Abhainn Dearg

Abhainn Dearg Distillery on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides is producing Scotch Whisky, the first legal whisky in over 200 years.  I had the pleasure of sampling some of the spirit (not yet whisky because it's only 3 years old).  It is wonderful.  Pictured here is the small keg from which it came.  Below is pictured the whisky thief through which the spirit was removed.  It can be ordered on line.  Cuz tried it and loved it too.  It looks like he picked the wrong week to quit drinking.

Differences Between Pat Robertson & Alfred E. Neuman.

Alfred has one less tooth than Pat and has integrity.  Pat has to know that God doesn't give a hoot about someone's sexual preference.  Jesus taught that we should be kind to those less fortunate, but.never mentioned homosexuality.  (It is certainly not "sodomy."    "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it."  Ezekiel 16:49-50, ESV)  See, Sorry, Pat Robertson, but homosexuality was not the sin of Sodom by Ashton Elijah 

Come clean Pat while you still have time to repent.

A Love Song.

Thanks to Ken

Memories (If You're Over 50)

For Dick who claims that he never heard this song.  He probably forgot.

The Three Monkeys

There were three monkeys that managed to get into the Zoo Keepers automobile, parked at the top of a long steep hill. Each of the monkeys held to a different belief. The first monkey had come to believe in reason, and held the view that reason alone was a reliable yard stick by which a monkey, or monkeys collectively, should make decisions.

Having seen the zoo keeper drive off in his car and being natively curious, reasoning monkey figured out how to open the car door and the other two monkeys followed him in. Once inside, reasoning monkey figured out how to get the car out of park and all the monkeys cheered. They celebrated their new found mobility with excited voices, doing summersaults and jumping while enjoying the changing scenes and approaching horizons - it was great fun. 

Pray for the Wisdom to Use the Science God Gave Us.

The consequences of having a party in power that prefers ideology to facts can only be disaster.   Romney & Huntsman, the only non nut-jobs in the Republican field, know that climate change is a scientific reality, but don’t have the balls to do anything about it because they fear alienating the base of ideologues who believe that the universe was made in 7 calendar days.  If we treat misreading of scripture as science the planet and life on it as we know it is doomed. 
This misguided ideology also threatens to destroy us economically.  Ron Regan mentioned a disturbing continuum- “You deny evolution.  Then you deny global warming.  Then you're talking about birtherism, and suddenly you're claiming that when that when you cut taxes, you actually raise revenues.   It's this . . .disdain . . . for reality that disturbs me.. ."  Bob Shrum agreed. "It's a flat earth ideology that goes across the board.  On economics right now, you are seeing Boehner & company trying to argue that the way to help a faltering economy is to take demand out of it so that people buy less, companies produce less and employers hire fewer workers.”

To John Siverson-American

Congratulations on your citizenship Sivo.  Nancy, her kin, and friends feel better knowing she's sleeping next to an American.  Call me durin the week & we'll go rifle shopin.

Unloading on a "Conservative" Friend.

"Conservatism" in contemporary America is a communicable political disease born of ignorance and monied interest propaganda.  We are having it in such epidemic proportions in part because those of us in the rational middle ("liberals" by todays standards) don't often enough frankly tell those who proselytize the conservative message the blunt truth about their views. 

The following is an email response to a "conservative" friend's missive preaching that "liberalism/socialism" does not work.  (It is a bit long, but I did not have the time to shorten it - or to punctuate it properly. I have heard nothing more from him - perhaps he is still reading it.) 

http://jamesbrucemcmathpersonal.blogspot.com/2011/06/unloading-on-conservative-friend.html

Rollin

Cuz took these pics of this little one rolling her ball across the road this morning.

I'm Feeling a Bit Down-Maybe This Blast From the Past Will Help.

You F'n A. Tell Um Robert.

Thanks to Cuz Vicki.

Donnie Graham, One of Scotland's Finest.

 

Cuz had the honor, thanks to his friends Grimsley, Jeff, and Andrew, to meet Donnie Graham and talk shinty with with him, something I've always wanted to do.  Donnie started playing shinty with the big lads at age 12, riding his bicycle to practice.  He ended up being one of the finest in the land, eventually earning university blue.  Donnie graciously signed a ball for cuz.

He handles a saw pretty well to.  This pic was taken last week, March 31, 2012.

You Did Die in Vain, Though We Speak Highly of Your Name.

I too love underdogs and lost causes.  I love this music and tear up listing to it and thinking of the gallantry of the brave ones.  They won victories against all odds before the ultimate forgone end.


The Clan system in Scotland may have been worth saving, but following a young, inexperienced, ambitious, Prince from Italy was not the way to do it.  It’s doubtful such a system could have survived long anyway.   
Trying to preserve slavery under the banner of “states rights” was folly.  Many fought and died with no financial interest in this evil and doomed system thinking they were defending their homeland.
Thanks for your bravery and the music that resulted.  I hope no further harm comes from your deaths by those who use “heritage” as a mask for hatred.

A Sign from God?

Thanks to Betty

Medical Costs

Over specialization, which has been driving human medical costs through the roof, has now reached veterinary medicine.   I love bears and birds as much as anyone, including Clifton Clowers (see below), but this is too much.  Thanks to Ken

Good Point Hotspur.

“Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep. 
Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come when you do call for them?" 

Thanks to Dick & William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part I, act III, scene i.

Mammals at Play

Thanks to Nancy

Brig o' Doon

Serving Proudly

 Shown here are MacGraham & Cuz serving with the Kintail Mountain Rescue lads.  They quickly learned to drive to the kirk and follow the appropriate arrow on the sign.

I'm Sorry for the Horror You Went Through Dr. McCrae, but I'm Thankful for Your Sensativity & for Your Recording Your Thoughts.

Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae himself died on January 28, 1918.