Sensitive subjects? Talk about ‘em!
First things first: BLOGNIC!
HERE & THERE
Firefighter Hourly has a thought-provoking post about how not talking about “sensitive” issues is a bad idea when people’s lives and safety depend on good answers.
The fraternity of chief officers is the most frustrating. In the Charleston area only one chief officer spoke up about the disastrous operations at the Sofa Super Store on June 18, 2007. The others sat back and watched and each had their own reasons. Privately they were fuming but publicly they were mute or, in the case of one upstate chief, effusive in praising the operation of a department found with substantial issues.
Chuck covers the 3rd Annual American Music Celebration at Kiawah.
A cool poem at the road less traveled by Nikki. I can’t do it justice here, so check it out there.
Heidi has written a very personal, very honest and rather fascinating account of her relationship with food and weight. Recommended.
Nick Smith’s spooky video for Boone’s Hall.
What if the church conceived of its ministry as a service it provided in the marketplace? How would we market it? What would the price point be for its services? Would anyone line up to by it?
Theo has lost 63 pounds. That’s six months of discipline. Congrats!
Any one of my four teenage children (World of Warcraft players all) would do a better job of reviewing the latest from Honor’s Code, and I’m sure that if you play you’ll be very interested in this extremely technical and helful post (Preparing Your Tankadin for Patch 3.0: Part 4: New Toys), which is part of a technical and helpful series. But I’m just nodding and saying… “Um… COOL!”
Moving on…
RECIPE BREAK
Crabmeat-Crowned Tilapia Fillets.
Yum…
MORE HERE & THERE GOODNESS
Bye-Bye to The Trusted Palate (a.k.a. “The Busted Wallet”). Closed as of last Friday.
Hey, this is cool: The Great American Paint Out took place here on Sunday!
SELF-PROMOTION ALERT: I put together a new banner at Xark this week (part of a long-overdue tuneup that’s still ongoing). The concept involved using as many faces as I could work into a banner that’s 677 px x 202 px… and that number (for those of you keeping score at home) is 92. There are some locals in the mix, of course, and I’ve uploaded a larger version for those who want to try to spot everyone on the list. Have at it!
And, in other major Xark news, Janet has launched a separate blog: XarkGirl. Her slogan: “Same principles; more estrogen.”
Another one of Heather’s Household Truths:
The ratio of your home’s condition to a state of complete chaos is inversely proportional to the likelihood of uninvited guests arriving.
Looks like I’d better start cooking, because there’s obviously a big crowd headed my way…
AND ON TO POLITICS…
Babbie from The Newsless Courier:
Now well into the high school football season, the promised new scoreboard for Stoney Field, where the Burke Bulldogs play, has yet to materialize! How low a priority is Burke for CCSD?
Mike at SoD has another poem:
Eatin’ moose burgers ?
You betcha she’s the gal -
Our winking barracuda
Makes Johnny Mac blush
Like a Maryland farmer.
Gotta love her so say the hockey moms
Up Wasilla way.
Give me Barack and Joe,
Because at least I know what they are.
Addison’s mind has been on biology quite a bit these days, which led him indirectly to some thoughts about politics and Barack Obama. His conclusion:
He is, in reality, further removed from the prime meridian of politics than his opponent. Yes, he is charming, suave, and glib. His opponent is a crusty curmudgeon, who can barely bring himself to shake Obama’s hand. Maybe this letter provides a clue to the reluctance. But the fact is that Obama, as defined by his choices in life, is a candidate whose very leftward tilt should be of great concern to all voters come November, 2008.
Kim at The Punkin Patch writes about the recent tone of the McCain/Palin campaign:
What’s McCain gonna do at the last debate? Call him ‘boy’? Too obvious? How bout ‘uppity’. Its been used before by a McCain supporter. It is amazing to me just how nasty the McCain campaign has become. And just I love the coded language McCain and Palin have been using.
“I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way you and I see America.” Palin has said.
In other words he’s not like you and me — you know, white. Keith Olbermann referred to this in his special comment Monday night saying,”it’s a nifty trick to remind the white folk that (psst) Obama is black.”
Jeff Tompkins is on the same track.
I believe most people feel they are pretty darn lucky to be living the life they are living. If their life does need change the last thing they want is change dictated by Washington. Does anyone think that the feds will improve schools? Health care? Roads? Agriculture? Banking? Living conditions? Food prices? Retail prices? When Uncle Sam says he is going to make changes the first thing you should do is grab your wallet.
And to wrap today’s political section, Babbie points out that while the AP has identified Linda Ketner as gay, The Post and Courier has not.
PARTING SHOT
Blue Ion explains Google’s new GMail “Mail Goggles,” which uses math problems to prevent you from sending drunken e-mails to your friends at 3 a.m.
Too bad they don’t have that setting for blog posts. I could use it.