Plumpy nut saving lives in Africa

This week I read an article about a food product, called Plumpy nut,
that is proving to be remarkable in treating severe malnutrition in
Sudan, Niger, and elsewhere. About US$20 buys one month's worth of
Plumpy nut to save a starving child's life.

So let's see, if we took the money (about 190 billion
dollars)that the US has spent to invade Iraq and wage war to support
our energy-guzzling habits ...and instead used that money to wage war
on  starvation, we could supply over 700 million children with
Plumpy nut for over a year.

Our priorities are sure messed up.

Comments about US involvement overseas

"You can support the troops but not the president."

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years."

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may
come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their
life?"

"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might
on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit
strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will
cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long
they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound
foreign policy."

"American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the
administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign
policy."

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they
have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy."

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."

"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it
is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just
learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with
very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later,
these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of
engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of
victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no
clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended
military. There is no explanation defining what vital national
interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the
President started this thing, and there still is no plan today"

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."

So who said these "unpatriotic" things? After all, the current
administration likes to label folks as unpatriotic if they have the
audacity to question anything. ...Well the answer is that these are all
quotes from Republicans - mostly Tom Delay and George W Bush. These are
quotes from back when Clinton sent troops to Bosnia ...and none of our
troops died in action then. The quotes - along with who said them - are
posted at the always enlightening Daily Kos.

Future Mojitos

Sometimes after a hot day we like to relax by the pool and enjoy a Mojito. One of the key ingredients for a good Mojito is fresh mint leaves. And one can't always predict when the mood will strike for a Mojito. So yesterday we planted what will probably be the first 2 of several mint plants. But WOW, that ground was hard! I only dug down about a foot, and I still had to use a pick axe for each inch! In this picture, Shirley is filling the dirt in around the containers in which the mint will be growing. If you didn't already know, mint is, in many respects, a bit of a weed; it will happily take over the earth as far as the eye can see if left unshackled. ...So we plant it in containers to restrict its spreading. Now we just water, fertilize, and wait :-)

Has it already been 25 years?!?

Today is our 25th wedding anniversary! Wow!! I just can't believe this much time has already gone by. I love you Shirley; thanks for still laughing at my dumb jokes (most of the time, anyway). More posted at my other site.

Litton Zombie

Continuing our selfless quest to derive recipes for flavorful tropical libations, we did some experimentation this evening, and happily present a recipe for our version of a Zombie. Enjoy :)

1 shot dark rum 1 shot almond liqueur (we like Disaronno) 1/2 shot Cointreau Juice of 1 lemon Juice of 1 lime 1/4 cup pineapple chunks w/ juice 1 shot sugar syrup (to make sugar syrup, heat equal parts sugar and water stirring often until sugar is dissolved) 1/2 shot Grenadine 1 cup club soda Blend ingredients and pour into tall glass with ice. Best if enjoyed poolside or at the beach.