World Press Freedom Day, If God Didn't Want Us to Have Guns, and Laura Gets a Mothers Day Card!

World Press Freedom Day - The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day (or just World Press Day) to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991.

UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defense and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. Created in 1997, the prize is awarded on the recommendation of an independent jury of 14 news professionals. Names are submitted by regional and international non-governmental organizations working for press freedom and by UNESCO member states.

The Prize is named in honor of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogota, on 17 December 1986. Cano's writings had offended Colombia's powerful drug barons.

If God didn't want us to have guns - He wouldn'ta given us trigger fingers!


Our kitties made this Mothers Day Card for Laura. They signed it with their front paws. Zeus and Thor love Laura. She is an excellent mother to the boys!

Fighting Back, Freedom of Speech, -and- All Shook Up

Fighting Back - NYC deputy mayor foils mugger in downtown Manhattan
Freedom of Speech - professor calls cops when student mentions guns in speech
All Shook Up - Southern California feels mysterious shaking

On this day in history: March 5, 1982 - John Belushi found dead at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood from a cocaine and heroin overdose. A sketchy woman, Cathy Smith, is later charged with administering the fatal injections.

Born on this day in history: March 5, 1958 - Andy Gibb (1958-1988) Born in Manchester, England, youngest of the Gibb Brothers, singer Andy Gibb belongs to the world-famous Bee Gees group. The group personifies 1970s disco music, and has sold more than 100 million records.

Scripture of the Day: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. - Romans 8:1-2

Video of the Day: Kitten Loves Faucet Water

Imagine my surprise when I encountered this water-dancing kitty as I passed the lake on the way to my office this morning! Water-dancing kitties are very rare, so I was fortunate indeed to espy this one! Click to enlarge.

The Weather: I was communicating with my long-distance friend and regular visitor of this blog, Chris, from Michigan, and told him our weather was cold and wet. Last night, it was. I had not peered outside yet this morning when I made that statement to him. Imagine my very pleasant surprise when I did look outside and saw that it was dry and sunny! The forecasts (if they may be believed, of course) indicate sunshine and temperatures in the 60s through the weekend. There shall be flesh tossed upon the grill this weekend, I am certain.

I thought I was at Burger King! This morning, when I answered a call—the Caller ID for which read, "PRIVATE NAME," I thought momentarily that I was at the drive-through window at Burger King. [See yesterday's video.] The caller's "English" was nearly completely indecipherable, and it was only as a result of carefully listening to a phrase that the caller repeated when I said, "What, in the name of all that is good and free from evil, did you say?" was I able to determine that this creature was saying that the call was being made by him in response to a call that I had made! This, apparently, is a new ploy being used by telemarketers. It was my first encounter with this ruse, but I am certain it shall not be my last such encounter. I quickly ended spiel of this entity by saying, "Due to the volume of calls, please expect a five to six hour delay. Your call is important to us. All calls will be taken in the order in which they are received." At this point, I replaced the receiver. Ten minutes later, the telephone rang. The Caller ID once again said, "PRIVATE NAME," so I assumed it was Mr. Unintelligible calling again and let the call go to voice mail. The telemarketer left a 30-second message composed of words which are, for the most part, unrecognizable. Should he call again, I am prepared to answer, "You have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service."

Freedom of Speech, The Kids Are Alright, -and- Just the Fats

Freedom of Speech - last day to save Christian radio?
The Kids Are Alright - Guinness names teen youngest professor
Just the Fats - 300-pound inmate complains jail doesn't feed him well

On this day in history: April 28, 1789 - In the middle of the South Pacific, the crew of the HMS Bounty mutinies, setting Captain William Bligh and 18 other crewmen adrift in an open boat.

Born on this day in history: April 28, 1974 - Penelope Cruz (1974– ) Born in Madrid, Spain, actress Penelope Cruz trained in classical ballet in New York City, and parlayed her dancing into an acting career, landing a role in "All the Pretty Horses" (2000) and "Sahara" (2005). Cruz has been romantically linked with actors Matt Damon, Tom Cruise and, most recently, Matthew McConaughey.

Scripture of the Day: They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. - Acts 4:28

Video of the Day: Cooking with Christopher Walken - submitted by Danica

Hillary shows her masculine side! Click to enlarge.

HOT! Yesterday was HOT! At 2:45 PM, Mr. Nitro's exterior temperature probe displayed 93 degrees, as Laura and I journeyed to a meeting at Harvest Christian Center! Today is considerably cooler. It is forecast to be 81 degrees this afternoon. It is forecast to drop significantly—to the low 70s—Tuesday and Wednesday.

One of my brothers came to dinner Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, I grilled New York strip steaks (marinated for four hours in extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Cabernet Sauvignon, and minced garlic), giant shrimp (marinated for four hours in extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice wine vinegar, and lime juice), and asparagus (poached lightly then tossed onto the grill and spayed with a mixture of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was delicious.

Sunday, Laura grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I marinated them for four hours in extra-virgin olive oil, grated ginger, garlic powder, brown sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce) and Johnsonville hot Italian sausage. I sautéed cubed baby red potatoes (I pre-cooked in boiling water for 5 minutes), green beans, thinly sliced red bell pepper, thinly sliced white onion, and a head of peeled garlic (roughly chopped) in extra-virgin olive oil—seasoned with Tony Chachere's More Spice, ground black pepper, and sea salt. It was wonderful.