I'm guessing most of you have not yet read Tim Wise's post at AlterNet titled "

What If the Tea Party Were Black?"

Imagine that hundreds of black protesters were to descend upon Washington DC and Northern Virginia, just a few miles from the Capitol and White House, armed with AK-47s, assorted handguns, and ammunition. And imagine that some of these protesters —the black protesters — spoke of the need for political revolution, and possibly even armed conflict in the event that laws they didn’t like were enforced by the government? Would these protesters — these black protesters with guns — be seen as brave defenders of the Second Amendment, or would they be viewed by most whites as a danger to the republic? What if they were Arab-Americans? Because, after all, that’s what happened recently when white gun enthusiasts descended upon the nation’s capital, arms in hand, and verbally announced their readiness to make war on the country’s political leaders if the need arose.

Check out the whole thing at the link.

Or perhaps you'd like a rap version of this question. Check it out at YouTube.

Y'all know the answers, don't you?

We live in a world of double standards.

--the BB

Heart thread - 07/15/2010 - UPDATED

A blessed St Swithun's Day to you all. How was the weather where you are?

I bid your fervent prayers for Fran. She has gone from utter misery through removal of the old gall bladder to.... ongoing misery.

Hospital hostage crisis day 9...
...
No liquids yet, no solids yet, no going home. Praying people unleash your prayers please.

O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need: We humbly beseech thee to behold, visit, and relieve thy sick servant Fran for whom our prayers are desired. Look upon her with the eyes of thy mercy; comfort her with a sense of thy goodness; preserve her from the temptations of the enemy; and give her patience under her affliction. In thy good time, restore her to health, and enable her to lead the residue of her life in thy fear, and to thy glory; and grant that finally she may dwell with thee in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
-BCP, 458

I ask your prayers for my sister Shirley who has an appointment on July 23 with the cardiologist.

UPDATE:
I ask your prayers for Doris Hagen, my "den mother" and best friend at St Cuthbert's, who is "at the acute care center here in San Leandro today. She seems to be doing fairly well but is tired and a bit confused."

I ask your prayers for the repose of the soul of Stanley Kooyumjian, the man who knew lamb better than anyone and who fed many with good food and gracious hospitality, part of my larger family and a true Fresno institution. For his wife Doris and their children and grandchildren. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

For the life of the Gulf of Mexico.

For deliverance from robber barons.

I give thanks for Argentina where gay couples may now marry.

That Jarrett and Rahm may turn and be of a better mind. (Cf. deliverance from robber barons, above. These two sleazebags are working with the robber barons to gut regulations of the financial industry.)

For the utter confounding of Timothy Geithner's plans to maintain Wall Street's status quo.

Huffington Post reports that on the very day the Senate passed Wall Street reform and created a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner is urging President Obama NOT to appoint the most credible person as its leader: Elizabeth Warren. [h/t to Forrest Brown at DK]

(Cf. deliverance from robber barons, above.)

I'm sorry folks but I'm ready for imprecatory psalms and being honest about my prayers. As I believe God is a God of justice I am not going to be all nicey nice. The heart threads try to take the high road but we have some crap going on down in the low roads and I believe God passionately cares about this kind of thing. So yes, I'm calling for some smiting.

When wilt Thou save the people?
O God of mercy, when?
Not kings and lords, but nations,
Not thrones and crowns, but men!
Flowers of Thy heart, O God, are they;
Let them not pass, like weeds, away;
Their heritage a sunless day:
O God, save the people!

Shall crime bring crime forever,
Strength aiding still the strong?
Is it Thy will, O Father,
That man shall toil for wrong?
“No,” say Thy mountains; “No,” Thy skies;
Man’s clouded sun shall brightly rise,
And songs ascend, instead of sighs:
O God, save the people!

When wilt Thou save the people?
O God of mercy, when?
The people, Lord, the people,
Not thrones and crowns, but men!
God save the people; Thine they are,
Thy children, as Thine angels fair:
From vice, oppression, and despair,
O God, save the people!

Words: Eb­en­e­zer El­li­ott, More Prose and Verse, 1850.

--the BB

Very little news in my corner

And isn't that just fine?

I have been scrambling this week to take care of things I neglected over the weekend. Got some big overdue stuff out of the way and the yard is watered once again.

Totally looking forward to the weekend. Have a great Friday, y'all.

--the BB

Odds and ends including prayer

Midnight has come and gone so it is Bastille Day. Allons, enfants....!

This means it is also my niece Paula's birthday. She is off in Vegas for a few days, so what happens on her birthday stays in Vegas. Happy Birthday, Paula!

I ask your prayers for France and her people (especially those who made me feel so welcome there decades ago).

I ask your prayers for Evelyn Rose, mother of a classmate in my Italian class. May her suffering end and may she pass peacefully into larger life.

At Facebook Jane R noted that she was thinking of France. I am thinking of Italy. As in maybe going there next year. Finally. I have never been. Strike while the language classes are hot, no? For many years we said we were going there "year after next." This put it off forever, of course, until we stopped saying it. Well now....

I came home from Italian class tonight and heated up the water. I went into the yard and harvested one yellow squash, five cherry tomatoes, and a sprig of thyme. Boiled the egg pasta that I made last night. Then I made a truly wicked sauce, cholesterol heaven.

Two cloves of minced garlic sauteed in butter. Flour added to make a roux. Heavy cream. Yes, you heard me, the stuff you whip. Blue cheese. Slices of squash and bits of thyme. Freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. It wanted salt and I added some in the leftovers (which should provide lunch for days to come). Served with split cherry tomatoes on top for color and sweetness and tang. Grated parmigiano. A glass of red wine. The second half of Law and Order: Criminal Intent. La dolce vita, I tell ya.

I had been thinking about this for weeks and I certainly enjoyed it tonight. (Yes, there is a reason I take a fish oil tablet and pravastatin every day.)

Next time: thicker noodles, olive oil, garlic, whichever squash is ripe, fresh basil from the herb pots, more cherry tomatoes, and peperoncini (not hot sausage; pepper flakes).

And I have lots of sage for sage and brown butter another time. Lovely on pasta.

Buona notte a tutti.

--the BB

Nella cucina

Usually when I make home-made egg noodles from scratch they get cooked promptly. Since I began these rather late in the evening, they will not be cooked until tomorrow or the next night.

When I saw the pasta attachments for a Kitchen Aid last week I could not resist. I had been thinking of making this with my hand-cranked pasta maker but I must say, this is MUCH easier. Not much over half an hour from start to finish.

I added some sun-dried tomato paste to the beaten eggs before incorporating the flour. There is a hint of color and, I hope, will be a touch of flavor. Next time I try that I will use more.

I don't feel guilty about being lazy on the weekend but I am distressed about a couple of major items I forgot that cannot be put off. Anyway, this evening I did a touch of shopping (including the pasta rack), watered the yard, loaded and ran the dishwasher, vacuumed and mopped the kitchen, and made pasta. There was much wiping of the sweaty brow. And I began looking at some time-critical paperwork.

Tired now.

Sweet dreams, my tantalizing tuberoses.

--the BB

Yesterday in the yard

The last two photos are of Santa Rosa plums and Elberta peaches. We trust the changing colors are what they appear to be: signs of ripening.

Today I have refrained from all labor. No accomplishments. I have rested, ruthlessly.

May you all have a blessed week.

--the BB