The Pew Research Institute just did a survey on religion and practices and beliefs in the US. It had some interesting results.
They cited a group called Historically Black Churches (HBCs) that consisted of Baptist, Methodist and Pentecostal churches as well as others. Vodou was not included.
"Pagan" groups got lumped into "Other Faiths" with New Age & Unitarians. Dunno if Vodou would be filed under "Other" or "Other World". Total of "Other" and "Other World" was 1.5 %.
"Other Christian" listed metaphysical & spiritualist. I don't think that is what most people mean when they list themselves as "Christian - other" on social networking websites.
Evangelicals are fairly split between desiring big and small governments leaning towards smaller with 48% vs larger 41%.
HBCs are overwhelmingly in favor of big government with 72% in favor of big spending bureaucracies, a sentiment mirrored by Muslims at 70%.
This nugget should please anti-Obamamaniacs of the reasonable and crazy ilk alike.
Muslims (surprise) believe the government should be involved in "protecting morality" by 59%. Mormons, Evangelicals & the HBCs follow at about 50%.
Mormons and Jews are more in favor of more active foreign policies while the HBCs and Jehovah's Witnesses lead the pack in keeping our meddling here at home. FWIW, 55% of people overall want to reign in foreign policies.
People of most faiths want stricter environmental controls. The HBCs & Evangelicals would be the least aggressive but it is still a minority of these groups.
Jehovah's Witnesses are easily the biggest church goers in the country with "Other Faiths" coming last which makes sense as many of them have nowhere to go and many frequently refer to themselves as solitary practitioners.
Jehovah's Witnesses are by far the most assured they practice the one true faith. I guess that is why they are at church so often - to be reassured.
the faiths with the most singular interpretations are Jehovah's Witnesses followed by Mormons, HBCs and Evangelicals. The majority of other faiths overwhelmingly agree there is more than one way to interpret their religions.
Anyway, these are just a few of the findings. It is worth looking at on your own.
http://religions.pewforum.org/

Why Americans elect politicians with crappy foreign policies.

Breaking News: Something Happening In Haiti

The Prince Gaynor Memorial Garden

Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby



ugh
I guess I am just getting old. I set up a MySpace page (for various reasons) and I was instantly peppered with "friend" solicitations from countless young women. Thing is, I am old enough to be their fathers. Sure, they are pretty but what would I have to say to these young women ? For one thing, "When you offer your 'friendship' to someone, sending them a picture of your butt isn't exactly appropriate".
If they were offering to introduce me to their mothers it might be a different story. Instead they tell me they find me "cute", "hot", "sexy", etc. They tell me they want me to fulfill their sexual fantasies. These chicks have some seriously boring fantasies.
I really have nothing in common with any of these girls. Many appear to be avid swimmers (albeit with some really scrawny arms) and, while swimming is a fine sport, I don't enjoy swimming at all.
I just don't understand it.
I guess I am just a grumpy old fart.

In this article it is stated that David Crowley wants to save energy by replacing the light bulbs in the city council chandelier with fluorescent bulbs. This is, of course, problematic as the bulbs are expensive and their disposal creates a hazard.
A better idea would be to just turn off the room lights altogether and use the desk lamps at people's desks.
You would save energy, cut costs and have a real dramatic visual effect to boot.
Keeping council members awake could be a problem, however.

I don't even ask anymore.......

Red Beans and Quinoa

I like red beans and rice. Being an ignorant cook, I usually just make the Vigo mix with some veggies and some hot smoked sausage.
While reading a book called Collapse, the author discussed the diet of Incans and Azteks and that they ate a grain (a psuedograin ?) called quinoa that was high in protein.
In an effort to be a little more self sufficient, eat more healthy & cut food costs, I attempted red beans and quinoa from scratch. Well, ok, really the only difference besides substituting quinoa for rice was using bagged kidney beans and using the spices in my hellhole -er- around the house.
Fast soaking 1/2 cup of beans involved rinsing a half cup of beans and then bringing them to a boil in 2 cups of water, covering and, after removing from the heat, letting sit for n hour.
This tenderized the beans but they were still pretty chewy.
In another pan, I sauteed a tsp of chopped garlic, a small yellow onion and a green bell pepper (chopped up) in a bit of butter for a few minutes. Then I put in a cup of quinoa. they say to rinse and strain the quinoa but I had nothing to strain the little bastards and upon adding any water, the stuff just clumped up, so I figured, what doesn't kill me makes me stronger & just dumped it into the sauteing vegetables.
Stirred that around for a few & then dumped in 2 cups of water, some black pepper, soy sauce and Tabasco® sauce.
Then I stirred in the beans. brought the mess to a boil and reduced heat and covered for about 10 - 15 min.
Then I stirred in two chopped up celery stalks & let sit uncovered on the stove for about 5 minutes.
The result ? It was ok.

McCain Ditches Berry for Abba and Berry Roots for Obama.
In this article, it states that McCain was using Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode as a theme song, but has now switched to Abba's, Take a Chance on Me.
Someone in McCain's camp needs to be fired. Why is he using a song by a Swedish band that infers that choosing McCain might be risky ?
He would be better off promoting a song by a conservative American artist like Johnny Ramone and his band, The Ramones.
Candidates ?
Too Tough to Die
Highest Trails Above
Cretin Hop
I Don't Care
Commando
I Want You Around

sigh
McCain is gonna get creamed.

Westcott House on WPTO 6/7/08 at noon
The Westcott House in Springfield, Ohio was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright about 100 years ago for an automobile manufacturer on Springfield's prestigious East High St.
After years of neglect and downright abuse, the property was restored to it's original condition.
This program chronicles the history of the house.

http://www.thinktv.org/onair/onai_prog_westcott.html
http://www.westcotthouse.org/

Well, I guess we all knew this.

Springfield Farmers' Market Resumes in Historic Location

Farmers' market to reopen

By Samantha Sommer
Springfield News-Sun Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Springfield, Ohio — Locally grown food can taste better, help the environment and boost the local economy.
Buying that food at a farmer's market also offers a chance to connect to farmers and friends, said Sherry Chen, one of the co-managers of the Springfield Farmers' Market.
"It's all about community," she said.
The Springfield Farmers' Market kicks off from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7, on Market Street between the Heritage Center and Elderly United.
It will run every Saturday through Sept. 27 and feature a variety of goods and produce.
Items on sale will range from buffalo meat to cucumbers and berries to fresh flowers.
This year the market will feature only produce grown in Ohio, Chen said.
The fruits and vegetables on sale also will change with what's in season.
That means food is picked when it's ripe, Chen said, and isn't treated with chemicals or waxes for a long, fuel-consuming journey.
Buying local food also keeps money here, Chen said, and offers shoppers a chance to talk to producers about how they grow their food.
"Those are the connections people are looking for now and is another reason to get it from the farmers as opposed to a truck that came from 1,000 miles away," she said.
The market also is working on accepting food stamps.
Live music will be featured every week, and some weeks will include food demonstrations. Educational information about preserving farmland and eating seasonal, local food will be on hand.
The Heritage Center bell will be rung to mark the opening of the market, as it did when it was a market, said Gene Barnett, market co-manager.
"When the market opened 110 years ago, they rang it at 4 a.m.," he said. "We're not going to open that early."

Story here.

Corn Palace, Mitchell, SD 1921
Obama at the Corn Palace ?
great
Any chance we can just leave him there and let the squirrels eat his scrawny butt ?