Alasandra's Reading List ~ May

1. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher - when Morgan is falsely accused of murder he turns to Harry for help. Unfortunately he brought a skinwalker to town with him.  When the skinwalker kidnaps Thomas Harry not only has to find a way to clear Morgan's name and uncover the traitor in the White Council before the Wardens execute them both he has to find a way to defeat the skinwalker and save Thomas.
2. Changes by Jim Butcher -  Harry finds out he has a daughter (Maggie - named after his Mother) who has been kidnapped by the Red Court of Vampires. He will make a deal with Mab to become the Winter Knight,  in order to save her. He discovers his Grandfather's identity and leads his friends into the battle of their lives.
3. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher - I don't want to give to much away but everyone thinks Harry is dead. His friends are in a pickle and Harry as a spirit is doing his utmost to help them but will it be enough. And is Harry really dead? 
4. Dark & Stormy Knights - a collection of short stories including Even Hand by Jim Butcher.
5. Mean Streets - a collection of short stories including Warrior by Jim Butcher. 
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I enjoyed this book a great deal, I actually got interested in it because of all the criticism of it in The Sun Herald and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the book. When Haymitch discovers Peeta's love for Katniss he devises a strategy that allows them both to survive the hunger games. The book ends with them returning home and Katniss being unsure of her feelings for Peeta and long time friend Gale.
7. No Good Deed by M.P. McDonald - I found the plot unbelievable, if my kid had been whisked off to some secret location and accused of being a terrorist I would be moving heave and earth to find out where he was and get him out so the fact that Mark's parents basically were content not to know puzzles me. Never really felt a connection with the characters. This was the first in the series and I probably will not be seeking out the others. (Read on my Kindle Fire)
8.   Naked City edited by Ellen Datlow -A collection of short stories including A Dresden Files Short Story Curses by Jim Butcher

Dorothy Lane Market

I was invited to attend Behind The Paw 2012 and our team building event was attending Dorothy Lane Market Cooking School. It was a great way to make new friends and get to know everyone you can read about it here.

TEAM MEAT won and I will attempt to give you the recipes we created.

Chicken Kebabs
chicken tenders
Herb de Provence
Rosemary
Truffle Salt
garlic
olive oil

Marinate chicken tenders in the other ingredients thread on kebabs like a worm and then grill.

Sliders
ground beef
DLM Grilling and Seasoning Rub
blue cheese
buns brushed with butter and garlic

Mix ground beef and seasoning rub form into patties grill place on bun when done and top with blue cheese.

I guess

I guess it is easy to claim that the majority of you constituents hold your views when you don't even bother to read their emails. I just received this from Congressman Palazzo.

May 18, 2012

 

 

 

Dear Mrs. Alawine:

 

Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts regarding H.R. 3803, the D.C. Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. As your Congressman, I am committed to putting the needs of Mississippi families first and knowing your views and ideas on Federal legislation is critical in order to best represent you.  To this extent, your comments and ideas are always appreciated. 

 

As you may know, the District of Columbia, as our nation's capital city, receives most of its laws from the Congress of the United States.  Given the original jurisdiction for legislative matters in D.C., Representative Trent Franks (R-Arizona) introduced H.R. 3803 on January 23, 2012, to prohibit the performance of abortions beyond a period of gestation at which scientific and medical evidence shows the unborn child is capable of experiencing pain.  H.R. 3803 has been referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security and the Subcommittee on Constitution of the House Judiciary Committee, as well as to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

 

This legislation is an important step toward protecting the lives of unborn children in our nation's capital.  Being a proud Pro-Life congressman, I certainly share your support for this legislation.  In fact, that is why I have signed on as a co-sponsor of this legislation, and while I do not serve on any of the committees to which it is currently referred, I look forward to supporting and voting for this legislation should it come to the floor of the House.

 

As I close, let me again thank you for contacting me and helping me to better understand the concerns of Mississippians. If there is any assistance I can provide or if you have additional thoughts and opinions, don't hesitate to contact me.  As a reminder, please visit my website www.palazzo.house.gov and sign up for our E-newsletter for updates on issues in legislation.

 

 

Sincerely,
 
Steven M. Palazzo
Member of Congress

Considering I am PRO-CHOICE and am disgusted by Congressman Palazzo's support of this bill his response to my email is irritating. Why bother to contact your Congressman with your views IF THE IDIOT ISN'T EVEN GOING TO BOTHER TO READ THEM, and will just assume that you agree with him.

Mother's Day @ Half Shell Oyster House

The service was slower then normal but there was a huge crowd. And the food was delicious. I had the Half Shell Benedict poached eggs topped with poached oysters with capers and artichokes topped with a delicious sauce. My only complaint is I didn't have an extra piece of bread to soak up the sauce with. I was so tempted to pull a Fenris and lick my plate clean the sauce was that good.  In fact if WLOX hadn't been there with a camera I would have probably went for it. It came with a side I choose cheesy grits. I do love grits and I can't cook them. Eldest even sprang for dessert I opted for the Chocolate Confusion, nothing confusing about it, it is delicious.

Why the Treaty of Tripoli is Important

NOWACKI’s letter is misleading. Nowhere in the Treaty of Paris does is state that the United States is a Christian Nation. In fact all the references to God that he blathers on about were part of King George’s title and were not used in reference to the United States.

One can only wonder why Fundamentalist Christians are so desperate to rewrite history. The most convincing evidence that our government did not ground itself upon Christianity comes from the United States Constitution. Nowhere in the Constitution do we have a single mention of Christianity, God, Jesus, or any Supreme Being. There are two references to religion in the Constitution and both are exclusionary; The 1st Amendment's says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. . ." and in Article VI, Section 3, ". . . no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." 

The Treaty of Tripoli is important because it provides a clear admission by the United States that our government did not found itself upon Christianity. Unlike the Declaration of Independence, this treaty represented U.S. law as all treaties do according to the Constitution (see Article VI, Sect. 2).  Although the Christian exclusionary wording in the Treaty of Tripoli only lasted for eight years and no longer has legal status, it clearly represented the feelings of our Founding Fathers.

As for the argument that the Constitution is based on Judeo-Christian laws according to Jefferson the Constitution was based on Saxon Common Law which predates Christianity by 200 years. 

The Founders of our nation were products of “The Age of Reason” they created a secular nation based on logic and rational thought not a country oppressed by religious superstition as Nowacki would have us believe.

History is Elementary has an excellent post on the subject A Christian Nation? Be Careful What You Preach

America is NOT a Christian Nation

Contrary to what some misguided letter writers in the Sun Herald have stated the Founding Fathers never intended for America to be a Christian Nation in fact they plainly stated in the Treaty of Tripoli Article 11 that it was not:

“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

In fact some of the Founding Fathers were not Christians at all they were Deist. Deism or “the religion of nature” was a form of rational theology that emerged among “freethinking” Europeans in the 17th and 18th centuries. Deists insisted that religious truth should be subject to the authority of human reason. They denied that the Bible was the revealed word of God, rejected scripture as a source of religious doctrine, and rejected all the supernatural elements of Christianity. The doctrines of original sin, the account of creation found in Genesis, and the divinity and resurrection of Christ were castigated as irrational beliefs unworthy of an enlightened age.

Benjamin Franklin (Deist) A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain

Ethan Allen (Deist) The Only Oracle of Man

Thomas Paine (Deist) Age of Reason

Thomas Jefferson (Deist)

Even those who espoused a Christian ideology often “were not all that enthusiastic about religion, certainly not about religious enthusiasm.” According to John Adams "This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it.”.

History is Elementary has an excellent post on the subject

A Christian Nation? Be Careful What You Preach

Alasandra's Reading List ~ April

1. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher - Harry is letting himself and his business go, racked with guilt because Susan has been turned half-vampire and desperate to find a cure. Then Billy (one of the Alphas) calls and tells Harry it's raining frogs. There is also the small matter that Billy went by Harry's office and made an appointment with him with Queen Mab (who now 'owns' Harry's debt to the Winter Fae). Mab wants him to find out who killed the Summer Knight and stole his power. Harry refuses, until the White Council forces his hand. Harry has to help Queen Mab in order to gain her support against the Red Court. If he doesn't he will be stripped of his rank of Wizard and handed over to the Red Court to end the war. But Harry finds help in unexpected places Leanansidhe provides help without payment (she also reveals that she made a bargain with someone that Harry never knew to protect him - Harry guesses it's his Mother who died when he was born), and Rashid, The Gatekeeper provides Harry with a chip of the stone from The Table so he can find it and some salve for his eyes (even though no one on the council is suppose to help Harry with his trail), saying what the White Council doesn't know won't hurt them.  Harry, Billy and the Werewolves, Meryl and Fix manage to prevent Lily from being sacrificed on The Table, prove Lady Aurora was the one who killed The Summer Knight and restore peace between the Summer and Winter Courts. Lily becomes the Summer Lady and Fix becomes The Summer Knight providing Harry with two powerful new allies. 
2. The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot by Bart D. Ehrman - read my review here. 
3. Death Masks by Jim Butcher - Paolo Ortega (Vampire from the Red Court) challenges Harry to a dual. Susan returns to town with Martin (Fellowship of Saint Giles) and they intervene to save Harry's life. Johnny Marcone  arranges to have the Shroud of Turin stolen by the Churchmice and brought to Chicago. Unfortunately Nicodemus Archleone (member of the Order of the Blackened Denarius, and host of the fallen angel Anduriel. ) wants it in order to spread a deadly plague. Marcone, Harry and the Knights of the Cross will team up to take it from him. Nicodemus seems intent on recruiting Harry with the coin of Lasciel. 
4.  Blood Rites by Jim Butcher - Thomas reveals that he is Harry's half-brother and together they bring Lord Raith (he killed their Mother) down, leaving Thomas' half-sister Lara in charge.
5. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher - Mavra blackmails Harry into finding the Word of Kemmler. for her. Kemmler's disciples have other plans for the Word and Harry must stop them before one of the disciples in able to become a GOD. The Wardens' ranks have been depleted after an assault by the Red Court. Captain Luccio brings the Wardens that can be spared to Chicago to help Harry and makes Harry a Warden over Morgan's protest. Butters proves his bravery by keeping rhythm  on his drum while under attack from zombies so Harry can control the dinosaur he reanimated to bring against the bad guys. And thanks to Butters medical skills the injured Wardens pull through. 
6. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher - In his role as Warden Harry has to take his good friend Micheal's daughter, Molly, before the White Council for practicing black magic and breaking the 4th Law. To keep her from being executed he has to out maneuver Merlin and only the timely arrival of Ebenezar McCoy and Michael save Molly's life. Molly is now Harry's apprentice and IF she breaks any of the rules she and Harry will be executed. Harry and Ebenezar McCoy patch up their differences after Harry realizes that it was Ebenezar McCoy that spoke on his behalf when he was taken before the White Council for killing Justin DuMorne.
7. Bootlegger's Daughter (A Deborah Knott Mystery) by Margaret Maron  - Deborah is running for circuit court judge in between trying to solve a cold case. 18 years ago a young Mother's body was left in an abandoned mill with her squalling infant in a car seat nearby. Now the infant is all grown up and wants to know who killed her Mother. Deborah with her wit, charm and deep understanding of the Deep South will navigate the murky relationships that lead to the murder and the subsequent cover up while dealing with her own family baggage.  
8. Southern Discomfort by Margaret Maron - I didn't like the Second Deborah Knott Mystery. When Judge Deborah discovers that Mr. Ou and his family have been stealing and eating neighborhood pets she merely tells him not to do it anymore. I find this unacceptable, would she have turned a blind eye if he had been kidnapping children and eating them! I think not!!!!! Our pets deserve better then a judge who thinks merely telling  a cat and dog killer not to do it is OK. And it is all Deborah's fault he had access to the pets in the first place as she hired him to take care of her Aunt's yard. The other mystery is more complex someone has been poisoning Judge Deborah's brother with arsenic, the same someone has poisoned philandering husband and attempted rapist Carver Bannerman, when the killer reveals themselves Judge Deborah realizes she got her judgeship because her predecessor was murdered.
9. Shooting at Loons by Margaret Maron - Enjoyed #3 in the series. Deborah Knott is staying at a cottage on Harkers Island. Her first day there she discovers the body of Andy Bynum a semi-retired fisherman and local conservationist. When Linville Pope winds up dead and Deborah's cottage is ransacked, she realizes that Andy had papers that prove a local judge's wrong doing and that Andy had plans to meet with that judge the day he died. But before she can tell the police her theory her volatile next door neighbor starts shooting at the workers Linville Pope hired to remove his trash from her newly bought property.    
10. White Night by Jim Butcher - Lara comes up with a dastardly plot to weaken her enemies and strengthen her hold on House Raith, and she counts on Harry to get involved and destroy her enemies. Lash gives her "life" in order to save Harry and now that he is free of her he gives the coin to  Father Forthill. Determined to find out how Thomas is supporting himself and feeding he follows him to the  "Coiffure Cup."
11. Small Favor by Jim Butcher -  Mab comes to collect the second favor Harry owes her. She merely wants him to save Marcone who has been kidnapped by The Knights of the Blackened Denarius. As a card carrying freeholding lord  of The Unseelie Accords Marcone is entitled to the White Councils protection, so Harry calls for a dual with the Archive as the emissary; to late Harry realizes that the Denarians hoped Harry would do this so they could kidnap Ivy (the Archive). Kincaid is injured and the Denarians escape with Ivy to an uncharted island (Demonreach) in the middle of Lake Michigan. Harry, Michael and Sanya go to the island to rescue Ivy and Marcone.