I was just talking with my daughter and we were buzzing about this weird thing people today have about keeping their kids clean at all times and their houses. She pointed out a really good article in the New York Times (see link below). I may take dirt just a little too far and am very messy but I do think this over clean thing is so wrong. Not only is it not really good for you or for kids, but the time wasted is enormous. The fear people feel about bacteria is so counterproductive too. I have a theory that bacteria has taken the place of evil spirits in the modern mind. These days people are always fearing these unseen viruses and bacteria that they are sure are waiting to strike them down when in fact our immune systems have us pretty well covered. Somethings are still very important and always will be like being careful how you handle raw chicken and also washing after using the bathroom but so much of all this is a huge waste of time and resources. If you clean up using normal methods and products there is little danger. This peanut butter thing that has been in the news for three weeks shows you how good most peoples immune systems are. Most of the people who have died are old or very young. Those are the people who do not have strong immune systems. Obviously the plant that processed the peanuts was very lax and not clean. I am not saying that it is acceptable to be causal about food preparation, I am just pointing out how important it is we all let kids play in the dirt and build a good immune system.
It seems as if Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg can’t catch a break these days. On Monday, he was bitten by a groundhog at the Staten Island Zoo. On Tuesday, his keynote speech at a business summit (called the Future of New York City) was interrupted by a boisterous and angry group of protesters.
Mr. Bloomberg was about five minutes into his remarks when at least 100 people barged into the main ballroom at the Grand Hyatt New York hotel in Midtown, holding signs that read, “Mayor Bloomberg, Talk to All New Yorkers,” and chanting, “This is what democracy looks like.”
He stood stone-faced as the protesters filed in and surrounded several of the tables packed with bankers, developers and other business leaders who had paid up to $249 a head to hear him and others speak. (The mayor might have perfected his nonchalance on Monday, when he also managed to remain cool after the groundhog attack.)
One of the protesters, Wanda Imasuen, of the Brooklyn-based organization Families United for Racial and Economic Equality, said that it was the exclusivity of the audience that spurred hers and several other groups representing low-income and immigrant city residents to disrupt the event.
“We don’t have a voice, we’re not at the table and we demand to be at the table,” Ms. Imasuen said. “We demand that the mayor gives us a meeting, not for corporate America to decide the fate of all New Yorkers.”
The mayor’s security detail and, later, uniformed police officers kept the protesters from getting anywhere near Mr. Bloomberg. They were then escorted out and at least inside the hotel. There were no arrests.
The protest was organized by the Right to the City Coalition, an alliance of grass-roots groups. It was unclear how they were able to enter the hotel undetected, as they had been stationed outside for at least an hour before Mr. Bloomberg took to the stage.
The 2nd of February is Candlemas Day as well as Groundhog Day!
This ancient festival marks the midpoint of winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox.
In olden times, many people used to say that the Christmas season lasted for forty days - until the second day of February.
It was the day of the year when all the candles, that were used in the church during the coming year, were brought into church and a blessing was said over them - so it was the Festival Day (or 'mass') of the Candles.
Candles were important in those days not only because there was no electric lights. Some people thought they gave protection against plague and illness and famine. For Christians, they were (and still are) a reminder of something even more important.
Before Jesus came to earth, it was as if everyone was 'in the dark'. People often felt lost and lonely. Afraid. As if they were on their own, with no one to help them.
Then came Jesus with his message that he is with his followers always ready to help and comfort them. As if he is a guiding light to them in the darkness.
Christians often talk of Jesus as 'the light of the World' - and candles are lit during church services to remind Christians of this.
Candlemas is a day which holds many different customs
The Romans had a custom of lighting candles to scare away evil spirits in the winter.
One of the most interesting custom took place in Scotland. In the olden days, Candlemas was the day when children brought candles to school so that the classrooms could have light on dull days. As time went on, gas lighting took over from candle light. The children took money to the teacher who was suppose to spend it on sweets and cakes for the children to eat. The boy or girl taking in the most money were declared Candlemas King and Queen and they 'ruled' for six weeks. They had the power to make one whole afternoon a week a playtime and they could also let anyone they wished off punishment.
Other names for Candlemas Day
Candlemas's Day also has two other names. One is the 'Presentation of Christ in the Temple'. The other is the 'Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary'. Both these names come from special events in the life of baby Jesus.
Candlemas Day Weather-lore, beliefs and sayings
People believe that Candlemas Day predicted the weather for the rest of the winter. The weather proverbs express the idea that a fine bright sunny Candlemas day means that there is more winter to come, whereas a cloudy wet stormy Candlemas day means that the worst of winter is over.
Weather Proverbs
If Candlemas Day be fair and bright Winter will have another fight. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, Winter won't come again.
If Candlemas Day be dry and fair, The half o the winter's to come and mair; If Candlemas Day be wet and foul, The half o the winter's gane at Yule.
Farmer's Proverbs
'A farmer should, on Candlemas Day, Have half his corn and half his hay.'
'On Candlemas Day if the thorns hang adrop, You can be sure of a good pea crop.'
German Proverb
" The badger peeps out of his hole on Candlemas Day, and, if he finds snow, walks abroad; but if he sees the sun shining he draws back into his hole."
In America the same story is told about the groundhog or woodchuck.
Candlemas Superstitions
A candle which drips on one side when carried in church on Candlemas, denotes a death during the year of someone dear.
Snowdrops are considered to be unlucky if brought into the house before Candlemas Day, representing a parting or death.
Any Christmas decorations not taken down by Twelfth Night (January 5th) should be left up until Candlemas Day and then taken down.
Phillis of Prendergast enjoys her roots while smoking a clay along the Brokenstraw
Dunkirk Dave said we are having a early spring. I sure hope he is right because this has been a real bear of a winter. Dave came out and he did not see his shadow.
A Bronze cannon on the shipwreck site of HMS Victory bearing the royal crest of King George I, in the English Channel
The shipwrecked predecessor to Lord Nelson's HMS Victory has been found!
Wreck of HMS Victory 'recovered from Channel' The shipwrecked predecessor to Lord Nelson's HMS Victory, which is thought to contain millions of pounds' worth of gold, is thought to have been found at the bottom of the English Channel.
The ship, the fourth of six HMS Victories, sunk with its 1,150 sailors in October 1744 around The Casquets, a group of rocks off the Channel Islands. Among other valuable artefacts, it is thought to contain 100,000 gold coins.
After months of secrecy, Odyssey Marine Exploration, a US company, is expected to confirm on Monday that the ship, codenamed "Legend", that it found in the area in May last year is in fact the Victory.
The announcement, at a press conference at Canary Wharf in London, is set to open a row over the contents of the ship, which is thought to be lying in international waters. Because it is a military wreck, the ship is protected by "sovereign immunity" and belongs to the state.
It is thought the company struck a deal with the Government over a $500million (£346million) haul recovered from the wreck of the 17th-century HMS Sussex in the Strait of Gibraltar in 2007.
This is the new HMS VICTORY that was Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship during the Battle of Trafalgar. She was built to replace the lost ship. It is the only ship of its era to survive and is property of the Royal Navy to this day in the UK.
The move infuriated the Spanish government, which suspected the treasure - 500,000 gold and silver coins - had been taken from Spanish waters without permission.
If the British Government arranges a similar agreement over the Victory, it could be in breach of a UN convention on nautical archaeology, which aims to preserve underwater heritage. Britain will soon be a signatory to the convention and has agreed to abide by it in the meantime.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence was reported to have told a newspaper that the Government would "negotiate" with the company. A spokesman would only say that "no intrusive action may be taken without the express consent of the United Kingdom".
Odyssey has raised at least 16 brass cannons from the wreck appearing to be from the Victory. Experts estimate the ship's 100 guns would now be worth between £10,000 and £20,000. It is also thought to be searching for the ship's gold coins.
Mike Williams, a law lecturer at Wolverhampton University and a member of the Nautical Archaeology Society, said: "If we allow Odyssey to go ahead with this operation, it will cause an uproar."
Odyssey Marine Exploration could not be reached for comment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Victory_(1737)
Painting by Peter Monamy
The doomed flagship, which was returning from the Mediterranean after a skirmish with the French fleet, went down on 4 October 1744 after becoming separated from accompanying vessels. It is thought to have sunk after hitting Black Rock on the Casquets, off the island of Alderney. The ship's last moments were immortalised in an oil painting by Peter Monamy now at the National Maritime Museum. The warship known as "the finest ship in the world", went down with all hands and its exact location has remained a mystery for more than 250 years. Frigates searched for the lost ship, but to no avail; eventually parts of the topmast were washed up on Guernsey. The Victory was built in Portsmouth and launched in 1737. It became the flagship of the Channel fleet in 1741 and was the last British first-rate vessel to be armed entirely with brass cannon..
Singer-songwriter John Martyn has died at the age of 60.
The folk, blues and funk artist was widely regarded as one of the most soulful and innovative singer-songwriters of his generation.
He was born in Surrey but grew up in Glasgow. He was appointed an OBE in the New Year Honours.
A statement on his website on Thursday said: "With heavy heart and an unbearable sense of loss we must announce that John died this morning."
The musican, who passed away in hospital in Ireland, has been cited as an influence by artists as varied as U2, Portishead and Eric Clapton. He was unique and we'll never see the likes of him again. I loved him dearly and will miss him very much Phil Collins
He was regarded as a maverick within the music industry and battled with drugs and alcohol throughout his life.
He collaborated with many musicians throughout his life, including Phil Collins, and his song May You Never was covered by many artists - including Clapton.
Phil Collins paid tribute to his "infuriating" friend.
He said: "John's passing is terribly, terribly sad. I had worked with and known him since the late 1970s and he was a great friend.
"He was uncompromising, which made him infuriating to some people, but he was unique and we'll never see the likes of him again.
"I loved him dearly and will miss him very much."
Born Iain David McGeachy in Surrey in 1948, he spent his much of his formative years at his father's home in Glasgow following the divorce of his parents.
He moved to London in his late teens and became a fixture at Les Cousins - the Soho club at the centre of the city's folk scene, which also spawned the likes of Ralph McTell, Bert Jansch and Al Stewart.
He was the first white act to be signed to Chris Blackwell's Island Records, and recorded his debut album, London Conversation, for £158 in 1968.
Many of his albums - especially Solid Air, released in 1973 - are regarded as classics.
In 2003, he had to have his right leg amputated below the knee after a cyst burst, and in his latter years he performed from a wheelchair.
He regularly performed in Scotland - a place he considered home - and appeared in concert at last year's Celtic Connections festival.
John Martyn dies aged 60 British musician John Martyn has died aged 60. Our writer recalls a prickly encounter and examines his legend and his legacy.
John Martyn 11th September 1948 - 29th January 2009 By Colin Irwin Last Updated: 9:12AM GMT 30 Jan 2009 Refused to play the music business game: John Martyn
Singer and guitarist John Martyn had a reputation that always preceded him. A rebel in all senses, he railed against every musical cliché and genre straitjacket they tried to pin on him – annihilating the genre barriers between folk, blues, jazz, rock and avant-garde as he bullishly rejected attempts to tame him and mould him into a sellable product.
The trappings of fame and celebrity held no interest for him, which is why one of the greatest, most exhilarating and innovative British albums of the past 50 years - 1973’s Solid Air - remains largely unrecognised by the general public. Martyn not only refused to play the music business game, he took great delight in giving the industry a bloody nose whenever he could. The same bohemian sense of daring which made his music so thrilling also made him one of rock music’s most notoriously problematic characters. He didn’t suffer fools gladly and liked journalists even less.
Tales of his drunken rants and ornery behaviour were legendary. Whenever his name was mentioned as a possible interviewee at music-press editorial meetings there would be a dash for the exit. As a callow young recruit on Melody Maker in the early-1970s I was the lamb sent to the slaughter around the time of the release of Outside In, his free-form follow-up to the relatively melodic, folk-jazz fusion Solid Air.
We met at the offices of Island Records in West London – I in fear and trepidation and he bored and truculent, clearly at loggerheads with a label seemingly unenamoured of his stridently anti-commercial new direction. Solid Air included the classic love song May You Never (covered by Eric Clapton) and Island was anticipating more of the same. But what they got was a furious burst of modern jazz improvisation, electronic experiments and slurry vocals.
Time has come to view Inside Out more sympathetically, but back then it got a pasting from the critics. Martyn made no attempt to disguise the fact that he regarded me as the enemy. He mumbled flippantly when asked to explain why his music had changed so radically. This, he said, was where his head was at right now. His heroes were jazz musicians and he had no interest in his previous work, positively wincing when reminded of his own early days on the folk scene.
Yet when I got up to leave he shook my hand, smiled warmly and thanked me for my time. It was a surreal moment that left me thinking well of him. I last saw Martyn a year ago, a huge figure in his wheelchair receiving a lifetime achievement gong from Phil Collins at the BBC Folk Awards. He played May You Never that night with Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and the beauty of the song lit the place up. The backstage gossip was that he was as cantankerous as ever. Would we have wanted him any other way?
Rick Warren's invocation at the inauguration was such a big deal for allot of people before it happened and in the end it was simple and not really anything to get all stirred up about. I like it. Rick Warren is not my favorite minister but he did just fine with this. Here it is:
"Let us pray.
Almighty God -- our Father. Everything we see, and everything we can’t see, exists because of you alone. It all comes from you. It all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us, ‘Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.’ And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.
Now today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King, and a great cloud of witnesses, are shouting in heaven.
Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice-President Biden, the cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race, or religion, or blood, but to our commitment to freedom, and justice for all.
When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.
And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes -- even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy, and a more prosperous nation, and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day, all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.
We now commit our new president, and his wife Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.
I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life -- Yeshua, Isa, Jesús, Jesus -- who taught us to pray: Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen."
Here is a little about this man if you care to learn more. He is too conservative for me and I do not agree with allot of his teachings but one thing he says really rings true for me, "Divorce is a greater threat to the American family than gay marriage" Read more about this preacher here:
