This paragraph contains everything you need to know about Deadbeat Dad Rep. Joe Walsh, with the exception of his unwavering support for the state of Israel, and his complete failure to work on anything of actual benefit to the district. The meeting was held in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood — far from any of the districts he had considered representing but closer to TV cameras. Walsh, a darling of the tea party movement, has been a controversial political figure. At town hall meetings, Walsh has sharply rebuked some questioners, and he remains involved in a court dispute with his former wife…
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I know a little about the Mayan “calendar round,” and have an amateur-archeologist interest in Pre-Colombian cultures. I’ve had conversations with people who actually believe the movie and book hype, promulgated by people who’ve taken a distorted view of Mayan texts in order to sell more books or movie tickets. The Mayans believed that time was organized like a set of nested, revolving rings; they were trying to keep both lunar and solar time, and they were such keen astronomers that they worked out the cyclic nature of how the two sets of rings synced up in 52-year “short count”…
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We went to a really charming Winebar up in Antioch, IL to see our friend Jon play guitar and sing at a wine tasting. While browsing the racks, I came across a bottle of Viognier in the "Other" appellation section. We’re fans of the James May/Oz Clarke shows on BBCAmerica; one of Clarke’s favorite types of wines is Viognier, which he loved to pronounce just to wind James up. Dutifully, I over pronounced "Vee-OHN-yeh. Vee-OHN-yeh." But we bought an inexpensive Pinot Noir-based sparkling wine anyway at the owner’s recommendation, because she said it paired well with savory holiday foods. We…
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Our friend Jon fills a cart at Target every year for Toys for Tots… Via: Flickr Title: An Atheist’s Contribution to Toys for Tots By: GinnyRED57 Originally uploaded: 3 Dec ’11, 3.03pm CST
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UPDATE: The church voted to overturn the ban; actually they were reminded by the national association that their resolution was invalid as it violated state and federal laws. Interestingly, at least 30-40 people voted unanimously to overturn, either emboldened or cowed by the news that it was illegal. No breakdown as to whether the abstainers all voted and the ones who voted to ban stayed home. You’ve heard about this. After a talented young interracial couple performed a gospel song at a small Kentucky church they had been attending, the former pastor told the girl’s father the couple was no…
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Read the juicy quotes by IL-08 GOP leaders, who’re mighty ticked at Teabagger Joe, and then enjoy Tammy Duckworth’s devastating smack down. Link: Anger Among Party As Walsh District Shops
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Hoping to finalize some plans at last to return to Maui. Really need a change of pace and direction, like this guy. I got really, really lucky with this shot (but also I was using a tripod). Taken a few steps down the beach from where we were staying that year. Via: Flickr Title: Satori 2-28-2006 4-42-45 PM 874×701 By: GinnyRED57 Originally uploaded: 11 Mar ’06, 12.04am CST
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David’s dad told us about this, he’ll be shocked to see it made the national news. A store in a suburban Chicago shopping mall closed for two hours Friday morning after people and merchandise alike were knocked to the ground during what police called a “mass push of bodies.” Link: Chicago-Area Store Closes For Two Hours After Mass Push Of Bodies On Black Friday VIDEO – The Huffington Post
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I’ve given in to Last.fm, as I found that it was easy to add a widget to scrobble tracks I’ve listened to on iTunes or via Last.fm (it’s not working for the internet radio stations I listen to on Winamp). So far, I’ve listened to random things, and something I created called “The Muppets Radio.” It’s made for some interesting audio moments, which eventually led to Monty Python and something wacky called Moxy Fruvious. It’s high time I opened up to new music… I’m hoping it’ll help me dare to be a bit more productive and creative around here. If…
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I’ve resolved to blog more often, play around with the blog design, and all that. I’ve been a little too focused on getting things squared away on the church Facebook page and a little too unfocused on… pretty much everything else going on around here, including blogging. Part of that is, yes, it’s hard to blog on the iPhone from work. I’ll just be getting over that hump however I can in future. Meanwhile, some funny sad, funny ha-ha, and funny weird things, all having to do with right-wing ideology, Paul Krugman, rock-and-roll, and/or humor. New York Times columnist Paul…