Archive for July 17th, 2006
It is the duty of those serving the people in public place closely to limit public expenditures to the actual needs of the government economically administered, because this bounds the right of the government to extract tribute from the earnings of labor or the property of the citizen, and because public extravagance begets extravagance among the people. We should never be ashamed of the simplicity and prudential economies which are best suited to the operation of a republican form of government and most compatible with the mission of the American people. Those who are selected for a limited time to manage public affairs are still of the people, and may do much by their example to encourage, consistently with the dignity of their official functions, that plain way of life which among their fellow-citizens aids integrity and promotes thrift and prosperity.
President GROVER CLEVELAND, first inaugural address, March 4, 1885.—The Writings and Speeches of Grover Cleveland, ed. George F. Parker, p. 35 (1892).
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UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair have called for an international force to be sent to Lebanon to stop attacks on Israel.
Mr Blair said the force could “stop the bombardment coming over into Israel and therefore gives Israel a reason to stop its attacks on Hezbollah”.
It is precisely this type of attitude that prevents and hinders any progress being made in the Middle East. If an international force is going to be sent, Israel as well as Lebanon should be the target of their efforts. Unless Israel, and allies, take some responsibility for the mess occurring in the Middle East, nothing will change.
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After 3 visits (I live 1 block away) to the Italian Festival, I am ready to write this wrap-up. My award for best smelling booth goes to Artichoke French. The smell of garlic was heavenly.
Best tasting food item was a three way tie, I’ll have to go back next year and see if I can figure this one out. The winners are: Billy Ogdens Famous Stuffed Banana Peppers, Bing’s Crab Cakes and Mineo & Sapio’s Italian Sausage stuffed with Capicolla & Provolone, topped with peppers and onions.
Sorry Bing’s, I didn’t get a photo, but the crab cakes were delicious.
Today was a gorgeous day to walk around Hertel Avenue.
You never knew who you might run in to.
The kids always count on the slides for some fun.
The stage at the Colvin end always provides a nice variety of entertainment.
This couple was having a great time dancing to the music of The Chuck Cardone Italian Quartet.
Junction West put on a great show. They were the last act of this year’s festival and drew a large crowd.
This year, the organizers of the Italian Festival had a theme of returning to its roots. I’m not sure exactly what that meant, but they did a tremendous job. There were more local restaurants present, which is always a plus. There was a very interesting Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit inside Lunetta’s Restaurant. The man was a brilliant inventor, not just a painter. On display were copies of his original plans for several inventions, along with working models built to his original specifications. I can hardly wait until next year!
I took an ordinary shot and played around quite a bit with Photoshop CS2 and photomatix. While the result doesn’t have a natural look, I think it is very interesting, almost like an illustration. The back lighting is what prompted me to tweak it. I submitted the shot to a ruthless photography group on flickr, I’m waiting for the pointed criticism to begin. Anyway, here it is.
The flowers were actually tacky, fake sunflowers used to decorate in front of Lunetta’s Restaurant during the Italian Festival. Thankfully, their food is much better. Here’s a shot showing what the sunflowers really look like.
