Vanishing Memories

HAPPY SQUIRREL APPRECIATION DAY

2012-01-21T11:21:00.008-05:00

Mr. Squirrel, a photo by Edna Barney on Flickr.

RECIPE: Fried Squirrel and Gravy

1 Squirrel cut into 7 pieces
1 Cup Flour; seasoned with Salt and Pepper
1/2 Cup Crisco for frying
Chicken Broth

Melt Crisco in cast-iron skillet. Place seasoned flour in a paper bag. Add squirrel to the bag, one or two pieces at a time, and shake to coat with flour. Carefully add squirrel pieces into the hot Crisco and brown on both sides. Reduce heat, cover skillet, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until done. Remove fried squirrel to rack. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, SLOWLY adding flour from the bag - one tablespoon at a time - while whisking the mixture, until gravy thickens.

Save this recipe so that when Squirrel Week rolls around, April 8th through 14th, you can celebrate again.

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day. May you find yourself surrounded by nuts.

Geraldine 'Geri' Nyman 1920-2011

2012-01-07T13:40:00.010-05:00

Geri's full name was Marylene Geraldine Elder Lamphere Nyman.

Geri's Story -- as found at the Beatitudes Campus Blog. April 05, 2011 at 12:00 PM -- Introduction: Geri Nyman, who turns 91 this month, is a Beatitudes Campus resident. She received the Congressional Gold Medal for serving in the U.S. Women Airforce Service Pilots or WASP during World War II. This story originally ran in the Beatitudes Campus Roadrunner Extra! newsletter, a monthly publication "for the residents, by the residents" created by the volunteer Writers' Group.

The commanding officer at Ellington Field in Houston didn’t really know who had been assigned to his base when 25 young women aviators—civilians—reported for training. These experienced lady pilots were some of the best in the country and could fly circles (literally) around their instructors, freshly commissioned lieutenants just out of basic flight training. That in part probably explains the chilly and less than chivalrous reception given these future founding members of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots—the WASP.

Geri Nyman, now a resident at The Beatitudes with her husband Van, was one of that adventurous group. They all had been recruited by aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran to join "Wings for Britain," but Cochran finally convinced our military (with the help of Eleanor Roosevelt) that their skills were needed right here in the U. S. Geri tells us what happened when they arrived in Houston.

Finally in 2009 members of the WASP were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor actively and posthumously for their service to our country.

By Geri Nyman, Beatitudes Campus Resident
Twenty-five women from all over the U.S. headed for Houston. For this first class Jackie Cochran had selected members who had lots of flying hours. She said if this first 25 didn’t make it, the whole program would go down the drain. She warned us to expect "bad stuff" in Houston.

Four of us from New York drove to Houston in two cars. We headed for the municipal airport--not Ellington Field which was next door. We would be given $150 a month and had to pay our own room and board. We were told we had to find our own housing. A lot of the girls went into town to a hotel because they had to take a bus or cab to the airport. Eventually the base found an old cattle truck without seats to transport the girls from town. Magda Tacke and I found a nice room in a private home near the field and fortunately had a car to drive back and forth.

Even though we were using the only nonmilitary field in Houston, the brass did not want anyone to know what we were doing. We were to tell anyone who asked that we were a basketball team. With two five footers and three close to six feet, it was truly a comic opera.

Our headquarters were an old shack at the end of the field. That’s where we were to do all our studying and training. If we wanted to eat or go to the bathroom we walked a half mile up to the terminal. They did eventually put in a porta potty for us. In the lunchroom the commanding officer and the instructors would sit in the middle of the room eating their steaks etc. We sat on high stools at high tables eating starchy foods that were really bad. We asked for salads for lunch. So they gave us beans on a lettuce leaf. To show their good humor they gave us brown beans one day and white the next.

One of our girls was a stunt pilot. When she got aboard for her qualifying run her young instructor asked her if she could really fly. She answered, “Do you really want to know?” She took off down the field, turned and flew back over the field upside down, righted and flew straight up in the air until she stalled out. What a performance! The young lieutenant staggered off the plane and vowed he would never get on a plane with one of those wild women again.

We really had a comedy when the PT’s (trainers) arrived. Two of our girls were only five feet tall. Those girls required two pillows tied to their parachute and another pillow to sit on. Otherwise they could not reach the rudder pedals. In January it was so cold in the PT’s that we complained. They brought in several boxes of cast-off winter gear from Ellington. Not a suit was under size 44, and the smallest boot was size 11. If we used the boots we could not feel the rudder.

One day some heavy equipment removed a section of fence between our field and Ellington. They shoved five airplanes through the hole. We couldn’t understand why they didn’t just fly the planes over. I got a call that night from a friend at Ellington who said the planes had been junked when termites were discovered in the wings. If we had complained they would have said we were scared, and it would have been a good way to get rid of us. So we flew them—the “Bamboo Bombers.” We had one minor accident with one plane when its wing gave way. Our girl was o.k., but the male instructor was slightly hurt.

They started a second and a third class and they stayed in a motel downtown for a few weeks and rode back and forth in the old truck with no seats. The Air Force realized this program was going to fly so it was transferred to Sweetwater, Texas to a great facility. We were the only class to graduate from Houston.

Twenty-three of us graduated. (Two dropped out for health reasons.) For the graduation ceremony we each flew a plane over to Ellington next door for the ceremony and formed a half circle around the podium. There we were presented our wings by Jackie Cochran. She had purchased the wings herself as the Air Force still didn’t acknowledge us as real Army Air Force pilots. We had no uniforms but our own tan pants and tan shirts so we at least had something to pin our wings on.

Geri's Hasty Wartime Wedding as found at Beatitudes Blog

The Seeing Eye

2011-12-29T08:38:00.053-05:00

"He said the common eye sees only the outside of things, and judges by that, but the seeing eye pierces through and reads the heart and soul, finding there capacities which the outside didn't indicate or promise, and which the other kind of eye couldn't detect." [Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Sieur Louis de Conte, pages 149, 150]

There was a time when we humans were able to view the spiritual realities that surround us. That gift fell into disuse with the advent of the scientific method of viewing the world where the only acceptable evidence of reality is that which can be measured by the human senses. As we lost the gift of the Seeing Eye, we began to doubt the existence of the spiritual. Those few remaining of us who could still view the spiritual world were looked upon with distrust. Those still possessing clairvoyance, became Witches and acolytes of Satan.

In 15th Century France, when the educated Sieur Louis de Conte saw an apparition appearing in a meadow to a 17-year-old peasant girl named Joan, he asked her about it. She replied: "I will tell you, but do not be disturbed; you are not in danger. It was the shadow of an archangel - Michael, the chief and lord of the armies of heaven." [Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Sieur Louis de Conte, page 76] After following her voices from Heaven and leading an army to free France from the grip of the English for "a thousand years," Joan of Arc was condemned to death and burned at the stake.

War Horse

2011-12-26T20:08:00.002-05:00

War Horse - An anti-military statement from Stephen Spielberg. A shocking interpretation of the children's story.

I read the book and saw the play in New York City, so today I went to see the War Horse movie. I was stunned and disappointed with the gratuitous violence, blood and gore that was interpreted from what was a children's book. I did not like the movie's negative portrayal of the military. In the book, both the German and the British soldiers were portrayed respectfully and sympathetically. Some of the anti-military scenes in the movie were totally invented by Spielberg; not in the original children's book at all. In the story of War Horse, the Germans never executed the young boys who were not even portrayed characters in the book, and the British never told their men to shoot fellow soldiers. But Joey the horse was portrayed wonderfully in the movie, and there was not a dry eye in the theatre. I only wish they had given Emilee's story more coverage instead of ignoring it to stress the violence of the war.

The movie took a children's story and made it into an anti-military screed that contains too much violence for children.

The Christmas Bell

2011-12-18T18:21:00.003-05:00

THE BELL

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)

I am united with the Lord(1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price(1 Cor. 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt &; light of the earth (Matt.5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ(1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil.3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31-34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor.5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom.8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor.1:21-22)

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8: 28)

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected (Phil 1: 5)

I have been redeemed & forgiven (Col. 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)

I belong to God

Do you know

Who you

are?

Keep this bell ringing ... pass it on -- from the Internet :)

Lee's Stratford Landing of 1781

2011-12-08T13:50:00.000-05:00

On 30 March 1781, two hundred thirty years ago, British sailors from armed vessels anchored in the Potomac River near Saint Clement’s [Blackistone] Island, and attempted to land at Stratford Landing as part of a mission to destroy and loot the plantation houses along both sides of the river. From his home Chantilly, which had a good view of the island, Richard Henry Lee, Lieutenant of the Westmoreland militia, watched the movements of the ships. The British launched smaller craft to approach the shoreline while the large ships fired cannons to cover the attack. Richard Henry Lee met them with a small, ill-armed group of local citizens. In the skirmish that followed, the Westmoreland militia repelled the attackers, killing one British sailor who was buried on Stratford beach.

The image, Lee's Stratford Landing, is subject to copyright by Edna Barney. It is posted here with permission via the Flickr API by barneykin, an administrator of "The Revolution ed" pool.

The Way We Were in 1968

2011-10-09T10:26:00.001-04:00

Register Your Product

2011-09-17T15:19:00.002-04:00

Okay - I purchase a new product & am advised to register said product in case the manufacturer needs to notify me of updates and other important info. But, once I register & give them my email, the company begins to SPAM me - usually daily. So, I mark them as a SPAMMER & thenceforth all of their emails go into my SPAM folder & if they ever do send me anything important - Like your electronic devise is defective & is about to burst into flames - I never see the email. So why bother registering?

The Chronicles of Narnia

2011-09-17T09:29:00.001-04:00

Inn at Perry Cabin, a photo by Edna Barney on Flickr.

I have just finished all seven of the books in “The Chronicles of Narnia” by C. S. Lewis. I learned that there are many ways to enter that mystical land of our dreams. A lowly coat closet could be an entry point, or a train station. Be especially cautious when gazing at a portrait of a sailing ship hanging upon a wall. When the sea waters begin flooding about your feet, you will be swept to Narnia for an adventure of a lifetime … and beyond.

The Miracle of the Sycamore at Ground Zero

2011-09-11T15:37:00.004-04:00

Saint Paul's Churchyard in Manhattan, a photo by Edna Barney on Flickr.

There are Miracles!
On September 11, 2001, an ancient Sycamore tree stood between the small Saint Paul's Chapel of 1766, and the World Trade Center. The brunt of the force released by the collapsing Twin Towers caused the 100-year-old tree to fall. The tree fell in such a way that its spreading branches created a shield which absorbed shockwaves from the seeming nuclear impact and preserved the historic 18th century Saint Paul's Chapel of Trinity Church and its ancient tombstones from falling debris, including a direct hit from an I-beam, and what should have been certain destruction.

"This stump is all that remains of a 100 -year-old Sycamore that once stood in the northwest corner of St. Paul's churchyard. The tree was toppled on September 11th, 2001, when the collapse of the World Trade Center sent tons of debris hurtling towards the church, including a large steel beam from the North Tower. Miraculously, the Chapel's trees shielded from dam and not a single pane of glass was broken through the church."

"In 2005, renowned sculptor Steve Tobin worked with tree experts to preserve the original Sycamore stump that you see here at St. Paul's." (From the Plaque Below the Stump)

The Trinity Root

Threescore Years and Ten

2011-09-09T08:06:00.001-04:00

Birthday Cake from Cliff, a photo by Edna Barney on Flickr.

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten." --The Bible

"I'll never make the mistake of being 70 again." -- Casey Stengel

"With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding." --Job 12:12 (KJV)

The Genesis Key by James Barney

2011-07-28T09:54:00.002-04:00

The Genesis Key by James Barney

"Every myth has some foundation in truth."

Have you heard of the INDY gene? It is a gene that scientists discovered about ten years ago in fruit flies that can be manipulated to double or triple their life spans. This is real science mind you, not fiction. “INDY” stands for “I’m Not Dead Yet,” from "`Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Yes, scientists do have a sense of humor. In Genesis 6:1-4, it explains that Man’s “days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” Only one person in modern history has ever lived longer than 120 years: Ms. Jeanne Calment of France, who died in 1997 at the age of 122. At the same time, advances in medicine and genetic research will surely push the upper end of life expectancy past 120 years in the coming decades. Does this portend an imminent collision course with Genesis 6:1-4?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR - Steve Berry reviewed the new techno-thriller novel from James Barney, and was generous in praising it:

"‘The Genesis Key’ is a solid blend of science, myth, history and suspense. It’s remarkable and unconventional, which together make for a great tale. There’s an intense brand of storytelling here, utilizing all the elements I love. I can’t wait for more from James Barney."

The Genesis Key by James Barney

2011-07-03T08:44:00.007-04:00

(from Legal BizNow, Washington)

"The Genesis Key" - A Novel by James Barney is an exciting novel; it is entertaining, fast moving and light reading. The story swirls about ancient history, modern science, politics and the Old Testament and Torah. I am thrilled to have found "the Nephilim" ... those "divine beings" from ancient religious texts who "cohabited with men, who bore them offspring." I am happy that "I'm Not Dead Yet" for I am eagerly awaiting Barney's second book.

What's a Train?

2011-05-15T17:25:00.002-04:00

Daddy, what's a train? Is it something I can ride?

Does it carry lots of grown-up folks and little kids inside?

Is it bigger than our house? Well how can I explain

When my little boy and girl ask me "Daddy what's a train?"

When I was just a boy and living by the track,

Us kids would gather up the coal in big 'ole gunnysacks,

Then we heard the warning sound as the train pulled into view,

The engineer would smile and wave as she went rolling through.

She blew so loud and clear, we had to cover up our ears,

And we counted cars just as high as we could go.

I can almost hear the steam those big old drivers scream,

A sound my little kids will never know.

("Daddy What's a Train" by Utah Phillips)

The Golden Spike Ceremony, a photo by Edna Barney on Flickr.

Curiosity

2011-05-09T20:22:00.002-04:00

Cudleigh Cougar, a photo by Edna Barney on Flickr.

It is curiosity that killed the cat, and it will kill us too, by and by, if nothing else kills us first. The cat understands it is all part of the game. Do we?

Mysterious Tombstone of Occoquan

2011-03-25T18:06:00.001-04:00

Mill House Museum, Occoquan, Virginia

This tombstone was washed away from the James Arnold family cemetery in Woodbridge, Virginia to the banks of the Occoquan River during the Hurricane Agnes, 1972. According to "Our Mysterious Tombstone" by Martha Roberts, it marked the grave of a New York man, Frank Hurlybuff, who had the stone carved, a casket constructed, then dug a grave in his friend's family cemetery and shot himself. No one knows the meaning of the C.N. 42 W.A.C.O inscription, however the same was found on the tombstone of Elizabeth Hurlebaus, buried at the Crow Road Cemetery, Litchfield, Medina County, Ohio. Elizabeth is believed to have been the wife of Frederick Gottleib Hurlebaus.

The image, Mysterious Occoquon Tombstone 1893, was originally uploaded to the Internet by Edna Barney.

Saint Patrick's Day

2011-03-15T17:00:00.000-04:00

Saint Patrick (circa 390-464)

"I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock." ~~ from Saint Patrick's 'Breastplate' Prayer

The image, Saint Patrick (circa 390-464), was originally uploaded by barneykin. It is posted here from Neddy's .

Turn Your iPhone On!

2011-02-27T19:58:00.001-05:00

I ♥ My iPhone!
Turn Your iPhone On -
Google knows where you have been,
Turn Your iPhone On -
Download your music through the air. ♩♪♫♬

LYRICS:
Come and listen in to our podcast station
Where the mighty host of the heavens ping
Turn your iPhone on, Turn your iPhone on
If you want to hear the songs without buying
Coming from the web of endless tunes,
Turn your iPhone on, Turn your iPhone on.

Women of the New Testament

2011-02-23T20:04:00.005-05:00

Mary "sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word." ~~Luke 10:39
Martha bore witness: "She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God,which should come into the world." ~~John 11:27
Tabitha was "at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. And it came to pass in those days, tht she was sick, and died: ... and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them."~~Acts 9:36, 37, 39
Phebe was "a servant of the church ... she hath been a succourer of many."~~Romans 16:1-2
Priscilla and Aquila were "helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks:"~~Romans 16:3-4
"Mary, who bestowed much labour on us." ~~Romans 16:6

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGE WASHINGTON

2011-02-21T07:37:00.007-05:00

General George Washington -- "A good moral character is the first essential in a man."

HAPPY 279th BIRTHDAY to the Man Who Changed the World – General George Washington of Mount Vernon, Virginia, who wrote “The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.”

George WASHINGTON (1732 – 1799) was born February 22nd, 1732, at “Popes Creek,” a home that his father had built in the 1720s in Westmoreland County, Virginia. George Washington was raised there and in King George and Fairfax Counties, Virginia.

George Washington died in his bedroom at Mount Vernon on December 14th, 1799. His will directed that he be buried on the grounds of his beloved estate where he had selected a site for a new brick tomb to replace the original burial vault which was badly weathered and succumbing to the elements. However, the new tomb was not completed until more than thirty years later. It was in 1831, that the earthly remains of George Washington and his beloved consort Martha were removed there. Every day from April through October a wreath laying ceremony is performed by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, at 10 am and 2 pm, at the Tomb of Washington, in tribute to America’s greatest leader.
George Washington, America’s first and greatest president, is one of the four American presidents carved into the granite at"Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.

A grateful nation remembered its patriot warrior president, George Washington of Virginia by erecting the Washington Monument, a great obelisk to his memory in their nation’s capital. George Washington’s birthday once was celebrated in this land with great fanfare on February 22nd. Today George Washington’s birthday seems forgotten or remembered only as “Presidents’ Day.”
There are probably few" Americans who appreciate the indispensable role played by George Washington in the formation of the United States of America. Without General Washington, there probably would not be a United States of America today. George Washington was America’s First great General. He was an indispensable leader of the American Revolution. Our forebears described him as “First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.”

Thankfully, not everyone has forgotten the greatness of the man. Check out MountVernon.org . ~~Edna Barney

This life size display of General Washington as Commander in Chief is from the museum center at his Mount Vernon plantation in Virginia. The image, Museum at Mount Vernon, is subject to copyright by Edna Barney. It is posted here with permission via the Flickr API by barneykin, an administrator of "The Revolution ed" pool.

Dancing Goblin Feet

2011-01-19T22:36:00.013-05:00

Goblin Feet
A Poem to Memorize - A Poem to Remember
by J.R.R. Tolkien

I AM off down the road
Where the fairy lanterns glowed
And the little pretty flittermice are flying:
A slender band of gray
It runs creepily away
And the hedges and the grasses are a-sighing.
The air is full of wings,
And of blundering beetle-things
That warn you with their whirring and their humming.
O! I hear the tiny horns
Of enchanted leprechauns
And the padded feet of many gnomes a-coming!

O! the lights: O! the gleams: O! the little tinkly sounds:
O! the rustle of their noisless little robes:
O! the echo of their feet -- of their little happy feet:
O! their swinging lamps in little starlit globes.

I must follow in their train
Down the crooked fairy lane
Where the coney-rabbits long ago have gone,
And where silverly they sing
In a moving moonlit ring
All a-twinkle with the jewels they have on.
They are fading round the turn
Where the glow-worms palely burn
And the echo of their padding feet is dying!
O! it's knocking at my heart --
Let me go! O! let me start!
For the little magic hours are all a-flying.

O! the warmth! O! the hum! O! the colours in the dark!
O! the gauzy wings of golden honey-flies!
O! the music of their feet -- of their dancing goblin feet!
O! the magic! O! the sorrow when it dies.
(from Oxford Poetry, 1915)

What Does It All Mean?

Twelve Days of Christmas

2010-12-31T11:35:00.006-05:00

The twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6th), which is when the three wise men supposedly arrived on the scene. It is NOT the twelve days before Christmas as many erroneously believe. The lovely story following is now considered by the erudite amongst us as an Internet Urban Legend with no basis in fact. However, the "Twelve Days of Christmas" was first found in print in 1790, and was already traditional. Its origin seems to have been French as was the word "carol." Christmas Caroling was derived from the French word "caroller," which means dancing around in a circle. Joyous revelers at Christmastime danced in a circle around the creche, joyously singing Christmas carols. Such holiday celebrating was banned in England during the Protestant Cromwell reign and many of the oldest Christmas songs and their histories were forever lost.

An Underground Catechism

(from “Drennon’s Twelve Days of Christmas”)

Most folks, I believe, are familiar with the Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." If you listen to the words carefully, it seems like nonsence set to rhyme and music. However, it was written with a serious purpose. It is more than just a list of twelve silly gifts. Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829 were prohibited by law to practice their faith either in public or private. It was illegal to be Catholic. [Note: Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England in 1829.]

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the basics of their faith. In short, it was a memory aid. Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense, young catholics could sing the song without fear of imprisonment. The authorities would not know that it was a religious song. Actually, the catecism to which it referred was rather ecumenical so could probably be claimed to be protestant if cornered.

The song's gifts had hidden meanings to the teachings of the Catholic faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, but it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. i.e. the church. The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so..."

Here is a complete list of the 12 symbols with their meanings*

1 Partridge in a pear tree = The One true God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch which contain the law condemning us of our sins.
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments of the Catholic faith
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Dennis Bratcher

The Twelve Days of Christmas - History

Folding Fitted Sheets

2010-12-13T11:11:00.000-05:00

Back in my day, there was no such thing as a "fitted sheet" hence we grannies are grateful enough to treat these modern bed linens with the respect they deserve. And NO, it is not easier to roll both sheets up in a ball and stuff them inside one of the pillow cases!

Wild Parrots of New Jersey

2010-12-12T09:12:00.003-05:00

The question is, do they speak New Joisey?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

NOVA Barbies

2010-11-23T22:47:00.011-05:00

I found the following “Christmas Shopping” suggestions at an unnamed message board. This is an inside joke, meaning that one needs to understand the acronym NOVA to "get it." Translation: one must have some familiarity with the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC.

Reston Barbie:
This princess Barbie is sold only at The Reston Town Center in Chico’s. She comes with an assortment of Coach Handbags, a Lexus SUV, a long haired foreign dog named Honey, and a “cookie cutter” $2,000,000.00 house. Available with or without tummy tuck and face lift. Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with “augmented” version.
Springfield Barbie:
This modern day homemaker Barbie is available with Ford Windstar Minivan and matching gym outfit. She gets lost easily and has no full time occupation or secondary education. Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately.

Prince Georges County Barbie:
This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a Pontiac with dark tinted windows and a crack pipe. This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash (preferably small, untraceable bills). Unless you are a cop, then we don’t know what you are talking about.

Great Falls Barbie:
This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible or Hummer H2. Included are her own Starbucks cup, credit card and Scioto Country Club membership. Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper. You won’t be able to afford any of them.

Fredericksburg Barbie:
This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR shirt and tweety bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Bud light and a Hank Williams, Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken’s butt when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and get a Confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.

Herndon Barbie:
This collagen injected, rhinoplastic Barbie wears a leopard print outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while entertaining friends. Percocet prescription available.
West Virginia Barbie:
This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased beer-gutted Ken out of another Barbie’s house. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see through halter-top. Also available with a mobile home.
Falls Church Barbie:
This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long straight brown hair, archless feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white socks. She prefers that you call her “Willow.” She does not want or need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Clintonville Barbies and the optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.
SouthWest Barbie:
This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant doll. Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass. Gangsta Ken and his ‘79 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant.
Dupont Circle Barbie/Ken:
This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or subtracting the multiple “snap-on” parts.

The History of America's WASP

2010-10-09T15:54:00.003-04:00

History of the WASP, 1942 - 2010

Geri Was a WASP

Congressional Gold Medal for WASPS

2010-08-29T16:10:00.000-04:00

Members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) received the Congressional Gold Medal for their service in World War II. The corps of female pilots was created in 1942 to fly military planes in the U.S. so that male military pilots were available for combat service and duties. The ceremony, which was held in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center, included the presentation of the colors and the singing of the national anthem.

Potomac River of 1634

2010-06-15T13:25:00.002-04:00

In early spring of 1634, when Father Andrew WHITE and the English colonists on the Ark and Dove sailed into the Potomac River, they were enthralled with the beauty of the “great stream” and its wooded shores. They named it Saint Gregory, in honor of the canonized Pope of that name. "Never have I beheld a larger or more beautiful river," wrote Father WHITE. "The Thames seems a mere rivulet in comparison with it; it is not disfigured by any swamps, but has firm land on each side. Fine groves of trees appear, not choked with briers or bushes or undergrowth, but growing at intervals as if planted by the hand of man, so that you can drive a four-horse carriage, wherever you choose, through the midst of the trees. Just at the mouth of the river we saw the natives in arms. That night fires blazed throughout the whole country, and since they had never seen so large a ship, messengers were sent in all directions, who reported that a canoe, like an island, had come with as many men as there were trees in the woods."

The image, Potomac River, was originally uploaded to the Internet by Edna Barney. It was posted here by Neddy of .

Red Poppies In Memory

2010-05-29T11:35:00.000-04:00

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem, cited above. She then conceived of wearing red poppies on Memorial day to honor those who died serving the nation during war. She sold poppies as a fundraiser to benefit needy veterans. When Madam Guerin, a visitor to the United States from France, learned of this new custom she began making artificial red poppies to raise money for French war orphans and widows. The Red Poppy tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922, the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell Red Poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948, the US Post Office honored Moina Michael for founding the National Poppy movement with a three cent postage stamp with her likeness upon it.

The image, Poppy at Lion House, was originally uploaded by Edna Barney. It is posted here from Barneykin's account.

Understanding Baltimore Speak

2010-01-02T10:12:00.003-05:00

Hiya Hons! Here's how to understand and talk BAWLAMERESE.

Bawlamer : American city north of Warsherton.
Amlance : Will take you to the horsepital.
Arn : Will press your pants.
Baffroom : Where the terlet is.
Blair Road : spelled "Belair Road."
Cammer : What you take pixtures wiff.
Chimbley : It's on top of the ruff.
Downer Shore : Chesapeake Bay.
Earl : an engine lubricant or Earl's name.
Farplace : Fireplace.
Formstone : A cement, stone-shaped rowhouse application.
Iggles : Eagles.
Orster : where you get perls.
Po-lice : They lock you up at the Station House.
Sem-lem : Any convenience store, such as 7-11.
Stoop : Marble steps in front of a Baltimore Row Home.
Tars : What your car rides on.
Par a Plars : Tool for removing nuts and bolts.
Youse All : All of you.
Zink - where you wash dirty dishes.

Baltimore, My Baltimore -- My Hometown.

How The Scots Invented New Year’s Eve

2009-12-31T10:07:00.007-05:00

New Year’s Eve madness is a modern-made celebration. Before the Scots popularized midnight debauchery, the New Year was soberly celebrated on the first morning of the year with respect and reflection. Then, someone went and invented public clocks, great clanking iron engines with enormous hanging bells to inform mankind of the precise passing of time. When clocks arrived in Scotland, the Scots promptly went into “party mode,” combining two peculiar Scottish customs, Hogmanay and First Footing. By the 1680s, New Year’s Eve was born. A century later Scotland’s beloved Rabbie Burns wrote "Auld Lang Syne," setting it to a raucous Scottish dance tune.The Scots contributed a wee bit of Scotch whiskey and soon all of civilization ended the dignified moderation and temporal respect they had formerly displayed when ushering in the New Year. The rest is history, or so say those who claim that the Scots invented Everything.

The Case Against the New Year from the Wall Street Journal

A Soldier's Lament

2009-11-08T09:49:00.002-05:00

"NO PATRIOTISM"

This is one example of graffiti that occupying Union soldiers left upon the walls of Blenheim in Fairfax, Virginia during the War Between the States. This photograph is from the attic, however when wallpaper was recently removed from the main floors of the old Greek Revival farmhouse, graffiti was discovered everywhere. This "Soldier's Lament" records:

4th Month

No money

No whiskey

No Friends

No Rations

No Peas

No Beans

No Pants

No Patriotism (underlined)

"Blenheim," located at 3610 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, Virginia, is a brick home built by REZEN WILLCOXON about 1858, to replace an earlier frame dwelling. This 12-acre former farm, includes a cemetery for several generations of the Willcoxon family who lived here. Blenheim is renown for its outstanding examples of Civil War soldier graffiti. It is currently being restored. The day we were there, a recent tropical storm had left many downed trees, but no damage to the structures.

The image, Soldier Graffiti, was originally uploaded by Edna Barney. It is posted here from Barneykin's account.

Visit Neddy's Archives for more of Edna's writings.

Happy Bjarne Day

2009-10-12T10:06:00.001-04:00

Bjarne, America’s Discoverer 986AD

Most people have no idea that the first European to discover American was a Barney. They think it was Leif Erikson or Christopher Columbus. When Leif found the coast of America he was following Bjarne’s discoveries. Bjarne, a Norwegian Viking, found what is now New England in 986 AD. He went back to Greenland where his family was living and told his father, Harold, what he had seen. Harold was a member of Erik the Red’s sailing team. Erik the Red then ordered his son, Leif, to go and find the lands that Bjarne had described. The rest is history, and Christopher Columbus ended up getting the credit, as he had a great publicist. Leif came in second place, and Bjarne was forgotten.

Neddy's Palaver

2005-08-27T23:13:00.000-04:00

Blatherings Has Moved and is now

"Neddy's Palaver"!

The new address is http.neddy.blogsome.com

All of the old posts are still at "Blatherings" in the Archives.

You may also use the search engine.

Neddy's Pages

2005-08-09T08:07:00.000-04:00

On Primrose Day of 2001, I created my first webpage as a tribute to the 100th anniversary of my father's birthday. Since then I have continued to create page after page and a number of sites. Those pages that are themselves entire web sites, I have marked with an "*". Whatsoever good I have accomplished in life is all to the glory of God, inspired by Saint Paul's epistle to the Corinthians. ~~Neddy

Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle! ~~ Alice from "Alice's Adventure in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll

Neddy's Palaver

2005-08-08T23:28:00.000-04:00

Please Visit the NEW Blatherings: Neddy's Palaver

Feedster Claim

2005-08-01T18:12:00.000-04:00

No Need to Click Here - I'm just claiming my feed at Feedster

Military Culture

2005-07-28T15:39:00.000-04:00

A country can never know exactly when it may need to call upon its warriors to take on the enemy; to fight to the death if necessary in order to protect its citizens' lives and property. For this reason, it has always been necessary for countries to have a strong and well-defined military culture that is built upon ancient traditions and respect for national history. Governments and civilians who allow their military institutions to dissipate into an unhealthy state, will bring devastating effects upon their nation's security if not corrected. No country, even one as wealthy as the United States, has ever been able to financially reward soldiers fairly for the risks they take and the deeds they do. Therefore a people must rely upon the ancient military culture to give the soldier the rewards necessary to have him go into battle and to fight valiantly for his homeland.

If one were to ask military people what they like about their careers, most would answer that they enjoy the opportunities to lead, to work and train with other soldiers, the military camaraderie and the opportunities to be patriotic. Military people enjoy the "esprit de corps" that comes from working on a team, the sense of accomplishment for jobs well done and the pride and prestige that comes from just being soldiers, representing their beloved homeland. These opportunities can only be found in the military lifestyle. No other job offers them. Seldom does a soldier mention pay or benefits, and every military person understands that his pay is in no way comparable to what his job would gain in the civilian sector.

What exactly is a healthy military culture? The military is a world of the young and always will be. There is no generation gap, but instead a hierarchy among the various ranks from low to high, which the military finds comforting. Each soldier knows exactly where he fits in the grand scheme and he call tell another soldier's place by the uniform, rank and medals worn. There is a "warrior spirit" interwoven into the framework of military culture, which is built upon basic moral and institutional values held in common between the warriors. Additionally, the military is rich with old fashioned traditions that have been bequeathed from soldier to soldier, as civilians hand down unseen treasures from father to son. Rather than having an occupation, a soldier feels part of an institution that is far greater than himself.

The military is expected by its commander in chief and the taxpayers who fund it to maintain a high code of ethics. In order to fight and win in battle, each soldier understands that discipline is demanded at every level of his job. Because military culture is almost always more conservative than that of the civilian sector, it can hurt morale to change codes of behavior which were in effect when the soldiers joined up. Although a civilian employee can walk off the job when he dislikes new rules imposed by his employer, a military person is subject to imprisonment for doing the same. Although a soldier fights to uphold freedom, he in fact has been required to give up some of his own freedoms in order to serve as a soldier. Ofttimes, this causes a lack of understanding from civilians as to why a soldier does or does not do certain things.

In the United States of today, with its entirely volunteer fighting force, it seems that, more than ever, the military culture should be upheld and respected. In fact, even a bit of emulation could be of great benefit. Those who belittle it, or try to merge it into the more modern civilian culture, or attempt to destroy it in various way, are actually harming all of us, not just the military.

Put ICE in Your Cell Phone

2005-07-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

The 7/7 London bombings highlighted the "National "ICE" Awareness Campaign campaign that had been launched in the U.K. in April of 2005. The idea had originated with the East Anglian Ambulance service in 2004, when it suggested that people store the word "I C E " in the memory (address book) of their mobile phones, and against it enter the name, telephone number and other details of the person to be contacted "In Case of Emergency".

If the unforeseen should befall, ambulance and hospital staff will be able to quickly contact one's next of kin.It is so simple that everyone should do it. SO DO! Please do. It could save your life, and even more lives if you convince your friends and family to do the same. For more than one contact name, enter ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 and so on. The Washington Post reported on this:

The idea was conceived by Bob Brotchie, a clinical team leader for the ambulance service, after years of trying to reach relatives of people he was treating. He began the ICE initiative in April, but it gained momentum only after the bombings in London, when information about the plan spread by e-mail.

Paramedics, police and firefighters often waste valuable time trying to figure out which name in a cell phone to call when disaster strikes, according to current and retired members of the emergency services, who said they must look through wallets for clues, or scroll through cell address books and guess. Many people identify their spouse by name in their cell, making them indistinguishable from other entries.

Lt. Robert Stimpson, acting police chief of Madison, Conn. ... "I think it's a great idea. . . . It's so simple I can't believe that other people haven't thought of it before. Not only does it help emergency workers identify a responsible party when they come upon an unconscious person, it also helps identify the owners of lost cell phones,". (Washington Post)

This message about the 'ICE' Campaign has been sent around the world in e-mails, which for a change are mostly based on the truth. However, according to BBC News of 13 July 2005, there are "false" e-mail virus hoax warnings targeting the ICE Campaign. Some malicious person with time to waste is writing that "ICE" entered into a mobile phone makes it vulnerable to a virus attack or hidden charges. Virus Experts say these warnings are false and should be ignored.

Linked at basil's blog Lunch: 7/28/2005.

No Celts in Ancient Britain

2005-07-27T17:40:00.000-04:00

The Isle of Albion was invaded throughout its history by Saxons, Romans, Vikings, and finally, the Normans, who conquered and ruled the land. In modern history the British welcomed Jewish and Protestant refugees from Europe. Yet, amazingly, the genetic makeup of today's white Britons is much the same as their prehistoric ancestors, a few thousand Ice Age hunters.

Author, archaeologist David Miles, believes that about 80 percent of the genetic characteristics of most white Britons have passed down from their progenitors of 12,000 years ago. The ancient hunter-gatherers arrived at what is now Britain immediately after the Ice Age. They were tribal nomads who followed herds of reindeer and wild horses northward to Britain. As the climate warmed and sea levels rose, the Isle of Albion became cut off and isolated from mainland Europe.

This same race of Ice Age hunter-gatherers settled also in the part of northwest Europe which is now the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Because of random genetic mutations, those populations are now different from the British population. Red hair, a mutation that probably occurred 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, is the most visible British genetic marker. It was noted when the Romans arrived 2,000 years ago. Today, studies show that there is more red hair in Scotland and Wales than anywhere else in the world.

One area of Miles' book is certainly destined to foment debate. Writing that there are no historical references to Celts in ancient Britain, he explains; "In the 18th and 19th centuries, as Ireland, Wales, and Scotland started to assert national identity, they began to talk about themselves as Celts", a group of tribes living in ancient Gaul, which is now France. Their language shared the same roots as those of the British tribes and that heritage was more palatable to those eschewing British customs and rule.

No Celts in ancient Britain? Now that is a new twist. David Miles did acknowledged that the techniques used to explore genetic ancestry are still in their infancy and that much more study will be need to more fully understand British origins. However, I found more at the BBC history site. "The Peoples of Britain" by Dr. Simon James explains:

"However, there is one thing that the Romans, modern archaeologists and the Iron Age islanders themselves would all agree on: they were not Celts. This was an invention of the 18th century; the name was not used earlier. The idea came from the discovery around 1700 that the non-English island tongues relate to that of the ancient continental Gauls, who really were called Celts. This ancient continental ethnic label was applied to the wider family of languages. But 'Celtic' was soon extended to describe insular monuments, art, culture and peoples, ancient and modern: island 'Celtic' identity was born, like Britishness, in the 18th century."

Coffee Anyone?

2005-07-26T09:52:00.000-04:00

This post has been moved to "Neddy's Palaver".

Have you ever wondered about those fancy push button Italian coffee makers? Especially when the coffee is a bit too flavorful? Make your own free coffee in this self-service coffee maker.

Bon appétit.

1. CLICK ON THE LATTE to access the Expresso Machine
2. PUT THE COIN IN THE SLOT
3. CHOOSE YOUR DRINK
4. CLICK ON THE CUP WHEN IT IS READY
5. CLICK ON "APRI" (OPEN - very important, don't forget!) to open the machine and see the coffee being made.

It's Italian humor.

Blogger Blogs

2005-07-25T15:44:00.000-04:00

Users of Blogger -- If you have trouble sending Trackbacks or perhaps even leaving comments at blogs outside of the Blogger network, then read this and you may understand. I wrote to Blogger a long time ago about the "fake" blogs that are being created on Blogger for just that purpose, to spam and to gum up the works of the search engines. Blogger wrote back to me and said that these fake blog creators have as much right to use the free Blogger system as do those writing "real" blogs. This is from Captain's Quarters, where Blogger bloggers can no longer leave Trackbacks.

Spammers Use Blogger

I have to temporarily block blogspot.com URLs because Blogger sites have begun spamming my trackbacks. Using a number of different sites, Blogger spam has flooded my site this morning. At first, I tried blocking the specific site URLs, but apparently Blogger has allowed a number of commercial sites to spam other bloggers. Until they fix their problem and block access to spammers, I have to keep the block on CQ. If your blog is part of the Blogger community, you may want to write Google (Blogger's owner) and tell them to clean up their act.

Here are some examples: http://pzwjynf.blogspot.com/
http://superstartanning.blogspot.com/

Some Give All, Some Give Some

2005-07-25T10:39:00.000-04:00

What is the Purple Heart? The Purple Heart is an American military medal and is the world's oldest military decoration still in use. It was the first American medal to be awarded to the common soldier. Initially it was named the Badge of Military Merit and was created by one of the world’s most famed and best-loved heroes— General George Washington.

The PURPLE HEART is a combat decoration awarded to members of the armed forces of the United States who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy. When the wounds are mortal, the PURPLE HEART is posthumously given to the fallen soldier's next of kin in his name.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart

John S. McCain III (Veterans History Project), was a recipient of The Purple Heart. The Purple Heart medal on the chest of a young soldier reminds us that ...

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze
A young soldier saluted it, and then
He stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many Pilots' planes shot down?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No Freedom is not free
I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen"
When a flag had draped a coffin
of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No Freedom isn't free!
Author--Cadet Major Kelly Strong

Linked at Mudville Gazette's 'Open Post' and 'Beltway Traffic Jam' at Outside the Beltway.

First Battle of Manassas

2005-07-21T12:33:00.000-04:00

The first major battle of the Civil War was fought, 21 July 1861, near the Manassas, Virginia railway junction, and became known as the First Battle of Manassas by the Confederates and the First Battle of Bull Run, by the Union. The armies in this first battle were not very large by later Civil War standards. The Federal forces of about 30,000 troops were commanded by Brigadier General Irvin McDowell. The Confederates had two armies, the Confederate Army of the Potomac under command of Brigadier General Pierre G. T. Beauregard, and the Army of the Shenandoah, commanded by Brigadier General Joseph E. Johnston.

When General Beauregare ordered his fresh troops to attack the right flank of the advancing Union army, the Yankees heard for probably the first time a sound that would bring instant chills throughout the remainder of the war. The 6,500 attacking Confederates let loose with a shrill, yelping fox hunter's call, which became known as the "Rebel Yell." It terrified the Yankee soldiers into a disorganized rout.

The heroes of the day were a brigade of Virginia soldiers commanded by Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson who refused to lose any ground. Because of their heroic obstinancy, Confederate Brig. Gen. Barnard Bee famously shouted the order: "Look! There is Jackson standing like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!" The Confederates did and the battle resulted in a humiliating rout of Union forces and a disorderly retreat, bringing the battle to a halt. General Jackson became known as "Stonewall Jackson" and the brigade as the "Stonewall Brigade".

General Beauregard won the day by attacking the Federals and causing their disorganized retreat. The elite of Washington, D.C. had treated the war as a spectator sport and rode out to the battlefield to picnic. When the Union Army was driven back, the roads back to Washington were blocked by terrified civilians and their carriages. If the Confederates had chased the Yankees back to Washington, they could probably have won the war. However, they were too tired and inexperienced to conduct an effective pursuit, so the battle ended.

The Federals lost about 3,000 casualties (killed, wounded, and captured or missing), and the Confederates suffered about 2,000. These horrific casualty numbers for one day's battle stunned the nation. The Stone House, which served as an aid station, still stands today as it has since the 1840s, overlooking the Warrenton Turnpike.

Linked at Llama Butchers where there is more discussion.

Doubting Atheists

2005-07-20T09:55:00.000-04:00

It is the worst of times for atheists. They have always been a small minority, but today God has become so popular, that they dare not express themselves. Some are even doubting their own beliefs. Read about it here: A Time of Doubt for Atheists. To me it just proves that humankind needs something to latch onto; something to believe. Believing that God does not exist is a form of religion, as the credo of atheism must be accepted on faith, as it cannot be proven that there is no Creator. Agnosticism seems to be a different philosophy, as it makes no claims one way or the other.

The Neanderthal Theory

2005-07-17T19:39:00.000-04:00

Who would have ever known that Neanderthals were freckle-faced redheads? Does that mean the Vikings were descended from them? You know, Eric the Red, Leif, Bjarne and the gang of conquering Norse explorers?

The image is a modified reconstruction of Gibraltar Neanderthal child, from the web site: "The Neanderthal Theory of Autism, Asperger and ADHD".

Scientific Thoughts writes that Neanderthal was a species of the genus Homo (Homo Neanderthalensis) that inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia about 230,000 to 29,000 years ago. Their bodies were designed for cold, short and robust with large noses. Scientists are now isolating genetic fragments from fossils to map their DNA.

"How cool will it be, if we could reconstruct an extinct animal from the fragments of its fossilized genome? Such a project is currently being unveiled at the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, where U.S. and German scientists have launched a project to recreate the Neanderthal genome."

Blogging Help

2005-07-16T10:17:00.000-04:00

USC Annenbern Online Journalism Review

A Consuming Experience

ProBlogger

Blogsome is a free blogging service that uses Wordpress

How to Blog

Weblog Tools Collection

WordPress Reference Centre Blogging Pro

Defeat Terrorism -

2005-07-12T22:59:00.000-04:00

"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: For the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." ~~Joshua 1:9

"Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow me, and I will give you rest." ~~prayer hymn

"But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid." ~~John 6:20

"lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid;" ~~Isaiah 40:9

Cat Lovers Gone Wild

2005-07-12T14:33:00.000-04:00

In staid and colonial Mount Vernon, Virginia, just a mile from the home of George and Martha Washington, animal control officers removed 273 feline creatures -- 86 of them dead -- after neighbors complained vehemently of odors last Friday. As of the following Monday, cats were still being found in the house, hidden in the walls and in the brick fireplace chimney. "I don't know how they got in there," said a Fairfax County police officer. Curbside, the home appears as charming and well cared for as others in the neighborhood, but it smells much different. Think feline feces, feline urine and the decomposing corpses of dead cats. Authorities posted an orange condemnation order on the home and ordered the the cat lovers, 82-old Mrs. Kneuven, her husband and daughter to leave. However, after the police left, the elderly woman returned to her home and ripped down the condemnation order. Animal-control officers were alerted and found her trying to smuggle out an additional 30 cats, bringing the total by Monday night to 303 confiscated animals. Traps were set for any remaining beasts, therefore the number is expected to rise.

Strong Odors Expose Northern Virginia House's Secret: The neighborhood of Mrs. Knueven is an enclave of stately homes that back up to George Washington's Mount Vernon plantation. Neighbors say that the woman was obsessed with cats. She spent years taking in strays, which then multiplied inside her home and caused years of headaches for them. They say she tried to mask the odor by burning incense in her back yard. The attempts were unsucessful, but fortunately she did not cause any house fires.

Few have any emotion except disgust for the cat lovers gone wild. However there is more to the story. In 2001, Fairfax County authorities secretly removed more than 100 cats from the Knueven household, and allowed Mrs. Kneuven to keep five cats as pets. Fairfax County Animal Countrol obviously neglected to require neutering of the animals, as now, four years later they have multiplied to over 300. And there is no other way, short of the unmentionable, to separate a cat from his home, as the old folk song reminds us:

The Cats Came Back

Old Mrs. Kneuven had troubles of her own.
Had lots of cats that wouldn't leave her alone.
She tried and tried to give them all away,
She gave them to a man going far, far away.

But the cats came back, the very next day.
But the cats came back, She thought they were goners,
But the cats came back, they just couldn't stay away, away, away.

Linked at basil's blog Breakfast: 7/13/2005, Eschaton and Wizbang's and Carnival of the Trackbacks XX..

Sailing on Noah's Ark

2005-07-11T10:02:00.003-04:00

Those who are collectors of the inanimate will delight in this poem and understand a bit more than "just because," the reason they clutter their lives, indulging themselves with such a puzzling human instinct. Here is a beautiful poem by Texas poet Janet McCann, "The Woman Who Collects Noah's Arks", from a work entitled Emily's Dress. It is a PDF file.

"The Woman Who Collects Noah’s Arks
Has them in every room of her house,
wall hangings, statues, paintings, quilts and blankets,
ark lampshades, mobiles, Christmas tree ornaments,
t-shirts, sweaters, necklaces, books,
comics, a creamer, a sugar bowl, candles, napkins,
tea-towels and tea-tray, nightgown, pillow, lamp.
Animals two-by-two in plaster, wood,
fabric, oil paint, copper, glass, plastic, paper,
tinfoil, leather, mother-of-pearl, styrofoam,
clay, steel, rubber, wax, soap.
Why I cannot ask, though I would like
to know, the answer has to be simply
because. Because at night when she lies
with her husband in bed, the house rocks out
into the bay, the one that cuts in here to the flatlands
at the center of Texas. Because the whole wood structure
drifts off, out under the stars, beyond the last
lights, the two of them pitching and rolling
as it all heads seaward. Because they hear
trumpets and bellows from the farther rooms.
Because the sky blackens, but morning finds them always
safe on the raindrenched land,
bird on the windowsill."

Hat Tip to Ginny at ChicagoBoyz.

Wounded Warriors

2005-07-09T14:09:00.000-04:00

Staff Sergeant Heath T. Calhoun
On the evening of July 8, 2005, at Constitution Hall in Washington, Staff Sergeant Heath Calhoun was the recipient of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Medal of Honor. He also received the DAR's Outstanding Veteran Patient Award. This was the first time in DAR history that the same person had received both awards.

Staff Sergeant Heath T. Calhoun, dreamed of being a soldier all of his life while growing up in southwest Virginia. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, a Vietnam veteran, and his grandfather who served as a soldier in World War II. At the age of 23, he was deployed to Iraq as a member of the 101st Airborne Division as an Army Ranger. Soon after arriving in theater, a rocket-propelled grenade hit his Humvee as he was transporting troops to Mosul in 2003. His life was saved by his fellow soldiers, but both legs had to be amputated above the knee. Sergeant Calhoun was evacuated to the Walter Reed Army Hospital where he found a backpack strapped to his carrier that contained clothes, toiletries, and other items he might need his first few days in the hospital. It was a gift from the Wounded Warrier Project.

With courage and determination, Sergeant Calhoun (image) managed to quickly adapt to prosthetics. At the same time, he began reaching out to veteran-patients and returning soldiers offering encouragement and companionship. He has supported and worked with many programs that raise awareness of the plight of the returning wounded and that provide counseling for soldiers. This courageous veteran, a husband and father of two, has now become one of the national spokesmen for the Wounded Warrior Project.

This summer he is participating in Soldier Ride, a bike ride across the United States to raise awareness and funds for the Project. He is one soldier who has turned real adversity into something that supports and gives strength to others. He claims not to be a hero, but is instead someone who never quits. “I want people to just know that I never quit” he said to the assembled members of the DAR. However, the people in Sergeant Calhoun’s community consider him a hero.
Meet the riders of the Soldier Ride 2005 National Tour Team

Linked at 'Carnival of the Trackbacks IXX' from Wizbang and at 'Open Post' from Mudville Gazette.

Rally 'Round the Flag

2005-07-08T17:40:00.000-04:00

The Colonial Flag is the The Flag of Great Britain, which flew over the 13 American Colonies that were to become the first 13 United States, from 1707 to 1775.

On January 1, 1776, General George Washington's troops raised their new flag on the liberty pole at Prospect Hill in Cambridge, Massachusetts. General Washington called it the "The Grand Union Flag". This was the official flag of the 13 American Colonies on July 4, 1776 when the colonies declared their independence from England. For almost the entire first year of the American Revolution, the Grand Union Flag was the ensign of the struggling new "United States".

Old Glory, the stripes remain forever thirteen, yet the field of stars can change, representing the states in the Union.

Rally Round the Flag, Inspirational music as you roam the Angloshere (midi file).
Rally Round the Flag, The Words of the song.
This Land is Your Land

The Red, White and Blue

2005-07-08T06:35:00.000-04:00

Red, White and Blue, these colors never run. Those who march under these colors, know not the meaning of the word "terror". If you have not already, you may want to fly the beloved British Union Jack on your blog today. Better yet, fly it forever, as Britain stands in the line of fire to save freedom. Standing with England is her cousin, America ..

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
"Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam;
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven."

From "The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke.

Be Grateful for London

2005-07-07T20:24:00.000-04:00

Be grateful that somewhere in this immense world there is a place called London. Be grateful for a race of people who cannot be terrorized. Thank God there is still an England to be a beacon to the free world, to lead the way out of the frightful caverns of death and destruction which is the handiwork of the acolytes of the Evil One. God Save the Queen. God Save Us All, we children of Albion.

Thanks to 'Carnival of the Trackbacks IXX' from Wizbang and to basil's blog Brunch: 7/9/2005 for trackback opportunities. Linked at 'People's Song' from Chicago Boyz.

Vladimir Waiting

2005-07-07T12:02:00.000-04:00

"Let us not waste our time in idle discourse! Let us do something, while we have the chance! It is not every day that we are needed. Not indeed that we personally are needed. Others would meet the case equally well, if not better. To all mankind they were addressed, those cries for help still ringing in our ears! But at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it, before it is too late! Let us represent worthily for once the foul brood to which a cruel fate consigned us! What do you say? It is true that when with folded arms we weigh the pros and cons we are no less a credit to our species. The tiger bounds to the help of his congeners without the least reflection, or else he slinks away into the depths of the thickets. But that is not the question. What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in this immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come—"
~~Vladimir, in Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot"

[samuel beckett] [Waiting for Godot] [Godot] [vladimir]

Bush Twin in Capetown

2005-07-06T07:56:00.000-04:00

Who knew? I guess that's why they call it "anonymity". I agree with Wizbang (Sometimes Breeding Shows) about the Bush family. They are America's role model.

Bush daughter is said to volunteer in S. Africa - The Boston Globe:
"CAPE TOWN -- At the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, children sit on their mothers' laps in waiting rooms, waddle down hallways, and wail inside the burn unit, where nurses carefully wrap gauze around their arms, legs, and heads. It is here, say some doctors and nurses, that Barbara Bush, one of President Bush's twin daughters, has been working in near anonymity as a volunteer."

[barbara bush] [africa] [capetown] [south africa]

Last Victorian Nation

2005-07-05T23:14:00.000-04:00

Is that us? The United States of America? Who knew? I am excited to read about it. My father was raised by Victorian parents. Gates of Vienna has the story that America is "The World's Last Great Victorian Nation”, from The Scotsman on the 4th of July.

"The Scotsman ran a 4th of July editorial that deserves wide distribution in this country. Its author, Alex Massie, is to be commended on understanding and conveying so well what America means at this moment.
"We are not unique. As he says, we follow in the Victorians’ footsteps, accepting the politically incorrect, the very politically incorrect mantle that Kipling called the 'White Man’s burden.' He would have been more accurate to term it “the burden of democracy” for that is what it is and what it was when Kipling first named it.
"We follow in Britain’s footsteps, though we do not wear her Imperial shoes. Wherever Her Majesty’s people went they left a legacy of property rights and the rule of law. Was it a bloody road to liberty? Indeed. The Victorians were sure they were right and they sought to impose their vision."

[victorian]

Footprints of Early Americans

2005-07-05T11:23:00.000-04:00

History is once again being rocked upon its "firm" foundations. Apparently the first Americans did not arrive here on foot from Siberia only 11,000 years ago. New footprints of the ancients have been discovered in volcanic ash.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Footprints of 'first Americans': "Human settlers made it to the Americas 30,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to new evidence.A team of scientists came to this controversial conclusion by dating human footprints preserved by volcanic ash in an abandoned quarry in Mexico. They say the first Americans may have arrived by sea, rather than by foot."

Where did these ancient people come from? DNA studies of present-day native populations support a more recent arrival from north-east Asia, which agrees with the land bridge from Asia to Alaska theory. Just another mystery of the universe. The more we learn, the more we do not know.

July 4th, 1863

2005-07-04T13:10:00.000-04:00

For about the past week, Rick Moran of Right Wing Nuthouse has been in a time warp. With his laptop, he has been blogging the historic countdown to July 4th of 1863. He has entitled it "Countdown to Gettysburg".

This (July 3, 1863) is the seventh and final effort in my series of week-long blog posts called “Countdown to Gettysburg”. They are written from the perspective of someone who lived at that time and as if the internet existed in 1863. Below are links to previous posts:
June 27, 1863, June 28, 1863, June 29,1863, June 30, 1863, July 1, 1863, and July 2, 1863,

Overture 1776

2005-07-04T11:00:00.000-04:00

BACKGROUND MUSIC ~ Here is a great piece of modern music (18mb MP3), written for the United States Military Academy, by composer Thomas C. Duffy of Yale University. Listen to Overture 1776 (minimize your media player). Overture 1776 was composed in honor of West Point's bicentennial and was premiered there on 25 August 2002. The composer created a work of American music to replace Tchaikovsky's Overture of 1812, as he believed it time that a great nation had its own music to celebrate American Independence, rather than music depicting the Russians versus the French. Using the Overture of 1812 as his model, he created a piece depicting the struggle between the British and the American colonials, including fireworks and cannons. The old tune God Save the King, now known to Americans as My Country ‘Tis of Thee, is countered by Chester, the anthem of the American Revolution, and the country's unofficial national anthem until 1931. He includes other contemporary tunes such as Yankee Doodle, The White Cockcaid (played by the Acton, Massachusetts Militia as they marched to the Concord Bridge on April 19, 1775), and the World Turned Upside Down (played by the British as they surrendered to George Washington). This is true American music, celebrating and honoring the music of the Revolutionary period and of those patriots who secured our liberties and who built our country so long ago.

The Unanimous Declaration

2005-07-04T00:15:00.000-04:00

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION
of the
THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

WHEN, in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God's entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the Causes which impel them to the Separation.

Happy Birthday America

73 Year Old Grandma Sent to Iraq

2005-07-03T10:02:00.000-04:00

From The Washington Post.

"About the time you're celebrating the Fourth of July, Lena Haddix will be en route to Iraq. She's a 73-year-old great-grandmother who recently finished a six-month deployment to Kuwait and then signed up for a six-month deployment to Baghdad.
"Haddix is the mother of five children, ranging in age from 41 to 52. She has eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She took a 10-day vacation before starting her hitch in Iraq so that she could be home for a grandson's 21st birthday.
"... she will be flying to Kuwait on the Fourth and arriving in Baghdad on July 5 for her assignment at Camp Liberty, which was damaged during a recent mortar attack."

Haddix is a 30-Year PX Veteran Braving Baghdad 'for Our Troops'. She is a manager for the Army Air Force Exchange Service and she volunteered to work in a war zone because "I'm doing it for our troops." God Bless America!

What can we do as our part to support our troops? America Supports You
Hat Tip to Mudville Gazette.

229 Years Free Because ...

2005-07-03T00:06:00.000-04:00

This bronze statue was commissioned in Iraq by the soldiers of the 4th Infantry division. It was made from the statues of Saddam that were blown up. It was placed inside of one of his palaces, but today it resides at a museum in Fort Hood,Texas, the home of the 4th Infantry.

And here is the rest of the story ....

Memorial to Fallen Task Force Ironhorse Troops

http://www.snopes.com/photos/military/kalat.asp

~*~ Music ~*~

Trackedback at Wizbang's Carnival of the Trackbacks.

There's No Way ...

2005-06-30T21:38:00.000-04:00

Like the American Way

This retro poster is from a billboard campaign that was run by the National Assoiciation of Manufacturers in the 1930s and 1940s. I do not know if America still has the world's highest standard of living. If we do not, that is cause for celebration not shame, as it shows that since the 1930s we have brought much of the world with us to great prosperity. However the phrase "There's no way like the American way" is still true. This fourth of July, we remain as proud and grateful to be American, as were the 1930s and 1940s generations.

Little Miss Atilla

2005-06-28T10:07:00.000-04:00

There is a heart rending story of truth written at Little Miss Atilla. The author knows of what she speaks and she gives great advice to those young people just entering pre-adulthood. Listen to her and read about her elusive quest for the blessings of motherhood.

"I don't care if you're liberal or conservative, athiest or a member of some faith. There are alternatives to the wholesale taking of human life we engage in. We need to make more use of them. Please think it over."

I am very passionate about this subject and have written about it myself: I Believe in the Sanctity of Life and Feminism Never Killed Anyone?
There is further reading at ProLifeBlogs, where I found this tidbit of information:

"June 19, 2005
Father’s Day 2005 - 48 Million Killed
"47.9 million unborn human beings have been aborted since the fateful "Roe v. Wade" U.S. Supreme Court decision of 1973."

Yes, the Supreme Court made a terrible decision in 1973, and it has continued on the path of rewriting the governing charter we were bequeathed by the blood and toil of our forebears.
Hat tip to Reasoned Audacity.

No Preachin', Praying' or Meditatin'

2005-06-28T09:20:00.000-04:00

"The Constitution ... is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary which they may twist and shape into any form they please." ~~Thomas Jefferson

Although in yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, the Ten Commandment tablets of stone were thrown so far out of two Kentucky courthouses, that they have shattered their granite remnants upon all the "shining cities" from "sea to shining sea", the munificent majority supremes did condescend to permit a Decalogue monument to stay in place on the grounds of the Texas Capitol in Austin. Justice Stephen Breyer noted in the opinion that because the Texas monument is located in a large park with thirty-seven other historic monuments, “The setting does not readily lend itself to meditation or any other religious activity.”

Got that ya'all? No preachin', praying' or meditatin' in that park, else'n those ole Ten Commandments will have to go the way of what happened back in Kentuck, warns Grand Supreme Souter. You can do just about anythng else ya want to there on the Texas Capitol grounds, but whatever ya do, don't go payin' any mind to those old timey religions and their outdated laws and stuff. If you do, those black-robed supremes will be after you next.

This post has been "Trackedback" at ScrappleFace, where Scott Ott suggests a legalized disclaimer for Decalogues posted in courtrooms, reading:

"Display of this historically-significant collection of laws shall not be construed as an endorsement of the God who may, or may not, have spoken them, nor of the existence of such a God, nor of the legality of the laws. Citizens may observe and obey these commandments at their own risk. Please consult your family attorney before embarking on any law-abiding regimen."

Trackedback at basil's blog, Breakfast 7/1/2005 and Mudville Gazette.
Tags:[Supreme Court]

What Bravery!

2005-06-27T11:06:00.000-04:00

I wonder what makes some people so brave, such as Tim Dicus, Chris White and another man who swam with sharks while attempting to rescue a stranger. God bless you all, brave men.

My Way News: "PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - Chris White was vacationing on a Florida Panhandle beach when he heard cries for help and leaped into the water to assist a 14-year-old girl, not knowing she had been fatally injured by a shark and he would soon be swimming with the killer animal."

Big Moon Rising

2005-06-27T10:55:00.000-04:00

Did you know that the big moon we have been seeing of late in the evenings, is the world's largest optical illusion? The moon has been, from time out of mind, one of nature's most enduring mysteries, and it continues to be so, even amongst the moonwalkers of today's world.

The rest of the story is at BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Why does the moon look so big now?

Freedom Comes Hard

2005-06-26T23:17:00.000-04:00

On this day, June 26th, in 1963, President John F. Kennedy made a morale-boosting speech in the divided nation of West Germany in which he said "Ich bin ein Berliner".

President Kennedy had just returned on foot from a visit to the Berlin Wall's most dangerous crossing point, Checkpoint Charlie. While there, he was viewed curiously from the other side of the infamous wall border by groups of East Berliners unable to respond to the American president because of the East German People's Police.

"All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words, 'Ich bin ein Berliner.'" ~~President John F Kennedy, 1963

Those words were meant to inspire defiance to the Soviet Union, which they did. However, the quest for freedom is rarely easy, as Kennedy surely understood. The people of East Berlin continued to live under communist rule for another twenty-six years. In 1989, the Berlin Wall finally fell, thanks to the farsighted American President of 1963, great leaders of freedom in the 1990s such as Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Pope John Paul II, and another generation of cold warriors, amongst whom I count myself. Yes, freedom was won, but it was hard fought.

President George W. Bush has recommitted our nation to freedom's spread. His words will hopefully be echoed by other generations of freedom seekers in other enslaved lands:

"The story of America is the story of expanding liberty: an ever-widening circle, constantly growing to reach further and include more. Our nation's founding commitment is still our deepest commitment: In our world, and here at home, we will extend the frontiers of freedom." ~~George W. Bush

Trackedback at Wizbang and Homespun Bloggers.

Blogging Tips from Harvey

2005-06-26T22:24:00.000-04:00

Here are some great blogging tips from Harvey of Bad Example:

How to start blogging
Finding your blog voice
Getting more traffic
Getting more comments
Free image hosting
Google search code
5 more handy searches
How to use trackbacks
Never lose another post
12 steps to better blogging

Easy Uploading of Images

2005-06-26T19:34:00.000-04:00

This is the first time I have noticed that we now have an image icon in the Blogger edit mode and I am going to attempt to insert an image directly from my hard drive. Here goes:

As you see, it worked and much easier than dealing with "Hello". Horay for Blogger! Here is the link which gives the details: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=324

Giving Their Tomorrows

2005-06-26T09:10:00.000-04:00

A Patriotic Rock in Iowa honors those who are "Giving Their Tomorrows For Our Todays".

"We will not waver; we will not tire; we will not falter; we will not fail. Peace and Freedom will Prevail." ~~President George W. Bush

On a Patriotic Rock in Iowa is written the famous message of the Kohima Epitaph. The rock describes and illustrates the sacrifices necessary for a nation to survive. The verse actually has an ancient origin, from Sparta, about 500 years before Christ, when after the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, a Greek poet wrote "Go tell the Spartans, thou that passest by, That faithful to their precepts here we lie."

In many ways, the course of humanity seems never to change. Wars will always be with us, no doubt. Although striving for the peace on earth that should prevail, we must accept the reality of ages past and be prepared to fight for that which is worth the fight, or to surrender to those who are willing to fight harder for that which they value.
The Kohima Epitaph

Trackedback at Mudville Gazette and My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.

The Kohima Epitaph

2005-06-25T08:34:00.000-04:00

All of our tomorrows come from the sacrifices of selfless patriots. Every day it seems, young soldier lives are lost, mostly in Iraq but other places as well, as our modern patriots fight the enemy who vows to destroy our tomorrows.

"When You Go Home,

Tell Them Of Us And Say,

For Their Tomorrow,

We Gave Our Today"

The famous words above are attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds (1875-1958), an English classical scholar. In the early 1900s he published a collection of twelve suggested epitaphs for War Memorials. This one of the collection became inscribed on a World War II memorial to British soldiers, lost in 1944 while gallantly fighting the Japanese invasion at Kohima, Nagaland, India.

The verse was probably inspired by the Greek lyric poet, Simonides of Ceos (556-468 BC), who wrote after the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC: "Go tell the Spartans, thou that passest by, That faithful to their precepts here we lie." Since 1944, Edmond's epitaph has become famous and has been written on many Veteran Memorials and Monuments throughout the English speaking world.

http://www.burmastar.org.uk/epitaph.htm

Trackedback at WizBang.

The Value of Things Unseen

2005-06-23T14:02:00.000-04:00

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
~~2 Corinthians 4:18

Lions Rescue Ethiopian Girl

2005-06-22T11:26:00.000-04:00

"ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- A 12-year-old girl who was abducted and beaten by men trying to force her into a marriage was found being guarded by three lions who apparently had chased off her captors, a policeman said Tuesday."

Can it truly be that a pride of Lions Rescued an Ethiopian Girl? It could, and if it is, it should indeed convert disbelievers into the reality of miracles happening in this day and age. The kidnappers had taken the girl to a secluded area where no one would hear her screams and whimperings. However, the miracle was that the desperate girl was being heard by a pride of lions. The three lions obviously heard a call from the anguished girl that was like the mewing of their own young cubs. Their primordial instincts sensed that this creature needed them. Amazingly, the three lions rushed to the young girl and chased away her tormentors. The feline trio then protected the girl by standing guard about her for hours until she was discovered by local police, who reported the unbelievable incident. When rescuers arrived, the beasts simply walked back into the forest. The young girl was safe - for the time being. However, she and other young Ethiopian maidens are in constant danger of abduction and forced marriages. Perhaps the miracle will be that the story of the lion protectors will highlight to the world, the dreadful plight of these young women, and then, perhaps, the perpetual anguish of their girlhood days may someday end. A miracle, that would be, indeed. Let us pray. According to the Associated Press and MSNBC:

"Kidnapping young girls has long been part of the marriage custom in Ethiopia. The United Nations estimates that more than 70 percent of marriages in Ethiopia are by abduction, practiced in rural areas where most of the country’s 71 million people live."

The BBC News is reporting "'They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest,' the policeman said." Other news from Africa report that the Lions Would Have Eaten the Girl. We may later find there to be other circumstances of this newly released story, so one can be a bit of a skeptic, as am I. However, there have been stories in ancient history of lions being tamed to do the will of God. This story is much like one told of the young Saint Thecla, a martyr of the first century of Christianity.

From Lives of the Saints - "SAINTE THECLA
It was at Iconium that Saint Thecla heard the preaching of Saint Paul, who kindled the love of virginity in her heart. She had been promised in marriage to a young man who was rich and generous, but after hearing the discourses of the Apostle's word she died to all thought of earthly espousals. She forgot her beauty; she was deaf to her parent's threats, and at the first opportunity fled from a luxurious home and followed the Apostle.

"The rage of her parents and of her suitor followed hard after her, and the Roman power did its worst against the virgin whom Christ had chosen for Himself. She was stripped and placed in the public theater, but her innocence shrouded her like a garment. Then the lions were let loose against her; they fell crouching at her feet and licked them like a house pet."

From Catholic Encylopedia - Thecla of Iconium: "The reputed pupil of the Apostle Paul, who is the heroine of the apocryphal "Acta Pauli et Theclae" (cf. APOCRYPHA). Our knowledge of her is derived exclusively from these Acts, which appeared about 180. According to this narrative Thecla was a virgin of Iconium who was converted to Christianity and led to dedicate herself to perpetual virginity by the preaching of the Apostle Paul. Miraculously saved from death at the stake to which she had been condemned, she went with St. Paul to Antioch in Pisidia where she was thrown to the wild beasts and was again saved from death by a miracle. After this she went to Myra where the Apostle was, and finally to Seleucia where she died. With the consent of St. Paul she had acted as a 'female Apostle' in proclaiming the Gospel."

The Acts of Thecla: A Pauline Tradition Linked to Women

Hattip to Anchoress; Trackedback at Mudville Gazette, J.D. Ashcraft's Blog, The Cafeteria is Closed, basil's blog and WizBang.

The Willing

2005-06-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

Who would be willing and brave enough to volunteer for the dangerous work necessary to protect you, me and the rest of the world, as we sleep snuggly and peacefully in our beds at night?

These are our own U.S. Army soldiers from the 1st Scout Platoon, Delta Company, 155th Brigade Combat Team. They are forming up along a wall as they prepare to clear a building known to house terrorists in Iraq, on March 5, 2005.

In addition, there are soldiers from 26 other lands currently on the ground in Iraq. They are known as the "Coalition of the Willing" and Arthur Chrenkoff, yesterday made an outstanding tribute to them. Do not miss images of the soldiers as they are -

"helping to bring peace and security, working on reconstruction projects, and engaging in humanitarian missions throughout the country. This is a tribute to those thousands of military men and women from around the world, some of them well-known, others less so, but all doing good work for the future of Iraq."

One of the most amazing images is that of Mongolian soldiers, about whom, Chrenkoff writes:

"Command hand-over in Mongolian Contingent, 25 February 2005 in Al Hilla. MORE

The last time Mongolian soldiers were in Iraq was in 1258. They destroyed Baghdad then. Now, the Mongolian military has 173 soldiers of the 150th Elite Peacekeeping Battalion in Hillah, Iraq."

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." --John 15:13

American Flag Bidness

2005-06-20T18:53:00.000-04:00

Kerfuffles and Blatherings are honored!

American Flag Bidness
from the Pirate's Cove

Three new great members to add to the AFL. Give a big hand to

Kerfuffles
Blatherings
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Welcome aboard, Maties!!!

That Silver Haired Daddy

2005-06-19T16:32:00.000-04:00

My father loved this song and he sang and played it quite often when I was growing up. It was originally recorded by Gene Autry in the 1930s. This is a wav file of the song, recorded by country music legend, Jim Reeves.
That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine

Happy Father's Day

2005-06-19T11:43:00.000-04:00

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children
to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord."
~Ephesians 6:4~

When I am:

Four years old: My daddy can do anything.

Five years old: My daddy knows a whole lot.

Six years old: My dad is smarter than your dad.

Eight years old: My dad doesn't know exactly everything.

Ten years old: In the olden days, when my dad grew up, things were sure different.

Twelve years old: Oh, well, naturally, Dad doesn't know anything about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.

Fourteen years old: Don't pay any attention to my dad. He is so old-fashioned.

Twenty-one years old: Him? My Lord, he's hopelessly out of date.

Twenty-five years old: Dad knows about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.

Thirty years old: Maybe we should ask Dad what he thinks. After all, he's had a lot of experience.

Thirty-five years old: I'm not doing a single thing until I talk to Dad.

Forty years old: I wonder how Dad would have handled it. He was so wise.

Fifty years old: I'd give anything if Dad were here now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I didn't appreciate how smart he was. I could have learned a lot from him.

Father's Day Web Sites

What's a Dad
Annie's Fathers' Day Page
Happy Father's Day by Charlene
Dazzle Lady's Father's Day
Jess Cannon's Home Page
Cyber Grandma's Happy Father's Day
The Holiday Spot
Alphabet Soup's Father's Day
Billy Bear's Happy Father's Day
Father's Day On The Net
Father's Day Recipes

How to Clean Your Computer Screen

2005-06-18T18:39:00.000-04:00

When your computer screen gets all dusty and smeared, here is a solution. This automatic screen-cleaner will do the job. It's so good, you wonder why you had not thought of it yourself. No, you don't have to purchase anything. If you don't already have one of these at home, you can usually find them for free somewhere. Check it out here.

Trackedback at basil's blog.

The Quest for Light

2005-06-15T13:58:00.000-04:00

Why do we seek the light? We seek light, because light is good. How do we know that light is good? Because God told us that it was so.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness." ~~The Book of Genesis, from The Holy Bible, King James Version

Continue to seek the light and avoid the darkness.

The June Bug has Bitten

2005-06-15T13:54:00.000-04:00

When the summer sun shines brightly and the humidity drenches like a gentle rain from heaven, when the air smells like unseen snakes, and the petals of flowers glisten like colorful jewels, it is at that time that I hear the call of my garden, and I am powerless to resist.

"June bring tulips, lilies, roses.
Fills the children's hands with posies." .... Sarah Coleridge

The Quest for Magic

2005-06-12T22:30:00.000-04:00

A MagiQuest Adventure - by Neddy

Performing wondrous feats of magic at MagiQuest, requires a magic wand. Without a wand, magic cannot be summoned forth. Each wizard uses his or her personal wand, although other wizards' wands can be used when borrowed or captured. When selecting a personal wand, one must experiment with many wands until one is found that will create magic when waved by that particular wizard. The exterior of the wands seems to be hand carved of an exotic wood, but it is the core of the wand which has the power. The core is believed to be manufactured of an organic, magical object or substance. Most believe that the cores or insides of the wands contain some rare tail feathers from the mythical phoenix and a few hairs of the mane from the now extinct unicorn. Those substances are then padded with snips of silk from gowns of veelas, which are then wrapped tightly with dragon heartstrings. The more powerful wands available at MagiQuest give very strange effects (Priori Incantatem) when used by true believers, because each of those wands contains a tail feather from Fawkesguy, the famous phoenix that belongs to Quest Master Dumbledorph, the headmaster of MagiQuest's School of Wizardry. Quest Master Dumbledorph is a former pupil of the infamous headmaster in the wildly popular adventure book by J.K. Rowling about the "The Boy Who Lived".

A MagiQuest Adventure

The Kingdom of MagiQuest is at Broadway at the Beach, in the coastal resort of Myrtle Beach, deep in the principality of South Carolina. All round and about the Kingdom, lay damp and hot swamps, inhabited by slithering noots and scamanders, chomping alligarooes and wildeboars, and other fantastic beasties, but within the castle walls of MagiQuest, one discovers ever more mysterious things, for which there exists NO explanation, other than the power of the magic that is bestowed upon faithful believers and their wands.

Gargoylian the Good, Guardian of the MagicQuest Crypt, will guide you through the Kingdom. The pure of heart have no need to be afraid.

Contessa Joliblonda is the NoosCaster and official MagiCryer of MagiQuest. However, should trouble arise, she is well prepared for her other valued role at MagiQuest, the sword-armed Defender of the Faithful.

Master Wizard Jonargylius, the inventor of the MagiQuest wand, delights in meeting new Wizards-in-Training, as they learn to twirl and swirl and their beautiful magic wands.

Squibby Isbelinha sits in the Giant's chair, unafraid, and also unaware, of the consequences. She has come to the Kingdom on a quest to find the famous unicorn that was lost long, long ago by her mother, Princessa Isbelao.

Princess Candice, the granddaughter of Quest Master Dumbledorph, rescued Squibby Isbelinha from the dangers of the Giant's chair, and then instructed the tiny Wizard-to-Be about the mysteries of magic-wanding. Together they roamed the Kingdom, in quest of the long lost unicorn.

While on safari at the savannah west of the MagiKingdom, Wizard Djavidian, captured a furious pride of native carolions. After training them as cavaliers and providing them with uniforms, he formed the Band of MagiQuestrians. The Lilliputian leader then commanded the MagiCavalry to mount their unicorn steeds and to charge into battle. The trained warriors obeyed their heroic leader with gusto, waving their mystical wands on high, employing them as powerful weapons to vanquish all evil from the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Wizardess Rheanna was questing her way through the land, and paused for a moment of reflection while she sought guidance from a higher source.

The Good Fairy Godmother soon apparated in answer to the pleadings of the young wizardess and blessed Rheanna with a Spell of Hope.

Wizardess Rheanna continued her quest with great success, discovering the Treasure Chest. With a Wave of her Wand, the chest opened itself, and awarded Rheanna with gold, jewels and priceless heirlooms which had been plundered from the Marauding Infidels. She also won the praise and admiration of Jonargylius, Master Wizard Inventor.

Wizard Djavidian shows off the now kingdom-famous-wand that boggled the brains of the Wizards of MagiQuest.

THEN IT HAPPENED!

Wizard Djavidian's wand became so powerful that it affected the entire Kingdom of MagiQuest. Djavidian's magic overwhelmed the magic of lesser wizards and caused very strange happenings throughout the Kingdom. Lights flickered, thunder roared. The Kingdom rocked upon its firm foundations. Even the all-knowing, all-seeing Quest Master of the MagiQuest Wizards' School was shocked and dumbfounded. Collapsing into a gelatinous blob, he vowed not to restore himself until all was righted in the Kingdom. There became such consternation inside the once peaceable kingdom, that Whopper Wizards were called upon to analyze the discombobulation and wizardize a solution to return MagiQuest to its former glory.

Djavidian's wacky wizardry caused an apparition of a False Fairy Godmother at the Giant's chair, where sat the Giant, Avo-Heathcliff. She spun a trouble spell upon him, and thenceforth, the magic power of his wand waned. Nothing the wizards schemed could restore the mystical powers to it and most believe it was because Avo-Heathcliff lost faith, due to Djavidian's wacky wand and the fright of seeing the False Fairy Godmother. Without his powerful wand, Avo-Heathcliff became dispirited and sprinkled himself and all the little Wizards-in-Training with floo powder. Yonder and away they flooed on giant matchsticks. He forced them to drink a trujuice potion so that they would reveal all the secrets of MagiQuest that they had learned. The next day, Avo-Heathcliff flooed all of them back to the fantastic Kingdom, where he ordered the little Wizards-in-Training to capture Wizard Djavidian's super powered wand. However, once the little wizards succeeded in pinching the wand from the warrior, they guarded it from the Giant, and righteously returned it to the MagiQuest Proprietors, where the Whopper Wizards replaced it with a wand of normal magic, which was then given to Djavidian. Avo-Heathcliff was awarded a new magic wand after he surrendered all the floo powder that was hidden in his trouser cuffs.

Squibby Isbelinha finally caught a fleeting glimpse of her mother's long lost unicorn. Isbelinha tightly closed her eyes and made an earnest and sincere wish upon her wand. As soon as she opened her eyes, she and Princess Candice gazed upwards and upon the castle ramparts they saw, slowly prancing, the famous mythical beast. Almost instantly he magically disappeared and was gone, as unicorns are wont to do. However, Squibby Isbelina's heart was full of joy and gratitude that her lifelong quest had been granted.

All the little Wizards-in-Training were graduated with "highcum magus" honorifics from the MagiQuest Wizardry School. Avo-Heathcliff's treasure quests became quite successful, as he learned to avoid the False Fairy Godmother whenever he spotted her. When she attempted to cast trouble spells upon others he warned them of her mystical mischief. Thenceforth and forever more, all was well within the MagiKingdom and all of Wizardom knew naught but joy and happiness. All, that is, except the False Fairy Godmother. The Whopper Wizards cast all the remaining floo powder at her, and furiously flapping her powdered fairy wings, she flooed right through MagiQuest's Window of No Return.

The End!--- of Ava-Neddy's MagiQuest Adventure.
wizardry

Life Echoes Through Eternity

2005-06-11T10:44:00.000-04:00

'What We Do In Life Echoes Through Eternity' ~Maximus, The Gladiator

Maximus, in the Oscar winning movie, "The Gladiator", uttered these profound words as a call for heroism. Whatever we accomplish in this life will be the legacy we leave for future generations of the world, whether to cherish or to rue. We can effect the world for the better by listening to our inner voices, standing tall and striving to reach the higher yearnings of our souls.

In other words - "that's why we blog".

Mother Goose Gone Wild

2005-06-10T16:53:00.000-04:00

This POST has been moved to "Neddy's Palaver".

The Magic Wand

2005-06-09T18:46:00.000-04:00

This young man is now a Magi and he is showing off his Magic Wand that he took home from the MagiQuest Adventure in Myrtle Beach. His family took him there for his ninth birthday and after attending the Magic Wand school taught by the QuestMaster he received this "dragon" wand with which he was able to make magic in the land of MagiQuest. Magi choose their wands and customize them according to their personalities. When he returns to MagiQuest he will be able to increase his magical skills and increase his powers and game levels. Even though he takes his wand home, it has the power to remember everything he accomplished at MagiQuest, so he will not need to start over! This special magic wand stores all of his adventures and discoveries so that when he returns he will be able to use it again to increase his magician's skill. The magic wand at Magiquest is really magic!

CLICK on image for a close up view.
magic, adventure

Bats Alive!

2005-06-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

Now there is another reason to be grateful you do not live in Iowa. Aside from avoiding tornadoes and NOT having to plant elephant eye corn, you can also live free from bats in all the other forty-nine states of the Union. How grand. The average Iowa home that requires de-batting usually has as many as 150 bats, although some homes are hosting colonies of close to 1,000. However, don't believe for one moment that the Iowans are being driven batty. They are not! They do not even know the bats are in their belfries.

"Experts Say Bats Living in Most Iowa Homes: Experts Say Bats Are Living in the Majority of Iowa Homes Without Owners Knowing It

"BADGER, Iowa Jun 6, 2005 — Bats live in the majority of Iowa homes without the owners even knowing it, experts with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said. They live in chimneys, attics and crawl spaces, and usually don't drive homeowners batty if they remain in those uninhabited areas, said Mark McInroy, a DNR technician. Experts don't know how many bats live in Iowa or whether the bat population is changing."

Hat Tip to Basil's Blog, Trackedback at Mudville Gazette.

The Magic Quest

2005-06-06T21:10:00.000-04:00

For A Real Magic Wand - has been fulfilled!
This week-end my family motored south for seven and one half hours to attend the opening day of MagiQuest at Myrtle Beach. My grandson had his ninth birthday and he is an avid fan of the Harry Potter adventure series. He has read each book from cover to cover. Amazing, isn't it? This wonderful adventure park was indeed made for him. He received a unique magic wand in honor of his birthday at the Magic Wand Tree. With it my grandson was able to choose his own customized journey through MagiQuest land, fighting dragons, finding fairies, helping unicorns, and escaping the trickster and shadow creatures. Beforehand the participants were given instructions at a school by the Quest Master on the proper use of the mysteries of the magic wand and they practiced opening treasure chests and illuminating crystals and stones. My grandson collected runes and renewed his wand's powers at the ancient Stonehenge.

"What's new? Harry Potter wannabes can get a taste of the magical life at MagiQuest, an interactive family attraction opening June 4 at Broadway at the Beach. Each player gets a personal magic wand that can set off lightning bolts, open treasure chests and perform heroic deeds in a lifesize video game that requires teamwork, skill and imagination." InsideNova.com

My granddaughters met the Princess of MagiQuest, Princess Candice, and we brought home a new cd album that she recorded exclusively for MagiQuest, and its believers in magic and the celebration of individuality. It is quite fascinating for a child, an adult, or even a princess (as shown here) to wield a real magic wand, with real powers.

"Renaissance Music Star Candice Night Creates Royal Harmony With Magical Family Entertainment Venue
"MYRTLE BEACH, SC - MAY 2, 2005 - Singer and songwriter Candice Night has teamed up with New Kingdoms, LLC, on a new business venture that brings magic back to families and features Night as a fictional character in a new, magical amusement venue.

"Candice Night, has agreed to take on the role of Princess Candice, one of the main characters of New Kingdom's amusement venue MagiQuest, an innovative, interactive family entertainment concept that puts its guests in the physical world of a video game. As Princess Candice, Night portrays the singing princess who uses songs and magic to produce healing stars throughout the land of MagiQuest. Doubling as a Master Magi, the highest level a person can achieve in the game of MagiQuest, Princess Candice encourages children to believe in themselves by using their own creativity and the magic that is inside them.

"Night and MagiQuest's partnership includes using Night's likeness as part of the game and in promotional materials. Night will make appearances as Princess Candice at the Grand Opening Celebration of MagiQuest's first location in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on June 15 and plans are underway to include Night in a medieval festival that will take place in the fall. Night also wrote and recorded the theme song to MagiQuest."

magic

Save Freedom of Worship

2005-06-02T07:40:00.000-04:00

This poster from another time in the history of our country tells quite a story. Freedom of worship was valued and protected. Today there is a war going on against that freedom. The first amendment is supposed to guarantee our freedom of religion, yet nowhere in the bill are the words: "separation", "church", or "state". Isn't that amazing? Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter quoting the first amendment, and attached the Baptist term " separation of church and state" after the quote.

"January 1, 1802, by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut: I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.

Jefferson was attempting to remove all fears that the government would make dictates to the somewhat outcast Baptist church, therefore he established common ground with them by using the words of Roger Williams, one of their most prominent preachers. Even more amazing it is that those Baptists understood the "wall" was to protect the church from the state, not vice versa, as is happening today. The first amendment that Jefferson quoted, in the U.S. Constitution, is supposed to protect the churches from the state, but it doesn't seem to be working very well for Christian churches.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog, which means that all of the previous comments are gone. However, they are NOT forgotten, neither are they lost. I just need to learn how to find them and how to re - post them:
Trackbacked at The Mudville Gazette and Wizbang's CARNIVAL OF THE TRACKBACKS, XV

BELIEVE Your Eyes!

2005-06-01T11:15:00.000-04:00

Stare at the four dots in the middle of the inking image below for 30 seconds. Then either close your eyes, or just look at the white space beside the inking. Wait just a couple of seconds. What do you see? OR ......

1) Relax and lazily stare at the 4 tiny dots in the picture
below for at least 30 seconds.

2) Slowly shift your gaze from the screen to a wall near you.

3) You will see a circle of light formed on the wall.

4) Start blinking and continue till you see a figure within the circle.

5) BELIEVE!

No Need to Click Here - I'm just claiming my feed at Feedster

Cheerio from Samuel Pepys

2005-05-31T12:18:00.000-04:00

On this day, in the year of our Lord, 1669, citing poor eyesight, Samuel Pepys recorded the last event in his diary. A great loss to the English speaking world's erudition of life in the 17th century, yet without his meticulus writing of the diary in the first place, we would know even less of everyday London life. Just in case you are wondering, he pronounced his name as "Peeps".

Who was Samuel Pepys?
Samuel Pepys was born in London on 23 February 1633, the fifth of eleven children, although by the time he was seven only three of his siblings, all younger, had survived. He was sent to grammar school at Huntingdon during the English Civil War (1642-1651), returning later to London and attending St Paul’s School. Following this he went to Cambridge where he attended Trinity Hall and then Magdalene colleges. Not long after taking his degree in 1654 he was employed as secretary in London by Edward Mountagu, a distant relative who was now a Councillor of State.
In 1655 Pepys married Elizabeth St Michel and at some point after 1656, while still attached to Mountagu’s service, Pepys became clerk to George Downing, a Teller of the Receipt in the Exchequer. However, he and his wife separated for a while (for unknown reasons) and in 1658 he had a bladder stone removed in a dangerous operation. Later the same year Pepys and his wife moved from a single room in Mountagu’s lodgings to Axe Yard near the palace of Westminster, where he was living when starting the diary in 1660.

Pepys was a practical man of business but also had a wide-ranging appetite for knowledge. His classical and mathematical education was the basis from which he explored the arts and sciences and he was an accomplished musician.

London offered him all the diversions he craved for: music and women (to the beauty of both he stood in a ‘strange slavery’), friendships, the casual sociableness of the taverns, above all — what only a great town can give — the constant stimulus of new experience. Pepys was always ‘with child to see any strange thing’ — living and savouring every moment of his life with an intensity which never failed, despite occasional spasms of guilt. There can have been few young men in London with an appetite for pleasure to compare with his in sharpness and range. (Latham and Matthews, as above, p.xix)

Friday 30 May 1662, of Pepys Diary: This morning I made up my accounts, and find myself ‘de claro’ worth about 530l., and no more, so little have I increased it since my last reckoning; but I confess I have laid out much money in clothes. Upon a suddaine motion I took my wife, and Sarah and Will by water, with some victuals with us, as low as Gravesend, intending to have gone into the Hope to the Royal James, to have seen the ship and Mr. Shepley, but meeting Mr. Shepley in a hoy, bringing up my Lord’s things, she and I went on board, and sailed up with them as far as half-way tree, very glad to see Mr. Shepley. Here we saw a little Turk and a negroe, which are intended for pages to the two young ladies. Many birds and other pretty noveltys there was, but I was afeard of being louzy, and so took boat again, and got to London before them, all the way, coming and going, reading in the “Wallflower” with great pleasure. So home, and thence to the Wardrobe, where Mr. Shepley was come with the things. Here I staid talking with my Lady, who is preparing to go to-morrow to Hampton Court. So home, and at ten o’clock at night Mr. Shepley came to sup with me. So we had a dish of mackerell and pease, and so he bid us good night, going to lie on board the hoy, and I to bed.

Pepys' Diary

Pepys

Remember the Fallen

2005-05-28T15:30:00.000-04:00

This post has been moved to "Neddy's Palaver".

Attention Know-it-alls!

2005-05-27T14:20:00.000-04:00

Here is A Quiz For People Who Know Everything. If that describes you, well, take the test and find out if you really are as erudite as you think. I discovered quite quickly that I DO NOT know everything; but in my defense there are four questions on sports and I am a self-admitted sports dunce! I did get numbers 3, 6, 8, 11 and 12. Honestly, these are not trick questions. These are straight questions with straight answers.

(Received from the Internet, with no attribution.)

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. Name the only sport in which the ball is always in possession of the team on defense, and the offensive team can score without touching the ball?

5. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

6. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

7. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters "dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them.

8. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

9. Where are the lakes that are referred to in the Los Angeles Lakers?

10. There are 7 ways a baseball player can legally reach first base without getting a hit. Taking a base on balls (a walk) is one way. Name the other 6.

11. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

12. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "s."

HERE are the Answers . Good Luck! Hurry back. Trackedback at Mudville Gazette.
test;quiz

DAR Bench Presentation

2005-05-27T13:55:00.000-04:00

TO THE TOWN OF VIENNA, VIRGINIA - On Wednesday, May 25, 2005, at 12 Noon, at the Vienna Community Center, the FAIRFAX COUNTY CHAPTER of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), presented a teak bench to the Town of Vienna and to Mayor Jane Seeman. The bench was given to commemorate the 100th Anniversary, 1905–2005, of Fairfax County Chapter NSDAR of Vienna, Virginia.

|| Fairfax County Chapter Daughters of NSDAR at the ceremony, along with the Mayor of Vienna, Virginia ||

|| Fairfax County Chapter NSDAR Regent Martha Cole and Vienna Mayor Jane Seeman, seated at the new teak bench given to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the local DAR chapter, at the Vienna, Virginia Community Center. ||
DAR

ANSWERS

2005-05-27T02:05:00.000-04:00

Here are the ANSWERS to the Attention Know-it-alls Quiz of 5/27/2005. If you have not taken the quiz, go there first and then come back to see how smart you really are.

1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends ... boxing

2. North American landmark constantly moving backward ... Niagara Falls. The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.

3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons ... asparagus and rhubarb.

4. The only sport in which the ball is always in possession of the team on defense, and the offensive team can score without touching the ball ... baseball.

5. The fruit with its seeds on the outside ... strawberry.

6. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle? It grew inside the bottle. (The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.)

7. Three English words beginning with dw ... dwarf,dwell,and dwindle.

8. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar ... period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.

9. The original lakes referred to in Lakers ... in Minnesota. (The team was originally known as the Minneapolis Lakers, and kept the name when they moved west.)

10. Seven ways a baseball player can legally reach first base without getting a hit....taking a base on balls (a walk) ... batter hit by a pitch, passed ball, catcher interference, catcher drops third strike, fielder's choice, and being designated as a pinch-runner.

11. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh ... lettuce.

12. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with "s"... shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

test;quiz

American Daughter Returns

2005-05-16T06:51:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to American Daughter. She is reporting today that the American Daughter Media Center is back on line:

"Exactly twenty days ago, we had to leave our previous hosting situation for the Media Center due to excessive bandwidth usage. After much searching, we found a host that will give us ten Gigabytes per day. WE HOPE THAT WILL BE ENOUGH. After great effort, the American Daughter Media Center is up on the new servers."

Welcome back. We missed you.

Geri was a WASP

2005-05-15T17:31:00.000-04:00

Moved to Neddy's Palaver.

Podcasting the Internet

2005-05-14T21:08:00.000-04:00

Podcast Alley! Isn't it amazing how this new technology is catching on in the blogosphere? Even more amazing; actually quite stunning it is that Catholic Insider is Number 4 of the "The Top 10 Podcasts for the month of May". I am a fan of Father Roderick, and it seems I am not the only one. It tells quite a bit about the spiritual health of the connected. On the Internet, there is no ACLU lurking about, shouting "Violations of Separation of Church and Internet!" Not yet, anyway. The Judeo-Christian tradition of showing all glory to God continues.

Notes from a Teacher writes:

... stories I’ve been following today point the way to the type of media I want for the future. ... I also want the personal journalism of people such as Father Roderick Vonhögen, a Dutch Catholic priest. I’ve been catching up on his Catholic Insider podcasts and among them was the one he recorded in in the hours following the announcement of the death of Pope John Paul II. Like any good journalist, Father Roderick took me to a specific place — St. Peter’s Square — at a specific time and shared with me what was happening at a momentous moment. He added to it his expertise and his humanity. And he layered it with his own reactions to the death of the pope. It left me with a greater understanding of the event than did the TV reports and newspaper stories.

Eamonn Fitzgerald calls Father Roderick "The Podfather".

... it may be too late for the newspaper business to recapture an audience that's heading for the exits. ... the kind of multimedia news that is becoming the next form of journalism is being assembled before our eyes. And here we come to the point of today's homily. Step forward Father Roderick Vonhögen, Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Utrecht in The Netherlands. Trading as The Catholic Insider, he's "Podcasting from the heart of the Catholic Church", as he puts it. Talk about brilliant use of the new media to deliver niche news! This guy's simply astonishing. Text, images, audio... he does it, with passion and style. "Let me take you back to the night before the pope's funeral, and let's do a soundseeingtour of the streets around St.Peter's square, crowded with ten thousands of young people who travelled to Rome from all over the world." Love that "soundseeingtour", there. And now he's podcasting around the conclave. ...(T)he Father Rodericks are way ahead of the game. And they're only getting going. Pod on, padre!

Secret Worlds: The Universe Within

2005-05-14T09:30:00.000-04:00

"View the Milky Way at 10 million light years from the Earth. Then move through space towards the Earth in successive orders of magnitude until you reach a tall oak tree just outside the buildings of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. After that, begin to move from the actual size of a leaf into a microscopic world that reveals leaf cell walls, the cell nucleus, chromatin, DNA and finally, into the subatomic universe of electrons and protons."

Molecular Expressions: Science, Optics and You - Secret Worlds: The Universe Within - Interactive Java Tutorial:

Bartholomew Gosnold

2005-05-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

At Jamestown, Virginia, America's "cradle of civilization", great preparations are underway for 2007, when they will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in America. In order to extract a piece of DNA for analysis, the Church of England has agreed, for the first time in history, to allow excavation under the floor of a parish church where lay the remains of Bartholomew Gosnold's sister. Who was Bartholomew Gosnold, you ask? Even the director of archaeology for the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, William Kelso, had never heard of Gosnold before 2002.

"He is the person without which Jamestown would not have happened. People talk about American history as if it started with Washington and Jefferson. But Gosnold was our founding grandfather. He's a lost part of American history."

If tests prove that the bones are Gosnold's, American history will be rewritten. Bartholomew Gosnold is unknown in both the United States and in Britain because history belongs to those who write it, rather than those who create it. The now famous Jamestown colonist John Smith, returned to England and spent the rest of his life writing about his leadership exploits in the Virginia colony. Overlooking the historic James River, in the center of the Jamestown fort, there now stands John Smith's statue. There is nothing to commemorate Gosnold. The excavation of the gravesite of "an important person" at Jamestown, Virginia may change the written history of America's founding.

U.K. Excavation May Rewrite U.S. History

Washington Post, JAMESTOWN, Va.
Bartholomew Gosnold might have been the founding father of what we now know as the United States, though his name and place in history have been buried in the passage of time and the importance that the swaggering adventurer John Smith attached to himself.

That could change soon. Two years after stumbling across a grave site holding the bones of a middle-aged man of high rank, archaeologists at the Jamestown settlement are about to learn whether the skeletal remains are Gosnold's.