We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
3 lbs. white, eastern or yellow flesh potatoes 1 1/2 lbs. Emmenthaler cheese grated 1 lb or ring of kielbasa - I use Hillshire Farms' pork, beef and turkey kielbasa 1 pint heavy cream Salt and Pepper 9 x 13 or similar size casserole dish
Peel potatoes, cut into 5mm rounds, boil until firm - not soft. drain set aside cut kielbasa into 5mm rounds Spray Pam on baking dish. season bottom with salt and cracked black pepper. layer potatoes, kielbasa, cheese, repeat, final layer should be cheese on top add heavy cream cover with aluminum foil bake 350 about 1 1/2 hours uncover, bake an additional hour or when the cheese has melted all the way through
If the oven is gas it may go quicker the cheese should gratin on top let stand 15 minutes to set cut into square servings
Mrs. BD and I, and some friends, have been spending a fair amount of time over recent weeks with a well-known Scottish landscape architect (Scotland born and bred, now working in the US - a legal immigrant!).
We all happen to be responsible for some lands which demand top-notch design and maintenance, and walking around with this fellow discussing design and plant selection - from trees to perennial beds - is a joyful education.
Mind you, we all have a fair and probably well above-average foundation in these things (eg we know what a Little Lamb Hydrangea is, and the difference between an Iris and a Siberian Iris), but a real Landscape Architect (as opposed to a Landscape Designer or, for the bottom of the barrel, a landscaper) not only knows which of the dozen varieties of Boxwoods you need for a spot, but can also step back and produce a big-picture, coherent plan which is more than any of us amateur gardeners could dream of.
Landscape Architects are professionals, and rightly so. A wonderful career. Good people to know.
Death be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe, For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow, Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee. From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee, Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee doe goe, Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie. Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell, And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well, And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then? One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally, And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
John Donne (1572-1631) was, at various times in his life, a soldier, member of Parliament, a secretary to the Court, and a renowned preacher - along with being an essayist, poet and song-writer. His first biography was written by - of all people - Izaak Walton. Donne had 12 kids - 7 survived. I guess he liked his wife, Anne More.
Artworks that mimic soft porn, showcase embalmed animals, mock the Pope, and otherwise offend propriety are filling auctions, museums, and galleries. Is there anything left to be upset about?
Not a bad essay. Which feels more obsolete in our culture today - propriety or "avant-garde"?
I still believe that Thomas Kincaid did more epateing of the bourgeoisie than any of the new "shocking" artists. He truly upset them with his comfortable, un-hip, and highly-profitable corny pictures:
In Spoleto, last summer. Yum. Cannot resist the strangozzi con tartuffo, con cinghiale, because that is the essence of Umbria. Or the polenta con funghi porcino.
The Christian apocalypse saw itself as a hopeful revelation of the coming of God’s kingdom. Today’s has nothing to offer. There is no promise of redemption; the only hope is that those human beings who repent of their errors may escape the chaos, as in Cormac McCarthy’s fine novel The Road. How can we be surprised, then, that so many bright minds have become delirious and that so many strange predictions flourish?
Punch-card looms were invented in 1801 and remain in wide use today, mostly computer-controlled now but it's the original principle and basically the original loom mechanics.
The fact is that the MCAT contained, until 1977, a major component called "General Knowledge." This covered areas like history, geography, art, music, psychology, and literature, and was far too broad-ranging to possibly study for. I don't know why that part was removed.
For chocolate for baking or candy-making, I use World Wide Chocolate's site for their baking chocolate section. That's where many pastry chefs get their chocolate. There's a right chocolate for any culinary need. It's best to avoid products with under 70% cacao.
For the best chocolate candies, La Maison du Chocolat is probably the best source in the US. Their truffles are extraordinary.
In politics, few talents are as richly rewarded as the ability to convince parasites that they are victims. Welfare states on both sides of the Atlantic have discovered that largesse to losers does not reduce their hostility to society, but only increases it. Far from producing gratitude, generosity is seen as an admission of guilt, and the reparations as inadequate compensation for injustices – leading to worsening behavior by the recipients.
Mitt Romney branded Barack Obama’s economic policies “European” in his speech last Tuesday after Rick Santorum’s withdrawal from the Republican primaries. As a British citizen living in Italy, it was music to my ears to discover that “European” has at last become an all-purpose term of abuse, at least in America, for a good reason...
I tried them. Chef friend sent me the recipe:
Mrs. BD and I, and some friends, have been spending a fair amount of time over recent weeks with a well-known Scottish landscape architect (Scotland born and bred, now working in the US - a legal immigrant!). 
Toon 
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
We posted Bruce's piece, 
Levon Helm, key member of The Band, 
Kobe beef is a scam
At 
Image: Via 
