Disney Animation classic and its sequel (55 years later)

from IMDB (Internet Movie Database web page on "Maleficent" Trivia): By coincidence, Maleficent (2014) will be released on May 30, 2014, the 55th anniversary of Walt Disney's classic Sleeping Beauty (1959). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/trivia

Seven weeks after Passover (Festival of Weeks): CSEE

from Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education materials (www.csee.org/) : June 4-5, 2014 Shavuot (Judaism) Also known as the "Feast of Weeks," Shavuot falls seven weeks after Pesach (Passover). The holiday commemorates both the early summer grain harvest (associated with ancient pilgrimage to Jerusalem) and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Readings from the Hebrew Bible include the Book of Ruth and the Psalms of Praise. It is customary to eat dairy foods during Shavuot.

Ordination of a Woman Priest (R. Catholic) -- Three Oaks, MI -- First in Michigan

Lillian Lewis, who spent 25 years as a pastoral associate for Catholic congregations in and around Chicago, said in an Interview to Michigan Live correspondent "My real job now is to give witness and stand up for what I believe in." For decades, Lewis was a loyal Catholic. She went through Catholic schools in Chicago. She earned her bachelor's degree from Mundelein College, founded by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her master's in theology is from Marquette University, operated by Jesuits. Lewis spent most of her career as a theologian, overseeing ministries, serving as a spiritual director, even training priests about the liturgy. But because she was a woman, Lewis was limited in the roles she could perform, the titles she could hold, the power she could wield. "There is no positions of authority for women in the Church. Not one," she said. "For many, many years, I watched women hitting their head on the glass ceiling" of Catholicism, Lewis said. What finally put her "over the edge," she said, was the sex-abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, with its revelations that bishops were protecting pedophile priests. She was sickened, she said, by "the lies, the hiding, the duplicity." Lewis was further appalled, she said, at how the sex-abuse scandal led the Catholic hierarchy to "castigate homosexuality, when so many of them are gay themselves." "That did it" in terms of discrediting the moral authority of the Catholic hierarchy, she said. "There's an arrogance that the Church must atone for, and it's in the clericalism." She considered leaving the Catholic Church, but decided, "I'm not leaving Catholicism. There's much I love, especially the inner core, the mystics, the great tradition of wonderful staff. "It's the patriarchy that's the downer," she said. As her disenchantment with the Vatican grew, Lewis said, she sought a new spiritual community, and found one in Roman Catholic Womanpriests, a sect founded in 2002 in Germany by Catholic progressives. The group has ordained about 145 women as priests worldwide. "I felt I needed a community to keep me on the pilgrim's path, and I found that with Roman Catholic Womenpriests," Lewis said. "I didn't anticipate how terrific it would be." She was ordained a deacon in the Womenpriests in 2010. On Saturday, she will be ordained a priest (place changed to her home). The ceremony will be conducted by Joan Houk, a Womenpriests bishop. Among those cheering her on, she said, are her four daughters and three grandchildren. After the ordination, Lewis is planning to form a ministry with her husband, Stephen Shimek, who spent 25 years as a Dominican priest. They are planning to perform baptisms, weddings and are seeking a site for weekly church services. The two are seeking to create a ministry attractive to disenchanted Catholics -- a large group considering that a third of Americans raised Catholic have left the Church, according to recent surveys. To put that into context: The U.S. now has twice as many former Catholics than it has current Southern Baptists, the largest Protestant denomination. "You can't exclude people left and right and then talk about love. That doesn't fly," Lewis said. "The theme of our ministry will be the message of St. Francis: Repair our church. It will be about reparations." ALSO from Harbor Country online news site: 250 people to attend the ordination taking place at First Congregational Church in Three Oaks. The ceremony will be conducted by Bishop Joan Houk, ordained as a womanpriest in 2006. http://www.harborcountry-news.com/articles/2014/05/29/news/doc538623d7e4f0c279340685.txt

Remembering the 35th President: today is JFK Birthday (May 29, 1917)

from BIOGRAPHY dot-com: John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. Both the Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys were wealthy and prominent Irish Catholic Boston families. Kennedy's paternal grandfather, P.J. Kennedy, was a wealthy banker and liquor trader, and his maternal grandfather, John E. Fitzgerald, nicknamed "Honey Fitz," was a skilled politician who served as a congressman and as the mayor of Boston. Kennedy's mother, Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, was a Boston debutante, and his father, Joseph Kennedy Sr., was a successful banker who made a fortune on the stock market after World War I. Joe Kennedy Sr. went on to a government career as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and as an ambassador to Great Britain. John F. Kennedy, nicknamed "Jack," was the second oldest of a group of nine extraordinary siblings. His brothers and sisters include Eunice Kennedy, the founder of the Special Olympics; Robert Kennedy, a U.S. Attorney General; and Ted Kennedy, one of the most powerful senators in American history. The Kennedy children remained close-knit and supportive of each other throughout their entire lives. . .

Measles -- virus is alive and contagious within the 50 states (USA)

from E-Notification of breaking news at Washingtonpost dot-com: The ongoing measles outbreak in the United States has reached a record for any year since the disease was considered eliminated nearly 15 years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday, with 288 cases of the potentially deadly infection in 18 states. The largest measles clusters are in Ohio (138 confirmed cases), California (60) and New York (26), according to the CDC. [Thursday May 29, 2014] -- www.washingtonpost.com/

Land Spout -- Tornado -- Central Illinois -- May 28

Week of Memorial Day 2014 (information at EPOCH TIMES ): A tornado was confirmed near El Paso, Illinois on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Lincoln. The tornado was located near El Paso and moving east at 5 miles per hour. Weather spotters confirmed the tornado, which was a land spout.

Marc Chagall Painting: WHITE CRUCIFIXION (1938) -- story about loan to Dallas, TX from Chicago Art Institute

Story excerpt from National Catholic Reporter feature (print and online) by Menahem Wecker (May 10, 2014): Marc Chagall's 1938 painting "White Crucifixion" was part of the trove migrating south during Chicago Art Institute's seven-month renovation of its modern wing. Writing last February in The Dallas Morning News, Michael Granberry suggested that the painting deserves its own study. "It's telling that Chagall, a Russian-born Jewish artist, painted it in the same year as Kristallnacht, the 'Night of Broken Glass' that offered a grim foreshadowing of the Holocaust," he wrote. But both Granberry and the museum may have buried the lede, or eliminated it altogether. With the Chagall painting and 100 other works from the Art Institute's modern European painting and sculpture section now back home in Chicago, it's important to note that the work, which depicts a decidedly Jewish Jesus on the cross, is also reportedly Pope Francis' favorite painting. To be fair, site-wide searches of the websites of the archdioceses of Boston, Chicago, Washington, Galveston-Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco yield no mention of the painting. And in several conversations with visitors during the member preview of the restored section at the Art Institute, not a single person knew about the papal preference for the Chagall painting. The Art Institute's renovation, according to a press release, responds to "wear and tear" on its third-floor galleries from the millions of visitors who have come since the modern wing opened in 2009. The newly opened galleries feature repainted and refinished walls, floors, podiums and cases, as well as improvements to the "energy-efficient light harvesting system for the galleries" that will "ensure consistent light levels across all rooms." .. Under newly consistent light and amid the slick renovation, Chagall's Jesus wears a sort of turban on his head, and instead of a loincloth he dons a Jewish prayer shawl, or a tallit. Surrounding the central crucifixion scene, a synagogue burns to the right, rabbis fly in the air above (where one might expect angels), and a pogrom ensues to the left. Above Jesus' head, on the titulus, Chagall writes the Latin acronym "INRI" and, in jumbled Hebrew and Aramaic, "Jesus the Nazarene, king of the Jews." . . .

Reynolds Professor of American Studies since 1982

from Communications - Press office of Wake Forest University (www.wakeforest.edu/): Mourning the loss of Maya Angelou By Kim McGrath, Office of Communications and External Relations Today members of the Wake Forest University community mourn the loss of beloved poet, author, actress, civil rights activist and professor Dr. Maya Angelou. Dr. Angelou was a national treasure whose life and teachings inspired millions around the world, including countless students, faculty, and staff at Wake Forest, where she served as Reynolds Professor of American Studies since 1982. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Angelou’s family and friends during this difficult time.

At home near Winston-Salem, NC -- Maya Angelou died May 28, 2014 early morning

PRESS release (confirmed story) -- abcnews.go.com/ Maya Angelou has died, ABC News has confirmed. She was 86. According to her agent, Helen Brann, the noted author and poet died near her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina early this morning. "She'd been very frail and had heart problems, but she was going strong, finishing a new book," Brann told ABC News. "I spoke to her yesterday. She was fine, as she always was. Her spirit was indomitable." / / / Survivors include her son Guy Johnson of New York, NY.

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, West Bank -- was May 27, 2014 fire intentional?

From THE GUARDIAN (world news online source)-- May 27 (Tuesday morning posted article): A fire broke out in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity on Tuesday, just hours after Pope Francis wrapped up a three-day Middle East pilgrimage during which he visited the shrine. Bethlehem's governor, Abdel-Fatah Hamayel, said it was a small fire caused by an oil lamp falling over just before dawn, leaving some damage to fabric wall hangings inside the grotto. The fire was discovered when the security guard smelled smoke – the blaze broke out in the cave underneath the 4th-century basilica where Christians believe Mary gave birth to Jesus. Inside, the charred remains of several brightly coloured wall hangings hung limply against the cave walls, which were blackened with soot. Two ornate icons of Mary holding Jesus had smoke damage. A statement from Bethlehem police said a wooden-topped bowl had caught fire at the entrance to the grotto which caused candles to fall down and set fire to curtains, with a number of wall tiles also cracking in the heat. Pope Francis visited the church on Sunday (May 25, 2014) after celebrating an open-air mass in Bethlehem's Manger Square at the start of the Israeli-Palestinian leg of his Middle East pilgrimage, which began in Jordan on Saturday (May 24). The basilica, which was built by the Roman emperor Constantine, attracts more than a million pilgrims every year, making it the biggest tourist attraction in the occupied Palestinian territories outside Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/27/bethlehem-church-nativity-catches-fire-pope-visit-middle-east

Happy 107th Birthday! May 27, 1907 was birthday for Rachel Carson (honored with GOOGLE Doodle)

story below is connected from the GUARDIAN online newspaper dot-com / environment : Google doodle today commemorates the 107th birth anniversary of Rachel Louise Carson, eminent scientist and author of Silent Spring, the book that launched a truly global environmental movement and led to the banning of pesticide DDT. Born on 27 May 1907, in Springdale, Pennsylvania, Carson was a nature lover, a keen reader and had developed a penchant for writing from an early age, documenting the living world around her. She read zoology at Johns Hopkins University, completing her MA in 1932. She later joined the federal US Fish and Wildlife Service as a marine biologist. Besides her scientific work, she wrote pamphlets, articles and features on nature and conservation and in 1936 became editor-in-chief of all publications of USFWS, according to a biography by Linda Lear. But Carson's most acclaimed work came in 1962 with the publication of Silent Spring, a book about the unnatural quiet of countryside brought on by the deaths of birds due to spraying of fields and farms with pesticides, chief among them DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). In that book, Carson catalogued the environmental impacts of indiscriminate DDT spraying in the US and challenged the logic of releasing large amounts of chemicals into the environment without proper understanding of their effects on ecology or human health. Despite being targeted by the chemical industry, Carson continued to speak out against the use of pesticides in agriculture. In 1963 she testified before the Congress and also provided her input in the development of US federal policies on environment and agriculture. Silent Spring showed that DDT and other pesticides caused cancer, killed wildlife, especially birds, and had a devastating impact on both nature and humankind. The book resulted in a nation-wide public outcry in the United States, leading eventually to a federal ban on using DDT in agriculture in 1972. A global ban followed later same year under the Stockholm Convention – a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from use of chemicals. Carson's work in awakening the world to the horrors of pesticides is cited by scientists as a major factor in bringing back some bird species from the brink of extinction, particularly, the bald eagle – US's national bird. Peregrine falcon is another bird of prey that has made a comeback largely due to the ban on DDT. Her other books include The Sea Around Us (1952) and The Edge of the Sea (1955). Carson died of breast cancer in 1964, but remains one of the most eminent writer and scientist to have inspired a global environmental movement that questioned man's relation with nature. In no small way, Carson's life and work helped save millions of birds, giving spring back its song. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/27/rachel-louise-carson-google-doodle

What does "Right to Try" mean? -- Panel discussion - public chat (Diane Rehm Show)

Posted at www,DRSHOW dot-org for Second Hour, May 27, 2014: Lawmakers in three states have passed so-called "Right-to-Try" laws, which give terminally ill patients access to experimental drugs without FDA approval. Diane Rehm of NPR and guests discuss the growing demand for these laws and whether they jeopardize patient safety. Guests: Julie Rovner, senior correspondent, Kaiser Health News, and author of Health Care Policy and Politics A-Z; Arthur Caplan, director of the division of medical ethics, New York University Langone Medical Center; Sascha Haverfield, vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA); Lucy Caldwell, communications director, The Goldwater Institute; and Dr. Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Was Jesus a "Native Speaker" of Hebrew? of Aramaic?

from REUTERS coverage of Press Event between Prime Minister of Israel and Pope Francis (May 26, 2014) in Jerusalem: "Jesus was here, in this land. He spoke Hebrew," Netanyahu told Francis, at a public meeting in Jerusalem in which the Israeli leader cited a strong connection between Judaism and Christianity. "Aramaic," the pope interjected. "He spoke Aramaic, but he knew Hebrew," Netanyahu shot back. Like many things in the Middle East, where the pope is on the last leg of a three-day visit, modern-day discourse about Jesus is complicated and often political. A Jew, Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the Roman-ruled region of Judea, now the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He grew up in Nazareth and ministered in Galilee, both in northern Israel, and died in Jerusalem, a city revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims, and to which Israelis and Palestinians lay claim. Palestinians sometimes describe Jesus as a Palestinian. Israelis object to that. Israeli linguistics professor Ghil'ad Zuckermann told Reuters that both Netanyahu, son of a distinguished Jewish historian, and the pope, the spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, had a point. "Jesus was a native Aramaic speaker," he said about the largely defunct Semitic language closely related to Hebrew. "But he would have also known Hebrew because there were extant religious writings in Hebrew." Zuckermann said that during Jesus' time, Hebrew was spoken by the lower classes - "the kind of people he ministered to". http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/05/26/uk-pope-holyland-jesus-idUKKBN0E618X20140526

Severe Thunderstorm (May 26, 9 p.m. Eastern Time): Berrien County, MI and Northern IN

statement issued at National Weather Service (www.weather.com/): STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD SOUTHWESTERN CASS... SOUTHEASTERN BERRIEN... NORTHWESTERN MARSHALL... EASTERN LA PORTE... ST. JOSEPH (IN)... NORTHWESTERN ELKHART AND NORTHEASTERN STARKE COUNTIES... AT 9:15 PM EDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BUCHANAN, MI TO 7 MILES WEST OF SOUTH BEND, IN TO KOONTZ LAKE... MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. PEA-SIZE HAIL... WINDS UP TO 50 MPH... OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE... SOUTH BEND... NILES...

Service at Cenacle (Christian holy site associated with Last Supper of Jesus and disciples)

FROM online article covering the interfaith connections of Pope Francis' visit to Israel and Jordan -- (credit to DPA, Ha Aretz, Israeli online newspaper): The head of Lebanon's largest Christian denomination has visited a parish in Israel, becoming the first Lebanese religious leader to come to the Jewish state since its creation in 1948. Cardinal Bechara Rai, a Maronite Catholic, made the trip despite criticism at home. His critics say the pilgrimage implies normalization with Israel at a time when the two countries remain formally at war. Rai said Monday (May 26, 2014) that his journey is celebrating the roots of Christianity in the region. In a veiled response to his critics, he says he was misunderstood and that his journey is purely spiritual. He was cheered by several dozen faithful as he arrived at a Maronite parish in Jaffa, today part of Israel's second largest city, Tel Aviv. Rai had caused a stir in Lebanon, which is officially in a state of war with Israel, for his choice to join Pope Francis on parts of the pontiff's three-day Holy Land pilgrimage. Hezbollah and other groups hostile to Israel slammed the decision. The patriarch arrived late Sunday (May 25, 2014) in Jerusalem after accompanying Francis in the West Bank, but he departed from the parts of the Catholic leader's itinerary that involved meetings with Israelis. On Monday morning, Rai left Jerusalem, visiting a monastery outside the city on his way to Jaffa. He is to join the pope again in the afternoon for Mass at Jerusalem's Cenacle, the room where Christians believe the Last Supper was held. http://www.haaretz.com/travel-in-israel/religion-relics/pope-holy-land-visit/1.592866

Since 2001 -- Afghanistan Service Members' "sacrifice" noted -- Pres. Obama on swift trip to visit the Troops on May 25, 2014

Publicity posted WHITE HOUSE dot-gov: President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan Sunday May 25, 2014 to thank the American troops and civilians stationed there for their service. Following an opening performance by Brad Paisley, the President addressed about 3,000 troops in a hangar on the base. He let them know that he was there "on a single mission" -- and that was to say thank you. "I thank you as your Commander-in-Chief because you inspire me," the President said. "Your willingness to serve, to step forward at a time of war, and say 'send me,' is the reason the United States stays strong and free. Of all the honors that I have serving as President, nothing matches serving as your Commander-in-Chief." The President went on to say that, after more than a decade of war, we're at a "pivotal moment" in Afghanistan. Last year marked a major milestone -- for the first time, Afghan forces took the lead to secure their own country. And today, you’re in a support role -- helping to train and assist Afghan forces. For many of you, this will be your last tour in Afghanistan. And by the end of this year, the transition will be complete and Afghans will take full responsibility for their security, and our combat mission will be over. America’s war in Afghanistan will come to a responsible end. The President also noted that our progress in Afghanistan has come "at a heavy price." Tomorrow is Memorial Day. At bases here in Afghanistan and towns across America, we will pause and we'll pay tribute to all those who’ve laid down their lives for our freedom. And that includes nearly 2,200 American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice, that last, full measure of devotion, right here in Afghanistan. I know you’ve stood in front of those battle crosses. I know many of you carry the memories of your fallen comrades in your heart today. We will honor every single one of them -- not just tomorrow, but forever. In closing, the President described how, in spite of all our country has been though, "our flag is still there." ... Our flag is still there because when our nation was attacked, a generation -- this generation, the 9/11 Generation -- stepped up and said “send me.” Our flag is still there because you’ve served with honor in dusty villages and city streets, and in rugged bases and remote outposts, in Helmand and Kandahar, and Khost and Kunar, and Paktika and Nuristan. Our flag is still there because through this long war you never wavered in your belief that people deserve to live free from fear -- over here and back home. Our flag will always be there, because the freedom and liberty it represents to the world will always be defended by patriots like you.

Annual concert at D.C. Mall to remember 70th Anniversary of D-Day (Normandy, France)

PBS dot-org publicity for the Sunday May 25, 2014 (8 - 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time Zone live): Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise host the annual tribute to America's military heroes. Slated performers include Danielle Bradbery, Megan Hilty, Jackie Evancho, Anthony Kearns and, under the baton of conductor Jack Everly, the National Symphony Orchestra. General Colin Powell (USA, Retired) and Dianne Wiest are also expected to appear. This year, the event honors veterans of the Afghanistan War; the Concert commemorates the 70th anniversary of World War II's D-Day. From the U.S. Capitol's West Lawn at the National Mall, Washington, D.C.

Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem, West Bank): First repairs since A.D. 1479

Weekend coverage of WASHINGTONPOST online (Reporter-correspondent is William Booth): BETHLEHEM, West Bank — When Pope Francis arrives here Sunday (May 25, 2014) on his first trip to the Holy Land as pontiff, he will enter the Church of the Nativity for private contemplation at the grotto believed to mark the birthplace of Jesus Christ. He may also notice the church is falling apart. The 1,700-year-old basilica is one of the oldest in Christendom, and the church is showing its age: The lead-covered roof leaks, the ancient rafters are rotting and water drips onto the 12th-century mosaics of hovering angels. So notorious is its decay that it was listed by the United Nations as an endangered world heritage site in 2012. But in a kind of modern-day miracle, the three Christian faiths that share an acrimonious joint custody of the pilgrimage site — Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and the Franciscan order of Roman Catholics — were persuaded by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to allow Italian master craftsmen, working alongside structural engineers and wood scientists, to perform the first major documented restoration since Venetian carpenters rebuilt the roof in 1479. Pope Francis will get a look at the progress. After five years of study and debate, the first phase of work — fixing the sagging beams and replacing the bullet-pocked windows — is expected to be complete by Christmas, at a cost of about $3 million. The money was raised by the international community and dispersed by the Palestinians, so that none of the three caretakers can claim credit — or more rights — over the church. Renovations of mosaics, doors, and paintings may follow, if more funds can be secured. . .The original basilica, built in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine, was leveled in the Samaritan Revolt of A.D. 529, though the floor mosaics survived. The church that stands today was constructed during the reign of Justinian in the 6th century. . .Over the centuries, the church has been besieged, burned, looted and shaken by earthquakes. It was transformed into a walled fortress by the Crusaders, who crowned their kings here. The structure has also been beset by fungi, termites, sun, wind and rain. A Christmas storm last year dropped a foot of snow on the roof. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/the-church-of-the-nativity-jesuss-birthplace-gets-its-first-repairs-in-400-years/2014/05/22/a8d3db16-df31-11e3-9442-54189bf1a809_story.html?hpid=z1

Bumper crop of Morel Mushrooms (for 2014 - Michigan Live! feature article highlights)

Reporter for Michigan LIVE! is Rosemary Parker (rparker3 @ mlive.com): The bumper crop of morel mushrooms that hunters are reporting this season, combined with a retail price of as much as $50, may lead some hunters to consider, for the first time, selling their excess finds. Michigan State University has anticipated that situation and has posted a new guide, by Extension educator Julia Darnton: "Foraged and for sale: What to know about selling wild mushrooms and other edibles." Because eating the wrong mushroom can make people sick, or even kill them, state food safety rules are explicit and strict, the guide explains. Here is what the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says: "To be approved to sell wild mushrooms, wild herbs, or other wild plants in Michigan, the vendor must satisfy all of the following provisions: •The seller must be recognized as appropriately trained and competent in the identification of safe botanical and mycological varieties. Alternatively, the seller may employ a recognized expert. •The seller shall submit a written statement to the MDARD Food & Dairy Division identifying the person who will verify the species and the procedures for safeguarding against the sale of potentially injurious mushrooms. The statement shall include a description of that person's education, experience and expertise. •Each individual wild mushroom shall be inspected and identified by the recognized expert. Only those identified as safe may be sold. •Each storage container of mushrooms shall be labeled with the scientific and common name of the mycological variety. Packaged mushrooms may be identified by the common name only and shall bear additional labeling in full accordance with current state and federal requirements. •Written records that indicate the quantity, variety, expert identifier, and buyer of the mushrooms shall be retained by the packer for a period of not less than two years. These records shall be made available for MDARD examination, upon request. •Wild mushrooms shall be handled and protected from contamination in accordance with all current state and federal regulations associated with the handling and processing of foods intended for human consumption." The vendor is not required to hold a license from MDARD for any given farmers market, the Extension publication says, but " slicing or other processing or warehousing of wild mushrooms must take place in an approved food establishment licensed by MDARD or a local health department." For those who believe the rules are too strict, or who are tempted to buy from the back of that pick-up truck, the author reminds that there are more than 50 species of wild mushrooms found in Michigan and many of these are poisonous. http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/05/morels_for_sale_heres_what_mic.html

National Moment of Remembrance (Memorial Day 2014, May 26, 3:00 p.m.)

Presidential Proclamation (White House dot-gov Press Office): On the last Monday of each May, our Nation comes together to honor the selfless heroes who have defended the land we love and in so doing gave their last full measure of devotion. Today, we pause to remember our fallen troops, to mourn their loss, and to pray for their loved ones. Though our hearts ache, we find a measure of solace in knowing their legacy lives on in the families our heroes left behind -- the proud parents who instilled in their sons and daughters the values that led them to serve; the remarkable spouses who gave our Nation the person they cherished most in the world; and the beautiful children who will grow up with the knowledge that their mother or father embodied the true meaning of patriotism. To those we lost, we owe a profound debt that can never be fully repaid. But we can honor the fallen by caring for their loved ones and keeping faith with our veterans and their fellow brothers and sisters in arms. The security that lets us live in peace, the prosperity that allows us to pursue our dreams, the freedom that we cherish -- these were earned by the blood and the sacrifices of patriots who went before. This Memorial Day, as we near the end of more than a decade of war, let us never forget their service and always be worthy of the sacrifices made in our name. And today and every day, let us pray for and hold close the families of the fallen. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 26, 2014, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time to unite in prayer. I also ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/05/23/presidential-proclamation-prayer-peace-memorial-day-2014

Camelopardalis (Constellation) - Comet approaches Earth May 23, 2014

from WASHINGTONPOST online science article : What meteor shower? A meteor shower that is expected Friday night has never before been seen by humans, and astronomers think it could be spectacular. (They think it also could be a total bust, but let’s stay positive.) orbits What will it look like? This shower will occur when Earth passes through the trail of dust left mostly in the 1800s by wonkily named comet 209P/LINEAR. When the particles hit Earth’s atmosphere, they will vaporize and leave bright trails. Why did you say it could be a total bust? Fine, fixate on the negative. Because it hasn’t happened before, astronomers don’t know what to expect. If the comet left a lot of debris, we could see hundreds of meteors per hour. If it didn’t leave much, we won’t see much. Where do I look? Up, basically. Meteors will originate near the constellation Camelopardalis, which is near the North Star, but they could show up all over the sky. People in North America will have the best view. Why has no one seen it before? Jupiter’s gravity just recently pulled the comet’s debris into Earth’s orbit for the first time. The comet itself is so small and unobtrusive that astronomers didn’t see it until 2004, when a new, high-tech telescope detected it while scanning the skies for asteroids. www.washingtonpost.com/

Comet 209P/Linear -- what does that mean? Night of May 23 - 24, 2014

from UNIVERSE TODAY dot-com -- background information and tips: The comet was discovered in Feb. 2004 by the Lincoln Laboratory Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) automated sky survey. Given its stellar appearance at the time of discovery it was first thought to be an asteroid, but photos taken the following month photos by Rob McNaught (Siding Spring Observatory, Australia) revealed a narrow tail. Unlike long period comets Hale-Bopp and the late Comet ISON that swing around the sun once every few thousand years or few million years, this one’s a frequent visitor, dropping by every 5.09 years. Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/111829/how-to-see-209plinear-the-comet-brewing-up-saturdays-meteor-shower/#ixzz32YYekGcH

Winner of THE_VOICE (NBC singing competition show) returns home to Indianapolis Thursday May 22, 2014

Details and interview posted at INDIANAPOLIS STAR online (www.indystar.com): The 38-year-old Indianapolis resident was crowned the sixth season champion of "The Voice" on Tuesday May 20, a night when NBC's televised talent search attracted an audience of 11.69 million viewers, according to The Nielsen Company. Kaufman, husband to Jennifer Myer and father of children ages 6, 4, and 2, collected prizes of $100,000, a Universal Music Group recording contract, and a Kia car. On Wednesday, he sang on NBC shows Today and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Local fans are planning a homecoming party for Kaufman at 9:15 p.m. Thursday May 22, 2014 at Indianapolis International Airport. Fedoras and signs are encouraged for the Civic Plaza gathering, while helium balloons will not be welcome. The IUPUI graduate (who also attended Anderson University) said his soul-centric sound evolved from listening to gospel and R&B recordings while growing up in Florida. "It's something I've always gravitated toward," Kaufman said. "I like the freedom and liberties you can take within that style of music. Runs and bends and volume changes. There's so many different directions to go. It's like an improvisational art, and I like that about it." http://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/05/21/day-josh-kaufman-voice-title-sink/9393411/

World Methodist Council -- May 24, 2014 -- Event / Songfest: Aldersgate & Wesley emphasis

from WORLD METHODIST COUNCIL website: . . .on 24 May 2014 the whole Methodist world is invited to sing to mark the very day — indeed the very hour — that the Methodist mission really began. The Trustees of The New Room in Bristol (the oldest Methodist building in the world) have proposed to the World Methodist Council the first ever ‘World-Wide Methodist Songfest’ to celebrate the 275th anniversary of the Aldersgate experience. The plan means that starting from the Pacific islands east of New Zealand and traveling westwards as the day unfolds across the world to Hawaii in the west, congregations will gather at 8 p.m. (20:00 hours) local time to sing Wesley hymns in a variety of languages and styles. As the clock reaches “a quarter to nine” – the very time that John Wesley records that “my heart was strangely warmed” in his JOURNAL – Charles Wesley’s famous hymn "O for a Thousand tongues to Sing" will bring the song-fest to its climax. Although the moment will be different in each time zone, every celebrating church will mark the occasion at their local time of 20:45. The event may include prayers and readings and other hymns as each local situation prefers. The New Room will of course be celebrating this occasion, and we shall be looking for a congregation to help. But we also want as many of our Friends and supporters to promote an event in their locality—whether it be in the Pacific, Australasia, Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas—in fact, in every time zone. This event— encircling the world —will remind everyone that it was from John and Charles Wesley͛s heart-warming experiences in May 1738 and from the opening of The New Room in Bristol, England in June 1739 that Methodism spread across the globe. http://firstfridayletter.worldmethodistcouncil.org/2013/11/the-new-room-and-world-methodist-council-announce-world-wide-methodist-song-fest/

Born 1747 Died May 1814 -- "Bishop" ordained by John Wesley for American Colonies - Methodist Revival

Thomas Coke (b. September 9, 1747 - d. May 2, 1814) -- from web page at Boston University, Boston, Mass. -- Coke was rightly called Father of the Methodist Mis­sions. His pamphlet An Address to the Pious and Benevolent Proposing an Annual Subscription for the Support of Missionaries (1786) was the first Methodist missionary tract. He in­tended to establish missionaries in Nova Scotia in 1786, but a gale forced his landing in Antigua, West Indies, in­stead. Thrilled with the opportunities there, mission in the British West Indies and other British colonies became his dominant passion for the remainder of his life. At the last conference attended by John Wesley at Bristol in 1790, Coke was named to head the first Methodist missionary committee (he later was made its president, upon the or­ganization’s revision in 1804). “I beg from door to door,” he told his friends without embarrassment, and he do­nated his family’s wealth to the missionary effort. Begin­ning in 1792, he led in sending pioneer missionaries to most islands in the West Indies, as well as to new missions in Sierra Leone, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and France. During the Napoleonic Wars he organized work among the 70,000 French prisoners of war held in England. He died in 1814 on board a ship en route to India, leading a missionary band of preachers for India and South Africa. Wesleyan Methodist missions advanced spectacularly following Coke’s death, building on the visionary foundations he had laid. http://www.bu.edu/missiology/missionary-biography/c-d/coke-thomas-1747-1814/

Niles French Market (Thursdays during Summer weeks - Farmers' Produce plus more) - Begins Thursday May 22, 2014 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Sponsored by Niles DDA Main Street (www.nilesmainstreet.org): Colorful tents at East Main and Front Streets near downtown and the St. Joseph River, the weekly Farmers' Market along with other vendors has a different look and schedule for 2014. Items sold include this eclectic mix: breads, pastries, handmade jewelry, home-made soup, crepes, quiches, cheese, locally grown fruits & vegetables, honey, jams, salsas, perennials, cut flowers, handmade purses, knitted items, handmade paper products-journals, polish pottery, farm raised pork, lavender and lavender items, soaps, candles, handmade body products, fine wood craft, lampwork glass, artist painted furniture, birdhouses, glass mosaic art, pizza, Italian ice, ice cream, knife sharpening, photography, ironwork, handcrafted quilts, French pastries, baguettes, croissants, children's crowns & wands, hand made barrettes, wood pens, pet treats, face painting. Contact person is Lisa Croteau (here is DDA web page for this activity: http://uncoverniles.com/french-market/ ).

Space dot-com on May 23 Meteor Shower

from Space dot-com article about "New Shower": Skywatchers have something exciting to look forward to this month — a possible new meteor shower that could send up to 1,000 shooting stars per hour streaking through the sky. On May 23 and May 24, 2014 Earth should plow through debris shed by Comet 209P/LINEAR, astronomers say. These extraterrestrial particles could give stargazers an incredible show as they burn up in the planet's atmosphere — or the anticipated fireworks may fizzle out. "This potential new shower is so new that astronomers aren't sure what to expect," narrator Jane Houston Jones said in a skywatching video released by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., on April 30, 2014. "Predictions run from less than 100 meteors per hour up to an unlikely but possible meteor storm as high as 1,000 per hour." http://www.space.com/25768-new-meteor-shower-comet-linear.html

Third Saturday of May (annually) - Armed Forces Day 2014

from WHITE HOUSE Publicity (Press Office): On Armed Forces Day, we honor the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who render the highest service any American can offer. The patriots who stand sentry for our security are a proud link in an unbroken chain that stretches through the centuries. This generation has distinguished itself on mission after mission, tour after tour. Because of their heroism, the core of al-Qaeda is severely degraded and our homeland is more secure. Thanks to their extraordinary sacrifice, we are winding down more than a decade of war and strengthening alliances that extend our values. These are the gifts they have given us, and this is why we owe them a profound debt of gratitude. It is our obligation to ensure our troops have all they need to complete their missions abroad, but we must also support them when they return home. We must care for the families who serve alongside them and fulfill our promises today, tomorrow, and forever. And we must demonstrate our thanks by building a Nation worthy of their sacrifices, a Nation that lives up to our founding ideals and allows every citizen to write their chapter of the American story. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, continuing the precedent of my predecessors in office, do hereby proclaim the third Saturday of each May as Armed Forces Day. I direct the Secretary of Defense on behalf of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, and the Secretary of Homeland Security on behalf of the Coast Guard, to plan for appropriate observances each year, with the Secretary of Defense responsible for encouraging the participation and cooperation of civil authorities and private citizens. I invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, to provide for the observance of Armed Forces Day within their jurisdiction each year in an appropriate manner designed to increase public understanding and appreciation of the Armed Forces of the United States. I also invite veterans, civic leaders, and organizations to join in the observance of Armed Forces Day. Finally, I call upon all Americans to display the flag of the United States at their homes on Armed Forces Day, and I urge citizens to learn more about military service by attending and participating in the local observances of the day. I also encourage Americans to volunteer at organizations that provide support to our troops and their families. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/05/16/presidential-proclamation-armed-forces-day-2014

Frost Warning (early Saturday 12:01 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.)

National Weather Service bulletin for N. Indiana and Southern Lower Michigan Counties (Berrien & Cass); FROST ADVISORY... AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AIRMASS OVER THE REGION COMBINED WITH CLEARING SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO FALL TO BETWEEN 30 TO 35 DEGREES F. RANGE. AT THESE TEMPERATURES, FROST IS LIKELY TO FORM BY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING (May 17, 2014).

Storytime "Indies First" Event on Saturday May 17, 2014 -- co-sponsoring organizations

As publicized in CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR (online edition May 16): Indies First Storytime Day, an event spearheaded by the American Booksellers Association, the organization Every Child a Reader, and the Children’s Book Council, is being held for the first time on May 17. Kate DiCamillo, the author of such titles as Flora & Ulysses and The Tale of Despereaux and who is also the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, is the spokesperson for the event, which follows the Indies._________________ http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2014/0516/Indies-First-Storytime-Day-will-be-celebrated-this-weekend

Niles Michigan GARDEN CLUBS -- co-host Spring Sale of Plants (Sat. May 17, 2014)

as Mentioned by local publicity (Niles, Michigan 49120): The Niles Garden Club will join the Four Flags Garden Club to hold a joint Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, May 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, rain or shine, at Riverfront Park in downtown Niles, the corner of Main and Front Streets. _________________________Club members will be offering established plants for sale from their gardens. Prices will range from $2 for 4” pots, with gallon pots for $4 or 3 for $10. Some prices may vary. Plant-related decorator items will be available for purchase as well.

One Month away (small town "Flag Day" festivities) -- includes "Pet Parade"

DETAILS being added in next 30 days -- www.threeoaksflagday.com/ -- Saturday of weekend (June 13 - 15, 2014) -- Park in Three Oaks, Michigan -- Carver Park One of the cutest, heartwarming events you have ever seen! Canine, Bovine, Feline and any other house pet is acceptable for this eclectic pet parade. Judges are instructed to be open minded and have special consideration for rescued animals… all of the participants are awarded recognition and ribbons, no one goes home empty handed. After the judging the participants are invited to parade their pets through the park in a grand parade finale! Costumes for pets are not encouraged, but good grooming is. Confirmation is secondary to the pet’s personality, condition of coats, discipline and special tricks are all-important in this unusual pet parade and competition. Parents of younger children are urged to attend the event with their small children and their pets. To enter into the pet parade please join us at Carver Park on Saturday. Sign in starts at 10:30 a.m. and the parade will start at 11:00 a.m.! We look forward to seeing you and your wonderful pets this year! http://www.threeoaksflagday.com/pet-parade.html

Hazardous Weather (Friday May 16)

from WEATHER CHANNEL and National Weather Service: FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 A.M. TO 8 A.M. EDT FRIDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA HAS ISSUED A FROST ADVISORY FOR BERRIEN COUNTY, Michigan. HAZARDOUS WEATHER... * TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE MIDDLE 30S OVERNIGHT AND CAUSE AREAS OF FROST TO FORM OVER FAR SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN INTO FAR NORTHERN INDIANA. IMPACT... * SENSITIVE VEGETATION MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE CHILLY TEMPERATURES.

The Man in the Red Bandana -- Museum Dedication -- May 15, 2014, 10:12 a.m.

from WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary -- (Transcript) THE PRESIDENT: Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Cuomo, honored guests, families of the fallen. In those awful moments after the South Tower was hit, some of the injured huddled in the wreckage of the 78th floor. The fires were spreading. The air was filled with smoke. It was dark, and they could barely see. It seemed as if there was no way out. And then there came a voice -- clear, calm, saying he had found the stairs. A young man in his 20s, strong, emerged from the smoke, and over his nose and his mouth he wore a red handkerchief. He called for fire extinguishers to fight back the flames. He tended to the wounded. He led those survivors down the stairs to safety, and carried a woman on his shoulders down 17 flights. Then he went back. Back up all those flights. Then back down again, bringing more wounded to safety. Until that moment when the tower fell. They didn’t know his name. They didn’t know where he came from. But they knew their lives had been saved by the man in the red bandana. Again, Mayor Bloomberg; distinguished guests; Mayor de Blasio; Governors Christie and Cuomo; to the families and survivors of that day; to all those who responded with such courage -- on behalf of Michelle and myself and the American people, it is an honor for us to join in your memories. To remember and to reflect. But above all, to reaffirm the true spirit of 9/11 -- love, compassion, sacrifice -- and to enshrine it forever in the heart of our nation. Michelle and I (President Barack Obama) just had the opportunity (May 16, 2014) to join with others on a visit with some of the survivors and families -- men and women who inspire us all. And we had a chance to visit some of the exhibits. And I think all who come here will find it to be a profound and moving experience. I want to express our deep gratitude to everybody who was involved in this great undertaking -- for bringing us to this day, for giving us this sacred place of healing and of hope. Here, at this memorial, this museum, we come together. We stand in the footprints of two mighty towers, graced by the rush of eternal waters. We look into the faces of nearly 3,000 innocent souls -- men and women and children of every race, every creed, and every corner of the world. We can touch their names and hear their voices and glimpse the small items that speak to the beauty of their lives. A wedding ring. A dusty helmet. A shining badge. Here we tell their story, so that generations yet unborn will never forget. Of co-workers who led others to safety. Passengers who stormed a cockpit. Our men and women in uniform who rushed into an inferno. Our first responders who charged up those stairs. A generation of service members -- our 9/11 Generation -- who have served with honor in more than a decade of war. A nation that stands tall and united and unafraid -- because no act of terror can match the strength or the character of our country. Like the great wall and bedrock that embrace us today, nothing can ever break us; nothing can change who we are as Americans. On that September morning, Alison Crowther lost her son Welles. Months later, she was reading the newspaper -- an article about those final minutes in the towers. Survivors recounted how a young man wearing a red handkerchief had led them to safety. And in that moment, Alison knew. Ever since he was a boy, her son had always carried a red handkerchief. Her son Welles was the man in the red bandana. Welles was just 24 years old, with a broad smile and a bright future. He worked in the South Tower, on the 104th floor. He had a big laugh, a joy of life, and dreams of seeing the world. He worked in finance, but he had also been a volunteer firefighter. And after the planes hit, he put on that bandana and spent his final moments saving others. Three years ago this month, after our SEALs made sure that justice was done [ assassination of Osama bin Laden at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan ] , I came to Ground Zero. And among the families here that day was Alison Crowther. And she told me about Welles and his fearless spirit, and she showed me a handkerchief like the one he wore that morning. And today, as we saw on our tour, one of his red handkerchiefs is on display in this museum. And from this day forward, all those who come here will have a chance to know the sacrifice of a young man who -- like so many -- gave his life so others might live. Those we lost live on in us. In the families who love them still. In the friends who remember them always. And in a nation that will honor them, now and forever. And today it is my honor to introduce two women forever bound by that day, united in their determination to keep alive the true spirit of 9/11 -- Welles Crowther’s mother Alison, and one of those he saved, Ling Young. (Applause.) END 10:21 A.M. EDT THURSDAY MAY 15 2014

Friday May 16, 2014 - National Bike to Work Day

from "League of American Bicyclists" (bikeleague.org) : National Bike Month includes an ever-expanding diversity of events in communities nationwide — but the biggest day of the month is Bike to Work Day. In 2014, Bike to Work Week will be May 12-16, with Bike to Work Day on May 16. In 2014, National Bike to Work Day will be May 16! More than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace, making bicycling a feasible and fun way to get to work. With increased interest in healthy, sustainable and economic transportation options, it’s not surprising that, from 2000 to 2011, the number of bicycle commuters in the U.S. grew by more than 47 percent.

Woman Inventor -- credited with Toll House Chocolate Chip -- since 1930, her recipe most popular in USA

from "Women Inventors" dot-org biographical posting: Ruth Wakefield Chocolate Chip Cookie Inventor Chocolate chip cookies are a favorite treat for people of all ages, but without the famous woman inventor Ruth Wakefield, the world might never have tasted those sweet delights. Born in 1905, Wakefield grew up to be a dietician and food lecturer after graduating from the Framingham State Normal School Department of Household Arts in 1924. Along with her husband Kenneth, she bought a tourist lodge named the Toll House Inn (Massachusetts), where she prepared the recipes for meals that were served to guests. In 1930, Wakefield was mixing a batch of cookies for her roadside inn guests when she discovered that she was out of baker's chocolate. She substituted broken pieces of Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate, expecting it to melt and absorb into the dough to create chocolate cookies. That didn't happen, but the surprising result helped to make Ruth Wakefield one of the 20th century's most famous women inventors. When she removed the pan from the oven, Wakefield realized that she had accidentally invented "chocolate chip cookies." At the time, she called her creations "Toll House Crunch Cookies." They became extremely popular locally, and the recipe was soon published in a Boston newspaper. As the popularity of the Toll House Crunch Cookie increased, the sales of Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bars also spiked. Andrew Nestle and Ruth Wakefield decided to come up with an agreement. Nestle would print the Toll House Cookie recipe on its package, and Wakefield would be given a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate. Due to this unexpected discovery by a famous woman inventor, the chocolate chip cookie became the most popular variety of cookie in America, a distinction it still holds to this day.

Which U.S. President established a "Department of Agriculture" on this day in history?

from ABRAHAM LINCOLN online dot-org: ON May 15, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln approved the establishment of the Department of Agriculture.

Distinction between 9/11 Memorial and 9/11 Memorial Museum: from website

9/11 Memorial March 21, 2014 - TBD Daily, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Last entry at 7 p.m. 9/11 Memorial Museum May 21, 2014 - Sept. 21, 2014 Daily, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Last entry at 7 p.m. Thank you to Condé Nast for the first day of Museum admission. Admission to the Museum is free for all visitors on Tuesday evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The last entry will be at 7 p.m. Tickets are available two weeks in advance. http://911memorial.org/

Manhattan, New York Museum to open mid-May: Dedication May 15 -- Open to Public on May 22, 2014

The National September 11 Memorial Museum opens next Tuesday (May 21, 2014) at 1 Albany Street, at Greenwich Street, Lower Manhattan, New York City, NY; Telephone 212-266-5211; Home Web Page: http:// 911memorial.org. ADMISSION: $24 for the general public; free for survivors and family members of those lost in the 9/11/2001 attack on the World Trade Center Towers. First Day (May 21) - sold out. To order tickets, visit the website: https://www.911memorial.org/visit-911-memorial-museum. - See more at: http://voicesofsept11.org/calendar/911-memorial-opening#sthash.bOxbrm1A.dpuf

60th Anniversary of Brown Versus Board of Education (May 1954): panel discussion

Details pre-posted at www.dianerehmshow.org/ NPR call-in national Radio Program: This week (May 12 - 16, 2014) marks the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education(1954), in which the United States Supreme Court unanimously declared that state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students were unconstitutional. Diane Rehm and a panel of guests looks back at the events leading up to the landmark decision and resistance to implementation by the southern states. Guests: Isabel Wilkerson Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Warmth of Other Suns /// Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Delegate to the United States Congress representing the District of Columbia; Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit /// Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund /// Stan Brand, partner, Brand Law Group and distinguished fellow in law and government, Penn State University, Dickinson School of Law; former counsel to House of Representatives (1976-83).

May 11, 1934 -- 80th anniversary of Massive Dust Storm -- causes "Dust Bowl" in Plain States, massive erosion

from History dot-com: Beginning on May 11 in 1934, a massive storm sends millions of tons of topsoil flying from across the parched Great Plains region of the United States as far east as New York, Boston and Atlanta. At the time the Great Plains were settled in the mid-1800s, the land was covered by prairie grass, which held moisture in the earth and kept most of the soil from blowing away even during dry spells. By the early 20th century, however, farmers had plowed under much of the grass to create fields. The U.S. entry into World War I in 1917 caused a great need for wheat, and farms began to push their fields to the limit, plowing under more and more grassland with the newly invented tractor. The plowing continued after the war, when the introduction of even more powerful gasoline tractors sped up the process. During the 1920s, wheat production increased by 300 percent, causing a glut in the market by 1931. That year, a severe drought spread across the region. As crops died, wind began to carry dust from the over-plowed and over-grazed lands. The number of dust storms reported jumped from 14 in 1932 to 28 in 1933. The following year, the storms decreased in frequency but increased in intensity, culminating in the most severe storm yet in May 1934. Over a period of two days, high-level winds caught and carried some 350 million tons of silt all the way from the northern Great Plains to the eastern seaboard. According to The New York Times coverage, dust "lodged itself in the eyes and throats of weeping and coughing New Yorkers," and even ships some 300 miles offshore saw dust collect on their decks. The dust storms forced thousands of families from Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and New Mexico to uproot and migrate to California, where they were derisively known as "Okies"--no matter which state they were from. These transplants found life out West not much easier than what they had left, as work was scarce and pay meager during the worst years of the Great Depression. . . READ MORE About This: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck !

Sports Tournament (May 30 - 31, 2014) benefits N. Indiana Food Bank

Details at both www.abc57.com (Local ABC - TV Affiliate, South Bend, IN) and http://www.wifflehawks.com (details to sign up your team): May 30 & 31, 2014: Wifflehawk Tournament The Wifflehawk Tournament at Four Winds Field, South Bend, IN will be the largest Wiffle ball tournament in Michiana and will benefit the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.

Flying Dogz (Bill Camp of Niles, dog trainer and entertainer) -- Saturday May 10, 2014

DETAILS published in Niles DAILY STAR (www.nilesstar.com): For the first time in several years, the professional disc-dog trainer is returning to Niles for a one-time show Saturday (May 10, 2014) at Rural King, S. Eleventh Street, Niles, MI. “People are always asking me when I am going to perform around here — now I can say I am,” said Bill Camp, who graduated from Niles High in 1969. The day begins with a Skyhoundz disc dog competition. People can register their dogs beginning at 9:30 a.m. The contest begins at 10 a.m. There is no sign-up fee and participating dogs will get a free Hyperflight K-10 Disc. Rewards will be handed out for places first through sixth. It is being sponsored by Rural King. At the conclusion of the competition, Camp and his flying dogs will perform for the crowd. “You will see some things you won’t believe,” he said. Camp’s five performance dogs are all rescue animals that live with Camp. The retired railroad worker lives in Cassopolis, MI part time and Paw Paw, MI part time. He worked his first NFL halftime show for the Indianapolis Colts in 1987. He said has performed for the Colts more than 30 times and for the Chicago Bears over 20 times. Camp is unsure what halftime shows he will perform at this year because he said the NFL won’t book performers until the Monday after the NFL Draft, which took place Thursday. Saturday’s contest is for distance and accuracy and is open to any age and skill level. Camp asks that people bring a leash and the animal’s vaccination record. Females in season may not participate. http://www.leaderpub.com/2014/05/09/pro-disc-dog-trainer-to-put-on-show-saturday-in-niles/

Record High for May 8 -- local temperature (Fahrenheit)

from Weather Channel online (www.weather.com) : Earlier Today 91° HIGH AT 4:05 P.M. Eastern Time Zone

14th Century Contemplative - Mystic writer Julian of Norwich (c. 1417)

from "Daily Office West" -- www.dailyoffice.org/ . England, the Middle Ages: a young woman of 30 is stricken by terrible illness and given last rites to prepare her for heaven. Six days she suffered in agony; then on the seventh day she received 15 visions of Christ’s Passion – and the illness left her. She went straight to her parish church, St. Julian’s, and never left it; they had to build an extra room for her. She wrote down what she’d seen, then spent 15 years trying to sort it out. At last she did; the Lord’s meaning in everything is love. She wrote again, the first book by a woman ever published in the English language, Revelations of Divine Love, a masterpiece of Christian spirituality better read today than ever before. Somehow she was given a unique vision of the feminine side of God. http://dailyoffice.org/2014/05/08/morning-prayer-5-8-14-dame-julian-of-norwich-mystic-c-1417/

Five million tulips (May 3 - 10, 2014)

Story at Michigan Live! (www.mlive.com ): A full week of fun is waiting at the 2014 Tulip Time festival in Holland, Michigan USA from May 3 - 10. . . What started out as a high school gym teacher showing about a dozen students how to perform Dutch folk dances has turned into hundreds of dancers wearing elaborately handmade costumes patterned after the traditional dress of the Dutch provinces. Eight of the twelve provinces of The Netherlands are represented in the festival dances with well over 30 different types of costumes that undergo a rigorous inspection before they can be worn in the performances. You can see them all at [http://www.tuliptime.com/dutch-dance-costumes ] . And if you’re wondering, no, their ankles aren’t that thick. Dancers wear several pair of heavy socks in order to walk and dance comfortably. Visitors can view one of the numerous dances happening daily and even sign up to learn how to dance if they have the desire to participate. Dance performances precede each of the parades as well. Tulips Fans of flora already know. If you’re looking for the ultimate tulip experience, Holland is the place to be. Well over 5 million tulips can be found in the fields of Veldheer’s Tulip Gardens alone. Pop over to Nelis’ Dutch Family Village and find more of the famous flower as you take a step back in time in the theme park. Or visit the acres of manicured gardens that feature a 250-yea- old working Dutch windmill and Windmill Island Gardens. Each of the locations offers much more than a floral field trip by also offering custom made wooden shoes, folk dancing, kids’ parks and activities, and more. http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/05/top_5_things_to_do_at_tulip_ti.html

Letter from 150 years ago (Lincoln to Hodges on Slavery's end): from White House

posted at ABRAHAM LINCOLN ONLINE dot-org: Executive Mansion, Washington, April 4, 1864. TO -- A.G. Hodges, Esquire; Frankfort, Kentucky. My dear Sir: You ask me to put in writing the substance of what I verbally said the other day, in your presence, to Governor Bramlette and Senator Dixon. It was about as follows: "I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel. And yet I have never understood that the Presidency conferred upon me an unrestricted right to act officially upon this judgment and feeling. It was in the oath I took that I would, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. I could not take the office without taking the oath. Nor was it my view that I might take an oath to get power, and break the oath in using the power. I understood, too, that in ordinary civil administration this oath even forbade me to practically indulge my primary abstract judgment on the moral question of slavery. I had publicly declared this many times, and in many ways. And I aver that, to this day, I have done no official act in mere deference to my abstract judgment and feeling on slavery. I did understand however, that my oath to preserve the constitution to the best of my ability, imposed upon me the duty of preserving, by every indispensabale means, that government -- that nation -- of which that constitution was the organic law. Was it possible to lose the nation, and yet preserve the constitution? By general law life and limb must be protected; yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb. I felt that measures, otherwise unconstitutional, might become lawful, by becoming indispensable to the preservation of the constitution, through the preservation of the nation. Right or wrong, I assumed this ground, and now avow it. I could not feel that, to the best of my ability, I had even tried to preserve the constitution, if, to save slavery, or any minor matter, I should permit the wreck of government, country, and Constitution all together. When, early in the war, Gen. Fremont attempted military emancipation, I forbade it, because I did not then think it an indispensable necessity. When a little later, Gen. Cameron, then Secretary of War, suggested the arming of the blacks, I objected, because I did not yet think it an indispensable necessity. When, still later, Gen. Hunter attempted military emancipation, I again forbade it, because I did not yet think the indispensable necessity had come. When, in March, and May, and July 1862 I made earnest, and successive appeals to the border states to favor compensated emancipation, I believed the indispensable necessity for military emancipation, and arming the blacks would come, unless averted by that measure. They declined the proposition; and I was, in my best judgment, driven to the alternative of either surrendering the Union, and with it, the Constitution, or of laying strong hand upon the colored element. I chose the latter. In choosing it, I hoped for greater gain than loss; but of this, I was not entirely confident. More than a year of trial now shows no loss by it in our foreign relations, none in our home popular sentiment, none in our white military force, -- no loss by it any how or any where. On the contrary, it shows a gain of quite a hundred and thirty thousand soldiers, seamen, and laborers. These are palpable facts, about which, as facts, there can be no cavilling. We have the men; and we could not have had them without the measure. ["]And now let any Union man who complains of the measure, test himself by writing down in one line that he is for subduing the rebellion by force of arms; and in the next, that he is for taking these hundred and thirty thousand men from the Union side, and placing them where they would be but for the measure he condemns. If he can not face his case so stated, it is only because he can not face the truth.["] I add a word which was not in the verbal conversation. In telling this tale I attempt no compliment to my own sagacity. I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me. Now, at the end of three years struggle the nation's condition is not what either party, or any man devised, or expected. God alone can claim it. Whither it is tending seems plain. If God now wills the removal of a great wrong, and wills also that we of the North as well as you of the South, shall pay fairly for our complicity in that wrong, impartial history will find therein new cause to attest and revere the justice and goodness of God. Yours truly, A. Lincoln (President of the United States - elected Nov. 1860)

Americans love to read this Top Ten of books (Harris Poll of 2014) - Bible is in first place

published data in feature story (online edition of Christian Science Monitor, May 6, 2014); newswriter is Husna Hadq ____________________ a new poll by Harris, which found the Bible was the number one choice across all ages, regions, political affiliations, and levels of education. The 100 best books of all time A handful of classics, new and old, rounded out the rest of the list, with “Gone with the Wind,” “Harry Potter,” “The Lord of the Rings,” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” rounding out the top five. For the report, Harris asked 2,300 Americans, "What’s your favorite book of all time?" Here’s the top 10: 1. The Bible 2. "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell 3. Harry Potter (series of seven) by J.K. Rowling 4. The Lord of the Rings (series of three) by J.R.R. Tolkien 5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 6. Moby Dick by Herman Melville 7. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 8. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 9. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Notably, the list includes works of fiction and established classics almost exclusively (except the Bible and newer release by J.K. Rowling in her Harry Potter series respectively). According to Parade Magazine, Harris conducted the same poll in 2008 and four books are new to the list this year: Moby Dick, Little Women, The Grapes of Wrath, and The Great Gatsby. They replaced Stephen King’s The Stand, Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, and Dan Brown’s books The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. And while nearly all respondents chose the Bible as their favorite book, second choices varied by sex, age cohort, race, and region, according to Harris. Men often chose The Lord of the Rings trilogy as second favorite, while women tended to choose Gone with the Wind. Perhaps it's of little surprise that Millennials (aged 18-36) chose the Harry Potter series as second favorite, while Gen X'ers (37-48) chose The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Baby Boomers and older (49+) chose Gone with the Wind. Favorites also varied by race, with whites often choosing Gone with the Wind, African Americans choosing Moby Dick, and Hispanics choosing The Great Gatsby. http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2014/0505/America-s-favorite-books-The-Bible-Gone-With-the-Wind-Harry-Potter

Law Day (May 1 annually) -- part of Presidential Proclamation

from WHITE HOUSE dot-gov -- office of Press Secretary: . . .This Law Day pays special tribute to the right to vote, the cornerstone of democracy. Many Americans won the franchise after generations of struggle, while others gave their lives so their children and grandchildren might one day enjoy what should have been their birthright. Thanks to women who picketed the White House and activists who marched on the National Mall, our laws finally recognized a truth that had always been self-evident -- that every citizen should have a voice in our democracy. Over the centuries, we have made legal changes that eliminated formal voting restrictions based on wealth, race, and sex and that extended the right to vote to younger adults. Today, our laws continue to protect this fundamental right, laws like the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Despite this hard-fought progress, barriers to voting still exist, and the right to vote faces a new wave of threats. In some States, women may be turned away from the polls because they are registered under their maiden name; in others, seniors who have been voting for decades may suddenly be told they cannot vote because they do not have a particular form of identification. As we reflect on the trials and triumphs of generations past, we must rededicate ourselves to preserving those victories in our time. Earlier this year, a bipartisan commission I appointed recommended a series of common-sense reforms to protect the right to vote, curb the potential for fraud, and ensure no one has to wait more than a half hour to cast a ballot. States and local election officials should implement these recommendations. In addition, the Congress should demonstrate its commitment to our fundamental right by updating the Voting Rights Act. Let us mark Law Day by recognizing the institutions that uphold the rule of law in America. Let us vow to keep safe our founding creed. And let us remember that opportunity requires justice, and justice requires the right to vote. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, in accordance with Public Law 87-20, as amended, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2014, as Law Day, U.S.A. I call upon all Americans to acknowledge the importance of our Nation's legal and judicial systems with appropriate ceremonies and activities, and to display the flag of the United States in support of this national observance.

Distribution of Bibles (English Language) -- historical date in 1536

On May 6, 1536 -- King Henry VIII of England and Wales and ordered English-language Bibles be placed in every church. --- He was married to his second wife (Anne Boleyn) and father to Elizabeth (who was born 7 September 1533) during this part of his reign (1509 - 1547).

"The Local Church is UMCOR" -- relief committee executive on U.S. Disaster Response (April 2014) -- news release

From UM Committee on Relief home page dot-org: May 1, 2014—After four straight days of tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and damaging floods across the South and Midwest United States, Early Response Teams trained by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) are assessing relief needs in their United Methodist annual (regional) conferences. “The local church is UMCOR,” said Greg Forrester, UMCOR assistant general secretary for U.S. Disaster Response. “They are on the ground immediately following a disaster in their conferences and have the capacity and training to assess relief needs and discern a way forward.” He said that reports he has received from conferences impacted by the storms indicate that there is no need at this time for additional volunteers from outside the conferences, and he urged well-meaning people from beyond the affected areas to not self-deploy. Forrester has been in touch all week with the bishops and disaster response coordinators in the affected annual conferences, and Cathy Earl, who works with Forrester, is in North Carolina today, accompanying Bishop Hope Morgan Ward on a visit to tornado- and flood-hit communities. The storm system that spawned devastating tornadoes earlier in the week brought torrential rain to some of the same areas—notably Alabama, which received more than 20 inches yesterday—before moving up the East Coast. The Florida Panhandle also received two feet of rainwater. A total of 17 states have been impacted by the storm, which interrupted an otherwise quiet start to 2014. Powerful EF-4 tornadoes, the second highest rating, decimated towns in Arkansas and Mississippi and caused numerous deaths and injuries. . . http://www.umcor.org/UMCOR/Resources/News-Stories/2014/May/0501assessingreliefneeds

JFK Center gives honors to Bush 41 and Paul W. Bridges May 2014

as covered in CBS NEWS main page (www.cbsnews.com/): Former President George H.W. Bush was honored Sunday (May 4, 2014) with a Kennedy "courage" award for agreeing to raise taxes to confront a spiraling deficit, jeopardizing his presidency that ended after just one term. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston honored Bush with a 2014 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. The award crossed generations and political parties. It was given by Jack Schlossberg, son of the late Democratic president's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, to Lauren Bush, granddaughter of the former Republican president. Conservatives denounced Bush for raising taxes, breaking a key promise in his successful 1988 campaign for the White House. Schlossberg said the award recognizes Bush for taking action, even if it was unpopular. "We celebrate courage today, in a moment of profound change and challenge, in a world gripped by partisan gridlock and inaction," he said. The budget deal enacted "responsible and desperately needed reforms" at the expense of Bush's popularity and his chances for re-election, Schlossberg said. "America's gain was President Bush's loss, and his decision to put country above party and political prospects makes him an example of a modern profile in courage that is all too rare," he said. In a message read by his granddaughter, Bush expressed regret he could not accept the award in person. He blamed his absence on "a nasty rumor" that the evening's awards dinner would include broccoli - a vegetable the 41st president famously dislikes. "Candidly speaking, my grandfather didn't want to raise taxes," Lauren Bush said as she accepted the award. "But ... he felt he owed the American people action and results. Compromise is a dirty word in Washington today. ... But once we get back to realizing the importance of actual governance, I suspect this too will pass." Also honored with a Profile in Courage Award was Paul W. Bridges, former mayor of Uvalda, Ga., who was voted out of office after he spoke out against a law that aimed to drive undocumented immigrants out of the state. Bridges, a Republican elected in 2009, argued that the law would separate families and harm the local agricultural economy.

A Day to serve others -- fan of the STAR WARS franchise (created by George Lucas) -- May 4th be with you

from "Star Wars in the Classroom" dot-com website = [i]n the spirit of the Jedi, we are also encouraging Star Wars fans to spend some of their time on May 4th serving others. With the understanding that “Jedi serve others rather than ruling over them,” we can be just as honorable and noble by finding a way to lend a helping hand to those in need. It can be the smallest of acts, yet have the greatest impact for someone who could use your assistance. Participating in acts of service is nothing new to Star Wars fans and is an integral part of the missions of the 501st and Rebel Legions. So on May 4th, we hope you’ll make time to intentionally put others ahead of yourself. http://www.starwarsintheclassroom.com/projects/may_4_14.asp

Egyptian Mummies found in KV40 tomb -- National Geographic announcement (May 2014)

posted at NEWS at National Geographic coverage "Princes and Princesses. . ." - By Dan Vergano National Geographic Published May 1, 2014 Offering hopes for tracing the family secrets of the ancient pharaohs, more than 50 royal mummies have emerged in Egypt's Valley of the Kings from a tomb long sealed by rubble and little suspected of harboring royalty. (Related: "Valley of the Kings—Gateway to Afterlife Provides Window on the Past.") Egyptian antiquities officials, working with archaeologists from Switzerland's University of Basel, reported this week that the royal mummies date from the reigns of the pharaohs Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III in the 14th century B.C. Both pharaohs were members of the 18th dynasty, which included the famous King Tutankhamen, or King Tut, who was buried nearby. (Related: "Replica of King Tut's Tomb to Open in Egypt.") "They were the royal sons and daughters buried over several decades in this tomb," said Egyptologist Susanne Bickel of the University of Basel's Kings' Valley Project. The find points to the history, and surprises, still buried in the ancient tombs of Egypt's long-gone rulers, who reigned during one of the high points of the realm's influence and power. (Related: "Tomb of Ancient Egyptian Physician Discovered.") "It really was a golden age for ancient Egypt," says Egyptologist Salima Ikram of the American University in Cairo. "They had a huge empire that stretched from Syria to Nubia. They were not just a military power but an arbiter of culture." Rubble Clearing The tomb, dubbed KV 40, was first discovered and opened in 1899 by a team led by French archaeologist Victor Loret. But Loret seems to have not ventured into the tomb, Ikram suggests. The Egyptian and Swiss team reopened the boulder-choked tomb in 2011. Over the past three years they've dug a 20-foot-long (36 meter) shaft and revealed five rooms. The rooms were littered with smashed and broken mummies, grave goods, coffins, and funeral materials. The main room and three of the side rooms held the scattered remains of the mummies, including some infants. Inscribed pottery identified more than 30 of the dead by name. Although the site was long considered unlikely to hold royal remains, it harbored at least eight royal princesses and four princes, as well as foreigners to the court of the long-vanished pharaohs. The remains of pharaohs of the era have also been discovered in other tombs, and analysis of their ancient DNA may reveal family relations among the royal children. "They are not just names and fragments now, but real people who we can see lived and we can feel a connection to," Ikram said. The discovery should shed light on social distinctions and mummification practices for the royal of that era.

What is the Smithsonian doing in 2014?

www.nd.edu / EVENTS "What is Your Smithsonian Doing to Stay Relevant?" Where: Snite Museum of Art Cost: Free See: http://artsandculture.nd.edu/events/2014/05/09/27097 Lecture by Secretary Wayne Clough of the Smithsonian Institution. Secretary Clough is the 12th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. A graduate of Georgia Tech in Civil Engineering and with a doctorate from the University of California Berkeley also in Civil Engineering, he has been at the Smithsonian since 2008. According to the Smithsonian website "Clough is responsible for an annual budget of $1 billion, 6,400 employees and 6,200 volunteers." Clough will discuss what your Smithsonian is doing on the local, national, and global level to remain relevant in a world where there are infinite options competing for the attention span of young and old alike, where our country is becoming ever more diverse, where we face pressing global problems, and where digital technology is transforming society at a rapid pace. This event, located in the Annenberg Auditorium, Snite Museum of Art, is free of charge and open to the public. Contact: Notre Dame Center for Arts and Culture Phone: (574) 631-3249 URL: http://artsandculture.nd.edu/

Lost Dog Found by Owners -- months after Hurricane Sandy 2012

featured on ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT (http://abcnews.go.com ) A New Jersey family whose terrier-pitbull mix escaped from their backyard during Superstorm Sandy went to an animal shelter this week to adopt a new pet and came home with their old dog. Chuck James tells The Associated Press that his family searched for their brown-and-white dog named Reckless for months after the October 2012 storm before finally giving up hope. "We reported him missing and called the shelters periodically, just hoping they had him," James said Saturday. "We always kept our hopes up, but eventually it's time to move on." James said the family had planned in recent weeks to get a new dog as a 10th birthday surprise for their eldest daughter, Ally. But when the family of five went to the Monmouth County (NJ) SPCA on Thursday to adopt a new animal, James and his wife approached the first cage and saw a familiar face inside. "He was a little bigger than I remembered because they had fed him well," James joked. "But then he was laying on my wife's feet, and I knew it was him. ... I was in disbelief. I know this dog is meant to be with our family." When SPCA officials asked if they could prove the animal was their dog, a friend sent over a picture showing the family with their dog before Sandy hit the Jersey shore. "We're all so happy to have him back," James said. "Thank God for no-kill shelters because every time they kill an animal, it's somebody's friend who might be lost. Thank God they didn't put him down because this would have been a different story." SPCA officials say Reckless was picked up as a stray and has now been microchipped. The family is living in a hotel while their storm-damaged Keansburg home is repaired. This weekend, the Jameses went on a camping trip with Reckless to celebrate the dog's return.