Lil Bits of Rancor or Not 9/26/08

Tags

Christianity, Democrats, economy, evolution, foreign affairs, Iraq, John McCain, lobbyists, muffins, paleontology, Politics, religion, Republicans, Saints, Sarah Palin, Spain, Zoology

Last week, we reported on the gaffe of McCain in not recalling whom the prime minister of Spain was. Apparently the McCain caretakers are so frightened of these continuing problems with memory that McCain continues to exhibit, that they are willing to go to any expense to avoid making that admission. So, McCain, we are told, knew exactly what he was saying and knew exactly who Zapatero is. That claim makes matters ever so much worse to many. Is McCain willing to trash an ally to win an election? You betcha he is. Read this Huffinton Post report from AlterNet.

Recipe time. This one is Chocolate Chip Muffins. And according to Baking Delights  it’s the best recipe in the universe. That takes in substantial territory so I’m expecting a lot from this recipe. Hope you find it delicious as well.

Break the Terror  brings us this story. It’s not a new concept, but they flesh it out nicely. Remember that in the past few days McCain in his feeble way has attempted to tie Obama to Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac and an enabler of sorts? I just don’t get these folks, since Rick Davis, his main man was paid nearly 2 million in fees for lobbying for deregulation so they could do their thing unregulated as it were. McCain is either so totally unaware of what’s going on in his own campaign, or he is one of the more serial liars of all time.

By any chance did you feel older the other morning when you woke up? I know I did, and now I know why. It seems scientists are busy doing science things and think that life arose on earth some 80 million years earlier than previously thought. Creationists are scurrying to revise their assessments no doubt.

I don’t claim any expertise about the economy (gosh I hate being grouped with John McCain) but I’m told that if there is one article about this banking mess you should read it is this one. Sebastian Mallaby writes an op ed for the Washington Post. Ezra Klein  gave us the word on this.

History News Network has I think a worthwhile article on American politics and how we have come to this juncture. A distinct thread of anti-intellectualism runs through the heart of this country, and we are consistently drawn to the “guy just like us” who is never just like us of course. This is exactly when we most need someone who is extraordinary to help us through crisis after crisis. Will we again opt for ordinary? Why does the Republican Party continue to be able to co-op so many people with an message is that is false? Just some of the questions answered here.

Well, I bet you didn’t know this: Chimps prefer their food cooked. I don’t recall jane Goodall ever talking about watching her chimps around the campfire cooking on a spit. Wonder why she omitted that? Well, Live Science says it’s true. So it must be. Also Neanderthals seem to have eaten both seals and dolphins. I guess they were not politically correct. Such folks would be shunned today as rather grotesque wouldn’t you say?

McCain caught in another lie, and boy are they adding up. He said that Rick Davis, his campaign manager hadn’t worked for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae for “years.” Turns out Davis was paid by both until last MONTH. So it seems McCain will either be calling Davis a liar and firing him, or biting the bullet again with another lie. So says Steve Benen at The Political Animal.

Laila at Raising Yousuf and Noor  tells us exactly what it can be like to be Muslim in America. This is exactly the type of hatred engendered, I submit, but the hate filled campaign of a John McCain. I visited a web site earlier today (I won’t mention the vile place) in which Obama and Biden were referred to as Obama bin Biden. This is what John McCain brings to America. It is a shame.

If miracles are your thing, slip by rogueclassicism  and read about San Gennero’s Blood which liquifies at certain times of the year, well, miraculously it seems. Examinations have concluded that the phials indeed contain blood and there is no final explanation of why it liquefies on certain days of the year.

John McCain seems to have painted himself in a corner. In an obvious attempt to stop all the talk about how the polls are going against him, he came up with the grandstand play to capture attention. Problem is, nobody is buying it. Universally it’s being met as a political ploy, one that is not working as several in Congress say that his parachute jump into the middle of negotiations and the president’s “meeting” have wasted time and stalled negotiations. See what the American Prospect  has to say on the subject. Johnny can claim he is putting country above politics, but the obvious conclusion is that he put his political future first. Not exactly the first time he has done that.

Oh and in case you missed it, Sarah Palin has unilaterally declared “victory in Iraq.” In her illogical laden but cute squeaky voice, Sarah has said that iraq and the surge are the pattern we must use in Afghanistan now. It will be difficult she  says, because of that pesky “terrain, even” in Afghanistan. What a monumental joke this woman is. She offends me on more levels than I can count. She makes women, and small town people look like idiots, and I’m seriously pissed.

Breathing Life Deeply

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Archaeology, Breads, cake, coffeecake, corn, Crafts, dessert, dieting, evolution, fruit, geology, Italian, Literature, pasta, Pizza, potatoes, psychology, quilting, recycling, salad, science, volcanoes, world history

These haunting eyes are of  a Nova-Walpi, North American Indian. I sadly don’t know if Nova-Walpi is a tribe or Nova is his name. Such things didn’t seem important enough to record I guess. The picture was taken by Edward Sheriff Curtis in 1904.

One  can but guess at his thoughts, a whole different life and wayy of seeing the world are hidden from us, but we are called  inward and can somehow feel him through his penetrating eyes.

Oh a busy day, in fact, they are all busy at this point, trying to catch up for long days spent inactive while the rains continued. Now we are a buzz with busyness. The garden seems okay, but as i said, much may be so stressed that it will simply put on a quick flourish to set some seeds and then die. Nothing to do but wait and hope for the best.

I did my cleaning today and then went for my walk, something I started yesterday. Trudging up the hill is hard, so I don’t go far yet. It’s a half mile to the road, and i went at best 2/5 of a mile. Not far. At one time I walked sometimes six miles, though four was more normal. I’ll extend the distance next week. Bear went along with me, going into the corn fields to take a pee. Not very nice of him. I am as always enchanted by what I see, the lovely green fields, the sounds of so many birds, the tracks of so many animals.

A buck must have walked down the lane, since I saw a very large track today. No doubt following what was obviously a doe and her fawn. The cute little tracks of the baby, no doubt fascinated by all he or she saw. A coon also passed by, and a pheasant for sure. The coyotes have stayed away of late. We also think that a big cat is about though we only saw him once. He was running across the field to the north, and had that tale so like a cat, long and kind of swaying. It was definitely not a coyote. Such tales are always around, but nobody has every killed or found one dead, so it always remains mystery.

I made meatballs and sauce for spaghetti today. I had made foccacia a couple of weeks ago, and I got the leftovers into the freezer for just such a meal as this. I don’t think I’ll bother with a salad. Plenty to eat without it, and we had one a couple of days ago. I did the Cilantro Chicken from last weeks blog recipes. It really was good. Plenty of leftover chicken breast and that will make a nice chicken salad for Saturday. Tomorrow is hamburgers with some of that chipotle-cheese sauce that I also featured last week or the week before.

We watched something on the news that caught us up. Dogs and cats who have been given up due to floods or losing homes in the mortgage foreclosure disaster. We’ve decided to take in a new dog, and later I’m going to try to locate where to go here in Iowa. It just broke my heart, so many of the little guys in shelters not understanding what has happened to their world. Our two dogs are 9 and 11 respectively, so it’s a good time to transition we thought. We love them so much, and nothing can replace them, but we have room for more, and can’t stand to see so many lost when we can offer them a good home and safety.

Boy, I’m yacky. Better get on to see if anything new is out there in internet land.

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101 Cookbooks has some tips on making pizza on the grill. Although her ingredients are a bit foofoo for my more pedestrian tastes as far as pizza goes, the tips are still valid of course. If you are thinking of trying this, and it does sound fun, then give it a look.

If scones are something you would like to try, then skip over to A Mingling of Tastes and find her recipe for Oat Scones with Dried Cherries and Walnuts. They are easy to make and serve as a nice alternative to the usual muffins or toast. A bonus, there are two other muffin recipes that lead into the scone one, so you get three great recipes! 

Since the 4th is on the way, I thought I might give you my potato salad recipe. I have only found one other that matched it. But I realize that potato salad  is one of those things that people tend to like the way mom made it. Here goes, and these are estimates on ingredients, I don’t measure a thing.

Sherry’s Awesome Potato Salad

Potatoes, 5-6 medium large or equivalent of waxy potatoes like Yukon
An equal number of eggs hard boiled. 6 if using Idaho potatoes
scallions, about 6, tops and green parts sliced thin
radishes, about 8, chunked so they will hold up for a few days
sour dill pickles, about 2 medium finely diced
about 1/3 cup of green olives, diced
dressing:
mayo, a good cup
dijohn mustard, and yellow mustard, about 3 TBSP's in all
salt, pepper,
celery seeds
a bit of juice from the dill pickles or olives 1/4 c. or so
mix it all together, decorate if you desire with fresh chives,
parsley, and some like sweet pepper slices. That's it.
Adjust anything to the tanginess you like. It's the dill pickles
that make the difference here.

ALemon Glazed Bundt Cake might be just the thing for that 4th of July celebration. If so, Chocolate and has a nice recipe for you. I think I’m going for gooey Molten Lava cakes myself, but I love lemon desserts a lot and this will be on my radar for later this summer.

Garrison Keillor graces us again with his wit. Today he counsels that Barack Obama could learn a thing or two from Jesse Ventura. Do say? Always fun and a nice change of pace from our favorite pundit on life!

One of the things that keeps history interesting, is that there are so many different ways to approach it. It is surely true that history is written by and large by the victors, but today, with so many more tools of examination, historians can look at it from a number of different ways and pull out the threads of unknown facts drawing a clearer and very different interpretation. One way is to examine history from the point of view of colonialism. Read more at History News Network.

Another of those great science things. Archaeologists who look for bones, have uncovered the earliest known 4 legged animal scull. They expect that this will help them understand that important transition between fish and those creatures that first walked on the earth. I don’t know about you, but this stuff always fascinates me. I feel like I’m taking a walk along my family tree. It lived 365 million years ago, and lived in water. They think it looked a bit like an alligator but with fins. Cool eh? Thanks to Live Science for the story.

If you are a baby boomer as I am, this next one also from Live Science may be of interest. Are you blue, and prone to being in the dumps a lot? Seems there is a good reason for that. Boomers, says the Pew Report, are just not very enthusiastic about the future. Looking around the economy, and the world, I can see why. Sigh, boy this bums me out!

On Faith has a compelling question: What book has made a difference in your life? I mean, where do I start? It seems every ten years or so, I would revise the list. Most everyone would agree that the bible or your choice of religious book qualifies. But oh the other possibilities are endless. Mailer’s the Naked and the Dead made an impact on me on the subject of war that I have never forgotten. I think I see a separate post for this. How bout we look at the subject Sunday?

The Scythians were horsemen in Central Asia. A very well preserved body of a Cavalier was found in 2006. Much has been learned about the gentleman since then. He died some 2,300 years ago. An amazing amount is known about him and his life through the use of modern forensic tools. Read this interesting account at Rogueclassicism.

Scientists did not believe it possible. They were wrong. It seems volcanoes are busily blowing their cool, errr, hot in very deep waters in the Arctic Ocean. The great pressures and weight of the water were thought to prevent this occurrence. Not so, not so. Read more at Science Daily.

New news for dieters! If you want to lose weight, stop thinking about dying for crying out loud. And the thoughts don’t have to be directly about yourself. Watching death related material such as crime shows, and the awful news, also contribute. We get the munchies it seems. Wow, somebody will be writing a book about this. “Diet with Laurel and Hardy,” coming to a bookstore near you!

Truly, nothing says summer better than corn salad. You can make this in any number of ways, as long as you start with grilled or seared corn kernels. Then add whatever fresh veggies, (also grilled) and do the dressing and boy you have got a great accompaniment to just about any summer dinner. I’m adding it to my July 4th day menu I do believe. So far that makes the  Texas Brisket barbecue, potato salad, pea salad, and corn salad, and the molten chocolate lava cakes. Simply Recipes has the wonderful recipe.

I just love these copycat recipes. The Secret Recipe Blog today gives us the wonderful  Macaroni Grill’s “Penne Rustica.” This recipe should probably be cut in half for the normal family. I can’t even begin to think about a sauce that requires 8 cups of cream!

Oh I found a recipe that is well, time consuming and a tad expensive to make, but I think it worthy of your attention. Tuscan CoffeeCake Bread. I mean is this made for Sunday on a lazy hot day or what? The wonders of dried fruits and warm fresh bread, with butter melting. Oh, I may get the vapors just thinking of it. I have to get some of the dried fruit, but I am definitely making this recipe. The Sour Dough is to be thanked for this gem of a bread.

The Village Shop Blog shows off some of her work that is going in a new shop as “samples” of what a person can do. I’ve never been asked to do this, and with good reason! I think they are simply lovely and so very encouraging to me as a sometime quilter.

Tip Junkie has a host of tips. They go from fun and funky craft ideas to recycling ideas. The recycling craze is really catching on as more folks realize that with prices increasing everywhere on everything, a premium is now placed on getting the full usage possible out of everything. You can find some good stuff here.

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How about some Murphy’s Laws:

Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.

Two wrongs are only the beginning.

If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then..

If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.

Trust everybody … then cut the cards.

All the good ones are taken.
If the person isn’t taken, there’s a reason

Money can’t buy love, but it sure gets you a great bargaining position.

Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you are.

Friendly fire ain’t.

Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.

Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he’ll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he’ll have to touch to be sure.

Eat, Craft, Read, Be Merry

Tags

American History, Archaeology, beef, breakfast, cake, chocolate, Civil War, coffeecake, crochet, cross stitch, Desserts, evangelicals, founding fathers, Gardening, geology, History, Presidents, religion, science, soup, Women's history, world history

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!

Are YOU Listening?

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Asteroids, baseball, Breads, Breakfast rolls, Bush, chicken, chocolate, church/state, Civil War, Condiments, Constitution, Coolidge, Crafts, Desserts, eclipses, economy, Election 2008, environment, Father's Day, foreign policy, fruit, fundamentalism, Gardening, gay rights, greed, Iowa, lobbyists, Media, medicine, morality, pie, potpourri, quilting, SCOTUS, sin, witchcraft, Women's history, world history

After having done the laundry room yesterday, I can sure say I’m glad that I don’t have to do my washing outdoors like these women. This is listed as women washing from North Dakota 1900-1910 from the Fred Hultstrand Photo collection, located at the Library of Congress.

Did I tell you I’m totally blessed with a wonderful husband? The Contrarian has graciously taken on the task of some housework and cooking today as my digestive issues returned with a fury last night. It’s the most confounding disease, and you can never peg how long it will last and how severe it will be. The last time, hardly a week ago, was a cake-walk. This morning I awoke feeling beaten to a pulp and I’m still belching up a storm. Sorry for being so graphic. I’m just tired mostly and so this is the perfect place for me; a long session traveling the internet in search of the stories you can’t live without. So let’s get to it.

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101 Cookbooks has a most interesting dessert recipe made with cream cheese and tofu and chocolate. It sounds a bit weird but Heidi promises that it’s a real taste sensation. It’s called Heavenly Pie. Drop by and take a look and see what you think. She changed up some of the ingredients and I suspect you can do the same.

I think sweets are on my mind today. Abby Sweets has a delicious sounding recipe for  Pecan Honey Sticky Buns that I think might peak your interest. It sure did mine. This is the perfect brunch item for those lazy Sunday mornings, lolling on the terrace with coffee and the paper. Okay, sitting in a lawn chair, reading a good novel and swatting flies and trying to keep them off your buns!

First off let me say that I very much admire Tiger Woods. Even though I basically despise golf, we cheer him on in every contest that I am forced to watch. I find him a terrific roll model for kids and frankly a roll model for us all by and large. That said, I found this article disturbing. Does Mr. Woods owe us some kind of moral response to wrongs in society? Read about his partnership with Chevron and see what you think?

The sickening cesspool of Iraq seems to be sucking our money faster than water drains from a tub these days. In another stunner, a Pentagon audit finds 15 BILLION dollars unaccounted for. That’s your money and mine folks, and it’s intolerable as I see it. When oh when is somebody(s) going to be held accountable? It seems the only people doing well are Halliburton and Blackwater.

First Lady of Baseball? Oh I bet you wonder who that might be. It will be a surprise I can tell you, most unlikely. Travel to the American Presidents Blog and get the answer and a nice little vignette about the president’s wife who had a passion for the game.

I talk long and hard about the misuse of history to further personal agendas. No one is more guilty of that than David Barton, alleged historian and distorter of all that is history. Mr. Barton, head of “Wallbuilders” is on a crusade to prove that America is a Christian nation and he lets no facts get in the way of that mission. Read a scathing but accurate report from American Revolution Blogand Lindsay Shuman. We first heard of Mr. Barton on a skimming of the religious cable channels. He was doing a series based on his book before two evangelical preachers, who nodded and oohed and ahhed at his every “revelation.” Pure utter nonsense, but to the unlearned sounds mighty fine no doubt.

No one who reads this blog regularly has any real question about where I stand on most issues. I am pretty vocal. I am appalled a the idea that McCain could have the opportunity to continue the reorganization of SCOTUS to reflect an ultra conservative agenda which tramples on individual rights, protects business excess and promotes majority rule over protection of minority rights. But sometimes, I figure you are entitled to both sides, and I especially enjoy giving you that when I can send you to a place that gives you intelligent, fair coverage of both sides. Bill Moyers Journaldoes just that. Read the discussion of “How strictly should the Constitution be followed?” featuring Jeffrey Toobin and Thomas Sowell. Yes, Sowell writes for NRO, and mostly I think he is a wingnut, but read on and see what you think.

Say what you will, the Bushites continue to at least provide plenty of hysterical fodder for water cooler giggling. The latest is storming the airways and blogosphere today. Scott McClellan, former WH press secretary has a book out and boy is it causing a stir. The WH is exclaiming, “this ain’t the Scott we knew.” It’s a hoot I tell you, and everyone is talking. Read Blue Girl Red State‘s humorous biting take on the media frenzy that is just starting up. As I ran though a dozen or more stories about this, it seems apparent that the WH has joined ranks and officially are pretty much proclaiming that poor Scott has obviously lost his mind. To a person they say, “This can’t be Scott, something has happened to him.”

Still looking for more and better excuses to imbibe? Wine I mean. Well Britannica Blog has more for you. It actually may help prevent certain types of liver disease, and don’t we all want to do that? So sip away, and know that you are doing your heart and your liver good.

For some this is definitely too much effort period. But think again. Making hamburger buns homemade will surely set you apart, create lots of talk in the neighborhood and make lots of women hate you for being so, well, super! I suspect you will find that they, like most things, taste ever so much better than the gluey tasteless things we get from Wonder Bread. Coconut & Lime has the recipe.

Of course with the summer grilling season just underway, we are all looking for new recipes to wow friends and neighbors. Nothing gets more tiresome that the usual, ribs, barbecue chicken and brats, so take a look at Citrus Chicken under a Brick and do something new and exotic to boot. Thanks to Epicurious for this one. I love to butterfly chicken and weight it down like this. It just works wonderfully.

Lucy Rebecca Buck was a diarist, and if you are interested on her take on the Civil War as she lived through it, be sure to make it to Civil War Women and read her mini-biography of this woman. Different from her usual nurses, this lady wrote daily of what life was like for her during this period. I find these accounts simply fascinating. A snapshot of another world in another time and place. You come away with an entirely different feel for history and you undoubtedly realize how little we have changed over time.

Gardening Tips and Ideas has a great post on creating your own potpourri from your own garden. She gives you all the information you need to create your own jars of aroma. Just a few things will be purchased, the rest comes from your own lovely roses and herbs. Enjoy this crafting delight.

Garrison Keillor has a post on soldiering. A bit late, but certainly with so many of our young men and women still in harm’s way, it’s still topical. Mr. Keillor has a wonderful way of putting things in perspective and giving us a good ponder. Somehow I don’t think Harley Davidson will be offering Garrison a contract to promote hogs any time soon.

Monday in my Editorial, I alluded to the politics of yesterday promoted by Bush/McCain–one shall not speak to those we are opposed to. I find it more dangerous that the rational approach suggested by Mr. Obama. A couple of history profs tend to agree with me it seems and find that other US presidents also did as well. Read “Must We Ever Fear to Negotiate” at History News Network.

History of American Women features a lady accused of witchcraft back in our colonial time. Elizabeth Jackson Howe was born in England and immigrated to the colonies as a very young child. Things went bad in Ipswitch and poor Mrs. Howe was accused of causing illness through witchcraft. She was tried in Salem in 1692. Convicted, she was hung on July 19. A sad blot on our history indeed.

Are you sick of the media frenzy that we encounter daily on so-called gaffes of the candidates? I sure am. Inside-Out the Beltway has a fine post on being fed up with non-news and the increasing case that the media at large has lost its ability to report NEWS.

If you have a moment, drop over to inspired by antique quilts and get a look at the lovely butterfly motif quilt she has done. It’s simply lovely and perfect for a girl’s bed, or your own certainly. A wall hanging would be fine also. It certainly looks homey and comfy and just makes me feel warm all over on this still chilly day.

Sister Joan Chittister has a great post about how we are again losing our way in this election cycle. Much like Inside-Out the Beltway, she decries the non-news that the media remains focused on and finds again, that women take the brunt of the slams. Read her always interesting takes on the world, and politics today.

We talk about terrorism as a given,  and a growing crisis in the world. Certainly a number of folks, mainly McCain and the warmongering Bushites play on our fears almost constantly, mostly to hide their own ineptitude and personal agendas. However, what is the real state of terrorism today? Fareed Zakaria points out that the idea that terrorism is on the rise is flawed, and suggests that the culprit is, you guessed it, the American government. See how the Simon Fraser Study, done in Canada, sets the record straight.

The subject is greed, remember the movie with Michael Douglas? Greed he said was “good.” Well, we have been greedy haven’t we, we in the US that is, and we collectively in the West. How’s that doing for for ya now? On Faith takes on the subject with the posts from a the panel and plenty of comments. Weigh in on this fascinating moral, economic topic of the day.

George Will on Sunday’s George Stephanopolous show said in regards McCain’s cleaning house of his lobbyist bloated campaign, “he honestly believes it doesn’t matter since he is honest.” Well bully for him. I don’t buy it. I can swim with the slime but not get slimed is a poor way of convincing me for sure. It just makes me crazy to think that he proposed legislation some years ago to ban what he got caught doing to such an extreme that he instituted a “new” policy to do what he tried to legislate years before. Uh, what? Okay, let me start again. He introduced legislation I’m told to disallow candidates from hiring lobbyists for their campaigns. That didn’t pass so he then fills his campaign with lobbyists? And when the press called him on it time and again for their sleazy associations, he then institutes a “new” policy banning all lobbyists from his campaign. Is he nuts? Anyhoo, go to Political Animaland read Kevin Drum’s latest scoop from MSNBC. Seems McCain’s national campaign co-chair was working for a Swiss bank lobbying Congress about the mortgage crisis at the same time that he was advising McCain on economic strategy. McCain is obviously suffering from dementia.

I guess eclipses still cause a minor flurry of excitement around the world today. Solar more so than lunar certainly. Did you know that they have stopped battles and induced truces on the spot historically? Rogueclassicism has a nice piece on eclipses over history and how they effected the lives of those who witnessed them.

I believe that for the first time, polls in California suggest that the electorate there by a slim margin now favor gay marriage. This will come as a shocking thing to the reactionary right who claims they are the arbiters of all things moral. I can hardly wait to check out the forums where there will be much gnashing of teeth no doubt.

Oh and in case you missed it, McCain and Bush were scheduled to hold an open fundraiser a few days ago, which is why McCain couldn’t make the vote for the Iraq funding or the new GI Bill (convenient of course). Trouble is and was, that there were so few tickets sold, they turned it into a house party, and closed it, afraid that more protesters would show up than supporters. It’s too too funny. Seems the Mac is between a rock and hard place these days.

Glenn Greenwald has another of his killer posts on journalists and their desire to find themselves innocent of lazy work during the run-up to the war. Only Katie Couric it seems even suggested that the media could have done a better job. Most defended themselves saying they asked a lot of questions. LOL. It’s an excellent post, and one I suggest you should read. This is why blogging has taken on greater importance. Anyone who knows history knows that a free often belligerent press is what helps keep us free. These people cave in at the first threat of loss of access and its despicable.

Well ya can’t say that Iowa isn’t in the forefront of important stuff. Researchers at the University of Iowa are setting up the Asteroid Deflection Research Center to bring scientists from around the world together in the development of new technologies to protect the planet should we face an impeding killer asteroid strike. I feel a good deal safer knowing that, and I’m sure you do as well.

A strawberry rhubarb terrine? Oh that sounds mighty fine to me. I adore rhubarb as I might have mentioned once or twenty times. Simply Recipes has a great summery treat to make.

Are you addicted to Taco Bell’s hot sauce? Well probably not, but then again, maybe you are. Anyway, Secret Recipe Bloghas the copycat recipe for you. And hey, making your own taco sauce is not a bad thing, and it’s probably way cheaper than buying the bottled stuff. I may well give it a try when the jalapenos are ready to harvest.

This posting caught my eye, because, well frankly I think the dude is right. I’m outraged about torture being done in my name by my government. And if you peruse the blogosphere, plenty of other people are as well. But I don’t frankly see a lot of media attention being given to the subject. Believe me, if the media smelled in the lightest whiffs of a breeze that the public cared about this subject, they would be covering it daily. The Nation asks, “Where is the Outrage?” and I have to say, yeah, exactly where is it America?

To the seven deluded people in America who don’t think that McCain is just another Bush in disguise,the proof would tend to be in the voting record would it not? Obama will surely have a field day in arguing that McCain voted for Bush policies 100% of the time in 2008 and 95% of the time in 2007. So much for distancing! Think Progress gave us the news.

Tip Junkie has a number of links to sites with ideas for crafters who want to make something special for that man in your life for Father’s Day. There is quite a long list with plenty of variety, so get busy and make something special for Dad this year.

We linked you to a bio today of a woman hanged in Salem after being convicted of witchcraft. We look upon these things as horribly misguided actions by people who were backward in thinking. Amazing as it may seem, 15 women have been executed in Africa for just that offense recently. Kenyan mobs have done this, sad to say, rounding up “offenders” in villages and burning them to death.  Our thanks to Women of History for the story.

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“Unprovided with original learning, unformed in the habits of thinking, unskilled in the arts of composition, I resolved to write a book.” Edward Gibbon

“Men live in a fantasy world. I know this because I am one, and I actually receive my mail there.”  Scott Adams

“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” Anais Nin

“My mother buried three husbands, and two of them were just napping.” Rita Rudner

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More crazy product warnings:

Earplugs
These ear plugs are nontoxic, but may interfere with breathing if caught in windpipe

Mattress
Warning: Do not attempt to swallow

Fix-a-Flat
WARNING: Do not weld can to rim.

Rain Gauge
Suitable for outdoor use.

RCA Television Remote Control
Not Dishwasher Safe

Road Sign
Caution water on road during rain.

Road Sign
Cemetery Road. Dead End

Children’s Superman Costume
Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly.

Rowenta Iron
Warning: Never iron clothes on the body.

Nabisco Easy Cheese
For best results, remove cap.

Japanese food processor:
Not to be used for the other use.~~~&&&~~~&&&~~~

 

The cruise liner Norwegian Spirit crashed into a Manhattan pier. The entertainment director tried to spin it positive. “Today our ship photographer will take your photo in front of some ruins. – Alan Ray, Stockton, Calif.

According to a new study, teenage girls whose boyfriends are gang members are nearly twice as likely to become pregnant as girls not dating boys in gangs. This study was conducted by Dilmore University of Hoboken (DUH).

A 77-year-old man has become the oldest person to reach the summit of Nepal’s Mount Everest. He made it by repeating over and over to himself, “I haven’t fallen so I CAN get up.” –– Paul Seaburn, Spring, Texas

Hillary thanked NASA profusely for the encouragement and vowed to fight on now more than ever after Phoenix’s photographs of Mars revealed there is as much life there as in her campaign. – Eugene Cappuccio

Both George Bushes have been accused of being in bed with the Saudis for years. But when they ask for a favor — more oil — they get a resounding no. I guess they just aren’t very good in bed. – Charles Almon

Mind Flipping Incongruities

Tags

1st Amendment, American History, astronomy, Barack Obama, breakfast, Bush, environment, Gardening, gay rights, Israel, John McCain, Military, Palestine, religion, Sauces, SCOTUS, seafood, tex-mex, vegetables, Women's history

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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.”