What’s Up? 07/29/10

Tags

Amendments, bread, Constitution, espionage, John Le Carre, Michelle Bachmann, Poetry, Sarah Palin

I’ve always thought the spy business was kinda silly. I mean, I realize it has its importance in times of actual war. Those people who infiltrate to gain information that will help your side win and do so more quickly, are courageous people it seems to me.

But this other stuff? Oh, my, it strikes me about the same as mercenaries. Gosh, gee, no war? I can’t kill no more? I’ll go volunteer to kill for you, for a price. Sick people.

Same for spies. Weirdos who try to inflate the importance of their spooky jobs. It always strikes me that the rest of us sit around making fun of them like indeed they are playing cowboys and Indians. Speaking of which here’s a fine review of Le Carre’s book, and some interesting commentary on the subject.

So who chooses to be a spy? Weirdos as I said. Probably the same class of human who wants to be a cop in a dangerous city. People who feel powerless. Not all of course. But in general I think.

The latest crop of spies are the bunch they recently caught in the US. It made me laugh. Kinda a joke don’t you think? Anybody think they were seriously gonna find out anything actually important? I doubt it. Loved watching the “transfer.” OOOOh so scary, and spyish.

I bet those Russians are kinda pissed now. Life here was probably more to their liking than what they now have in good old Moscow.

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Oh, Google musta read my rant, and got my pictures back to the way they were. Good job Google. I’m glad I carry that kinda power.

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The article linked above raised another interesting item came to me. The writer says he has read the novel many times. I’m not one to reread much of anything, though I have a couple of things, War and Peace comes to mind. With just so much out there to read, I feel I can’t spare the time to reread anything. The Contrarian is just the opposite.

I’m not sure what that says personality wise. Any ideas?

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A terrific REAL poet is amongst us. I suggest you try this one and then browse through the site for other perfect gems. This one spoke so powerfully to me, that I wonder if the author has gotten into my head.

When it comes to thoughtful ponderings, nobody is much better than Tengrain. See his thoughts on our dear Sarah (that woman is an idiot) Palin, and her unforgivable use of her son Trig.

D-cap is starting a series on how we might consider changing our constitution to govern better. I’m fully in agreement that something needs be done to at minimum stop the ability of a minority to keep the majority from getting a bleepin’ thing done. So get in on the ground floor of what will undoubtedly be a thoughtful series.

Jaliya at Pushing 50, has a post on Target CEO and his wife who have allegedly given Michelle Bachmann the max in campaign contributions. While I don’t usually shop at Target, I do like their stores, but I will definitely not be spending my money there if this is true. Thanks for the heads up Jaliya!

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I just made two loves of 7-grain bread. I got the recipe from Cooks TV show. I love their recipes generally, but they are usually more complicated than regular ones. But and it’s a big but, it’s frankly worth it. They really try everything and come up with the very best. My loaves weren’t as high as hers but otherwise look identical. They are supposed to be sandwich usable (most home made bread is too heavy, dense and dry for good sandwiches). If it’s as reported, I’ll share the recipe with ya tomorrow. They had a nice regular rolls recipe too. I make a batch of them and throw them in the freezer. Works wonderfully to jazz up any meal. Warm them and they are like you just baked them.

Sorry, I don’t seem to be finding much that interests me today. Some days are like that. I luv ya all. Be careful out there and keep your heads down.

Comfort in the Stratosphere

Tags

American History, Appetizer, birds, bread, Bush, Cajun, chicken, Crafts, energy, evolution, Gardening, gay rights, Hawaii, Health care, Human Biology, immigration, Iowa, Iraq, Julius Caesar, Latinos, Limericks, McCain, Middle East, Presidents, quilting, Rome, Shrimp, War, witchcraft, Women's history, world history, Zoology

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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“It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.” William G. McAdoo

“Some things have to be believed to be seen.” Ralph Hodgsen

“A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” Samuel Goldwyn

“The reason there is so little crime in Germany is that it’s against the law.” Alex Levin

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More of the type of questions I get in my house from guess who?

Why do we say we’re head over heels when we’re happy? Isn’t that the way we normally are?

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

Is Gravity Still in Iowa?

Tags

American History, bread, church-state, crochet, DNA, economy, environment, Gardening, herbs, Human Biology, Iowa, John McCain, Media, Military, Presidents, religion, Rome, salad, science, Washington, Women's history, Women's issues, world history

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.

I’m 58 Today and You’re NOT, are you?

Tags

animals, bread, cake, casserole, chocolate, environment, evolution, garden pests, George Bush, GOP, herbs, Iowa, Italian, pasta, religion, seafood, tips, voting

This lovely painting was done by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot in 1796 and is entitled “Woman with the Pearl.” It can be found at the Louvre.

Problem is, there is no pearl. I’m including the provenance that attends the painting for your edification:

This is a totally personal transposition of the Mona Lisa. In the past the leaf on the girl’s forehead was taken to be a pearl. Berthe Goldschmidt, the model, is wearing one of the Italian dresses Corot brought back from his travels abroad.

The title, which remains unexplained, seems to echo another portrait of a young woman by Jan Vermeer. There is the same enigma concerning the model, the same gaze, the same uncertainty about the costume. The blue and yellow turban in Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is described as ‘Turkish’, while Corot has taken his inspiration from Italian or Greek peasant dress. Then there is the pearl: readily recognizable in the Vermeer, it takes the form here of a dark-colored ornament, part of a transparent veil covering the upper part of the young woman’s forehead.

Her forehead partly veiled, the young woman is seated with her forearms crossed and her hands idle. The image that at once springs to mind – except for the landscape in the background – is Leonardo’s Mona Lisa. However the hairstyle, the oval face, the costume and the colors are reminiscent of Raphael. What exactly Corot’s intention was here is far from easy to say. We cannot ignore the fact that until the early 19th century the Mona Lisa attracted very little attention, and that the interest underlying today’s myth only appeared with the Romantic movement of around 1830. Multiple reproduction was on the rise and in response there came in 1859 the famous engraving by Calamatta.

So there you are!

Today is my birthday. I awoke to breakfast in bed and my darling Contrarian has ordered that I may not lift a finger all day. That may sound wonderful, and it is, but given my personality, lol, I have retreated to the computer as I will soon drive him crazy if I don’t. “Ummm, dear, when exactly do you plan on making the bed?” You see the problem? Best I stay out of sight and wait for dinner. Thankfully the Contrarian is quite an excellent cook!

The internet seems a tad quiet today, probably many are scurrying around attempting to get the taxes ready. I’ve never been such a procrastinator as that, but I can appreciate the idea of putting off that which you don’t want to do. Let us see what we can find today. Josie, from that wonderful blog C’est La Vie suggested this blog is a bit like a community newspaper. Perhaps, lol, but a strange little community it is!

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There has been a lot of talk around the blogosphere in recent months and years about Republican efforts to purge existing voter rolls and to encourage the imposition of Jim Crow type requirements to get on those rolls. You can read about it from a excerpt of Steve Rosenfeld’s book “Loser take All.” The method used has been the Justice Department, and there has been pressure on states to pursue “voter fraud” cases against groups that traditionally work for voter registration in typically democratic areas. Just another sordid tale from the Bush Administration. We have come to expect it, sad to say.

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The Presidents Blog has some information about our past president, Millard Fillmore. Touted as the president we know least about, he was also touted as the worst we ever had. Mr. Fillmore will be happy to know that he has lost that appellation at least, so it might be worth your time to learn a bit more about him.

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This recipe sounded just delightful to me and comes from the Baking Delights. It’s called Torta Rustica. It is so filled with wonder vegetables and speaks of summer and warm breezes. Don’t miss this one. She also included a neat little dessert recipe, Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cake, and add some Black Olive Loaf, and you have a complete and gorgeous meal. (I suspect the Contrarian is working on this right now! Tee Hee.)

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If shrimp is more your style, then take a look at this one by Epicurious, Sonoran Shrimp Scampi. A nice entry for a spring dinner. This has pasta and chilies and cilantro, so you get some interesting blends of flavor.

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Cudo’s to Iowa and to Congressman Bruce Braley. He has successfully got a bill passed in the House which requires tax forms to be written in simple plain English. Read all about it at Essential Estrogen. I knew Braley was one of the stars on the horizon!

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A couple of freebies for you today. Hey it’s Free has a cereal coupon from Kashi and a $5 dollar discount from Kohls. Check them out!

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If you are interested in gardening and want to control bugs without the use of pesticides, then give this link a look see. Home and Garden Landscape Design offers some good information and plenty of tips to keep your garden earth friendly.

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I used to attend the zoo a lot. Every weekend in fact, in Detroit. I was a member, so I got in free. I used to go the route backward so I got the park to myself for about half the way, until the crowds arrived at the half way point. I used to love the elephants and one of my favorite days, three of them played together in their pool. Sloshing, and picking up logs and pushing balls around, they frolicked. Going under the water and blowing water everywhere. So it comes as no big surprise to me that ancient elephants loved water too. Read more at Live Science.

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If John McCain has his way, which he will not I insist, it appears nothing would change in the area of lobbying. The Mac has his people busily courting the lobbyists on K Street. He sure needs some help since the big money rollers in the Republican world are not opening their pocketbooks this election cycle. Wonder if the K Street boys will be any more desirous of pouring money down the drain than other rank and file big spenders?

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I mentioned yesterday about the faith forum that Clinton and Obama attended and which McCain begged off claiming a prior commitment. Turns our Mac was home, that was his commitment. So it was pretty much as I said, he simply doesn’t know what to say given that he wants to entice the reactionary right to vote for him though he personally doesn’t believe most of their claptrap. Tough place for the old boy to be stuck in. I guess when you want to be president more than you want to tell the truth, you have dilemmas like that. Read about it at Religion in America.

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During the summer months, herb storage is not an issue, I cut what I need and no more. But with cold, I buy some herbs when fresh is the only way to go, and storing them is a huge problem. More often then not, I end up throwing away a gooey looking mess of rotting leaves and stems and waste some portion of my money. Simply Recipes has a tip for you on how to preserve the freshness of those wonderful herbs like parsley and cilantro.

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I’ve mentioned before that the “regulatory agencies” we were taught to depend on to protect us, only protect the industries they are supposed to be regulating. Got that? We also reported a week or so ago, about the Administration’s determination to get that wall built along a strip of the border with Mexico pronto even when that meant ignoring the environmental consequences. It turns out the EPA is on record about the abysmal air quality along the border due to industrialization. It also turns out that when Homeland Security chieftain, Michael Chertoff announced the “build it now” policy, the EPA remained sadly silent. In fact they were not even consulted. Read the sickening details at Washington Independent today.

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Continuation of Rambling

Tags

bread, casserole, Democrats, economy, GOP, vegetables

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Vox Nova has a most interesting post about the economy, and how people do vis a vis the two parties. It’s an eye-opener to be sure, well no, it’s rather to be expected. It seems that when the Republicans are in office, only the rich benefit, when the Democrats run the shop, all groups benefit. Of course, given that this is a Catholic site, and that always gets us to abortion, you can imagine the hoops some jump through to negate the value of the research. Can’t have good Catholics voting for Democrats now can we? Of course, most Catholics ignore this and vote as they see fit, and more are going democratic this cycle than ever before.

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I discovered the wonders of kohlrabi a few years ago, and find it a delightful vegetable. Great in salads and eaten raw, I was not quite sure what else to do with it. Simply Recipes has a great little casserole for you and me, Kohlrabi and Ham Bake. Enjoy.

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And you thought the Farmer’s Almanac only had mostly silly information used for trivia shows like Jeopardy or something? Hah, here’s a recipe (authentic they claim) for “real” classic scones. I love scones and I’m gonna try it.

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It is infinitely easier to suffer in obedience to a human command than to accept suffering as free, responsible men. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.” Bertrand Russell

“Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined.” Samuel Goldwyn

“How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?” Charles DeGaulle

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Jerry Seinfeld was unhurt after the brakes failed on his 1967 Fiat BTM and the car flipped over. Police at the scene were unable to determine if Jerry swerved to avoid a pole or swerved to hit a mailman who looked like Newman.

Fifth-grader Kenton Stufflebeam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, found an error a sign in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History mistakenly identifying the Precambrian as an era. Kenton is now being wooed by a clothing chain to model its new line of smarty-pants.– Paul Seaburn, Spring, Texas

In a recent New York Times poll 81 percent of Americans said the country is seriously on the wrong track. The other 19 percent were apparently distracted by the lights of the oncoming train. Janice Haugh, Palo Alto, CA

Con’t again?

Tags

appetizers, beef, bread, Iraq, Oil, tex-mex, US Gov.

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Big Oil on TV. Did you see it? The boys lined up and were prepped and ready to reply in unison to all those nasty questions. Perhaps with those gigantic profits you might forgo the billions in tax breaks? NO! They shouted, that would be absurd. Well then, how bout a little break for the consumer at the pump? NO! They chimed, whatever for? A fine post by Washington Independent gives you the gory details as the RWM have a go in Congress. (RWM= Rich White Men) Read it and well. . . . PS–their advice to us: drive less!

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Breadsticks! Now that is something I’ve never made before, and I adore them. So good with pasta dishes, so good with nothing. Baking Beauties has the recipe.

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Oh, did I mention that I loved Tex-Mex? Perhaps you have concluded there is not a great deal I don’t like where food is concerned. You would be pretty much spot on. Anyhoo, you might want to try this spicy little Beef Empenadas, for either an appetizer or main dish. Just adjust the size for either. A nice submission by Uncommon Artistic Endeavors. I would only make my own pie crust rather than buy it ready made.

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Urantian Sojourn has a fascinating take on our excursion into Iraq and why it failed so badly. I tend to agree with them. I said a lot of similar things quite a number of years ago about Vietnam. Nobody listened, but then I didn’t have a blog either! They give you plenty of YouTube to make their points, which I can’t of course watch, but I got the point just fine without. Hope you enjoy it and learn a thing or two. I sure did.

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The Farmer’s Almanac says:

It’s time to dig up and divide horseradish!

What is the origin of the trapdoor in long underwear?

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“There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.” Sir Francis Bacon

“I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.” Albert Einstein

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Comedy Central that bastion of truth, Superman, the American Way, and tulips, has decided that it’s time to endorse a candidate in this ’08 election year. I thought their choice was well thought out as you will undoubtedly agree. They have come with powerful evidence to support their choice, and if you just think a minute, undoubtedly you will agree. Don’t lock yourself out on this one. Order your lawn signs and car bumper stickers before it’s too late!

Maybe our Politicians need to Quilt?

Tags

Barack Obama, bread, chocolate, cookies, fundamentalism, Gardening, George Bush, Iran, Iraq, John McCain, quilting, sci-fi, souffle, vegetables, Women's issues

These are 4 sides of the beautiful sculpture by Augustin Pajou, done in 1790 and called “Psyche Abandoned.” It is at the Louvre, Paris, France. A nice feature of the Louvre site is the ability to view some art from several different points.
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Abby Sweets went out of the way to celebrate Spring with a tea for girlfriends. The menu is certainly impressive. I thought there were a recipe or two you might be interested in. Try the Buttermilk Scones for instance. If I tried to serve creme brulee in egg shells, I do believe the Contrarian would never stop laughing. Cute idea though, but definitely a girlie type meal.
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Cookies are always a favorite of mine, quicker to make than the normal cake or pie. I thought this one looked rather provocatively enticing. That means it’s got chocolate in it! Double Chocolate Crackle Cookies sounds well doubly good! Thanks Coconut & Lime.
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I don’t know about you, but what I saw of Barack’s speech yesterday was most effective. But I tend to agree with Stephanopolis that he persuaded the people that he never lost. The average working stiff who is still harboring a lot of racism deep inside, well we shall have to wait and see. I personally don’t think they are as likely to be convinced. I thought it was a masterful speech, and I think he raised the tone of the conversation as they say on Mad TV, to a “whole nuther level.” What do you think? For a lot of information about the subject visit History News Network and follow a long list of links on the subject.
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Since everyone seems to be talking of new gardening beds and whatever, Sally’s Gardening Tips offers some things to consider when you begin this project. Key among them, is what you intend to use the area for. Relaxation? Growing food? Play area? Entertaining? Each will dictate a different approach. One must also consider pets too. Take a look at what Sally has to say about your garden and what it can mean.
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This recipe caught my eye immediately and I quickly pulled up the site to see it. I’ve never actually made a souffle, but this mouth-watering display of vegetable delight may make me do so soon. Roasted Garlic Souffle just sounds perfect for some fancy meal, like the upcoming Easter perhaps? We’re having ham, and this sounds about right as a side. Epicurious comes through once again. The cheese in the recipe fairly makes me whimper and drool. Okay that was not very grown-up was it?
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Free Sample Forager has a whole mess of new offers. I have linked you to the main page, because she puts each one separately. I gotta go back later and find out what garlic gold is. Get freebies on women’s sanitaries and hamburger helper if you use it. Hey it’s Free is offering $25 to the winner of a March Madness winner game. Just pick your winners in each round and collect points for correct choices. Winner is the one with the most points. I’ll slip back and check out that later too, since we already have our MM tournament sheets. I have several favorites this year. MSU, UConn, Gonzaga, for starters. I’m not sure, but I don’t think Iowa has a team in this year. It’s hard to sign up, and I’ve commented to the blogger to explain the process. You may need a Yahoo account in order to sign up. Rule 1: don’t link to stuff that can’t be understood. Better yet, don’t offer stuff unless you make it simple for readers to follow the directions.
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Garrison Keillor has finally posted another story! Always fun to be sure. Read “Thinking Weaselish thoughts at Eastertide” or be square and don’t. He raises an important question, and at the same time, makes us feel quite comfortable about being unsure.
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Okay, I agree, I’ve become fixated on inspired by antique quilts. I admit it. I just love the blocks. But seriously, today she has some fine pictures of fabric. Serious quilters (that is not me) are quite aware of the artists who are designing fabric and come to favor certain ones over others. Kathie gives some names of the ones she shows today, perhaps a trip to the website would capture you, and force you to buy fabric. Once you do of course, you won’t be able to leave it alone. Quilt on!
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Sr. Joan Chittister echoes something I said a few days ago. Young women are not committed to women’s rights. They think its all been done. They feel equal. If they look at the numbers they would realize otherwise. And more importantly they are part of the reason that most likely there will not be a women as president this election cycle. Get her take on how women in India are faring. More to the point, she asks: can the women’s movement be “over” anywhere when there are women anywhere being abused and treated as second-class? Oh this can get me going folks, I am just sickened by these stories.
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I dunno if Bush is so dumb that he actually thinks we have forgotten or what. He is declaring victory in Iraq again, and one just has to shake one’s head in wonder. Dick, the Dark man, Cheney also touts this as a “win”. When told that 68% of the American people disagree, his response was “So?” You see, we don’t matter to these poor excuses for leaders. They thumb their noses at us, considering us uninformed and essentially not mentally capable of being informed. They are the divinely ordained wise ones who know what’s best. I am so thoroughly disgusted with these kinds of superior acting dolts. Bush is convinced that somehow history will vindicate him, but how can it change the facts? He decries the academic arena which offers its opinion on his adminstration, by telling us that they are chumps because history “takes a long time to get here.” I mean, was it just the slightest refreshing to actually hear an adult like Obama talk with big words that he actually could both pronounce and knew the meaning of? I may not be the only one who thinks that Dubya has, well, gone around the bend completely.
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The bully pulpit seems mine today, so lets move on to John McCain. He claims that he is the only one fit to lead the country because of his extensive foreign policy experience. Turns out either age or complete lack of knowledge are actually at work when it comes to Iraq and Iran. He is confused about the ethnic makeup of the two countries and gets it mixed up as to who is arming who. On his tour of the middle east, poor old Joe Lieberman has to step forward and correct him. I do not for one second believe any poll that suggests he has any chance in the world to be elected. Heck I think I could whoop him with one arm tied behind me. He is one of the most basic disappointments in recent history. A man touted as the “straight talking” Maverick has proved himself to have feet of clay. He wants to be president bad, its personal, and well, the dude has not done his homework. His continuing failure to get anything much straight will end up embarrassing the entire GOP before its over. And well, hey, that’s not a bad thing either.
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While we are still in the political arena, stop over at American Prospect and read Susan Posner’s latest installment in her column, “Fundamentalist.” The articles there are consistently top notch and Susan is one very bright woman who knows this subject better than most anyone I know. Always an informative read.
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I don’t eat Big Mac’s. I eat Burger King’s. Why? Because they are better! But if you insist on eating Mickey D’s food, you can make your own “special” sauce. The Baking Beauties have the recipe for you from Copycat Restaurant Recipes. I gotta check out that site too.
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I figured this could happen. I’ve worried about it ever since that first sputnik flew. It’s only gotten worse of course over the years. I fear for my salvation, and well yours too, but mostly mine. I care about yours only insofar as it is required of me to get mine. Anyhoo, we have a big problem as I thought we would. I’m carving out extra time in my busy schedule for sure. You better too, or, well, start investing in those suits that those firewalkers use. Shhh, I said shallot, not onion you idiot!
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Arthur C. Clarke died. I guess you probably heard. I loved his books, and read a good many of them. I was heavily into science fiction a number of years ago, and read hundreds of books and short stories. World History Blog has a nice tribute to him. A wonderful and prolific writer who will be missed. His 2001: a Space Odyssey will be long remembered, and watched by many of us again and again. Keep your eyes peeled, somebody will be rerunning the movie soon I expect.
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I’m seriously thinking that the Yarn Harlot is nutty. Nice nutty, but nutty just the same. This came as a surprise to her that walking 14 kilometers was a long way to walk in the winter? Read of her interesting adventure and how what she had to go to town for was worth risking her life. It’s amusing! She blames her thousands of readers who failed to warn her. Okay, one assumes basic knowledge in an adult, so I didn’t feel the need to say, “whoa, that’s a long way to walk in winter. If the weather were to change for the worse, you could be in trouble. I’d not chance it.” Seems we must be on guard from now on.
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The Farmer’s Almanac has this to tell you about:
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If St. Joseph’s Day clear, So follows a fertile year. ( who knew gardening was so easy.)
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Kitchen grout problems? Here is the answer. (No, not kraut, we are not cooking now.)
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What grows less tired the more it works? (The Contrarian reminds you: the answer is in the clue~~least that is what he tells me whenever I miss final Jeopardy. )
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It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious. -A. N. Whitehead
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“Nothing can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own.” Sidney J. Harris
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“A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it.” Bob Hope
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Do you ever read or hear of a news article that calls into question such basic common sense that it’s hard to believe anyone can be so STUPID! This falls under Jay Leno’s favorite stupid criminals heading in Headlines. I’ve met a goodly number of very smart criminals, and not a few really dumb ones. My favorite was my client who in the company of several other brain surgeons, loaded a pickup truck with “pinions” from a car supply place. When they had her loaded to the gills, they discovered the weight has flattened all 4 tires. Try this one at Dave’s Daily, entitled “Police, help. . . . “
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from: David Letterman:
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There’s a quiz that you can take to tell if your spouse is cheating. Question No. 1: Is your spouse a governor?
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But it’s gotten crazy. The only politician in New York City that’s not having extramarrital sex is Ulysses S. Grant.
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From: Conan OBrien:>>

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John McCain’s daughter says that a lot of guys don’t want to date her because her dad makes her too high-profile. Yeah. That’s part of the reason. It’s also because McCain’s daughter is 63 years old.

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The ex-wife of former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey denies they had a three-way. She claims she thought he was talking about lunch when he asked, “Honey, got time for a sandwich?” – Alan Ray, Stockton, Calif.

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From a site called E-Mail From Grandma posting “idiot sightings”:

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IDIOT SIGHTING:I was at the airport, checking in at the gate, when an airport employee asked, “Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?” To which I replied, “If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?” He smiled knowingly and nodded, “That’s why we ask.”Happened in Birmingham, Ala.