Sgt. Joe Friday...needed more now than he was then

This Obama-enforced 'conditioning' of the United States citizens to accept whatever "HE the inept"--the god Obama/Shiva, the Destroyer of all that is free and beautiful", can only lead to further loss of our liberty.


Watch...and think, for once in your lives...



Barack 'Barry' Obama is not what you all thought he is.

And neither is his "I am finally proud of my country" wifey.

To my OLD bee-shop: If you continue to call me a 'racist', I find I shall have to 'do something' about that.

And let it be known: YOU are the Treasurer of Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce, which is in DEFAULT on repayment to me, insofaras I put ALL monies up front to allow this Chamber to exist. As of Decemeber 31, 2010, if total payment as promised is not received, you, Bee-shop, and your cohorts (Bill Morton, Toni Duncan, Nina Interlandi Bell) shall have a date in court.

I have been patient beyond all belief with you grifters!

Though you may know me as a photographer...

...I spent a great amount of time in my art career as a Holiday Designer.

Matter of fact, here in Chicago, I spent five seasons as the Holiday Designer at Century Shopping Centre at Diversey and Clark.

All that changed in late July of 2006, when I experienced the devastating effects of a pulmonary embolism, and it was found that I am disabled due to osteoarthritis, and the depletion of minerals in my bones (I've taken natural vitamins and minerals and herbs for almost 40 years--but there seems to be no effect!).

Nonetheless, I love holiday decorating, and though my this year, because there is enough time for my no-longer-so-nimble hands and fingers, I hope the Lake Shore Rehabilitation Center across the street from me, here in Rogers Park, will accept these donations to patients who may not be as fortunate as I.

But, first, I had to make a wreath for little 4 year old Madi, the daughter of a dear friend.

Then, I began to think I have to start using up all the Christmas ribbon and decor I've amassed over the past ten years here in Chicago. I began creating...

...this...

...and this...

...and this.

There are still more to come, as I went out today and purchased more small wreaths, ornaments, and extra ribbon.

Hopefully, if they're accepted, these will bring a smile (and perhaps some nice memories?) to some of the elderly at Lake Shore.

Yes, you can DIY!

Are you tired of all the additives in the food you buy?

Spend a bit of time in your own kitchen, rather than cruising the grocery store (though that is good exercise these days!).

Pizza, baked from scratch

I used 1 and 1/2 cups of flour, a half packet of dried yeast, a half-teaspoon of honey to help the yeast 'rise' quicker, and enough warm water to make a sticky dough--I wanted a 'more bready crust' this time. Put this in an olive oil-coated bowl and allow to rise for at least 15 minutes.

Place the dough in an olive-oil-laced pizza pan or cookie sheet. Pat it with olive oiled hands to reach the edges and proceed to add the toppings.

I also used a 'vodka sauce' pasta sauce as the base, and added dried minced garlic, dried onion, dried crushed red pepper, a generous sprinkle of Italian Seasoning, sliced black olives, and sliced Crimini mushrooms. All that is topped of with hand-grated mozzarella, and a scatter of Athenos Tomato and Basil Feta Cheese.

Bake in a 375 degree pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese gets a bit browned--and enjoy!

I've also recently made my first batch of homemade hummus, for quite a bit less than it costs at the grocery store (in my case, Dominick's in Chicago, where everything, including 'local' produce, costs an arm and a leg!).

Fire-roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Last year, I bought an Oster Hand Blender. This appliance proved its usefulness in this hummus experiment.

I used one can Safeway Organic Chick Peas, drained, but I reserved the liquid. I pulverized the chick peas and added 1 large fire-roasted red pepper (from a jar), dried minced garlic, a shake of dried crushed red pepper, a dash of olive oil, and a bit of the chick pea liqueur to moisten the lot.

I only had Keebler Club Crackers, but any pita would have been my preference.

It was delicious beyond belief, and cost way less than half what prepared hummus costs. I will be trying other varieties, including black olive hummus, over the next few days.

The benefit of both the pizza and the hummus:

NO ADDITIVES!

A Massive Star!

NO...not HER...

Sure looks as if she imbibed a bit in the back of the limo, doesn't it?

...though she is quite massive below the ever-growing waist.

THIS is the Massive Star in NGC 6357. Beautiful, isn't it?

Photo Credit: NASA, ESA and J. M. Apellániz (IAA, Spain)

For reasons unknown, NGC 6357 is forming some of the most massive stars ever discovered.

One such massive star, near the center of NGC 6357, is framed above carving out its own interstellar castle with its energetic light from surrounding gas and dust.

In the greater nebula, the intricate patterns are caused by complex interactions between interstellar winds, radiation pressures, magnetic fields, and gravity.

The overall glow of the nebula results from the emission of light from ionized hydrogen gas.

Near the more obvious Cat's Paw nebula, NGC 6357 houses the open star cluster Pismis 24, home to many of these tremendously bright and blue stars.

The central part of NGC 6357 shown spans about 10 light years and lies about 8,000 light years away toward the constellation of the Scorpion.

Common Sense Shall Prevail!

Watch and listen to this man. Sure, it's 12 and a half minutes...but that's a very short amount of time in your entire life, isn't it?

Richard Epstein KNOWS Obama, and is undoubtedly a better lawyer than both Obamas combined!

“He passed through Chicago without absorbing much of the internal culture,” says Epstein of the president.

“He’s amazingly good at playing intellectual poker.

But that’s a disadvantage, because if you don’t put your ideas out there to be shot down, you’re never gonna figure out what kind of revision you want.”



Just take some time, make some time...for this.

Ah, yes...I remember it well...

...47 years ago today...when the best of times became the worst of times.

Chicago Sun-Times November 23, 1963

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy
May 29, 1917-November 22, 1963

Rest, Bambi...rest.

Laurie Bembenek
15AUG1958-20NOV2010

I met Laurie in the mid-90s, just before she moved to the state of Washington. Both our dads were Milwaukee Police, and she had begun painting some very nice little works...we had a lot in common. She didn't keep in touch, but I'd hear about her struggles from time to time.

Her ex was a dirty cop, and I, for one, continue to believe Laurie was innocent.

Rest, Bambi...just rest now.

Sunday Morning Offering...or more Obama Gibber-Jabber

Yesterday, that boy-man said this:

"I understand people’s frustrations, and what I’ve said to the TSA is that you have to constantly refine and measure whether what we’re doing is the only way to assure the American people’s safety. And you also have to think through are there other ways of doing it that are less intrusive," Obama said.

"But at this point, TSA in consultation with counterterrorism experts have indicated to me that the procedures that they have been putting in place are the only ones right now that they consider to be effective against the kind of threat that we saw in the Christmas Day bombing."

Obama acknowledged that as president he does not have to go through pat-downs and other normal security procedures at airports, since he flies on Air Force One.

There is another way--it's called 'profiling', used with a great measure of success, BTW, in...Isreal!

Consequently, I am moved to present this:



Produced, BTW, by Sean Hannity

H/T Weasel Zippers

Gettysburg: November 19, 1863

President Abraham Lincoln

The Gettysburg Address (John Hay copy)


Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

We are met on a great battle-field of that war.

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground.

The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—

that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—

that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—

and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Elihu Vedder 1896: Government (Lobby of main reading room, Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington DC) Photo: Carol Highsmith 2007