Question Congress During August Recess

In August, members of Congress leave Washington to spend time with their constituents at home. With the 2008 election campaign in full swing, now is the perfect time to ask current and potential members of Congress where they stand on various issues. One issue of importance to me is separation of church and state.

Simply by asking questions you accomplish two things: 1) you find out where a candidate stands on church-state matters, and 2) you demonstrate there are voters who value church-state separation.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State offers great suggested questions. Or come up with your own! Either way, it's important to get these folks on record so that you, and others in the audience who support church-state separation, will know where a candidate stands.

SPREAD THE WORD!

If you like the graphic above, visit the AU web site to get code to embed one on your blog!

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"Fishing Face"--does it exist?

While Gretchen and I were fishing on Saturday evening at Little Buffalo, Kat took over the camera--and embarrassment ensued.

First, we fished our little hearts out, but the fish were jumping around and taunting us.

You can't see them in this photo but trust me--they were jumping all over the place, eating every bug in sight but leaving our worms alone. Gretchen then switched to some shiny crazy lure, but did the fish pay attention?

See for yourself:

Now you DON'T see it.

Now you DO.

This crazy bullfrog (is it a bullfrog? I know, I need a amphibian guide!) wanted that little blue and silver lure more than anything! I guess he thought it was a dragonfly. Gretchen started playing with him, trying to lure him onto shore--but the crazy little guy chomped on it!

After some struggles getting the little hooks out of his mouth and leg, during which I sustained a little gash on my index finger,

the frog was free.
Here's Gretchen the Frog Master:Boy, Laura was right; all fishermen have the same goofy grin when they catch something--even when it's a big old frog.

And her frog:

That red you see on his leg is actually MY blood. Isn't he beautiful? I love that mottling on his undersides. We let him go (we are strictly catch-and-release!), and it was apparent that his recent adventure with us had not harmed him. He leaped about three feet into the water and was gone.

Now--for "fishing face." Kat took pictures of both Gretchen and I while we fished, and she claimed to have discovered something she calls "fishing face."

Here's her photographic evidence:

I tell ya, I just don't see it.

I don't know what she's talking about.

Rove Cited for Contempt

The Associated Press reports:

A House panel Wednesday voted to cite former top White House aide Karl Rove for contempt of Congress as its Senate counterpart publicly pursued possible punishments for an array of alleged past and present Bush administration misdeeds.

Voting along party lines, the House Judiciary Committee said that Rove had broke the law by failing to appear at a July 10 hearing on allegations of White House influence over the Justice Department, including whether Rove encouraged prosecutions against Democrats.

The committee decision is only a recommendation, and it was unclear whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., would allow a final vote. Rove has denied any involvement with Justice decisions, and the White House has said Congress has no authority to compel testimony from current and former advisers.

If Congress doesn't have the spine to impeach George Bush and Dick Cheney, the least we deserve is to see Karl Rove behind bars.

The American people have paid a price ... Iraqi civilians have paid a price ... and journalists and program hosts like Phil Donahue, Ashleigh Banfield, and Bill Maher have paid a price.

The Bush Administration has taken no responsibility, or paid any price, for their actions.

Contact the Speaker and urge her to hold Karl Rove accountable.

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Life Luna! UPDATED with a lullerfly link

I was doodling around in the garden last evening, pulling some of the taller weeds and looking at my plants, when I came practically nose to nose with this:

Click for lunatically large!

I don't recall ever having seen a luna moth before, much less two of them! I tried to look at them from the other side to see if (and how) they were, well, you know--doin' it, but it was too hard to get back there with the corn plants in the way. I don't think these two were mating; they didn't really seem to be touching any of the--er--important parts. Still--what are these moths doing?

Let's look more closely at this amazing moth:

Click for mothmonstrous!

First, I noted that what I thought were just plain old wing eyespots are in fact small holes in the wing, surrounded by differently colored accent cells. Amazing! I suppose such tiny holes in such large wings do not affect flight.

Second, look at those beautiful antennae; they remind me of palm fronds in their complexity. What do moths use their antennae for? I don't really know. Anyone?

What amazing creatures these moths are, as beautiful as butterflies yet classed in the moth family. Here's another question for you lepidoptary-inclined folks out there: what is the difference between moths and butterflies? Is it the eating-nectar thing?

UPDATE: For some incredibly beautiful southern butterflies, check out Troy and Martha's Ramblings Around Texas.

Moving on to my sunflowers: Last year, I had a whole row of mammoth sunflower plants. This year, I just left whatever volunteers that came up. Here's the tallest sunflower plant:

It was pretty late in the evening, so pardon the dark. The flower should bloom within a week or so, I believe.
Here's the plant with its neighbor:
That red arrow indicates my height. I'm 5'1".

Those wacky Republicans ... never a dull moment!

Sen. Stevens indicted, Rep. Broun busts budget, and Sen. Brownback is just acting creepy

How fun is the news that Sen. Ted "the tubes" Stevens has been indicted by a federal grand jury on seven felony counts for concealing more than $250,000 in gifts from an oil company. I hope the new basement was worth tanking a 40+ year political career!

The Hill reports:

The news that the longest-serving Republican senator in history faced charges from an investigation into his relationship with the VECO Corp. roiled Capitol Hill, sent the Senate Republican Conference into damage control, and cast serious doubt that Stevens would be able to win a seventh term this fall.

Though the 28-page indictment alleges that Stevens accepted home improvements, cars and other gifts in return for political action, he is charged only with making false statements on financial disclosure forms between 2001 and 2006.

Stevens, 84, was chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee from 1997 until 2005, except for an 18-month period in 2001 and 2002 when Democrats controlled the chamber.

The VECO investigation has already produced convictions of Alaska lawmakers, oil executives and a lobbyist. The FBI and IRS raided Stevenss home in 2007.

Stevens released a statement saying he never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by law as a U.S. senator.

Yeah, right. Sorry Ted ... looks like you've been busted!

Stevens could face up to 35 years in prison if convicted. Darn, and he was just getting the hang of how to use the new gas grill.

Meanwhile, 'fiscal conservative' Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) will be looking for a new chief of staff following the resignation of J. Aloysius Hogan. It seems the representatives office is out of cash.

Broun, who has co-sponsored bills on balancing the budget and has vowed to rein in federal spending, busted his budge on -- of all things -- mail. At 42 cents a pop that's a lot of mail!

The chief of staff for Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) resigned Monday as sources said the congressmans office has busted its budget.

J. Aloysius Hogan, Brouns chief of staff, was in charge of the Members Representational Allowance (MRA), which was depleted because of franked mail, according to sources. The franked mail, which was sent to constituents, may have helped Broun in his recent primary win.

Earlier this month, sources said that Brouns MRA was so low that the lawmaker would have to cut staff. At the time, Brouns office said it was unaware of any possible cuts. [...]

Hogan, who used to work for Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), confirmed his resignation with The Hill on Tuesday, but declined to comment further on the situation, referring inquires to Brouns press office.

Brouns office declined to comment. [...]

According to the Committee on House Administrations website, members are permitted to spend as much of their official budget on franked mail as they deem necessary. MRA expenses cannot be spent on personal, campaign and/or political expenses.

Jeff Ventura, a spokesman for the House Chief Administrative Officer, said, Although we have seen MRAs dip this low before, what makes this situation unique is that it went so low so early in the calendar year.

It was unclear at press time what the office planned to do in order to pay staffers, who could be furloughed if the problem is not resolved quickly.

Broun, a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee, was criticized in the local press by his opponent, Georgia state Rep. Barry Fleming, during the primary for wasting taxpayer funds to send out the mailings.

But despite predictions that the race would be close, Broun trounced Fleming in the conservative district. He is heavily favored to defeat Democrat Bobby Saxon, an Iraq war veteran, in November.

Brouns campaign is also in debt. As of June 30, he had $194,00 cash on hand and $328,000 in debt, according to CQMoneyLine. Saxon had $31,000 cash on hand and $12,000 of debt.

Gee, Bobby Saxon seems like the most fiscally responsible of the two. Too bad he doesn't have access to tax dollars to send out his campaign mailings. Geezz ...

And finally, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) is warning anyone planning on attending the Olympics in a couple of weeks that China is preparing a spy attack. Hummm ... I wonder if the Olympics were being held in this country would we be spying on any of the athletes or attendees. The answer is, of course, "YES."

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) on Tuesday alleged that China is preparing a spy attack on visitors of the Olympic Games, which will begin in less than two weeks.

Brownback told reporters that China has carefully plotted to take advantage of the situation of having thousands of foreign visitors on its soil and set up a system to be able to spy and gather information about each and every guest at hotels where Olympic visitors are located.

The senator, who ran for the GOP presidential nomination this year, said those spied on include journalists, athletes families, human rights advocates and other visitors.

Brownback stated that his office had been contacted by lawyers for international hotel chains who informed him that the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) ordered foreign-owned hotels to install Internet monitoring equipment. Brownback provided documents showing that hotels were asked to cooperate with the Chinese government.

The Chinese government has demanded that these hotels allow the PSB to install software programs and hardware devices on the hotel networks, Brownback said. These measures are designed to assist the PSB to spy on the Internet activities of guests and record websites visited, searches entered and even keystrokes. The text alludes to harsh punishment for failure to comply with the order, including loss of license to operate a hotel in China.

I wonder if Brownback has a problem with the Bush administration reading our email, or listening in on our phone conversations?

Hey DCup ... if you're planning on attending the Olympics I hope you spend at least some time surfing your favorite porn sites! And while you're there, be sure to send Rep. Broun a postcard ... ha!

Those wacky Republicans ... never a dull moment!

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Mother Robin and Her Children

Not exactly Berthold Brecht, but much more exciting! It's Mama Robin, feeding her little brood!

Now this family is a different one from the last one I showed you. The courtyard at work appears to be quite popular with the nesting crowd. I believe we might even have a goldfinch nest! I'm trying not disturb anything, so it's slow going trying to find the nest. I hope I can, though--goldfinch babies must be so cute!

Back to Mama Robin. She saw me come out into the courtyard so she froze, mouth full of food:

I'm guessing that's either a really pink worm, or she's feeding them Twizzlers. You decide.

Here she is, with her little ones agape and awaiting some food:

I wish these were less obstructed by hemlock foliage, but I didn't want to get too close--so I'm on super-high zoom. Still, you can see two little babies and Mama above them.

Hee hee!

Camping Adventures-UPDATED!

We're back from camping at Little Buffalo State Park near Harrisburg. It was the only park where we could get a site that would accept dogs, as Domino (the official dog of my political blog) was coming along. Who knew that all the campgrounds would be so full? I guess everyone's too broke to go on a "real" vacation, so everyone in PA is camping.

We hiked, we played in the creek, we fished, we saw lots of birds (37 species, including a lifer!), and I made LOTS of fires. I mean LOTS. I had to make a fire every time we wanted to cook, and in between meals we left the site so it always had to be put out. That's a fire Friday night, three fires Saturday, and two fires on Sunday. I never thought I'd say this, being a bit of a pyro and all, but I'm TIRED of making fires!

Here are a few snapshots of what we did and saw:

Gretchen and I fishing:

Bass Master! Of course, the fish is maybe 5 inches long....
Domino:

A Box Turtle (Thanks, John, for the ID):

A baby American Toad (thanks to Katdoc for the ID):

My best-ever look at an Eastern towhee:

Domino, Gretchen, Em, and me playing in the creek:

A red admiral, which is Julie Zickefoose's favorite butterfly:

There were swallowtails everywhere:

Eastern Kingbird--this isn't a great pic, but I had much better looks at him while gawking and forgetting to take pictures (thanks John and Katdoc on the positive ID):

UPDATED! Here's a second even worse photo, showing just a touch of white in the tail--per John's comment:

Eastern bluebird!

Kat and Gretchen decided we needed to hike the most difficult trail, despite my pleas that I would have a heart attack:

Cooling off and skipping rocks in the creek:

Somehow I made it to the summit, although I was almost a goner several times along the way!

There were a lot of ducks on the lake, but only one kind, it seemed:



Are these gadwalls? Sadly, no--per comments, they are just mallards with the drakes out of breeding plumage. Already in their travelling clothes for the fall migration! Gretchen insisted they were a commune of lesbian mallard hens, but they didn't have the purple patches. Turns out she was kinda right!

Whew--I'm exhausted just remembering it all. The nights were cool, but days sure were hot.

The rest of the photos will be presented as a special treat: Kat will be doing a guest post on our Saturday evening fishing trip! She says she's calling it "Fishing Face." I don't know what she's talking about.

Faith Tradition or Tax-Exempt Pyramid Scheme

When I read this the first thing that popped into my mind was: "This sounds like Amway!" And while the government has yet to prove Amway is a pyramid scheme, anyone who has ever been involved with it sure sees all the signs. One person brings in another, and the only ones getting rich are the people at the top!

Kenneth Copland Ministries seems to have that same undercurrent -- only the only people who ever get to be on top are "family."

The Associated Press reports:

Here in the gentle hills of north Texas, televangelist Kenneth Copeland has built a religious empire teaching that God wants his followers to prosper.

Over the years, a circle of Copeland's relatives and friends have done just that, The Associated Press has found. They include the brother-in-law with a lucrative deal to broker Copeland's television time, the son who acquired church-owned land for his ranching business and saw it more than quadruple in value, and board members who together have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for speaking at church events.

Church officials say no one improperly benefits through ties to Copeland's vast evangelical ministry, which claims more than 600,000 subscribers in 134 countries to its flagship "Believer's Voice of Victory" magazine. The board of directors signs off on important matters, they say. Yet church bylaws give Copeland veto power over board decisions.

While Copeland insists that his ministry complies with the law, independent tax experts who reviewed information obtained by the AP through interviews, church documents and public records have their doubts. The web of companies and non-profits tied to the televangelist calls the ministry's integrity into question, they say.

You really need to read the entire article to get the full impact.

There are some who think religious organizations are getting too many tax breaks in the country. I think it fair that their house of worship, and any services directed toward helping those in need are fair exemptions -- like any other 501(c)(3) organization would receive. But it appears that everything Copeland's group is involved in has been placed under the umbrella of the church -- including things like the ministry's $17.5 million jet (and other aircraft), a private airstrip, and a $6 million church-owned lakefront mansion. And did I mention oil?

All revenue from the church's business interests — including an oil and natural gas company it owns — go into the church ... Security Petrol Inc., a wholly owned — and for-profit — subsidiary of the church created in 1997 ... Security Petrol was established to protect the church from the liability risk of oil and gas production and to minimize interference with the church's religious activities.

No company officials — including John Copeland, its president — has received compensation or profits from the company, and all revenue goes to the church for general operations, [spokesperson Lawrence] Swicegood said. Reserves from gas wells in the church's name were valued at $23 million last year, county records show.

Nice work, if you can get it!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries is a 500-employee operation, with a budget estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries is organized under the tax code as a church, so it gets a layer of privacy not afforded large secular and religious nonprofit groups that must disclose budgets and salaries. Pastors' pay must be "reasonable" under the federal tax code, a term that gives churches wide latitude.

Copeland's current salary is not made public by his ministry. However, the church disclosed in a property-tax exemption application that his wages were $364,577 in 1995; Copeland's wife, Gloria, earned $292,593. It's not clear whether those figures include other earnings, such as special offerings for guest preaching or book royalties. Another 13 Copeland relatives were on the church's payroll that year.

Some might argue that Copeland is protected through 'truth in advertising' ... after all, he bills his ministry as one that believes God wants his followers to prosper. From all appearances some are "prospering" a little bit more than others!

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Not ready for prime time news

The Associated Press offers a variety of "news" items that will probably won't make the nightly news. The first one -- and we've all been there -- is of a Milwaukee man who shot his lawn mower for not starting. God knows I've had a vew lawn mowers I would have liked to shoot!

A Milwaukee man was accused of shooting his lawn mower because it wouldn't start. Keith Walendowski, 56, was charged with felony possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle and misdemeanor disorderly conduct while armed.

According to the criminal complaint, Walendowski said he was angry because his Lawn Boy wouldn't start Wednesday morning. He told police quote, "I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want."

A woman who lives at Walendowski's house reported the incident. She said he was intoxicated.

Walendowski could face up to an $11,000 fine and six years and three months in prison if convicted.

A call to Walendowski's home went unanswered Friday morning.

Here's one that I wish I'd done!

If you've ever had anything stolen, and I have, how rewarding would it be to actually catch up with the guy an get your stuff back! Read about a New Castle woman who did just that!

New Castle Police say a woman chased down a burglar she caught carrying her property out of her house, and got her stuff back. It happened Tuesday morning in a home on Pennsylvania Avenue in Manor Park.

Police said the woman told the man to drop her property, but he said "no" and rode off on a bike. Police said the woman followed in her car, bumping the bike till the suspect had to drop the stolen stuff to keep his balance.

The woman picked up her things, drove home and called 911. A police dog tracked the suspect's scent to New Jersey Avenue, but lost the scent there.

As someone who is still trying to figure out how to send a text message, this story caught my attention.

After catching one of two people wanted in a series of break-ins, deputies in North Carolina let their fingers do the chasing to catch a second suspect.

Catawba County sheriff's Maj. Coy Reid says that when deputies caught a 16-year-old suspect on Wednesday, they confiscated his cell phone. Soon, a text message arrived asking the teen if he had been caught.

The deputies typed "no" in response. After a few more messages, the sender said he would try to pick up his friend, not knowing he was in custody.

Deputies waited in an area where several break-ins had occurred. They say they arrested the 17-year-old texter after finding him in a car with three other people.

Both teens face several charges, including larceny and breaking and entering.

Hey, maybe you should try dialing next time! ha

And finally, this story touch my heart. It's about a person who really loved his job and was appreciated by the people he worked with. Jeff Hornagold got a very special final delivery.

Jeff Hornagold loved being a UPS driver.

So when the suburban Chicago man died this week of lung cancer, longtime co-worker Michael McGowan agreed to take him on one last delivery.

McGowan transported Hornagold's body from Davenport Family Funeral Home to Saturday's funeral services in his UPS truck.

McGowan says he plans to keep a picture of Hornagold in his truck until he retires so that they can keep riding together.

Hornagold was a UPS driver for 20 years, and his wife Judy Hornagold described him as "just the happiest UPS man alive."

She says the special delivery was the perfect tribute.

May he rest in peace.

And that's the news that's not ready for prime time!

Sunday Funnies

Don't Ask, Don't Tell ... Don't Care

Melissa McEwan has a great post up at Guardian News, link cross-posted at Shakesville, "A Gay Old Time." You see, the House recently held hearings to review "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- the terrible policy that has actually led to MORE lesbians and gay men being discharged from the military simply because of who they love.

I watched the entire hearing. Even saw some of my friends in the audience. Women who have put their lives on the line for their country. It was clear that bigotry and homophobia are rampant among religious right advocates, even if that is not how they identify themselves. Is anyone surprised?

Just listen to what Melissa had to say about Elaine Donnelly:

Elaine Donnelly, the president of the Centre for Military Readiness, whose primary qualification as an "expert" on gay military issues appears to be a pathological fear of being photographed naked by a lesbian, actually created more sympathy for gay service members as she stumbled through the questioning during a House Armed Services personnel subcommittee hearing this week, in which the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy on homosexuality was being revisited.

…On behalf of soldiers "'who do have religious convictions," she argued they would be alienated by the "sexualized atmosphere" if forced to serve with gays and suffer their "introducing erotic factors" to the military.

She also raised the ominous specter of LGBTQI soldiers spreading "HIV positivity" through the ranks, in what one can only assume is a nefarious plot involving bare-backing members of Up with People.

You really have to watch it to believe -- see the whole committee hearing on this video.

It's past time to lift the ban on lesbians and gays in the military. If someone is willing to die for their country, it shouldn't matter who they love.

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In Memoriam - Randy Pausch

The Associated Press reports:

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist whose "last lecture" about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation and a best-selling book, died Friday. He was 47.

Pausch died at his home in Chesapeake, Va., said Jeffrey Zaslow, a Wall Street Journal writer who co-wrote Pausch's book. Pausch and his family had moved there last fall to be closer to his wife's relatives.

Pausch was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September 2006. His popular last lecture at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007 garnered international attention and was viewed by millions on the Internet.

In it, Pausch celebrated living the life he had always dreamed of instead of concentrating on impending death.

"The lecture was for my kids, but if others are finding value in it, that is wonderful," Pausch wrote on his Web site. "But rest assured; I'm hardly unique."

The book "The Last Lecture" leaped to the top of the nonfiction best-seller lists after its publication in April and remains there this week. The book deal was reported to be worth more than $6 million.

Pausch said he dictated the book to Zaslow by cell phone, and Zaslow recalled Friday that he was "strong and funny" during their collaboration.

"It was the most fun 53 days of my life because it was like a performance," Zaslow told The Associated Press. "It was like getting 53 extra lectures." He recalled that Pausch became emotional when they worked on the last chapter, though, because that to him was the "end of the lecture, the book, his life."

At Carnegie Mellon, Pausch was a professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design, and was recognized as a pioneer of virtual reality research. On campus, he became known for his flamboyance and showmanship as a teacher and mentor.

The speech last fall was part of a series Carnegie Mellon called "The Last Lecture," where professors were asked to think about what matters to them most and give a hypothetical final talk. The name of the lecture series was changed to "Journeys" before Pausch spoke, something he joked about in his lecture.

"I thought, damn, I finally nailed the venue and they renamed it," he said.

I first became aware of Pausch when a close friend, Jan Welsh, was so courageously battling pancreatic cancer. Much like Pausch, Jan chose to fully live her life until the very end. I only hope I can have that same courage when needed.

I miss my friend Jan, as I'm sure the Pausch family will miss their beloved husband, father, brother and son. He touched a lot of people, and reminded many of us what is truly important in life.

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Holy moly

Niki at work just called me over to her cubey window again, but this time it wasn't to see a beautiful Cooper's hawk.

No, this time I zipped over to her cubey and looked out the window, only to see a gigantic American crow
EATING.
A.
STARLING.

No, not THIS Starling:

THIS starling:
(source)
Wow. Niki said the little bird was a window-strike victim, only a few minutes ago. The crow appeared out of nowhere and started feasting on what was probably still a warm body (eewwww)!

Wish I could tell you that I had my camera, but I don't. However, I have to describe what happened.

I watched as the crow pecked and pecked at the neck and shoulder area of the bird. "Why is he doing that?" I asked myself.

Then the starling's head came off.

*gulp* That's why.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the crow then proceeded to eat the head! He pecked at its little skinny bird neck/spine and finally, after pretty much finishing all the --ahem-- meat off, the crow
SWALLOWED.
THE.
HEAD.

BEAK.
AND.
ALL.

Yes--you read that right: beak and all! He just picked up the skull and beak, tipped his head back, and down it went! Holy crap! Will he upchuck a little pellet later?

So I watched a while longer as the crow went back to the body and proceeded to peck at the open wound where the head used to be. A breast man, I guess. I'll say one thing for him: he didn't waste a morsel. He would pluck off some skin, kinda shake off the feathers, and then eat the skin.

Wow. I've never seen anything like that.

I need to go back and see if he'll eat (oh god) the feet too.