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John Jackson

MM, surely you can do better than this - your post would make a lot more sense if you provide examples of how our current government lies, steals and cheats.  I can understand the lying part if you’re referring to our past President who was/is a pathological liar (the most egregious example being that the 2020 election was stolen).  But what else have you got?        

James Hamilton, M. D.

John,

Gee, John, where is your sense of humor?

MM tries to bring in a little levity to the nastiness of politics - even including the emoji - and that is your response?

Wow, to what depths are we descending?

Jim

John Jackson

Jim, I guess I’m guilty as charged – maybe I’ve turned into a humorless old fart who overreacts to cartoons.  But I’m also tired of the constant attempts, humorous and otherwise, to undermine respect for our institutions.  Our government may not be perfect but it’s the only one we’ve got and we need to work to make it better, not tear it down.   

James Hamilton, M. D.

The Sauce = Humor

My wife is excellent at preparing Oriental dishes in the wok. She spends a lot of time shopping, chopping, shredding and preparing the meat, onions, mushrooms and various veggies and mixing different sauces for these dinners.

After the large metal wok is prepped with some kind of oil and heated to temperatures that would seem to be equivalent to molten lava, she puts the solid ingredients - in some kind of special order - into this very large piece of cookware and starts stirring with a wooden spatula as I use an aluminum lid (my only allowed job) in an attempt to direct the massive steam coming out of the wok toward the vent fan above. The fóod cooks quickly as she constantly maneuvers it along the bottom and sides of the wok but the steam fogs my view of the show. Lastly she pours into the mix the sauce she had prepared which instantly calms the splattering contents into a mildly simmering, fog and steam-free meal. That sauce allows us to see things differently. 

Jim

Nina Osborn (Rossi)

On a " lighter" note!!!  Pictures of the Northern Lights from Hilliard Ohio and Powell Ohio last night. More wonder expected tonight!!

Nina Osborn (Rossi)

Hilliard...

Nina Osborn (Rossi)

Not sure why Powell shot is sideway but still beautiful!!

Nina Osborn (Rossi)

Not sure why Powell shot is sideway but still beautiful!!

Nina Osborn (Rossi)

Not sure why Powell shot is sideway but still beautiful!!

Nina Osborn (Rossi)

Very good analogy!!!

Speaking of seeing things differently, most of my subbing is done in a class we call "Newcomers."  Children who have been in the USA for 2 years or less. Some just arriving. 5 new students this week. Grades 6-12. Often 4-5 different languages. We teach them Language Arts and Math. Thanks to technology we can comminicate with them in their language and use translate apps for major lessons. The ipad is a wonderful tool as they can use the translate app to take a photo of any worksheets etc...and have it in their language...

Anyway...some of the recent students have walked from Venezuela, thru the Darien Gap and have seen things no one, let alone a child, should see. But they come here ready to learn, smiles on their faces most of the time!  They miss their country desparately but come to school to change their lives. it has certainly made me even more aware of the blessings I have been given. 
 

David Mitchell

Amen Nina!

David Mitchell

And I think Powell was always "sideways"

David Mitchell

Sauce ?

Sounds familiar Jim,

Large Wok - check

Wooden spoon - check

High Heat - check

Peanut oil - check

Lots of chopped vegies and some diced chicken, pork, or shrimp - check

But which sauce?  

        Soy Sauce?  Oyster Sauce?   Fish Sauce?   or Tamari Sauce?

(the secret is in the sauce) 

David Mitchell

True Confesssions:

Okay, okay!  

I have never opened the Lemon Grass bottle. I have no idea what Lemon Grass sauce tastes like.

Go ahead and report me. Send me to the office. Maybe one of these people can straighten me out. 

(though I doubt the guy on the far left would know a set of chop sticks from a pair of drumsticks)

John Jackson

I have this dim recollection as a kid going out into the backyard one night and seeing the Northern Lights.  But I’ve never mentioned this because everyone knows you can’t see the Northern Lights in Ohio and I worried people would think I’m confabulating (to use Jim’s term).  But I guess last night’s show vindicated my shaky memory and, even better, today Nina texted my wife Carol (who also had a dim memory like mine) a Dispatch article from 1957 that reported the appearance of the Northern Lights in Columbus.  I’m guessing many of us saw this same show.  

James Hamilton, M. D.

Nina, 

Really nice shots of the Northern Lights over Hilliard! That red/violet one was really spectacular, worthy of publication in the Dispatch or at least the local Hilliard newspaper!

Jim

James Hamilton, M. D.

To All You Moms 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Jim

James Hamilton, M. D.

Photogeology

Looks like a slow day on the Forum.

It appears that some bad rain clouds are heading towards our Rockrimmon area and I hear some thunder. How much rain might fall is unknown but probably not as much as a few eons ago.

About 60+ million years ago Colorado was at the bottom of an ocean. Then one day, perhaps on a Tuesday (), the waters began to recede. As that happened several geologic formations were formed throughout many parts of the state. Prior to the water, the Rocky Mountains formed and other rocky edifaces (Garden of the Gods, the Flatirons near Boulder and others along the Front Range) heaved upward creating tall, flat spires that have now become parks. 

As the water disappeared other strange looking rocks formed in several areas around the state and our Rockrimmon neighborhood was graced by many of these. They are called Hoodoos. A few years ago I drove and walked around to photograph some of these. 

Here are two of those photos. To add a bit of mood to these pictures I converted them to black and white.

The rain is starting to fall now. I think that it may take more than 40 days and 40 nights of rainfall to put this state back under water.

But "hoo doo" knows what nature can bring about?

Have a good week,

Jim

Michael McLeod

was it unusual for a nun to have a male name?

as in sister frederick?

was there a saint frederick? or would she have chosen that name to honor - I don't know, her dad? Her surname? Or did they even get to pick their nun names? Fish them out of hat?

Why did I never entertain these questions way back when? Why do I care now? 

Is this what an existential crisis feels like?

Joseph Gentilini

Michael, I think it was more common before Vatican II, although I know that many of the Carmelite nuns put Miriam or Mary before the male name.  i had a coworker (evangelical) ask me the same question as you did.  Interesting.  joe

Mark Schweickart

Jim -- Great pics. You still have your photo-mojo working, capturing those voo-doo hoo-doos.

David Mitchell

re: Sister Frederick

I think we may have discussed this before, but her name was Jane Gordon if I recall correctly.

Years after High School I was back in Columbus and was attending a block party at my parents home. The food was in a garage of the first house intersecting Yaronia on Wynding Drive (yes, with. "Y").  I was grabbing some food when this pretty lady came up to me in a peach colored pants suit and " said "Hi Dave. Do you remember me?

It took me a second but then I realized who she was. What a shock!

And didn't she marry the Sheiser twins father????

James Hamilton, M. D.

Mark,

Thanks for the comment and compliment.

It is becoming more difficult at our age to climb and crawl around those kind of places to capture interesting shots. I used to do a lot of low angle photography where you essentially lay down to shoot but those positions are too uncomfortable these days- and then getting back up is even worse! 

Jim

Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)

Because it's Wednesday….. a good laugh:

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose girl." 

The priest asks, "Is that you, little Joey Pagano?"

"Yes, Father, it is." 

"And who was the girl you were with?" 
 
"I can't tell you, Father. I don't want to ruin her reputation." 

"Well, Joey, I'm sure to find out her name sooner or later so you may as well tell me now. Was it Tina Minetti?"

"I cannot say." 

"Was it Teresa Mazzarelli?" 

"I'll never tell." 

"Was it Nina Capelli?" 

"I'm sorry, but I cannot name her." 

"Was it Cathy Piriano?" 

"My lips are sealed."

"Was it Rosa DiAngelo, then?" 

"Please, Father! I cannot tell you." 

The priest sighs in frustration. "You're very tight lipped, and I admire that.  But you've sinned and have to atone. You cannot be an altar boy now for 4 months. Now you go and behave yourself." 

Joey walks back to his pew, and his friend Franco slides over and whispers, "What'd you get?" 

"Four months vacation and five good leads..."

Mark Schweickart

MM -- good joke! Perfect for a Catholic school crowd.
I wonder why it feels as if this joke must have originated in an Italian neighborhood?