Missa Cum Foghorn

I think it threw the young associate off a bit this morning. Usually during the "silent" canon, we get barking dogs, or the sound of dump trucks picking up trash, or lawn mowers, and in the evening, sometimes the jingle jangle jingle of not spurs riding merrily along - but an ice cream vendor.

But this morning was *special*. Amazing how sound carries from the bay! I don't know WHAT was moving in or out of the harbor (I don't think it was fog, as it was pretty clear, but overcast) -- but whatever it was, it was BIIIIIGGGGG as in tanker or something!

EF or NO or Byzantine Rite or Punt?

I have come to the conclusion that for me, it is highly doubtful all the externals of any form of Mass would be completely satisfying to me. I have to just go with "were the elements validly consecrated?" and go with that as my main focus - as it should be. This does not mean that all forms of the Mass are without stress or pleasure - far from it. As far as worshipping goes, I think each Mass, for me, has its strengths and weaknesses.

To review where I'm coming from - I'm middle aged, old enough to have experienced the EF in my youth, I did take Latin in college, because I felt those of my generation got cheated of that. My mother's family was Eastern Rite, and I've attended off and on. For the most part, I've taken part in the OF of Mass, and have been at the same parish for for 36+ years. Since just before Lent this year I've started to attend daily Mass quite frequently during the week in the EF form.

Let me outline for me what I like and dislike regards the various liturgies -- I'll start with the Byzantine.

Strengths: I REALLY like the give and take between people / priest in this Mass. Dignified, and the people aren't assumed to be spectators watching a show. They have an imporant role in doing their responses, and the prayers and psalms they say and sing are dignified and elevated language is used. Women are also given a part in being allowed to do the readings. The liturgy is quite often in the vernacular, so "instant" understanding. I love all the incense. The average eastern rite church uses more incense in a week or two than the average western church does for a year. When the priest reads the gospel he faces the people. It's for THEM. Not some mythical barbarians to the north. He looks you in the eye. And contrary to what traddy EF martinets (not all EF lovers are martinets by any means but a subset of them are) say, we ARE an Easter People. That "Standing aright and in awe" didn't come from the freakin' hippies. Blue gets to be a liturgical color. (Not that I think it belongs in the west, save for Marian feasts, but the light pale blues are rather nice!) I love the processions the priest and servers do at the little and great entrances. They also don't have all that hand shaking that too often descends into a free for all. I love all the icons and the buildings are painted most gorgeously. The calendar has all those neglected saints from the East. The priest is of course, the one charged with doing the consecration, but there is no question all this sumptuousness is something Joe and Jane Blow in the pews actively contribute to. I also love the prayer before Communion by the people. No question that one believes in the Real Presence. Can't miss it. And "big up" to those six-winged, many eyed angels who are singing, etc. Oh. and their Holy Week Rites are THE BEST, hands down.

Drawbacks: You can't see parts of the Mass for SQUAT behind that iconostasis unless you are IN the sanctuary. 50 percent of Catholics would NEVER have that chance. Put a mirror over the altar, huh? It would also be neat to see the priest cut the bread and the prayers he does right before the start, but that ain't happening unless you ARE the priest. I can hear nice muttering though. Oh. and the main drawback? The method of Communion delivery. Which is why my mother favored the Latin Rite. The spoon that goes in EVERYONE'S mouth? In this day of AIDS? Are you joking? Let's just say I'd be inclined to go to a hippy kumbaya Mass if I'm in San Francisco -- as long as it's valid. My very first memories of attending Mass were Masses in the Eastern Rite. If you want to be terribly technical, I belong to the Eastern Rite.

OF: Good points. As a lay woman, I am treated evenly with laymen during the Mass. I can serve, help as usher, be lector, or serve as EM, or sit in the pews. I've done all of them. My FAVORITE thing (and this was truly a revelation to me) was I*CAN*SEE*EVERYTHING. I've had to laugh a few times when Blessed Fr. Tim, his hermeneuticalness, said he didn't like concelebrating in large groups when he couldn't see the bread and wine. Well, DUH. No kidding! I like to see all that too. There is a fairly good amount of give and take between priest/people. Odd as it may seem to some traditionalists, at a "low Mass" I really want to say/sing the Gloria, Creed, Angus Dei. I'm not an idiot, nor am I a bump-on-the-log. Include me in. I like this Mass best WHEN the priest READS WHAT HE'S SUPPOSED TO AND DOESN'T AD-LIB. Sorry for shouting, but you know how it is. I'm not going to go berzerk if the priest says "Good morning" - as long as he keeps it in check. I like the offertory procession. I like the prayer of the faithful WHEN it is done decently, and not as if a member of the Democrat National Committee wrote it. OVerall, I rather like the variety in readings you get in the daily Mass. I think the EF does pretty well, but hit that time after Pentecost, and it gets tedious and "I just heard these propers before....." If you have a solid priest who does not have the need to be "Mr. Personality" during the Mass, I quite like this Mass. The KEY is the priest. BTW, St. John, the Evangelist, in San Diego, is EXCELLENT for the OF. Dignified. Elegant. All their assistants are well trained. Lectors, servers, EM's. All come, go, do their part with dignity and look like they know what they're doing, because they DO know what they're doing. Unlike some parishes I can name.

Bad points: Clowns who want to recieve on the hand and don't know how to are going to screw it up for the rest of us. Any priest who used a "frisbee Host" deserves to be beaten bloody. And when the wounds start to heal, his flesh should be ripped open again and salt poured in for the slow learners. Ditto for people who assist who don't know that any Communion Cups must be finished at the altar, and not left to the side like unfinished cocktails for after Mass. Hand holding. I don't do it unless a child offers me their hand, because I don't want to hurt their feelings. But I absolutely REFUSE to do any "handraising" on "for thine...." I don't care if I end up breaking some old lady's arm. Mine ain't going up. The offertory prayers aren't as good as the EF, nor is the Canon. Vastly better in the EF. Priests who ad-lib. Priests who ad-lib do more to wreck the flow of this Mass than anything. The whole "tone" is taken from how the priest acts. I don't mind praying for Mrs. Murphy's toe operation once at the prayer of the faithful. However, I don't want to at the beginning of the Mass "Let us gather together(*gag*) and remember Mrs. Murphy's toe operation" then say it again during the prayer of the faithful, then in the commems. during the canon[! don't go there with me, but I could tell stories this last year, now the Sainted Fr. S. is gone], then in the announcements before the final prayer.

Overall the OF can be wonderful -- or a total dog's dinner. Trick or Treat. God help you if the wrong people are in charge and you have no other options. Trick or Treat on the song selections and settings too. Sometimes Panis Angelicus or the Ave Maria, if you are really lucky, or even good solid songs like Holy God, We praise Thy Name. But too often sappy settings to the Our Father or Gloria.

EF: Good points: Love the grace and dignity. Father isn't going to make up diddly, but just say-the-Mass. It's pretty quick, which makes it ideal for early morning if I will be going to work later. I don't have to worry about Father blathering on. As it happens I had 5 quarters of college latin, which helps immensely. I'm constantly picking up subtleties and nuances. I rather like the older calendar with its octaves and all those saints. Because without them the feria days would be mighty boring reading the stuff that was read on Sunday. I'd say overall the OF is superior in the readings BUT the EF is pretty even until after Pentecost...then there's a fair amout of constant repetition. Which, in a way is good, sometimes -- if the passage is particularly eloquent. It's WORK, though, but for me, I like it. As I mentioned, I think the EF offertory prayers and Canon are far better.

Not so hot points: A strength, is also, paradoxically, a drawback. It's work, in that for me I DO have to understand it all.... No clacking rosary beads, thank you very much. I'm with Pius XII. Fortunately, today, I think most people who opt for this form of Mass DO do "the work." But my Latin isn't always good enough to get that "instantaneous understanding" for parts of it, yet, so I have to peek at the English, but I'm working on it. Maybe some day I'll get there. Women: as in "are more or less expected to only do traditional woman things." As in not serving. Which. Sucks. I don't mind so much now, because with my bum right knee I'd be "out" anyway. But I'd NOT be inclined to go to the EF form exclusively if I had daughters. I think EVERY youngster should be encouraged to serve, because your head has to be "in the game" 100% of the time. I started serving the OF of the Mass when I was 18, and didn't pick up some subtleties until then. And as for Paul...there'd BETTER be some "restful waters" up there in heaven, because I'd like the visceral pleasure of holding his head under those waters. I wouldn't have to worry, because in heaven, death has been conquered, so I wouldn't have to worry about drowning him. He couldn't have just said "you ladies with the elaborate hairdos are distracting, cover up if you've got one of those" NOoooooo. he had to yammer on re: how MEN reflect the glory of God so they should be uncovered, otherwise it was shameful, but that women were basically worms, and any glory they reflected from God was recieved as some crumb that fell off their husbands. THREE TIMES did I refuse a veil when I first started attending the EF. The 3rd guy was basically sent whimpering, so finally even the slow learners "got the message" that hell will freeze over before I don a mantilla, hat or kleenex. I'd also be willing to wager that a good number of the women who only attend the EF form would stumble at some point giving the servers responses. Also: why in Hades, if one has the EF form is there NOT more give and take as there was with the dialogue Mass? Strange as it may seem, in the EF form, it might be nice to do the Gloria, Creed, and Agnus Dei, and NO, I don't want to sing them, just say them at a low Mass on Sunday. But the people are SHUT OUT. Ditto the Confiteor. I don't like the priest NOT facing you during the epistle or gospel, particularly. Darn it. FACE US. Sheesh. As regards "seeing stuff" so far I've always been able to bag the far right front row seat. And I, personally, can see, but we can't all have that seat, can we? So it's ALMOST as bad as the Byzantine for seeing what's going on. Oh, and that "silent canon." I don't know about you, but I'd rather hear the canon than: barking dogs, an Ice-Cream Truck, and dumpsters backing up-- all of which I've heard during the "silent" canon. . But then maybe that's just me. The clerics grabbed ALMOST all the liturgy away from the people as they knew less and less latin -- so they treated the pew sitters as if they were all ignorant! Irritating, but that was the legacy. Not entirely unjustified in times when few were literate, and all they could do was clack their beads -- but I don't particularly find the low Mass on a Sunday satisfying in the give and take between congregation and priest. It's just "not enough" for me in that regard.

YMMV

Gem 'splains how to do Centering Prayer the Right Way

See how easy it is to do it the right way?

Contrast to "the wrong way" below.

BTW, was delighted this morning at Mass to find that the EF form of the Mass gave St. Christopher his snaps on the comems. during the mass said in honor of St. James, the Greater. 40 years at least, since I heard that one!

2nd Blog Birthday

Hey, it's my blog's 2nd Birthday! My how time flies by. I'm surprised I've been able to keep this blog up as long as I have. When I was a youngster and in my teens, I'd occasionally try and keep a diary. I think the longest I went was for about 6 months when I was 15 (and that makes for a kind of a fun read) -- but I have to say I find blogging more satisfying. No writer's cramp and I can easily add in pictures/links/etc. Oh. And I get an audience to boot!

As to WHY I called it "Gem of the Ocean" -- I had initially for a week or two started a blog on the Daily Telegraph -- and then realized that if the DT got pissy, they could just yank anyone blah, blah or decide not to have free blogs, whatever. And I wanted to go with a more likely-to-be-stable platform. As I had been reading a lot of Catholic blogs, since the majority were on blogspot, I went with that. I'd gone with "Gem of the Ocean" because, the patriotic moniker "Hail Columbia" was already taken in so many ways ... ("Columbia" is a patriotic tune I've always enjoyed.) So I went with the 2nd line, which is "Gem of the Ocean" and I thought it apt, living in San Diego by the ocean.

I noticed a interesting entry, on the Gutenberg project the other day. The book was "The Good Old Songs we Used to Sing '[18]61-'[18]65." (1902).

They had a nice illustration of the sheet music to the song "Columbia" and some good links to the sheet music. I like this rendition by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Mary Magdalen - they done her wrong!!!

...really. It's a never ending cycle of discovery for me this last half year with the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. I'm particularly fascinated by the propers for the Mass and the readings selected.

Today, I thought they did St. Mary Magdalen a nasty turn. Hey, you goobers that put that together: why did you choose Luke 7 for the gospel re: the "If he only knew the type of woman who was touching him.....yada-yada, ding dong." Thereby seeming to imply the woman in Luke 7 was Mary Magdalen.

Luke 8 CLEARLY states that LATER, after that event, he met up with Mary Magdalen the one he "drove seven demons out of." That could have well meant he cured her of epilepsy.

No wonder people conflated these two for years. The Baronius press wasn't exactly helpful in their commentary remarks on the Mass. They said she was "the sister" of Martha and Lazarus. Hey, not so fast there, Sparky....

Dom Gueringer, please pick up the courtesy white phone....

True Confessions....

...I confess....I don't watch much TV, but I LOVEEEEE "Project Runway" -- which is odd, because I've never been a clothes horse, or particularly given a flip about what people wear but there's something about Tim Gunn.... I think I just love the whole process of designing something under time constraints that "Works."



I love it when he tells people things like "Be prepared to defend to Nina why your model looks like she has a big ass" -- and then the designers ignore Tim's advice -- and then after Nina says "why did you put this on your model, you make her butt look big?" They say "you know, now that I think about it, Tim DID say something about...."

Well, DUH!!!!

Too bad every season doesn't have a Santino who could imitate Tim to a T.

New season coming up soon!!!

Tanning with Mussolini

Don't turn up your nose, it blocks the light. With any luck, coming to a corner gas station near you.

Do you remember the Moon Landing?

Where were you, if alive?

I can remember growing up in the late 50s and all through the 60s and early 70s how very EXICITING it was to follow the space race. I don't think kids of today can realize what a thrill it was to watch the space program unfold. From watching dud rockets that exploded or barely got off the ground, to those early space flights where each one built on the next. We could remember the awful setbacks, such as the Apollo I fire, but also how exciting each lift off was. OFten times, we'd get to watch a launch in our classrooms. I can remember once bringing in my own little black and white[!] TV to the classroom, so we could watch one of the launches.

EVERYONE stopped EVERYTHING. And you watched. And held your breath. And you Cheered. And you were thrilled.

I can remember how after Neil and Buzz landed (while Collins orbited the moon) they managed to SLEEP some hours, before Neil took his first step out. What headiness.

And then all those moon landings came to an end before I was even out of high school. Going around and around the earth is just as dangerous - but it doesn't capture the public imagination as much for most people. Sad.

A decade after, I worked for General Dynamics in San Diego - and I can remember my boss telling me: "They could NEVER do it now for the same cost. Because there were MANY hundreds of engineers putting in free time on the space project, just for the glory of being associated with it. They'd put in their normal 8 hours, on doing perhaps, some defense related contract, then go help their buddies." By LAW they'd be forbidden from doing that now. It's not something most government bean counters would understand. You can't work on contracts that way anymore.

Now we don't even pay attention to shuttle launches -- unless one has a "major malfunction." *sigh*

I wonder, if you polled a bunch of US 10 year olds today -- could they name the members of the Apollo 11 crew?



[Incidently, please remember Mary Jo Kopechne in your prayers this weekend. It's also the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Ted Kennedy Scub Club.]

Who gets to Sign the Cast?

...any takers?

"I TOLD you to put rails on the hot tub -- Ganswein"

"Ha-ha, just like when you were a kid, ya big klutz! - Georg"

"I suppose we're going to have to hand feed you bratwurst now - in your dreams! -- Sister Scholastica"

"Dude!!! What up? Fr. Z."

"Better to bust your wrist than your keister! - Marini"

"I said you were INfallible, not UNFALLABLE. Sheesh! -- J.C."

H/T Blessed Raymond of Brighton

Black Man Calls Boxer Racist for trying to pander to him

...it's rich!!!! Scratch a liberal, and find a vast number of them walk in lockstep in the belief that all people a given ethnic group should think alike(particularly if that group is by in large in that political party's pocket). The one thing that matters above all, to many, if not most, liberals is gender/race identity politics. It's NEVER about facts and ideas with them. This man, Harry Alford, CEO of the Black Chamber of Commerce is quoting facts and figures regards the so called "shovel ready" green energy jobs, and all of a sudden Boxer starts cherry picking Black groups whose OPINIONS (not facts) don't agree with his. M'DAMN Boxer is taken aback that she has been told to back off being condescending. She is clearly uncomfortable that Mr Alford is not sitting down with Massah Zero and Missie Boxer on the liberal plantation. "Don't you know other Black people support us?" Is essentially what she was saying -- implying "You're Black, why don't you get in line."




The best quote:

"Senator Inhofe[who had jumped in with a remark, trying to take the heat off], we have been looking at energy policy since 1996. And we are referring to the EXPERTS, regardless of their color. And for someone to tell me, an African American, college educated VETERAN or the United States Army, that I must contend with some other "Black group", and put aside everything else in here, this has NOTHING to do with the NAACP, and it really has nothing to do with the National Black Chamber of Commerce. We're talking ENERGY. And that road the chair [Boxer] went down, I think it's God awful!"

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Nice Catholic Encyclopedia article here about it -- Our Lady gave to St. Simon Stock the scapular. My own 1st Communion scapular was one of these. [I quickly figured out the plastic protectors on that scapular stuck to the skin!]

I went to Mass (EF form) this morning. And it is always nice when we have a feast day for Our Lady. I especially liked the Introit, Collect, Offertory, Secret, Communion and Post Communion for this feast, and the Epistle was wonderful. But I'd really love to slap whomever decided this gospel was a good one for the day. Luke (11: 27-28) -- the one where the woman says "blessed are the paps that gave suck to you and the womb that bore you." I know what the point of Jesus' answer is "yeah, well, blessed are they who hear the word of God...etc." Sounded a little gruff about mom there. Couldn't he have said "YES, she IS blessed, she ROCKS...and also those people who do...." But NOOOOOO.

Jesus, too big for His britches, wouldn't have got His favorite dinner THAT night from me....

Couldn't they have picked a different Marian passage?

It sticks out like a sore thumb. Someone have too much vino the night they put those propers together? Sometimes I wonder about those guys.

Liars, Liars, Pants on Fire

...the lamestream lyin' sacks of excrement pressitudes are crowing that 0ero "got it over the plate." Well, you can't tell from the FOX video, God knows -- because the crazy angle (one NEVER employed before to show such a thing doesn't show it -- HOWEVER, if you go to the http://www.mlb.com/ site, they do show it. Look at the vid that comes up with 0ero's face and hit play. They'll show you the Fox broadcast angle first, and at the END of the clip they will show the pitch from a center field camera. If you freeze the frame, you can clearly see Puhols has his OWN butt over the plate, and his feet are clearly in front of the plate. And I was able to "freeze frame" the shot. The ball is just over Puhols right foot in the picture a little above shoetop range. Anyone who's played knows that ball would have been in the dirt if Puhols hadn't have scooped underneath it. That's why they used a first baseman to get that -- they knew that zero was going to have trouble, so they used a guy used to scooping balls off the dirt.

Is it a big deal zero can't throw the ball 60 feet 6 inches? In the larger scheme of things, no. In the bigger scheme of things it just goes to show what lying sacks of crap the press are to cover for his every shortcoming. If they'll go to this extent to cover up his butt over something so minor, he has a real glass jaw, they know it, but they are SLAVES to him. If they lie about what can easily be seen to be a lie (allegedly he didn't bow to a Saudi potentate either, something CLEARLY on video from a spanish language broadcast) what else does he do in the dark that they will be more willing to baldface lie about?

Military changes orders of officer who is challenging 0ero's eligibility to serve as C-in-C

"Posted: July 14, 20099:53 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling© 2009 WorldNetDaily
Dr. Orly Taitz
A U.S. Army Reserve major from Florida scheduled to report for deployment to Afghanistan within days has had his military orders revoked after he argued that he should not be required to serve under a president who has not proven his legitimacy for office.
His attorney, Orly Taitz, confirmed to WND the military has rescinded his impending deployment orders. "

Full article here.

0ero Makes Kerry look like an athlete...

....by comparison.... Tell me this ***hole wasn't the last one picked for any team sport. I bet he got shoved into a lot of lockers too. Even in Indonesia, where he was educated. Probably had a lot of turbans snapped at his butt in the locker room.

Maybe if I'm a good ickle boy they'll let me play t-ball next time...

0ero's Teleprompter commits Suicide

The screen couldn't handle all the BS so it threw itself off its stand.

A suicide watch is being kept on the 2nd teleprompter, in fear that it may jump off the precipice too, now that it only has 0ero for company. Wither art thou, HAL?

Franken take hit from Bong

...must have. He said that Sotomayor was "the most experienced Supreme Court nominee in 100 years." At what? Getting decisions overturned?

0ero set to throw out first pitch of All Star game

....so Zero goes to the mound with Michelle and suddenly throws HER towards the catcher. After the dust settles, when asked why he threw Michelle instead of the ball, he says "OH, you wanted the first PITCH."

With any luck a few of the former living presidents will throw HIM off the loge section before he gets to the broadcast booth for an interview. I suggest anyone watching the game CHANGE THE CHANNEL when 0ero's mug comes on for an interview. It's not like the Kenyan knows zip about the game anyway. This guy is not a team sports player. Much less baseball. Wouldn't know a Texas leaguer from a silver sombrero.

Any bets on how booed Zero gets? Any bets on how the lamestream press will try and cover this up?

Update: According to post (74) at freerepublic:

"I’m watching - saw the presidential moments. They must have blocked out the audience noise.
Husband is driving listening on the radio.
He called laughing and said:

Obama spoke, silence.

GWB spoke, wild cheering and applause.

Clinton spoke, silence.

GHWB spoke, more wild cheering and applause.

Carter spoke... BOOING!

Gotta love it! And TV blocked it but ESPN radio did not!I’m watching - saw the presidential moments. !"

Post 93 said there was booing for 0ero and others have complained that the camera angle didn't even show the catch -- which would seem to indicate that the throw was probably horrible. Well, what do you expact from a Mobassa boy? Not like he's "one of us" is it?

Also, numerous commentators are bitching that this guy allegedly threw the pitch, and it was NOT show as they would for anyone else. i.e. the camera on him throwing the ball, but NOT a wide shot, with him and the catcher and where it went over the plate, or if it bounced 30 feet in front of the plate (for all we know) as if a 4 year old little girl had thrown it.

Can't WAIT for some YOUTUBE video to be up, because apparently that's the only way whether or not we'll see if Bambi "threw like a weak sister."

(Ha-ha, I've thrown plenty of pitches, and so have most Americans, who will tell you that that left hand cocked back like that is EXACLTY a "little girlie throw."

Just when you think the US has won the coveted "All world Stupid" championship...

... a formidable Challenger to usurp Al Gore's throne has shown up:

Charlie explains to his native bearers about really big whang doodle carbon footprints and how we all have 96 months to save the friggin' planet. Anyone have the patience to find out if he's in on the same scheme selling carbon credits on the side with Al?

He's like Michael Jackson. Cute kid when younger, then just talked to one too many chimps or in his case, plants.

LONGGGGGG May the Queen Reign. If you had an heir like him, would you retire? She wouldn't be caught dead saying something that stupid.

Who let the dogs out?

Zero, picking up respect from a broad. Yeah, GWB was such a goober compared to Shaft here.

TLM '62 does St. John Fisher, St. Thomas More DIRT

Really. It's not on the "Universal calendar" of '62, so John and Tom don't get ZIP WORTH of recognition in the US. Oh, in England they do. But not here.

The pasta fazzoo eaters back in the Vatican then would have thought NOTHING of giving some grenouille eatin' peasant girl, or Sicilian guy who'd had a vision of St. Buonafangulo in his wheaties a whole day to themselves and put it on the Universal calendar. But the anglophone world? It took them around 400 years to get to even acknowledge St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More as Martyrs of the noblest sort -- but do they give them a place on the TLM Universal calendar? HELL NO.

Hey, if any of you spaghetti benders in the Vatican are reading this: CORRECT THIS. John and Tom mean a lot more to me than a "feria" day. These saints are especially important in the English speaking countries, and frankly, should be on the TLM universal calendar - given the go-along-to-get-along types which now infect civil governments everywhere.

The "Our Lady of Perpetual Help" votive Mass was said today. Frankly, I love her as 2nd mom, but John and Tom deserve their snaps and the church owed them better.

Very short ROAD TRIP!!!

I was going out for my swim tonight, and reflected how very close the Kroc Center sits to the La Mesa City line. And what, praytell, is in La Mesa? IDRIS GINGER BEER!!!!

Shoot!!! SCORE!!!!! Why this stuff hasn't made it over here bigtime I dunno. There's an opportunity for someone. Catch a clue, entrepreneurs. It took a while for the Salt and Vinegar Chips to make it, but they did over 20 years ago.

There is some swill from Jamaica[?] that claims to be ginger beer at the Windmill Farms stores, but that brand is just WRONG!!! It can't hold a candle to the real deal.

I also scored some of "The Dentist's Vacation Maker." Also known as Walker's Nonsuch Hazelnut Toffee. Freeze that stuff. Then break the sucker when it's still in the pack. They have a fansy schmansy little hammer for it, but the side of the fridge works just fine too. THEN take a small piece and suck on it a good MINUTE before you even attempt to chew or bite into it. I warned you.

Sign of the Times

I guess it beats stealin' hubcaps for fun.

"Reek of Stupidity Amongst the Officers" G. Washington reports from the field

I've always liked this bit from the Musical 1776. -- [BTW, the text of George Washington's dispatch is real.]




Hoping you all are having a fabulous Fourth!

Is TOTALLY stoked her 4th weekend has started

The "suits" [technically our two bosses, wearing flip flops and t-shirts, but still "suits"] took us out to lunch today and picked up the bill in honor of the upcoming 4th of July weekend. We also got off work 1.5 hours early AND they paid us a day early, and we get tomorrow off. HOO-RAY!!!!

I'm also, so far, feeling well and fine, and it looks like it's going to be nice weather all weekend. [LAST two 3 day weekends I was unwell, and the weather was crappy.]

If you want to get REALLY technical about it, the Declaration was voted on and passed on the 2nd. And this was the Day John Adams thought would be celebrated. They niggled over some of the language and it was formally adopted on the 4th.

King George remained "a tyrrant." They had to offend somebody.

(And yes, Stephen, I added those last two sentences for you!)

The cartoonist missed one hammer and sickle

Love it, Vincenzo lent a hand: