"In a democracy (‘rule by mob’), those who refuse to learn from history will be the majority and will dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance."
slapping a silly person silly is just… silly
Found a comment that sums up my inner response to fake optimism:
…whenever I hear someone say “Everything is perfect” — while their facial expression indicates otherwise — my inner Groucho usually replies, “Well, I’m glad to hear that, because I just stepped in some dog perfection and I’m tracking it all over your rug!”
As much effect in England as Patrick in Ireland, perhaps more…
I speak, of course, of St Nun, the mother of St David, who is honored the day after St David’s Day, that is, today.
Happy St Nun’s Day!
(No snarky comments. I’ll have…. um, none of that.)
Look out for tomorrow: yet another Christian pioneer with strong ties to David of Wales.
(Who needs St Patrick with all the Welsh pioneers honored in March?)
“Get around round round I get around… “
Well, “got around” might be more accurate. I don’t like to travel any more.
Instructions were: “Bold the states you’ve been to, underline the states you’ve lived in and italicize the state you’re in now… ” As you can see, at one time I have lived in, been to or passed through all the contiguous states in the U.S. Only three foreign countries, though (not on the list, of course), and those all in North America.
Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /
Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.
Thx to Boudicca’s Voice for the link to the site.
Sun to Blame for Arctic Ozone Loss
Numbskulls in the LLMB have been shrilly screeching about mankind’s assault on upper-level ozone. (Calmly) Get vack in their face with a firm, “It’s not my fault. Blame the Sun.”
“A dramatic thinning of Earth’s protective ozone layer above the Arctic last year was the result of intense upper-level winds and an extra dose of space weather, scientists said Tuesday.”
DEWI SANT, written March 1, 1994 in honor of St David.
CLICK on the graphic for a full-sized view. 
The text, tune and harmonies are as extemporaneously written. I’ve not done any editing for content or to redact either the text for poetic improvement or the music or text for better prosody. It stands as I first “heard” it. St David’s evangelistic efforts, his combat of the Pelagian heresy, etc., are all reflected in the text, and placed in the context that he demonstrated that he considered to be of first importance: Christ and His work. This great 6th century missionary to Wales is a worthy model for us all, IMO, and he and all those who went before and followed after him in similar endeavors deserve our greatest respect.
(Crossposted at http://whistlinginthelight.blogspot.com/)
No, no “tiny dog” recipes?but lotsa chicken recipes from guys named Dave
Check the great selection in the Carnival of the Recipes #28, up over at Rocket Jones place. It’s more than just the great chicken recipes. Yum.
(But do check out the fiery Jerk Chicken at The Glittering Eye. )
When a little creature some mistake for a dog nips at your heels, step on it. Hard. No. Harder. ::squish-pop!:: That’s about right…
All these evil little vermin people keep as pets, vermin the folks call dogs but are really just lil rats in disguise… don’t you just want to call them by a more appropriate name? Like “Dog Food”?
I will admit, though, that they do make decent kick toys. And four or five of ’em might make a decent meal for a real dog. Or a base for an Asian stew.
(Ya know Chihuahuas got their start as stewpot critters, don’t you?)
Get that out of my eyes!
In December, the Milky Way Associationâ„¢ delivered a belated Welcome Wagon Basketâ„¢ to Earth.
“A huge explosion halfway across the galaxy packed so much power it briefly altered Earth’s upper atmosphere in December, astronomers said Friday. [February 18]
No known eruption beyond our solar system has ever appeared as bright upon arrival…
…The blast originated about 50,000 light-years away and was detected Dec. 27…
…’That it can reach out and tap us on the shoulder like this, reminds us that we really are linked to the cosmos,’ said Phil Wilkinson of IPS Australia, that country’s space weather service.”
Glad to know the universe knows we’re in the neighborhood…
Shedding Light on the Scourge of Dieting…
Methuselah ate what he found on his plate,
And never, as people do now,
Did he note the amount of the calorie count.
He ate it because it was chow.
He wasn’t disturbed as at dinner he sat,
Devouring a roast or a pie,
To think it was lacking in granular fat
Or a couple of vitamins shy.He cheerfully chewed each species of food,
Unmindful of troubles or fears
Lest his health might be hurt by some fancy dessert,
And he lived over 900 years.
[NOTE: this is a duplicate post carried over from my Whistling in the Light blog.]
I like food. And food likes me. Unfortunately, over the years, I failed to account for my changing lifestyle, my aging metabolism, etc., and food liked me so much that more and more of it seemed to stick around on my body until my 42″ chest became 48″ (sometimes more) and my 34″ waist became 42″.. or more, and 235# stared me in the face whenever I dared torture the bathroom scales.
A couple of years ago, that changed. Someone introduced me to the idea of adding a particular 150 calorie food bar and a mild one-mile walk to my day, and the result has been a blessing. Now:
From clinically obese on a BMI (Body Mass Index) to normal. (All it took was 50# staying off.)
42″ chest
36″ waist
Baggy Pants Posterior Syndromeâ„¢
NO PAIN IN MY KNEES!!!
I still love food (last night was Green Chicken Casserole and “Mexican” beans, leaf lettuce salad, ice cream—not “diet frozen dessert”—and a few “gummis” for an additional sweet kick). But now, food is nicer to me.
Diets are for fat people. Since I didn’t want to stay fat, it’s kinda good I didn’t diet, eh?
Lose the diet. Gain health.
(Oh, and thx to Donald Sensing for spurring this post.)
Update: in a related matter, give a listen to RA (Rob) Kemp’s “Chocolate in Heaven”
Sample chorus:
“Will there be any choc’late up in heaven?
This is something I truly got to know.
‘Cause if there ain’t any choc’late up in heaven
I got to fill my pockets ‘fore I go.”
—R.A. Kemp ©JJANA
In which I offer partial relief from a dread condition
Iowahawk’s satirical piece on “Mommy Madness” is a worthy read for those suffering from Dave Barry Withdrawalâ„¢*:
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2005/02/aid_pours_in_fo_1.html
In fact, Iowahawk might well form a partial answer to that dread condition…
A sample:
“From its inauspicious beginnings in rural Florida, the battle to preserve priveleged urban women’s happiness has spread like wildfire. America’s minority communities have been especially active in the cause.
“Suffering knows no color,” says Latasha Evans, 26. “When I heard about all the career and time management struggles of these unhappy white women, I knew as a Christian, I had to do my part.”
A mother of two in Harvey, Illinois, Evans persuaded her fellow parishoners at Calvary Zion AME Church to act on behalf of the victims. Evans’ church choir, The Mighty Gospel Wings of Mercy, recently recorded a self-funded album to promote awareness of Affluent Supermom Syndrome. Entitled “Sweet Glory of Self-Esteem,” the CD’s proceeds will go directly to offset victims’ Ballet and Pilates class dues.
Evans is also donating her time to the effort, travelling by CTA bus twice a week to Chicago’s Gold Coast and North Shore as a volunteer care provider for needy white supermoms in need of a break for self-reflection.
“It’s tragic when you hear, first hand, how these women don’t get the parenting help they need from their male partners,” she says. “The experience has made me realize how lucky I am to have D’Shawn [Collins], my babies’ daddy, and the $150 he sends me most every month.””
Much, much more at the link.
*Note: since Dave Barry announced the cessation of his column, over a month ago, millions of people worldwide have been heard to scream at unpredictable times (and in typically inappropriate places), “Why Dave? WHY!?!?!?!” This post is an attempt to offer some alleviation of their pain.