We’ll be feasting on ham and potatoes with salads and enjoying mead mixed with plum wine, and our traditional flaming plums and cherries over ice cream for dessert.

Then we will retire to the Plum Room for stories where many accounts of the legend of the Burning Plum will be presented.

In short, tonight we celebrate friendship, as we do every year at this time.

Let the Night of the Burning Plum commence!

Frustrating Michael Moore | Foundation for Economic Education
If Michael Moore would study a little political economy he might turn into a potent champion of individual liberty.

I don’t usually have time on Fridays to click through and read the latest TGIF article from FEE. FEE (for those who aren’t long time readers) is the Foundation for Economic Education. They’re a group of Austrian school economists who are trying to spread, without profit to themselves, information defending a true free market. They’re responsible for the translation of Bastiat into English. TGIF is the Friday play on acronyms that stands (for FEE) for The Goal Is Freedom. Today I had a few minutes and the topic looked interesting (Michael Moore’s new film) and so I clicked through.

What I found was not the usual Moore bashing hateful rhetoric that many might be used to seeing from some of his opponents, nor even the uncharitable assumptions that Moore is stupid or anti-american. No, this article treats Moore with more charity than many think he may deserve, and takes his film as an opportunity to describe the eventual results of what Moore is advocating, and describe how our current corrupt system is not the free market.

And that’s the greatness of this article, which won’t take long to read, it’s that it shows in stark terms the difference between a free market and pro-business, and it does so while agreeing with some of what Moore rails against. Any longer here and I’ll do the article disservice–so go read it and I’ll shut up.

Burglar leaves his Facebook page on victim’s computer – journal-news.net | News, sports, jobs, community information for Martinsburg – The Journal
She told police that someone had broken into her home through a bedroom window.

There were open cabinets in her garage, and other signs of a burglar.

The victim later noticed that the intruder also used her computer to check his Facebook status, and his account was still open when she checked the computer.

The victim later noticed that she was missing two diamond rings from her dresser in the same room as her computer.

HT: Jonponder

…you are loved by a dissatisfied Redeemer. He will not rest from His work of grace until every last microbe of sin has been completely eradicated from every last cell of every last one of His children.

Paul Tripp in Broken Down House

From Cato:
Indeed, the administration’s programs remind us that today is July 2, the 233rd anniversary of the day on which the Continental Congress voted for American independence, issuing a document that declared, among other things,

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance

.

We are so far removed from 1776 that we’ve forgotten why it is they craved freedom, and have given ourselves to a quick, painful, regression to slavery. Kyrie elaison.

Yes, California, There Is an Individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms Cato @ Liberty
Well, today the Ninth Circuit the federal appellate court covering most Western states ruled that the Second Amendment restricts the power of state and local governments to interfere with individual right to have guns for personal use.  That is, the Fourteenth Amendment “incorporates” the Second Amendment against the states, as the Supreme Court has found it to do for most of the Bill of Rights.  I rarely get a chance to say this, but the Ninth Circuit gets it exactly right.

Seven of the last eight pregnancies have not ended with a baby in our arms. They’ve ended with tears and sadness and a bitter tasting cup to drink. We have not gotten to hear those hearts beat. Not heard the cries of a newborn. A laugh, a first word–all outside of even my dreams.

It may be too early today. We may have to wait to know. Like I wait right now for them to call me in to possibly know nothing new.

I long right now to hear that patPATpatpat of the quick fetal hearttones- faster than even my old out of shape heart is on a treadmill. It is a beautiful sound- I know this because I can remember what it sounded like roughly two years ago when we sat in a room not knowing if we were going to get a baby after six consecutive miscarriages.

And there it was: Margary’s heartbeat. A sound of certain life that brought tears to our eyes. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a moment on this earth where a sound was that sweet.

And now I long once more, another child gone to be with God last October, to hear those sweet beats of a tiny tiny heart.

Yesterday, though, I realized something. While I cannot imagine a sweeter sound than those heartbeats right now, there is a sweeter sound that goes beyond my imagination that I know I will hear. And that is the voice of Jesus. It will be a sweeter sound than these earthly ears have ever heard as He welcomes me Home.

They called me in and there it is. A little sac in TC’s uterus. Inside? Our baby. And then there it was. a blinking pulse from there in the sac.

“Are there speakers?”

And she turned them on and I heard a sound that still leaves tears of joy in my eyes. That sound we’ve prayed to hear for the last two weeks. That sweet, sweet sound of a baby’s heart.

Thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank you! I praise Your name for this sweet sweet sound of a tiny heart in a tiny child. Thank you.

“Holy, holy Lord God Almighty!
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!
“Highest praises, honor and glory
“Be unto Your Name!”

We’ve never miscarried after hearing the heartbeat- but many women do. Please do stay in prayer for our little one.

We’ve chosen a good Calvinist pet name for this little one: baby Lucky. We hope he will be number seven in our home- arriving sometime around Thanksgiving, making that a sweet, sweet day of thanks for us.

Vote NO April 7
The ballot question will be called Sales Tax to Support Public Facilities. Please vote NO on election day or during the early voting period of March 16 through April 2.

Vote NO on Public Facilities Sales Tax
On April 7, 2009, voters who live in Peoria County will decide whether to approve a .25% sales tax increase for public facilities purposes — specifically, to help construct the proposed Peoria Riverfront Museum. We believe Peoria County residents should vote NO.

http://www.nomuseumtax.org/

I voted early, and an enthusiastic no. If it only takes $17 per person to get this done, (btw that’s more for my large family–but I still only got one vote at the ballot box) then it should be easy to raise the funds. Especially if they’d spent all the money they spent lobbying and advertising for taking my money without consent.

It was a freebee, a chance to go as a local blogger and review the restaurant for advertising purposes. Before I get into the review proper, let me say that Shane, a manger there, made a brilliant move having a group of local bloggers come out and eat there for free and write reviews. It shows that the management there understands that the way of the future is the web, and that local bloggers are a great source of positive publicity.

Of course it could have backfired. We could have hated it.

<backtrack to 2003>

My wife and I had a favorite restaurant in Peoria. We loved it. When we wanted something special, we went there, to Dominick’s. It was great. Pasta, steak, great service, beautiful decor. We loved it. And it closed.

Since then, we’ve found local places we liked at different times, and in different moods. But we’ve not found a place that I considered “fine dining” in all the ways I liked to replace Dominick’s since it closed.

Until last night.

I showed up a little before 7 and sat down and there were already a half dozen bloggers there. I’ve met quite a few local bloggers at blogger bashes and such before the evening, but none of them were there. Another 3-4 showed up before we got started and it was a good group.

I have this habit of sitting in the middle of a group and trying to take part in all the conversations. It never works but I keep trying. I didn’t write down the names or the blogs represented, but the ones I remember are Morton Malaise and Keep Passing the Open Windows (I’ll add more when I remember them).

I ordered an IPA to start out and looked over the menu. After some discussion with my neighbors at the table two of us decided to split the Calmari, which was the best I’ve had to date. It often is a little too chewy for me, but this was just perfect. I also got to try some of the Crab & Artichoke Au Gratin and some of the Escargot.

All of the appetizers I tried were fantastic. I would try any of them again, and I would have loved to try the Mushrooms or the Brie.

Then the salad came. I ventured out and had the Pear Salad, which came with dried cranberries, bleu cheese, walnuts and a strawberry vinaigrette.

I wasn’t sure how the tastes were going to work together, but since it was the most out of the ordinary, I had to try it. They had a house salad, and a spinach salad, and a Caesar–but I had to try the Pear.

I wasn’t disappointed. The amount of dressing on the salad was just right for my taste, and the flavors of the varied ingredients were just fantastic together.

With dinner I ordered a bottle of the Ridge vineyard Geyserville (2006 vintage) Zinfandel. We shared it around the table, and it was one of the finest Zins I have had–ever. They mentioned changing the wine list soon, and I hope that they keep the wines from that vineyard.

After a great deal of deliberation (they had veal and duck on the menu which I have a hard time turning down) I ordered the Rack of Lamb. It was cooked exactly as I had asked and served with asparagus and their 30 Layer Potato Au Gratin (a specialty) and everything was just beautiful. And flavorful. And delicious. And…. I loved it. I saved some to bring home (the wife couldn’t come) but I enjoyed every bite.

Dessert was the only mildly disappointing part–and only because I didn’t ask my questions before I ordered. I had the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, which isn’t made on site. For a dessert purchased off site, it was still pretty good, but had I asked before I ordered, I would have had the chocolate mousse with Chambord glaze. I tasted my neighbor’s and it was just lovely. Definitely getting that next time. Enjoyed the dessert nonetheless and ordered a Booker’s (neat) to go with it. This is a small batch bourbon not often found in local restaurants, and I enjoyed it greatly.

I was thoroughly impressed with everything (and the decor was nice too!) last night, and will certainly be back. Probably next month for my anniversary.

Thanks for the invite, Shane! It is one of the finest meals I’ve had, and rivals some of the restaurants in big cities like DC. I’ll be back as often as I can afford it.

And you bloggers that didn’t take him up on the invite–Shame on you! You missed out on a great meal and a great time.

Two25 is a great local restaurant and a credit to Peoria. Be sure to check it out soon!