My Brother’s Famous Now

They wrote up a whole big article on my brother’s house. He and my sister-in-law bought the house in Le Mars just three years ago and have kinda sorta been fixing it up little by little ever since. Now they’re featured in the local Historic Tour of Homes. From the article:

This home is a great example of the popular vernacular house form built around 1910 — the “American Four-Square.” Typical of that style is the low pitched pyramid-shaped roof with a hipped attic dormer on the front. Notice that this particular dormer boasts two diamond light windows which provide natural lighting in the attic. Notice the curvature of the roof at the eaves, a bit unusual on a four-square. That helps move the rain away from the windows so that spots don’t occur as often — less window washing!

The foundation is of locally produced Miracle concrete block. (Le Mars has four houses completely made with this block, but numerous homes sport Miracle block foundations.) This was a double air-space cement block advertised to insulate the basements from heat in summer and from the wintry cold. It was manufactured by the Moore Lumber Company. (The museum has one on display.) Plain block under the enclosed front porch, was probably added when the porch was added. Prior to that, there may have been a simple stoop for an entry.

A narrow sidewalk leads to a matching large square barn/garage built on the alley to the rear. Once inside the house, tour guests should note the floor in the two front rooms off the center hall. The Radloffs ripped out the carpeting in the room to the right just three weeks ago. Yet, the narrow oak flooring is in almost pristine shape, even to the color.

The large front window in the main parlor, as well as the large window in the dining room were originally 12 panes over 4 panes. These massive windows have been replaced with more energy efficient 1/1. Dawn says the glass was original, with its usual imperfections and eyes. Both the remaining original windows as well as the replacements allow wonderful light and ventilation.

A built-in china cupboard with its Arts & Crafts style leaded glass, employing an opaque white glass with tiny blue squares, is featured in the dining room.

Visitors going upstairs will find a mission-style, narrow, square spindled upper staircase, which was stripped and refinished by the former owners Floyd and Bernice Powell. The fact that the pine flooring in the upstairs does not appear to be laid the in same direction intrigues the couple.

Each of the Radloffs’ four children has their own bedroom which have unique features. The northwest bedroom has a a walk-out above the back entry, currently blocked to keep the children from exploring. This room has a shallow closet beside the chimney, and appears to have been Dr. James Powell’s room, according to a name written on the storm window.

Ain’t that cool? I’m not sure where they got the fourth kid, though – last I checked there were naught but three. You can read the whole article HERE if you want. Of course, if you’ve read this far, you’ve pretty much read most of the article already…

You’ve gotta be kidding me…

Two things have crossed my foggy little brain lately that worry me mightily.

The first is a children’s television show, oddly enough. It seems that Hamas, which shares power with the moderate Fatah in governing Palestine, owns and controls its very own television station. On this television station they have a children’s show, called “Tomorrow’s Pioneers,” featuring a small child and a big Mickey Mouse named Farfour. So far, so good. The only people upset at this point in the story are Disney’s lawyers.

Until you hear what the little girl and the Mickey Mouse character are saying… Today the main character cheated on his exams because “the Jews destroyed my house,” and he lost his books source. Another recent quote is “You and I are laying the foundation for a world led by Islamists. We will return the Islamic community to its former greatness, and liberate Jerusalem, God willing, liberate Iraq, God willing, and liberate all the countries of the Muslims invaded by the murderers source.”

If you want to see a video of an 11 or 12-year-old child singing “…the answer is an AK-47. We who do not know fear, we are the predators…” as well as other clips from the show, just click HERE. (The link takes you to an Israeli news outlet. Needless to say, they have some pretty harsh things to say about Hamas’ show.)

History tells us that this sort of state-sponsored indoctrination truly does work. One only has to look at the Hitler Youth or to the Soviet-era schoolchildren for examples. Children learn what we teach them. If we teach them hatred, we’ll get hate-filled adults as the end result. What Hamas is doing is, in my opinion, just plain wrong. They also show commercials teaching their children how to cope with life if their mother dies in a suicide bombing – by picking up the dynamite themselves and joining her in heaven.

This is horrific stuff.

We need to make sure we don’t do the same thing to our children!

The second thing to come across my radar comes from Utah Republican Convention Chairman Don Larsen, who submitted the following resolution:

In order for Satan to establish his “New World Order” and destroy the freedom of all people as predicted in the Scriptures, he must first destroy the U.S. … The most quiet and unspectacular invasion of illegal immigrants does not focus the attention of the nations the way open warfare does, but is all the more insidious for its stealth and innocuousness.”

In a speech, Larsen said that illegal immigrants “hate American People,” and “are determined to destroy this country.” He continued to say that illegal aliens are in control of the national media and are working with the Democrats to “destroy Christian America.” At the end of his speech, he broke down in tears source.

No official action was taken on Larsen’s resolution as not enough people stuck around long enough to vote.

This scares me as much as Hamas’ attempts at brainwashing children. Trying to pass resolutions and legislate the view that immigrants are the tools of Satan is blatant racism. I was particularly tickled at the thought that illegal immigrants are in control of the American media.

In both cases, governments and governmental officials are using religion as a weapon, a means to an end, and in both cases it’s shameful. If you use religion as a political tool you cheapen your religion.

Sad Time

I spent quite a bit of time this week 75 miles away from Sioux City with well over a hundred other “motorcycle enthusiasts,” making sure a soldier’s grieving family saw flags and not protesters at their son’s funeral. The soldier was 19 when he was killed serving in Iraq.