“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” — Presidential Oath or Affirmation, United States Constitution Two-hundred-thirty years ago, on April 30, 1789, those words were… Continue reading Occasional Quote of the Day: Article Two, Section One, Clause Eight
Month: April 2019
Somehow I Missed the Coverage of This in the US Mainstream Media
German policitians denounce growing violence against Christians. There seems to have been a fairly robust denunciation of growing violence, worldwide, against Christians and against Christian places of worship. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, depending on your point of view, this denunciation occurred in the German parliament, and was supported by Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, the Free… Continue reading Somehow I Missed the Coverage of This in the US Mainstream Media
Friday Food and Drink Post: The Right Tool For the Job
When it comes to cooking and my kitchen, I’m not really a fan of single-purpose tools. So I almost never feel impelled to investigate the “strawberry huller ” (just use a pointy knife); or the “condiment gun” (doesn’t most ketchup and mustard come in plastic squirt bottles already?); or the “carrot sharpener” (Wait. What?); or the… Continue reading Friday Food and Drink Post: The Right Tool For the Job
Occasional Quote of the Day: “Thank God For the Stately Homes of England”
It seems that, after a brief intermission, the Gilet Jaunes are throwing things and setting fire to cars in the streets of Paris again (apparently they didn’t like being upstaged by France’s grande dame, and they’re peevish about the amount of money that’s been raised in very short order for the purpose of fixing her roof. Because it’s “drawn more… Continue reading Occasional Quote of the Day: “Thank God For the Stately Homes of England”
Dealing with Childhood Anxiety: A Radical New Approach!
This is my shocked face. No, really. I am shocked. From, of all places, National Public Radio, a report on a new approach to help kids with anxiety suggests that the best thing to do might be to–wait for it–“let them face their fears.” I about choked on my coffee when I read that. Of course,… Continue reading Dealing with Childhood Anxiety: A Radical New Approach!
Friday Food and Drink Post: Bon Appetit aux Hommes et Femmes!
History claims that the first “modern” restaurant was opened by one Monsieur A. Boulanger, sometime in the middle of the eighteenth century, and somewhere in Paris, where his small establishment served, mainly, soup to the middle classes. Although the tradition is robust, extensive research has never actually turned up any proof of his, or of… Continue reading Friday Food and Drink Post: Bon Appetit aux Hommes et Femmes!
Friday Food and Drink Post: I’m in a Stew
Well, Spring is making an effort, but today is gray, and cold and wet, and I think I’d like a good bowl of some sort of comfort food for dinner tonight. I vote for stew! According to Wikipedia, (we’ll start there) stew is defined as follows: A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients… Continue reading Friday Food and Drink Post: I’m in a Stew
Occasional Quote of the Day: The First Eighteen Lines
I know many of you know them by heart. I’ve seen some of you say so, on Ricochet, over the past nine years. At some point in your lives, you probably had them thrust at you; you might have struggled through them; maybe you cheated with the Cliffs Notes; perhaps you said you couldn’t possibly… Continue reading Occasional Quote of the Day: The First Eighteen Lines
Reality TV, 1387 Edition
Imagine yourself, if you will, as an inhabitant of late 14th-century England. You sit somewhere at the lower end of the hierarchy with the king at the top and the villeins and serfs at the bottom. If you’re a man, you’re very likely a farmer, and you and your family live in a two-room (if… Continue reading Reality TV, 1387 Edition