Can a young couple live on one income?

Some young'ns think a couple needs two incomes to survive these days. Not true. You just have to rein in the gottahaves to the essentials. In the old days of the 1970s, we didn't have cable contracts, phone contracts, eating out several times a week, computers to play with, 2 or 3 cars, homes where everything matched or it got replaced (we even got by with laminate counter tops), TV in every room, college debts, credit card debt, very few people I knew were paying support for another family in another house and few took vacations except the rich (a cottage at Lakeside was $45/week). We didn't have a paid vacation or paid health insurance. And at our house, no one smoked or drank alcohol, and that is a HUGE savings. Refigure your budget with a 1970 plan, and see if you really need to go to work, ladies.

That said, today so many things are cheaper. Computers, TV, microwaves, clothing, even food are a fraction of the cost of 40 years ago. And compared to the 80s, mortgage rates are laughable. A tithe is still 10% and that's the best budgeting tool.

On how bad Trump is

I have never cared for Trump. I always suspected he was a plant by the Clinton-Soros machine to take out the candidates they feared because it was such a stellar group. However, as he continued to win, he began to stab his mentors and creators in the back, until he began to believe he could do it. And even if I'm right (or if I'm just into conspiracy theories), on his worst day he's better than Clinton.

Crimes and misdemeanors, but no intent

"FBI Director James Comey announced that the FBI will not recommend charges against Hillary. Although he said that there was extreme "carelessness" in handling classified information, the lack of intent to violate the law precluded prosecution. That's a bit of a surprise given that the Department of Justice is currently prosecuting Petty Officer First Class Kristian Saucier for a similar crime where no inten...t was involved. This gives rise to suspicions, verging on certainty, that the law is different when your name is Clinton, that laws are for the "little people" and not those in charge. As Kurt Schlichter has recently warned, the sense that there's no such thing as rule of law in today's America is likely to be quite corrosive. If Hillary can do this much damage to America's fabric now, how much worse will things be with her in the White House?"

https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/statement-by-fbi-director-james-b.-comey-on-the-investigation-of-secretary-hillary-clintons-use-of-a-personal-e-mail-system

http://www.9news.com/news/nation-now/glenn-reynolds-about-that-clintonlynch-accidental-meeting/264670390

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/fbi-recommends-no-charges-against-clinton-in-email-probe-225102

Explosion at the Bruce cottage

I decided to fix the last two eggs for breakfast this morning.  So I took out a heavy, deep, ceramic cereal bowl, sprayed it with non-stick spray, and cracked and dropped in the two eggs.  I covered it with a damp paper towel so I wouldn't have egg to clean up inside the microwave.  Zap for 1 minute.  Took a peek, then zapped for another minute.  I carefully removed the bowl (very hot).  Hmm. A slice of cheese would taste good on that, so I took the package out of the frig and removed a slice and placed it on the eggs, hoping it would melt.  It just sat there.  So I walked to the opposite side and took out a fork and knife. When I poked my wonderful egg/cheese meal with the fork it exploded.  And I mean, everywhere, including my nice light teal shirt that matches my teal and yellow summer slacks and all around the coffee pot and microwave.  Plus the steam scalded my right forearm. So, it wasn't cooling while I did those other tasks, it was building up steam.  There's a message here, and I'll figure it out.

A great story by a guy I don't know about another guy I don't know

This story by David Lester (don't know him) appeared on Facebook about the clean up in West Virginia after the recent flooding.

"On Thursday I was up to my ankles in every imaginable kind of waste helping a 70 some year old lady throw away every single one of her belongings. Then I look and another truck pulls in and this guy jumps out and says in a deep British accent "My name is Anthony...how can I help?"

That day we tackled every job that required no brains and lots of brawn and also strong stomachs. Came to find out Anthony heard about the flood devastation through friends in WV and international medi coverage and decided to fly in from London and help. He flew into Charlotte, rented a truck, loaded up with supplies and drove to Clendenin. I invited him to stay with us and he agreed. We shared military stories and he was a great guest. He returned every day back to the floods.

On Sunday (July 3) I didn't accompany him and he wound up putting a displaced elderly woman up in the Motel 8 in Dunbar for two nights on his dime. On this day of celebrating our Independence Day (which he calls traitor day😜) I wanted to give a shout out to this great guy that my family adores. Thanks Anthony for your kind heart and British wit!! And he doesn't do Facebook but I thought his efforts should not go unnoticed."

A wonderful July 4 story, don't you agree?

Looking for links I see a socialist web site is blaming funding cuts for disasters.  Really? For some people always look for political advantage.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/25/us/west-virginia-flooding-deaths/index.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/06/30/west-virginia-faces-new-reality-after-deadly-flood/86555454/

Did Thomas Jefferson read St. Robert Bellarmine

 There is no way to know if Thomas Jefferson ever read the original works of St. Robert Bellarmine. Chances are very good Jefferson knew of the writings of the 16th century counter-reformation Catholic who was extensively quoted in a book that was in Jefferson's library--a book that spoke out about the right of kings to rule. The Congressional Library still possesses a copy of Patriarcha, a book which once stood on the library shelf of Thomas Jefferson.  Patriarcha, was written by Robert Filmer, the privage theologian of James I of England in defense of the Divine Right of Kings and principally in refutation to the Jesuit Cardinal Bellarmine’s political principles of popular sovereignty.”

Jefferson's words echo that of a man who wrote two centuries earlier, and whose work itself echoes St. Thomas Aquinas.

With regard to the equality of men:

Declaration of Independence:  “All men are created equal; they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”

Bellarmine:  “All men are equal, not in wisdom or grace, but in the essence and nature of mankind” (De Laicis,” c.7).  “There is no reason why among equals one should rule rather than another.” (Ibid.)  “Let rulers remember that they preside over men who are of the same nature as they themselves” (De Officus Princ.” c.22).  “Political right is immediately from God and necessarily inherent in the nature of man” (De Laicia” c. 6, note 1).

With regard to the function of government:

Declaration of Independence:  “To secure these rights governments are instituted among men.”

Bellarmine:  “It is impossible for men to live together without someone to care for the common good.  Men must be governed by someone lest they be willing to perish” (De Laicia,” c.6).

With regard to the source of power:

Declaration of Independence:  “Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Bellarmine:  “It depends upon the consent of the multitude to constitute over itself a king, consul, or other magistrate.  This power is, indeed, from God, but vested in a particular ruler by the counsel and election of men” (De Laicis, c. 6, notes 4 and 5).  “The people themselves immediately and directly hold the political power” (De Clericis, c. 7).

With regard to the right to change the government:

Declaration of Independence:  “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government. . .Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient reasons.”

Bellarmine:  “For legitimate reasons the people can change the government to an aristocracy or a democracy or vice versa” (De Laicis, c. 6).  “The people never transfers its power to a king so completely but that it reserves to itself the right of receiving back the power” (Recognitio de Laicis, c. 6).

https://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2013/09/17/st-robert-bellarmine-and-the-declaration-of-independence/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellarmine-Jefferson_High_School

http://supremacyandsurvival.blogspot.com/2016/07/st-robert-bellarmine-and-declaration-of.html

https://suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/thomas-jefferson-and-st-robert-bellarmines-natural-law-teachings/

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6607&CFID=27181055&CFTOKEN=86110878

Let's not forget about Nigeria

Nigeria was the first mission field I heard about as a child.  Church of the Brethren missionaries would come to our church in Mt. Morris and talk about their work. The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria is now larger than the mother church denomination, but is experiencing terrible persecution from Muslims.  What follows is from The Catholic News Agency and is the most recent I could find, a report of June 9 of a meeting at Heritage Foundation.  It will take more than a hashtag to solve this.  Boko Haram is more lethal than ISIS according to the Global Terrorism Index and the number of displaced people is second only to Syria.

“What is unfolding in Northern and Central Nigeria is one of the worst, most neglected humanitarian crises in the world,” Elijah Brown, executive vice president of the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, stated at the Heritage Foundation on June 9, introducing the report.

Attacks on villages and schools by the terror group Boko Haram– most known for its April 2014 abduction of over 200 school girls in Chibok – have displaced millions in the last few years. Other problems that have arisen are attacks by militants of the Fulani herdsmen in the fertile Middle Belt region, destroying entire villages."

http://www.heritage.org/events/2016/06/nigeria

http://europe.newsweek.com/boko-haram-splinters-isis-over-child-suicide-bombers-us-general-473004

http://www.standwithnigeria.org/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/17/world/global-terror-report/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/11/africa/nigeria-suicide-bombing-boko-haram/index.html

13 foods to avoid at the grocery store

With the exception of potato chips (which I have trouble resisting), I avoid most of these foods--they are very high priced (per oz.), full of fillers, HFCS, and, just stuff bad for you. I switched to real butter years ago, never drink pop, bought almond milk once before seeing what a rip off it was, avoid most processed meat (have an occasional hot dog for old time's sake), eat only old fashioned oatmeal (90 seconds in the microwave), buy regular yogurt and add fruit at home. You do become addicted to flavors and textures, so keep this junk away from kids even if it sounds healthy.

http://thestir.cafemom.com/healthy_living/198850/13_grocery_store_staples_experts?

"Many foods seem harmless and appear to be healthy with labels saying "natural" or "low fat," but these items aren’t what you think. You can create the same product or buy a true healthier alternative."

Sounds of the early morning walk at Lakeside

When the city walker starts out for a morning walk in a small town along a large lake (like Lakeside, Ohio where we have our summer home) at first she hears silence.  But the sounds begin to roll in the ear soon.  At first it is the disgusting crunch, crunch of the Mayflies underfoot at every intersection with a street light. An experienced Lakesider just reminds herself--it means the Lake is healthy.

Then she hears the birds--sparrows, black birds, robins, cardinals, jays, mourning doves--and all the others that she's been told about on the morning bird walks provided by Lakesiders but can't identify. It's a beautiful cool morning, but some people are running air conditioning window units unaware, something I don't hear at home because everyone has whole house AC.  Then if the windows are open, I hear some muffled talking, probably from rumpled beds, and a baby, very young is crying.  Maybe a wet diaper? No sleeping in for the new mom and dad.

Now there's something I never hear at home--a screen door slams as the resident walks to the porch with a hot cup of coffee.  I can hear the boats patrolling the shore, probably from the Customs and Border Protection from a near by port.  Other noises, like the tiny business district waking up and getting ready for customers. Someone needs to take vacations at another time so this tourist area can be served. If it weren't for the fact I need to stay on the flat streets, I'd head for the lakefront for other sounds--almost like a different place, but just two blocks.

      

The Bill of Rights and our precious freedoms

There is no right to abort (aka kill) another human being in our Constitution or Bill of Rights. SCOTUS "found" that right in the 14th amendment--made it up. Fragile as a spider's web. We ARE absolutely guaranteed that the government won't deny us our religious rights, our speech, our right to assemble peacefully, our right to a "free" press, and our right to petition the government. If you know anything about western civilization* (which probably isn't taught anymore, you know why these are treasured freedoms).

And there's that 2nd amendment, which comes 2nd because it defends the first. It's no accident that while liberals whine about the 2nd and try to undo it, a much larger group of them are organizing against the first, particularly religion.

I have no problem with more checks on potential gun buyers, but that isn't the goal--destroying the 2nd amendment is the prize. And then those pesky freedoms outlined in the 1st.

*1215 (England) Magna Carta, somewhat evolved, from the unwilling King John by his rebellious barons, is signed. It will later be regarded as the cornerstone of liberty in England even though it was not for common folk.

1689 (England) Bill of Rights grants 'freedom of speech in Parliament' after James II is overthrown and William and Mary installed as co-rulers.

1787 Northwest Ordinance for new states and territories guarantees  trial by jury, habeas corpus, due process, and religious freedom. Excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishments were banned. Slavery was also banned in new territories.

1791 The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees five freedoms: of religion, speech, the press, right to assemble and right to petition the government.

The zombie or the joker?

I won't share the photo, but I saw a poster with Hillary as a zombie (half of her face melting and bloody and a staring eyeball, and The Donald as the Joker. That's pretty close to our choices. Except. She's a long time politician who has accomplished nothing, and he's a non-politician who's done a lot, some stuff better than others. She's running based on her female parts, saying it's our (women) time. But we've learned from this administration, that means nothing. Body parts can be changed with surgery and hormones, or just with a feeling.

The recent loss for Texas women and children in the Supreme Court: "And once again, it was the flip of Anthony Kennedy that managed to produce this decision. In the ledger, unseen, chalk up another accomplishment for Joe Biden: Kennedy’s appointment came as a result of the malicious blocking of Robert Bork to the Court, with Biden as the chairman in charge. Bork died, but Kennedy is the gift that (for Democrats) never stops giving." Hadley Arkes, The Catholic Thing.

A Supreme Court appointment is always "the gift that never stops giving" and even those you think are strong on the constitution have been known to flip. That is why the upcoming election is so important if you want to keep your country.

Of Democrats and dogs

In today's program at Lakeside Chautauqua about Cuba in the 1950s after the revolution, the Cuban born American lawyer Jose Mas mentioned the nationalization of all businesses, not just that owned by foreigners (Americans). Musing, I wondered if that's like stealing bakeries, flower shops and pizza parlors because the owners don't cotton to the government party line, so thus the jailing or fining of the owners. It's also why you see major corporations supporting pride parades--hush money and blackmail, or rainbowmail. Little businesses can't afford that, or have too many scruples.

In the afternoon I attended a delightful program at the Lakeside Women's Club, Officer Josh Young and Joe Joe of the Danbury Police K-9 Unit.  What a beautiful dog (born, raised and trained in the Czech Republic) and a terrific bond between officer and dog.  He is trained to find 5 drugs, and any derivative of those drugs.  And if you try to hurt Josh, he will probably tear you apart. There many children there, and I loved seeing how wonderful he was with the kids.

http://www.tactical-life.com/news/danbury-township-police-department-k-9/

What's in a name?

 "American society lavished scholarships on the upper-middle-class prep-school graduate Barack Hussein Obama but perhaps would not have done so much for just another Barry Dunham. It is not surprising that when George Zimmerman had been in a fight with Trayvon Martin, his scars were photoshopped away and his 911 call racialized. Would that have happened had he chosen to go by the name of Jorge Mesa?" Victor Davis Hanson

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/429215/anti-westernism-hypocrisy

Waiting

A Clinton Warren ticket?

I see the very wealthy and not so truthful Elizabeth Warren is on the war path against racism and bigotry instead of fighting lies, corruption and taking money from Muslim countries to influence our government. She's hoping to be on the most crooked Presidential ticket in the history of the U.S.

"In the wake of the UK's shocking Brexit vote, Hillary Clinton said these uncertain times call for "calm, steady, experienced leadership in the White House."

On "Fox News Sunday," Newt Gingrich said he found Clinton's statement "hysterical," pointing out that she's been wrong on foreign policy on everything from the Brexit vote to toppling Muammar Gaddafi in Libya to advocating for a "reset" with Russia.

"I mean, what has she been right about?" Gingrich said. "If we need more of this kind of experience, it’s a little bit like Casey Stengel once asking if anybody on the Mets could play the game. I mean, there’s no reason why Hillary Clinton’s experiences qualify for anything except retirement."

http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/06/26/newt-gingrich-hillary-clinton-was-wrong-brexit-libya-russia-more

Expansion of social problems for personal gain

Professor Ronald Wheeler is gay and teaches legal research (i.e., Law librarian) at Wayne State. His academic title is so long, it would fill a page. He has written about microaggressions which he expanded to include microassaults, microinsults and microinvalidations and proposes some solutions to preventing microaggressions from occurring within one's organization. Really. It makes me embarrassed to be an academic librarian (retired).

Like poverty, if this race and gender nonsense were ever to go away, so many people would be out of work (teaching, agitating, getting government grants, inforcing rules, filing hate crime claims, creating special offices that need directors), we'd have homeless academics.

An example of a microinsult according to Wheeler is: If a gay man wearing a wedding band is asked about his wife, and he says he has a husband not a wife, and the new acquaintance says, "Oh," and changes the subject, that's an insult or an aggression. See? You can't win. She didn't scream, or sneer, or quote scripture, she said, "Oh."

Hank Paulson

Hank Paulson was GW Bush's secretary of Treasury.  He has now endorsed Hillary, the crook for 2016. Hmm. If anyone can sniff out money, it'd be Henry Paulson.  Some thought he was one, too.  In 2015 he was supporting Jeb Bush. He was a partner with Al Gore in Cap and Trade because it looked like a good investment and he was on the inside.

I wrote a poem about him in 2008 during the Muslim pirates hostage crisis.

Barney, Nancy, Chris and Hank
threw us hostages in the tank
with bank terrorists taught by Acorn
just like bomber Bernadine Dohrn,
using minorities and the poor
with us as deals on the floor
of the House finance committee,
Oh Lordy, what a pity.

I also wrote a blues song during the October 2008 melt down with Henry in the refrain.

Mitigating factors, oozing out the wazoo,
Sell ‘em or hold ‘em, it’s all a rescue.
I’ve got the low down, trillion dollar
Ben and Henry blues.

A great loss for our church

This is so sad.  Two of the most talented servants of God and we've lost them both. Years ago when Mike Martin (on the right) was choir director at Lytham, I decided to join the choir. But after 50 years of not being in a choir, my soprano range was gone; I only had 4 notes, and they weren't even in a row, so after a year, I gave the gift of my silence. But spiritually, it was one of the best I've ever had at UALC. What a man of God! 

 And I can still remember the excitement when Eric first preached at Lytham in 2008. Oh the liturgy--praise God. Those at Mill Run where he leads the informal service never really got to have that. We benefitted from his special sermons rooted in his strong faith, based in his theater background and his outstanding scripture reading.  His classes were terrific. At a time when many young pastors think they must wear jeans with holes to relate, he always looked like a model. He and his wife and six children will be moving to Texas.  I'm just so sad.

Pavlo, Elvis and Noone

Wonderful program by Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits at Hoover Auditorium in Lakeside Saturday night. What a performer! He looks 45 when he comes out, and 75 when he finishes--really puts everything into it (he's 68). Noone and the Hermits had outsold the Beatles by 1965. The audience loved the sing a longs, and the impersonation of some other performers like Jagger and Cash (he's great at that).

Friday night we had a great Elvis impersonator, Mike Albert, and he'd shortened his show a bit which strengthened it. He's so great with the kids. I think he had them on stage at least 3 times.  Also his mother.

 The Saturday before we enjoyed Pavlo, (Pavlo Simtikidis) and because my husband takes guitar lessons, he was really thrilled.

Sunday there was a lecture on the Ross cottages (large, hip roof style, about 100 years old) for the archives program.  I blogged about them years ago. Learned we had stayed in 2 as rentals back in the 70s.

Art show begins this Tuesday and my husband is teaching perspective drawing at the Rhein Center this week. Day time programs are on Cuba.

Brexit--Moody Blues, Go Now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h42kzEA9l8Q  Moody Blues,

 but recorded first by Bessie Banks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prlWGe2EHro

Morning walks at Lakeside

I’ve been getting 5-6 miles a day in at Lakeside, staying on the flat east/west streets. North/south are steep hills. I don’t have the exact source, it may have been on one of the walking history tours, but Lake Erie used to be much larger, and the flat areas are the old (10,000 years or so) shore lines. So I don't get too worked up about climate change caused by humans.

But June when everything is fresh and deep green is a wonderful time to walk at Lakeside. Because of bursitis, I'm being cautious and not doing hills. I see the youngsters (60-something) marching up and down the north south streets and give them a nod and smile. Yesterday I came across a squirrel sprawled out in the street.  I thought perhaps it had been hit by a car, so I got closer and could see a faint heart beat. I thought I would call administration to have it removed before it was splattered everywhere, but a few minutes later I looked back and it was gone, crawling under a parked car. Perhaps it had fallen from a power line above and had the breath knocked out.

Always enjoy seeing what the latest shoe fashion is for athletes.  Yellow, pink, lavender, etc., all on the same pair. I'm wearing a very sturdy white pair--I bought them 2 years ago and set them aside.  Good thing, too.  Hard to find these today.

The lilies are so lovely this time of year, and now the hollyhocks are blooming. The lake provides a great back drop. This is actually an early July photo, but can't find the one from this week.

Jihad, the President and the Pope

Not a good time to be an American Catholic--both our President and Pope are messing with marriage! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLFyB-DxzmQ

If you watch the whole June 24 segment of The World Over (EWTN), it includes Dr. Sebastian Gorka, counterinsurgency expert and Distinguished Chair of Military Theory at Marine Corps University to discuss the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Orlando, the DOJ/FBI response and his new book, Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War. There is a concerted effort by this administration to disconnect the dots where the threat of Islamic terrorism is concerned. The surge of foreign born Islamic terrorists (many stopped) under Obama is frightening. Democrats can't wish it away or rename it a hate crime or refuse to name it what Mateen called it. Changing his word Allah to God the way Lynch has done is just insulting.

Then next, Pope Francis on marriage--Fr Gerald Murray, Robert Royal and Raymond Arroyo, the host. People are very upset with what the Pope has said about marriage. And if you think it doesn't matter because you're a Lutheran or Calvinist or Methodist, think again.  The Catholics have a much higher view of marriage whether or not the couple in the pew choses to obey.  He seems to want to lower the bar. Marriage is already under attack--this isn't helping. Marriage isn't what we said or thought in Sept 1960--every day we need to renew our commitment. If he wants people to come back to Christ, this isn't the way to do it.

A little history about the Pope's visit to Armenia

"In 301 AD, twelve years before Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire, King Tiridates III made Christianity the official religion of Armenia, the first national ruler to do so. The Armenians were subsequently conquered by the Romans, Arabs, Persians, Ottomans, and Soviets. In 1915, the Young Turks government attempted to exterminate them, massacring 1.5 million. In 1988, an earthquake killed up to 50,000 Armenians. That same year, a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan claimed tens of thousands of lives. . .According to a 2012 survey, 92 percent of Armenians consider themselves religious, the third-highest percentage anywhere (in the United States it’s 60 percent)." https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2016/06/25/pope-francis-and-the-armenian-church/

If you read the whole article, you'll notice the author isn't a fan of Pope Francis.    He has dual citizenship, U.S. and Poland. Big fan of John Paul II.

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/4850/how_saint_john_paul_ii_conquered_communism.aspx


 

Beets and Brexit

I'm making a huge leap here, but I'm guessing the Friday Foreign Affairs discussion at Lakeside today will be on Brexit. It's always whatever has been in the news. Although Lakeside leans left with so many pastors and academics, probably 90% who will be at the discussion live on their pensions/investments, and I think we're in for quite a ride until this settles down.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/britain-shocks-world-breaks-with-european-union-british-leader-steps-down/

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/historic-brexit-vote-sends-dow-futures-plunging-650-points-2016-06-24

I just saw this on a noon TV segment--beet butter--but she said peel the beets and cook. Really? I've never heard of peeling beets before cooking, and this recipe just says scrub them. Anyone ever try this? Really pretty.

http://www.momseveryday.com/test/homes/headlines/Beet-butter-383161851.html

Ted Strickland meets with Cecile Richards--hide the babies!

Ted Strickland, pro-abortion Democratic nominee for US Senate from Ohio, held a meeting with Cecile Richards at the Ohio Democratic Party headquarters in Columbus yesterday. On average, Cecile Richards, CEO of Planned Parenthood, rakes in over half a million dollars in annual income, all while promoting and providing abortion-on-demand over 300,000 times every year. Nearly a year ago, she apologized for the gruesome descriptions found in undercover footage of her top medical director discussing the trade of aborted fetal body parts over wine and salad. Later, she fumbled trying to explain the apology, caught in the PR scandal of a lifetime. (Ohio Right to Life).

Richards, married to an SEIU union organizer, is the daughter of a former governor of Texas (keeps that name) and is worth about $4 million. Her 3 children were allowed to live. Strickland has an M.Div and is a former Methodist minister and former governor of Ohio. Cozy.

The great divide

It's no secret that I'm on here and Facebook a lot, plus several on-line e-mail discussion groups. That said, I think social media (blogging, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter [especially] and the others) are contributing to the break down of relationships among Americans along party lines, and probably Brits who just went through the Brexit vote. But it seems odd to me that Democrats feel more threatened than Republicans. http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/majoirty-democrats-republicans-very/2016/06/23/id/735374/

The Left is winning the culture wars. They control all the major voices of the entertainment industry, news media and academe, even the public libraries, so I assume they also control the voices of social media. I can only glance at some of The Daily Beast or Huffington Post--my blood pressure goes up. But they are the more mild of the left wing internet news sources millions read and link to. And Twitter?  I only see comments of who said what to millions of followers. Here at the lake house I see more broadcast news than at home, and am always amazed at the echo chamber as though the three networks had the same writers and producers.

Our culture has practically collapsed in the last decade. Hate for all religions, not just Christianity is growing-it makes the rants about homophobia look like jokes, and worldwide Christians are being martyred by the thousands. Religion is a threat to the current administration and the governments of China and Russia, and Muslims kill Muslims if not in the right group. Catholics are terribly divided in support of the current Pope who seems to them a little squishy on church doctrine.  The U.S. government bureaucracy has redefined sex to be something called "gender" without a vote from Congress or the American people. That's the core of society--if you can't agree on basic biology and a 50 year old male with some surgical alterations and a new birth certificate is allowed to play on a college women's team, where's the hope for saving forests, or feeding the poor, or immigration? What the left says about white Americans, particularly males, would never be tolerated if said about Muslims or gays or blacks. Do they on the Left not read history?

Obama's legacy with women

There go the Title VII and IX protections for women. Thanks, Obama, for yet another legacy.

"Gabrielle Ludwig is not like any other woman on the basketball courts, or in the locker rooms, in Santa Clara Community College’s junior team. Gabrielle is a foot taller than every other player and has significantly more upper body strength.

That’s because the 50-year-old player was born Robert John Ludwig, a man. He still bears the tattoos of his service in Operation Desert Storm.

This turn at college basketball is his second. His first stint in 1980 was as a man at Nassau Community College.

After his sex change operation this summer he petitioned to change his birth certificate’s sex from male to female.

That edit allowed his previous sports history to be wiped off his record. Ludwig is now eligible to play for two full years.

Even at twice his opponents’ age, Ludwig cuts an imposing figure at 6’8” and 220 pounds, a fact not lost on his coach – or his much smaller opponents."

Maybe he can be a grandfather figure for the girls on the team.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/50-year-old-transsexual-8216woman8217-makes-college-basketball-debut-video

My $2 beach read

I have a "beach reading" novel I purchased used for $2. Debbie Macomber, "Summer on Blossom Street." The author brings her characters together through a "Knit to Quit" class, where knitting helps them recover from an addiction or bad habit. Now what mother of a middle age adult can't identify with this:

"He felt protective toward his mother and, as much as possible, tried to spare her any worry. In return, she felt it was her duty to look after him, to enquire about his diet and whether he got enough sleep and had enough of a social life. In most instances Hutch didn't mind. Lately, however, she'd been on this marriage kick. She said it was because she didn't want him to repeat his father's mistakes and bury himself in work." (p. 110)

 Perhaps I don't read enough fiction to know about the tough subjects, but this book has a theme about adoption and foster care and the anxiety and trauma for older children in the system. Also step-parenting, widowhood, loss of a parent as a young adult, and an abusive fiancé with a sex addiction, and their pushy parents who still want them to get married.

Some dogs and cats in the story who seem to be well adjusted.

This story always makes me smile--a repeat

My dad wasn't the warm, fuzzy type, but when he died in 2002, the library of old family stories closed. This one he passed along--my grandmother who was the library of family stories before him, didn't like this story at all.

My father's name was Howard William, and most of my life I thought he'd been named for his maternal grandfather, William, but late in his life Dad told me he'd been named for William Howard Taft, who was president until 1913. Taft would have just recently left office when Dad was born (inauguration was March 4 in 1913 and Dad was born later that March), but maybe my grandparents didn't like Woodrow Wilson. The doctor forgot to register Dad's birth name at the county courthouse in 1913, so when he went to file for Social Security at age 65, Dad discovered his birth certificate said, "Baby Boy" instead of Howard William. But both of his parents were still living, and when the clerk asked if anyone could confirm it, he said, "My mother and father."  So the county accepted their affidavit that he was what he'd been called his whole life. He wouldn't even crack a smile when we called him, "Baby Boy."

Mom's story isn't as funny, but is an example of the problems with birth registries.  The Lee County, Illinois, there was a court house fire when she was a child, which destroyed her birth record.  She had to have her brother Leslie , who was 10 years older, provide an affidavit of her birth.

What exactly is Daily Beast saying about President Obama?

I got a notice from The Daily Beast on Facebook that someone had "liked" something I said in 2014, so I clicked over to look. The background photo for The Beast was an artsy-fartsy collage comprised of 1) Gay flag, 2) Occupy mask (Guy Fawkes), 3) marijuana plants, very lush, 4) Communist soldiers of N. Korea, 5) President Obama, 6) a distant galaxy, and 7) can't really tell, but a guy with a stick looking into the night sky? What is the Beast telling us about the state of our country? You too can be rich, criticizing America?

The Daily Beast is a far left, on-line news source, formerly owned by Tina Brown and Newsweek, now owned by IAC/InterActiveCorp in case you don't look at it. It's become mega wealthy criticizing capitalism and rich people.

Over used idioms

There are a few phrases becoming more common by pastors, priests, politicians and professors and I sit on the edge of my seat waiting for them. They were all in this morning's lecture at Lakeside.

Let's unpack this .. .

What are the tools in our toolbox. . .

Let's have a conversation about . . .

Monday Memories along the Lakefront

I'm gradually increasing my walk time here at Lakeside (bursitis pain), and I like to walk along the lakefront and read all the memorials. It slows me down, but then what's the hurry in Lakeside?  A veteran of WWII born in 1921 who died in 1994--I wonder what he saw; a young child who died at 5 years old--would have children of his own now; a happy 60th anniversary Mom and Dad from the 1980s; a simple dedication to the trees in the park donated by a long time Lakesider. a street lamp  in remembrance of Hazel and Wendell Lutes, Sr. who may have strolled in the moonlight, and of course, the wonderful gazebo, a memorial for the Steeles who died in an auto accident, and now is the site of much happiness and music in the park and many weddings.

 

And although it's not on the lakefront, we have the wonderful Rhein Center serving thousands in the summer, a  wonderful memorial to C. Kirk Rhein, Jr. who lost his life on TWA Flight 800 in 1996.

 

About 8 or 9 years ago I asked if there was a record, but was told "we're working on it."

 

Link to 2007 blog on memorials at Lakeside

 

Other thoughts on memorials, and what might happen to your donation

 

Memorial tree is dying, too

 

Dad's name on a memorial

 

 

Sticky keys on laptop, walking the lakefront, and Father's Day

Here at Lakeside I'm using both my I-pad and my laptop, and occasionally some keys stick on the laptop.  Today I couldn't use the T or the Y so I switched to the I-pad and stated a substitution, but as soon as I did that, they started to work.

I walked 2 miles this morning, choosing the most level street (3rd) but also walked back on the lakefront, but did have to walk about half a block with an incline.  At one time the lake was much bigger, like maybe 8 thousand years ago (have you been warned enough about climate change), so the lakefront used to be much further south of here, with a gradual slope.  Even so, it was worth the extra effort.  The lakefront flowers were gorgeous, and it was much warmer than last night's prediction.

We'll celebrate Father's Day by eating breakfast at the Patio Restaurant after the Dockside church service.  Tomorrow my husband returns to Columbus for a church meeting, his guitar lesson and a doctor's appointment, so he'll have his Father's day dinner with our daughter and husband then.  He doesn't know it, but she's found the 2016 Maise Dobbs novel, and that will be one of his gifts.  Don't tell!  He has the set, but we didn't know about the latest one.   http://www.jacquelinewinspear.com/

Practical uses for leftover pickle brine

1. A Post-Workout Drink

Many sports medicine professionals swear by pickle juice as a method for staving off muscle cramps and replenishing lost electrolytes after intense workouts, according to NBC News.

Indeed, studies have confirmed that in large enough amounts pickle juice can be an effective treatment for workout-induced muscle cramps.

2. A Vinegar Substitute

One of the primary ingredients in pickle juice is vinegar, which makes it a good emergency substitute for vinegar in many recipes. Some individuals even use it for cleaning purposes – after filtering it, of course.

Pickle juice is great in marinades, salad dressings, and even bread dough! For recipes that include pickle juice, check out The Kitchn’s guide to culinary uses for pickle juice.

3. Hangover Cure

Alcohol is a diuretic. Drinking lots of it will basically leave you dehydrated. Fortunately, pickle juice can help to get your sodium levels back to where they need to be. Just take a sip before you got to bed.

4. PMS Remedy

It works the same way as it would for a post-workout cure because it helps to hydrate the body and alleviate cramping. Simply drink 1/4 cup of pickle juice.

5. Heartburn Relief

The vinegar in pickle juice can help with heartburn just like how Apple cider vinegar can help as well. Take a sip before every meal and see if you notice a difference.How To Recycle The Brine

One of the most popular ways to use leftover pickle brine is in recipes for pickling other foods! You can re-use pickle juice as a quick way of pickling more cucumbers, or other vegetables like radishes, summer squash, or even hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator. Just make sure the juice is clear and doesn’t look cloudy or murky.

 

Food In Jars recommends that you only re-use pickle brine up to three times – after that, too much brine volume as been lost, and a scum may start to develop in the brine, making it less than healthy.

 

Now that you know several ways to use pickle juice, there’s no need to throw out this useful liquid again! Whether you drink it straight up or in a cocktail, use it in a recipe, or recycle it to make refrigerator pickles, there’s plenty of use for leftover pickle brine.

http://www.healthfreedoms.org/why-you-need-to-stop-throwing-away-that-pickle-juice-such-a-waste/

The President should read the Constitution

Have you ever read what the Constitution says about the duties of the President? Article 2. Section 2. It would almost make you laugh when you see what a monarch/caesar/king position we have today if it weren't so pathetic. I think there may be more words spent on the electoral system (Section 1). The gist is, his primary job is to be Commander in Chief of the army and navy, but he can also grant pardons, appoint ambassadors, judges, etc. (with consent of the Senate) and he...'s supposed to give a state of the union message from time to time. And although everyone says we have three equal branches, it's pretty clear on reading it, (Article 1, the longest part of the Constitution) that Congress was to be the power house, especially the House of Representatives, because that's how we the people were to have a voice, a voice no one in Europe had at that time.

By deduction, I'm guessing the Founders meant the President's primary job was to keep the nation safe. Given his awful, blame-game, finger pointing speech yesterday, calling for more gun control and chastising those who won't give it to him, I'd say he knows what his real job is, but he has to pretend it's not his fault that ISIS has taken center stage in the world and grown in power and become a threat here under his management. He refuses to say, the buck stops here, like Harry Truman. He hasn't kept us safe and he won't or can't.

Duplicity in the highest office

Even the gun shop owner reported Omar Mateen's odd behavior and questions, but because Muslims are a protected group in the "rules of engagement" issued by the WH, the FBI did nothing. Disney also reported him to the FBI in April. (Fox News, various interviews with store owner, and former FBI staffer, but it's also been on ABC and CBS in case you don't trust Fox). Then the president goes to the memorial service and comforts the families and uses their tragedy for his political gain. Sickening. The President confesses the Christian faith (member of UCC) with his mouth, but his heart is with Islam.

Hillary Clinton and the LGBTQ agenda

I haven't checked these amounts. You don't always know when photos appear on FB who or what is the source.  However, I do know that no country would donate to an American foundation (they don't get a tax break like we do) created by a former president and former secretary of state unless they expected payback/kickback/backscratch. We know Muslim countries have severe punishment for gays and transsexuals. Do we want that person in the White House who owes them? Why would the LGBTQ spokespeople endorse this when there has to be a time when the IOUs are called in?  What if she accepted donations from the KKK or Planned Parenthood (oh, wait, she does).

 

"Four oil-rich Arab nations, all with histories of philanthropy to United Nations and Middle Eastern causes, have donated vastly more money to the Clinton Foundation than they have to most other large private charities involved in the kinds of global work championed by the Clinton family.

Since 2001, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates gave as much as $40 million to the Clinton Foundation. In contrast, six similar non-governmental global charities collected no money from those same four Middle Eastern countries; the International Committee of the Red Cross was given $6.82 million. Since 2001, these global foundations have raised a staggering $40 billion to $50 billion to fund their humanitarian work." http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article24782695.html

http://dailycaller.com/2016/05/11/exclusive-persian-gulf-sheikhs-gave-bill-hillary-100-million/

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/business/alatheia-nielsen/2016/06/14/clinton-foundation-takes-255m-countries-kill-imprison

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article24782695.html#storylink=cpy

Women and the draft

Women may soon be required to register for the military draft. What sense does that make? We haven't had a draft for decades, but this signals the reinstatement. Small countries need women in the military; ours doesn't. Our military right now is below pre-WWII levels, and we have a president who can't or won't lead and politicizes tragedies if they involve a favored group.

So what's up? Our military probably also isn't ready to accept draftees. Today's military of volunteers, both men and women, is the best in the world. Don't make the military branches another social service agency for creating "equality."

And no, I don't think women should be in combat, either.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/us/politics/congress-women-military-draft.html?_r=0

 http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/15/482168066/in-defense-bill-senate-approves-plan-for-women-to-register-for-draft

How many American citizens are on the terrorist watch list?

• Are any on the list in error? 
• What if 90% are foreign? They can't buy guns here under current laws, right? 
• How do you deprive a citizen of a constitutional right without a trial? 
• Do they go to jail or just lose their 2nd amendment rights? 
• Are we safer if they use a grenade or bomb? 
• Are there other rights we can lose for being on other lists--like being members of a church, for instance, and therefore can't exercise our religious rights? 
• Or rights to assemble? 
• Were Tashfeen Malik and Syed Rizwan Farook (San Bernadino) on a terrorist watch list?  
• Was Omar Mateen on a terrorist watch list?
•  How does a terrorist watch list work if we're afraid of Muslims or being called Islamophobic?

Farook was a U.S. citizen; Malik a permanent resident; Mateen was U.S. born. Mateen had apparently been a trouble maker since elementary school, but was able to get security clearance to work for a Homeland Security contractor and his status as a Muslim protected him from co-workers complaints.

Stop the hate

The ugly, divisive left continues to spew hate and bigotry-calling the Orlando tragedy the fault of Christians and Republicans. A gay Muslim, a registered Democrat who was probably also mentally disturbed (aka disabled according to our ADA) whose employer was afraid to fire him, waits for closing time at a club he frequented when people are crowding toward the exit and begins to kill. The left says it's about gun control, GOP and Christians. Demented. I'm sick of this tragedy being made a political gotcha game by Democrats and the President while parents and loved ones still making funeral arrangements,

We are not Mateen; don't tell that lie again

The more we learn about Mateen the more disturbed we learn he was--cultural Muslim radicalized on the internet, abusive to 2 wives, gay and/or bi-sexual, nasty personality, and the people he killed were in a club he often attended, so he may have known some of his victims, most of whom were probably Puerto Rican heritage.

The gun was not the problem, and it wasn't an assault weapon, it was a rifle, but that's immaterial. He could have done just as much damage with a handgun, or a fire bomb, or blowing himself up inside the building. People who knew him in high school 15 years ago say he was hateful then. He was a hater. He violated all laws about guns, yet he had been cleared by a security company with a Homeland Security contract and the FBI. To say more laws would have stopped him is just a fantasy. His co-workers had also tried to warn their employer, but due to protections accorded certain groups and fear of being called a bigot, they were ignored. "If you see something, say something," apparently only applies to abandoned luggage in airports.

Do not include yourself or me in your comment "USA society is just as mentally warped as the warped individual."  And I say that to conservatives also who cry that we're going to Hell in a hand basket because of Hillary and Obama. That's just a lie people tell themselves that is based on political hysteria. None of Mateen's qualities are mine, and not yours. Straighten your spine and do something nice today in memory of those who have died. And by the way, gun violence is half of what it was in 1994, and gun ownership is double.

Greek yogurt

Yogurt is a bit like coffee; it doesn't actually taste good, but some is less bad than others. Today I'm having fresh blueberries (lightly cooked to a sauce using Splenda) on top of Stoneyfield Organic fat free Greek Yogurt with cinnamon sprinkles. Yummy. Greek yogurt doesn't seem to get so weepy and runny. So of course, I looked it up.

 










Besides texture, here are some other differences between regular and Greek yogurt:

• Protein - Greek yogurt has almost double the protein of regular yogurt.
• Fat - Unless you're using the nonfat varieties, Greek yogurt has about three times the saturated fat than regular yogurt.
• Sodium - Greek yogurt contains about half the sodium of regular yogurt.
• Carbohydrates - Greek yogurt contains roughly half the carbohydrates of regular yogurt, but remember that adding sweeteners to either one will increase the carbohydrate count.

http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-regular-and-greek-yogurt-ingredient-intelligence-204137 

http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/greek-yogurt-nutrition-myths

   

Comments on his 75th birthday, Macolm Muggeridge (1978)

"The three most disastrous inventions of our time have been the birth pill, the camera and nuclear weaponry. The first offers sex in terms of sterility, the second reality in terms of fantasy, and the third security in terms of destruction." 25 propositions on a 75th birthday, Malcolm Muggeridge

"Aleksander I. Solzhenitsyn says there are virtually no Marxists in the Communist countries, which I should suppose to he true. On the other hand, they are multiplying in the ostensibly capitalist countries, notably on campuses and in faculties, and among priests and Jesuits, laicized and actual, and media pundits." And he said this in 1978!  25 propositions on a 75th birthday, Malcolm Muggeridge,

"Two contemporary notions, of progress and of equality, have proved particularly disastrous. The former elevates change into being in itself desirable, which, as Euclid says, is absurd, and the latter is equally fallacious. Human beings are not equal, but they are brothers and sisters, as belonging to one family, and all created in the image of their Creator. All the ruin of Western man lies in th...e change from Brother to Comrade." 25 propositions on a 75th birthday, Malcolm Muggeridge

How true. "Comrade," the watchword of Communism and its German coworker, National Socialism, led to 100 million deaths in the last century in camps, by starvation, in gas chambers and firing squads. Citizens killed by their own governments. How many guns do you think the citizens owned? How many had already been silenced in their churches, schools and clubs?

When the socialist movement gained momentum in the mid-19th century, socialists began to look for egalitarian alternatives (in their languages) to terms like "Mister", "Miss", or "Missus" and so it continues today with the agenda to wipe out any language referring to biological sex including pronouns and terms of polite address, even Ms. will need to be dropped in favor of Mx. Sex confusion, dysphoria or disfunction only affects about .03% of the population, so who do you suppose is behind this "progress and equality" push?

 

 http://www.nytimes.com/1978/04/23/archives/25-propositions-on-a-75th-birthday.html?_r=0

 

 

Community Relations Service

For over 50 years the federal government has been funding "conciliation and mediation services" ($14,500,000 in 2016) to local groups to reduce "tensions, conflicts, and civil disorders arising from actions, policies, and practices that are perceived to be based on race, ethnicity, or national origin." Oops.  Now we need to add all those gender squish words to the original charge for Department of Justice. Imagine the community organizers who live well on that one--or got a start in politics!

2016 Performance Budget

Do words matter?

The president says words don't matter, he doesn't have to call terrorists radical jihadist Muslims because those are just words. Like someone who self identifies as a woman when he's a man, but we can be sued for using the wrong pronoun?  The next time you're called a bigot or transphobic for not calling Bruce Jenner by his new name, remind your gatekeeper of personal morality and ethics that the President has assured us that words don't matter and you refuse to be pressured.

I so don't like to say Donald Trump is right. He was never even on my list. However, he's right when he says that terrorism doesn't get Obama fired up, it doesn't create a fire in his belly to protect us. Only denigrating Republicans and Trump gets him worked up (you could see and hear the rage yesterday). And it's not just because we're in a campaign year. I think it's been that way for 8 years long before Trump was on the scene--campaign speeches against the GOP, even when Democrats controlled all the government. Name one cause/movement they haven't won. They've completely turned our society on its head, and still he complains.

Krauthammer: "Nobody straps on a suicide bomb in the name of violent extremism." Words matter, Mr. President. Stop pretending that 7.5 years of semantics don't matter. You can't engage an enemy you can't even name.
 

Anti-white microaggression by the left

I came across a blog today that had good information, but labeled itself, "pro-white." That's a bit off-putting, isn't it? That's knee-jerk bias, ON MY PART, because I frequently come across pro-black, or pro-gay, pro-Catholic, or pro-woman blogs that openingly report from a biased point of view and I don't discount their views.

It's leftist microaggression that eats away at the fabric of our society--making everyone victims, spreading bigotry and hatred. Hatred of Christianity is at the root of socialism, and most of our Founders were European Christians or their descendants. They had the audacity to tell citizens they didn't need to worship the government or a King. Destroy the family and religion so government has no competition for loyalties, that's the point of the hatred they sow. 

It's on the TV news, opinion shows, internet social media--hate white Christians, dump Shakespeare because he's a dead white male, keep whites out of meetings, don't let white men or women speak at graduation, and teachers can't teach if they are white. Even Condi Rice is an honorary white because she's a Republican. If Muslims are bad, then Christians must be worse because they fought back their armies and religion a thousand years ago. After the Orlando tragedy, lefties came out of the woodwork to blame Christians because there were two protected groups, gays and Muslims, so the only logical thing for a liberal to do was blame Christians.

Lots, and lots of hatred. I haven't yet heard Omar Mateen called a white man, but since that's how the Census labels him, I'm sure it's out there in a hate message by ‪#‎Occupy‬ Someone's Mind or ‪#‎blacklivesmatter‬.

Biological sex--that's what Title VII and IX are about

There is no such thing as gender except in grammar. Pump a woman full of testosterone who's had a double mastectomy, and she can't compete as a woman because of the drugs, so why allow her to compete as a man? Men who've been pumped with male hormones are disqualified. A transwoman still has the muscles and cardiovascular system of a man. Also, this is an extremely unhealthy foreign substance in the athlete's body causing early death or disease, and should be discouraged by doctors and psychiatrists instead of lauded in the media and encouraged by Democrat politicians like the president.

The Ls in the LGBTQ organization should demand they stop this crusade against women.

Can it get more strange? Orlando.

This story out of Orlando just gets more convoluted. Now they are investigating Omar Mateen's second wife, who is being charged in 49 murders. The investigators think she helped him.  People who knew him from the Pulse club say he was gay and/or bisexual, and frequented the club where he killed people who he probably knew. Could this be a crime of passion and not religion? And of course, he passed all the back ground checks the gun control lobby wanted, and he was a registered Democrat. His wife (second) was of Palestinian background, but not religious, and his father visited members of Congress and claimed to be a candidate for President of Afghanistan. His co-workers tried to warn personnel, but were afraid of being disciplined because he was "protected" as a Muslim.  Meanwhile, our President gives a major speech chastising us and blaming Americans for this terrible tragedy.  I feel like I've spent the afternoon in a horror show.

One percenters are living in public housing

I don’t know why this story is making the news (saw it on Fox) 10 months after it was published, but many very wealthy people are living in public housing at a much reduced rate—paid for by local and federal taxes. Some living in LA and NYC have incomes as high as $500,000.

“Of these 25,226 families [in public housing], 17,761 had earned more than the qualifying amount for more than 1 year. HUD regulations require families to meet eligibility income limits only when they are admitted to the public housing program." 

Well, gosh, in 1990, we earned more than we did in 1960, too. In fact, we’d paid off the mortgage on two homes. I wonder why this was never taken into consideration?

https://www.hudoig.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2015-PH-0002.pdf

"Case 1 – New York City Housing Authority, New York, NY – The Authority admitted the family to the program in November 1988, and it had been overincome since at least 2009. As of November 2013, the four-person household’s annual income was $497,911, while the low-income threshold was $67,100. Three members of the household earned income. The member with the highest income earned $275,757.In addition, the head of the household owned real estate that produced $790,534 in rental income between 2009 and 2013. As of July 2014, the family paid an income-based ceiling rent of $1,574 monthly for its public housing unit. According to the Authority, it did not evict this family from its 3-bedroom unit because its policy does not require it to terminate the tenancy or evict families solely because they are overincome. The Authority believes that allowing overincome families to reside in public housing is beneficial because it shows that participation in the public housing program can help families achieve a more stable life and the average rent paid by overincome families is greater than that paid by other low income families."

Do we really have a vetting system for investigating suspicious people?

As candidate Clinton said, "If you're being investigated by the FBI you shouldn't be able to buy guns." I certainly agree, but millions plan to vote for her. And doesn't it make you wonder about the thousands of refugees (no Christians, please, only Muslims says Obama) from the Middle East if vetting Hillary and Mateen by some of our best investigators get us nowhere? She has accepted millions from foreign countries to line her own pockets and her campaign for power; he accepted the lies of ISIS to satisfy whatever troubled mind he already had.

We need something like . . . a free press than does investigative journalism.