Laus Deo

The title of this poem, Laus Deo, comes from the old Latin Mass and means "Praise be to God!" That the poet saw a divine hand in Congress's passing of the amendment abolishing slavery on January 31, 1865 -- thus putting the capstone on what had been accomplished by four long and arduous years of war -- is evident from the rich biblical imagery used throughout these verses.

"Laus Deo"
By John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)

It is done!
Clang of bell and roar of gun
Send the tidings up and down.
How the belfries rock and reel!
How the great guns, peal on peal,
Fling the joy from town to town!

Ring, O bells!
Every stroke exulting tells
Of the burial hour of crime.
Loud and long, that all may hear,
Ring for every listening ear
Of Eternity and Time!

Let us kneel:
God's own voice is in that peal,
And this spot is holy ground.
Lord, forgive us! What are we
That our eyes this glory see,
That our ears have heard this sound!

For the Lord
On the whirlwind is abroad;
In the earthquake He has spoken;
He has smitten with His thunder
The iron walls asunder,
And the gates of brass are broken!

Loud and long
Lift the old exulting song;
Sing with Miriam by the sea,
He has cast the mighty down;
Horse and rider sink and drown;
'He hath triumphed gloriously!'

Did we dare,
In our agony of prayer,
Ask for more than He has done?
When was ever His right hand
Over any time or land
Stretched as now beneath the sun?

How they pale,
Ancient myth and song and tale,
In this wonder of our days
When the cruel rod of war
Blossoms white with righteous law,
And the wrath of man is praise!

Blotted out!
All within and all about
Shall a fresher life begin;
Freer breathe the universe
As it rolls its heavy curse
On the dead and buried sin!

It is done!
In the circuit of the sun
Shall the sound thereof go forth.
It shall bid the sad rejoice,
It shall give the dumb a voice,
It shall belt with joy the earth!

Ring and swing,
Bells of joy! On morning's wing
Sound the song of praise abroad!
With a sound of broken chains
Tell the nations that He reigns,
Who alone is Lord and God!

Farmers Markets

Community Supported Agriculture (And Other Farm Subscriptions)

Many farms offer produce subscriptions, where buyers receive a weekly or monthly basket of produce, flowers, fruits, eggs, milk, coffee, or any sort of different farm products.

A CSA, (for Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become "members" (or "shareholders," or "subscribers") of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some farmers will accept weekly or monthly payments. Some CSAs also require that members work a small number of hours on the farm during the growing season.

A CSA season typically runs from late spring through early fall. The number of CSAs in the United States was estimated at 50 in 1990, and has since grown to over 1000.

Find A Location Near You!

http://www.localharvest.org/

Energy Crisis

Subject: Fw: energy crisis
Some interesting ideas

No mention of Nuclear Power?

A luncheon seminar on the Oil Industry was held earlier this week at the Junior League and sponsored by the University of Texas Ex Students Association. The panel consisted of lawyers, Petroleum Engineers and Oil Company Executives. The audience included people from Houston 's energy sector.

Below are some salient points that came out of the meeting:

1) By 2015, China will consume more oil than the United States . India will be not far behind.

2) The United States currently imports 60% of its oil. Two thirds of that comes from Canada , Mexico and South America .

3) WHY ETHANOL IS NOT THE ANSWER TO OUR ENERGY PROBLEMS

a) It takes more energy to create ethanol than it produces.
b) Ethanol absorbs water and cannot be shipped by pipeline.
c) Two cycle outboard boat engines are being destroyed by ethanol
d) Fuel tanks made of fiberglass are rotting from ethanol
e) Ethanol added to gasoline lowers the octane rating and the mileage
f) Ethanol rots rubber fuel lines and carburetor parts that were not formulated to pass ethanol.
g) The demand for corn for ethanol has some unintended consequences. Farmers will sell all their corn to oil companies and cattle ranchers will have to raise the price of beef to cover the increase in feed stock prices.
h) There is a large and growing "Dead Zone" in the Gulf of Mexico caused by runoff of fertilizer from cornfields into the Mississippi River.
i) There is no real "Savings" here. Your taxes go to pay subsidies to corn farmers and oil companies. We are not talking "Ma and Pa Kettle" here.

* Archer Daniels Midland: is a multi-billion dollar farm operation.
* Exxon/Mobil: just posted the largest quarterly corporate profits in US History.

4) Most of the oil people there felt we are at "Peak Oil," That from now on, new sources and new methods will be needed to keep up with voracious demand. They recommended a book called Twilight in the Desert by Matt Simmons. He says that demand will increase by 60% over current levels by 2030.

5) Saudi Arabia has only 32 wells and no exploration. (No need for it, the wells are prolific)

6) Possible future sources of oil

a) The Reforma Trend. 70 billion barrels. Runs in a crescent shape from Southern Mexico though Belize and Guatemala and ends in Cuba.
b) The Barrett Shale, inside the Ft Worth City Limits
c) Canadian Oil Sands. More oil than Saudi Arabia but the cost to recover a barrel is equal to the current market price of a barrel.
d) Fractured gas recovery. Possible with chemical treatment. Problem is that the wells are layered and run many miles in all directions. Determining mineral rights is very difficult.
e) The ANWAR. (Arctic National Wildlife Reserve in Alaska/Canada) Exploration and production in this area is totally prohibited at this time
f) Offshore oil rigs on the California Coast. Hippies and environmental wackos have passed laws prohibiting any "Unsightly" offshore rigs. There are huge petroleum reserves off the California Coast
g) Deep water rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. The Ixtoc 1 field off the Yucatan Peninsula alone could produce a ten year supply for the USA.

7) What about wind power?

a) Many legal questions are unanswered.
b) Which is superior, wind rights or mineral rights?
c) Wind farms were defeated by votes in the Chesapeake Bay and Long Island areas by hippies, yachtsmen and Sierra Club types who basically approve of alternative energy, as long as it's "Not in my back yard" (NIMBY).

8) What about coal?

a) The USA still has lots of coal.
b) There were new coal-fired electric plants planned for Texas but the hippies stopped them. The executives showed up for the meeting in Austin where the streets were lined with protesters and impressed the mob by arriving in Toyota Prius cars.
c) Coal heavily pollutes the air with carbon dioxide and Sulfur. There is no clean way to burn coal.

9) What about Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)?

a) The plants to make it are extremely expensive.
b) It is smarter and safer to just use gas out of the ground in direct applications

10) What about the compact "Pigtail" fluorescent light bulbs that screw in?

a) They contain mercury vapor inside them. Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known to man.
b) There is only one hazardous waste collection site in Houston that accepts mercury. All flourescent bulbs should be taken there for disposal.

11) How are airlines changing in reaction to high fuel prices?

a) Fewer drinks and meals to save weight.
b) Not painting a plane saves 1,000 pounds.
c) Not using reverse thrusters on landings. Increases the risk of tire blowouts and fires caused by overheated brakes
d) Airports are lengthening runways to minimize the use of reverse thrusters which consume huge amounts of fuel.
e) More use of tractors (Mules) to get the airplanes out to the runways for takeoff
f) More pilot training in Link Trainers than in the air.

12) We're from the Government and we're here to help you.

Some Sad Government Statistics:

a) No new refineries have been built in the last 30 years in the USA because of onerous laws and restrictions and pervasive harassment by the EPA, ADA, NOAA, DOE, OSHA, etc. etc, etc.
b) All 50 states have different laws regulating the formula of gasoline sold in their state. The refining of gasoline is far more complicated than it was even ten years ago.

13) What is likely to happen if a certain woman democrat is elected president and the Democrats keep control of the house and the senate in 2008.

a) Democrats view the oil industry as a huge cash cow with deep pockets to provide them with an enormous slush fund to pay for ill-conceived social welfare programs and money for illegal aliens.
b) To appeal to the "Little guy", the democrats will prove their merit by"Soaking it to the rich oil companies who have exploited you for so many years under the Republicans."

1] The Oil Depletion Allowance will be eliminated entirely and there will be no incentive to drill for oil in the USA.
2] The dems will force the major oil companies to break up into smaller ones.
3] Much of US Oil production is on federal land and the oil companies pay a royalty. The dems would double or triple the royalties to add to their feeding trough of cash. Again, this would make us more dependent on middle eastern oil as US exploration would cease.
4] Democrat hippie tree-hugging environmental wackos would demand unrealistic minimum mileage on new cars and put US automakers out of business. They would also demand exotic super-clean gasoline that would cost a fortune to produce.

14) The probable energy outcome from a total democrat election victory in 2008 of the white house and both seats of congress:

a) The price of gasoline would go to $6 the first year and $10 by the end of her first term.
b) All US automakers will be forced out of business by unreasonable demands on fuel economy requirements.
c) The possession or sale of an SUV will be outlawed.
d) The Windfall Profits Tax will be re-instituted against oil companies.
e) The middle eastern countries, seeing that the democrats have made us 100% dependent on their oil, will seize that opportunity to create a very bad situation.
f) There will be a move for the US Govt to nationalize the oil industry.

(If you like the way they run the Post office; you'll love the way they run your corner gas station!)

There will never be a more important time to vote than the 2008 National Elections.

T A P S

Why "TAPS" is played.

If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which Taps was played; this brings out a new meaning to it.

Here is something Every American should know...but most don't, until they read this:

We in the United States have all heard the haunting song, "Taps". It's the song that gives us that lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes. But, do you know the story behind the song? If not, I think you will be interested to find out about its humble beginnings. Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison 's Landing in Virginia . The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land.

During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment.
When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead. The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army.

The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy status. His request was only partially granted. The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician.

The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth's uniform. This wish was granted. The haunting melody, we now know as "Taps" used at military funerals was born.

The words are:

Day is done ... Gone the sun ...

From the lakes ... From the hills ...

From the sky ... All is well ...

Safely rest ... God is nigh!

Fading light ... Dims the sight ...

And a star ... Gems the sky ...

Gleaming bright ... from afar ...

Drawing nigh ... Falls the night!

Thanks and praise ... For our days...

Neath the sun ... Neath the stars...

Neath the sky ... As we go ..

This we know ... God is nigh!

I too have felt chills while listening to "Taps" but I have never seen all the words to the song until now. I didn't even know there was more than one verse. I also never knew the story behind the song and I didn't know if you had either, so I thought I'd pass it along. I now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before.

The Great American Sex Diet

It's the Great American Sex Diet!

Updated: June 14, 2007
as seen in eDiets (excerpts - read the book)

A Book Review

If you don’t believe it, just check out the same-named book and the rave reviews offered by the 38 satisfied couples who took the sex diet out for a spin. These men and women went in feeling stressed, frazzled, overworked -- you name it. They came out looking and acting as if they were now on a permanent vacation.

Imagine a diet where the main course is all the sex you care to have.

That’s right. You can eat whatever you want PROVIDED you engage in intercourse at least three to four times a week. Follow the rules and there's a darn good chance you’ll lose some weight in the process.

What's that? You say it sounds too good to be true?

Got your attention yet?

Well what sounds like every hot-blooded man's and woman’s fantasy is in fact a romantic reality. Welcome to the Great American Sex Diet, a 28-day journey to reconnecting with your partner... and yourself.

It’s about looking at sex as a healthy part of your life," she explains. "When we have sex, we feel good... we feel more alive. We talk different. We smile. The whole concept of the afterglow is so true.”

The Great American Sex Diet showcases “before” and “after” photos of couples who've undergone the challenge of more frequent sex. The guinea pigs are far from rail-thin supermodels. Their photos show them to be the average-build John and Jane Doe.

Perhaps the most noticeable thing about the pictures is how refreshed and revived the couples look after following the diet for four weeks.

For some of the participants, committing to the Great American Sex Diet was simply a practice run for a "real" weight-loss regimen.

“After completing this and being successful, two of the women went on a real diet," Corn tells eDiets. "One lost 30 pounds and the other lost 25 pounds. They proved to themselves they could complete and stick to something, which motivated both of these women to lose weight. It was amazing for them.”

Immigration Bill?

Get in Line, Einstein
By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, June 1, 2007

Beware legislative behemoths. Beware "comprehensive immigration reform." Any bill that is 380 pages long is bound to have nooks and crannies reflecting private deals, quiet paybacks and ad hoc arrangements that you often don't learn about until it's too late.

The main provisions of the immigration reform monster are well known. But how many knew, before reading last Saturday's Post, that if Einstein were trying to get a green card, he would have to get in line with Argentine plumbers and Taiwanese accountants to qualify under the new "point system" that gives credit for such things as English proficiency and reliable work history? Good thing Albert was a patent office clerk, and that grooming isn't part of the point system.

Until now we've had a special category for highly skilled, world-renowned and indispensable talent. Great musicians, athletes and high-tech managers come in today under the EB-1 visa. This apparently is going to be abolished in the name of an idiotic egalitarianism.

I suspect this provision is a kind of apology for one of the few very good ideas in the bill -- taking skill, education and English proficiency into account rather than just family ties, thus cutting back on a chain migration system in which a Yemeni laborer can bring over an entire clan while the engineers and teachers desperate to get here languish in the old country.

The price for this lurch into rationality appears to be the abolition of the VIP fast track, which constitutes less than 2 percent of total immigration and, from the point of view of the national interest, is the most valuable. This staggeringly stupid idea is reason alone to vote against the immigration bill. Beyond stupidity, the bill offers farce. My favorite episode is the back-taxes caper. John McCain has been going around telling everyone that in order to be legalized, illegal immigrants will, among other things, have to pay back taxes. Such are the stern requirements on the "path to citizenship."

Problem is, McCain then discovered that back taxes were not in the bill. The Department of Homeland Security had argued that collecting on money paid under the table -- usually in cash, often with no receipts -- is pretty much impossible. Indeed, the cost of calculating and collecting the money would probably exceed the proceeds.

Now, nonpayment of taxes is not the kind of thing you want to defend when trying to sell immigration reform to citizens who do pay their taxes -- back and otherwise. So last week John McCain proposed an amendment to restore the back-taxes provision. A somewhat sheepish Senate approved this sop -- unanimously.

But the campaign for legalization does not stop at stupidity and farce. It adds mendacity as well. Such as the front-page story in last Friday's New York Times claiming that "a large majority of Americans want to change the immigration laws to allow illegal immigrants to gain legal status."

Sounds unbelievable. And it is. A Rasmussen poll had shown that 72 percent of Americans thought border enforcement and reducing illegal immigration to be very important. Only 29 percent thought legalization to be very important. Indeed, when a different question in the Times poll -- one that did not make the front page -- asked respondents if they wanted to see illegal immigrants prosecuted and deported, 69 percent said yes.

I looked for the poll question that justified the pro-legalization claim. It was Question 61. Just as I suspected, it was perfectly tendentious. It gave the respondent two options: (a) allow illegal immigrants to apply for legalization (itself a misleading characterization because the current bill grants instant legal status to all non-criminals), or (b) deport them.

Surprise. Sixty-two percent said (a). That's like asking about abortion: Do you favor (a) legalization or (b) capital punishment for doctor and mother? There is, of course, a third alternative: what we've been living with for the past 20 years -- a certain tolerance of illegal immigrants that allows 12 million to stay and work but that denies them most of the privileges and government payouts reserved for legal citizens and thus acts as at least a mild disincentive to even more massive illegal immigration.

Indeed, unless the immigration bill is fixed, that alternative is what the country will in essence choose when the bill fails. My view is that it could be fixed with a very strong border control provision. But let's make sure we know what's really in the bill and not distort what the American people are really demanding, which is border control first. And for God's sake, keep Einstein on the fast track.

letters@charleskrauthammer.com

Eating Green

"Let your culture inspire your eating habits"

Kibbe Conti, RD, created a nutrition model based on the medicine wheel, a sacred symbol that represents balance. Her hope is that it helps fight the diabetes epidemic currently raging among Native Americans.

Kibbe Conti was working on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation when her nutrition education collided with her culture.

As a certified diabetes educator, she knew that rates of type 2 diabetes among Native Americans are more than two times the national average. As a Lakota Sioux well versed in her history, she also knew that their diets were once healthy--made up of gathered plants, quality meats, and fish. But when Indian land shrunk to reservation size, highly processed meat products and soda replaced extralean buffalo meat and fresh water--not the best choices for people prone to obesity and diabetes, she says. Conti hopes to help by reintroducing more traditional foods into a diet plan that reflects how her ancestors ate: large game animals, fruits, and starchy vegetables. She's now testing her plan on an overweight Lakota man at high risk of diabetes for an upcoming PBS series, scheduled to air later this year

In her own home, "I practice what I preach," says the 39-year-old mother of two. Instead of sweetened drinks, she sips water, milk, or seltzer, and her family eats lean meat--most of the time. "My husband is Italian, and he's from New York," she says. "He really likes sausage, so sometimes he has to have it."

My Diet Rules:

* Buy locally "Our ancestors ate off the land they lived on, so we try our best to do the same. I pick up fresh fruits and vegetables at the market whenever they are available, and I keep organic milk and eggs on hand."

* Make veggies your starch "Native people used to eat beans, corn, and squash, which contain complex carbohydrates that gradually release glucose into your blood instead of spiking your blood sugar."

* Shop slowly "Our ancestors painstakingly hunted, gathered, and prepared food. These days, most of us spend almost no time. Slow down at the store, read the nutrition labels, peruse the fresh meat--healthy eating starts with healthy shopping."

Asparagus Soup

Spring-Green Asparagus Soup

Prep: 25 min.

Cook: 25 min.

Ingredients:

3 cups water

1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules

2 large stalks fresh lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces, or 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 12-ounce can (1-1/2 cups) evaporated skim milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Dairy sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan stir together water, bouillon granules, fresh lemongrass or lemon peel, fresh cilantro, and white pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid, discarding the solids; return the liquid to the saucepan.
2. Return liquid to boiling. Set aside a few of the asparagus tips for garnish. Add the remaining asparagus to saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
3. Carefully transfer the asparagus-broth mixture to a blender container. Cover and blend until smooth; set aside.
4. In the same saucepan gradually stir the evaporated milk into the cornstarch. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. (The mixture may be slightly foamy.) Gradually add the asparagus mixture, stirring constantly. Heat through. 5. To serve, ladle the asparagus soup into soup bowls. If desired, swirl a little dairy sour cream into each serving and top with the reserved asparagus tips.

Makes 6 side-dish servings.

Better Homes and Gardens: Recipes