Science Guide

Let's start right off with a recipe today. A Mingling of Tastes has a lovely recipe for coleslaw, called Cabbage/Radish Slaw. It uses some jalapenos but also uses sour cream instead of mayo for the dressing. It's definitely for a Tex-Mex meal, but I thought it was a nice change of pace. See what you think by following the link.

I think Essential Estrogen  makes an excellent point about Bristol Palin's pregnancy. According to Sarah Palin, Bristol chose to continue her pregnancy and keep her baby. John McCain has said that should this happen to his daughter, she would choose as well. Neither apparently thinks that the rest of American women should be allowed choice however, since they both are for a ban on abortion. Jon Stewart made the same point Wednesday night on his show.

I'm not talking a lot about Sarah Palin's speech. It was effectively given, I'll grant her that. It was long on nasty personal name calling and short on any real substance of WHAT THEY WILL DO, (other than shake up Washington, which is hard to see happening because even if they win, they will surely face a strongly Democratically controlled Congress). Worse yet, much of any substance was actually not true, such as her claim that she squashed the "bridge to nowhere." Just more of the Rovian big lie approach. Ezra Klein  has a reasoned critique of the speech and you can read it here.

A list of FactCheck.org  corrections:

• An ad running in Iowa and no doubt other places, suggests that Democrats are to blame for the deficit and that Obama and Democrats will bring painful new taxes to the middle class. This is just a patternof McCain's in distorting Obama's tax plan. Of course Obama's plan doesn't increase taxes for the middle class, but significantly reduces them.  FactCheck calls McCain for engaging in a pattern of deceit. Obama's claim that his program would cut taxes for 95% of American families is essentially true according to the non-partisan economic experts FactCheck used. Comparing the two plans, Obama's average person would gain almost $800 more than McCain's in tax savings.
• In regards Iran, McCain isolated statements of Obama's and then twisted them to mean something quite different than they clearly meant in context. McCain claims that Obama called Iran a tiny  country of no real significance or importance. Of course the context was that the usage was in relation to Russia. Obama was making the claim that the Soviet Union posed a more significant threat to American interests in the past. He said in other speeches that Iran was the most significant threat posed to Israel and the region.

A post at In These Times explores the distortions of the McCain/Palin campaign from last night's speakers. They report that the AP, so disillusioned by the distortions of the speakers against Obama/Biden, that they determined to fact check them all. See the results. Unfortunately ITT does not cite their source article at the AP, but you get the flavor of it at least.

If you are looking for something amusing in all this, slip over the Inside-Out the Beltway for his humorous take on the McCain campaign and "The Amazing Smoke Machine." You won't be sorry, and you will laugh. It is so very McCain. It's "more coal, I can still see real issues," and more. Don't miss it.

For those who are worrying about how well Sarah Palin came off Wednesday night. Two things. I read reports of two focus groups, one in Detroit of Independents, the other composed of Hillary supporters. None were the least impressed with Ms. Palin on the issues or on her fitness to be VEEP. They agreed she gave a fine speech, she was articulate. Second comes a piece from the NYTimes Opinionator, collecting the journalists opinions from around the country, and folks, it ain't good for the most part. Read the comments though, there are quite telling I think.

A fascinating discussion over at On Faith from the Washington Post. Is it hypocritical that we are considering a woman for a high post in government when we keep them from serving in the higher posts in some of our churches? You can bet that the discussion is quite animated on this one. Read all the panelists and then join in the conversation.

I confess I did not watch McCain last night. I saw snippets of course this morning and mostly he was the same old "my friends" kinda sad little old man, much like a cartoon character who talked like he had a cold. Worse at one point he was in front of a green screen that was part of an expansive lawn leading up to a mansion. Not the kind of picture the McCainites should have been promoting, but we hear that his campaign is in some disarray these days. There is a good report of Journalist reaction at Political Animal today. Also read some of the comments which are also grand. Another analysis can be found here. And American Prospect  also weighs in.

Seems our new plaything Sarah Palin has her own Jeremiah Wright in her closet. The real vetting is just getting started and it seems her pastor in the great city of Wasilla has had some pretty nasty things to say about Democrats and their likelihood of attaining heaven. Pastor Kalnins is another of those feisty firebrands who speaks his mind. Sarah, dear lady that she is, spent most of her life in that church, having been baptized at age 12. But another fun item for the bloggers to spew about no doubt.

It's nice to know that McCain's campaign caretakers now admit the obvious. This campaign to them is "not about the issues"but about the character of the candidates. They are of course setting out to prove but again that we somehow have to give this thing to Johnny S. because he deserves it and that this is the proper pay off for his POW status. We heard about it interminably again last night. I never fail to be amazed at how stupid they really are. Of course the American people are only concerned with personality, that is why Johnny didn't bother mentioning any specific programs or proposals he shall work for. Uh huh, riggghhht. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY is more like it. Read a good article at the Salon.

As you can see, this rock tells the tail. There is now a serious question as to the sun's involvement in the formation of our solar system. You can see that right? If you are among the minuscule number of people who can't see this obvious factoid, then I urge you to run by Science Daily  and learn this incredibly important piece of information. How can a person be grounded on his planet when he doesn't fully understand how it came to be I tell ya?

Simply Recipes always has great recipes. This one is perfect to go with the coleslaw featured up top. It's Chicken Enchiladas Verdes. I need to get some tomatillos and make this soon. It sounds utterly scrumptious to me.

Over at Telling Secrets, we get one of the best lines in answer to Palin's "He was just a community organizer." It seems a dear commenter in Michigan, said this:. "Ms. Palin needs to remember that Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was a governor." Yep, I think that says it quite nicely don't you?

Another article by American Prospect  is a must read. Given McCain's usual gaffes on the campaign trail, and his sometimes grandiose claims about what he will do as President, some wonder who is running the show? Is McCain actually in charge, or is he the figurehead run by his handlers? Some of those handlers are, well, beholden to other interests you see, being paid by them???? so we have a right to know. This article is very scary, and I urge a read.

From time to time I come across something that you have to read. It is unpleasant, it is guilt inducing, but it is real. Real enough to reach out and touch. Some need no reminding, they speak this every day, calling us all to account and to remember. Others, like myself, manage to forget about this more than I would like to admit. Read it, send it to those you love, those whom you respect, those whom you have a bond with. Then send it to everyone else too. Let no one forget. JUST FREAKING READ THIS PLEASE!!!!

Okay, that is it for the week. Hope you find a link or two of interest. :)