One morning recently I opened the kitchen outside door to go get the paper. Imagine my shock and surprise to see a snake stretched out on the threshold! To me, "harmless snake' is an oxymoron. All snakes are Cobras until otherwise identified by someone with a Doctorate of Herpetology. By the time the expert arrived all he would see would be raw snakeburger. The slimy creature and I looked at each other for what seemed an hour but it was only a nano second. I don't know which of us was the most frightened. I quickly slammed the door and searched for something to use as a weapon. I grabbed an umbrella, the only thing at hand. What I thought I could do with an umbrella I don't know but I was gripped by desperation. Fortunately for the snake (and me) he had slithered off by the time I opened the door again. I told wife LaNell she would have to be the first person out that door in the morning from now on.




New York City Mosque


President Obama got his hand slapped when he reached into the brouhaha concerning the location of the mosque. I think he now wishes he had said that the location of the mosque is something the citizens of N.Y. should work out with imam Fasail Abdul Rauf. But the President has every right to comment on the situation as do all of us. The 9/11 destruction of the Twin Towers and resulting massacre of civilians was an Islamist attack on America, not just New York City. It is a wound that has not healed and will not disappear anytime in the near future in spite of Americans' notoriously short attention span.


As with other situations of like importance, we don't know, and probably never will, what is going on behind the scenes, in secret, under the table, behind closed doors, etc. It appears to me that if Mr. Rauf is as peace-loving as he advertises he would have long ago abandoned his plan for a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero. State and local NYC authorities have offered alternative sites but Mr Rauf stubbornly insists on having his way. Is this an attempt to see if authorities will bend to his will? Is this a play for sympathy from the American public or is he playing to Muslims around the world and does he cling to this site because it might have great significance to Muslims? There are 100 mosques in NY City so the claim that the objection to a mosque being built on this site is a rejection and persecution of the Isalmist religion is patently false. Yet, this deliberate misunderstanding is the rallying cry of foreign radical Islamists used to recruit jihadists worldwide, including America, to protect their religion and to vent their rage in acts of terrorism. Muslims are extremely sensitive about their religion and expect others to respect it. Conversely, Mr. Rauf is either disrespectful of the sensitivities of New Yorkers about the area around Ground Zero or he doesn't consider their feelings worthy of consideration.

Americans are woefully ignorant about Islam, the fastest growing religion in the world. (Islam is the religion; Muslims are the followers) Again, I urge you to get a copy of the booklet, "The Facts On Islam" by John Ankerberg, John Weldon and Dillon Burroughs available at amazon.com. for around $6. You will get a fair overview of this important subject. I'm not like Chicken Little running around claiming the sky is falling. The sky is firmly fixed in place. I simply believe Americans in general and Christians in particular cannot afford to remain unaware of the influence of Islam and dangers of radical Islamists on America's future.
The pastor of a Christian church in Florida has announced that he and members of his congregation will burn copies of the Koran, the Islamic bible. This is inexcusable and un-American not to mention un-Christian. It will be a gross insult to moderate American Muslims who should not be castigated because of the inhuman acts of terrorism done by those who use their religion as an excuse to commit those acts. Book burning would play directly into the hands of radicals who will use it as propaganda to show the rest of the world supposed American intolerance and persecution of Islam.
The goal of radicals is to impose Shari'a (Islamic) law on every nation and they will not be dissuaded until every nation capitulates. I don't believe this nation will. I know for certain this citizen will not. Enough said for now.

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Our resident chef served a simple but delicious side dish for lunch today.
Go to Ruhlman.com/2010/09/baked-buttered-corn-2.html for the recipe.

Follow recipe for preparation of corn. Our chef used the kernels from 5 ears of corn

Changes and addition of bacon to recipe:


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat cast iron skillet in oven

Place 4 bacon slices in a cast iron skillet; return to oven til bacon is done

Remove skillet; set bacon aside. Do not remove bacon grease

After corn is placed in skillet, spread cooked bacon over corn; return skillet to oven. Cook as directed in recipe.
Enjoy!


Makes 4 side dish servings