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- Original Title : Ghoul
- Movie title in your country : Ghoul
- Year of movie : 2015
- Genres of movie : Thriller, Horror,
- Status of movie : Released
- Release date of movie : 2015-02-26
- Companies of movie : J.B.J Film,
- Countries of movie : Ukraine, Czech Republic,
- Language of movie : English,
- Durationof movie : 86 Min
- Average vote of movie : 5.1
- Youtube ID of movie :
- Translation of movie : EN,CS,FR,RU,ES,SK,KO,PT,
- Cast of movie :Jennifer Armour (Jenny), Jeremy Isabella (Ethan), Paus S. Tracey (Ryan)
Movie plot of Ghoul :
Free Streaming Ghoul in Best Video Format with movie synopsis "GHOUL is a supernatural horror film involving the real life story of the Soviet Union's most violent serial killer, Andrei Chikatilo. Three Americans travel to the Ukraine to film a documentary about the cannibalism epidemic that swept through the country during the famine of 1932. After being lured deep into the Ukraine forest for an interview with one of the last known survivors, they quickly find themselves trapped in a supernatural hunting ground." in best look. Best Ghoul in Top Quality by push of the download link.
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Producer : Petr Jákl Jr., Director : Petr Jákl Jr., Writer : Petr Jákl Jr., Writer : Petr Bok, Director of Photography : Jan Šuster, Editor : Matouš Outrata, Casting : Nancy Bishop, Script Supervisor : Dorota Mejstrikova, Costume Supervisor : Lucie Machackova
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Tags: ukraine, serial killer, seance, pseudo documentary, cannibalism, ghost,


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Upcoming Events
Weekly Meetings
Thursday at 7:00pm in the HUB Movie Theater (Freeman Auditorium)
Bible Studies
We offer small group Bible studies to all students on campus. It's a great way to make some new friends and grow in your faith through the study of Scripture.
We love seeing new faces in the midst of our community and would love to see yours too. Whether you meet us at one of our club events, a Bible study, or our weekly group meetings, we'd be happy to have you.
We are all about creating a community of believers to help us grow in our faith, connect with others, and walk through college together.
In Matthew 28, when Jesus gave the Great Commision, He commanded us to make disciples. Here at Cru, we strive to fulfill that calling by discipling students on campus and helping them in their walk with the Lord.
Cru is all about evangelism. We love sharing our faith with those who desperately need to hear it, both on and off campus.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hey Folks! January 1 is just around the corner! The Polar Bear Plunge is still on for Jan 1, High Noon at Matthews Beach.
Watch here for more info.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Keep the Polar Bear Plunge alive! Sign our on-line "Memory Book" by leaving comments and other bits of inspiration on Jan 1st
Please sign our on-line "memory book " by leaving a comment on the January 1st Post.
The more the better!
You can also let us know if you would like us to link to your blog or You Tube video...


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Anchor Hocking
Montana 2-Gallon Storage Jar - Online Only
Details https://www.belk.com/p/anchor-hocking-montana-2-gallon-storage-jar---online-only/810003498531.html
Orig. $47.00Sale $18.9918.99
Additional Information
Made from durable, dependable glass, this storage jar holds freshness in and moisture out. A black metal lid seals tightly, maintaining two gallons of freshness!
- 2 gallon container size
- Dishwasher safe
- Glass
Shipping Details
Shipping Details
Shipping your purchase is easy at belk.com. Depending on your shipping method and the destination of your package, you can expect it to arrive within 4-7 business days Shipping Information.
Return Details
Returns are easy at belk.com. Easy returns
Montana 2-Gallon Storage Jar is rated out of 5 by 1.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Shama from Great purchase! Love this 2 gallon jar! I use it on the counter to keep snacks handy. Looks great.
Date published: 2016-07-03
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- reviews, product


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I missed it, but Ann Larabee had created a book blog in Spring in connection with the release of her story of a one-time Rebel spy, The Dynamite Fiend. The blog records some of her Canadian travels on the fiend's trail. It has gone quiet but she still offers a free cypher font download: "Download this font and instantly code messages using the same cypher J.H. Cammack and crew used to organize their nefarious plots."
What a belle lettristic freebie.


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Gord Is Dead
Chock Full Of Nothin'
Friday, May 06, 2005
Good Action
taken with Diana Camera
Feeling better the last couple of days, getting some things done. Life is good, so the archive image du jour is all speed and Spring and skinned knees. Maybe to make a few photos today then. Tomorrow, though, I am heading to a Psychic festival and Bikini Motorcycle wash. So I've got that going for me.
Posted by
Gordon Stettinius
Newer Post
Older Post


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One man freed on bail, one man still in jail. Authorities feel threatened by Freedom Theatre
NABIL AL RAEE released , but tagged and under house arrest. Seen here with daughter Mina on her first birthday.
First the good news. Nabil Al-Raee, the Artistic Director of The Freedom Theatre in Jenin, has been freed from Israeli military detention, after starting a hunger strike. Nabil had been held for over a month, having been taken from his home in the early hours of the morning by the Israeli military.
After putting it around that they were questioning Nabil about the murder last year of Freedom Theatre co-founder Juliano Mer-Khamis, - a subject on which he would have willingly told everything he knew without needing to be arrested - the Israeli authorities held him without charges, and without access to lawyer or family. Having failed to produce any evidence of "illegal activity" even to convince a military judge, they eventually came up with a charge of assisting a "terrorist", that is supplying food and cigarettes to Freedom Theatre co-founder Zakaria Zubeidi.
Zakaria Zubeidi is a respected figure in Jenin, as well as a colleague, and Nabil remarked that he had only helped him as any local person would. A former commander of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade who fought the Israeli occupiers and also criticised Palestinian leaders, Zakaria Zubeidi accepted an amnesty from the Israelis in 2005, handing over his guns to the Palestinian Authority(PA), and joining Juliano Mer-Khamis in founding the theatre, to develop cultural resistance.
"The theatre is an important project," said Zubeidi. " It can bring the children together under one roof, give them the possibility to dream, develop them and lighten their psychological burden."
He did not abandon his aim of liberation, but placed no faith in the Palestinian leadership, accusing them of selfishness and corruption, and saying that a new generation would have to come forward. Nor did Israeli politicians give up their calls for Zubeidi to dealt with as a terrorist.
On December 29, 2011, Israel rescinded Zubeidi's pardon for unstated reasons. Zubeidi stated to Ma'an News Agency that he had not violated any of the conditions of his amnesty. He was advised by PA security officials to turn himself in to Palestinian custody lest he arrested by Israel's security forces. A week before Zubeidi was notified about the cancellation of his amnesty, his brother had been arrested by the PA.
Now Zakaria Zubeidi remains in Palestinian Authority custody, having been held without charge and kept in prison at Jericho since May 13.
Nabil Al Raee is not genuinely free either, despite petitions from international artists, a resolution from the European parliament, and his own hunger strike. He has only been released on bail, and must remain under house arrest wearing an electronic foot chain until his next trial at the end of the month.
Labels: Film and Theatre, Israel., Palestinians


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Final Results
Congrats to St. Gen's on their boys and girls championships. Good luck to all the qualifiers at Area A Champs.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
2015 Region 10 Champs - Final Results
Posted by Terry O'Connell at 10:47 PM
1 comment:
- Rosalie Doherty said...
Thanks for a great event! Congrats to St. Gen's!
- May 3, 2015 at 11:51 PM
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I am not biased towards anyone or anything - no matter what. I try my best to be as objective as possible and whatever I write - I do after thorough research and careful deliberation. To the best of my knowledge and ability, that is. So, with that anticipatory bail, let me begin my latest post.
Frankly, I think we are very callous about our own history, culture and heritage. We neglect history, but there is no present and no future - without the past. [Note: I tried my best to not let this one sound like the latest potboiler from KJo's stable. So, pardon me, if it does.]
However that's not all, we have even bettered it by letting foreigners to pen books about our history, culture and heritage; while we have become champions at rote learning and this has been our bane - for several centuries now, or perhaps a millennium.
We have - as a nation - outsourced the documentation and writing of our history, culture and heritage to foreigners - including the ones that have colonized us! We are more than happy to read those books and extremely content - to learn by rote - all that rests within their pages. Our generosity of spirit - is immeasurable indeed.
However rote learning of anything, even of our own history or culture - written by foreigners - is not the way forward. That is not how clarity comes or knowledge imparted.
And if we were to recollect what Lord Curzon (Viceroy to India from 1899-1905) wrote in his letter to Queen Victoria: that in order to keep up their superiority of race, culture, heritage and history - they needed to have colonized countries and colonized people, or words to that effect. Ever wondered what that says about their mindset?
Yet, how many of us have tried to know about the reign of say, Samrat Chandragupta Vikramaditya?
Very few! We have quite happily restricted him to Vikram and Betal.
How many of us have cared to learn about Chanakya, Varahamihir, Aryabhatta and Sushruta? How many of us have tried to or even wanted to read and know about our great warriors and freedom fighters?
A small faction amongst a multitude of item number addicts, no?
Umm, I recently discovered that chocolate consumption in India has nearly trebled since 2005. Though I continue to wonder why it doesn't reflect on our population graph then?!
But let me not digress.
Frankly, our history is a mix of lies and half-truths. We need to come out of this intellectual bog, this mind numbing quicksand - this double trap of rote learning + letting foreigners to write our history. We need to separate the grain from the chaff, 'coz it is us that has given the chaff the status of the grain - if I may say so.
But there's one more thing that piques my curiosity no end and that is the origin of the modern day Europeans - those who wield all the influence and power today.
A couple of millenniums ago several destructive martial and warlike clans and tribes abounded - in various parts of modern Asia.
Samrat Chandragupta Vikramaditya drove away many such mercenaries and tribes - the Sakas and the Huns (white and red) - are some examples, from modern Asia and established his writ over these lands.
Hannibal overran Europe and I presume destroyed a lot of their ingenious culture and people. Attila the Hun ravaged Europe too.
But, what happened to the progeny of these marauding hordes??
Hopefully they aren't writing our history and holding forth on our culture and heritage. Or forcibly brainwashing us into believing this fictitious Aryan Invasion Theory and racial superiority, among others?! Not that we are not to be blamed - for lapping it all up - without question.
Strangely, even our ancient itihasa (history) have been termed as mythology and epic and turned into fables of 'victory of good over evil' - when we simply do not have this concept of 'evil'.
Now, lets turn our attention towards Alexander the Great. The freshly minted PM of Pakistan - Raja Parvaiz Ashraf - is a Rajput from the Potohar region of Punjab. But the Potohar region of Punjab is famous for another Raja - Raja Paurav (also known as King Porus).
Our history tells us that the mighty Alexander defeated him, yet folklore in that area and its surroundings tell a different story.
There is a line of thought that Alexander the Great fought three major wars in his life and won two. And that the third one was papered over by the Greek historians - because he lost it - beaten back by the forces of Raja Paurav and the ancient Persians. And that this defeat stopped him from plundering this fabled land - of her riches.
That the story of his 'magnanimity' with Porus could very likely be a fantasy - to keep Alexander's aura intact?
Ancient India was a land of immense wealth and knowledge. Hordes of conquerors have charged in - some of them multiple times - in order to loot and plunder and carry away vast quantities of her wealth. What made Alexander - a marauding conqueror himself - suddenly turn altruistic?
And who are the original inhabitants of Europe or America? Who are the indigenous people - of these lands?
If we look at the ones who are clustered in some parts of Europe: the Swedes, the Norwegians - I mean, the Scandinavian people: they are very different.
Unfortunately, the death of several languages and tribes, as well as the systematic conversion of indigenous people or adivashis (tribals) - all over the world, to some or the other organized religion - has had devastating effects vis-à-vis written and oral history, heritage, scriptures, languages, culture and folklore. We simply have no idea of what has been lost - forever.
I wonder how much of our culture, heritage and history has been destroyed - thanks to the marauders from the west and the east (aided and abetted by home grown vested interests). How many of our ancient monuments have been captured and then renamed? And how many of them destroyed?
Perhaps our forefathers were prudent and farsighted, and therefore locked in our history, etc in coded texts and/or camouflaged language. We have not been able to unlock.
Yet sadly, we pay no attention to the Gupta era - especially to that of Samrat Chandragupta Vikramaditya, whose reign encompassed vast lands and predated Islam. We seem to have not only forgotten him, but also buried him deep - in the sands of time. He faded off the pages, while we banished him from our collective psyche. We periodically and selectively remember Samrat Asoka - but only to emphasize on his embracing 'ahimsa' (non-violence) bit and extolling of Buddhism.
But, what is it that played a major role in ensuring that we fell to barbaric and marauding hordes? Why is it that despite a glorious ancient history and a very prosperous early medieval era ... we suddenly declined so rapidly ... and have never recovered ever since?
Frankly, I wonder why there has never been an attempt to understand what has been the impact of Buddhism - when it flourished - on the society, over a period of time; especially its message of peace and ahimsa. And whether there has been a misunderstanding or misinterpretation somewhere.
Samrat Chandragupta Maurya's reign was also a golden era, and he too was a great Emperor and a very able administrator - also attested by the ancient Greek historian and diplomat, Megasthenes (the author of an account of ancient India, the Indica, in four books).
While Samrat Chandragupta Vikramaditya, to my mind, was and is the greatest Emperor - to have walked on this planet - in the current era: the Kaliyug. He was paternal and nurturing - of his praja (subjects), without having embraced Buddhism.
His empire stretched from Bali to the Baltic and from Korea to ancient Arvasthan. [Note: Arva in Sanskrit means, 'horse' and sthan refers to, 'land or place' - Arvasthan therefore signifies the land of horses.]
A lion-hearted, noble, generous, erudite and dutiful ruler, he was devoted to the welfare of his praja - his people, even those from vanquished lands. No subjugation, slave-taking, opium-cultivation, burning and pillaging for him. No discrimination on the basis of language, customs or colour of skin. Once he conquered a land, he did not indulge in rape and plunder nor leave behind devastated cities and rotting corpses, unlike the marauding hordes that came in from the east and the west and perpetuated untold atrocities over us - the vanquished people and land.
Vikramaditya reintroduced the Vedic way of life, built beautiful monuments, imparted education and established law and order; his paternal and filial rule ended an uneasy period of turmoil and ignorance, ushering in an era of tranquility in these conquered lands. This IS ahimsa my friend - the true essence of the doctrine of ahimsa. What phoren and phony pundits' have been preaching to us is pathetic, leading us to a dead-end.
Ahimsa concocted and Ahimsa imported - have only made us bite the dust. As to why various forces and nations are only too keen to serve us this version of ahimsa - I know not.
However, we continue to conveniently ignore that sthan is a Sanskrit word, meaning land or place. And despite the passage of time and various isms cropping up - the names of various nations stand testimony even today - silently proclaiming their Vedic heritage.
Still, we take no interest in learning about the ancient Kambuja Desa or Suvarnadvipa - the ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East.
And our history books are silent about the Egyptian king Tushratta and the queen Sitamen.
Parting Shot: The way things are ... I won't be surprised if we are also told that some Greco-Romans disguised as Rishi Valmiki and Maharishi Vedvyasa - penned the Ramayan and the Mahabharat!


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Originally posted by earthman4
I think I'm going to sell fallout suits for a living.
Originally posted by Redge777
I would post the news here so I could get credit for first to post the real big story
Honestly their is a half basement under the condo, but it is partially exposed to the outside, so it would depend if it is fall out, direct radiation or bio attack.
I would also hook my vacum cleaner pointing out of bathroom fan, turn on dryer, then route air from leak in door through makeshift filter to create overpreassure system
[edit on 19-9-2007 by Redge777]
Originally posted by julesmac8
What if you lose power? How many minutes would this take to hook up?
Originally posted by julesmac8
ROTFL... alrighty Smartypants.. I can be pretty slow on the uptake but I'm new to hear and new to trying to plan. I'm serious: what all would you do in a twenty minute period? Have you practiced and timed it??
Honestly If I had the filter, I could get it going in a few minutes with tape and plastic, I would have to use dustbuster for overpreassure.


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I bought tickets today to go to the circus in June. Mitch and I both agreed that even though the tickets are a tad pricey, it is worth it! We will gladly admit that we had just as much as fun as the girls did last year. The venue here in town is beautiful and the circus is quite the show. Ella sat through the entire show last year at 11 months -- we'll see how she does at 23 months! We will also make sure to hit the pre-show this year. The animals are out for an hour and the performers take turns coming out on to the floor as well -- and you are free to roam around and check it all out.
If the circus is heading your way -- I would highly recommend it!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Circus
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Because Toys Need Fresh Air, Too
Ella has this thing lately of taking toys outside to play. She has little stool that goes with a Crayola desk and she routinely takes it out for a walk (she pushes it around). The stool has even gone on errands with us. Thankfully, she does not insist on sleeping with the stool, but tonight she did put it in her room at bedtime!
Here she is the other day with a teddy bear of mine. She must have carried him around for a good 30 minutes while she played outside. I just love how cute kids are hauling around stuffed animals and such!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
To Our Friends
Our church is finishing up a four part church wide series called RE:New (you can click on the link to get podcasts, audio, and video for the series. Scroll down a little and on your right you can check out the "Lazy Sunday" video -- it's hilarious!). This weekend's message was about renewing our future and doing life together with other people. We moved to Las Vegas in July 2005 after nine months in Flagstaff, Arizona. The plan has never been to stay here long term -- we needed employment ASAP and Las Vegas offered that opportunity. Despite every effort on our part, God has yet to open a door for us to move back east to be nearer to Sarah and our families. While we wait for a door to open, we are blessed with many friends. They have truly become our "Las Vegas" family.
The McLemores -- so young but so wise! We look forward to watching as God stretches you and leads down the road of life.
The Keysers -- your journey to parenthood and long-lasting marriage is a testimony to God's love. We love having neighbors within walking distance (even if you do root for that team)!
The Carvalhos -- you guys routinely crack us up! Your dedication to and pursuit of God is inspiring.
The Hammonds -- fellow Michiganders and U of M fans -- GO BLUE! It has been a rough road at times, but we always see God in the details of your life.
The Pooles -- it has been a while, but we're always here and we know that you are always there. Your generosity with time and resources is a blessing to many! (Sorry, Jen apparently I don't have any pics with you!)
The Hatfields -- Your life experiences and sense of humor add such depth not only to our group, but also to our lives! (I only have a pic of your daughter!)
The Garcias -- You all have a quiet strength and deep trust in God. Your family is so beautiful and we praise God for answering your years of waiting for the newest addition!
The Van Vliets -- I have no pictures (we have to get some on Mother's Day!)! You both have such a love of life and a deep caring for others that overflows in your warm hospitality. Be anxious for nothing -- God will provide!
Our beloved Linda and David: Again, I need pictures! Our mentors, our friends, our inspiration when we think we can't make it as young parents -- we are so thankful for the life you model for us and the years of experience from which you share with us.
Just a fun note: This Mother's Day four of the above families are dedicating a baby at church and one a grand-baby (all born since July 2007).
It is such a joy to do life with all of you. Thank you for doing life with us. We are truly blessed!
Potty Training, Take 2
For the past few months Ella has sporadically used her potty. I haven't pushed the potty training because our schedule changes weekly and monthly. Some months we're home everyday of the week and other months we're only home three days a week. It is tough to be consistent when the schedule is always changing. Plus the "readiness" signs were a little weak. Ella was interested in the potty, but I was still fighting diaper changing.
Over the past few weeks, however, Ella has started to show strong indications of being ready for the potty. She has consistently told me when her diaper is dirty (not wet, just dirty). And then she spreads her legs out as far apart as she can and waddles to her diaper changing area and lays down to wait for me. Last week I put her down for a nap in just a shirt and a diaper. When I went in to get her up, she was diaper-less (apparently she got bored trying to fall asleep), but there wasn't any mess to clean up. She (and everything in her bad) was completely dry!
Once Daddy is done with school in June, we begin potty training in earnest over the summer. I am hoping we are all done by the time he goes back in August. I would really like to only buy/wash diapers for one kid, not two! I am also hoping that a little peer pressure from Sarah will help the process. Ella will pretty much do anything "Ware-wah" wants her to -- let's hope that works to our advantage in potty training!
We don't have any books/CDs/DVDs for the Big Event because I am not sure if they really help. Do you have any that worked well for your child?
Thursday, April 24, 2008
On Being Pregnant....Again
I was pretty excited to sit down and right this great post about how every pregnancy is different and that this time around, I was not feeling sick. At all. With Ella, I had morning sickness all day long for the entire pregnancy. It was awful. Then early this morning, around 3:00 AM, I awoke with extreme nausea and got "morning sick". It still is not as bad as with Ella, but I have time. And this time I am prepared. This time I know about Zofran and I intend to use it!
I also switched OBs this time around for a multitude of reasons. One reason is that with Ella the docs did not even tell me about the nausea medication even though I lost 15 pounds between 6 and 10 weeks along. Now, I realize I am not wasting away here, but nausea and the results of such for months on end is not fun. So far so good with the new OB.
Because I had a C-Section with Ella, I have to have one with this baby. There too many medical/legal issues with VBACs and most docs in Las Vegas will not do them. But that's OK with me. The baby is due in early December and we can schedule a C-Section up to 10 days prior to the due date. But if my blood pressure sky rockets like it did with Ella, we are probably looking at a late November birth.
It took us almost a year of "not trying but not preventing" with Ella. I expected it to take as long this time. Yeah, it didn't! While this was a bit earlier than we expected, we are looking forward to another Christmastime baby. It is very possible this baby could be born on Sarah's birthday of December 4th, but we are hoping to avoid that! Unless, of course, she wants to share her birthday, but who does that voluntarily?!?!
Thirty-four weeks, probably less, to go. I am hoping to enjoy the ride more this time!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Ella's New Shirt
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Little Color Guard
Ella attended her first (and last as it was the championships) Winterguard competition of the season. She had a fantastic time! Aside from all her baby-sitters being in weird costumes and make up, that is. She loved the music and flags and oh the drums (in the drum lines) were the bomb! I should have taken her to another one earlier in the season.
While we were outside running around, Ron from American Band Accessories gave Ella her very first flag (a swing flag). She loves it! Now she will have something to play with at football games and Winterguard comps next year. We love ABA and highly recommend them for all your marching band/guard/drum line needs!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Mushroom Medley Recipe
I thought I'd share this yummy and easy recipe! This is from the cookbook of Linda Wehrmeyer, Beth's mom. I was so lucky to have copies of her recipe box passed on to me! She was a wonderful southern cook! The original recipe called for frying the meat in butter and using all fresh ingredients. Linda was a busy single mom to 2 kids so she adjusted to make it quicker and easier! You can sub in fresh ingredients if you'd like.
Mushroom Medley
1 lb ground meat
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheese
2 med onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 small cans sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 lb uncooked noodles (like macaroni)
2 16 oz cans of tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Brown meat. Add onions and peppers and cook briefly. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Pour into covered casserole and bake covered for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
I actually put it all together the night before and then bake it the next afternoon/evening. I serve with Linda's biscuits and a salad. Yum! I'll post the biscuit recipe sometime this week.
Friday, April 18, 2008
How Much TV is Too Much?
We do not watch much TV. I would be stretching it to say we watch an hour a week. We literally go for days without turning the TV on. We just got cable a few months ago for the first time in four years; I guess we just got out of the habit of watching. Ella is not a TV watcher at all. She loves to watch "Baby Signing Time" DVDs, but that is about it (I highly recommend it for learning baby signing skills).
This morning Ella asked for "Bob" (Veggie Tales). I thought she wanted to listen to a CD (our normal "Bob" routine), but she wanted to watch a DVD. Weird! We rarely watch VT DVDs with her -- I think maybe once we watched one. She lasted about 10 minutes and now she is outside with her sidewalk chalk. I will take 10 minutes a day!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Cookin' and Plannin'
I mentioned on my menu plan this week that there are a few recipes I have recently found that I am dying to try out. One is a recipe for lasagna. I love lasagna, but I really do not have any recipes I like for it. When I saw this new recipe, I knew I had to give it a try. I have ground meat and sauce in the house and lasagna noodles are inexpensive. But there are two ingredients that piqued my curiosity: breakfast sausage (cooked with the ground meat) and sliced cheese (rather than shredded). I do not have either ingredient in the house so I (grudgingly)decided to wait and watch for sales. For three weeks now I have been waiting... and waiting... and waiting.
While grocery shopping on Saturday I noticed that Wal-Mart was carrying a brand of sausage for which I had a coupon. I got the package for $.23. Check that ingredient off the list.
Yesterday, the sale ads came for our grocery store sales this week and sliced mozzarella is on sale for $1.50 per package. Bingo! I had a serious dance party in the living room.
Rather than paying around $8 total for the cheese and sausage, I will spend less than $2.00. I saved $6.00 with just a little bit of patience.
Look for the recipe link on next week's menu!
Sparkling Clean Glass -- A Natural Cleaner
We have a sliding glass door leading out on to our patio. Ever since Ella started crawling, I gave up on keeping it clean. I would clean it with Windex and ten seconds later it would be covered with hand prints again. On Monday I decided to put a natural cleaner to the test. I had read that if you mix corn starch with warm water and use it on glass, not only does it clean, but the glass becomes smudge proof.
I mixed up the solution of 1 quart water to 1 tablespoon cornstarch, sprayed it on a cloth and wiped off the dirt, smudges, and dust. Then I took a clean dry cloth and wiped off the solution. Sparkling clean. Then the real test -- my "helper" wiped her nose and then put her hand on the glass... nothing. No smudge, no mark, no dirt. Genius!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Goodies in the Mail!
While Karin is in Indy while her hubby, Matt, is having surgery, I received TWO packages in the mail today from her. Matt works at a recycling plant and I really hope he NEVER leaves! Today (and at least twice a month) I was blessed by "garbage" that Matt brought home for me.
First: Coupons... Lots and lots and lots of coupons from recycled newspapers.
I get crap coupons out here so I LOVE it when Matt picks up the circulars for me!
Second: An iHome iPod docking station/alarm clock!!
Matt and Karin collect all the Coke Rewards Points people recycle and I have received tons of cool stuff (like a $100 SpaFinder Gift Certificate!) from them. Today I got the docking station I requested. Now I want one for the bedroom and one for the kitchen! I initiated it with two of my faves: Shania Twain and Lincoln Brewster!
And because you asked and sent me so many presents....
Thanks, guys! Get better soon, Matt!
Tax Day
Accountants everywhere are sleeping in tomorrow and are taking their first two day weekend since January. I was reading a blog today and the author wrote that she was in mourning because her family was hit with a huge tax bill. I have to wonder how that happened as this is a blog about living simply, frugally, with very little money. That kind of lifestyle takes planning and organization. With a little of both, tax day should not bring any surprises.
(Granted, she did not say the bill was a surprise, just that it was huge, and it may have been unavoidable. Simply handing a chunk of money over to Uncle Sam can in itself be pretty depressing even if it was planned ahead.)
You can, of course, head to a tax professional to do your tax planning for next year. I, however, am a huge proponent of doing your taxes yourself. Even if you go to a tax professional for a few years first to learn the ropes, sit down afterwards and go over your forms with the corresponding IRS publication. Read. Learn. Decipher. Ask questions if you do not understand. You understand your situation better than anyone. Most taxes are not complicated -- self-employment would be one situation where I would seek professional advice for the first year. After that, I would do it myself.
I have no clue what accountants charge, but I am sure they are not cheap. Yes, it make take some time to sift through the IRS info, but think of all the years of tax prep fees you are saving yourself. And if you get frustrated with all the loops and tables and figures of our tax code -- vote for a politician proposing a simpler system. Seriously, again, ask for help. I have yet to find anything that has been answered on the IRS website or publications.
I am also leary of tax prep software. I did ours on some free software after we had Ella -- and the software told me we could not claim her as a dependent. Uh, OK? I shut it down and did it by hand. Software makes recommendations based on the information you input. If you put in incorrect information, the software provides incorrect information. I re-did Ella's birth information about 5 times before I gave up and moved on.
If you pull out the last few years of tax returns you should be able to figure out how much tax you will owe next year. Look at how much you have paid in the last 3 years or so. You can take in to account major life changes that affect taxes (marriage, babies, buying/selling a home, moving, a pay raise, etc) and adjust from there. I am embarrassed that we received a significant tax return this year (I forgot a major deduction when I did the tax planning last year). I adjusted our withholding and we now have $100 MORE A MONTH in our paycheck. The government does not pay interest on any extra money it takes out of your paycheck. If you are worried that you might underestimate your tax liability for next year, take the money and put it in a money market account. At the end of the year if you owe, you have the cash to pay. If not, you just made interest on money that otherwise would have been sitting in the U.S. Treasury doing absolutely nothing for you.
The IRS has a withholding calculator on its website that I find useful. Just be careful -- the number it pumps out is dependent on the information you provide.
I also check our withholding once a quarter to make sure we are on track and will not end up with a huge bill next April.
And if you have the maximum amount withheld and still owe money, I would suggest you vote for a Republican in November! (tee hee)
No Knead Bread
I decided to give the No Knead Bread a shot. The recipe appeared super easy and it was. If you want to start bread making -- this is the recipe to start.
Yesterday afternoon I combined all the ingredients, mixed with a wooden spoon and let it sit. (uuh.. pic not showing up. Don't know why....)
This morning, around 7 AM, it looked like this
I tucked in the edges and put it on a floured towel to nap for 2 hours.
I dumped it in the warmed up pot and threw it in the oven. About an hour later this is what came out:
And if my computer would work I'd show you the loaf out of the pot.
I have not tasted it yet because it is for dinner and I have a problem just taking 1 slice. But it reminds of the bread I made from this book (which I love and want desperately), but without so much fuss (water pans, taking up space in the fridge, etc). Plus the No Knead loaf is about twice the size as the artisan loaf. I will let you know how it compares taste wise after dinner tonight.
Given that I live in a desert and it will soon top 100 degrees daily (it was 92 yesterday), I am not keen on adding to the heat with a 450 degree oven on for an hour. But I may bake a few loaves and freeze them for use throughout the summer or relegate homemade bread to the cooler months.
Good-bye Northwest!
Did you hear the news that Northwest and Delta airlines are merging? I have about a gazillion Northwest Frequent Flyer miles (from days gone by of a job in the travel biz)that I have not been able to use from the west coast (schedules are terrible). Northwest is/was hands-down the worst airline I ever flew.
Tangent: One of my favorite flying experiences was with Air France. They liked to board all 500 passengers on to a 747 by announcing "we are now boarding" (you can imagine the chaos that ensues). I am not kidding. Every time I flew them that was how they boarded the plane (in Paris -- in NY we boarded by rows)! Someday I will tell you about flying from Cairo to Tel Aviv on EgyptAir....
Anyway, according to the information in my in-box this morning: "By combining Northwest and Delta, we are building a stronger, more resilient airline that will be a leader in providing customer service and value."
I got the same email three times. I feel more confident already.
Enough, Already!
My brother-in-law, Matt, is having surgery today to remove a lymph node in his back. This is the final step, after a previous surgery and chemo, in his fight against cancer. Matt had been married to my sister for just over a year when he was diagnosed -- I can not imagine the strain on a new marriage. This surgery is similar to a c-section and will take a month or two for recovery. Matt will be in the hospital in Indy for 4 days and then he heads to my parents house for some R&R while he recovers.
Matt and Karin were hoping to get through 2008 without any major medical issues, but alas that did not come to pass. But they are really excited that this is the FINAL step in making sure Matt is cancer-free. As usual, they handled their frustration with grace and wit and are making the best of the situation.
I also wanted to give a shout out to Beth, who lives close to the hospital in Indiana and is opening her home so my sister does not have to stay alone in a hotel. Beth has also arranged with work to be there for my sister at a moment's notice. Thanks for taking care of her for us while we are so far away!
Beth's mother, Linda, lost her battle with breast cancer 7 years ago -- I was very close to Linda and I miss her often. Every year Beth raises money for breast cancer research through the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The race is next weekend and Beth is just over half-way to her goal. If you would like to donate, you can click here to get to Beth's fund raising page.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Yet Another Ear Infection
Ella has another ear infection. That makes 4 or 5 since December. Our pediatrician wants us to go to an ENT. I'd rather wait for a myriad of reasons, but I hate to see her so miserable every month. She always gets a super high fever for days and has a hard time sleeping (we've been up for the past two nights between 3 and 4 AM waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in).
I have read articles about not treating ear infections and just letting them heal themselves (similar to a cold). But Ella's fevers get very high and the ibuprofen eventually stops bringing them down. Plus, the first time she had one (at 5 months old) we had no idea what it was and her ear drums burst! We are thinking of at least waiting through the summer -- I stop baby-sitting when school is out and we are hoping that less contact with a certain kid who ALWAYS has a cold will help (Ella's ear infections always develop from a simple stuffy nose). We read Dr. Sears' website and she does not appear to have any hearing or language issues so I think we would rather be cautious than aggressive in treatment.
Does anyone have any experience/resources/advice on this?
Friday, April 11, 2008
Blended Cooking
My post from a few days ago reminded me of a little thought about area in blending a family: cooking. We had sandwiches one day for lunch when Sarah was here for Spring Break. I told her before I made the sandwiches that we only had homemade bread and offered to make her something else for lunch (very unusual for me -- I have a strict "this is what's for breakfast/lunch/dinner -- you can eat or go hungry" policy). I was surprised that she ate the homemade bread! And she liked it!
Kids being raised between two families have to deal with so much adjustment and change, often on a daily or weekly schedule. It can be tough for a kid to go between two kitchens and two different cooks -- not something contemplated in custody decisions, I assure you. There are a lot of times when I will make one of our favorite dishes for dinner and Sarah will refuse to eat it. We always make her try it, but most of the time if it is not familiar, she will not go for it. Even simple dishes, like mac and cheese can cause a problem. I make mac and cheese either from scratch or when in a pinch, I buy Annie's brand. Sarah was used to "the blue box" (as she put it). I have even gotten "I don't like that kind of ketchup" before. It can frustrating as the cook to have food refused and not to take it personally!
I have learned, though, to take mental note of the things I make that Sarah does like and to keep those on our menu when she is here. I stick with more generic items like steak and potatoes. I also make sure to have bread or rice (Sarah is a rice-a-holic) at every meal and we eat a lot of broccoli because Sarah likes it. We always have her favorite salad dressing in the fridge for salads.
In addition to trying to be conscious of Sarah's likes and dislikes, she has timidly tried food I have made and found she liked it. There are a couple of menu items that I have introduced to Sarah. For instance, she claims to not have ever had tacos before I made them. I am not sure of the validity of that statement, but hey, she loves my tacos! Sarah always wanted just peanut butter whenever I offered her a PB&J sandwich because she did not like jelly. So I made my favorite as a kid, my mom's homemade strawberry jelly. She loved it! She reminded me that it was the only kind she liked and asked for it over Spring Break. I did not have any, but I will be sure to have it this summer. At the age of 4, Sarah was sure I had invented the best dessert in the world: root beer floats! I certainly have a lot of fun introducing Sarah to different foods.
Do not get me wrong, I do not cater to Sarah's every culinary whim, but I think being exposed to different foods can be a perk in a blended family situation if the adults involved do their best to make it a pleasant experience. Setting a harsh rule of "eat or starve" can make for a very unpleasant home atmosphere. But allowing for individual tastes while still firmly but gently insisting that all new foods are given a chance before being rejected has worked well for us.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
B.J. is finally home! He ended up having a tooth surgically removed(a $200 procedure they did for free!) after being neutered. The vet at the shelter did not want me to bring him home because he was so lethargic and would not eat or drink even a bite. I insisted, though. Sure enough, once he realized where he was, I could not keep him still. I am actually worried all the jumping will tear his sutures. And he ate an entire can of soft food last night and used the litter box. I think he is happy to be home!
We named him B.J., short for "Bailey Jr.". Bailey is our friend Jen's cat and B.J. is the spitting image of Bailey (Brutus is the black and white cat -- she's a girl Brutus, though!).
Now I am going to get check on pet insurance for this cat. Never had it before, but every time I turn around, he seems to need another procedure!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
In The Kitchen
I tried out the silicone baking cups I purchased on Easter clearance a few weeks ago. I love them! No more muffin pans for me! And I washed them in the dishwasher afterwards. No muss, no fuss.
I decided last month to start baking my own bread. We just finished the first loaf bread last week and are on to the second. We go through phases where we will eat a lot of bread, and then not so much. Everyone seems to like and enjoy the bread, but I still think it needs a little something to make it more palatable. The recipe I used (from The Urban Homemaker)had a few optional ingredients, including vital wheat gluten and dough enhancer. She also recommended SAF yeast. I decided to give them a whirl as they were relatively inexpensive (shipping doubled my cost, though).
I am going to give them a whirl today or tomorrow.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Why I Do What I Do
Ella sits between Mitch and I at the dinner table. We always pray before we eat and we hold hands. A few weeks ago, we sat down to eat and Ella grabbed our hands and said, "pway". She has done it for every single meal since.
Thank goodness for affirmation that we are doing at least one thing "right"!


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Monday, December 22, 2008
Orfea Outin by frankblame
Not a video poem, but an eerie, urban and gritty dance/performance film.
Posted by City Breath at 1:39 AM
Labels: inspiration, video poem
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"If Johannesburg is a virus, I was infected a long time ago, and negotiating and challenging the virus is what interests me, and therein lies the intimacy." (South African contemporary artist Stephen Hobbs)Through their common theme, these short video 'gasps' or 'breaths' of South African cities give voice to the private dreams and nightmares of local poets, dancers, performance artists and filmmakers. They interrogate, with or against rational logic, the way South Africans understand their cities and urban life. Rebellious in their nature, under 4 minutes each, the films represent a genre seldom seen in South African film and television. "Inspiring, sometimes beautiful, sometimes challenging, and over-all very impressive." (Trevor Steele-Taylor, Director of the National Arts Festival Film Programme)


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Thursday, April 14, 2016
This All Makes Sense to the Left . . . .
Washington, are you listening? Didn't think so.
Gun Control = Hillary Control.
That's a damn good question.
Great idea!
Hey Bernie, it's what you believe in.
Stolen from my Facebook friends.
10 comments:
- edutcher said...
Bernie's problem is he never had a job until he was 40.
- April 14, 2016 at 6:52 AM
- Sandee said...
You nailed it again Odie. You and I are on the same page.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
- April 14, 2016 at 7:31 AM
- LL said...
What a great idea! I need a black sheet to polish my motorcycle!!!
- April 14, 2016 at 8:24 AM
- Woodsterman (Odie) said...
Edutcher, even then it was a government job. That hardly counts as a job.
- April 14, 2016 at 9:50 AM
- Woodsterman (Odie) said...
Sandee, I see it, I steal it, I post it!
- April 14, 2016 at 9:51 AM
- Woodsterman (Odie) said...
LL, well there you go ....
- April 14, 2016 at 9:52 AM
- GruntOfMonteCristo said...
I saw some of those black sheets going through security at Denver Int'l Airport this morning. And other colors, like blue and tan. Maybe the black is only for when your wife has been really bad and needs to suffer in the hot sun under a black tent like a sauna? Heat-induced brain damage is probably a strong inducement to good behavior. Then, maybe the tan is for good behavior, and the blue is for date night? That's all I got.
- April 14, 2016 at 8:24 PM
- Woodsterman (Odie) said...
Gruntclueless, That is ISIS (WASWAS) moving through the country under the orders of the Boy King.
- April 15, 2016 at 8:08 AM
- Ron Russell said...
It's really a shame you have to buy hunting and fishing licenses. Just another way for the government to raise money. Hey, more people have sex than hunt and fish. I'm all for taxing that, now that's only history for me.
- April 16, 2016 at 9:23 AM
- Woodsterman (Odie) said...
Ron, watch it, that's lib talk. Just like non smokers taxing smokers.
- April 16, 2016 at 12:20 PM


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My Willy, also known as Speedy, went missing. We looked everywhere and could not find him. Not in the garden, where he normally resides. Not in any neighbours' gardens, because we asked them. Not in the house, because he is never allowed inside; although we did search the house just in case. Not in the garage, not in the car, or indeed not anywhere. Willy went missing.
I knew my Willy was not hiding in some orifice or corner somewhere because he is totally claustrophobic. He is the only tortoise I know who gets really stressed about going back into his own shell. He hibernates in winter with his head and legs hanging out of his natural home. He prefers the outdoors. We have to wrap his head in a small scarf we've knitted for him and put his legs in home-made socks to keep him warm.
We've had him for two years or so and he shares the garden with a rabbit. They often lunch together on a leaf or two of lettuce and they wander about always under the watchful eye of someone in case they get throught the hedge to the neighbour's garden. At night they are put in their cage for safety. Willy is always out in the garden early in the morning jumping and running around with his friend the rabbit.
Obviously what happened is that one day last week, or should I say one evening last week, we forgot to put them in the cage for the night. It happened before with no great problem. The next morning they were both there waiting to be fed. But this time, the rabbit was there, but not Willy. He had vanished.
Being a tortoise, we did not think he'd gone very far. We searched everywhere as already mentioned and we could not find him. We printed leaflets with his photo, (we could have used a photo where he is smiling, but never mind), and then we pinned the leaflets to trees and lamposts in our area. We posted leaflets in neighbours houses asking them if they'd seen Willy; but to no avail. No one had seen him.
Then yesterday he was found. He was up a tree in our garden. There he was. Sitting on a branch some twenty feet up from the ground. Totally unperturbed and happy with his surroundings.
How did he get up there? I thought. Tortoises don't usually climb trees do they? More to the point, how do we get him down? It's certainly not something I'd want to do, climbing all the way up there.
Perhaps if we called him down and we all held a large sheet into which he would fall safely? No use. He is as deaf as a deaf bat ... sorry, only simile I could think of on the spur of the moment.
I phoned the pet shop where we normally buy the lettuce leaves to feed him and the rabbit. The man there told me that perhaps he took fright at something he saw and ran up the tree. Perhaps he saw someone with face cream and hair in curlers and that was enough to send him into a total panic. Now I'll admit that once or twice I may have ventured in the garden with my skin softening and conditioning cream on, and a curler or two in my hair; but that would not have frightened Willy, surely? Anyway, how did the man in the pet shop know I use face cream?
Eventually, one of our neighbours who is not afraid of heights came round and brought Willy safely down to terra firma. You should have seen him waggling his tail and jumping at our legs in delight. I mean Willy the tortoise was jumping at our legs, not the neighbour who brought him down! The rabbit was so happy to see Willy that they chased each other round the garden as they often do when playing. The neighbour was so delighted that he ran round chasing them also.
Totally exhausted, we put them both in their cage with an extra lettuce leaf each to celebrate.
We still don't know how Willy got up the tree. Any ideas?
Personally, I think he was over enthusiastic on the trampoline and he bounced himself so high that he landed on the branch twenty feet up.


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Long time no post. It's ok life happens and it's just happening very rapidly for me again. This past month has been yet another flurry of activities at work. We were given unexpected notice to vacate out donated gallery space. I won't get into details but Columbus Underground did a good post about it here. It was inconvenient timing considering it was also during the peak of my grant writing season and strategic planning for the board of trustees. Amongst some other karfluffel that had to do with grant writing. Not the best situation but overall for the best. It was just very draining and exhausting of course and mentally not very good for my positive vibes.
In other news we found a store front! A glorious store front! My dream of having a yarn store has finally come to fruition! Through all this mess at work and stress I can turn around and smile because I see the progress on my store and can't help but smile at the work ahead of me for my own business. It probably won't be ready for at least a month. I need to still get my vendors in order and even then it will be a soft opening. I can't do a grand opening till after the next TNNA (The National Needleworks Association Convention) and when I get back from my trip to Korea. Oh did I not mention that the Hubby and I will be going to Korea?! (we'll get back to that in a moment).
Here are some pictures of the interior space as we are working on it.
No for reals this is the last store related thing. A mock up of what our outside will potentially look like if approved by the Landlord.
OK now that is out of my system let's talk Korea.
So hubby finally agreed that if we didn't go to Korea now when would we go? Certainly not when we have a little one or two. We also didn't know the store would happen so soon. We also booked the tickets before we knew all the work move/grant writing got crazy. Anyways it's been another beacon of light in my life to look forward to. I'm so nervous I haven't been back to Korea in 14 years and this is the hubby's first time ever! It will certainly be an adventure. We are staying in Seoul as I don't have very many relatives that we keep in contact with over there. We will mostly be on our own as my bestie over there will be busy with work. I've found a lot of friends that will be there at the same time which will be nice. I could take a whole other post about just Korea. So I think I will. OH and we are also going to Japan on the way back from Korea! This will be completely new for me as I have never been able to spend tourist time in Japan. All I have seen of Tokyo is the bullet train and the American Embassy to renew my passport between countries for my brother's wedding in 2000.
I will try my best to be more diligent about blogging. I miss it dearly and really should make more time to do this and read up on the blogs I used to follow. For now good night and CHEERS!


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A Fort Covington man has been charged with raping a Plattsburgh State student.
The State University of New York at Plattsburgh Police announced the arrest of Trevor J. Sisto.
Sisto was charged with first-degree rape, a class B felony.
The charges stem from an incident last fall in which a Plattsburgh State student was allegedly sexually assaulted in her residence hall while Sisto was visiting.
With the assistance of the New York State Police, University Police took Sisto into custody at his Fort Covington residence.
He was arraigned and is now being held at Clinton County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail of $50,000 bond.
"Across the board, in our society, rape is vastly underreported," said University Police Chief Arlene Sabo. "University Police and the faculty and staff at SUNY Plattsburgh are working hard to encourage victims to report these crimes, and we want people to know that when they report such crimes, they are taken very seriously."


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ConciergeMalta is a privately owned site managed by an experienced Concierge who currently works in one of the leading 5 Star Hotels on the Island.
Using his experience in dealing with clients, James Gauci Borda has decide to now offer his knowledge of things to do and see in Malta to a much wider audience through this website.
ConciergeMalta basically offers the quality of concierge service you would expect from a hotel but online instead, providing vast experience for all your travel needs in Malta.


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IT'S A SLOW news day, so we'll introduce you to Hugh Ross, an astronomer and astrophysicist, who is also an Old Earth creationist (OEC) and operator of the OEC website Reasons to Believe.
As you can see from the foregoing, Ross is a true curiosity in the creationist world. Ross is featured in an article at the National Center for Science Education website: Old Earth Creationism. That same website has an extensive review of a Ross book, Creation as Science. The review is respectful, but ultimately dismissive. It's well worth reading if you find Ross as fascinating as we do.
All of that should give you enough background to appreciate an article by Ross, which appears in the Christian Examiner. The title is Creation will be viable science as believers develop testable models. Here are some excerpts, with bold added by us:
Perhaps you've already observed that "evolution bashing" tends to backfire. Claims that creation or intelligent design must be right because of flaws and shortcomings in the evolution scenario typically go nowhere, and for good reason. Scientists freely acknowledge that no theory comes forth perfect and complete. The investigation of flaws and weaknesses is the process that propels science forward toward more precise understandings of the natural world.
What's more, researchers and theoreticians interpret such complaints as a smoke screen, an attempt to cover up a lack of tangible, valid evidence for creation or, equally bad, an attempt to shield the biblical creation scenario from any meaningful evaluation and critique.
This is an amazing start to a creationist article. Let's read on:
To gain a voice in the public arena, we cannot and need not stay "religiously neutral." We cannot ask for recognition of an unidentified intelligent designer who played an undefined role in bringing about the observable history of life on Earth. This lack of definition will prevent us from being taken seriously as scientists.
The way forward requires development of comprehensive creation "models" (explanatory scenarios or theories). These are the core of the scientific enterprise. Creation can be and will be considered as a credible alternative to evolution only if and when we creationists put forth our own testable models to describe and explain the origin and history of the universe and life.
When creationists propose specific details of what took place "in the beginning," creation can be scientifically tested. By providing the means to either verify or falsify (through observations and experiments) creation, we can effectively demonstrate that "creation is science."
This is the sort of thing we routinely tell creationists, but here they're being told the same thing by one of their own. We continue:
It's important to remember that a shift in scientific thinking occurs only as the most talented and well-trained scientists become convinced of the need for change, not as students and politicians clamor for it. Eventually, new developments at the top research level trickle down to the classroom and the broader culture.
At this point you've got to be wondering — If Ross sees things this clearly, why is he a creationist? Bear with us:
For more than 20 years, my colleagues and I have been developing a radically different tactic to counter barriers to belief in creation. This strategy is not new. We simply returned to the biblically derived scientific method, the same one that sparked the scientific revolution.
Okay. Now he's sounding more like a creationist. Let's see where this is taking us:
Applying that method to the rapidly emerging discoveries in both the physical and life sciences has brought forth an astounding weight of evidence in favor of biblical creation.
We like to keep an open mind, but at this point we're not aware of Ross's evidence. Frankly, we doubt that such evidence exists. It's possible, however, that we've overlooked it. It's also possible — quite likely, in our opinion — that Ross is just another creationist with impossible dreams.
We have no way of knowing whether Ross has found happiness with his unique combination of beliefs, or whether he's living each day in the throes of what we called The Agony of Evolution vs. Creationism — being scientifically educated, yet emotionally unable to fully accept what he knows.
Copyright © 2009. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.


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Hurricane Sandy has come and gone. She's left a lot of debris and taken with her some of the east coast. Not everyone in Manhattan has electricity back on yet, but we're close to getting back on track. During this time of darkness, Glenn Ligon can shed some light for us. Neon light, that is.
Many months ago I saw the Glenn Ligon retrospective at the Whitney and expressed my utter shock about not having known about him sooner. Well, now I know, and thanks to the extent of the exhibit I attended, I know where he's coming from and what he's about.
Glenn Ligon is an African American contemporary multi media artist whos work heavily reflects issues of race, sexuality and language. His pieces range from silkscreen, painting, photography, sculpture, installation and many incorporate cultural references and text, including but not limited to historical figures like Malcolm X as well as popular comedian Richard Pryor.
Luhring Augustine Gallery is home to Glenn Ligons show NEON for the next month, up until Dec 8th. Probably one of the more ironic shows to have up during a blackout, it consists exclusively of Ligons neon text pieces, some of which are familiar from the Whitney, others I am seeing for the first time.
"Negro Sunshine"
A neon light painted black on the front, with the back exposed to give off light on the wall behind.
What the artist calls a 'black light'.
'The Moon Belongs To The People III'
'If I can't have love, I'll take sunshine'
Each piece, powerful in its phrasing, has its own personality. The handwriting and size of the text, the color of the light emitted and even the wattage of the bulb seem to change from wall to wall. Different voices, but all speaking from the same group. The wires hanging from the installations are reminiscent of the spray paint drips that come off of heavy-handed graffiti. The faint humming of the bulbs that ebbs and flows as one walks about creates and other-worldly feeling, adding a built-in sound installation to the space.
Once mass transit is back on track and our eyes become less light-sensitive I recommend seeing this show. Preferably on a cloudy, overcast afternoon, to fully amplify the glow of these haunting sculptures. We could all use a little more light this week.


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Screening & Other Events at University of Missouri – Kansas City
We received a message from Arzie Umali from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is the Assistant Director of the Women's Center and she wanted to let everyone know about their screening of Who Does She Think She Is? on April 13 and the series of events that have been planned around this screening. If you are in the Kansas City MO area, go to the University of Missouri – Kansas City and enjoy celebrating Women's History Month!
1. Her Art– Group Art Exhibit
Dates: April 2 – May 28, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday, April 2, 2010; 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Location: Leedy-voulkos Arts Center, 2012 Baltimore
This exhibit will bring together a diverse group of Kansas City's most talented women artists working in a variety of media. Artists will be asked to submit works that answer the question: "Who Does She Think She Is?" The intent is to create a collection of autobiographical works that are evocative and emotionally charged, yet personal and narrative. The exhibit will feature 10 to 20 artists including: Holly Swangstu, Nicole Emmanuel, Arzie Umali, Ritchie Kaye, Sonie Ruffin, Shea Gordon, Jenny Mendez, Maria Vasquez Boyd, and others. Exhibit curators will be Holly Swangstu, Nicole Emmanuel, and Arzie Umali.
2. From Guy-Blanche to Bigelow: Women Behind the Camera in Hollywood Cinema – Lecture
Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: Miller Nichols Library, 800 E. 51st Street
No woman has ever won an Oscar for film direction and only four have been nominated (Kathryn Bigelow, Sophia Coppola, Jane Champion and Lina Wertmuler). Though not often recognized, women have been a part of the fabric of American film history since the movies began. Assistant Professor of Film & Media Arts Caitlin Horsmon will trace the history of women's roles as directors in the Hollywood film industry over the past 100 years detailing the challenges faced by women working behind the camera and the interventions they've made into the cannon of American film culture.
3. Who Does She Think She Is? – Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion
Date: Tuesday, April 13, 2010; 6:30 p.m.
Location: Tivoli Theater, 4050 Pennsylvania Ave, KCMO
Cost: $4; Free for UMKC students, staff, and faculty
Who Does She Think She Is? focuses on five particularly bold women artists, each radically different in background, race, religious creed and choice of artistic field. But they all share the common challenge of making careers in various art worlds. Simultaneous to their creative existence, they are pulled in different directions as they try to answer the competing demands of artistic fulfillment, marriage, motherhood and economic survival. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Dr. Maria Buszek, Assistant Profesor of Art History, Kansas City Art Institute, Ritchie Kaye, Kansas City artist, and Linda Rodriguez, Vice-President of the Latino Writers collective. DVD and rights have been purchased by the UMKC Women's Center. The documentary trailer is available at www.whodoesshethinksheis.net.
4. Artists Salon: The State of Women in the Arts in Kansas City
Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2010; 6:00p.m. Reception; 6:30 p.m. discussion
Location: Diastole, 2501 Holmes St, KCMO
All are welcome to join the discussion or just listen in as local women artists, musicians, performers, arts educators, and arts professionals gather to discuss the current state of women in the arts in Kansas City. The reception will be hosted by local artist Sonie Ruffin. The discussion will be moderated by Renee Blanche host of Night Tides on 89.3 FM, KCUR. The discussion will be professionally filmed by Caitlin Horsmon, UMKC Asst. Prof. of Communication, for future programs.
5. Women Artists Book Display
Date: April 1 – 30, 2010
Location: Miller Nichols Library, 800 E. 51st Street
Check out the display of books about some of the most creative people in visual arts, music, dance, film, theater, and literature who just happen to be women.
One Response to "Screening & Other Events at University of Missouri – Kansas City"
Hello! I purchased the house party kit for myself before Christmas because I knew I would want to share it with friends. I had the chance to see the film at The Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 2008 and could not get it out of my head. This past Sunday, March 14, 2010 I hosted a screening for the Stoughton Art Association in Stoughton, MA and though there were torrential downpours and wind we had a loyal and interested group of about 16 artists join us. What a joy it was to see the reactions and enthusiasm from these women that I had had during my first viewing of this film. Tears on more than a few faces, and passionate discussion followed the screening as well as several invitations for me to show the film at other local art associations. Thank you for making this film! It continues to inspire me and many others to stay on this creative path no matter what the obstacles are.
~Andrea McKeen


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A friend of mine has been extremely annoyed that everyone was telling her that she should leave her job. A consultant that travels all over the states helping large companies implement a human resource system. Her job is wrought with difficult problems, difficult people, and many hours away from home. Yet, she loves her job and doesn't really want to leave.
I couldn't understand what it was that she loved so much when she was tired of traveling and the difficult clients. Her answer surrounded a great enjoyment of solving difficult problems and bringing dignity to her clients. In most of the companies she consults with, an executive high in the company decided to implement a new system. The people who actually have to run the system usually had zero influence in that decision. Consultants simply determine the requirements and make sure the system is working. The employee is often stuck with a system they are forced to use and without much knowledge on how to use it. They start to feel incompetent, frustrated, and overwhelmed by it all.
She loves to take the time to think through the frustrations the user will have once implemented. Easy and clear manuals are created to meet the employees needs. Time is spent making sure that the client is trained and truly understands why things are set up in a specific manner. Resulting in an opportunity to watch the overwhelming expressions turn into expressions of relief and understanding. She loves helping people do their job better and in a manner that makes them feel competent, needed, and valued.
I was truly amazed. If she simply tells me what she does in a technical manner, it sounds so boring and draining. Traveling to implement a human resource system in tight time lines with demanding requirements. However, she has found a way to move past the cold system and to see the people. They are worthy to be heard and valued enough to truly see their frustrations and either train or create tools that will help them reach their potential. It is beautiful.
I think that picture could be brought into accounting, social media, computer repair, any job or occupation. We all deal with people and as we perform our duties do we slow down enough to understand how our clients might be feeling. Do we take time to honor them and bring them dignity?
Brook M. Avey, CPA


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Author and book news for children's author and poet, Victoria Zigler, as well as general news from the life of the Zigler family; furry and otherwise!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Those Darn Squirrels
The book tells the story of Old Man Fookwire; he is a grump. The only thing he likes to do is paint pictures of the birds that visit his backyard. In an attempt to stop them flying South for the Winter he sets up bird feeders in his garden. But the squirrels like the bird feeders too. Except that Old Man Fookwire doesn't like the squirrels, and definately doesn't want them eating the things he put out to tempt the birds in to staying in his garden instead of flying South for the Winter.
I wont tell you what happens next, but I will tell you this:
When Iggy mentioned the book I thought it sounded like an amusing little book, and I wanted to read it. So when I recently found audio clips of Iggy reading the book waiting for me in my inbox I was really pleased. And now that I've read it I still think it's an amusing little book. I also think it's a cute story, and a great little book to put a smile on your face.
7 comments:
- Rita said...
It is soooo cute!! And I wish you could see the illustrations, Tori, because they make it ever sillier. The man has a small head, a big nose, and a long, long, long neck. The squirrels are tall with huge bellies. The birds are distorted and silly, but cute. It is an absolute delight. Especially if you know a squirrel hater--LOL!
I decided that man dad, the squirrel hater, would never pass the book on (but I do want him to see it). After my folks visit this summer I am sending it on to my best friend, Ruby, who is dying to read it. Her hubby fights the squirrels, too. And Ruby will pay it forward and send it on to someone else she knows would love it and pass it along. I love the idea of the book making it all over the place to different people. :)
Iggy was such a sweetie to send it to me. And that he read it to you himself--priceless!! He is a treasure!! :):)
- Wednesday, December 28, 2011 5:15:00 pm
- Deanna said...
Now that is quite a present. Leave it to Iggy to think of that. It sounds like such a cute book.
- Wednesday, December 28, 2011 7:22:00 pm
- Intense Guy said...
I'm glad you enjoy the "tail" :)
- Wednesday, December 28, 2011 8:11:00 pm
- Toriz said...
Thanks for the picture descriptions. :)
That's cool about the book going all over the place like that!
Yes, he is... He's a great friend! :)
*Nods in agreement*
Thank you again! :)
- Thursday, December 29, 2011 7:07:00 pm
- Queenie Jeannie said...
That Iggy is one amazingly special man!!! What a wonderful surprise for you!
- Friday, December 30, 2011 11:23:00 am
- AliceKay said...
Ditto what everyone else has said. :)
- Friday, December 30, 2011 8:45:00 pm
- Toriz said...
*Nods in agreement with Jeannie and AK*
- Saturday, December 31, 2011 2:18:00 pm


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I have really grown to love getting the good bugs into my body through fermented foods.
My favorites are the 3 K's.
And kombucha.
I love them all. They are sour, delicious, and loaded with probiotics.
But home fermentation is scary.
Everything has to be about as sterile as an operating room.
Ask anyone who has fermented at home. Every step has to be done with complete sterility, or a whole batch of raw sauerkraut can smell worse than a sewage treatment plant.
My friends and family are constantly giving me crap about home fermentation, and joking about the possibility of getting arrested for making moonshine and homemade hooch.
(Can't you just see me sitting in a paddy wagon, drinking fruity tea from a Mason jar?)
I discovered raw kraut a few years ago because of Kimberly Snyder. She is a beautiful person, inside and out, who swears by eating raw kraut for superior digestion and beauty. My first few tries making it at home were down right scary. But my tools and environment were not sterile. Then I discovered Dana. Dana is one of my favorite bloggers ever. She is hilarious. She is also all over the place dietarily….like me. She is constantly searching for her holy grail. These two gorgeous creatures taught me how to make kraut the right way. Check out their blogs if you are interested in learning to ferment at home. It will save you tons of money. A quart of raw kraut can cost $10-25 at the local farmer's market, and you can make it at home for less than 50 cents.
Kimchi is much like raw kraut, only the veggies are usually chopped instead of shredded, and there is usually a fair amount of spice and heat to it. A pint of kimchi costs around $3 at our local market, but I can make it at home for less than 25 cents, and the bonus to that is I can also adjust the heat. The kimchi from the market is usually too spicy for me to eat without adding it to something else. My neighbor is Korean and makes the most beautiful kimchi in the world. But the last time I ate some with her we had to call the fire department.
Just kidding.
Good kimchi recipes can be found here and here.
Now to my favorite ferment….kombucha. I L-O-V-E it. The combination of tart and sweet and fizzy is amazing. It took me several tries to get this one right, but I was determined. A pint of this stuff is $4 at Whole Foods, and pales in comparison to the goodness you can make at home.
The hardest part is the timing of the fermentation. And finding a good SCOBY.
The genius blogger, Emma Christensen, is where I found my winning recipe. I adore her. She has a book in print called True Brews, where you can learn to make anything from kombucha to beer to cider. Her strawberry kombucha recipe is amazing. You can find it here. It is the most brilliant thing ever. All you will need are some good black and green teas, a gallon glass jar, some sugar, (it ferments out) paper towel, a rubber band, a SCOBY, and of course strawberries. I paid $25 for a good quality SCOBY from a colonic hydro-therapist in the area, but you can buy dehydrated ones online, or even make your own. Wellness Mama has some great tips on kombucha making. (LOVE her!)
Regardless of which ferment you choose to try, any and all of them will improve your digestion and elimination with a good raw source of probiotics.
Any tips on fermentation? Please share your recipes and tips in the comments below. Happy fermenting!


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Click here to find out more
IEEE kindly sponsored 3 more Africa Hubs Web Gatherings
June 6th - Models for Incubating Tech Start Ups
July 18th - Overcoming the Challenges for Small Tech Hubs
August 29th - Sharing Work with Women and Girls and Creating a Pan-African Women in Technology Network
Click here to see the time in your city.
One more Africa Hubs Web Gathering for 2013 on 11th December 2013 at 12noon GMT, kindly sponsored by IEEE.
Rejoignez-nous pour une plus Africa Hubs Web Gathering pour 2013 le 11 Décembre 2013 à 12h GMT, parrainée par l'IEEE.
On August 29th at 12 noon GMT we held our third Africa Hubs Web Gathering sponsored by IEEE, looking at work that encourages women and girls to engage with tech and hearing from Asikana's Chisenga Muyoya and Akirachix' Judith Owigar about the nascent Pan African Women in Tech Network. They were joined by Mariéme Jamme from Africa Gathering and Barbara Birungi of Women in Technology Uganda.
Click here to see a recording of this meeting The meeting is 1hr and 59 minutes long so will take some time to download.
The Africa Hubs Web Gathering on the 18th July 2013 at 12noon GMT looked at the challenges that affect smaller hubs across Africa and for solutions to overcome them.
Click here to see a recording of this meeting The meeting is 1hr and 48 minutes long so will take some time to download.
The Africa Hubs Web Gathering on Thursday 6th June 2013 looked at successful ways to incubate tech start ups used by tech hubs across Africa.
Click here to see a recording of this meeting. The recording lasts 58 minutes.
The last Africa Hubs Web Gathering online meeting on 5 February was a conversation with Tayo Akinyemi, the new Director of Afrilabs - the network of African Innovation and Technology Hubs.
Click here to watch the recording of this Africa Hubs Web Gathering The meeting is 2 hours long and takes a few minutes to load up.
In the last of our series of meetings we explored ways to engage women and girls in technology, Aida Opoku Mensah Director, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa: ICT, Science and Technology Division talked about the obstacles to participation faced by women and girls.
Meeting New Hubs
Click here to watch the recording of this meeting The meeting lasts for 1hr and 40 mins so it will take some time to load.
The Africa Hubs Web Gathering on November 6th featured presentations from new hubs kLab Rwanda & KINU Tanzania.
Tweets about "#africahubs"
Web Gathering Ltd


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|One of our dedicated team of mechanically gifted Unbelievababes changing the tyres on the 'Vette. Honest.
So we piled into the 'Vette (quite a squeeze, since there are no rear seats, so I just rode on top a la Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf, surfer style) in search of the Ominous Tall Man All Dressed In Black, with scarcely a clue between us as to his possible identity or his whereabouts. All we knew was he couldn't be far away, since (a) he, and others under his influence, were seeking to exterminate us Unbelievables and (2)an unknown caller had recently called us to let us know this fact, supposedly from one of our in-house phones, and had allegedly gotten stabbed in the process, though a security check of the premises turned up nothing pertinent.
"Let's take it block by block, fellas" I called from the roof. "They can't be far away."
Just then, a bullet whizzed by my ear.
"Someone's taking pot shots at us! Step on it!" I cried.
We burned rubber back to the base, then decided to lie in wait for whoever it was that had shot at us.
"B-but hang on," whispered Clark, armed to the teeth as he was with a revolver, a hand grenade, assorted cutlery and a cheese grater, "what if there is somebody inside the base and we just missed it?"
|Not actually Clark.
"We didn't miss it," growled Michael, strapping on the Lobster Rage Fist and opening the gun locker, "we are The Unbelievables! We stand for truth, justice and hot babes! We protect the world from evil-doers and all that jazz! We don't miss things like that!"
Just then, the phone rang again, followed by a dramatic sting. I could be wrong about that, but I'm sure I heard one.
Michael stepped, towards the phone, then stopped.
"Should I answer it, guys?" he whispered.
What happened next? You'll have to wait till Friday to find out!


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Our thanks
Cecile's Writers would like to thank Jeanette at jeannettemonahan.wordpress.com for passing on to us the Kreativ Blogger Award. Jeanette has a lovely blog where she writes about all kinds of thoughts and experiences she's had in life. Her topics are diverse and some are bound to put a smile on your face or leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling. She also writes eloquently. So Jeanette, keep up the great work on your blog.
Sh… don't tell anyone
In the tradition of the Kreativ Blogger Award, we will each mention a few things that no one knows about us:
1. Sofia says: I learned to knit (and crochet) gloves this christmas (in an insane attempt to knit some as a christmas present) by watching youtube videos.
2. Sofia says: I like peanut butter and cheese sandwiches but only when followed by a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
3. Sofia says: I once read a Latin-English dictionary for fun, but I can't seem to remember what that was about.
4. Vanessa says: My iMac is called Sabriel and my MacBook Lirael. A tribute to The Abhorsen Chronicles by Australian author Garth Nix.
5. Vanessa says: I'm still waiting for the day that brown sugar and cinnamon Pop-tarts are sold at Dutch supermarkets.
6. Vanesa says: When reading Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, I skipped almost all the chapters about Konstantin Levin.
7. Cecile says: I tend to get attached to things as soon as I name them (Take the microwave, for example, which 2 weeks after her christening, is now up for adoption and I kinda feel sad about it.)
8. Cecile says: When I really love a book or film I can reread and rewatch it several times in a row. It might be even considered to be an obsession. (My latest one is the new BBC series about Sherlock Holmes).
9. Cecile says: When writing, I can't stand writing with anything else other than a fountain pen, since my handwriting looks awful when I use ballpoints.
10. Samir says: I studied French and forgot all of it. I studied Spanish and forgot most of it.
11. Samir says: I'm generally a healthy eater but, once in a while, I love a juicy burger with extras.
12. Samir says: I'm impatient, but I hide it well.
And the award goes to…
While there are many wonderful blogs out there that we read and follow, we can only select six to pass on this award, so here they are (and in no particular order):
12novels.com – The aim is to write 12 novels in one year while blogging about the experience. Insightful and honest.
kerrydwyer.net – Fun and informative blogs on all kinds of personal things from the author.
ashsilverlock.com – Great blog about Fantasy by a fantasy author. Detailed and accurate all the way through.
eagleeyededitor.wordpress.com – Cool site about editing, proofreading etc. Great concept.
smshamma.wordpress.com – A creative soul telling it like it is.
nicolahastings.wordpress.com – Food for thought, on writing and reading.
Thanks again to Jeanette and to everyone who reads and follows our blog.


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Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The cat sat on the mat
14 comments:
I think that mat has paid for itself already.ReplyDelete
I am still laughing. Fancy not having to buy a cat mat apiece! Getting someone in to clean the oven is a great idea. Sheer brilliance - in the old sense of the word.ReplyDelete
Just sometimes the magic happens! Finally, a cat toy/post/bed/treat is accepted and sometimes loved for a long time.... (but mostly it doesn't)....ReplyDelete
If it begins to pall, and if you can find a little pump-spray of catnip (try online or major pet stores), you can give that mat a little shot of it every now and again, and lo! the magic returns!
The joy of small things..... :)
Hahaha -- you're too funny! Now, next time I come to Scotland, I'll have a souvenir I can bring back to my kitties!ReplyDelete
I saw a little blurb flash by on the telly last night about Scotland and Wimbledon and thought of you, knowing you're a fan. I'm assuming you're a happy fan this year???
Absotootly! Great pics - ha!ReplyDelete
What lovely, untypically appreciative and compliant cats they are. Normally you would have to put the mat somewhere like the mantelpiece with a vase of flowers on it to attract them to it with such enthusiasm.ReplyDelete
Re the oven cleaning, I don't think it is too decadent at all to pay someone else well for doing a job for you, it rewards initiative and gets money moving around. It's not like buying a new oven because the old one's got dirty is it?
Lovely flowers too...
I wish I could find something like this for Morty. He snootily refuses to claw the scratching post we bought him. He still prefers the base of our new bed. Along with the odd bite and scratch of my arm!ReplyDelete
I wish I could find a nice person to come and clean my oven! What a hideous chore it is, when one can no longer kneel!


text: ...and reds, and yellows, and every other color of the rainbow! That's right, I'm talking about the power of produce. How and what you eat has an impact not only on your belly, but also on your entire body... but how do you know what you are really buying? … [Read more...]


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There`s a new iMac in town and this one`s aimed squarely at the education market. New the 21.5" iMac comes with a dual core i3 and it priced at $1099 and is available to the educational institutions only.
The specs for this new iMac are:
3.3GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i3
1920 x 1080 resolution
4GB (two 2GB) memory
500GB hard drive
Intel HD Graphics 4000
not sure on the exact date of availability but orders are being quoted as shipping in 5-7 business days


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Those inclined to commit the anti-conservative fallacy might try to defend themselves by claiming that the average conservative voter does not in fact have any good reasons for opposing the things he does. They may say that whether or not a Thomas Aquinas or Edmund Burke could come up with a fancy justification for being against abortion, same-sex marriage, or whatever, the typical redneck Bible thumper surely cannot. So, the critic of conservatism might infer, it must be the case that his view really is based on nothing more than irrational prejudice after all. We should keep in mind, however, that even if a person couldn't give a sophisticated defense of his belief that murder, theft, child molestation, and rape are wrong, we would not conclude from this that his disapproval of these things is therefore irrational. Rather, we would acknowledge that many perfectly defensible moral beliefs might require some detailed philosophical argumentation to justify, and that the common man is as reasonable in leaving such justification to professional ethicists and theologians as he is in letting his electrician rewire his house rather than trying to do the job himself. Liberals do not demand that the average union member must master John Rawls' political theory before voting a Democratic ticket, and libertarians do not expect makers of pornographic videos to read Robert Nozick before decrying censorship. But then, by the same token, if the average churchgoer can't do much more than appeal to the Bible to defend his view that abortion or same-sex marriage is immoral, it doesn't follow that his view is irrational. If the ordinary liberal or libertarian can rest on the laurels of a Rawls or Nozick, the ordinary conservative can surely rest on those of an Aquinas or Burke -- or, to update the examples, on those of a Joseph Ratzinger or Roger Scruton.The fallacy seems to me to be one of unjustified induction. Let's have a look at a few more examples. This one is of my own devise. Ill considered defenses of traditional marriage will sometimes ask why we are putting such an old and valuable institution at risk for the sake of "such a small percentage of the population." That's a bad argument because rightness or wrongness has nothing to do with numbers. If you are one of the few who is in the vise of a controversy, you'll get no satisfaction at all from being "one of a few." Liberals will - rightly- pounce on such a statement. They will also, however, completely invert themselves when the topic changes to restricting late term abortion. They'll accuse a pro lifer of putting us on a "slippery slope" for the sake of "a few." Lydia McGrew asks why human dignity is an acceptable premise for some cases and unacceptable religious tripe in others at Right Reason:
When we consider the relationship between public or secular reasoning and slavery, we should note that slavery does not require religious premises for its defense. It can be, and has been, defended on the non-religious grounds that there are differences of ability among people. And, if a nigh-religious commitment to egalitarianism did not prevent us from acknowledging publicly available empirical facts, we would admit that there are innate differences of ability among people, regardless of whether these differences are correlated with race. The further step to arguing that some human individuals are naturally suited to be slaves to those more able sounds incredibly controversial to modern ears, but it is, in truth, no more controversial than the proposition that some human individuals are not persons and may morally be slaughtered at will. And if one finds something suspicious, controversial, or religious-sounding about a principle such as the intrinsic dignity of the human person, one will find it at least a bit difficult to defend absolute abolitionism.The argument here is not about whether or not human dignity is an acceptable premise in public debate. That's a sloppy generalization. It is about the linkage of that dignity with ability. McGrew points out that if you tie dignity to ability, you in fact make it easier to argue for slavery that you do to argue against it. That ought to give pro choice Libs pause, but for some reason it doesn't. Wretchard at Belmont Club (note the new home for this blog) takes on the NYT's stance on Gitmo:
What Mr. Friedman does not quantify is how many innocent civilians might die from mistaken engagement, friendly fire, bad targeting and what have you, if an alternative means of obtaining intelligence is not found. Would it be greater or less than the hundred or so Jihadis said to have died in US custody? Would it matter to those who regard Gitmo as the anti-Statue of Liberty? This is not an argument for torture: there are more effective ways than hostile interrogation to obtain intelligence including spying, wiretapping, surveillance and tracing through bank accounts. But it is an argument to recast humanitarian law to allow the gathering and application of that intelligence. Much of the historical impact of humanitarian law stemmed directly from the ability to gather and apply intelligence to discriminate between combatants and noncombatants. The devices of open cities, clearly marked ambulances, zones of safe passage, armbands for humanitarian personnel, etc. are usages whose practical utility has expired under the deceptions of terrorist warfare, but their intent -- that of marking the limits of licit violence -- is sound. It is a distinction which can be based only on intelligence. Without that, humanitarian law is form without function on the modern terrorist battlefield, "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing".Thomas Sowell points out how much has changed in some western circles about how to conduct war by comparing how abuse of war privileges was treated in WWII:
During World War II, German soldiers who were captured not wearing the uniform of their own army were simply lined up against a wall and shot dead by American troops. This was not a scandal. Far from being covered up by the military, movies were taken of the executions and have since been shown on the History Channel. We understood then that the Geneva Convention protected people who obeyed the Geneva Convention, not those who didn't -- as terrorists today certainly do not.What's the induction I'm drawing attention to here? To the modern Internationale - recently exemplified by Amnesty International's calling Gitmo a "Gulag" - the Americans have disavowed Geneva and are engaged in a might makes right school of combat. This is one of the reasons they accuse the US of sliding into Facism. To make their claims work, however, they need to credibly suggest that Iraqis who approach the US with the intent of resolving differences - and who do so without resorting to Terror- will not be treated any better than terrorist insurgents. They need to show that the US is unwilling to engage in reciprocity, and this they have not done. Instead, they rely on a sloppy generalization that makes them look and sound paranoid.