Americans may truly be the only nation of people who can find it somehow right and proper to combine a solemn honoring of our war dead day, with picnics, the beach, camping and barbecue.

I don’t know how we do it,  but we do. And we don’t seem to see anything odd about it.

Now, before you get your knickers in a twist or whatever other bodily wear the image brings up for you personally, I’m not here to wag the finger. No such thing at all. I was happily munching on a brat-dog yesterday and shoveling down my world famous potato salad. (I can say world famous because I published the recipe a while back–and it is undeniable that I have an “international” following of sorts. “Famous” might be quibbled with, but it’s my blog, so you know what that means.)

But the thought did wander through the fog of my brain after having consumed such fare, that well, it was all a bit strange after all. We are not supposed to be celebrating at all, rather we are to be properly solemn. I’ve used that word three times now, so you know it figures prominently here.

We are supposed to be “reflective” and meditative aren’t we? This is called MEMORIAL day after all. We have a lot of memorials to remember doncha think? I mean, starting with the Revolutionary war, various internecine “wars” against Native Americans, such that we nearly wiped out whole tribes. They there is the French and Indian, (the Indians again), the war of 1812, the parties of who escape me now. (So many it’s hard to remember all of them.) San Juan Hill had us in Cuba or some place, and we fought Mexicans over Texas and probably Arizona and New Mexico and California some.

Then there are the biggies, the Civil War when we did our best to annihilate each other, the two World Wars, one of which was wrongly claimed to be the “war to end all wars,” then Korea, Vietnam, a couple of Gulfs, Eastern Europe over those “not real wars but just police actions”. There are two going on now, and plenty dead and maimed from those. There are undoubtedly one’s we don’t know about, sneaky CIA type operations where people die and we never know. They are war dead too I guess.

My point is not to make judgments about all these, although most of you might assume correctly that I’m pretty much agin’ such things. My point is to well, point out, that we have a lot of dead to reflect upon. A lot of lives lost, millions, in causes deemed righteous and not so much. A lot of lives ruined that aren’t all that susceptible to figures and grafts and totals.

I’d say there is more than enough for a body to spend the day in quiet reflection on; war, and how we get in them, and more importantly how we can avoid them. To say nothing of those poor folks who are dealing with it firsthand, visiting graves still warm from shovels of dirt not yet packed down, embracing boxes filled with dreams now dead. 

We have somehow found it right and good to turn this day into the “kick-off to summer” and parades where we wave flags and look about us in self-satisfied wonder at all America has wrought. Kids running and ice cream, and baseball, and pretty teen girls flirting with bare chested boys trying to look manly.  A lot of aging men, and increasing more and more women, dress in semi-formal military fare, and sport caps identifying them as VFW, and their particular part in the ongoing mayhem that has been with us since our birth as a nation.

We dutifully watch the TV during the day, or later in the evening, and see the solemn (now four times) placing of wreaths at various monuments, watching the documentation of this going on here and there throughout the country. We feel vaguely embarrassed or guilty that we don’t attend those events, but after all, we have no war dead to mourn ourselves. And it is warm and sunny, and there is a chance to wear shorts and wiggle our toes in the sand and laugh because we have the day off.

I found it ironic that the television schedule during the weekend was filled with old war movies, and war footage. Yes, a perfect legacy of war is to watch pretend war or film of real war. Fitting to remember the dead that way. Glorious, in fact. I’m sure that’s the way they felt about it, before. . . . before they were dead before they hit the ground. How much they were willing to “give that last measure.” Yeah, sure they were.

Nobody is talking of peace. I can’t figure out why. Haven’t we seen a belly full of death and destruction yet? Are we still in love with John Wayne, and “lace ‘em up tight boys.” Are we still in Rambo mode?

I wonder all these things as I eat my Klondike Bar in celebration of Memorial Day. Damned if I know why I feel so phony.

Mohandas Gandhi, 1946 by Margaret Bourke-White. This is truly one of my most favorite images of Gandhi. The simplicity of life portrayed is something quite humbling to us all. So great a man, so humble a task. We can learn so much by his example. The pity is that we have not in large measure emulated his peaceful resistance to injustice.

It is shaping up as a lovely day. I went for my walk, and discovered on the way down the hill that the heavy rains have washed away so much sand that the utility cables are uncovered as they cross the lane. The Contrarian is now up there trying to rebury them, which I hate. I wish he would just hire someone to do it, and have the power cut off while doing so. It’s also something as Gilda would say.

I’ve got dough on the rise for making some bagels. They are quite simple really just a bit time consuming in dividing the dough and making the rings. They are one of the few breads that are simmered in water before baking. Strange to say the least by the process goes very fast and they bake up very quickly as well.

I’m making a skillet ziti today for dinner. We saw the recipe on Test Kitchen on PBS the other day. It’s fast and frankly better than the usual baked ziti which always ends up dry. The pasta just sucks up all the sauce no matter how well done the pasta is cooked ahead of time. In this recipe you cook the pasta in the sauce which you water down extensively, then add some cream, basil, parmesan, and then cover with shredded mozzerella and bake for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese.

I have to run to Center Point tomorrow and pick up a couple f things for the 4th. I forgot to get radishes which I need for the potato salad, and some nice big hamburger buns for the brisket. I’m really excited to taste that, and very happy that it is such a no work recipe. Just 12 hours in the oven at 250 and its ready for the barbecue sauce. I got out my recipe for Chocolate molten lava cakes and I’m set for that. It’s a very simple recipe as well. I’d love to hear what you are having for the fourth. LOL. My plea for the books that have changed your life went unrequited so, I have no illusions. I guess everyone is busy these days with no time for any comments. I know I struggle to find time myself to stop by everyone’s blog and leave a couple of comments each week. Things will no doubt improve again in the winter months.

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Congrats are in order to Deborah again at (Mis)Adventures of a Crafty Wifey. Seems she got her first wholesale order for her jewelry. See, she is making lovely things and making money while I obsess about being a good neighbor and commenting on blogs! LOL. I think I should be crafting. Drop by if you can and give her a shout.

I didn’t know anything about Julian the Apostate. He tried to reverse the Christianization of Rome in the 4th Century CE. He was obviously unsuccessful. He died in 363 CE on June 28th. Read more about his regressive individual at Ancient/Classical History Blog.

Sandi’s Crochet Blog never fails us. She has three posts all worth looking at. So, as I often do, I’ve linked to the main site and you can scroll at your leisure. I liked the drawstring crocheted bag that would be great for a picnic or the beach. She also has three very cute headbands. Any little girl or big one would love any of them.

We tend as youngsters to get a very romanticized notion of the colonization of this country. Some of us never get any updating of that basic information. That is sad, because it causes us as adults to assume things as fact and factor them into our thinking on other subjects. American Revolution Blog helps to disabuse us of some of those notions we learned as children in school. Reality is always better than fantasy when it comes to critical thinking about real problems. Do yourself a favor and read this post.

The bagels are done, and frankly I am not into blogging. I need a break and its just too much work for too little reward. I’ll be back whenever I feel like it. LOL.

George Krause did this beauty, entitled “Fountainhead” in 1970. I suspect that in some parts of the west, such a delightful experience would be most welcome.

Well, the garden is officially planted for the second time. I couldn’t get any more tomato plants or any sweet peppers but I did manage to get four Anaheim peppers which are mildly hot and good for a lot of dishes. The garden doesn’t look too bad, and the corn seems to be going a bit. Some of the tomato plants look rather spindly, but who knows, they may take off. I’m wondering if I should get some fertilizer out on it. Perhaps the heavy rains have washed away nutrients. The little pepper plants, no more than about 7 inches tall are trying to set fruit. That concerns me, since I’m thinking they are not going to produce much. Nothing can be done.

It seems the story is the same everywhere. The Contrariansstep brother has sprayed his fields for weeds so apparently he thinks the corn will come along. Since we planted at nearly the same time, that gives us some hope. Surely he wouldn’t spend the money for nothing. He must feel that the chances are still worth it.

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A huge congrats to Deborah over at (Mis)Adventures of a Crafty Wifey. Seems they are pregnant. Stop by and give her and hubby a nice high five.

William Penn is of course the reason Pennsylvania is called, well PENNsylvania. Yesterday marked the anniversary of his penning ( no pun intended of course) a treaty between his white folks and the native tribe there, the Lenni Lenape. King Charles II had given Penn the land, but of course it was never his to give. Read more at Martin’s American History Blog.

Hannibal won a significant battle against the Romans on this date in 217 B.C.E. Of course in the end he lost. N.S. Gill’s Ancient/Classic History Bloghas the details. The Contrarian and I seldom hear of Hannibal when we don’t recall a funny incident. We were watching “Millionaire” back in its beginnings when Regis Philbinwas still hosting at night. The first question to a contestant was “What animal did Hannibal use to cross the Alps in his war against Rome?” Without batting an eye, the young man confidently exclaimed with obvious superiority, “Llamas!” ROFL. Now there is so much wrong with that that well it never fails to get us laughing like crazy.

Sandi’s Crochet Blog offers a pattern for an afghan, and she offers you three different sizes. The pattern is called shell triangles and it’s very lovely I thought. I have a couple of afghans in progress already, but of course I seldom work on them during the summer months. Just to hot and the yarn drags horribly and your hands sweat. (We don’t use air-conditioning) I have tried to leave comments on her site but they never open up. If any of you have any luck, let me know.

You can find a very interesting discourse on George Washington at American Revolution Blogtoday. He discusses at length Washington’s faith, and how he interpreted that in light of his responsibilitiesboth as Revolutionary General and later as President. A very impressive overview.

I’ve been on a cilantro kick for a while. The fajitas we had yesterday were so much enhanced by fresh cilantro in the salsa. So it should come as no surprise that I found this recipe from  Baking Delights enticing. It’s called Cilantro Chickenand is a quickie. I’m rather certain I shall make it before the end of the week, though I will be significantly cutting it down for two.

Today Civil War Women features Judith Carter Henry. The story is about the first battle of Bull Run and an unlikely victim of that battle. Mrs. Henry, 85 years old, was one of casualties and, and as Maggie points out, the romanticism of war soon faded.

My intestines have caught up with me so I’ve had to put on the breaks with my love affair with fruit for a bit. But that doesn’t mean that I want to deprive you of a great recipe. Mango Blueberry Fool is sure to please your family any day, but especially on the hot summer days when fruit tastes just so darn good. Thanks to Epicurious for another fine one.

I thought I would include this fromFeeling Stitchy today, in honor of our friend Vicki at Knitting Dragonflies. A plethora of dragonflies for your inspiration! Patterns, tutorials and links to other great dragonfly-inspired projects for embroidery and quilting. One is also beaded, so lots of different craft ideas are available.

Okay, have you tried planting an avocado seed? I have, and have actually grown one to a real plant, but then it just died. I think I may try again with the expert advice I found at Gardening Tips ‘n Ideas. Take a peek and don’t send that poor old avocado seed off to the compost heap again. Grow your own! Of course it takes years to produce fruit, so either grow as a houseplant or transplant to a movable container and eventually you will get fruit. We can’t plant outside here in Iowa, it’s too cold in the winter.

Alice Parker is another of those unfortunate women who was tried as a witch. While many try to play down this time in our history, especially the religious right who never want to admit that Christianity can get out of hand, History of American Womenmakes it very clear by her essays that it was indeed prevalent for a time. It is important that these poor women not be forgotten. Her conviction was later reversed and her family received 8 pounds in recompense. How very nice.

Inspired by Antique Quilts has another one she is getting ready to finish. A lovely applique that is colorful and looks quite quick. The pattern is large as you can see if you follow the link and take a look yourself.

Science purely shocks me sometimes. It tells me things that frankly I never thought about before.  Most know of Homer’s Odyssey, if they haven’t read it, or seen some representation of it in film. Of course we know it is part fiction but also part fact, since Troy has long been known to exist, featured so prominently in the Iliad. In the Odyssey, an eclipse is mentioned in the 20th book. Astronomers have pinpointed the date of that eclipse as April 16, 1178 B.C.E. some months after Odysseus return, near in time to when he slayed the many suitors vying for his wife’s hand. Read all the fascinating details of how this was done at Live Science.

The new Pew Report is really fascinating as it looks at American views on religion. Some of the results are simply astounding in my view. Some of this I saw last night on the news. Apparently most of us, even most evangelicals don’t believe that their faith (Christianity) is necessarily the only way to salvation. A huge majority of Catholics (79%) feel this way, topped only by Buddhists at around 83%. That suggests I think, major room for interfaith dialogue and cooperation. The Politico has the story. Here is a link to the forum itself where you can spend a long time reading through this very detailed work.

Pesto! I love the stuff, and have about 8 basil plants doing just fine in a container by the front door. I plan on making pestowhen they are as big as i can get them. It’s very easy to make, just basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. Whiz it in a food processor, spoon into ice cube trays and freeze, pop out and put in a freezer bag. You can add it to pasta, soups, well just about anything you wish. Once Upon A Feast has some great new and different ways to make it. Cilantro is a favorite substitute. Just looking at the photos are enough to make a person swoon.

Well I found this next one a bit weird to say the least. It seems glass is not a proper solid at all. It’s moving. Yeah, did I say weird? Atoms are prohibited from moving where they want to by being blocked by neighbors. All of this means (heck if I know why) that glass could be the new component in airplane construction. I’m not thinking I want to sit in a transparent plane anytime soon!

Canada can boast a new find archaeologically speaking, and we always like to speak archaeologically whenever possible. An ancient fort constructed by people before Europeans arrived in the area, has been located in Western Canada, near Cluny and east of Calgary. It is defined as a Siksika First Nation reservation and is around 250 years old. The site was long known to native peoples.

Wow, I sure missed a number of posts by Melisende at Women of History. There are several so I’ll just give you the main site and you can scroll down and read what you like. The first is onMaria Comnena, Queen of Jerusalem, grandniece to Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnena of Constantinople. Second is Theodora Comnena, niece of the same Emperor. Next is Margaret Anjou, Queen to the King Henry VI of England, Artemesia of Hallicarnassus, Queen, and lastlyGalla Placidia, Empress and daughter of Theodosius the Great of Rome. They are all from June 22, so she’s been quite prolific. A lovely run of important women

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More Sign Humor:

At a Music Store: Out to lunch. Bach at 12:30. Offenbach sooner.

At a tire shop in Milwaukee: Invite us to your next blowout. 

At the electric company: We would be delighted if you send in your bill. However, if you don’t, you will be.

Church sign: To remove worry wrinkles, get your faith lifted

In a department store: Bargain Basement Upstairs.

In a Maine restaurant: Open seven days a week and weekends.

In a Pennsylvania cemetery: Persons are prohibited from picking flowers from any but their own graves.

Inside a bowling alley: Please be quiet. We need to hear a pin drop.

On a maternity room door: Push. Push. Push.

On a New York convalescent home: For the sick and tired of the Episcopal Church

The artist is Sebastiao Salgado. The print was done in 2004, and is called “Agashya, Mt. Sabyinyo, Rwanda.”  I thank Senor Salgado for taking this nice photo of the Contrarian and me. Just a nice stroll in the Meadow!

Another week has slid by so fast that I realize that June is quickly going by. I hardly feel that I have had a chance to enjoy it at all. It seems we are still trying to get organized. The Contrarian has done a lot of weeding in the garden, both by hand and by the little weed tiller. My lettuce is going great guns and we will probably be able to harvest some soon for salads. I’ve got the house all spiffy clean and feel rather satisfied with myself. I’ve ordered a beef brisket from the meat locker in Walker to pick up next week. I think it will be a fun 4th of July meal to make. I’m tired of the usual fare of ribs or steaks.

We are getting some sun, but it’s sporadic, and we may get some rain this afternoon. I surely hope not, we are down to mostly mud now in a few places. We can move the vehicles around with ease now. The Contrarian has weed eaten around the house pretty good and it’s at least looking a bit more lived in.

 I have to seriously think about painting the office now. I think perhaps I’ll do some tomorrow. The Contrariansincerely wants little to do with the process, and that’s fine. If he takes over, he will do it all, since he can’t stand painting, so he wants to do it all at one time. I am happy to do a bit a day until it’s done. We often find that some chores are not things we can do together, since we work quite differently. If we try to do it together, we end up snapping at each other, which is senseless to me.

Doing this craft, recipe, history etc blog post is ever so much more stressful for some reason. The feeds seem so reluctant to come up and it seems forever before I’m done. I don’t know the reason, I can only surmise that the blogging platforms that I and so many use are just not as receptive as dot com sites for whatever reason. Perhaps it’s just the pictures that are so much more prevalent on crafty blogs. I dunno, but I just go nuts sometimes wasting time, waiting!!!!

Anyway, let’s see what is what today:

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We open with A Mingling of Tastes which has an interesting side dish or main vegetarian dish, Smoky Lentils with Roasted Sweet Potatoes. I like lentils, and like lentil soup. I love Egyptian food which features lentils in many varieties with lots of different spices. This is not the type of summer dish I would make, but it would be fine in the fall or winter.

Martin’s American History Blog focuses on the industrial revolution of the 19th Century. I guess we are in some kind of new one now, though I’m not sure I can yet define what it is. A technological revolution? A world market revolution? Perhaps we should spend some time looking backward to discover how to better handle what we are going through now.

We have a cute new pattern for crochet from Sandi’s Crochet Blog. I think her patterns are so nice, and they are so easy to follow as well. She suggests that this pattern works well for a washcloth. I like making these simple and quick items for home use. They can be used, and do up in a one or two sessions quite easily.

Well this is a surprise. It seems that a major Revolutionary War relic has been located. An entire ship found in Lake Ontario! It was a British ship, called the HMS Ontario and was a 22-gun warship sunk by American forces. Read all about the find and the excitement is has engendered at American Revolution Blog.

From As the Garden Grows, we get a wonderful list of annuals and perennials that attract butterflies. We love all the hummingbirds and butterflies that come around to feed on nectar from our flowers. This is a rather extensive list, and one that is worth copying for a hard copy file for later use this fall and next spring when planting is more appropriate. Some are herbs, so you get a bonus!

Boy this recipe sure brought back some memories. Raisin Bread! Doesn’t that sound wonderful? I remember it so well from my childhood. I can’t eat a lot, because of the concentrated sugar in the dried fruit, but a slice or two, once in a while can’t hurt, and I adore her idea of using it for chicken salad sandwiches. Take a peek, it’s not hard to make. We got this recipe from Baking Delights. Remember if you have a heavy duty mixer, you can use the dough hook to do the kneeding for you! The entire process takes less than 30 minutes to get to the oven.

Oh the minute I saw this, I said, whoohoo, I’m making this! It’s a great little condiment spread for hamburgers. Hamburgers are one of my favorite meals, and truth be told, we have them usually twice a month on Friday or Saturday. I know this will be a hit with the Contrarian as well. I will of course half this recipe for the two of us. I’m thinking what other things would this be good on? Maybe some of that brisket with lots of barbecue sauce as well? Oh I think I may be on to something here. Coconut & Lime, a huge kiss from me for Chipotle Cheese Sauce. I guess it would go okay with the traditional celery sticks too.

It won’t be long before summer squash comes into it’s own. Not here of course, we have to replant, our first planting rotted out and never came up. So, under the theory that there are never too many recipes for zucchini, I found this nice one from Epicurious which makes a lovely side dish. HerbedSummer Squash and Potato Torte with Parmesan sounds like a winner to me.

We watched the Robin Williams movie “RV” the other night, and I thought it was hilarious, if quite predictable. You might enjoy Garrison Keillor’s take on the wonderful (for some) adventure of traveling with a home behind you. Things are changing what with gas prices. This may be a relic of the past soon.

Today’s edition of History of American Women focuses on the Indian tribes of South Carolina.I am really enjoying her series here of the various tribes that were prevalent during the colonial period. and beyond. It is without question, an area of our history that most of us have not had the benefit of very much information about. I’m sure it’s better today than it was in my time in high school, but I’m sure it still neglects a lot as well. A great chance to improve our understanding of those who greeted us when we first arrived on the shores of “America.”

Oil and it’s price has become a hot button issue. It’s hard to know whom to believe, since it seems everyone has a reason to fashion an answer to support a previous opinion. Live Science has an article which may come from a more scientific point of view, and thus may actually shed some light on the true causes of the prices were are swearing at these days.

I am growing to just love these pasta roundupseach week. What interesting and tantalizing recipes I continue to find. I made the Pastitsio one earlier in the week. After a questionable start, the Contrarian gave it a thumbs up. He was utterly taken aback by cinnamon in a meat dish at first. After he got over the shock, he actually liked it. I personally didn’t think it tasted much of cinnamon so much as had the aroma. So, make sure you peruse through the offerings and find something truly delectable for dinner tonight. Once Upon a Feast is our supplier of these weekly gems.

There are many who think that a lot of science is just a waste of money. There have even been a Congress person or two and a network or two that have made it their business to inform you of scientific studies they found ludicrous and wasteful. And some may in fact be. But here’s food for thought. Scientists have long pondered exactly how pattern emerges in nature. The stripes on a zebra for instance, or the intricate pattern of a butterfly. They may be closer to an answer of figuring out how cells move around and differentiate in such a way as to form the patterns of say a spiral sea shell. And guess what? The answers may help scientists in understanding how cancer cells metastasize. So, before you decry the expenditure of funds on silly science, think again: It may some day save your life.

We are truly blessed this week. Scandalous Women has another entry for us! This one is about Elizabeth Chudleigh. Never heard of her? Neither had I frankly. But I know who she is now. And mercy me, she was scandalous, and that’s enough to peak your interest no doubt. Here’s a hint: She was the Duchess of Kingston and she was tried for bigamy in the 18th century. My oh my, that’s a new one on me. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a woman being charged with that crime before.

For reasons unknown to me, there often seems a serendipitous thing going on around here. Today it seems to be Zucchini. Another recipe, this time from Simply Recipes. I think this is another definite keeper. Zucchini Muffins is both easy, tasty sounding, and something that will freeze well for use during the interminable winters of Iowa.

Tip Junkie is featuring a whole slew of crafters of varied types this week. I’ve given you the main site so you can scroll down and see if anything interests you. Most  of the items are for sale, with links to the site of the seller and probably her Etsy shop as well. Of course, just looking is fine too, and you might get inspired to think of something you would like to make yourself. I find these sites enticing to say the least. I’m trying to figure out how to carve a bit more time for crafts out of my schedule. Top priority right now is to start getting my recipe’s in order in my big 3-ring binder. Then again, I may have to add more binders! LOL.

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Famous, or not so famous last words:

I think it’s trying to communicate…

“Na, I don’t think we need to go to the hospital.”

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” — Western Union internal memo, 1876.

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” — Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy.” — Drillers whom Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist in his project to drill for oil in 1859.

“No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris.” — Orville Wright.

I wonder where the mother bear is.

“I eat guys like you for breakfast!” — Jeffrey Dahmer

I’m sure this isn’t the poisonous kind.

Entitled “Pategonia, Chile #5, this was done by Rene Bass Forman in 2004.

Another day with sun! Will wonders never cease? I had another of my bad dreams this morning, actually two of them together. One is the infamous pee dream. I gotta go in reality, and keep dreaming that I am having trouble finding a bathroom. It always ends up being a fairly public affair, and when I go, alas, two minutes later, I’m desperately searching for another one. That was conflated with a recurrent dream of being back in Detroit, practicing law, and I’m horridly late for a trial in progress that I have completely forgotten to return to. I woke up grumpy!

On the home front, we continue to slowly dry out. The river is down to a trickle and the Contrarian is doing some weed eating around about and burning trash. I’ve done the day’s housework–bedroom and my craft room. I’ve developed a fairly strict cleaning regime that is about the only thing that works for me. It gives me three days off a week–bedroom/craft room Tuesday, office/living room Wednesday, kitchen Thursday, bathrooms Friday. I also made a batch of Pastitsio for dinner, a Greek dish that I’ve had a lot of in the past in Detroit’s Greektown. It’s basically a meat ragu with pasta and a bechamel sauce with flavorings of Parmesan and cinnamon, and tomato paste. A nice little casserole is ready to hit the oven later on.

Let’s see what is around the internet today that sounds tasty, fun to make or just thoroughly interesting to learn about.

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For those who are as old as me, this story is well known. For younger folks, you may not know so much. Today is the anniversary of the break-in at the Watergate hotel, by five men in the employ of the White House. The coverup that followed and it’s uncovering led of course to the downfall of the Nixon presidency. Read about it at Martin’s American History Blog.

Sandi’s Crochet Blog has a lovely lacy daisy to crochet withthread. Of course you could do it with heavier weights as well. But as such it makes a nice applique to a T-Shirt or pair of jeans. It’s cute, and of course, the pattern is there for you as well.

Is McCain’s run for the presidency doomed? So say many historians, who always look at the big picture. The big picture of course means examining history and looking for parallels. They suggest that the Republican cycle is about done, and this is normal. American Presidents Blog has the story for you to ponder and agree with or not as your intellectual prowess dictates.

David Barton, mentioned here before as a fool with a penchant for spreading untruth about our founding traditions, is, according to American Revolution Blog up to his old tricks. That is, he, a exceedingly poor excuse for a historian, attempts to rewrite history to suit his motives of introducing Christianity into the public arena as THE religion of the country. Read this fine expose’ of his junk history regarding the Mayflower Compact.

I confess, I’ve never tried to cook an entire beef brisket. I’ve seen recipes that called for elaborate self-made smoking systems that require constant attention and hours of labor. Baking Delights claims that this one, done in the oven for 12 hours works perfectly well. She lays out all the particulars for you. She claims it is a true Texan perfection. Look it over, take a chance and dive in. She says it freezes just fine, because she says you must make a whole one to make it right, and they are huge. Given prices of everything these days, cheap meat is going to become increasingly welcome in our household, and I intend to make this soon.

Chocolate andhas the sublime, the incomparable, the tasting delight of  Molten Chocolate Cake for you today. Oh, I can sink into a pile of gooey ecstasy just at the mere thought of this. I’m thinking of the 4th of July for this gem.

Now for something completely different. Salad and a nice Asian one to boot. This might be a perfect foil for all manner of summer light dinners. It’s called Pickled Carrot-Cucumber Salad and comes to us from Coconut & Lime.Take a look and add to your repertoire if you so desire.

Fannie Lawrence Rickett’s was a Civil War nurse. Civil War Womenfeatures her this week in a nice little biography. Daughter to wealthy Jamaican land owners, she later married a distant relative of her mothers who was a captain in the US army. He was badly injured during the war, and she made her way to where he was imprisoned. There she cared for him and other captured and wounded union soldiers.  Read about her life of dedication and hardship as the war progressed.

Commonweal, has an editorial entitled “Marriage, California Style” that examines the new same-sex marriage situation in that state that took effect yesterday I believe. They feel the decision is ill-advised. I do not of course. See what you think.

Steak Fajitas are a staple around the Meadow. We have them at least once a month, and sometimes two. In fact they are on the menu for later in the week, if I can get to the store and pick me up a green pepper. I thought you might like an authentic one from Epicurious today taken from Gourmet magazine. The only thing weird about this recipe is the basil, which I don’t find correct. I would change it to cilantro myself.

Free Sample Forager has a slew of new items for you. I saw cereal and acid reducer and rice, all free samples. There are a good dozen to look at and link to and acquire.

There are those in this country, and I am one of them, that fear that our respective bigotries are doing such damage to our country and our world that something must soon be done. It seem epidemic and endemic in our world. I’ll have more to say on this subject at a later date, but I urge you to take a look at this offering from History News Network, “A Passion for Overcoming Injustice has Seized America Once Again.”

Mary Towne Easty was another of those women who ended up on the wrong side of Salem religious fanatics and paid the price with her life. History of American Women, focuses on her story today and her death in 1692 at the gallows.

Serious knitters know about spinning and dying their yarn. I think it’s a fascinating idea, but know I’ll never get to that level of interest. I would love to weave as well, but know I never shall. Same for learning to play the piano. If you have this kind of serious interest, Knitting Dragonflies has some information for you. I am still puzzling over socks directions and scratching my head, thinking it doesn’t make a lot of sense with all these needles (five of them?).

Ever wondered about optical illusions? How exactly they “trick” the eye?I have, pondering how the neurons in our fabulous brains fire in exquisite synchronicity to do what they do so that we can do what we do. Well, Live Science has the answer for us. It has to do with the future, and how far we can see into it.

And if you think that only humans have the capacity to think and plan ahead, well, think again as they say. It turns out that apes and orangutans can as well, and do. But another indice of defining humanity that falls by the way side. It seems that there is less and less that separates us from our close cousins than ever we thought.

Wow, a totally awesome question this week on On Faith. Do you believe that faith affects health? Does it do so positively or negatively? Is this New Age? Lots of interesting ideas here. I think it can be both a help and a detriment. I think it depends on how you use it, and what exactly faith means to you. I’ve seen a whole plethora of people who have turned faith into mental illness, and others who have grown in vigor through quiet contemplative spiritual exercises. Read the varied approaches by the panel and delve into the comments.

Once Upon a Feast has more mouth-watering recipes to tempt you to get in that kitchen and really explore your culinary heart. I think  that Cajun Spices are a must, and it’s always better to do your own that buy that expensive packaged stuff. Also, you can wander over to the Pasta Roundup and find a ton of great dishes here. The true joy of this roundup are the pictures which are so glorious, I swear you could eat the paper and be satisfied.

Religion in American Historyhas a good one today. They feature on wingnutty Cal Thomas, popular from his idiotic featured editorials and his rightwing drivel on FoxyEntertainmentNews. Cal, using that damned if you aren’t a Christiannonsense, claims that Obama isn’t one. Why you say? Because Obama actually thinks a compassionate God doesn’t condemn 4/5 of all humanity to eternal hellfires because they haven’t had the benefit of Christianity as their source of religious training. Read the funny, but sick take by Mr. Thomas.

This recipe caught my eye at Simply Recipes. I’ve forgiven her for the Chipotle Chocolate Cake. Frankly I rather detested it, and finally threw out the last piece. i just couldn’t manage another slice. Her Tex-Mex recipe for Mexican Green Bean Salad sounded just right. We have yet to plant our beans given the lousy weather, but hope to before the end of the week. I can see making this fine offering to accompany some grilled fare.

A goodie, today we get another great post from Scandalous Women. Today she focuses on Grace Metalious, the author of that scandalous book Peyton Place!Remember the TV show? How we watched in titillation at the goings on of the families, sure that we were on the verge of naughtiness. Remember the waif thin Mia Farrow and Ryan O’Neal?  Read about Ms. Metalious’s life in all its detail. My deepest thanks to Elizabeth for her extraordinarily fine posts.

Tip Junkie is featuring a whole slew of crafters with lots of talent, and lots of stuff for sale. You might want to take a look, buy something, or get some ideas for crafting of your own. I thought there were a number of delightful products, and it certainly gave me ideas.

Veggie Gardening Tipshas an excellent post on that miserable ewww pest the leafminer. Those are those great big green sluggy things that eat the tomato plant you have been so lovingly tending in less than a day. I’ve not had much trouble with them here in Iowa, but in Michigan it seems I was always fighting them. Some great help on eradicating this beast.

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More of those wacky bumper stickers–read em here instead of rear-ending somebody trying to read them on the road!

huked on foniks werkd fer me

I am overjoyed with whelm!

I didn’t fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian.

I Don’t Suffer From Insanity, I Enjoy Every Minute Of It

I Feel Like I’m Diagonally Parked In A Parallel Universe

I Got A Gun For My Wife; Best Trade I Ever Made.

I Have The Body Of A God … Buddha

I Just Got Lost In Thought. It Was Unfamiliar Territory

I left the womb for this?

I put in contacts for this?

I took a pain pill. Why are you still here?

Another entry into the Spider Black-White Photography competition. This one is from an amateur Jason Robinette USA. It is such an anomaly in contrasts, the expected tilted back head so common to one who is arising from beneath the water of a pool, the hand placements so very odd. It other worldly in some sense, alien. I wonder if it was spontaneous or staged?

Horrors continue in Iowa. We learn that a boy scout camp was hit by a tornado last night with a loss of life of 4 and upwards of near 50 injured. It is almost beyond comprehension that so much misery is visiting our state. Cedar Rapids has no power, and the 500 year flood plain has been evacuated while the downtown begins to flood. Cresting has not yet even occurred. One can only wait in dejection as things just get worse and worse.

Our friend has has plenty of time to remove all his valuables and appliances from his home. At last check yesterday the waters from the Wapsi were about 40 feet from the house. The Wapsi has I believe crested in Independence which is the last stop before it hits us. Things look bleak. Well water must be boiled in our county if you live on a flood plain. We do not.

Our major concern now is power. It flicked off once yesterday and then went off for about 10 minutes. No sump is worth a dime if the power goes out. At this point, our basement would begin flooding I believe within a hour. That is simply nothing we can do anything about. As power fails on other parts of the grid, more stress is placed upon those still operating.  It has rained fairly steadily since about 6 am. We are now in a lull, and hope that perhaps we have now had the worst of it. Time will tell, but we are told that after today, things will be quite a bit better except for Sunday where rain is still highly likely.

Oh, the Chipotle Chocolate Flourless  Cake is well, HOT. If you make it, I would definitely not add the dash of cayenne suggested. I added a couple of scoops of ice cream and that tempered the heat enough that I could enjoy it, but I’m doubtful I’ll try this little number again. It would be okay I guess for something rather fancy, small pieces with ice cream or whipped with maybe some fresh raspberries for garnish. It definitely is a dish that would cause a good amount of chatter when served.

Let’s see what we can find that takes our minds off the sad state of affairs in my state.

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A lovely owl filet crochet  is offered by Sandi’s Crochet Blog. As always it comes with complete instructions and variations so that you can even cross-stitch it if you wish.

Iowa Public TV has been running a series on the American Presidents. We just finished watching the one on Harry Truman. I didn’t think much of the man after watching it frankly, and even less of his self-centered wife Bess. His adoration for her was slightly disgusting, given that she treated him rather badly in my opinion. American President’s blog  has a nice piece on his courtship of the woman. He was strange and they were a strange couple.

American Revolution Blog  looks again at religion, especially that of Unitarianism in our early colonial period. I believe that John Adams changed from his Puritan roots to the Unitarian church. It’s an excellent read and you shouldn’t miss it.

Okay, so we have been flirting with some recipes that are a bit out there. This one features that chipotle again, this time with blackberries. I thought it made an interesting possibility for summer barbecue. It’s called Chipotle-Blackberry Pulled Pork, and comes to us from Coconut & Lime. It’s a slow cooker recipe, with a long list of ingredients but oh it could be a huge winner!

Free Sample Forager  has Pantene hair product samples available. Vaseline samples as well.

Garrison Keillor  has a piece over at the Salon. This week he weighs in on Barack Obama and the challenges faced by a black man running for the country’s highest office.

Family Style Food  offers a recipe that is anything but Family Style. This is a lovely update of an old favorite. I can assure you that at the moment we actually have a wonderful beautiful ripe tomato of sufficient size, BLT’s are thfirst thing we consider. We gorge on them for a month, at least once a week, until the time has past. Take a look at BLT’s with aoili sauce and on Flatbread.Recipes for all including the flatbread. Oh I am definitely trying this one.

Maggie brings us another of her marvelous bio’s. This time the featured woman is Rebecca Towne Nurse. She arrived with her family in Salem, MA in 1640 and later married a man named Nurse. She was arrested as an elderly woman of 71 as a witch, and even though she had an impeccable history in the town, accusers (who may have had other personal reasons to get her out of the way) prevailed. Although the initial verdict was Not Guilty, the jurors were urged to return and rethink things which they did, and finally provided the Guilty verdict that was desired by some. Read about this sad story at History of American Women.

Niki’s Ventures  has a link to a big bunch of new quilting patterns. This is worth bookmarking if you are a quilter. She lists a very long list of sites which offer free patterns and then gives you a separate list for specific quilt types. An excellent resource. In fact there are several lists, and in total more than 2500 patterns. So this is the best of the best. I’ll add this site to my blogroll for crafts for sure.

The Hubble space telescope continues to show us new parts of our universe in all its splendor. The Coma Cluster contains thousands of Galaxies. Can you imagine what you are viewing here? Millions upon millions of stars and planets. I believe most  are older galaxies, no longer producing much in the way of new stars. It is an impressive wonder.

Did I tell you that I adore ice cream? And I adore cherries especially. They are so expensive here in Iowa. I remember as a kid stopping at a roadside stand on the way up to the lake and buying a quart for 50cents. Now it’s like $3 bucks for a quart. But oh so good to combine the two as Simply Recipes has done for Cherry Ice Cream. Oh did I say it also has chocolate chips? BONUS! And I bet that changes your mind!

Secret Recipe Blog  has a wonderful Olive Garden  entry today. Tortelloni Bologneseis available for the copying. Italian dishes are my super favorite ethnic food with Tex-Mex a close second. Try your hand at this crowd and family pleaser.

A wonderful fabric decoupage nightstands  for you from J Caroline Creative. I picked this up through Tip Junkie  and thank her alot. I can’t vouch for the colors chosen here, which are a little glaring to me, but I this tutorial is worth that and more. If you have a cheap piece of furniture that you would like to redo, this is great! Take a look and save this tutorial as the process can be used on anything I think. I’m now thinking of buying a really cheap chest of drawers just to try this.

If anyone is a Civil War buff or a military history buff, I found a nice site courtesy of World History Blog entitled Wig-Wags. It’s run by a graduate student in the subject so you will get some great information and as I perused it, some really good reviews of books on the subject. Stop by if so inclined.

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 HA!

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“I’m not against half-naked girls – not as often as I’d like to be…” Benny Hill

“TV has brought murder back into the home where it belongs.” – Alfred Hitchcock

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” –Mark Twain

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”. –Gandhi

“You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take. – Wayne Gretzky

“Happiness isn’t getting what you want, it’s wanting what you got”. – Garth Brooks

“I’m an excellent housekeeper. Every time I get a divorce, I keep the house”. – Zsa Zsa Gabor

“Charlie Brown is the one person I identify with. C.B. is such a loser. He wasn’t even the star of his own Halloween special.” — Chris Rock

This was an entry in the 2007 Spider Awards for black and white photography. It is by Matthew Septimus and is entitled “Ganges Bathing.”

It struck me that we are not making anything spiritual of this experience with water. Perhaps that is our failing. Another night of rain, punctuated by sump duty, laying in bed listening to it stop and then just when you felt relief that the storm had passed, the splats upon the skylights began again. This must have happened six or more times, as my grief grew deeper with each teasing interlude interrupted but again with the awful sound. The Contrarian is distressed, and he is the one who usually maintains an optimism that I cannot hold on to. I on the other hand, have made my peace in some respects, surrendering to that which I cannot change.

I think that I composed a very long essay on this experience in my head last night, but truth be told, I have no desire to set it to type today. The effort seems too much, and what hasn’t already been said after all? I remind myself that we are in our home, we have lost little but perhaps the garden, and there is no clear assurance of that. We endure because that is our humanity. Looking back, we will undoubtedly wonder how we did, but during the doing, one simply puts one foot before the other, does the next task at hand, and hopes. Hope is our eternal protection.

I made a pretty little holder for my knitting needles the other day. I guess I should try to figure out how to download and upload pictures and show you. LOL. It’s too insignificant for all that trouble. I made some chicken enchiladas for dinner. I kind of redid a recipe I found, eliminating the canned soup and replacing it with a thickened chicken broth, that I made after poaching the chicken in it. I’ll let you know how it turned out. Alas my cilantro had turned to yuck, so I saw no point in making any fresh salsa. Cilantro is the key I believe. So bottled will do.

Let’s see what crafts and recipes we can find today to brighten up the world.

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Martin’s American History Blog  gives us a nice piece on the Mayflower Compact which influenced to some degree our efforts in constructing our Constitution. Follow the link off his main page and read a most interesting story on the this most important document.

Sandi’s Crochet Blog  has a lot of new entries, so I’m sending you to the from page and you can scroll down. She offers some new patterns, a father’s day tote, a lacy edging, and directions on how to weave in the ends from all those granny squares  when you assemble the pieces. There are only 2 blog entries allowed apparently on these “about” blog platforms so go to the bottom and click on more blogs entries and I think the rest will pop up.

We all know that Thomas Jefferson  was talented as a writer and thinker. He was also an accomplished architect and designed Monticello and the University of Virginia. Read about his contribution to our architectural heritage at American Presidents Blog.

More American history and this focus is on Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Islandas a tolerant haven from the religious intolerance of Plymouth Settlement. That is the common story about Mr. Williams. American Revolution Blog has the story you might not have heard about.

Baking Delights  has her loving Saturday surfing so you can scoot over there and find lots of recipes. I saw  cupcakes, and Asparagus and Cashew Chicken, curries and Thai food, and more. I am definitely returning to check out a couple of these.

Gardening Tips ‘n Ideas  has a cute little post about what kind of gardener you are. A starter, maintainer, or finisher? I’m definitely a starter. I love to plant the darn thing, hate to weed and find it so hot when harvest time comes around because that means lots of work in a hot kitchen. Slip over and read this fun post.

History of American Women  takes a look at the Native Peoples who inhabited the area now known as New Hampshire. It was a surprise to me when I moved to Connecticut several years ago to discover such strange names for the Native American tribes. So much different to me than those I was familiar with from Michigan. And of course their dress and livelihood and housing was also different. We tend I think to think all Native people are the same, the ones we see in our old cowboy and Indian movies. Enjoy her fine post. These are simply wonderful posts and so informative.

I mean, if you want to see what a serious quilter’s stash looks like, go over to  Inspired by Antique Quilts  and be shocked! I mean wow, I have like one small shelf of hers and that’s my entire stash. I don’t know whether to feel economical or sadly behind! It’s an impressive array. One of these days, I’m gonna start a new one, I just can’t decide what! I want to do an applique, a friendship quilt, and a old fashioned nine patch. I can’t do all three at once!

First we got to figure out what kind of gardener we are, now its what kind of crafter we are. Yarn Harlot has a new book out, and Knitting dragonflies got a copy and concluded from reading that there are basically two types of crafters. Depending on which kind you are, will determine what you do I think. I’m not sure which one I am, but I think product. I think the more I think about it, it might explain a lot about me as a crafter.

Okay, quiz onwoolly mamoths! No not really, but I sure didn’t know that there were two distinct groups of them. I thought they were all the same. Live Science  has the story for you.  DNA research has uncovered a lot of new information about these cute creatures. It was long thought that humans were the cause of their demise, but it now seems that one group died out well before humans came on the scene.

I just got interrupted by the Contrarian. He’s feeling a bit more up since the garden, miraculously seems to be doing okay for the most part. He’s putting up the humming bird feeder and I of course forgot the recipe for the sugar water. So, I’m doing a google for the answer. For your information its: a 4:1 ratio 1/4 cup sugar for every cup of water. Boil the water first, and don’t add coloring.

Niki’s Ventures has a baby bib  for you to make and a link to the free pattern. Or try a bird mobile  for a crib or frankly a lot of little nooks. It’s quite inventive I thought.

On Faith has a most interesting topic this week. What does health have to do with faith? Do religions which have an integral health element in their tradition have real benefits to their followers? Mental health results? A provocative idea, with lots of panelist essays and tons of comments. I’ve joined in these discussions a couple of times, and they really are fun.

Another Pasta roundup  at Once upon a Feast. If pasta is your thing, and it sure is mine, there are quite a few entries this week. Salmon, pestos, and one I am going back for, a new Pastitsio. Having eaten in a Greek town setting for years in Detroit, I know my Greek food. The pictures are luscious too, which really is a great incentive to try some of these. There are much more than a dozen here, and they range into all the great cuisines, Asian, Italian, Greek, you name it.

I was utterly taken aback by this next post. It seems a Church has been found in modern day Jordan which may be the earliest Christian church yet found.It dates, unbelievably to the time of between 33CE and 70CE. It is said that 70 followers of Jesus took refuge there from the persecutions in Jerusalem. It sits below the Church of St. Georgeous, reputed until then to be the oldest, at the age of around 230 CE. What is not clear is whether this was a unique occurrence, or a general rule around the various preaching geography. I suspect it is the former. Rogueclassicism brings the story to you.

Well folks, I don’t exactly know what to make of this one. And before you ask, it’s not from The Onion. It’s a legitimate report from Science Daily. It simply reports that golf cart accidents are on the rise. I guess a number of comics could have a lot of fun with this. I’m not one of them alas. Okay, there are some reasonable explanations, but I’m not sharing. Read for yourself! LOL.

The Contrarian does not like curry, and frankly I adore it. My favorite is chicken salad with crunchy veggies, sunflower seeds, grapes and yes curry. Simply Recipes  has another recipe, and it is definitely going on my to-try list. Take a look at Chicken Curry Salad and see what you think.

Threads of Desire  catches us up on her latest work in cross stitch. She just inspires the heck out of me with her beautiful work. Just looking at what she’s working on gives me a lift.

Women of History  posts a look at women and rights. Focusing on Saudi Arabia in 2003 and comparing it to what is happening in Australia is most interesting. Comparing them both the American women and their rights is even more so. I doubt seriously that any gains have occurred in Saudi Arabia in the past five years. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if things have regressed.

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Some silly quotes for you:

Crazy is a relative term in my family!

Procrastinate now, don’t put it off.

“No BLOOD no foul.”

I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Borrow money from pessimists – they don’t expect it back.

The sooner you fall behind the more time you’ll have to catch up.

OK, so what’s the speed of dark?

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

I intend to live forever — so far, so good.

What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

This is Called “The Threshing Floor” and was done by Diego Rivera in 1904. It is located at the Museum of Diego Rivera in Guanajuanta, Mexico.

The day breaks gloomy as it has been for days now, with little break. We got about two hours of showers yesterday, but after it stopped in mid-late morning, we got no more. So far today, we have gotten none, but as I said, its overcast. The air is thick because there is literally water everywhere, if not on the surface, then just below. Mostly it’s spongy wherever you walk. The dogs lay out, mostly on the porch or some dry place, the cats venture to the their porch as well, nobody wants to walk around much.

The cake by the way, was excellent, moist, and really tasted of root beer. The marbling worked nicely as well. If you make it, make at least a half more of the frosting if you want enough to frost two large layers which this batter does give you. The recipe is over at the old blogger site of the same name. Just put in rootbeer cake in the blogbar search engine and it will pop up for you.

Today I am doing a stir-fry with chicken and various veggies and some rice cellophane noodles for a change of pace.  Just finished the general housework, featuring the living room today. The Contrarian cleaned off the hearth for me, so I’ll address the stove itself tomorrow. I like to oil it down lightly once a year. It just looks so nice and brand new for a while.

Well, lets see what we can find around the arts and crafting world today and see what historical facts pop up.

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Sandi’s Crochet Blog has a lovely looking pattern that really caught my eye. She calls it offset shell. As always she gives you the pattern and gives you the opportunity to use it in both a shawl or a granny square.

American Revolution Blog dissects quite thoroughly a new book by another religious right person determined to turn America into a Christian nation. This time the claim is that George Washington was an orthodox Christian. While he was no doubt a deep believer in God, Washington was very careful about NOT imposing religion on the resultant new Democracy. Read this excellent post and enjoy. If you are interested in this subject, you might want to back track to his original site and pick up the new blog he and others are starting about how the nation was created and the impact of religion on it.

Baking Delights has her Saturday surfing of recipes from around the net that she thinks you might like. I saw a couple that caught my eye, like a strawberry pie that sounds very luscious. Pulled pork is always a summertime favorite as well. Run by and see if you see something that you just have to make before the week is out.

Apparently Dick (Darth Vadar) Cheney made some “joke” about West Virginian natives that was stereotypical in its allusions to intermarriage. While this would usually put it into the political sphere, Catholic Anarchy does a fine job of explaining a good bit about Appalachian life that I thought was quite good. Hope you enjoy learning a bit more about a segment of America that most think they know a lot about.

Belle Boyd is the lady featured on today’s Civil War Womeninstallment. Belle was a lady who came from a family able to send her as a young girl to college, and from there on we learn that she was an ardent Confederate supporter. She killed a Yankee and became a spy for the Confederacy in the war years. She was a fiery person and had a long life after the war, always doing what she wanted, and not necessarily what was conventional. Read more.

Epicurious has great recipes, mostly I suspect because she reads some of the best culinary magazines around. These are both from Bon Appetit and I think both are lovely ideas for the summer season. Chilled Tomato Tarragon Soup is the first offering, followed by Chili Beef Skewers. I’m thinking together they make a meal!

We are in luck whenever Garrison Keillor has a new posting. This one is about kids and pools and is a nice relaxing respite from the busyness of the day. Take time to read this stress reducer!

Gardening Tips ‘n Ideas has a humorous take on compost and why it is like a man. You must take a look if you want to get a good giggle, so slip on over via the link and do just that.

History of American Women focuses on North Carolina today and zeroes in on the colonial period. The first two colonies started by Raleigh failed, otherwise NC would have been the first of the permanent English colonies. Originally named for the French King, it became associated with Charles II later on. As always, Maggie does an excellent job in giving us this little biography of another of our states.

Ever wondered about Old Faithful and what makes her tick, or should I say spout? It turns out that the amount of rain affects the timing of her explosions. That was news to me, I thought it had to do with pressures and venting underground that had to do with magma and all that geological stuff. Live Science gives you the low down on this icon of Americana.

I’ve suggested to some of you that the evangelicals in America, the mainstream ones that is, are frankly tired of being yoked to the reactionary right and their two-issue campaign, abortion and gay rights. In a refreshing report, the NYTimes reports on these mainstream evangelicals and their determination: “Taking their Faith, but not their Politics to the People.” An excellent article you shouldn’t miss. Our thanks to Religion in American History for the heads up.

Here’s one of those great ideas that your kids might love and benefit from. Certainly this is also true of adults. UofM archaeology and members of the team from Israel are doing an excavation this summer. They plan to run a website that you can use to follow their progress as they examine the Tel Kedesh. What a wonderful educational tool for all of us, most of whom will never have the opportunity to join in a dig. Rogueclassicism provides all the information and the link and when the site will start up. Have fun.

This was one scandal I can tell you. The murder of Lana Turner’s gangster boyfriend Johnny Stompanado in the late 50’s rocked Hollywood and even I recall it, though I was a mere child at the time, not even old enough to be in “love” with Troy Donahue yet. In any case, Scandalous Women brings us all the steamy, sexy, and hush hush details of the killing by Lana’s daughter, Cheryl. This is just the most fun to read about!

I am a fool when it comes to chocolate cake, and this recipe, well, it’s gonna be made very soon in the Peyton household I can tell ya. The idea of marrying chipotle with chocolate cake makes me swoon with delight. Simply Recipes has this one, so you can count on it! It’s Chipotle Flourless Chocolate Cake. Try it or you’ll be sorrrrry.

I enjoy cross stitch a lot, and am stuck on a Native American one now that I lost my way on and am rather off pattern on. I don’t know how it happened, I try to count carefully, but it did, and I haven’t touched it in more than a year, because I can’t face taking out so much of the threads to set it aright. I do get a lot of inspiration from Threads of Desirethough. She is simply a master stitcher and her stuff is beautiful to me. See what you think.

Uncommon Artistic Endeavors has a delicious sounding coffeecake for you. I love sweets for breakfast, though I tend to eat the same thing, day in and day out, peanut butter and toast. Maybe some french toast on Sunday, but that’s about it. This one looks easy and tasty and I’m sure to give it a try quite soon. Right after that decadent chocolate cake that is. Try the Cream Cheese Coffee Cake and see what you think.

US History Site Blog has an interesting report on the relationship between Martin L. King, jr and JFK during the 1960’s election. The actions of the Kennedy family to assist the King family during that time may have been an important reason that Kennedy ultimately beat Nixon. Nixon, on the advice of his handlers did nothing, while the Kennedy’s went out of their way to help the jailed King and his family.

Women in History reports that Australia has consecrated it’s first female bishop in Melbourne, Barbara Darling.  She is only the second woman so honored in Australia. This is to the Anglican faith of course, not Catholic, which still doggedly remains a male bastion, because, well, just because it’s always been that way.

World History Blog reports that Google Earth allows a lot of fun things, such as tracing the routes of Alexander the Great as he moved around the East and won battles and confiscated vast tracts of land. He also has some other suggestions and so stop by and take a look and get the instructions for how to do it.

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And now for something completely different:

If the sky is the limit, then what is space, over the limit?

Aren’t the ‘good things that come to those who wait’ just the leftovers from the people that got there first?

“Cute as a button” Is that supposed to be a compliment? Since when are buttons cute?

Are marbles made of marble?

Why did Yankee Doodle name the feather in his hat Macaroni?

Who was the first person to say, “See that chicken over there … I’m gonna eat the first thing that comes out if its butt”?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Can you get cornered in a round room?

In that song, she’ll be coming around the mountain, who is she?

“Have you ever noticed that if you rearranged the letters in mother in law, they come out to Woman Hitler?”

Isn’t it funny how the word ‘politics’ is made up of the words ‘poli’ meaning ‘many’ in Latin, and ‘tics’ as in ‘bloodsucking creatures’?

That’s all folks!

Rene Magritte did this exceptional painting in 1928, oil on canvas. It is called the “False Mirror.” It is found at MoMA. I am going to need some pondering time on this I think.

Well a dark and dreary morning and it’s been a pretty constant shower since. But this has been that kind of spring it seems with only a few nice days in all. The Contrarian was hoping to do some more planting of peas and beans but alas that option is out, and neither of us feels like shopping in the rain. Tomorrow doesn’t look a lot better, but we shall go in any event.

It’s delightful to be in a sparkling home again. It lifts my spirits a good deal all by itself. I shall soon have to think about starting the painting. We have everything ready to go, so I really cannot delay. I’m planning on essentially repainting the entire house mostly by the end of the fall. Dinner is awaiting a warm up in the oven. I did a Tex-Mex dish of black beans, ground round, onions, chipolte sauce, tomato sauce, jalapenos, and pepper jack cheese all to be ladled over corn chips with sour cream, salsa and avocado. No fresh cilantro or I’d make more homemade salsa as well.

I don’t know much about this Digg button. If you hit it, it takes you to my post on Digg but I think you must register to diggit or post a comment, so I don’t know if it’s worth it. I guess I’m obsessive or something. I sometimes feel I’m spending a lot of time to no effect. I seem to have reasonable visits, but few comments any more, so maybe I have substantially over estimated my own value, LOL. But i realize how time consuming it is just to read things, commenting takes even more time and I know that most days, I can do little more than 5 or 6 myself.  I recall that blog advisers suggest that you cannot have a very accurate understanding of how well you are doing until a good year has gone by, and I’m only three months into it. I need patience and in some things, I have very little.

I digress. Let’s get on with the news:

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Sandi’s Crochet Blog has a cute little purse and the pattern to make  from rainbow yarn. That’s what I call it anyway. It’s yarn with about four colors so you get this really neat self-striping. I’ve sent you to the main page and you can access the pattern from there.

While California and Massachusetts have moved into modern times on the issue of homosexuality, and New York we hear, promises to honor legal gay marriages, Oklahoma seems intent on taking us backwards into bigotry. Alternet informs us that xenophobia is alive and well in that state as right-wingers continue to force legislation through an apparently willing state legislature. It is not just anti-gay legislation either, but anti-Muslim, anti-immigration, and even backs students carrying guns. Things have gone off track as Republicans have their way and timid Dems sit and watch. Thankfully middle of the road Christian leadership is refusing to obey the extreme anti-immigration laws. Read it and weep friends.

Benjamin Franklin might best be described spiritually, as a seeker. He flirted with polytheism, deism and others over his life time. American Revolution Blog has an impressive report on this man, one of our favorite founding fathers. He was complex and opinionated and thoroughly brilliant. Drop by and learn more about the singularly talented man.

I am old enough to remember the Mickey Mouse Show when it was original with Annette and Bobby and all the rest. But I don’t remember the ditty about proverbs. Britannica Blog has a fun little post on how true parables actually are. I think you might get a kick out of it.

Of course I have told you this before, but I can understand if you were not quite sure it was believable. You see, fundamentalism comes in all relgiious flavors. And Judaism is no exception. It seems that some Jewish messianic types in Israel recently got caught burning a whole lot of New Testaments. Blue Girl Red State has the story. So you see, crazy wingnut religious types are not just the province of Muslims and Christians. The Jews have their own nut cases to contend with. Perhaps the same can be said of Buddhists and Hindus as well, but I have yet to see any evidence. Enlighten me if you can.

Catholic Anarchy has a fine review of Danial Berrigan’s latest book, The Kings and Their Gods: The Pathology of Power. Berrigan’s real talent is in drawing comparisons between biblical stories and today’s world. The review seems quite positive. I’ve seen this book mentioned a few times now, have not sought it myself, though I may, but I would urge you to take a look at the review and decide whether you think its worth your money. I think it well may be.

Sally’s Gardening Tips has a downloadable book for those who love bonsai and always fail at it. I’m told that that is part of the business of trying to grow them. I have seen some of  the most exquisite plantings imaginable and I would very much love to do them. I might just try this download myself though undoubtedly it will take ages for me. Read the post and decide whether you wish to enter the beautiful world of bonsai.

Ezra Klein reports that 111 countries have signed on to ban the use of cluster bombs. The Vatican too pushes the ban. The US?  Not so much. As Klein points out, at a time when our foreign policy is in shambles, and our reputation abroad reeks, wouldn’t this be a good time to get on board with issues that are humane and have the support of most civilized countries? Oh and Obama is on record favoring their ban, Hillary, unfortunately not.

Kevin Miskell is running for the US House seat held by Republican Latham in the 4th district in Iowa. Iowa Independent has a interview with him. Stop by and learn a bit about this candidate if you will be voting in this district’s election. Miskell is up against other Democrats for the right to oppose Latham of course.

Sunni/Shi’ite relations appear no better today than they have been, though there was hope a couple of months ago that Sunnis would return to the government they have been boycotting. This step has been vital to US policy, but insiders suggest that such a reconncilation  will not do nearly as much as it is claimed in terms of national reconciliation needs. The Political Animal has the story for you in full.

Well it isn’t as if we didn’t already know. We got lousy journalism in the run up to the war in Iraq. Everybody knows it, the “journalists” for the most part try to deny it, but we know it. CNN’s Jessica Yellin tells all to Michael Calderone. Yellin worked at ABC during the critical time and said media execs made it clear that journalists should not f**k with the WH in this time of “high patriotism.” Since news is owned by the Entertainment industry now, do you THINK WE DIDN”T ALREADY KNOW THAT? I just love the hypocrisy of these dolts. A much more detailed report on the subject can be found at Glenn Greenwald’s blog, at the Salon.

Myanmar continues to reject a vast amount of the aid being offered to it for relief from the cyclone that hit there weeks ago. The loss of life due to the intransigence of the government is simply obscene. The ruling Junta suggested it’s people could stand on their own, which means they are doing fine, and the people be damned. When do crimes against a people become so heinous that the world community responds? I have no clue, but it doesn’t seem we have reached a level of outrage sufficient yet. Pity, I did weeks ago.

While I respect the horrific experiences of John McCain as a POW during the Vietnam war, I’ve grown increasingly tired of his use of that status to avoid discussion of issues. “I was otherwise engaged in another country if you remember,” he points out time and time again. American Prospect has an article on the subject, exploring the idea of when too much is well, too much. See what you think. I think the campaign is using the POW think exquisitely to their advantage, all the while letting McCain claim he is above that sort of thing.

The Art of the Possible gets into the fray over who Obama will pick for his VEEP. Lots of talk these days on Jim Webb, and of course, once that idea really gains steam, then others explain why it’s a bad idea. Enjoy all the speculation if you must, I’ll kindly sit it out and wait until Mr. Obama makes it official. I’m sure it will be someone I can get behind.

Big Brown, latest media love object and best bet in a long time to win a triple crown, has been mostly silent in these last days or weeks or minutes before his scheduled Belmont appearance. He’s what’s known in the trade as a silent athlete. Read more if you dare.

It’s thoroughly disgusting when VA officials play down the seriousness of PTSD, calling it an overblown problem. The fact is, according to Pentagon sources, its a huge problem and growing. PTSDis not something one gets over with a “little counseling” or some job training. It is not of course equally devastating for all returning vets. For many it is, however, a lifelong disability. It is as some realize, a “war wound” no different than any other observable physical injury. Think Progress has the story.

Tip Junkie has more ideas and more tutorials for Father’s day gifts. Slip over and run through another lengthy list. Many I think are things kids can do with supervision to make Dad that special gift on his special day.

Urantian Sojourn pokes fun at McCain’s continuing refusal to come on board the Webb New GI Bill wagon, preferring his own watered down version. Resorting to the bible to prove McCain’s position is simply ludicrous is NOT FAIR Urantia person! LOL. Enjoy this one folks, it’s a logical traipse through the mixed up mind of old Mac. It’s the first post called Paying the GI Jackson.

The Macster gave a foreign policy speech on March 26. A lot has been written about it, mostly about the nuclear aspects of it, and how well, 20th century his thinking still is. However Blackadder over at Vox Nova is clearly disturbed that McCain has visions of kicking Russia out of the G8 group. Many many people are getting quite frightened of Mac’s sabre rattling. I am one of them. You should be too.

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“It’s so much easier to suggest solutions when you don’t know too much about the problem.”  Malcolm Forbes

“What this country needs is more free speech worth listening to.” Hansell B. Duckett

“It is better for civilization to be going down the drain than to be coming up it.”  Henry Allen

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Puns you say?

Doctors tell us there are over seven million people who are overweight. These, of course, are only round figures.

There were two ships. One had red paint, one had blue paint. They collided. At last report, the survivors were marooned.

Where do you find giant snails? On the ends of giant’s fingers.

Why is Saudi Arabia free of mental illness? There are nomad people there.

A guy walks into the psychiatrist’s office wearing only Glad Wrap shorts. The shrink says, “Well, I can clearly see you’re nuts.”

Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused his dentist’s Novocain during root canal work? He wanted to transcend dental medication.

I get enough exercise just by pushing my luck.

I was having dinner with Garry Kasporov(world chess champion) and on the table was a checkered tablecloth. It took him 2 hours to pass me the salt.

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In his new book, former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan says he was left out in the dark. You know what, Scott? Us too. But you were standing next to the light switch. – Will Durst

New York Governor David Patterson has announced that the state will begin to back same-sex marriages from elsewhere. Rudy Giuliani immediately countered with the argument that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and then another woman, and then the other woman.— Janice Hough, Palo Alto, Calif.

The photograph was done by David Octavius Hill and is called “Newhaven Fishwives.” I don’t know if this refers to Connecticut or not, but I see no fish and I would think it difficult to clean fish in these clothes. You can view it at MMA.

Sorry about yesterday. The kitchen assignment was a good deal more involved than I had planned for and I did want to finish it once I started. It was just cleaning the counters. I neglected to take into consideration that I have a couple of big crocks that I use for utensils around the stove, and all the things I don’t use often had a fine sheen of that sticky grease coating it. So the cleaning was both slow and tedious. Today I zoomed through cleaning the stove and hood and spice rack. We took off the railing on the rack and decided it was much better off. Still, I had that greasy sheen on all my spice jars to clean off. But it went surprisingly fast. The kitchen is really starting to show its sparkle now; I just have under the sink, one narrow cabinet that will go very quickly and the windows to do. The floor will take another day, as I have to scoot around and work on the corners and along the baseboards that the mop consistently misses.

Let’s get on with the news:

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Abby Sweets opens the day with cupcakes, orange-cocoa cupcakes to be exact. I don’t know why, but they sounded good, so take a look at the recipe and see if you agree.

I probably wouldn’t include this kind of post given that Bush is halfway out the door, but it’s by Adrianne Huffington, and her take is worth reading. It has to do with the appalling state of the GOP and why it is so very necessary we throw the bastards out in November. It’s from her latest book, Right is Wrong.

Blue Girl Red State has a nice expose’ on our continuing issue of torture in the name of protecting us all. If you saw Boston Legallast night, you got a nice little rant about the whole issue as well. I love that show for exactly that reason, the impassioned plea to America that it stand up and be counted as this horrid administration does it level best to remove every political right we have.

I admit that I watch the triple crown races, but I also take a very dim view of racing in general. I believe that the horses are bred to be fast, and much like certain breeds of dogs, it compromises them physically. It seems to me that more horses are breaking down then ever before. I recall watching the Breeder’s Cup years ago and three horses broke down during that series of races. Read the post from Britannica Blog and see what you think.

Catholic Anarchy has a interesting post on sin and the Church. I’m referring to the Catholic Church and not anyone elses. Of course some claim that God directs the Catholic Church in every respect so the Church presumably can not be sinful. According to this theory it cannot err in any respect either. Since I learned yesterday that the Church some years ago declared that capybara, a rodent of South America, was actually a fish, I’m somewhat doubtful of this claim. Anyway, the post is in two parts and so I’ve linked you to the main site. This relates to the theology of Karl Rahner, one of the most important Catholic theologians of the 20th century. It’s the second and third post.

Wow, today’s Civil War Women features a woman from Iowa, Melcenia Elliot. Although born in Indiana, she was raised in Iowa and went to college here as well. She traveled to hospitals and cared for the wounded. Several of her brothers also served as soldiers during the war. Her service was extensive and she traveled around the country, always working for the care of the soldiers.

This recipe sounds about right for a hot summer evening. Pizza is always good. This classy one is Tuna Mozzarella and Basil and sounds so fresh and tasty.Epicurious gives us this lovely one. It has some interesting twists so be sure to take a look.

I must say that overall I’m quite impressed bythe Democratic led Iowa response to the Postville raids. Uniformly Democrats from the Governor on down have responded with concern for immigrant rights and compassion and concern. Essential Estrogen has more on the subject.

Garrison Keillor has blessed us with another post. Just a pleasant break in the day to read his delightful musings. This one is about the upcoming Memorial Day. It’s an especially biting and good one today folks. Don’t miss it.

History of American Women has a lovely historical look at the colonial world of Pennsylvania. Included is a profile of William Penn and Quakerism and general life in this fascinating colony of early America.

Inside-Out the Beltway continues to impress with its witty posts. This one is a great little ditty about the ever changing metamorphosing John McCain. What we said yesterday, we may change today, depending on whom we are pandering to. And so it goes. This time he’s flipped on Cuba, since he is speaking to mostly Cubans! Read it and giggle along.

I always find a drop by at inspired by antique quilts to be well, inspiring. If I ever get this housecleaning done, and the redecorating done, and the gardening done, well then maybe just maybe I can get to quilting. She does push me forward you can bet your quilt on that! She shows three great border options on her medallion quilt. Which one do you like?

No doubt you think of this often. I know I do. What are the ten greatest mysteries in science? Come on, guess one at least! Live Science has the story for you. Who are you? Betcha didn’t know that that one was on the list. Each has a link to the “answer” such as it is, or isn’t.

Niki’s Ventures sends us to another great site for free patterns. Called Amy Butler Design, you can download all her patterns for free. They range from quilting patterns, to business card holders, and all kinds of other fabric related items. Take a look, I’m sure you will see something that catches your eye.

Notice how the war in Iraq has seemingly disappeared again from the airways? The wonderful media, ever ignoring what the Bushites seem to want it to, have well ignored it plain and simple. They have remained quiet as pictures of returning coffins was banned, they have remained silent as suicide rates among returning veterans skyrockets. Just when are we going to see the awful truth. Read Timothy Egan’s piece in the NYTimes today.

The Interfaith Alliance president has a take on the recent decision of the California Supreme Court to strike down a ban on gay marriage. He argues that it was a step in protecting religious freedom. I agree. Do you? This article is from the On Faith section of the Washington Post.

Finally the media has decided to actually call Mac on his closeness to Ron Parsleyand continue reporting on the sewage spewing from Hagee’s mouth. Mac is so far quiet on it all, though he has continued to welcome Hagee’s endorsement. Now we find that the Holocaust is the result of the Jews not working hard and fast enough to reclaim Jerusalem. God’s vengeance and all. How sickening.  Parsley, whom Mac has called “my spiritual advisor,” meanwhile is busy revising history. Did you know America’s goal in life, given by God is to eradicate Muslims? And Mac calls him a “moral compass?” Oh I can’t wait for this one to continue heating up. Thanks to Political Animaland the Contrarian who both alerted me to the news.

I have to admit it, I am concerned about McCain’s psychiatric history. While we seem to wait interminably, and that makes you wonder itself, for his medical records to be given up, he apparently is refusing to show us his psychiatric records. From someone who spend six years as a POW amid torture of various kinds, I do think its a very legitimate concern of Americans. The Contrarian says I make too much of this, but I don’t think so. Read the Salon’s report and see what you think. Folks this is a very very good post, detailed and I think everyone should take a look. There are a lot of things in it I certainly was unaware of.

Science Daily has a fascinating look at stem cells and how they determine to become what they become. It turns out that several genes work together to turn them on when conditions are right. As this subject is so important in medical science research today, I thought you might like to keep up on what is being learned.

OOPS!. Since we didn’t post yesterday (oh God I’m doing the Royal We again), you missed your Fundamentalist fix. Scoot on over to the American Prospectand catch up. Susan Posner will not be pleased if you miss it.

Well, Nike has done it again. Always the first on the block to sign the next great superstar to a contract. Word is that they have signed Big Brown to a contract for those flashy horseshoes. Be the first at the watercooler tomorrow with this one! Air Brown’s will be what every horse in your paddock is demanding for sure!

I rather think that Republicans are drinking something in their Kool-aid these days. How else explain Lindsay Graham’s urging his fellow GOP’ers to nix the Webb New GI Bill, promising that a vote no will find them “rewarded” in the next election. Rewarded with a huge defeat you wingnut. If you bothered to  check the polls, then you would see that 81% of the American people favor the measure. Or do we still not count for anything? Oh I do believe some Repubs have a death wish, which we are happily going to grant them. Course, Dubya says he will veto, but the margins seem at this point veto proof.

Not all things in Iran are about nukes and Aminawhateverhisnameis. It seems that archaeology is still rolling along and members of an ancient royal family have been uncovered in Ramhormoz. Women of Historyhas an interesting post about it, and some nice research about the Elamites.

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“Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories.” John Wilmot

“Never give a party if you will be the most interesting person there.” Mickey Friedman

“To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there’s no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other.”  Jack Handey

“Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.” Elbert Hubbard

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Celebrity Quotes:

“Some people say that I must be a terrible person, but it’s not true. I have the heart of a young boy in a jar on my desk” -Stephen King

“Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle.” – Bob Hope

“A hippie is someone who looks like Tarzan, walks like Jane and smells like Cheetah.” – Ronald Reagan

“I’ve had a wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.” – Groucho Marx

“I’ve been on a calendar, but I’ve never been on time.” – Marilyn Monroe

“Husbands are like fires – they go out when unattended.” – Zsa Zsa Gabor

“My one regret in life is that I’m not somebody else.” – Woody Allen

“You’re not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.” – Dean Martin

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You know, on the news earlier tonight, they showed Barack Obama back in Iowa. And I got scared. I went, “Oh, no. We’re starting all over again!” Jay Leno

This week, Barack Obama, true story, campaigned on an Indian reservation and the tribal chief adopted him. Yeah, the Indians actually prefer Obama to John McCain, because they still remember when McCain took their land. Conan O’Brien

The Indy 500 is this weekend. To most Americans, the pit is a surreal environment. Mechanics finishing service and repairs all in one day.

Scientists have successfully planted the DNA of an extinct tiger into a mouse. The results have been startling to the lab. When he wants a piece of cheese, he’d better get a piece of cheese. – Alan Ray, Stockton, Calif.

Random House sent me a copy of Steven Waldman’s new book, Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America. It is with great pleasure that I review it today.

A great debate is now going on in America, at least among a segment of the populous. Are we a Christian nation or not? Plenty have weighed in on the issue, but most have a decided stake in the outcome, thus their objectivity is suspect. Steven Waldmanbrings a fresh and appealing objectivity to this discussion and his answers are surprising for both sides. Of course the answer to the question is yes…..and no.

In order to accomplish his task, Mr. Waldman looks deeply at five of our most famous founding fathers, Washington, Jefferson, John Adams, Franklin and Madison.  He examines the lives and writings of these five during the crucial years of revolution and beyond to the Constitutional Convention. Moreover he examines the colonies themselves and explains the types of governments that were set up and how religion played its part.

Basically the argument goes thusly today. The left claims that the founders were deists who were clear about separating church and state. The right points to innumerable documents, all, nicely containing words of faith, and thus concludes that it was a given that the newly formed country was based deliberated on Christian principles. Both are somewhat right, both somewhat wrong, according to Waldman.

Jefferson was arguably a Deist, but not much of one. He revised the bible to remove the miracle stories and felt most religions mucked up Jesus’ message. Most of the rest were firm believers and believed that God actively intervened in human affairs. Franklin might have has some polytheistic tendencies but they seemed to fade as he aged. Washington commonly wrote that divine providence guided the fortunes of the fledgling nation. Adams was perhaps the most orthodox and this caused great strain between himself and Jefferson for many years, though in later years they became fast friends. Madison probably had the most to say, and saw the conflict between government and religion most clearly, and thought religion would thrive as long as government couldn’t intrude.

What Waldman points out so very well is that that the resultant Constitution and its important Bill of Rights were a direct result of the experiences of the colonies with religion in their respective states. In nearly all the colonies a church/state system was initially devised. But in every case, only one religion was allowed to prosper. In the northern colonies it was Puritanism, and in the southern ones, Anglicanism. Catholics, Jews, Quakers, and later Baptists and Lutherans were ejected, jailed, tried, and sometimes executed. They were denied the right to own property, the right to vote, or to hold office. Some states were better than others, but religious intolerance was the name of the game.

Amazing as it may seem, the leaders in the cause of “primacy of conscience” were the Baptists, a new sect in that time and one that faced a good deal of persecution. Nearly sixty were jailed in Virginia alone during the time up to the  end of the revolution. It was here that many of the founding fathers saw first hand how terribly wrong religion could go if supported by the state.

Waldman points out that the Constitutional Convention saw the first truly interfaith dialogue WI participants from most of the Christian faiths meeting to hammer out a document all could live with. As one meanders through the documents and compromising language that was traded back and forth, men (yes all men) began to see that these “others” had valuable ideas to submit. They all realized they had similar concerns. Some like Jefferson saw organized religion as most inhibiting true spirituality. Others like Madison saw religion as hampered when the State intervened. Adams agreed, seeing that good religion like good ideas came out of the marketplace of ideas, not the pulpit.

The country, as time progressed and people moved out of the original colonies saw a decrease in church attendance. New sects were formulating on the frontier. Increasingly the representatives to the convention saw that religious liberty was the key to be pursued. It became known as “primacy of conscience,” and at least some of the early drafts contained that phrase.

There are wonderful stories about the various founding fathers in Mr. Waldman’s book. We learn of Washington’s banning his troops from  burning the pope in effigy as was commonplace once a year. We learn of Franklin’s business savvy in promoting Whitefield, head of the “;New Awakening” in his newspapers as “;good for business.” Jefferson is seems has a fairly abiding dislike for Papists and Jews, yet he thought of himself as “freeing” Jesus from the constraints of reglious dogma in his editing of the Bible and thus creating what we have come to regard as the “Jefferson bible.”

Adams too, detested Catholics, and was perhaps the most outspoken proponent of religion, yet he rejected a good deal of Puritan dogma and became a Unitarian in the end. Mostly he depended on religion as the most rational means of instilling morality in people and keeping their baser tendencies in check.  Madison concluded in the end that the best way to preserve Christianity was to protect it from the State, and his experiences in Virginia taught him that religious tolerance was both essential and prudential.

A real concern during the Revolutionary era was that England would send bishops to the new colonies and enforce an Anglican agenda upon them. This carried a great deal of weight for people like Adams who came from Puritan roots. He did much to foment the claim that Catholics in Quebec were about to assist the English in suppressing the rebellion. Religion did play its part in the revolution let there no doubt.

What few recall or know, is that this prohibition of establishment of religion did not initially apply to the states. Madison wanted desperately that it would, but he compromised that out of the initial document. He has wanted the Bill of Rights to apply equally to the states, which it did not until after the 14th amendment was passed after the Civil War. This amendment and its subsequent interpretation effectively negated the debate about what the founding fathers might have wanted. It definitively stated that whatever they believed or desired, religious freedom was now the choice for all America.

Mr. Waldman comes down to a conclusion that I think is quite supported by the evidence:

America was settled to be a Christian nation. To be more precise, it was settled to be a Protestant nation. Inhabitants of most colonies prior to the Revolution were not interested in religious pluralism or tolerance. They wanted society based on Protestant principles, with a strong mingling of church and state and vigilant antagonism toward Catholicism. Almost all of the colonies tried some variant of state-supported religion, and every one of those experiments failed. Perhaps the most important flare-ups of persecution came in a few Virginia counties, where they were witnessed by a thoroughly disgusted young James Madison. He and several other Founders looked at the wreckage of these experiments and concluded that official state religions led to oppression of minority religions and lethargy among the majority religions. [1]

In conclusion, I would first state that I found the arguments well supported. I found the main claims of Mr. Waldman enlightening. I certainly had been more convinced that most of the founders were deists and in this I was incorrect as I now see it. I had no idea, actually that the states were replete with official state religions either. So I learned a great deal.

I find his writing easy to read, and his organization well thought out, with a nice progression of proofs. About the only quibble I would have, and I am not sure it is valid is this: I have read extensively on the internet at least about this issue. It is not my understanding that the left has attempted nearly so much as the right to put fortha view using a lot  of twisted and out of context “proofs.” In other words, I think the ones who are most guilty of attempting to distort the truth are those on the right. While undoubtedly some on the left through unacceptable over zealousness have deliberately distorted facts to fit their theory, I have not found nearly the proof of that as I have as regards the right. Mr. Waldman seems to treat the two as equally wrong, and I see it as a bit more lopsided than that.

I highly recommend this book and actually think it would be well used as a text in schools and certainly universities. It does a fine job I believe of setting the record straight.

[1] p. 194

Called, “Street, Dresden,” this painting was done by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1908. It was undated by the painter in 1919. It is from MoMA.

On the home front, things continue with house cleaning quite well. I have all the cabinets and drawers done but for a small thin one on the other side of the stove which I use to store pot lids and cooling racks mostly. I’ve really reduced a lot of clutter in all the cupboards and hopefully it will be a much friendlier work environment. Of course it’s maddening now, since one is constantly opening the wrong door looking for something.

We also got a lot of planting done this morning. Tomatoes, lettuce, beets, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet and hot peppers are all in. Tomorrow we will do corn, beans and probably peas. Squash, summer and winter will go in later as well as chard and a few other odds and ends. Gardens always look so great at this point, clean and tidy. We have been having a lot of trouble with rabbits the last few years so we fence in the cole crops and that does help. The dogs are too lazy to chase anything much. LOL.

On to the news:

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Abby Sweets has a nicemadeleines recipe. That is just a cake-like cookie that is baked in a special formed pan. I doubt you actually need one, but they are available in most high end stores that cater to kitchen wares. This has just that lovely hint of lemon that is so very nice.

I just found this article fascinating and thought you might be interested as well. Margaret McKeehan, a young woman from the South, tells us what sex education was like in her public school. She also relates what she learned from her minister in a similar class. You might be surprised and you might get to thinking. I know I did.

Read about the Creek Civil War, part of the War of 1812 at American Presidents Blog.Andrew Jackson figures in this part of the war. The tribe itself was somewhat split as to whether it wished to drive the whites out or assimilate into their culture. After the battle of Taladaga, Jackson ended up with an orphaned child whom he adopted. It’s a fascinating story.

American Revolution Blog has a great series starting on the founding fathers and faith. I keep telling you of the book review I have to do, and in truth I have about 80% of it done, but this will give you a nice flavor of that upcoming post. He starts with Madison who perhaps was the clearest in his statements of how faith fit into the newborn government.

I’m getting my act together one day this week and making lasagna. This recipe is not what I am doing, but it sure is one that I want to keep in my hip pocket for something very different. It is Eggplant Artichoke Lasagna. A very different kind of lasagna for sure, but a lovely one too. Baking Delights gives us the recipe.

God knows I don’t know how the people of Iraq continue to exist in that hellish environment. Blue Girl, Red State has a post on what is happening to psychiatric care in Baghdad, and it is sickening. The horrifying conditions the doctors work in, the limits of care, all just make one so angry and depressed. It seems the world is full of such utter meanness these days. Has it always been so ugly? I don’t know. It seems worse now, but then again, maybe I just pay better attention.

A nice salad that I would like, and the Contrarian would not is in the offing from Epicurious. It’sAvocado Watercress Salad. I love avocados and the Contrarian does not. He would be okay with the watercress probably. I’ll make it and let him pick out the avocado. Sounds good to me.

Bruce Braley is sure making Iowa proud in his thoroughinvestigation of the Postville raids.He is turning out to be one of the real shining stars among new House members. I wish he was representing me frankly. That is juxtaposed against Latham who has yet to even make a statement from the Republican side of things. Read about his ongoing questions to ICE at Essential Estrogen.

Free Sample Forager has a few new offers. Dove Body Lotion, Mighty Dog Canned food, and Purex Detergent are offered today. Stop by and get your free samples. I must say, I get my offers usually within 3 weeks of filling out the forms, and while all are not so great, I do get one free wash, or use, so hey, over time, it’s worth the few minutes it takes to type in the info.

Dick Morris is a Clinton Admin. reject, sent packing for his sexual indiscretions. He’s hated the Clintons ever since, and is  on board  at Foxy Giggle News as a resident opinionator on political things though he is mostly brain dead. Still he is laughably funny. Inside-Out the Beltwayhas a humorous take on his latest assessment of the proposed Obama/McCain run for the White House. Read it and chuckle along.

The hook said, mind-blowing new Creature found. Well, that caused me to run up the feed quite quickly. Live Sciencehas the story.  Called Y-larvae in the young stage, scientists were able to grow them up into slug-like masses. I have no clue why that is mind-blowing. They seem like parasites, they seem creepy and I don’t like em. Nexxxt.

I heard something to the effect that Karl Rove had concocted some red state/blue state thingie and decided Hillary had a better chance against McCain than Obama. The question is why would I believe anything that came out of the mouth of that so-called genius of the GOP?  Now it seems that the Pillsbury Dough Boy has such a nice deal with Foxy OopsNewsthat nobody seems to realize that he is the errr, campaign adviser to all things McCain, and is simply using his position at Fox to further that enterprise (among other devious things no doubt). Oh well, what would you expect from Fox and Idiots anyway?  And we are learning that we can expect absolutely no morality from the Crooked Mac either. Salon has the story.

Okay, listen up you dairy farmers. You have a new method of making some extra cash. Just advertise and welcome a tour of your barns filled with all those sweet cows to pregnant women! Yep, you should be able to set a fee of say $25 a head for a tour. Okay, I have your interest now, so follow the link and learn how you too can make money without even trying. Science Daily would never steer(haha) you wrong!

This is one that makes you go “whhhaaaat?” I thought that it was against the law to mix religion and state. I wonder how one gets through university with a science degree and an education certificate and then goes this route. One in eight students in America is being taught creationism along side evolution by their teachers, all of this against the law. Read it and weep. What is worse, fake history is also being taught, the type that emanates from David Barton from Wallbuilders–disguised Christian nation stuff. This is so tiresome and so unnecessary.

Jim Webb is sure the up and coming Senator these days. Many are talking that he would be a fine Veep for Obama. The Nation has an excellent post on Senator Webb and I urge you to learn more about this guy. He’s pushing through the New GI bill and giving McCain fits over his opposition.

Ya see, the reason the surge appeared to work is that the US was busy paying off insurgents to not shoot at us.Of course that only created another problem, and of course, they knew that, but hey, they are trying to protect the GOP this election cycle so I guess all is fair in love and errrr war. Course, the expected future has arrived a bit early and it seems Iraq is full of little warlords, all making their demands, just like they do in Afghanistan. The Washington Independent has the story.

Think Progress weighs in on the Rove/Foxy dilemma in this, can you believe the chutzpah?, post onFox accusing MSNBC of blurring the lines between news and commentary. Oh my goodness, I may piddle my panties I’m laughing so hard. Read it and try to keep the tears of laughter from your eyes.

To mulch or not to mulch. I think mulches are great in flower beds, but a pain in veggie gardens, and frankly us rural folks have big gardens and good mulch is prohibitive in terms of cost. But if you have questions about it, Veggie Gardening Tips has a good discussion about it.

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“If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead.” Johnny Carson

“Nobody in the game of football should be called a genius. A genius is somebody like Norman Einstein.” Joe Theisman

“I would rather be a coward than brave because people hurt you when you are brave.” E.M. Forster

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Funny signs from around the world

In a Texas funeral parlor: Ask about our layaway plan.

In a toilet: Toilet out of order. Please use floor below

In the vestry of a New England church: Will the last person to leave please see that the perpetual light is extinguished.

In the window of an Oregon general store: Why go elsewhere to be cheated, when you can come here?

Notice in a field: The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges.

On a fence: Salesmen welcome. Dog food is expensive.

On a plumber’s truck: We repair what your husband fixed.

On a Tennessee highway: Take notice: when this sign is under water, this road is impassable.

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And the oldest serving member of Congress, former Klan member Senator Robert Byrd, has endorsed Barack Obama for president. That’s got to make Hillary feel good, huh? Even the Klan guy is going, “I’m gonna go with the black guy.” Jay Leno

Oil is now $125 a barrel, a very, very high price. But if you return the barrel, you get a $2 deposit back. So that’s not so bad.

Ladies and gentlemen, President Bush is back from his trip to the Mideast. And he did accomplish one thing. He found the crystal skull. David Letterman

 John McCain is so old, he can remember when “Saturday Night Live” was actually funny. – Janice Hough, Palo Alto, Calif.

Big Brown’s trainer has admitted that he gives the horse the steroid Winstrol twice a month. That is the easy part. The hard part is getting Brown to hit away from the shift with two strikes. – Marc Ragovin, New York

Painting of Madam Pompadour done by Amedeo Modigliani in 1915. You can see it at the Institute of Art in Chicago.

Things are progressing well in the housecleaning venue, however it seems another full week is in the offing. I got the upper cupboards done today and the window and ledge over the sink.  It’s coming along quite nicely for the most part, but it is tedious and I really wish I had started here first. Most of the other rooms were done in a week or less, and this two-week plus monster is trying. I haven’t culled my cupboards in way too long, and at least I have a much better organization going now. That is especially important for baking. I can’t stand having to drag things out of back spaces in order to do something.

On the blogging front, things are going to slow down a bit for a couple of weeks.  We are trying to get our garden in and it’s fairly large as you might guess. Parker got a first tilling done today, and I’m going to Walker a bit later to buy tomatoes, peppers, corn, and a few other things. I have a lot of seeds for lettuce, beets, chard, spinach and a host of other things that I must address as well. So I’ll get as much done on this as possible each day and post what I have.  I really had expected I guess to have the spring cleaning done by now, such is not however the case. I still have the laundry/pantry to do yet, though I suspect that will go in one day or two.

On that note, on with today’s news:

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Abby Sweets has a lovely berry tart that turned into a parfait after the usual kitchen disaster that befalls us cooks all the time. It still looks great and sounds great and is another of those spring time recipes that make for a light but luscious dessert.

Sandi’s Crochet Blog has three offerings today, a potholder pattern, another filet crochet, and a paneled afghan pattern. All are her creations, all free to you. I especially thought the potholder was cute.  I’ve linked you to the main site so just scroll down to see them all.

If lemon bars are more to your taste and you want to do something pretty quickly, stop by A Mingling of Tastesand try her recipe. I have tried one’s similar to these and I can tell you they tame that lemon desire very well.

Britannica Blog has a good look at the issue of racism and how it is or is not playing out in this election cycle. Is it okay for African Americans to vote for Obama because he is black but not okay for white West Virginia voters to vote for Hillary because she is white? It’s a difficult and qualitatively different answer. See what you think.

This is one that has troubled me for some time, and the Contrarian pointed out that we are only one of two countries worldwide who allow it. No I don’t know the other one. Why do we allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise on the airways? Frankly, they do more to dissuade me that otherwise since the side-effects they so quickly run over are scary to the point that I would avoid the medication unless it were truly life threatening. Bill Moyers Journal weighs in on the issue.

I was shocked I tell you to read the crawl this morning and see that ANOTHER McCain campaign staffer is leaving for improper/unsavory lobbying. That makes it 5 in one week. Now, we are waiting impatiently for the end of one administration led by a dolt who picked the worst collection of numb sculls to run the government and now his hip-joined buddy McCain is embroiled in a ongoing series of questionable campaign workers who have left under suspicious circumstances. Need one say more? Blue Girl, Red State has the dope.

Ezra Klein points us to a article in the New Yorker about McCain and his philisophical or not beliefs about SCOTUS. It seems that McCain as we are wont to understand on other things, knows little, cares little, and uses this issue as a nice vehicle to pander to the right wing base he so desperately is sucking up to. If you have noticed, McCain is now using all the proper phrasing about “activist” judges which is pure nonsense in the first place. He is not a lawyer, and one doubts he has a clue about what he is talking about.

History of American Women has a great post on the Native American peoples of New York. She gives a nice overview of each tribe, of which there were eight or more. Very informative history lesson for us all.

Iowa’s own Tom Harkin has a very telling and to the point statement about John McCain and his background. Harkin finds his worldview simply well out of touch with mainstream America and suggests that he views all through a military lens. Certainly McCain has been candid about his lack of knowledge of things economic and it seems Americans are quite concerned about the economy. The Iowa Independent has the story.

It seems we can never get past the discussion about science and God. Live Science attempts to put the whole issue in some kind of perspective. Science we know deals with the observable reality. Theology deals with the supernatural. The two are not at loggerheads. They are two rather different things. I have always concluded that science will not “find” God simply because that it why it is faith. It’s a journey of spirit, not the intellect. See what you think.

Mad Kane does it again. Anyone who saw the absurd interview with Bush wherein he claims to have given up golf to show solidarity with the troops knows what I mean when I say yech. I mean how obscene can one person get? He didn’t bother to stop fishing or dancing did he? Who does he think we are? morons?

We all know of Bush’s latest case of hoof and mouth disease as he accused Obama of appeasement. That has brought down a firestorm of criticism. (Good ole John joined in on Bush’s side, God bless him). Fareed Zakariahas a post today on the subject and the disingenuous nature of the remarks. As if Dubya has not done the same thing. Zakaria asks “Whose the real Appeaser?” Or you might like to take a look at Glenn Greenwald’s take on the matter at the Salon.

The Contrarian likes to watch the House and Senate on the tube when something interesting is going on. He gets a kick out of Byrd, whom he says ranges from senility to glimpses of true brilliance if you are quick enough to catch it. He has just endorsed Obama. Given that he is from West Virginia, I’d say it’s quite telling. Read Ben Smith’s thoughts on the matter at the Politico.

A Greco-Roman Buddha? It seems that from the earliest of days, making a likeness of Buddhas was not done. Sometime after the time of Alexander the Great, it became a more acceptable thing.Rogueclassicismhas a report of early images of the Buddha having been located in Mathura.

Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte is the next installment in Scandalous Women’s Bonaparte week. She married into the family, marrying Napoleon’s younger brother. Jerome. They met ironically at a ball given by Declaration of Independence signer, Samuel Chase. Follow the link and read more about this fascinating woman.

I am delighted to post this next link. I have only 2 years to go and peace and calm is mine. So say scientists in a report by Science Digest. Aging seems to be associated with more positive emotions than negative ones.Yippee, I can hardly wait, because this gloomy gus feeling I’ve had since winter is getting tiresome indeed. I think the Contrarian is thinking of locking me in the basement! LOL.

If you are dreaming of icy delights, and I can’t say that I am, given the temperature is not even 70, you might be interested in this recipe for Strawberry Frozen Yogurt offered by Simply Recipes. If you have tried any of her recipes you can be sure they are always the best.

A terrific new blogger by the name of Chris in DC has hit the internet. Longtime commenter on Greenwald’s blog, he has started his own and given us a great post in what is going on in the sad sad world of GOP land. His writing is snappy and his mind is above average so enjoy reading his thoughts. We welcome Inside-out the Beltway. 

It appears we are all going to do what we usually do, rant a little or a lot, and then turn our head away and pretend we’ve done all we could. Things in Myanmar continue to deteriorate,the ruling Junta continues to refuse most aid, and pretend there is no human tragedy going on. What is worse, they were warned days before the cyclone hit that it was coming and they did nothing, nothing other than of course making sure their miserable lives were secure. One Neanderthal at a forum I frequent had the unmitigated gall to suggest that it was not our problem since we had no “interest” there. I guess I should not be shocked, we have done perilously little in Darfur either. How can humanity stand by and watch this? It’s beyond me. God must weep.

I admit we watch a bit of Fox NONews as comedy. I admit that one of the most silly of the commentators around is Bill Kristol, heir apparent to the great Neo-con revolution started by pappy. I enjoy quite mightily his lousy journalism in the NYTimes. He’s made another booboo it seems. The dude cannot keep his facts straight and has been caught going oops about 3 times now in his very short tenure. Join the fun in reading Think Progress’s cute and fun article.

Tip Junkie has a nice little post on closet reorganization, and who doesn’t need that. She’s collected a few sites you might want to take a look at and get some ideas from.

 Boy this arrived in the nick of time. Urantian Sojourn’s Saitia has a lovely piece on how to find yourself when the world just looks like a mean and glum place. I hope you spend some time reading their stuff. They have been good friends to me, generous and thoughtful, always insightful. And if that one doesn’t grab you, there are several others. These guys are wonderfully prolific. Read Terry’s fine post on racism, still alive and sadly kicking today. Or read Propagandee’s great Republican Dog Food, or get a great laugh with Michael’s post on McCain’s VP choices! I apologize that I can’t direct link, but these posts are from Friday onward and all on the front page.

Wow, this one is a surprise. Archaeologists think they have found the palace of the Queen of Sheba! Visit this fine blog and learn all the particulars about the new find in Ethiopia. Thanks to Women of History for this one.

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“When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.” Henny Youngman

“Even if you do learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to?”  Clarence Darrow

“It’s never just a game when you’re winning.”  George Carlin

“Marriage is a great institution, but I’m not ready for an institution yet.” Mae West

“Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century.” Dame Edna Everage

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And now for some stupid quotes:

Golden, Ripe, Boneless Bananas, 39 Cents A Pound.”
- Ad in the “Missoulian” by Orange Street Food Farm

“How to store your baby walker: First, remove baby.”
- Anonymous Manufacturer

“You guys line up alphabetically by height.”
- Bill Peterson, Florida State football coach

“Men, I want you just thinking of one word all season. One word and one word only: Super Bowl.”
- Bill Peterson, football coach

“The internet is a great way to get on the net.”
- Bob Dole, Republican presidential candidate

President Bush was just in Saudi Arabia, meeting with King Abdullah. I think he gets a little confused. He kept saying, “So where’s Paula Abdul?” I don’t think he understands. Jay Leno

This delicate painting was done by Lan Ying in 1642 during the Ming Dynasty and is called “Autumn Clearing in the Misty Woods.” I love these so simplistic works from Asia. They contain a beauty so different from most Western art.

Unbelievable, but the shopping excursion went without incident yesterday. We registered our new Bronco and got around quickly, sneaking a Burger King for dinner! I’m back on my kitchen cleaning, having done the Microwave cart today and the dog watering area. Mostly that is just getting the stains off the floor from well water deposits. Dogs are sloppy drinkers. One day off here, and I feel like I’ve missed out on so much. My feeds were lit up, so maybe if I rework how often they update I’ll be a bit better in getting them done on their own, instead of having to hand update them, which takes me about 30 minutes every day.

The Contrarian is out doing “man work.” Yes, that is what he calls it. It’s usually about car, truck, tractor or wood things. He and the dogs seem to enjoy it, at least until I hear that famous “MOTHER F**KING…..something or other.” LOL. He takes out his aggressions on inanimate objects only, which is truly a good thing! In that he takes after his father who was also quite famous I’m told for screaming tantrums at “things.” Come to think of it, I tend to do the same thing.

Oh, and a quick apology to all. I’ve been a tad busy and this blog has taken a long time to get up each day, so I’m way behind on my comments on your blogs. I have been reading them each day, but run out of time to go back and bring up the sites to leave comments. I’ll hopefully catch up this weekend! Sorry.

On to the news:

What bothers me about all this hoopla about “immigration” is that I feel its veiled bigotry. None of this was an issue before “security” became such an issue. But if that were truly the motive, then the same hue and cry would be raised about our border with Canada, which is almost entirely open. So I think it’s just a lot of white working class folks who blame their employment misfortunes on Latinos, something they don’t do when times are good. The toll being taken on the 80% of Latinos who are legal is a serious problem. Read more at Alternet.

American Presidents Blog has a nice look at Theodore Roosevelt and his Bull Moose Party run in 1912 that enabled Woodrow Wilson to capture the White House. This campaign split the Republicans. Was it all Roosevelt’s fault? Read more to find out.

Anyone who saw Dubya’s disgusting display before the Knesset yesterday should read this next post. The fact that Republicans would do such a thing is, well what you would expect. But it is considered a no-no to engage in “politics” when one is overseas. The thing that is deplorable is that McCain joined in, married himself once again to Bush, and as usual, is on record singing quite a different tune. Once again the elder is having an Alzheimer’s moment. Such things are going to bury him in the fall, much to everyone’s delight.

Britannica Blog has a sad little story about the disappearance of songbirds across America.Such is not the case here in the meadow, as we are treated to the songs of orioles and indigo buntings, doves, chickadees, finches, and the like. I wake to the sound of red wing blackbirds and a whole host of cardinals greeting the day. Such alas is not the case in many other areas, as birds are systematically losing habitat. Scientists believe it is a combination of climate change, mercury poisoning and habitat removal.

Wow, I saw this appetizer dip at Coconut & Limeand just immediately decided that you would want to see it. It is just yummy looking. Oh I hate using the word yummy, that’s a word fit for something like rice krispie bars or something, not this elegant creation. Be sure to look at it, and get a copy and try it soon. Chipotle Spinach Artichoke Dip.

I love bonsai. I am totally captivated by the exquisite beauty of tiny trees. I have even seen fake bonsai made of paper and other items, and been so distressed that I could find no “instructions” on the internet to learn this very technical craft. The reason i want to learn fake bonsai, is that I have had no luck in keeping any bonsai of my own alive. Perhaps Sally’s Gardening Tips will help me.

Essential Estrogen puts a human face on the Postville roundup. Real people with real stories. I can find no anger in my heart at the lives of these people who come to America out of desperation and hope. I have no desire to see them sent back to their home countries. For most, even a life of relative poverty in the US is far better than what they endured at home. I think we are big enough to open our arms and make room.

Ready for some Louisiana Bayou food? I bet you are. Epicurious brings us a great little recipe for New Orleans Shrimp, Okra, and Tomato Sauce. Sure to please everyone.

I for one was rather disappointed some years ago when Tom Daschle lost his Senate seat to some nobody who slid in on Bush’s 2004 coattails. But Mr. Daschle has a new book out on Health Care, and is firmly in the Obama camp. It seems a bright light on the horizon for those of us who are passionate about this issue and have been fearful that only Clinton could get it done. Read Ezra Stein’s good post and interview with Daschle.

On the freebie circuit, Hey it’s Free has  Viva toweling and Teddy Grahams for you. 

Here’s a post that left me scratching my head. I would understand this if it were Guam or Puerto Rico or some other island nation that we are a protectorate over, but there are some in Hawaii who want independence from the US. Now I thought that issue was settled by the Civil War. Apparently it’s not, and History News Network has the story. Most strange, indeed. This simply doesn’t strike me as a case of colonization.

One of the unsavory aspects to American History has to be the trampling of individual rights by colonials in their desire to preserve a pure religion in their realm. In fact, as I’ve noted before, most of the colonies were church/state organizations which allowed no “foreign” interference by other religious groups. Catholics, Jews, Quakers and others were systematically banished, murdered, jailed, and were not allowed to own property, vote, or hold office. History of American Womenhas a fine piece on a Native American charged with witchcraft back in early Massachusetts. Read the story of Tituba and her tragic life.

Representative Steven King (R. IA) continues to be on the wrong side of most issues these days. He was against the new GI bill of course, that is predictable, since Republicans don’t care about veterans once they finish fighting their wars it seems. He was also THE ONLY IOWAN who voted against the bill to direct Bush to stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserves and give some relief to consumers. He of course wants more drilling, even though such resources are small, soon depleted and worse a serious ecological threat. Looks like another one ripe for defeat come November to me.

Mad Kane hits the nail again, as she explains how Congressional GOP’ers are running desperately away from Dubyasince everything Republicany is losing these days. Oh as I said, nothing more need by said, just show over and over again, that image of man love of Dubya and Mac embracing so touchingly. That is all the Democrats have to do. Show the picture, again and again and again.

Mamiedale has some tutorials for you. Three, of which a couple looked somewhat interesting. Hand-bound journals are fine gift givers, and the shoulder bag from an old sweater might tempt you to take a look.

As you might expect the right wing wingnuts are in a dither today. That thing in California and gay marriage you know. Nobody gets as dithery about these things than the National Review. Of course civilization as we know it is about to collapse. Go there and laugh at the hand wringing that is going on. Oh, marriage needs our protection, against something or other. The sky is falling, judicial overstepping activism. You can find every code phrase you are looking for. I’m just chuckling. As always when reading anything from the NRO,always check to see where the author is from. LOL Seriously, if you would like an unbiased look at the decision, read Glenn Greenwald’s piece at the Salon. It’s at least objective in its reporting.

Niki’s Ventures has a link to a cute little set of coasters to sew up for the summer months when drinks sweat so much. I thought they were cute as heck and the complete instructions are included at the site.

Unbelievable as it may seem, and its believable given this administration, Blackwater’s contract in Iraq has been renewed. The Bushites continue to rely on mercenaries to do its job for them, and they are not subject to anybody’s jurisdiction. So of course, they can kill with impunity and not be charged with a thing. Oh George, I do hope you live long enough to see the judgment of history on your pathetic administration. Generations to come will wonder why oh why you were not impeached and a dozen or more of you guys jailed.

Oh I am in heaven. I love Roman history as I’ve said before, and a new biography of Julius Caesar is just out. It’s by Philip Freedman and I’ll be attempting to secure a copy for review!

Scandalous Women has the mistress of Napoleon, Marie Walewska,  featured today. As usual, these are such intriguing little pieces that they make you want to learn more. Don’t miss another one, and don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance at a free book.

More news on the evolution topic. For some years now, a lot of work has been done on the mitochondrial “Eve” mother to us all. She was an African of course. About 60,000 years ago, humans started moving out of Africa and around the globe. But before that, they were not it seems a single group, but one highly divided on the continent. It appears now that due to climate issues, the split may have been for literally tens of thousands of years. It’s fascinating and you can read more at Science Digest. Remember to look at the right side, wherein there are links to other similar articles.

It seems we have another “international” recipe. This one from Simply Recipes and it features Moroccan Spiced Grill Chicken Breasts. As the grilling season starts up, this is one to try.

It seems the theme of the McCain campaign is going to be “I’m more American than he is.” That such an argument is illogical and untenable is obvious. That it smacks of a party that has lost all claim to morality is also obvious. That it will not work is also obvious. Read Harold Meyerson’s article in the American Prospect. And if you still have doubts about the disaster that is the Republican Party, read this little ditty from The Nation, “Is the Party Over?” This is one of the must read articles. It’s simply excellent.

Baking Beauties brings us a lovely Italian bread recipe that fits in with any Italian meal and well, most any meal at all. Italian Bread Wedges will certainly fit the bill, and are easy as snap to make as well. I’m making it pronto!

Anti-war veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are finally getting a chance to speak. In unofficial Congressional hearings on the Hill, veterans remark on under reporting and misreporting on civilian casualties, racism by commanders regarding Iraqi citizens, and severe over-reaction in terms of fire power. The Washington Independent has this under-reported story.

Vox Nova steps in with a post about John McCain’s chief political advisor. Remember he just lost another one for being a lobbyist in the pay of the Myanmar Regime. Now it seems that another lobbyist and chief political adviser, Charlie Black, is being seen for the slime he is. He’s a money lobbyist for an array of thugs and other dictators around the world. Is senility in full control of the Mac’s brain? This kinda thing makes your skin crawl.

And to finish off the serious news, take a gander at this site, brought to us by the World History Blog, called Reportret,and true to it’s name it attempts to make an unbiased assessment of what figures from history might have looked like. These are of people for which there are no known portraits or pictures of any kind. They give a long explanation of their technique as well. I think you will enjoy the trip. Jesus, Mohammad, Christopher Columbus are among those featured. Really nice sources at the end of each “portrait.” These are not clay recreations, but an attempt to locate the person in terms of his status, ethnicity, and any other factors that might impact looks.

Now on to the other stuff.Urantian Sojourn has a piece by Terry Hart that is wonderfully funny and witty too boot. It’s just a collection of great tag lines he’s picked up along the way. I have a list too. It reminds me that I should resume my monthly tag for this blog. I’m envious of some he has, especially the one entitled, “Now, go spread some peace, love and understanding. Use force if necessary.” I can still only lead you to the main site. The feed won’t direct link to an individual post, only the main site. It’s the 3rd one down, but heck the other two are well worth reading as well.

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Why do sleeping pills have warning labels that state :’Caution: May Cause Drowsiness?

Do nudists have pin-ups of people with clothes on?

When the French swear do they say pardon my English?

How is chess considered a sport?

How’s come people tell you to stay a kid for as long as you can. Yet the moment you do anything childish or immature they tell you to grow up.

If marbles are not made of marble, why are they called marbles

Why are elderly people often called “old people” but children are never called “new people”?

How does Freddy Kruger wipe his butt?

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Huge political fireworks today after President Bush went to Israel and he talked about American politicians who might want to talk with Hamas or other leaders. Politicians who would sit down and appease terrorists. He said he would not do it. He would not put up with it. He would never talk to terrorists. And then he flew to Saudi Arabia to spend a couple of days with the Saudi royal family. Jay Leno

Ford is recalling 655,000 trucks to fix a brake hose. Industry analysts estimate the program will take about 2 years to complete. And then they’ll move on to the second vehicle. – Alan Ray, Stockton, Calif.

The Steelworkers union has given its endorsement to Barack Obama for president. This was a blow to John McCain who is the only candidate in the race who actually participated in the Iron Age. Paul Seaburn.

John McCain, of course, no one is really paying attention to him right now, but he’s everywhere trying to get attention. Yesterday on “Live with Regis and Kelly,” John McCain showed one of his baby pictures. That was nice. Yeah, the picture was on loan from the Museum of Natural History. Conan O’Brien

This lovely painting is by Pierre Auguste Renoir and is called “Near the Lake.” It was done in 1879/80 and is from the Art Institute of Chicago.

It’s a rather gloomy Tuesday, with the sun long gone it seems. It did peek out a bit earlier this morning, but that it appears is all we are likely to get today. Rain is again in the offing for later. Like we have room for any more. I cleaned the fridge today. That started out as a much easier job than it finished out being. I did a lot of cleaning around the seals in the door which had gotten a bit gunky, if you get my drift. Anyway, it’s done now. I haven’t cleaned behind yet. The Contrarian didn’t sleep well last night so he went back to bed when I got up. So that is my excuse, and I’m sticking to it.

On with the news:

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I think I featured a crab cake recipe recently, but I found this one with a fabulous sauce that I just couldn’t resist. So take a look and see if you like Crab Cakes with Green Mango Salsa. A Mingling of Tastes brings you this lovely one.

Another Bushite in trouble. Scott Bloch, self described “devout” Catholic and hater of all things gay, is in some deep trouble with the FBI which has raided his office and home looking for evidence that he has obstructed the investigation of his own misconduct at head of the Office of Special Counsel. Bloch as far back as 1971 has opposed the anti-war movement and women’s rights as well, making him an all-purpose hater of various minorities, and a lover of war. That of course made him just right for the neo-cons of the Bush Administration. The investigation has to do with his alleged treatment of employees.

As many of you may know, John McCain recently gave a speech on the environment in an attempt to establish his creds with voters. According to Alternet, and reporter John Nichols, McCain is full of hot air. It seems much of what he touts as new environmental policy is old science, much of which is now outdated by newer stuff. Experts say his new policy is arranged more to get votes than it is to make any real difference on the planet. See what you think.

I admit that there are a huge number of vice presidents that I don’t know anything at all about. This suggests of course, that most VP’s are not particularly noteworthy. American Presidents Blog has some nice trivia about a few of them and a link to more information.

We all have faced the problem of plants that start out wonderful, then suddenly start wilting and just going ugly. Disease strikes quickly and seemingly without warning. Sally’s Gardening Tips has some great ideas for you to help avoid losing your precious flowers and vegetables to disease.

Gardening Tips ‘n Ideas has found the most interesting little site. It’s about landscaping on a miniature scale, someone like bonsai. The site is called Little Landscapes and it has plenty of pictures and instructions. This looks like so much fun and would be a wonderful project to push away those winter doldrums. (They sell a lot of the “accessories” but I do think you could be creative at any craft store.) They are so cute you just have to want one for yourself.

Seal tries sex with a penguin. Yep. You read that correctly. You do not need glasses. Go to Live Scienceand read all about this phenomenon that was actually caught on film. The picture is not very good, lol, but my goodness, what is the world coming to?

Wow, this recipe caught my eye. Corn Cakes! What a delightful idea for a brunch addition. It’s easy and I think would just be lovely to fix on a late spring Sunday morning for eating on the patio. Midwest Neurotica offers us this fine fare.

David Brooks who has to some extent lost his ultra conservative credentials among the ultra conservatives at least, has a thought provoking essay on religion, brain research and spirituality. I think his ideas are correct actually. I think he correctly zeroes in that the next major argument is not going to be God versus science, but true spirituality versus religious institutions. Read his post and see what you think.

Pauline Bonaparte is the subject of Scandalous Women’s latest foray in the wonderful world of women and history. Be sure not to miss it, and don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance at a free book.

Maybe you don’t think finding a single carbon monoxide molecule from a galaxy 11 billion light years away is important, but scientists seem to think it’s pretty darn exciting. The trick is that this  allows them to learn the temperature of the galaxy when the Universe was only 20% of its present age, and that’s a might long time ago. The universe is estimated to be about 14-15 billion years old. So do the math. In fact, predictions of the temperature were 9.3K. Actual results from the test turned out to be 9.1K with a wiggle room of 0.7, so the predictions were very accurate.

As we have previously reported, McCain has jumped on the conservative bandwagon with both feet, determined to resurrect himself among those he derided in 2000 as divisive elements in political discourse. He is now touting that judicial activism must be opposed. Of course, there is no such thing, it simply is code for GOP/religious right rhetoric that we don’t like the decisions coming from the courts and want to them rule as we prefer. Paul Waldman has an excellent post at American Prospect that you really should read. It turns out that if anybody can be called activist, its conservative judges, not the so-called liberal ones.

If you are not sure where exactly Barack Obama stands on the issue of Israel and Palestine, then two posts should help you, both are first hand interviews with Obama and not their personal conclusions about what they have read. Read Martin Peretz, editor-in-chief of The New Republictake on OBama and Israel, as well as Jeffrey Goldberg’s interview from The Atlantic. And you can also drop by Urantian Sojourn and get Saitia’s take on the issue as well. (It’s a main site link again. Sorry, but I’m still having trouble with their website)

As a long time resident of Michigan for the better/worse parts of my life, I am very familiar with this story. Dow Chemical has been a major Michigan polluter for, well, nearly as long as I have been alive. It has continuously tried to avoid responsibility for its dirty practices. Today, a member of the EPA claims she was forced to resign by the Bushites because she was leaning hard on Dow to, as usual, clean up its act. Read a long and thorough account of Dow historically in Michigan and up to today’s news. Remember, when you see companies who have no consumer business, doing ads on TV about how environmentally good they are, you can be sure they are getting leaned on for being dirty.

Since the Pentagon was forced to release all that information on its attempts to seed the media with pentagon friendly “analysts,” the dirt just continues to build up. I mean the documents are so damning that some somebodies are going to pay a huge price. I assume congressional hearings will be in the offing quite soon. I mean you just have to read this stuff to be amazed at how our Constitution has been ripped to shreds by Bush/Cheney. Thanks to Think Progress for the excerpts.

I’d never heard of St. Sunniva, patron saint of Norway. Melisende has a lovely little bio of her at Women of History. Stop by and learn who she was.

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“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and Jill a rich widow.” Evan Esar

“Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.” Paul Gauguin

“He’s simply got the instinct for being unhappy highly developed.” Saki

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Best pickup lines? or the worst?

If you were a booger I’d pick you first.

Baby did you fart, ’cause you blow me away!

Is there an airport nearby or is that my heart taking off?

Are my undies showing? Answer: “No.” You: “Would you like them to?

Aren’t you the tiger on the Frosted Flakes box? Cuz you look “Grrrreat!”

Baby, you’re the next contestant in the game of love.

Can I get a picture of you so I can show Santa what I want for Christmas?

Don’t walk into that building — the sprinklers might go off!

Excuse me, do I need to buy a ticket for your fantastic voyage?

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But if you look at this historically, it’s not that difficult to believe that Hillary would still be campaigning. Listen to this. Once a year, in his basement, Al Gore gives a State of the Union address. David Letterman

From The Onion:

Number Of Acceptable Things
Candidates Can Say Now Down To Four

NEW YORK—After Sen. Barack Obama’s comments last week about what he typically eats for dinner were criticized by Sen. Hillary Clinton as being offensive to both herself and the American voters, the number of acceptable phrases presidential candidates can now say are officially down to four. “At the beginning of 2007 there were 38 things candidates could mention in public that wouldn’t be considered damaging to their campaigns, but now they are mostly limited to ‘Thank you all for coming,’ and ‘God bless America,’” ABC News chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos said on Sunday’s episode of This Week. “There would still be five phrases available to the candidates if the Obama camp hadn’t accused Clinton of saying ‘Glad to be here’ with a little tinge of sarcasm during a stump speech in North Carolina.” As of press time, the two additional phrases still considered appropriate for candidates are the often-quoted “These pancakes are great,” and “Death to the infidels.”

A photograph of Yosemite Falls taken by Carleton E. Watkins 1865-66. It is from the Library of Congress collection.

Hope everyone had a nice Mother’s Day and weekend. We suffered through another bout of rain, a good two inches I’d say. It’s just sitting now, no where to go. We can still get in and out with the Bronco, but the lane is suffering from saturation. I really wonder what farmers are going to do. Given the temperatures and the wet ground, no planting can be done for some time, and it seems we cannot have more than three days without rain each week. It’s quite depressing.

I’m moving along with the kitchen and have done two good days worth of work. Of course, that means I have done something like an hour and half total. I’m really fighting off the blues about it at this point. I have little to no interest and am forcing myself, mostly by shortening the daily work. Sometimes as I get close to finishing what I have assigned myself, I feel a bit better and so do a little more than i had planned. It will take a good two weeks at this rate.

We’ll probably go shopping sometime this week. The best bets are for mid week since we may, and I say that very provisionally, we may not get any rain  for Thursday and Friday. But things are quite fluid. Oh that was a bad choice of words I guess.

Let’s get on with the news today:

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Sandi’s Crochet Blog has three new crochet offerings for you. A square for an afghan, a filet crochet, and some edgings. All are patterns developed by her and free to you.

You can go along for years and think things are pretty much okay. And then a conflation of different things come together and you find yourself angry and definitely thinking that things are so not okay that you wonder how this could be happening in this day and age. I’m referring to the anti-feminist backlash that I’m observing it seems everywhere these days. Alternet carries this important article from The Nation. I can only say that I’m angry. I’ve just finished arguing this subject with conservative Catholics and had the fine displeasure of arguing with self-reporting “women” who think women are not equal to men but are “different” and get this, the CAUSE of the fall of Adam. Eve the vicious bitch duped him, in their brain dead opinion. Oh and look down at the comments to the post. They are heartbreaking.

American Revolution Blog has a nice piece on Washington and whether he prayed at Valley Forge. Not the most exciting topic, still it has gained in importance as left and right argue about whether we were meant to be a “Christian” nation. (No, but  l’ll be doing a book review this week and will expound in greater depth.) It’s an interesting and well researched post and you might enjoy it.

Sad to say, the Religious Right is going around the country trying to convince ministers to violate the law. The Alliance Defense Fund is trying to convince ministers to violate the ban on electioneering from the pulpit for churches which are tax-exempt. They are looking for a prosecution, hoping that a fight in the courts will lead to an overturn by SCOTUS. These folks are pure theocracy advocates, and this type of thing is very dangerous. Thanks to Americans United for the heads up.

It seems that John McCain is unable to cut his ties to lobbyists. Another of his boys just resigned when it was found out that his lobbying firm had worked FOR the ruling Junta in Myanmar. Given the media attention being given to that murderous regime, Doug Goodyear had to go. The Mac is seemingly unable to find good people to help his campaign and again and again sinks to choosing people with unsavory backgrounds and political stances. Oh I just can’t wait for this election cycle to really gear up. It’s gonna be like shooting ducks in a bucket. We thank Blue Girl, Red State for the information.

 Epicurious has an interesting cheese bread that looks good. I know that many find bread making daunting, but I promise you, it’s quite easy. I spend about 10 minutes time making a loaf of bread. I use the fast rise yeast and never have a problem. Essentially bread dough is quite forgiving. You just add flour until you can work it. I use my KitchenAid to do the kneading. See what you think of Georgian Cheese Bread.

I would dearly love to have raised beds in my vegetable garden. It’s just so neat and I think you can get bigger yields, and it makes weeding a lot easier, and there are fewer weeds to begin with. It’s just a huge project to set up, with lots of backbreaking work. So I don’t have raised beds. If you are interested in starting some raised beds, Mr. Greenfingers has some help for you.  

If you are planning a family trip or just like maps, DHL is offering a free atlas. This one comes from Hey it’s Free. The link is direct. It was an easy sign up.

If you are still enthralled with the Kennedys you might like this post on Joseph P. Kennedy, ambassador to Britain during the Roosevelt Administration. He held the post between 1938-40 and many have considered it to have been one of the worst appointments in Roosevelt’s presidency. Today, History News Network suggests that that assessment may have been unfair. A nice post explains.

Some are claiming that ethanol production cuts into food production and is a major contributor to the food crisis facing this planet. Others argue that it is a minor event at best. Tom Harkin, Senator from Iowa, suggests it is the latter. Read his comments and decide what you think.

I would not say that I am a pepper connoisseur or anything. I do like it freshly ground but I probably couldn’t taste the difference, just notice the texture difference. But I realize its a valuable culinary tool and I use it a lot. Once upon a time pepper was a very very valuable commodity. Read all about it at Live Science. Remember, it was claimed that Columbus “discovered” America while in search of a better route to the East and it’s spices.

Bet you have heard of gladiators? Yep, sure you have. Have you heard of gladiatrixes? I bet you haven’t, but they were real and they were women! Slip over to rogueclassicism and read all about it in his partly humorous blog today. Real they were, but I don’t think they wore Prada.

A must read today from Glenn Greenwald. We’ve reported on the pentagon program to drop in “retired” personnel as experts into the mainstream media, all to tout in the end the Pentagon line. Greenwald writes of where that alleged illegality is moving. It seems clear that the media was being controlled by the Pentagon’s stooges, feeding them the Administration line as “expert analysis.” I think this might be a bigger kettle of fish than anyone is letting on, especially the media itself which has so far kept it quiet, hoping no doubt it will go away.

Scandalous Women has declared it “Napoleon Week” and has posts about his sister and mistress coming up. Those who leave a comment on either post will be in the mix to possibly win a copy of the book: Cupid and the King, by Princess Michael of Kent.

Many might suggest that reliable history cannot come from societies focused on oral tradition. No so, at least in one case. Druze villages in Israel are perfectly correct in their allegations that their lineages were diverse and stretched back thousands of years. Genetic testing has confirmed this and apparently the group has remained tight knit and it remains today one of the worlds most diverse mitochondrial populations. They say this has important repercussions for the study of disease, since there is a control for environmental issues, and they can study disease progression solely within different DNA groups. Mighty interesting stuff.

Jello molds? Okay, that is soooo 50’s isn’t it. Some orange jello, some carrots, and you have something I wouldn’t feed to my dogs. Or the other one, your favorite flavor and a can of fruit cocktail. Yech again. Okay, so you want to be a bit retro but also elegant and you are also, just by chance, wondering what you can do with that excess rhubarb? I have the answer. Try Molded Rhubarb Rosemary Cucumber Salad and be so cool that people will stop in the street just to admire your panache!

I missed this if indeed it was reported on. But fully 1/4 of all Republican voters in both N. Carolina and Indiana, voted for someone other than McCain. This simply cannot be good news to the Mac Attack Team. It makes me snicker, since try as he does to be everyone’s favorite uncle, it does not appear to be working. They keep voting for folks who are no longer even running, in an apparent “statement” of their disapproval of Mr. McCain and his flippy floppy ways.

The right wing wacko machine is up and running. Following the disaster in Myanmar, the right wing Business and Media Institute, doctored a interview with Al Gore on NPR to make it seem as if Gore blamed the cyclone on global warming. That was not at all the case, and  the splicing was detected. Of course the Drudge Report and FOX Newsless were running it full bore. Do these people never quit lying? Thanks to Think Progress and again, don’t forget the comments!

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“We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“To get something done, a committee should consist of no more than three men, two of whom are absent.” Robert Copeland

“I shall never be ashamed of citing a bad author if the line is good.” Seneca

“The men who really believe in themselves are all in lunatic asylums.” G.K. Chesterton

“Science has proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without any proof.” Ashley Montague

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Answering Machines:

Hi, we aren’t in at the moment, if you are trying to sell us something please start speaking now and hang up at the beep, everyone else start speaking at the beep and hang up when you’ve finished.”

“Hi, you have reached the Borg collective. Please leave your name and star system and we’ll assimilate you as soon as we can.”

“Hey guess who this is? You guessed it. Guess what you have to do now? you
guessed it. Guess what’s next? You guessed it…”

You are dazed, bewildered, trapped in a world with no time, where color collides with sound, and shadows explode. You see a sign up ahead. This is no ordinary answering device; this is “The Twilight Phone”

Please leave a message. However, you have the right to remain silent. Everything you say will be recorded and will be used by us.

A bubble in the space-time continuum has connected your line to a channeler in the 23rd Century. Any message you leave will be broadcast into the future….

Hello, I’m not here right now. In fact, I’m out getting a new parakeet. If you leave a message after the beep, I’ll be sure to get back to you. Oh, and by the way, a word of advice; never try to clean a parakeet cage with a vacuum cleaner.

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Big Brown is favored to win the Preakness on Saturday. He’s kind of like an NBA star. He’s often found with grass in his possession.

John McCain is on the campaign trail. He likes to tout his two favorite domestic programs. “Matlock” and “Murder She Wrote.” – Alan Ray, Stockton, Calif.

I saw something in the paper today which shows how fat we’re getting in this country. A company has now come out with a bathroom scale that goes to 1,000 pounds. This is probably the worst Mother’s Day gift in history. Jay Leno

U.P.S. just signed a big marketing agreement with the owners of Big Brown, the impressive winner of the Kentucky Derby. Is this really that great an idea before the Preakness and the Belmont? After all, U.P.S. generally doesn’t deliver on Saturdays. – Janice Hough, Palo Alto, Calif.

This a sculpture from the Louvre and is called Hermes a la sandale. It is a Roman replica by Lysippus of a Greek piece now lost. It is of Hermes, tying his sandal while listening to his father Zeus. The head is too small for the body and the tree stump under the leg is not part of the original work.

It’s gloomy and overcast with sprinklings of rain now and then. It’s thoroughly depressing and the Contrarian is simply beside himself with disgust at  his Iowa which has turned so nasty to us all this year. I fear that spring will escape us with nary a pleasantry. I can count perhaps on one hand the number of nice days we have had. The water just seems to sit everywhere with no where to go any more. It’s just impossible to work outside.

Given that scenario, I’ve done little today but pack up some things in the kitchen that I want to throw out. I find that if I don’t use things with in a year, then I probably don’t need them. Five extra carafes for coffee would suggest I don’t need at least four of them. LOL. Dinner is leftover meatloaf with gravy and biscuits, a veggie of some sort and probably a salad. I baked a loaf of bread. Whoopee what a day. Oh and we had three orioles at the feeder today. They love the apple. They go mad. I wonder if they get drunk or something?

If you are interested in new blogs, you might want to check out the sidebar, I’ve added a few over the last few days, mostly in history, politics and columnists I believe.

On to the news:

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This is one of those stories that slip through the cracks. Last week I reported on the release of a journalist Sami al Haj who had been detained for six years and then released without charges from Gitmo. It seems  al Haji’s arrest was not a fluke, but part of a pattern of intimidation launched primarily at Al Jazeera. Bombings, shootings and arrests are commonly used against them, all because the Bushites don’t like their reporting. Read about it from Amy Goodman at Alternet.

Today is the anniversary of President Harry Truman’s birth. American Presidents Blog has a nice piece on his trip to Europe in 1945, before the full end of all hostilities in WWII. Truman traveled by ship to Europe for a meeting with the allies, Britain and  the Soviets. This must havebeen some kind of surreal experience for Truman, given that Roosevelt had just died. Lots of links to his library and a day to day log of his trip.

A couple of things are really on my nerves today. One is Myanmar. Tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands are at risk of dying in what was formerly called Burma. Supplies are available, but the ruling junta refuses most of it because they are afraid of being toppled by aide workers and I guess the supplies themselves. I’m saying that I think the UN ought to just invade the country with a world force and take them down and save the people. This is genocide of a new flavor. It cannot go on. It is a crime against humanity. Read more at Blue Girl, Red State.

More and more people are talking about the “dream ticket”again. The one with both Democratic candidates. It would be Obama/Clinton of course. I can imagine Obama is not so happy about this, Clinton may be more so, given the bottom line now. I think it might be a worthwhile idea. I’ll vote for Obama in any case, but I think this could do a lot to heal some wounds. Britannica blog has an opinion on the issue, and it’s worth listening to.

C’est La Vie has a lovely tribute to mothers everywhere. The post consists of questions answered by second graders about what mothers are. It’s the usual chuckling and tender sweet post that you might want to send along to mothers you know and love.

Ben and Jerry  Cherry Garcia’s Ice cream. Okay. You want the recipe? I got it for you, or Copycat Restaurant Recipes does. Go and take a look. This is an odd one, no cooking before hand, and it has raw eggs, so be forewarned. I’m not a bit scared of eggs so I think it’s one I’ll try when it warms up a bit if it ever does.

Feeling stitchy has a nice little tutorial on embellishing things with embroidery. I tended to think of the usual things, pillowcases, and such, but her ideas definitely showed me a broader view of what can be done. Take a look and see if you get some ideas!

Warm Rhubarb compote with Walnut coconut crunch sounds especially nice on a day like this. Gloomy and cool and wet, begs for comfort food, and this recipe from Epicurious is sure to do just that–comfort you. A tad on the foo foo side with the ingredients, but I think you can substitute some of the high end ones easily enough.

I Just had to show you this one from Inspired by antique quilts. This is a quilt I have always wanted to make, but it is one that takes forever to make, years in fact. I have always wanted to make it using no duplicate fabrics at all. She has limited herself to no duplicates in every 100 piece block. The achievement is just mind boggling, and I really am going to start. My stash of fabric is not nearly as big as hers, no doubt, and it will never be, but I can start, and her 100 different pieces per block is a great idea! Recently when I was doing my craft room and working with my fabric, I made a special point of saving in a plastic bag all the tiny scraps that are just perfect for this kind of thing. I hear people send small scraps of their stash to others in a give-around and the end result is called a “friendship” quilt.

A new farm bill has been approved and is being sent to Dubya. He’s going to veto it of course. Tom Harkin is pretty ticked off, and so will Iowa farmers be. I guess the GOP has written off Iowa this election cycle. We are gonna be a blue state once again!

The Medici, that great Italian family from Florence, saved the day, helping to bring Europe out the of the Dark Ages. Remember, they weren’t quite as dark as portrayed. Both Arabs, Jews and Christians did much during those years to advance science, and preserve history. But the Medici’s no doubt had a great impact on art, science and culture as they pushed forth into the Renaissance. Read more about the family and its impact at Live Science.

Paul Krugman has some very thoughtful observations aboutthe impending Obama candidacy. I tend to agree with him. Most important is his statement that the various polls that seem to suggest that John McCain has a chance are wildly wrong, and common at this point in the cycle. They do not reflect in any way what will happen in November. Better predictors are all highly in favor of the Democrats. Read his post and see if you agree.

Things seem to be deteriorating in Beirut, Lebanon. Hezbollah seems in control of  parts of Beirut, and a civil war is threatening. More bad news for the beleaguered Middle East. Of course the usual charges of who’s the bad guy abound. The link by the way has little additional information. This link from the Washington Independent has a bit more.

Louis Bayard has a review of Tony Horwitz’s new book, “A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World.” It will, so Mr. Bayard says, tell you a bit of a different story about the settling of America. Not quite the flag waving stuff from high school. The bottom line, much of what you think you know is flat out wrong.

Do you know where the earliest human settlement in the Americas is? Americas should give you a hint its not in the US. It’s in Chile, and is somewhere in the vicinity of 14,000 years old. It is now believe that they migrated across the Bering Straits, and the date has been moved back to 16,000 years ago.

This is certainly discouraging. There are Catholic fanatics in the US, and they are no better than the wingnuts of the ultra reactionary right of other Christian denominations. One of the worst places for fairness is in Minnesota where a reactionary archdiocese holds sway. Recently a professor of Minnesota was denied the right to speak at a local parish adult education class on the issue of torture, simply because he is pro-choice on abortion. Such religious censorship is to be condemned wherever it raises its ugly head. His full remarks are included in the link. Talk to Action brings the story our way. This is how it starts folks. Misguided people under the shield of religion start to trample upon the rights of others.

I errrrr, did mention that I love chocolate? Once or twice maybe? I thought this recipe for a chocolate cake sounded decadent as heck and delicious sounding. It is done in pesky grams but remember the old site has the converter for you to use. I love the idea of the jam under the frosting. I’m gonna try this one. Dark Chocolate Layer Cake.

Jim Crow is back. Yes, given that we have new folks to hate with impunity, things are starting to get tough for Latinos in this country, especially now we find in Georgia. Resurgence of the KKK, and a plethora of all new Hate groups are thriving. They are breaking down doors and terrifying populations, often of US citizens of Latino descent. I am again, sickened by this type of thing. We are, through religion and political rhetoric, finding it all too easy to hate people who are not “like us” again.

Remember way back when Rumsfeld claimed that more troops weren’t sent to Iraq because the “generals didn’t ask for them?” Well, of course, most of us assumed he was lying to cover up his own incompetence, and guess what? Turns out we were dead on right. He lied. What’s new?

Urantia Sojourn has a good post on the Rev. Wright controversy and the fact that hopefully the intense spotlight will now shift to John McCain and his unholy alliance with Hagee and also Parsley another wingnut of similar flavor. McCain of course has lots of ties to the weird right, including Copeland who is now under investigation by our own Sen. Grassley for his interesting bookkeeping techniques. I’ve taken you to the main site, because for reasons I have no clue to, I can’t bring up the individu posts, they just don’t highlight or give me the hand. It’s the second post from the top.

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“No wise man ever wished to be younger.”  Jonathan Swift

“Autobiography is an unrivaled vehicle for telling the truth about other people.” Philip Guedella

“There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.”  Steven Wright

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New excuses to: I’d love to but…..

I’m teaching my cat to sing.

I have constipation.

I have to tape the official Boy George fan club meeting tonight on the TV.

my orange juice box said concentrate.

I’m having my ingrown toenail removed. Wanna see?

I gotta go walk my turtle.

I have to iron my sheets.

it’s evil.

my mom said I have to rub her feet tonight.

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This weekend at the Bush family ranch, one of President Bush’s daughters will be getting married. And I thought this was cute. The groom went to President Bush and asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage. And President Bush said, “Well, it’s O.K. with me, but you got to run it by Cheney.” David Letterman

John McCain’s wife was recently overheard saying that they own eight or nine homes. Yeah, McCain’s wife denied this, however, and stated, “What I said is I’ve tried to put him in a home eight or nine times.” Conan O’Brien

A new poll came out today. It says conservatives like Rush Limbaugh are happier than liberals. Although it might not be happiness. In Limbaugh’s case, it might just be the OxyContin kicking in. Chris Ferguson

Say what you will about George Bush: He has driven us into an economic hole, making us less attractive as an immigration destination, thereby raising the quality of life for those of us still stuck here. – Will Durst 

I Just got a kick out of this chalk drawing by Vincent van Gogh called “The Carrot Puller.” I wonder if the poor lady was amused by the position or by the appellation. It was done in 1885 and is located at the Institute of Art in Chicago.

On the homefront. We got the Bronco. The Contrarian was very impressed by how nice it was both inside and out. Some rust around the wheel wells and that is about all. It’s a super big engine, with plenty of power. We pulled the truck out slick as a wink when we got home. I’m about 3/5 done cleaning the living room. Got the windows all done today. It’s a big bay with six big panes and got my biggest plant put out for the summer. A bit early, but I really would be surprised if we get any more frost. Let’s get to it, Monday is always a super busy day.

In the news today:

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Today, May 5 is the anniversary of America’s first person in space. Alan Shepard Jr. went on a 15 minute flight. This was back in 1961, and I do remember it. America was a bit shaken because the Russians had beat us, and the Cold War was then in full swing. We really did expect a nuclear war back then. Thanks to American History Blog for the information.

Sally’s Crochet Blog has some ideas about making a small bag or enlarging it to a purse. See her ideas about yarn and get the free pattern. It’s really quite cute I thought, and I think an enlarged one would be perfect as a delicate summer bag. Not the kind you haul everything under the sun in, but for an evening out.

If you would like a look inside the world of John Hagee and fundamentalism, read this excerpt from Matt Taibbi’s new book, “The Great Derangement.” He went to Church “school” in Texas and I promise you, what he discovered is well worth the read. I of course believe that we all need to be aware of what is going on in these bizarre sects. And i can assure you that what you see in public is but the tip of the iceberg as they say.

I don’t know if you caught this, but we are sending more troops into Afghanistan again, mostly due to “shortfalls” from NATO. That is code for, our allies are not supporting the effort like they should and so we have to shore up the forces. Of course, all of this is necessary because we have more or less ignored that war as we got bogged down in the never-ending quagmire that is Iraq. Where these troops are coming from is anyone’s guess, perhaps from the minor draw downs expected in Iraq, which of course is already beginning to heat up again. Sigh….this is like finding the pea in the shell game isn’t it? Read all the sad facts at Blue Girl, Red State.

Britannica Blog has a great look at religious freedom in America. Looking back to our earliest colonial times this post explores what it was like to be a religious minority in America. I’ve learned a lot about this recently, and I must say, it’s a far cry from the pablum that I learned in public school education. It makes it crystal clear just why our founders determined to set up a clear distinction between our political and religious life.

Okay it is Cinco de Mayo after all, so perhaps a Latin inspired dish should be on your radar today, or sometime soon. I thought this recipe was a real winner and perfect for the summer to boot. TryCinco de Mango: Chicken Mango Burritos from Coconut & Lime.

CopyCat Restaurant Recipes has a couple of winners today. One is a delightful pasta recipe, the other a pie which is Derby inspired. Try Chicken Tequila Fettuccine, and while you are at it, try Derby Pie. Both look excellent to me.

Free Sample Forager has a slew of new offers, from magazines to new mom stuff, to fabric softener, to feminine hygiene. Enjoy.

Given that I just spoke of a relationship between Adlai Stevenson and Barack Obama this weekend in my Sunday Editorial, I thought this post at History News Networkmost apropos. We are, as I have argued, a nation that has a strange and antagonistic relationship with the intellectual. Does this pose a problem for Senator Obama? Read the post and see what you think.

If you want to get started on a quilt and haven’t yet, it is best I find to take a trip to Inspired by antique quilts. This lady is both talented and prolific in her production of absolutely stunning quilts. I think I’ve shown this before, but it was at the beginning. Look how far she’s progressed. This is truly inspirational, at least to me.

Live Science has an essay on the great dust bowl of the 30’s. There are not a lot of us alive who remember it still. I was born a good well after it, and I lived in Michigan, so it was not a topic around our table. I’m sure some here in Iowa have family who lived through it. New science has helped to uncover exactly why it was so bad.

Oh Dave Barry has another of his so-funny little posts that just tickle the bejesus out of me. Read it now or you will be sorry! “Bad Driving: It’s just not for Old People.”

The Republicans are at it again. Tax credits on new energy technology are about to expire, and Democrats have had no luck in getting them through, since Big Oil is screaming and Bush is threatening to veto if Big Oil doesn’t get its way. Politics Plus picks up the NYTimes editorial and adds his two cents which are always worth a read. And where was McCain, Mr. Environment? Oh he missed the vote.

Now this may seem silly to you, but it raises some interesting questions I think. None of us can go back in time, at least at this point, but we assume that antiques made of marble and such were the natural colors that we find them in today. Yet there is evidence, which some now use in historical docudramas, that many of our ancient  monuments were painted and quite gaudily painted at that. Yet Hollywood always portrays them in their greenish, whitish hues. Are we getting an accurate picture? Read Rogueclassicism’s post and see what you think about the new idea of painting up the antiques.

Those of us in the country always suspected it: dozens of beady little eyes following us the minute we stepped from the porch. Gazes that noted every step, every pulling of every weed. Yep, those birds are not always doing “bird” things it seems. They are watching us.

It seems that whenever I think of John McCain these days, I cannot get that picture out of my head. You know the one I mean, the one  featured in the latest Moveon.orgad, the huggy bear photo which can only be described as McCain’s hug of utter adoration of Dubya. I predict that photo will haunt Mav all through the coming months, and he will never divorce himself from that sweaty embrace. But in case you are even a tiny bit unsure of where the Truthless one is coming from, read American Prospect’s article entitled: Does John McCain stand for anything?”

The Artful Crafter has a roundup of crafting sites withdifferent crafts, many with how-to’s. I saw a couple that looked a bit interesting. How to recycle a ketchup bottle for one. Hmmm, perhaps into a bird feeder? I think it has to do with cats though. Take a look around and see if you find anything you might like to make.

If you want to know what my “recipe box” looks like, take a gander at Baking Beauties post today. That is about what mine is like, and I don’t like it one little bit. She has some wonderful ideas for making a nice box one that you can use easily and looks great as well. She’s really collected a lot of links for you as well, so there are tons of ideas. Surely one will grab you and you can create something great, or–use as a gift to a new daughter-in-law perhaps.

I believe that last week I mentioned the NYTimes report that generals were sent off to the networks as “experts” to basically tout the Pentagon’s line. I know that I have seen like zilch on the networks about this, well at least none on ABC,and the Contrarian checksCNN, MSNBC, and Fox fairly frequently. Only PBS has bothered to talk about it. Urantian Sojournhas the story for you, and links so that you can learn more. Seems we have to dig out some of our own news these days. Somebody’s ox is gored you see.

I think I might have mentioned that I don’t care much for baseball. Too slow for me. I’m a football, hockey person. But I thought Russell might appreciate this link so if you would like to learn about Lou Gehrig who ended his “streak” of something on May 2, 1939, just follow the bouncing ball as they say. My thanks to the US History Blog!

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“In politics, absurdity is not a handicap.” Napoleon Bonaparte

“People are, if anything, more touchy about being thought silly than they are about being thought unjust.” E.B.White

“When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not.” Mark Twain

“What if nothing exists and we’re all in somebody’s dream? Or what’s worse, what if only that fat guy in the third row exists?” Woody Allen

“If it weren’t for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we’d still be eating frozen radio dinners.”  Johnny Carson

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Oxymorons:

Same Difference

Taped Live

Peace Force

Pretty Ugly

Butt Head

Microsoft works

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According to the latest CNN poll, President Bush’s disapproval rating — 71 percent That’s unbelievable, isn’t it, that 29 percent still approve? Jay Leno

So it’s the 30thbirthday of email spam. Guests at the birthday party will include an Irish sweepstakes winner, a hugely endowed man and a Nigerian prince. Paul Seaburn

Yesterday was the five-year anniversary of President Bush’s speech in front of the “Mission Accomplished” banner. Yeah, to celebrate, today, President Bush gave a speech in front of a banner that said “Economic Recession Over.” NBC latenight

This photo is from the Library of Congress and depicts a sod house from Nebraska. Built by George Shields and his son in Keya Paha County in 1919. I guess it makes me think that my home is a tad more comfy than this one. Another good reason to remember that although life may give us some tough times, mostly they are not nearly as tough as they once were.

Welcome to my new platform. I think I’m liking it more and more. I was really surprised at just how much more I could do that I thought. I am told that WordPress has gone through a recent upgrade. I’m sure liking it. A few things were different but the forum here is excellent. You get answers very quickly. I’m sorry for those of you who either subscribe by e-mail or by feed. But hopefully it’s not too much inconvenience to change over.  I think this look is a bit more professional and easy to read. Hope you like it.

The plan to do an “International Blog” review is going to take a lot longer than I thought. It seems that many places around the globe restrict blogging. Repressive governments tend to do that. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, so far have yielded very little. In fact most shut down in 2007, and there were reports that many bloggers have been jailed. I have three so far, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. I’ve had little success otherwise, even in places like Finland and Ireland. There aren’t a lot to choose from, and what is there tend to be quite specific. I don’t think you are all that interested in Irish local politics or a Finnish computer geek’s ramblings on software. So I’m not sure how this will go.

It’s getting late, and we have a lot to cover, so let’s get with it:

A Mingling of Tastes has some tasty brownies today. If you would like to get a bit tipsy, take a look. They include bourbon-soaked raisins! These look super chocolaty, and in my book there can never been too much chocolate.

How time flies when you are building bridges. Californians are no doubt celebrating that the Golden Gate Bridge was completed yesterday in 1937. I’m sure San Franciscans are thrilled. Read more at American History Blog.

In 121 C.E. Marcus Aurelius was born this day. He was known as the last of the “good emperors.” Read more about his life at the Ancient History Blog.

A story by the Christian Science Monitor is picked up by Alternet. It seems that Europe is beginning to close its doors to Iraqi refugees. This story is little reported on of course. We have created this incredible mess yet we are unwilling to accept very many at all. There is only so much that Europe can do. See how our war of choice has strained Sweden’s capacities to the maximum.

As you may already know, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright appeared onBill Moyers Journalthe other night. We haven’t seen it yet, but have it TIVO’d. You can read about it and join in on the discussion at the Moyers site. As always, the comments are often the best part. For an excellent commentary on Reverend Wright’s remarks read, The Jeremiad and Race in America, by Professor Andrew Murphy.

Blue Girl, Red State has a good post on the growing food crisis worldwide and how it affects the stability of those country’s governments. Most of Africa is affected as you might guess, but the problem is truly global as we are learning. I’m wondering how this will impact Iowa and the increasing prices for both corn and soybeans. How does this affect ethanol production? I wish I knew.

If you have ever bothered to check, fundamentalists spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about atheists. In fact, if an atheist believes in something, that’s a good reason not to, or so they believe. They often use this argument about evolution, which is just plain crazy. Anyway, Britannica Blog has a very interesting post inspired by a article in the New Yorker about the subject, and it was quite enlightening. Check it out if you wish.

If you would like to start organic gardening or are doing so, but happy to find a few more tips, Sally’s Gardening Tips is the place for you. I’m going to have to learn more about what this cornmeal gluten is and where you can find it. I believe Sally writes out of South Africa, so it may not be available in the states.

To be perfectly honest, I had no clue what a Lemon Crostata was, but I love lemon, so I waited impatiently for the site to download to see. Well it turns out to be a lemon tart with an Italian flair. I am adding it to my repertoire for sure. Thanks to Epicurious!

Feeling stitchy has a cute little embroidery you can buy the pattern for. It’s a solar system, with each little planet, the sun and all the various moons. I really thought it was cute and thought someone might like to give it a try. Frankly, I think with a little work, one doesn’t need any pattern at all. Talented folks can do it I’m sure.

I don’t particularly care for topiaries. I like my plants to look natural. But I must say that the ones featured at Gardening Tips ‘n Ideasare so spectacular that they are incredible art forms in and of themselves. I love the Panda best! Take a look for that reason alone. And backtrack her site and scroll down for another nice post about rocks and where to find them. Like us rural folks have a problem with that! LOL.

We are all pretty much multi-taskers these days. And I don’t believe that’s a good thing at all. In fact it’s not the way were we meant to function, I’m quite sure. You cannot stay “in the moment”  and truly focused when you’re trying to juggle five other things. And guess what? Research suggests that the human mind is incapable of holding more than 3 or 4 things in mind in what is known as conscious mind at one time. So learn the lesson, slow down, pay attention and stop fighting nature.

Mad Kane has captured my feelings on this perfectly. While John McCain decries the ads being run in N.Carolina about Obama, of course they go on, doing exactly what is most helpful to him. Her limerick hits the spot as usual. Enjoy.

Well I never thought I’d write this, but the National Review actually has a rationally put together article today. It’s about the Ben Stein, Expelled docuidiocythat came out last week. He totally lambastes the movie and its makers as well as creationists in general for their nefarious ways. I’d never thought that creationists also share common ground with Islamic fundies. Both disbelieve evolution. This is actually a well documented and thoroughly informative post. Don’t miss it. Apparently the movie is facing a few lawsuits for of all things, plagiarism. Too funny.

Wow, did Niki’s Ventures ever find a site! It’s got hundreds of quilting applique patterns for you and all for free. There is a breakdown by subject matter for your convenience. I’m going to spend some time there as I’ve been itching to do an applique quilt for some time. Something springy with hearts and tulips and done in green and pink. This will be the place undoubtedly where I can find perfect patterns!

I am not the only one weary of John McCain’s assertions that he’s the straight talker maverick. He talks a good game, but doesn’t deliver as he has proven on his issues involving campaign financing, the use of K Street operatives in his campaign. and now we see plain old pork barrel nonsense in Arizona to help one of his big contributors. The sad thing is that all too much of the press is going easy on McCain since he buddies up to them with that good ole boy crap. They have been giving him a pass on Hagee all the while crucifying Obama over Wright. Somebody has got to speak up.

Paul Krugman also weighs in on McCain. McCain admitted not long ago that he was a bit light when it came to understanding things economic. Well of course, that didn’t play well anywhere, and suddenly we have Mac out there running his economic recovery package and claiming he has it all worked out and can take care of everything if given the chance. Yeah, right and pigs fly in Iowa and unicorns are prevalent in Georgia. McCain knows a big fat nothing about economics still and plenty of experts have said so. In reality, McCain’s policies show the same lack of knowledge, experience and responsibility as did Dubya’s.

I’m not an atheist by far, but I am an American, and I do view the Constitution as one of the better things we’ve contributed to the world. So I was sickened by this report of the treatment a US soldier got in Iraq by his commanding officers when he made his atheism known and tried to organize his own private atheist group. He’s suing, the Army is shutting up. Be afraid! Politics Plus has the story.

Speaking of faith or lack of it, the Salon adds this interesting piece. An interview with Ken Wilber, renowned philosopher, explores the issues of religion, new age fads, and ultimate reality. He has a lot of fans, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Deepak Chopra all find him very enlightening. Take a look at the interview and see what you think.

Glenn Greenwald has three posts, all on varying aspects of McCain’s campaign.The first is about McCain’s fear mongering about the Middle East in an attempt to secure the Jewish vote. No doubt Lieberman is helping him there. The second is about McCain and the real story about torture, and the third is his new fear mongering about the Middle East and that “Hamas” wants Obama as president. Sorry I’m overloading on McCain today, but the news is the news, and I thought you should have an opportunity to read these.  The first post is about Karl Rove, and worth a look as well, the three McCain posts follow.

I guess I never much thought of birds as smelling creatures. But  I was wrong. (This comes a quite a shock to my system I can tell you.) Turns out they detect predators that way, and alter their behavior accordingly. This will no doubt change and improve studying the little creatures.

Simply Recipes has a nice recipe for Mustard Greens. They are my favorite by far, but I usually mix them with a bunch of collards. I’m linking you to the main site, because if you scroll down, you’ll find a super recipe for another Lemon Tart. I’m on a lemon kick obviously. This one is reputed to be superb. Note that she has some excellent links for more recipes too.

War has many victims. In Iraq the victims are both human, animal and well other things of value as well. One of the oldest libraries in the world was looted following the American invasion. American troops were ordered not to intervene. Read about how the library attempts to struggle on. It is another sickening tale laid at our doorstep. Read about it in The Nation.

The US History Site Blog has a little profile of U.S. Grant, born yesterday in 1822. I never knew Grant had once owned a slave. One in fact.

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“This is like deja vu all over again.” Yogi Berra

“What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expected generally happens.” Benjamin Disraeli

“In democracy it’s your vote that counts; In feudalism it’s your count that votes.” Mogens Jallberg

“Your theory is crazy, but it’s not crazy enough to be true.” Niels Bohr

You know you’re a dog person when:

You get birthday cards for each of your dogs from family, friends, and the vet. (Bonus if you keep them on the refrigerator for more than a month.)

Every gift you ever get has something to do with dogs

Kiss your dog more than 10 times per greeting

Onlookers grimace at the sight of you sharing your sandwich with your four-legged pal, bite for bite

Call long distance and talk with your dog

Your voice is recognized by your vet’s receptionist

Complete strangers call you on the phone to ask questions because they heard you were a” dog person”  From www.bored.com

The Kentucky Derby is Saturday. This annual tradition at Churchill Downs is like the Democratic presidential race. The participants behave as 3-year- olds and they always stink up the field.

Arby’s is buying Wendy’s for $2.34 billion. The assets are amazing. The new owners will obtain over 6,000 restaurants, 18,000 workers, and 1 packet of ketchup

The Baghdad Zoo has reopened to the public. Visitors to the park are most fascinated with the hyenas. They’re the only living things in this country who are laughing. – Alan Ray, Stockton, Calif

Tech support in the good old days?

Q: My Etch-A-Sketch has a distorted display. What should I do?
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: My Etch-A-Sketch has these funny little lines all over the screen.
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: How do I turn my Etch-A-Sketch off?
A: Pick it up and shake it. Set it down.

Q: My Etch-A-Sketch has lines that prevent me from doing my art project.
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: How do I delete a document from my Etch-A-Sketch?
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: What’s the shortcut for Undo?
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: How do I create a New Document window?
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: How do I set the background and foreground to the same color?
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: What is the proper procedure for rebooting my Etch-A-Sketch?
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: How do I delete a document on my Etch-A-Sketch?
A: Pick it up and shake it.

Q: How do I keep from losing my Etch-A-Sketch document?
A: Stop shaking it.