior. Today I was reading an article from a Lutheran magazine from 1991, 20 years ago, about Haiti, and I might as well have been reading today's newspaper. The American food industry and our personal food choices (the only part of this we do control) will not give the Somalians a viable representative government, nor stop the Chinese government's policy of one child. We could ban petroleum products and industries tomorrow, and it would not feed one starving African child or free one Thai child prostitute. This is the 21st version of "clean your plate there are starving children in China" which some of us heard as children.

Kingsolver says it was a family decision to take a food sabbatical, to eat deliberately, to shop the local food landscape of Southern Appalachians. My first thought was, "they grow wheat and oats in southern Appalachia? And why should she be able to freeze her rhubarb to eat in the winter, if I can't buy pay some one to grow and freeze it commercially to eat in the winter?

If you"put the kitchen back in the center of the American diet," you put women back in the kitchen too. They won't be medical researchers, or astronauts, or academicians, or retail clerks, or factory assembly line workers, or restaurant chefs, or plumbers, or accountants if they are spending 2 hours a day finding and delivering fresh, locally grown food, and another 2 hours preparing it--milling, grinding, setting aside to rise, peeling, stewing, sanitizing, preserving--and then maybe mulching or plowing or sowing or harvesting in the hours left. But that's what women did for thousands of years while the men went out and slaughtered animals for meat or each other to protect the fields and families at home. I'm only at about page 60, but not sure I have the time (a week) to devote to this.

I'd already decided to skip the parts by Steven L. Hopp, but at p. 54 I found "profit driven, mechanized food industry," and wondered if Mrs. Kingsolver had hand copied her manuscripts, bound them in calf leather from her farm and distributed them in pony driven carts for only a dozen or so people to read.

Why it's called the Massacre River

My husband is still hoping for a mission trip to Haiti this year--now probably postponed to April. The Massacre River separates Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Why the unusual name? In today's letter, Pam Mann, a missionary/teacher in Ouanaminthe from Upper Arlington Lutheran Church writes:

". . . Why the river's name was changed to Massacre. Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the indigenous Taino and Arawak people called the river Guatapana. However, in 1936, the centuries-old name was changed. Dominican Dictator Trujillo ordered the genocide of all blacks living in the DR who could not pronounce the Spanish verb, pereir, “to perish”. Spanish r's are tricky for Haitians as are English r's. In a few days time, an estimated 25,000 were slaughtered by machete, knives or bullets. Haitians fleeing to their homeland were tracked down and butchered by machetes when the bullets ran out. The waters of the Guatapana River ran red with Haitian blood and a horrified nation renamed it.

False claim of hurting the middle class

Stimulus money was used to pay off the public unions’ benefit packages in many states to balance the budget and kicked the problem down the road to Walker of Wisconsin and Kasich of Ohio and other Republicans who ran on this issue. There is no stimulus money left (can I say we told you so?) and states can't print money like Washington. So what do the unions do? They trot out that dog and pony show about hurting the middle class. Today's Columbus Dispatch says:

"Not only are the public-sector workers affected by Senate Bill 5 not representative of the majority of Ohio's middle class, but the comfortable wages, automatic raises, benefits, pensions, job protections, sick-day payouts and negotiating power enjoyed by many of these public-sector workers comes at the expense of the vast majority of Ohio's middle-class taxpayers. Most of these taxpayers have nothing remotely like these benefits nor the economic security that the public sector takes for granted and regards as a right."

Editorial: False claim | The Columbus Dispatch

Not only that, but we (not-in-the-unions) are your bosses, Mr. Fat Cat Union Boss! Let's get rid of public unions. All of them.

I recommend this blogger--May Rant and Rave

This one about Fancy Nancy revising her own commendation by the DNC is really good. You perhaps thought I was single focused and tough--hey--I'm a napping pussycat compared to Mayrant.