The Siren Song of Fungi

Those strange little buggers.  You'd not assume they were worth a second glance most of the time.  But cook them up just right and they release a most delectable aroma and flavor!  Yummmmmm!  And the seduction is only heightened by the thought that if you choose unwisely you just might end up dead as the fallen tree they were sprouting from.

Well, it seems the fungi-mania in Italy this year is taking its toll on the "fungaioli".

In related news we've got chef Mario Batali openng up Eataly, a massive epicurian emporium of all things Italian, just steps from my office.  Signs say opening "precisely at 4pm" today.  The boss, a big time foodie himself, has already made it known that he expects the office to clear out around that time.  I'll certainly be checking out the shroom selection.

Another 1st Amendment moron

I'm constantly mazed at how many supposedly intelligent people have no clue about what their 1st Amendment rights really involve. 

Like Dr. Laura Schlessinger for instance;

"At the end of the year, when my contract runs out, I've decided not to do a radio show anymore. I want my First Amendment rights back, which I can't have on radio without the threat of attack on my advertisers and stations. I would like to make it clear that I am not retiring -- I'm too young for that -- and I'm not quitting. I will be stronger and freer to say my mind through my books, my YouTube Channel, my blog and my website. And I'll be on TV more, because I'll have the freedom to speak my mind."

Seriously?  Does the erudite doctor REALLY believe that the 1st Amendment is supposed to protect her and her sponsors/employers from the repercussions of her speech?  I'm constantly dumbfounded when I hear this.  And no one ever calls them on it.  Is she really that stupid?  And do the people she's doling out self-help advice to know this? 

I want my 1st Amendment rights back!  In other words, I want to be able to be shielded from any repercussions from the offensive things I say or do.

It's right up there with, I want my country back!

And people wonder why Obama hasn't magically "transformed" the country. 

He wasn't a criminal....

....when he bought the semi-automatic handgun that he used to kill 8 of his co-workers.

[photo credit: AP Photo/Journal Inquirer, Jessica Hill]

How often have you heard it said that banning things like assault rifles will ensure that only the criminals have them?  Well, Omar Thornton wasn't a criminal when he bought his semi-automatic handgun.  But he is now.  I suppose he just bought the gun for self-protection, right?  Yeah.  That's it.  For protection.

But "something just snapped in him". 

He was never violent.  Until today.

And now 8 innocent people are dead.  Eight families are torn apart.

But at least Omar Thornton's 2nd Amendment rights are intact.

Burn baby burn!

This is a lovely piece from Huffington Post.

The reason I am posting this is to illustrate a point.  What happens everytime some radical muslim cleric makes some ridiculous threat against non-muslims?  It gets tons of press.  It's all over the media.  It becomes a defacto aspect of Islam.  The xenophobic public ratchets up their fear and hatred of all things muslim.

So here we have a radical Christianist engaging in a ridiculous act of intolerance and blanket hatred of non-Christians.  It's getting some press.  Think about how western Christians react to the Muslim radicals and you can understand how muslims will react to these idiots. 

What would Jesus burn?