Godless rambling

• A Turkish game show is looking for atheists to convert. Via Pharyngula. They did a skit about this on the Stephanie Miller radio show. My husband said that during the show, basically the whole cast -- Stephanie, Jim, and Chris (who was already out as an atheist) came out as atheists. Turkey's government is supposed to be secular, but if I lived there, I'd think twice about announcing my lack of belief on television.

• If you are an atheist who loves aphorisms, you might enjoy The Atheist's Bible: An Illustrious Collection of Irreverent Thoughts. Here's one:

What remains, then, for those who cannot pray ... This alone, and this is enough: To love virtue, to love truth.
-- John Burroughs

I would add ... to love Nature, to love learning ...

Ta ta for now,
Sylvie

Kale, Pasta, and Veggie Italian Sausage

Kale, Pasta, and Veggie Italian Sausage (adapted from a Ronzoni ad)

• One 9 oz. package Morning Star Farms vegetarian Italian Sausage
• About 2/3 of a 13.25 oz. box of whole wheat rotini (I used Ronzoni's Healthy Harvest whole wheat blend pasta)
• A large bunch of kale, washed and cut into pieces (remember to leave out the center stalks -- I used the fold and slice method that Not Martha illustrates here)
  
• Olive oil
• Garlic, parsley, and basil
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt
  

Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil.

Defrost the veggie sausage in the microwave and slice it into small disks. Saute it in olive oil with the garlic, parsley, and basil.

When the water boils, add the pasta and set your timer for 11 minutes. When the timer goes off, dump the kale into the pot with the pasta and boil for two more minutes. Drain the pasta and kale.

Toss the pasta and kale with the veggie sausage. Salt to taste.

Serve topped with freshly ground black pepper and a little grated Parmesan cheese. The recipe calls for kidney beans, but I am not a big fan of their texture, so I left them out.

It was delicious!!

Ta ta for now,
Sylvie

Newsweek on health mis-information from Oprah

Check out this scathing article in the June 8, 2009 issue of Newsweek about the health mis-information that Oprah Winfrey pedals. At the beginning of the article, we learn that, in her battle against aging, Suzanne Somers injects estrogen into her vagina daily (Ouch!!), givers herself daily injections of human growth hormone (where in the hell is she getting that legally?), and swallows sixty pills (vitamins and other preparations) a day. And then there are the anti-vaccination idiots, like Jenny McCarthy. And the thread lift and Thermage and The Secret and ...

Happy Loving Day!

Per Wikipedia, "Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967), was a landmark civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court declared Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute, the "Racial Integrity Act of 1924", unconstitutional, thereby overturning Pace v. Alabama (1883) and ending all race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States." The case was decided on June 12, 1967.

In 2007, Ms. Loving said, "I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights." (Source)

I am in love

Gate inspection

My in-laws' new property came with three pygmy goats and two sheep! I named them before I met them, and when I thought that there were only two goats and one sheep. I met them last Sunday, and I am in love! The sheep are very handsome, but they were not interested in people at all. Two of the goats were super-friendly, and I pet them for a very, very long time and took numerous photos. The largest of the goats, Baerli II, was the most timid with people -- he let me touch his nose twice -- but he has no problem facing down the sheep.

The goats are very smart. When asked what month it is, they replied "Maaaaaaaaaaaaay!" :-)

These photos prove why I am completely besotted with these creatures:

Schwanli, the smallest goat

Schwanli nibbles Baerli II

Baerli has a cute mule-ish muzzle

Baerli -- coy or cross?

Baerli II, the largest of the goats, sitting like a dog
Another shot of Baerli II sitting like a dog

At times, the goats would stand up on their hind legs and butt heads ever so gently.
I wasn't able to get a picture of that,but believe me, it was effing adorable.

The goats have a three-way head butt ...

... as the sheep head for the larger pasture. Each time the sheep headed for the larger pasture, the goats followed. Their bottoms are adorable!

Baerli II considers head-butting Nasturtium II. It didn't happen.Nasturtium II

Nasturtium

Nasturtium nibbles coyly

Ta ta for now,
Sylvie

Thanks, but no thanks

Invitation to Jehovah's Witness District Assembly

This lighthearted invitation was left at our front door today. Geez, the Jehovah's Witnesses are getting desperate. When I was a kid, we didn't leave invitations to our District Assemblies on the doorsteps of total strangers. A few weeks ago, they left a flyer for their Memorial Service -- that's where the chosen 144,000 eat wine and unleavened bread (JC's blood and flesh). I was surprised to see them inviting the general public to attend such an important event.

Numerous flyers, pamphlets, and saddest of all, handwritten notes have been tucked into the security gate in front of our doorway. It's sad, really. When you go out in Field Service, as the JWs call it, you have to return to each house in your territory until you finally find someone at home. Knowing this, I do feel kind of bad when I don't answer the door. Then again, when I went in Field Service as a kid, it was a huge relief when no one answered the door. That meant I didn't have to try to convince some impatient stranger to listen to my schpiel. So actually, me not answering the door makes some of them happy, right? :-)

The laziest form of Field Service is “street work.” I kid you not; that’s what they call it. Basically, you go downtown and stand on a corner or stroll about, while carrying the Watchtower and Awake! in front of you like a garlic shield that deters all but the mentally ill. Most mornings, on the way to work, we pass the same minivan of JWs unloading themselves onto the downtown plaza at 5:45 in the morning. Street work lets them avoid talking to people, hang out with their friends, and get their Field Service hours in before work so that their weekends are free. It makes me sad to see JWs in Field Service (such a waste of their lives, plus there is always a chance that they'll convert someone to the cult. Yikes!), but I am glad to how these street workin' folk are making it a bit easier on themselves.

Ta ta for now, Sylvie

Lazy Risi e Bisi (Rice and Peas)

Peas and rice make a simple and nutritious vegetarian meal. I am no chef, so the easier, the better. I made this yummy recipe twice this weekend while my husband was away. I made it for him tonight, and he loves it, too.

(Lazy) Risi e Bisi (Rice and Peas)
adapted from the April/May/June 2009 Issue of Something Extra from Raley's

1. Combine equal parts cooked rice and cooked peas (I used frozen peas and microwaved them with a few tablespoons of water, but I only cooked them enough to thaw them to a warmish temperature).

2. Add freshly ground black pepper, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and dried basil to taste.

3. Mix everything together and enjoy!

The next time I make this, I will use fresh basil -- if it's this good with the dehydrated stuff, imagine how great it will be with fresh basil! For more flavor, you could add pine nuts and cook the rice in vegetable broth.

Ta ta for now,
Sylvie