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Items by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is International Human Rights Day, designated as such by the United Nations to commemorate on this day in 1948 the passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For the full text of this declaration go here. It is interesting to compare it with the American “Bill of Rights”. On this [...]
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    Posted: December 10, 2009, 1:45am EST
    by DB Light

  • Republicans and Racism

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    One of the left’s most cherished myths is that of the GOP’s “Southern Strategy” which, they argue, transformed the Republican Party into a bastion of right-wing racism. The myth, which originated in political discourse, spread rapidly into academic circles and today is almost universally accepted there. It is a remarkably [...]
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    Posted: December 09, 2009, 8:00pm EST
    by DB Light

  • Rick Returns

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Kathleen Parker has a nice piece on Rick Santorum’s return to national politics [here]. Key quote: “I have no great burning desire to be president, but I have a burning desire to have a different president of the United States.” [...]
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    Posted: December 09, 2009, 2:00pm EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is Christmas Card Day, honoring Sir Henry Cole, who created the first commercial Christmas Card in 1843. This is an interesting fact. It shows that by the 1840’s Britain’s middle class was large enough and affluent enough to be willing to spend money on a trivial convenience like a [...]
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    Posted: December 09, 2009, 1:20pm EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “National Brownie Day” so check and see if any of the little fairy critters are messing around in your house. I understand that they really like honey, milk and porridge and will do household chores for you if you leave a little gift out for them when you [...]
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    Posted: December 08, 2009, 2:55am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    Today is “the day that shall live in infamy” — one that nobody [except on one public occasion, George Herbert Walker Bush] will ever forget. Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Each year on this date flags are to be flown at half-staff to commemorate the men and women who gave their [...]
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    Posted: December 07, 2009, 12:06pm EST
    by DB Light

  • More Pennsylvania Pictures — Maiden Creek

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    Took my camera for a drive recently — down to Ontelaunee Dam and Maiden Creek. A chill wind was whipping and stirring up the surface of the waters. And even seagulls were taking refuge on the surface. They were clustered well away from shore. Ducks, too sought shelter, but they stayed near the [...]
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    Posted: December 06, 2009, 2:05pm EST
    by DB Light

  • I Always Liked Women In Uniform

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    Sarah signs books in Fairfax, Virginia. [...]
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    Posted: December 06, 2009, 1:23pm EST
    by DB Light

  • More Judicial Corruption

    —Pawatercooler.com

    David Post comments on the expanding investigation of judicial corruption in Eastern Pennsylvania. Having lived in Philly I appreciated this statement: I’ve been teaching in Philadelphia for the last 13 years, and I have to say that the culture of corruption in the police and judicial systems in this part of [...]
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    Posted: December 04, 2009, 4:26pm EST
    by DB Light

  • The Changing Political Climate in Pennsylvania

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Julie Mason sums up the shifts in Pennsylvania’s political landscape: [P\]olitics are shifting in Pennsylvania, which is lately drawing comparisons to New Jersey and Virginia, both of which elected Republican governors this year after lining up for Obama in 2008. “I think the political environment in Pennsylvania has dramatically changed since [...]
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    Posted: December 04, 2009, 11:50am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Santa’s List Day” — that time of year when the jolly old elf and his minions decide just which of you boys and girls have been naughty this year, and which were nice. Think about it — the elves have been stalking you twenty-four hours a day, spying [...]
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    Posted: December 04, 2009, 4:07am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Roof Over Your Head Day”, so give thanks for the roofers and carpenters who build them and the people in your own family who make the money necessary to hire the contractors. On this day in 1648 Lorenzo de’ Medici along with his brother, Giuliano, succeeded their father as [...]
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    Posted: December 03, 2009, 2:09pm EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “National Fritters Day”, so get yourself some dough, some fruit filling, and some grease and fry away. Then fritter away a bit of time enjoying the fruits of your labor. Yum! On this day in 1804 Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor Napoleon I of France in Notre Dame Cathedral. [...]
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    Posted: December 02, 2009, 2:59pm EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is World AIDS Awareness Day, established as such by the United Nations World Health Organization, so if you weren’t aware of the fact that there is a sexually-transmitted disease called AIDS and it is spread world-wide, you have now been informed. Plan your future encounters accordingly. On this date in [...]
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    Posted: December 01, 2009, 4:04am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is a very special day here in the Gorgeous Commonwealth. It is the first day of Deer Season. When I was a kid growing up in Western Pennsylvania it was a school holiday. There was no point in having classes because most of the students would be absent anyway. [...]
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    Posted: November 30, 2009, 2:02am EST
    by DB Light

  • Disappearing Railroad Blues

    —Pawatercooler.com

    I spent a little time wandering around the South Hamburg railroad yards today. As a child I lived in a railroad town on the Pennsy main line. Railroading was a vibrant culture back in those days and it saddened to me to see the state to which it has fallen. [...]
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    Posted: November 28, 2009, 6:42pm EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Recovering from Thanksgiving overeating festival — so posting is late and will be short today. Today is “National Pins and Needles Day” — it was originally a publicity gag for a Broadway show — “Pins and Needles” back in 1937. Today it is more generic as a day of excitement and [...]
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    Posted: November 27, 2009, 3:28pm EST
    by DB Light

  • Things Supposedly Caused by Global Warming

    —Pawatercooler.com

    A partial list: Acne, agricultural land increase, Afghan poppies destroyed, poppies more potent, Africa devastated, Africa in conflict, African aid threatened, African summer frost, aggressive weeds, Air France crash, air pressure changes, airport malaria, Agulhas current, Al Qaeda and Taliban Being Helped, Alaska reshaped, moves, allergy season longer, alligators in the [...]
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    Posted: November 27, 2009, 6:55am EST
    by DB Light

  • HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

    —Pawatercooler.com

    [...]
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    Posted: November 26, 2009, 1:25pm EST
    by DB Light

  • Chambersburg’s War on Christmas”

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Chambersburg used to have a community Christmas creche. It doesn’t anymore. The reason? An atheist group demanded the right to put their own display next to the nativity scene. As a leader of the group explained: “We didn’t want to take Jesus out of the public square…. We want to [...]
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    Posted: November 25, 2009, 9:17pm EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “National Parfait Day” so go out there and indulge your yearnings for the “perfect” dessert [here are some recipes]. With all that fruit in it you can add a little granola to the mix and think of it as a health food. That way you can have two, [...]
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    Posted: November 25, 2009, 5:24am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is a day without any official [or unofficial] designation, so feel free to make up your own pseudo-holiday and celebrate it in any way you want [remembering always to practice appropriate behavior, of course]. On this day in 1859, after dithering for several years, Charles Darwin finally published The Origin [...]
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    Posted: November 24, 2009, 10:04am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is National Cranberry Day and also National Cashew Day. Hmmm. Cranberries and Cashews, two of my favorite snacks. Mix them together with some dark chocolate, and a few other ingredients and you have pure perfection. Uh, excuse me…, time to run out to Trader Joe’s for some provisions. Ahh, I’m [...]
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    Posted: November 23, 2009, 12:49pm EST
    by DB Light

  • More Pennsylvania Pictures

    —Pawatercooler.com

    A murder of crows. Something to strike terror into the heart of any crow — a red-tailed hawk skimming low over a field. Bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang…. Blast off, a flock of pigeons takes to the air. Fields along Rte. 222 west of Reading. [...]
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    Posted: November 22, 2009, 9:07pm EST
    by DB Light

  • Climate Conspiracy at Penn State

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    The recent theft and publication of electronic records from Britain’s Climate Research Center has revealed a conspiracy of climate alarmists to falsify research and to suppress contrary evidence on climate change. One of the chief conspirators, referenced in several e-mails, is Michael E. Mann, Head of Penn State’s Earth System [...]
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    Posted: November 22, 2009, 5:24pm EST
    by DB Light

  • It Wasn’t Even Close

    —Pawatercooler.com

    The Fighting Quakers cruised to an easy victory over Cornell today 34-0 to remain undefeated in League play and secure undisputed possession of the Ivy title. Cheer Hurrah! Hurrah! for the boys in blue and red. Lift your glasses high and toss a toast or two for “Dear Old Penn”. ps: [...]
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    Posted: November 21, 2009, 4:58pm EST
    by DB Light

  • Talking Sense on Sarah

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Excellent piece by Jonah Goldberg over at the National Review on the subject of Palinophobia. He makes a lot of sense. I particularly liked this line: [S]ome of us will always be sympathetic to Mrs. Palin if for nothing else than her enemies. The bile she extracts from her critics is [...]
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    Posted: November 20, 2009, 10:30am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Universal Children’s Day”, officially so designated in 1954 by the U. N. This is not to be confused with “International Children’s Day” sponsored by UNICEF which comes in December, nor the other “International Children’s Day” which comes in June, nor with “National Child’s Day” which President Bush established [...]
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    Posted: November 20, 2009, 9:41am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    Today is “Have A Bad Day Day”. Wow! Sounds bad! Wishing misfortune on others — that’s what comic book villains do. But it’s not as perverse as it sounds. The commemoration was established by folks fed up with hearing people say “Have a good day” at the end of every [...]
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    Posted: November 19, 2009, 8:41am EST
    by DB Light

  • Obie in China

    —Pawatercooler.com

    What the heck is going on here? [...]
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    Posted: November 18, 2009, 3:01pm EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Occult Day” so go out there and spend the day getting in touch with your paranormal side. Dabble in Theosophy or Ariosophy or Astrology; hold a seance, complete with spirit rapping; seek out Madonna and ask her to explain the Kabbalah; or answer an ad for the Rosicrucian [...]
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    Posted: November 18, 2009, 4:41am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “World Peace Day”. An admirable sentiment, no doubt, but one also has to ask at what price. A number of studies have shown that since the collapse of the Soviet evil empire the world has been getting steadily more peaceful, that is, the levels of conflict, both between [...]
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    Posted: November 17, 2009, 1:01pm EST
    by DB Light

  • This Year In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Button Day”. I don’t know what it means either. Lots of military stuff today. On this day in 1532 the Conquistador Francisco Pizarro took Inca emperor, Atahualpa, hostage after victory in the battle of Cajamarca. And on this day in 1798 the Brits boarded a United States ship, the Baltimore, and [...]
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    Posted: November 16, 2009, 5:54am EST
    by DB Light

  • Harrisburg Tea Party

    —Pawatercooler.com

    From the Tribune-Review: Harrisburg — The Pennsylvania Tea Party took its message of limited government to this capital city Saturday. Hundreds of protesters from regional groups that came from as far as the Ohio and New Jersey borders gathered at Harrisburg’s City Island early yesterday afternoon for a march through the city [...]
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    Posted: November 15, 2009, 7:38pm EST
    by DB Light

  • The “First Pacific President”

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Speaking in Tokyo Obama referred to himself as the “first Pacific President” suggesting that he, unlike any of his predecessors, had significant experience in Pacific affairs based on the fact that he was born in Hawaii and spent some of his childhood in Indonesia. As with so many pronouncements made [...]
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    Posted: November 15, 2009, 8:45am EST
    by DB Light

  • Quakers Smash Crimson

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    Woo Hoo! The Penn Quakers sewed up at least a share of the league championship this afternoon with a 17-7 win over Harvard. There is no joy in Cambridge tonight, the Crimson lies defeated on the field of play. Next up, Cornell and a chance to win the Ivy outright. [...]
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    Posted: November 14, 2009, 6:20pm EST
    by DB Light

  • More Pennsylvania Pictures — Riding Through Dutch Country

    —Pawatercooler.com

    This week I’m posting some pictures I took while we were driving through Pennsylvania Dutch country — my favorite part of the commonwealth. First, migration season is in full swing and the Susquehanna valley seems to be a favored route for a number of species. As we drove through there were [...]
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    Posted: November 14, 2009, 10:17am EST
    by DB Light

  • Althouse Slams Sarah

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Drudge has an excerpt from Sarah’s book on his site. Read it here. From her account the McCain staffers assigned to handle her were inept, patronizing, and dishonest. This may well be true, but her insubordinate attitude toward them reveals more than Sarah might want people to know. Ann Althouse [...]
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    Posted: November 13, 2009, 4:12pm EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Sadie Hawkins Day”. For you young’uns out there, Sadie was the invention of Al Capp, whose “Lil’ Abner” comic strip was extremely popular half a century ago. Sadie was an unpopular girl who couldn’t find a man. She was also the daughter of the town’s mayor. So he [...]
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    Posted: November 13, 2009, 10:59am EST
    by DB Light

  • Sarah Update

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Sarah will be on Oprah this coming Monday, talking about her book, Going Rogue. The show has already taped and details are leaking out. Supposedly Oprah asked Sarah about hosting a TV show and Palin did not say “no” [here]. Roger Ailes ears must be pricking up. And Mark Halperin [...]
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    Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:24am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “National Chicken Soup Day”. In happier times I would urge you all to go out and get a large, steaming bowl of gastronomical goodness, but these days the National Organization of Screaming Ninnies might object. They would condemn the killing of poultry, the amount of energy required to [...]
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    Posted: November 12, 2009, 8:38am EST
    by DB Light

  • Veterans Speak at Penn State

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Somebody up at UP is doing things right. They now have a course: English 497: Narrative, Oral History and New Media Technologies in spring 2009. The goal of the course was to help returning veterans become filmmakers by creating short documentaries about the experiences of the Iraq War. Dubbed “Back from [...]
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    Posted: November 11, 2009, 11:25pm EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Veterans Day” so go out and find a veteran and sincerely thank him or her for his/her service [in an entirely appropriate way, that is]. When I was a child Veterans Day was still “Armistice Day” and it commemorated the end of major combat in World War I. The [...]
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    Posted: November 11, 2009, 5:50am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is USMC Day, commemorating the founding, on this day in 1775, of the Continental Marines. These days we know them as the United States Marine Corps. Happy Birthday, jarheads. You done us proud. On this day in 1871 Stanley met Livingstone. It’s one of the iconic moments of the age [...]
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    Posted: November 10, 2009, 8:27am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is the strangely titled “Chaos Never Dies Day”. Supposedly it is a day to contemplate all the random turmoil that characterizes modern existence. I like that. The central conceit of modern culture is that the seeming randomness of life results from the operation of deep, fundamental processes that trained [...]
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    Posted: November 09, 2009, 5:10am EST
    by DB Light

  • Penn Smashes Princeton!!!

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 2
    Not all the news this weekend has been bad. The fearsome Quaker brawlers obliterated the pathetic Princeton pussycats 42-7 Saturday to remain undefeated in League play. Next up the boys from Cambridge. Fight Harvard fiercely Quakes. [...]
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    Posted: November 08, 2009, 12:36am EST
    by DB Light

  • No from Holden

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Twitter @ErickaAndersen: New Dem “No” vote: Rep. Tim Holden (PA) [...]
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    Posted: November 07, 2009, 4:35pm EST
    by DB Light

  • More Pennsylvania Pictures — On the Way to the Polls

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 6
    Election day, late in the afternoon, we were on our way to vote. The sun hung low in the sky and its rays slanted across the landscape. Photographers call it the “golden hour”, when everything seems to be infused with an amber glow. “She Who Must Not Be Named” was [...]
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    Posted: November 07, 2009, 9:15am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Saxophone Day” honoring Adophe Sax, who invented the instrument back in the 1840’s. Here are three of the greatest sax men ever, Bird, Bean and Prez with a few friends. If you don’t know who they are, you should. And a bit more… Aaaaaahhhhh…, that’s nice. On this day in 1917 [...]
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    Posted: November 06, 2009, 7:19am EST
    by DB Light

  • Rush’s Take

    —Pawatercooler.com

    I was wondering how Rush was going to spin the outcome of the NY-23 loss. Here’s his take: The Conservative Party got more votes than ever before. The loss was the result of screw-ups by the Republican leadership who should have never supported DeDe in the first place. And when she ran into [...]
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    Posted: November 05, 2009, 10:03am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is Guy Fawkes Day so, Remember, remember the fifth of November, The gunpowder treason and plot, I know of no reason Why the gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot. And don’t forget to give each child you meet today a “penny for the Guyver” and tonight to relax you can build a bonfire and burn [...]
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    Posted: November 05, 2009, 5:46am EST
    by DB Light

  • The Establishment Won

    —Pawatercooler.com

    The biggest winners in yesterday’s elections were the much-maligned Republican establishment. Biggest losers, Sarah, Rush, Pawlenty and the Reaganite insurgents who could not deliver a win in NY23. Now the ball is in the insurgents’ court. How will they respond? I think It will be interesting to listen to Rush this [...]
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    Posted: November 04, 2009, 5:44am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Housewife’s Day” — a time to show your appreciation for the stay-at-home wives who reject the feminist mantra and take on themselves the awesome responsibility of providing a rich and nurturing environment for their families and ensuring that the next generation of Americans is raised with strong character [...]
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    Posted: November 03, 2009, 6:25am EST
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    For those of you who are Catholic today is “All Souls Day”, a time to pray for the souls of the departed that they may be cleansed of sin and enter Heaven. In Mexico and Portugal it is “Dia de Muertos” the “Day of the Dead”. If you are not [...]
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    Posted: November 02, 2009, 4:09am EST
    by DB Light

  • Death and Elections in Schuylkill County

    —Pawatercooler.com

    On Friday, the 23rd of October a Schuylkill Haven man, Frank Manganiello, shot and killed his girlfriend outside the Social Security Office in Pottsville and fled to a nearby church where he committed suicide. The incident, as you might expect, was well covered by the local press. You can read [...]
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    Posted: October 31, 2009, 9:25pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • Penn Wins Again!

    —Pawatercooler.com

    The mighty Quaker warriors from West Philly continued their winning streak and remained undefeated in league play today by beating Brown in overtime 14-7. Next up, Princeton. [...]
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    Posted: October 31, 2009, 6:08pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE

    —Pawatercooler.com

    [...]
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    Posted: October 31, 2009, 8:00am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “National Candy Corn Day” so stock up on the stuff for feeding tomorrow’s trick-or-treaters; better yet stuff yourself with fistfuls of the delicious little sweets. Don’t worry about running out — according to Brach’s Confections, the largest producer of candy corn, each year Americans eat enough Brach’s candy [...]
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    Posted: October 30, 2009, 5:13am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Hermit” day, so dig out your dusty old picture of Peter Noone and the boys and spend the day [like so many days lately, it seems] sitting alone in a dark room, staring at a computer screen and softly singing, “I’m ‘Enery the Eighth, I Am….” If anyone [...]
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    Posted: October 29, 2009, 5:36am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “National Plush Animal Lovers Day” so get yourself a plush animal and love it [in an entirely appropriate way, that is]. This one’a a biggie: On this day in 312 AD the Emperor Constantine [the Great] defeated a challenger to the throne [Maxentius] at the battle of Milvian Bridge. [...]
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    Posted: October 28, 2009, 12:25pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Navy Day” so find yourself a swabbie and demonstrate for him or her your heartfelt appreciation [in an entirely appropriate way, of course]. And on this day in 1492 Christopher Columbus tooling around the Caribbean trying to figure out just where he was, discovered Cuba and claimed it for [...]
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    Posted: October 27, 2009, 2:44am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “National Mincemeat Day”, so get out your chopping block and implements. Here’s a nice little recipe from the Sixteenth Century: Pyes of mutton or beif must be fyne mynced & seasoned with pepper and salte and a lytel saffron to colour it / suet or marrow a good quantitie [...]
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    Posted: October 26, 2009, 6:40pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • More Pennsylvania Pictures — My Favorite Season

    —Pawatercooler.com

    It’s that time of year again, when the trees show us just what they are capable of. This year is not quite up to the standard of some recent memories, and the weather turned bad just as the trees peaked, but even so Fall splendor in the gorgeous commonwealth is [...]
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    Posted: October 25, 2009, 7:47am EDT
    by DB Light

  • Penn Smashes Yale

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Woo Hoo! The mighty Quaker marauders extended their winning streak to four games and remained undefeated in league play by crushing the Elis 9-zip. The hapless bulldogs could muster only three field goal attempts but missed all three. ‘Tonight there is no joy in New Haven, mighty Penn triumphs over [...]
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    Posted: October 24, 2009, 6:40pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Happy Mole Day! No, I’m not referring to the little critters that drive gardeners crazy, but to the chemical term. It refers to a standard unit for measuring the amount of a pure substance. The mole is defined as the amount of substance of a system that contains as many “elementary [...]
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    Posted: October 23, 2009, 5:45am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “National Nut Day”. There is absolutely no reason to believe that it refers to you. Really! So quit acting that way. I mean it! Stop that! On this day in 741 AD, Charles “The Hammer” Martel, hero of the Battle of Tours dies. He served as Mayor of the [...]
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    Posted: October 22, 2009, 7:03am EDT
    by DB Light

  • Philly ACORN Video

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Here’s the link to the Philadelphia ACORN Prostitution post on YouTube. Here’s the FOX News story on it. These kids played it perfectly. They released several videos at places around the US, then sat back and let the lies roll out. Now they have video showing the ACORN apologists lying on camera [...]
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    Posted: October 21, 2009, 3:05pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    For all you blatherskites out there, today is “Babbling Day”. So, for most of us on the inter-whatchamacallits, that means go out there and just behave the way we always do. On this day in 1492 Cristopher Columbus “discovered” America. I wrote about this a few weeks ago [here] so I [...]
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    Posted: October 21, 2009, 6:19am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    Today is “Evaluate Your Life Day”. Of course that assumes you have one. I don’t. On this day in 439 AD the Vandals, led by Gaiseric, captured Carthage in North Africa [Tunisia today]. People today forget that the Vandals [an East German people who have gotten really horrible press over the [...]
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    Posted: October 19, 2009, 7:09am EDT
    by DB Light

  • Three In A Row!

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    The fearsome Quaker warriors continued to exert total mastery over their hapless foes and remained undefeated in league play. This week it was Columbia which succumbed to Quaker might by a score of 27-13. That was all well and proper, an affirmation of the natural order of things. The last [...]
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    Posted: October 17, 2009, 9:54pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • Hawk Mountain

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 2
    There’s a really nice article in the travel section of tomorrow’s [Oct 18, 2009] Baltimore Sun on Hawk Mountain. Check it out here. Here are a few pictures I’ve taken from up on the mountain. The fall migration is in full swing, so head on up to the sanctuary and don’t [...]
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    Posted: October 17, 2009, 4:57pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Dictionary Day” so here goes: dicâ‹…tionâ‹…arâ‹…y –noun, plural -arâ‹…ies. 1. a book containing a selection of the words of a language, usually arranged alphabetically, giving information about their meanings, pronunciations, etymologies, inflected forms, etc., expressed in either the same or another language; lexicon; glossary: a dictionary of English; a Japanese-English dictionary. 2. a [...]
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    Posted: October 16, 2009, 4:50am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    On this day in 1529 Ottoman armies led by Suleiman (”the Magnificent”) finally retreated from the walls of Vienna. For more than a century Muslim armies had relentlessly attacked and conquered Christian realms in Eastern Europe. This was their first significant defeat. Historians are divided as to whether Suleiman intended [...]
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    Posted: October 15, 2009, 12:24pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • Is Al Gore In the State?

    —Pawatercooler.com

    The National weather service is predicting “possibly damaging” snow for Pennsylvania starting tomorrow. Usually this sort of thing happens right after Al Gore has visited the area. COLD HIGH PRESSURE WILL NOSE IN FROM THE NORTH TODAY AND TONIGHT. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE FROM THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TO THE CAROLINA [...]
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    Posted: October 14, 2009, 3:03pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Be Bald and Free Day” so go out there, shave off your hair, and experience true freedom. On this day in 1066 AD William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings. This was the decisive battle in the Norman Conquest of Britain. This was [...]
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    Posted: October 14, 2009, 4:56am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is International Skeptics Day so go out there and question everything. Start with yourself…, lessee now…, I think I think, therefore I think I am…, or maybe not. How can I be sure? Then move on to less interesting subjects. Can I really believe what Obama says about the [...]
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    Posted: October 13, 2009, 4:23am EDT
    by DB Light

  • Teachout Speaks in Philadelphia

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    Just a heads-up. Terry Teachout, drama critic for the Wall Street Journal and chief culture critic for Commentary magazine will be speaking at the Free Library of Philadelphia on December 10th. He will be pimping his newest book, a biography of Louis Armstrong. He’s one of the smartest guys out there, [...]
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    Posted: October 12, 2009, 11:50pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    The government has officially designated today to be Columbus Day, marking Cristobal Colon’s “discovery” of America, but on this day in history he was still at sea and didn’t make landfall until the 21st. So, in the interest of accuracy I will continue to celebrate “Old Farmer’s Day”. This too [...]
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    Posted: October 12, 2009, 2:45pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • More Pennsylvania Pictures — Early Morning Mist

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    Early in the morning fog rolled up from the Schuylkill and filled the valley. It made for some very nice photo opportunities as the sun broke over the mountain. Facing back the other way the moon was still high in the sky and stood out clearly in the still dark sky. Later [...]
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    Posted: October 11, 2009, 10:27pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • Penn Wins!!!

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    The stalwart young Quakers of Pennsylvania utterly demolished the unfortunate and hapless youths from Bucknell 21-3 at Franklin Field. Way to go Quakes!!! Next up, Columbia. [...]
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    Posted: October 10, 2009, 6:15pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is National Angel Food Cake Day…, mmmm, mmmm, mmmm. So find yourself an angel and feed her some cake. On this day in 732 AD Charles “the Hammer” Martel led a force of Franks and Burgundians against a Muslim army led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi. Tradition long had it [...]
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    Posted: October 10, 2009, 1:47am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is Leif Eriksson Day, honoring the first European who can be documented as having set foot in the Americas. Sometime around 2002 AD he sailed westward from Greenland and found a new land which he called Vinland. Today the Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland is considered [...]
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    Posted: October 09, 2009, 12:46pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • Soccer Mom Suicide

    —Pawatercooler.com

    From PennLive Meleanie Hain, the pistol-carrying Lebanon mom who received national attention for taking a loaded gun to her daughter’s soccer game, was shot to death Wednesday night with her husband in an apparent murder-suicide, police said. Hain, 31, and her husband, Scott, 33, were pronounced dead by Lebanon County Coroner Dr. [...]
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    Posted: October 08, 2009, 10:24am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “American Touch Tag Day” so try to reach out and touch someone [in an entirely appropriate manner, of course]. On this day in 1823 New York Governor, DeWitt Clinton, inaugurated the Erie Canal [it took two more years to complete its whole length] linking the Hudson River with Lake [...]
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    Posted: October 08, 2009, 10:09am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “World Smile Day” so make like Tony Perkins and do it. Just do it! First, for the patriots among you: On this day in 1765 the Stamp Act Congress convened in New York. Representatives from nine of the thirteen colonies attended to discuss how to respond to the recent imposition [...]
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    Posted: October 07, 2009, 5:40am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Physician Assistant Day” so find a physician and offer to assist him or her. On this day in 1876 the American Library Association was founded in Philadelphia. This is a momentous day in film history — on this day in 1889 Thomas Edison showed a motion picture. He had already [...]
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    Posted: October 06, 2009, 4:15am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “Do Something Nice Day” and also “World Teacher Day” so go out there and do something nice to a teacher. Today has been a bad day [one of many] for American Indians. On this day in 1813 the Shawnee chief, Tecumseh was killed. Tecumseh’s brother, Tenskwatawa “The Shawnee Prophet”, [...]
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    Posted: October 05, 2009, 8:39am EDT
    by DB Light

  • Penn Wins!

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    Woo Hoo! The mighty Quaker warriors finally broke out of their torpor and demolished the hapless young men of Dartmouth 30-17. That makes them 1-0 in league play. May today be the start of something big. [...]
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    Posted: October 03, 2009, 10:14pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • More Pennsylvania Pictures — Around the Hood

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Number of comments: 1
    Just a few shots from around the hood. I’ve lived a lot of places and visited many more, but I keep coming back to the gorgeous commonwealth, in large part because it is…, well, gorgeous. Like the State song goes, “where ere I roam, my only home….” The weather is [...]
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    Posted: October 03, 2009, 10:13pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • Zombama

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Looking for a Halloween mask? This one’s available from Amazon. [...]
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    Posted: October 02, 2009, 11:10pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “National Custodial Worker Day” so do something nice for the people who clean up your messes. On this day in 322 BC Aristotle expired under suspicious circumstances [officially he died of a "stomach ache" but it was no secret that Alexander the Great wanted him out of the way]. [...]
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    Posted: October 02, 2009, 3:19am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is “World Vegetarian Day” so go out and graze to your hearts content. On this day in 331 BC Darius III, the Persian emperor, met in battle an invading Greek and Macedonian army commanded by Alexander the Great at Gaugamela. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for the Macedonians [...]
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    Posted: October 01, 2009, 2:54am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today is National Mud Pack Day, so get out there and start slinging and packing. On this day sixty years ago [the formal date is October 1st, but because we are east of the international dateline we should note it today] the People’s Republic of China was established. Under the leadership [...]
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    Posted: September 30, 2009, 4:13am EDT
    by DB Light

  • Orwell on Polanski

    —Pawatercooler.com

    In his essay on Salvador Dali [a monstrous and disgusting figure, so much so that he would have enjoyed being considered monstrous and disgusting] George Orwell makes the point that having artistic talent does not excuse a person from the standards of decent human conduct by writing: If Shakespeare returned to [...]
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    Posted: September 29, 2009, 1:46pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • Re: Priorities

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Yep, John, that pretty much nails it. [...]
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    Posted: September 29, 2009, 8:42am EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    There’s not much of great historical interest to write about today — Jamestown was resupplied, Leo I became Pope, Saladin entered Jerusalem…, that sort of thing. I suppose I could do a short essay on any of them, especially Leo ["the Great"] who was the pope who negotiated with Attila [...]
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    Posted: September 29, 2009, 8:40am EDT
    by DB Light

  • Priorities

    —Pawatercooler.com

    Today’s headlines from Drudge: Iran conducts third round of missile tests... 'Could reach Israel'... Russia: Iranian missile tests cause concern... Revolutionary Guards begin war games... Venezuela exploring uranium deposits with Russia... China to display upgraded missiles in parade... India raises nuclear stakes; Can make high-yield weapons... And this comes on top of last weeks foiling of terror plots [...]
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    Posted: September 28, 2009, 3:27pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • This Day In History

    —Pawatercooler.com

    I missed this earlier — on this day in 1924 Marcello Mastrionni was born and ten years to the day after that Brigitte Bardot was born. They just don’t make people any more beautiful than those two. Today is “Ask a Stupid Question Day” (presumably in honor of the Washington Press [...]
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    Posted: September 28, 2009, 11:21am EDT
    by DB Light

  • More Pennsylvania Pictures — Coal Country

    —Pawatercooler.com

    We drove up through the anthacite coal region north of Pottsville recently. Here’s a little bit of what we saw. Row houses in Pottsville. This picture points up one of the problems of taking pictures in these towns. Power lines — they’re everywhere and, unless you are able to take your [...]
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    Posted: September 27, 2009, 10:57pm EDT
    by DB Light

  • Wait Til Next Year

    —Pawatercooler.com

    The mighty fighting Quakers suffered another defeat, losing to Lafayette 20-17 in overtime. Maybe next year…. [...]
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    Posted: September 26, 2009, 10:43pm EDT
    by DB Light

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