Memorial Day

We were so lucky to spend our Memorial Day weekend with some veterans. Yesterday we had dinner with one of our neighbors who joined us for our block party.

Meet Buck, a Korean War veteran.

(Not only do we respect him as an American veteran, but we also really like him because he tells us he likes our kids! ; )

* * * * * * *
Today we went to Chief and Tootsie's, parents of our good friend and neighbor. Chief (a.k.a. Colonel Bangasser) is also a vet.

It was a beautiful day to...
visit with friends,


go for a refreshing dip,






dig potatoes and pick tomatoes,




watch nature,


get a little dirty,



walk through Chief's orchard of plum, fig, peach, lemon, and apple trees,



grill some good grub,



enjoy some sweet treats,


hike to the creek,



be tired,


and be thankful.

We are thankful for all the American veterans who have sacrificed much for our freedom and safety so that we are able to enjoy such fun and carefree days like today.

Hope all y'all had a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Medical Marijuana Seen as Key to Success of ObamaCare

Washington, D.C.--With health care costs expected to rise under President Obama's and Congressional Democrats' government-run health care law, the Administration is hoping state-level "medical marijuana" initiatives will make the deeply unpopular program more tolerable."

When people are stoned out of their minds, the national debt will seem less scary, and more like a giant glowing purple caterpillar, covered in silver hairs, with an infinite number of legs that curl end over end, infinitely," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

"Americans need to act boldly in confronting what would otherwise be the terrifying health care costs imposed by my health care plan," said Obama. "That's why I want not only a chicken in every pot, but also pot in every chicken."

Associated article: Washington Times

Medical Marijuana Seen as Key to Success of ObamaCare

Washington, D.C.--With health care costs expected to rise under President Obama's and Congressional Democrats' government-run health care law, the Administration is hoping state-level "medical marijuana" initiatives will make the deeply unpopular program more tolerable."

When people are stoned out of their minds, the national debt will seem less scary, and more like a giant glowing purple caterpillar, covered in silver hairs, with an infinite number of legs that curl end over end, infinitely," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

"Americans need to act boldly in confronting what would otherwise be the terrifying health care costs imposed by my health care plan," said Obama. "That's why I want not only a chicken in every pot, but also pot in every chicken."

Associated article: Washington Times

Thank you, Mom!

I LOVE it!

Hair today, gone tomorrow...probably back soon

What could be holding the kids' attention so captive?


What would make them sit there so nicely, with such suspense-filled absorption?

There must be some sort of side show going on.

Yep, there was.


After nine months of

B-E-A-R-D,

Joe was finally...

removing it.

Adios!

Can you believe this is how he cuts his hair? He's been using the same clippers (given to him by a 90-year old retiring barber) and cutting his hair like this since he was 15 years old.

Usually, Joe starts growing a beard during the Christmas holiday when he's off work, then keeps it for a couple of weeks...or maybe a couple of months.

But this year--
you know how brutal our winter climate is here in Texas (hehe)
--he started growing it before our fall trip.

The kids were so excited not just because the clippers came out but because they knew they would have a creative hand in the process.

They get to tell him step-by-step how to cut it off.

"Shave some long, pointy mutton chops."
"Make a goatee with long sideburns."
"Cut it off on the bottom of your chin but keep a really long mustache."
"Make a small mustache now."
"Okay, cut out the middle of your tiny mustache."


Requests granted.

Oh, one last one from Mom: "Please finish off the 'stache!"
(I didn't take a final photo, but believe me, it's gone!)

Joe thinks shaving is overrated, but he values it for the creative and entertainment factor...once in a while anyway.

We'll see how long it lasts before he starts his next facial crop.

White House Seeks Crises with More Intellectual Depth

Washington, D.C.--Saying the President finds gushing oil leaks and religiously-motivated terrorists "mind-numbingly dull," Obama's White House advisers are seeking out crises "with more intellectual depth" to capture the President's imagination.

"The President is so cerebral," said one official, "that what he really needs is, say, a super-villain like Brainiac to challenge him to a chess game for world peace. That would really get the President engaged. A guy trying to blow up a car stuffed with propane tanks in Times Square? Not so much."

Obama's advisers said that while the President did watch some footage of the largest oil spill disaster in U.S. history, he remarked "Wow, a bunch of crap coming out of the ground," with more than a little sarcasm. "Then he changed the channel to PBS and watched a show on the life cycle of cuttlefish."

Associated articles: National Review; McCaltchy

White House Seeks Crises with More Intellectual Depth

Washington, D.C.--Saying the President finds gushing oil leaks and religiously-motivated terrorists "mind-numbingly dull," Obama's White House advisers are seeking out crises "with more intellectual depth" to capture the President's imagination.

"The President is so cerebral," said one official, "that what he really needs is, say, a super-villain like Brainiac to challenge him to a chess game for world peace. That would really get the President engaged. A guy trying to blow up a car stuffed with propane tanks in Times Square? Not so much."

Obama's advisers said that while the President did watch some footage of the largest oil spill disaster in U.S. history, he remarked "Wow, a bunch of crap coming out of the ground," with more than a little sarcasm. "Then he changed the channel to PBS and watched a show on the life cycle of cuttlefish."

Associated articles: National Review; McCaltchy

Members of Congress Enticed to Read Bills with New Illustrated Legislation

Members of Congress Enticed to Read Bills with New Illustrated Legislation

Op-toons Cartoon

Associated article: USA Today

Op-toons Cartoon

Associated article: USA Today

Media Attributes Obama's Seeming Indifference to Gulf Oil Spill to His Ability to Walk on Water

Media Attributes Obama's Seeming Indifference to Gulf Oil Spill to His Ability to Walk on Water

Democrats Repeal Laws of Economics

Democrats Repeal Laws of Economics

Obama Freudian Teleprompter Typo Suspected of Being Source of Diminished Respect for U.S. in the World

Associated articles: Charles Krauthammer; Fox News

Obama Freudian Teleprompter Typo Suspected of Being Source of Diminished Respect for U.S. in the World

Associated articles: Charles Krauthammer; Fox News

An Example of Political Speech As Authorized by the DISCLOSE Act

Washington, D.C.--The Supreme Court recently struck down restrictions on corporations' and unions' ability to express political speech during elections, but Congressional Democrats have introduced a bill, called the DISCLOSE Act, that would reimpose additional speech restrictions on corporations only, and not unions. The DISCLOSE Act would require that many 30-second political ads -- such as the one embedded below -- contain so many disclaimers that the disclaimers alone could take up half the ad.

Associated articles: Wall Street Journal; Mother Jones; Washington Post; video also viewable on YouTube

An Example of Political Speech As Authorized by the DISCLOSE Act

Washington, D.C.--The Supreme Court recently struck down restrictions on corporations' and unions' ability to express political speech during elections, but Congressional Democrats have introduced a bill, called the DISCLOSE Act, that would reimpose additional speech restrictions on corporations only, and not unions. The DISCLOSE Act would require that many 30-second political ads -- such as the one embedded below -- contain so many disclaimers that the disclaimers alone could take up half the ad.

Associated articles: Wall Street Journal; Mother Jones; Washington Post; video also viewable on YouTube

The Dude Emerges as the Year's Most Popular Commencement Speaker

Los Angeles, California--With a dismal economy and 17% youth unemployment, but also the promise of ever-expanding welfare and bailout programs, the Dude, popularized in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski," has become the most popular commencement speaker at college campuses across the country.

At a recent speech in Los Angeles, following an introduction by the dean, the Dude made the following remarks, which have been edited for print:

Thanks, man. But nobody calls me Lebowski. I'm the Dude, man. Today, like, the Big Lebowski's the Prude, man. You know, the President, and I'm really thinking he has us covered.

The revolution's just begun, man. The bums won. No jobs, man!

And the Prude's doubling down on bailouts of mortgages signed by people who knew they couldn't afford them. You know what that means? The Prude's done what Walter never could, man. He's doing the handoff, the double back, grab the taxpayer and tax it out of him, man. Now, you know, every time a rug is micturated upon, the square community has to compensate the owner!

So go ahead and pee on your own rug, man. The government will pay for a new one. All this bailout stuff really ties the system together, man.

And that Speaker Lady of the House, you know, she said that health care law is -- and I'm reading this here, it's a quote, man -- she says it's an "entrepreneurial bill" that "says to someone, if you want to be creative and be a musician or whatever, you can leave your work, focus on your talent, your skill, your passion, your aspirations because you will have health care." Roll with that. Heck, bowl with that, man! Every day is Shabbos! Mark it zero, man, and you still win!

And, uh, thanks for the White Russian.

Associated video: CNS News; associated article: Wall Street Journal

The Dude Emerges as the Year's Most Popular Commencement Speaker

Los Angeles, California--With a dismal economy and 17% youth unemployment, but also the promise of ever-expanding welfare and bailout programs, the Dude, popularized in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski," has become the most popular commencement speaker at college campuses across the country.

At a recent speech in Los Angeles, following an introduction by the dean, the Dude made the following remarks, which have been edited for print:

Thanks, man. But nobody calls me Lebowski. I'm the Dude, man. Today, like, the Big Lebowski's the Prude, man. You know, the President, and I'm really thinking he has us covered.

The revolution's just begun, man. The bums won. No jobs, man!

And the Prude's doubling down on bailouts of mortgages signed by people who knew they couldn't afford them. You know what that means? The Prude's done what Walter never could, man. He's doing the handoff, the double back, grab the taxpayer and tax it out of him, man. Now, you know, every time a rug is micturated upon, the square community has to compensate the owner!

So go ahead and pee on your own rug, man. The government will pay for a new one. All this bailout stuff really ties the system together, man.

And that Speaker Lady of the House, you know, she said that health care law is -- and I'm reading this here, it's a quote, man -- she says it's an "entrepreneurial bill" that "says to someone, if you want to be creative and be a musician or whatever, you can leave your work, focus on your talent, your skill, your passion, your aspirations because you will have health care." Roll with that. Heck, bowl with that, man! Every day is Shabbos! Mark it zero, man, and you still win!

And, uh, thanks for the White Russian.

Associated video: CNS News; associated article: Wall Street Journal

Eggs!

We've been enjoying lots of fresh eggs from our friends' range-roamin' chickens.

Remember this hen? This is the one that lays speckled eggs.

Here's one of her daily commodities.

Before we started getting eggs from our friends, we had been buying free-range chicken eggs from the store. The yolks from our friends' eggs were noticeably darker.

Some sources say that the darker yolks contain more beta carotene. I think it's just kinda cool to have met and held the bearers of our eggs!

Can you pick out the four darker ones from the four store-bought, free-range eggs?

Another friend has been supplying us with some of her chickens' eggs. Our last batch from her included some bluish "Easter" eggs and this humongous one. The poor hen.

I actually thought of Angela who recently gave birth to a 9-1/2 pound boy...and Joe's cousin who gave birth to a near 11 pounder. Yes, looking at an egg like that can make a momma think of such things...especially since our largest babe was a mere 8-1/2 lbs.

Two different eggs from the same chicken
It was a double yolker.

Well, maybe I can sort of relate.

I guess they were double yolkers too!