Only three more days of summer

School starts Monday for the teachers, Thursday for the kids ...

We are getting heavy bursts of showers for ten minutes, and then the sun comes out and air gets more humid. The puddles vaporize quickly and the steam just rises. Then it clouds over and rain again. Going from the car to the outside immediately fogs up my glasses ... lol, I can't wait for September and cooler weather! But we still need the rain. We have drought though it's been downgraded from extreme to severe, thankfully. Every inch helps.

I plan to do a collage later and then scan it and upload it to a blog entry. I am trying to do something with a subject lighter and more frivolous than I usually do. Also more surreal. This weekend I may try another collage with more paint in it than collage elements.

I'm also trying to finish a book before the hectic school year starts, "The Limehouse Text." I discovered this author I really like, one of the abiding joys of a well-stocked public library. The review starts: "The streets of turn-of-the-century London teem with trouble in this third offering in Thomas' atmospheric series..." Ah, yes, turn of the century London and two well-drawn and interesting characters. You don't find such good writing, characters, and evocative atmosphere these days! I am always happy to find another good author. The books I've read of his so far are easy to read but not so light my brain turns to mush.

I've been missing Thomas Hardy and may turn back to him when I finish Limehouse. Ah, well, time to make brown rice! Have a great evening all.

Summer's a-going...

What a great day! The sun was partly hidden half the day behind fluffy clouds, which helped the heat index quite a bit. The humidity was lower and there was a breeze. I think the high temp today stayed below 90. This morning it was positively cool so I quickly baked a blueberry cobbler and steamed a bunch of veggies for supper (to have with brown rice and Asian sauce). Then I did the dishes, in hot water, no less!

The pears are ripe so I picked about 30 pounds of those, and about 5 pounds of apples. I also gathered a huge bag of figs. Inside again, I washed them all and the pears will be set to finish ripening at a friend's and the apples, we will prepare for drying on Friday. The figs will be bagged and frozen.

The cobbler came out great, and with the minor exception of accidentally setting my dish cloth on fire and searing my finger on the metal slider all went well. LOL, I am really a domestic disaster...

Church tonight and then television and reading my new book. A good summer day of one of the last summer days...before SCHOOOOOOLLLLLLL!

Birth certificate eligibility lies contradicting themselves now (UPDATED)

State of Hawaii official Statement October 2008-

Obama's Birth Certificate Verified By State
"Therefore, I as Director of Health for the State of Hawai‘i, along with the Registrar of Vital Statistics who has statutory authority to oversee and maintain these type of vital records, have personally seen and verified that the Hawai‘i State Department of Health has Sen. Obama’s original birth certificate on record in accordance with state policies and procedures," Fukino said.

CNN's Lou Dobbs is starting to wonder where the birth certificate is, and said so numerous times this week. This query prompted a vicious reaction from J. Richard Cohen, chief of the left-leaning Southern Poverty Law Center who called for Dobbs's firing. In the ongoing "Shut up Lou Dobbs" campaign under obvious pressure, per CNN President John Klein in his response to the Letter:

"It seems this story is dead- because anyone who still is not convinced doesn't really have a legitimate beef." Klein asked CNN researchers to dig into the question of why Obama couldn't produce the original birth certificate. The researchers contacted the Hawaii Health Dept. and confirmed that paper documents were discarded in 2001 when the department went paperless. That reportedly includes Pres. Obama's original birth certificate.

So....how can Fukito have examined a document in 2008 that was discarded in 2001?

UPDATE: "Vital records (birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates) for events that occurred in Hawaii are received and preserved by the Office of Health Status Monitoring, a unit of the Department of Health. Certified copies of these records may be issued to authorized individuals and used for such diverse purposes as school entry, passports, Social Security participation, driver’s licenses, employment, sports participation, survivor’s benefits, proof of property rights, and other needs."

1. Someone should tell the webmaster over in Hawaii to change that language about preserving the certificates. All the paper has been discarded when they went digital in 2001.

2. How can the Department issue a certified copy of a certificate that was discarded in 2001?

Figs are in!

The figs are ripe! I wrote before about finding a fig tree on my property. I love figs, and since they are such a delicate fruit and therefore so little shipped, I am thrilled to be able to go out and pluck to my heart's content. Many of the figs are ripe enough to eat now, so after hanging laundry (the line is next to the fig tree) I started picking.

I heard an angry bird squawking on the wires above the street and knew that a baby was about, somewhere. Ha ha, I have thoroughly learned that lesson! None were visible at that moment however. So I made my way around the interior of the tree, picking and dropping gently into my shirt held away from my body and gathered like a handkerchief. Then I saw him. The nest was just above, and he was stock still on a branch, huddling and shaking. Poor baby! I said that I would be out of there tout sweet, but snapped this photo first. His mom swooped in a moment later and I shot a pic of her too.




Tonight's dinner will be light since I ate with friends and had salmon and potatoes and fresh tomato salad for lunch. Dinner: sliced, chilled figs atop grilled slices of very thin smoked ham (not prosciutto, but I wish!). Grilled hunks of crusty whole wheat specialty bread drizzled with olive oil. Accompanied by iced green tea and a compote of blackberries and blueberries. Yum!! Living off the land. Almost.

Speaking of that, the apples and pears are coming in. I'm picking pears tomorrow for my friend, the one who has picked and given so many blueberries to me. I mean, huge quantities of blueberries, she picked 45 quarts worth. I was on the receiving end of 10 quarts. We are in a barter economy now. I have a lot of pears to pick to make an even barter!

Sigh. Next week is the last week of summer. August 3 I start school, and since I am a long-term sub in a pre-K, the principal wants me at the pre-planning meetings as staff. That's Monday, Aug. 3 and the kids come in August 6.

To Sir with Love!

Trip into Athens

I drove a friend to the hospital to visit her dying daughter. Not exactly the way I had hoped to have an excursion. A sad situation for all.













I'm often caught by this train on Sundays. Nothing to do but take photos of the graffiti on the cars.














Handicapped parking at the emergency entrance. My friend asks me to drive her car, which has the handicapped sticker. She is 84 and suffering from cancer, herself.














Hospitals always seem so stark. What's going on in the interior is bad enough (aside from births and successful life-saving operations) but the exterior is pretty harsh too.












After a few hours in beeping hospital machine-land, I and my friend drove home, once again enjoying the rural aspects of the apartment. This bird skidded the circumference of the feeder while nibbling on the dwindling feed. Mental note: buy more feed.














Lichen on the tree the feeder hangs on. The shape so perfectly mirrors a flower, or a snowflake, doesn't it? And the light green is so pleasing.













Looking out at all that beauty from inside. Ahhh, better than jagged angular lines of hospital building and roaring trains,...and dying daughters.

Townhall meeting erupts over Obama birth certificate

Rep. Mike Castle's town hall meeting erupted over the Obama birth certificate scandal:



Meanwhile people are starting to clue in that the first Executive Order Obama signed was to suppress release of his birth certificate. Probably a smart thing since Obama can't remember which hospital he was born in. Hmmm, was it Kapiolani? Or Queen's Medical? No matter, career soldiers are balking at deployment because they are charging he is usurper. Where will it end? The illegitimacy of his presidency seems to be gathering steam even as his poll numbers plummet.

RIP Walter Cronkite

The journalist whom at one time was The Most Trusted Man in America, Walter Cronkite, has died. The New York Times called him "iconic" and he was. Who could forget the moment he reported that JFK had died? He was with us at the moon landing, just shy of 40 years ago next week. He brought us information at the Democratic National Convention riots, Martin Luther King assassination ... we grieved with him and we learned with him as he brought us the world's information night after night.

A great write up is here at the Museum of Television. The photo above is from when I attended the Society of Professional Journalism conference in NYC in 2004. Pictured with Cronkite is Betsy Ashton and Brian Williams.

And that's the way it is, Friday, July 17, 2009.

Rethinking the Obama handshake snub

I posted a video that showed Obama extending his hand and in turn the line of men at the diplomatic function not shaking it. For all the world it looked like the Russians are snubbing him. That is what I, and most of the blogging world, thought.

Then I posted an entry describing my education regarding the depth of racial tension in Russia between whites and blacks. I thought maybe racial hatred could be the reason for the snub.

In looking at the video again from a different angle I think no such snub occurred. Sure, the Russians are suspicious of excessive adoration of new leaders proposing fascistic solutions. Sure they want to tightly control the crowds and disallowed the usual rock star raves at his entry and departure. But an outright snub? Look again, this time with the thought that he is introducing Medveded to his own entourage:



Therefore, this series of entries is called "evolution of a thought."

Simple racial hatred the reason for the no-handshake snub?

As Obama returned from Russia many news outlets touted the visit as a positive step with concrete outcomes.

U.S.-Russia summit called 'groundbreaking'
A recent U.S.-Russia summit was "groundbreaking" for relations between the former Cold War adversaries, a senior Russian diplomat said Thursday. The two sides "have managed to stop the degradation of our relations," Russian Foreign Ministry representative Andrei Nesterenko said in comments televised in Moscow.

President Obama in Moscow
Obama deserves a solid ‘A’ for his Moscow trip.

But then photos and videos and other reports started coming out from other media... and people (including myself) wondered what the real story is.

What not to say in Moscow
Obama’s reception in the country this week was, well, chilly. No screaming crowds. No glaring headlines. Icy resentment at the traffic jams his motorcade produced. Perhaps, Russians and Russianists who spoke to the American press speculated, it’s because Obama’s hosts are skeptical of politicians or the sincerity of powerful people who profess to hold high ideals.

Then the other day I posted a video of the Russian mucky mucks refusing to shake hands with Obama and mused about the reasons for the diplomatic snub.

A commenter informed me of the deep racial hatreds in Russia and told me of the violence against blacks in that country. After some digging I found this contention confirmed through media reporting, though it is not widespread reporting, much to our shame.

Reuters: Obama to visit Russia, where minorities live in fear
When U.S. President Barack Obama flies into Russia on Monday for talks at the Kremlin, he will be visiting a country where anti-migrant sentiment means blacks and other minorities must live low-profile lives to avoid danger.

For Russian Blacks, Obama Visit Stirs Special Interest
[F] for Russians of African descent, in particular, the new U.S. leader is a potent symbol of triumph over the same challenges they themselves face in a country where dark-skinned people remain rare and often unwelcome.

So I am left to add to the list of possible reasons for the snub, in addition my musings of diplomatic machinations and shadowy summit meanderings, the simple but monstrous possibility of simple racial hatred. And if that is the reason Russian diplomat after Russian diplomat refused to shake hands with Obama in the welcome line, I truly sympathize with this man.

Getting the boot

Life in rural Georgia often means visual surprises. Hay rolls made into snowmen, advertising fresh corn. Escaped goats crossing the road. An over-exuberant rooster crowing us into church. And yesterday's surprise, a man's boot carefully placed on the cow pasture fence post.

Russians reject Obama, snub shaking hands

Of course, this was not reported in America. The refusal to welcome Obama in the traditional manner was obviously deliberate, because they ALL refused Obama but they ALL shook Medvedev's hand, who was right behind Obama. Obama was visibly upset at the snub. A unified refusal to shake hands in diplomatic world is a huge signal. Just why the Russians were upset is to be determined...time will tell.

Soldier who says Obama isn't president doesn't have to deploy

HMMMMM

U.S. Army Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook, the reserve soldier who says he shouldn't have to go to Afghanistan because he believes Barack Obama was never eligible to be president, has had his deployment orders revoked, Army officials said.

Lt. Col. Maria Quon, U.S. Army Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Army Human Resources Command-St. Louis, said Tuesday evening, Cook was no longer expected to report Wednesday to MacDill Air Force Base in Florida for mobilization to active duty.

he added that there is an administrative process to request revocation of orders. As of this afternoon, Cook had not asked for his orders to be revoked, Quon said. She could not say why the soldier's orders were pulled today by 3 p.m. CDT. "Because of the Privacy Act I couldn't go into it," Quon said.

HMMMM

Obama eligibility: more information about Orly Taitz's case

Wikipedia explains that "Perhaps the most important of all presidential powers is command of the United States armed forces as commander-in-chief. While the power to declare war is constitutionally vested in Congress, the President commands and directs the military and is responsible for planning military strategy."

What if the President isn't constitutionally qualified to have the authority to direct the troops? One soldier in Georgia (US) is stating that his deployment to Afghanistan is null and void because President Barack Obama is not qualified to be President. Therefore, if he is not qualified, he has no authority to deploy troops, including him, to Afghanistan. Story here. Dr. Orly is representing the soldier.

A bit more information has come out regarding Dr. Orly's case heard in Santa Ana court yesterday. It seems that it is not quite the slam dunk victory that was initially seemed. This case brings out the best and the worst of the biases in the media and it is very hard to get correct information. The Right Side of Life has what seems to me to be an objective reporting of the facts. I encourage all to read it in its entirety there. Here is the last sentence:

"[T]he case is going to move forward without hindrance to the point that the Judge can make a decision on whether or not the actual case is to be tried. In other words, while the Judge is making sure that procedural issues are taken care of, he must still decide whether or not the case will be heard."

On her blog, Dr. Orly writes: "I’ve got some 45,000 e-mails and some 883 comments for moderation. I greatly appreciate everybody’s comments and input, but it is very hectic now, I am getting ready to fly to GA, don’t have time to respond and moderate, I’ll try to do as much as I can over the weekend." She received those e-mails and comments within 12 hours of the news breaking about the Santa Ana case going forward. I do believe that while many of those emails may be supportive, an equal number are most likely vile. Please pray for this lady. She is a soldier of truth.

Obama eligibility case will be heard on merits

Dr. Orly Taitz was successful in getting heard. A justice in the US District Court in Santa Ana, CA heard the Obama eligibility case brought forward today and agreed it has merit. Today on her blog Dr. Orly said the following, that Judge Carter stated:

1. There will be a trial.
2. It will be heard on the merits.
3. Nothing will be dismissed on procedural issues.
4. The trial will be expeditious, and the judge pledged to give case priority.
5. Being a former Marine he realizes the importance of having a Constitutionally qualified POTUS/CIC.
6. Judge stated that if Obama isn’t Constitutionally qualified he needs to leave the White House.

Dr. Taitz was on the radio earlier this evening and confirmed the above. She also said that an LA Times reporter interviewed her for an hour and that an article will be appearing Tuesday or Wednesday (depending on how quickly they get the other side to comment). She has also been contacted by a mainstream radio personality for an interview.

The US Attorneys will be given time to formulate their research and to respond. Dr. Taitz said that it will likely be September when the docket is confirmed.

On June 26, 1998: Judge DAVID O. CARTER was appointed by the President to serve as a United States District Court Judge for the Central District of California. Judge Carter, of Laguna Beach, California, received his undergraduate degree in 1967, and his law degree in 1972, from the University of California at Los Angeles. Judge Carter served in the United States Marine Corps from 1967 to 1969, when he was honorably retired as a result of wounds received during service in Vietnam. Following law school, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Orange County District Attorney's Office from 1972 to 1981; and as a Municipal Court Judge on the Orange County Municipal Court from 1981 to 1982. Since 1982, Judge Carter has served as a Superior Court Judge on the Orange County Superior Court.

WND has an article tonight: here

Meanwhile, no rest for the weary, Dr. Orly will fly to Georgia on behalf of a case she is bringing for a soldier about to be deployed to Afghanistan, who claims that his deployment would not be legal if Obama is not Commander in Chief.

Ocean emotion

I'm missing the ocean this summer so here you go, another shot from the Lubec Maine harbor. Dinghy at rest.

The stimulus is working...said the Vulcan fly-killing ninja

Aw, man, I hate this

Boston Zoo is running out of money, may have to euthanize hundreds of animals:

The Franklin Park Zoo, a Boston landmark for nearly a century, may be forced to close and euthanize up to a fifth of the animals in its care due to devastating budget cuts.

Bronx Zoo already announced they are cutting back: "The institution is closing four exhibits and shipping hundreds of creatures to zoos and aquariums around the country..."


Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

Who gives a fig? I do!

Yay, I found out I have a huge fig tree on my property. They should be ready by fall and there are a lot to pick. I am learning how to freeze them gently so that I can enjoy the bounty through the winter.













A fig busily ripening.














Fig leaves are huge! I never knew they were this big. "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. " A few leaves certainly could cover the mid-section. Sadly.














The blinding summer July sun shines through the thickest of fig leaves at the top of the tree.

From Obama evil eye to Obama evil eye UPDATED

A few days ago we had this:
"Beware the Obama Evil Eye"














Now we have another evil eye: at the G8 no less. Looks like Sarkozy is gleefully enjoying Obama's faux pas.













Am I the only one embarrassed by this man?

Update: today it is revealed that the girl being lasciviously ogled by the Letch-in-Chief is only 16 years old. Gross. And double gross.

Good for the gay marriage repealers!

Kudos, big time.

Gay marriage repeal effort on track

Stand for Marriage Maine, a coalition of groups hoping to repeal the state’s gay-marriage law, said today they have collected more than enough signatures to get the issue on the November ballot. The group, which includes the Catholic Diocese of Portland and the Maine Jeremiah Project, said they have collected more than the 55,087 signatures needed. The groups have until early August to turn them in to the state for certification.

“In just four weeks, we’ve gathered more than 55,000 signatures from Mainers who believe they, not the Legislature and governor, should have the final say on the definition of marriage,” said Marc Mutty, chairman of the coalition.

On the other side, supporters of gay marriage have formed Maine Freedom to Marry, a coalition that includes EqualityMaine, Maine Civil Liberties Union and Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders. Gov. John Baldacci signed the bill into law in May.

Robama preferable to Obama but in the end I want Nobama

Creepily lifelike. I remember the clunky Abe Lincoln from the Hall of Presidents from the 70s, lol, they have come a long way, But it's SO lifelike it is ... weird.

Funny BNO twitter guys

mpoppel
Michael van Poppel | The Netherlands

RT @pdlloyd: @mpoppel MJ is dead? Why isn't this in the media????

A summer rain moment in the quiet life

The most relaxing few moments occurred yesterday. They were brief but so relaxing I am still thinking of them.

There's something special about Sundays, aside from the great worship at church. Sunday afternoons are (or should be) lazy, relaxing, homey times. I'm lucky enough to have a nice home, clean and safe. Attractive too. My bedroom has a large 4-poster bed (an antique) and matching desk and bureau. I have an antique trunk to the side underneath a quilt displayed on the wall. With the Victorian eggshell walls, and two windows and high ceiling, it is a charming room. The bed is placed between the two windows and its height comes exactly to the windowsill, so if I lie on my side I can look straight out the window with my nose practically pressed against the fortified screen. Incidentally, the white ribbon on the floor is a cat toy. They drag it around.

Sunday afternoon I lay on the bed, reading a turn-of-the-century London detective novel. My cat was curled up next to my stomach, purring softly. The sky had darkened and the breeze, wispy as it was, cooled my face. I heard a drop or two on the metal awning, then more, and then pitter pat steadily. I noticed the rain came down gently, as is its wont in summer. The yard oaks swayed in the wind and the rain was just visible enough to see streams falling to the receiving grass. The only sounds were the patter on the awnings, the leaves shaking, and the car purring. It was a glorious moment. Refreshing, relaxing, perfect. How many perfect moments does a person get in this life? Not many I don't think. I savor that one...

Still waters at Lubec

Your dinghy awaits.

Taken in the Lubec, Maine, harbor where the tides sweep in and out to the Bay of Fundy so high (and so low).

Celebrate Liberty

Happy Independence Day!

This is a 4th of July decorated gazebo in the town of Lubec Maine, a faraway place at the edge of Maine that loves liberty and celebrates accordingly.

God bless America

Thank you men and women in uniform! I appreciate your service to our country!

Color Guard at Relay for Life