The Pink Flamingo :: If At First You Don’t Succeed

CONGRATS TO JOHN STEPHENSON OF STOP THE ACLU!
Reagan Dailene Stephenson was born on May 12, 2008. She weighed 8 lbs and 4 ounces. She is 21 inches long.

There will be no Thursday Thirteen this week. I’m heading to Las Cruces with the parents tomorrow. My mother has two different appointments. With luck we can do something about her toes. When she was given a shot to help revive her after hear heart failure, it damaged the nerves in one leg. She has a miserable time with the toes on her right foot curling. It is very painful. So, maybe additional medication will improve things.Last night I actually managed to get about 5 hours of sleep - the most I've had in nearly three weeks. I'm still sniffing. I don't know which is allergy, flu, or ebola!

An OH WOW archaeological moment – a new bust of Julius Caesar has been discovered!

Barry Bonds indicted again! He’s proving as slippery as Al Capone – and about as honest.

They say James Garner is okay after stroke. (He’s one of my all time favorites)

Top Vatican Astronomer says it is okay to believe aliens exist – theologically.

“…The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones. "How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part of creation." In the interview by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes said that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom, he said. The interview, headlined "The extraterrestrial is my brother," covered a variety of topics including the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and science, and the theological implications of the existence of alien life. Funes said science, especially astronomy, does not contradict religion, touching on a theme of Pope Benedict XVI, who has made exploring the relationship between faith and reason a key aspect of his papacy.The Bible "is not a science book," Funes said, adding that he believes the Big Bang theory is the most "reasonable" explanation for the creation of the universe. The theory says the universe began billions of years ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all matter. But he said he continues to believe that "God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the result of chance."…”

Along this line, the Brits are opening up their “X-Files”.

Would you like to be VP? The Hill’s questionnaire answered by a bunch o’ Senators.I find this extremely revealing and may point to Palin (crossed fingers).

“…Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)“My name has been discussed partly because I’m a female and it’s always nice to balance things in gender … I’ve discussed it with my kids. My 16-year-old thinks it’s a fabulous idea because he thinks we probably couldn’t find any better residence in Washington, D.C., than the Naval Observatory. That’s the fun part of the question, but I think anybody, if you were seriously asked, I think you have to give it very real and genuine consideration. I don’t expect to be asked, but if I were I would give it real and genuine consideration.”… Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)“I just really don’t have any comment beyond what I’ve said about that, that I don’t want to go in that direction at all.”…”

This is the best sign I’ve seen that Big Mac is thinking beyond the white male box! (YES!)

THE CHAMBERS BOOK OF DAYS

Born: Empress Maria Theresa, 1717; Charles, Marquis of Rockingham, statesman, 1730.
Died: Johan Van Olden Barneveldt, Dutch statesman, beheaded, 1619, Hague; Louis Bonrdaloue, French divine, 1704, Paris; James Basire, 1802; Cardinal Fesch, uncle of Napoleon Bonaparte, 1839.
Feast Day: St. Servatius, Bishop of Tongres, 384. St. John the Silent, Armenian anohoret, 559. St. Peter Regalati, confessor, 1456.

BARNEVELDT

This name is usually associated with ideas of national ingratitude. Another is evoked by it, that there is no party or body of men safe by their professions of liberal principles, or even their professed support of liberal forms of government, from the occasional perpetration of acts of the vilest tyranny and oppression. After William of Orange, the Netherlands owed their emancipation from the Spanish yoke to the advocate, Johan Van Olden Barneveldt. He it mainly was who obtained for his country a footing among the powers of Europe. As its chief civil officer, or advocate-general, he gained for it peace and prosperity, freed it from debt, restored its integrity by gaining back the towns which had been surrendered to England as caution for a loan, and extorted from Spain the recognition of its independence. It owed nearly everything to him. Nor could it be shewn that he ever was otherwise than an upright and disinterested administrator. He had, however, to oppose another and a dangerous benefactor of Holland in Prince Maurice of Orange. A struggle between the civil and the military powers took place.

There was at the same time a struggle between the Calvinists and the Arminians. In British history, the former religious body has been associated with the cause of civil liberty. The history of the Netherlands is enough to shew that this was from no inherent or necessary affinity between liberty and the Genevan church. Barneveldt, who had embraced the tenets of Armin, contended that there should be no predominant sect in Holland; he desired toleration for all, even for the Catholics. The Calvinists, to secure their ascendancy, united themselves with Prince Maurice, who, after all, was not of their belief. By these combined influences, the sage and patriotic Barneveldt was overwhelmed. After a trial, which was a mockery of justice, he was condemned to death; and this punishment was actually inflicted by decapitation, at the Hague, on the 13th of May 1619, when Barneveldt was seventy-two years of age.

Dime con quien andas y te digo quien eres.

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