Deborah Lipp

[Random Flickr-blogging explained. See also excellent contributions from Doug Hoffman, Dionne (scroll down on the right sidebar), KarenM, Debra, Jurassic Pork, Ben Varkentine, our very own Nobody in Particular, SAP, and Dan Wolf (who muses on the possibility of an audio equivalent of random Flickr-blogging).]

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Originally uploaded by Mai Le.

I know this dream. I’ve had it lots of times. I’m in bed and for some reason there’s a whole bunch of people in my bedroom, people I barely know. And I’m supposed to be doing something, maybe this is a party and I’m the host, and I would if they would just leave the damn bedroom long enough for me to get up and get dressed.

It’s unsettling to see your dreams depicted in someone else’s photos. I have no idea what’s really going on here. Maybe it’s a movie set; maybe it’s Art; I don’t know. The weird disjunction between sleeper and people standing around goes unexplained.

[Cross-posted at If I Ran the Zoo]

Kevin Drum explains why. I tend to feel like I should have an opinion about everything, but sometimes it’s a whole lot smarter just to acknowledge the limits of one’s understanding. (Of course, as Kevin Drum observes, these reasons apply to bloggers; they don’t excuse the President of the United States from having to deal with the situation.)

If you do want to understand what’s going on, though, Mahablog has a series of thoughtful and informative posts about the whole ugly situation, and Bush’s disgraceful failure to act on it.

[Cross-posted at If I Ran the Zoo]

Good food tips on serving ice cream, including some gems:

• “Temper” ice cream before you scoop – leave it at room temperature for 8-10 minutes before serving. Return ice cream to the freezer immediately after it has been served to minimize the formation of ice crystals.
• Forget what your brother-in-law told you about nuking it for 10-20 seconds. Resist the temptation for immediate gratification! Ice cream is a good enough treat on its own!

Stolen shamelessy from Deb.

You scored as Rogue. Rogue is a strong but tragic personality. She loves Gambit. Because of her mutant powers, she cannot touch anyone without hurting them. Therefore, she longs for human contact. However, this southern gal’s strong personality has allowed her to deal with this. Powers: Absorbs lifeforce and powers by touch, Super strength, and flight Emma Frost 70% Rogue 70% Cyclops 60% Jean Grey 60% Iceman 60% Wolverine 55% Storm 50% Colossus 40% Gambit 40% Nightcrawler 35% Beast 25%

Most Comprehensive X-Men Personality Quiz 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

You’ve probably already read the WaPo story (or a similar one) on the VA’s refusal to allow a Wiccan symbol to be used on military graves and memorials, including that of Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart, killed in Afghanistan last year.

At the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in the small town of Fernley, Nev., there is a wall of brass plaques for local heroes. But one space is blank. There is no memorial for Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart.

That’s because Stewart was a Wiccan, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has refused to allow a symbol of the Wicca religion — a five-pointed star within a circle, called a pentacle — to be inscribed on U.S. military memorials or grave markers.

So, you’ve read it, I don’t need to tell you about how appalling it is. What I want to talk about instead is the remarkable level of support, no, of acknowledgement, this story has received. Oh, sure, the media has to write about it; dead soldier, wartime, human interest, big stink. But I tell you, ten years ago, we would not have had so many non-Pagans rallying to our support.

Among the surprises are Christianity Today and the ultra-conservative Rutherford Institute.

The blogosphere has been rockin’ on this as well. Shakespeare’s Sister isn’t Pagan. Pandagon isn’t Pagan. The Carpetbagger isn’t Pagan. These people aren’t blogging to support their own community, they’re blogging to support the rights of everyone, and they’re acknowledging that Pagans are included in “everyone.” Lefties and progressives all over the map are taking this issue on as their own, just as heterosexuals are taking on gay marriage as their own.

Folks, that’s new. That’s news. And in these dark times, I am all about celebrating the good news when it deigns to show up.

Knock yourselves out.

Whenever I think to myself, “It’s a beautiful morning” (or “beautiful day” or “what a beautiful…”) I must sing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning.” Because the corn is as high as a elephant’s eye. Just is.

On the other hand, if I think “It’s a lovely day” (or any variation thereof), I must sing “Isn’t it a Lovely Day (To Be Caught in the Rain)?“. Must. Sing.

So, what songs must you sing?