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“My kids are starting to notice I’m a little different from the other dads. ‘Why don’t you have a straight job like everyone else?’ they asked me the other day.
I told them this story:
In the forest, there was a crooked tree and a straight tree. Every day, the straight tree would say to the crooked tree, ‘Look at me…I’m tall, and I’m straight, and I’m handsome. Look at you…you’re all crooked and bent over. No one wants to look at you.’ And they grew up in that forest together. And then one day the loggers came, and they saw the crooked tree and the straight tree, and they said, ‘Just cut the straight trees and leave the rest.’So the loggers turned all the straight trees into lumber and toothpicks and paper. And the crooked tree is still there, growing stronger and stranger every day.”
Tom Waits
When at first you wake by the light of the crescent moon,
say “rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, hare, hare, hare”
– to usher in a month of luck
– to shed sorrow and despair.Welcome March (and the March Hare)
!
Artist – Jenny Gregory
A nearly 2,000-year-old wooden object in the shape of a penis could have served as a sexual tool by ancient Romans in Britain, according to a new study.
The artifact was unearthed in 1992 in a ditch at the Roman Fort of Vindolanda, near Hadrian’s Wall, which once marked the Roman Empire’s northwest frontier, in northern England. Researchers initially recorded the object as being a darning tool, according to the study published in the journal Antiquity on Sunday.
This misidentification was the result of the tool being found alongside dozens of shoes and dress accessories, and other small tools and craft waste products, according to a news release.
However, researchers have reinterpreted the artifact as a disembodied phallus and, by examining it closely, have outlined some of its most likely possible functions.
The carved object, which is 160 millimeters (6.3 inches) long, could have been used as a sexual tool, not necessarily for penetration, but more likely for clitoral stimulation, the researchers wrote. If the archaeological find is indeed a sex toy, it represents the only known example of a “non-miniaturised” wooden phallus from Roman times, according to the study.
“It very well could be a sex object and, if it is, it is the first example from the Roman world,” study coauthor Rob Collins, a senior lecturer in archaeology at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, said.
“We shouldn’t be surprised by this. We know from Roman art and Roman literature that they used dildos, that they existed. But we haven’t found any examples archaeologically yet,” he added.
One of the reasons such objects are not common in archaeological finds is because dildos were more likely to have been made from organic materials and, therefore, do not routinely survive, according to the study.
However, if the artifact is a sexual tool, it might not always have been used exclusively as a sex toy for pleasure.
The object could have been used by a slave owner on an enslaved person, whether male or female, for torture or to assert dominance, reinforcing power imbalances, according to the study.
“So, the other thing we have to be conscious of is that it would be easy to cast such an object as silly and frivolous and just about sexual gratification, but it could be a tool for perpetuating power imbalance and subjugation,” Collins said.
A personal favorite!!
MOTHER LOAD BLOODY MARY – A “MUST” SUNDAY MEAL!
INGREDIENTS:
* 1 1/2 ounces Vodka (per drink)
* 7 ounces V8 juice (or tomato juice)
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* Cajun / Creole Seasoning
* Pound of bacon
* 4 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (Can be dragged in old bay seasoning if desired)
* olive oil
* salt/pepper
* lemon and or lime
* 1/2 teaspoon tabasco
* celery
* olivesOptions: Cubes of cheddar jack cheese, slim jims
DIRECTIONS:
* Mix the brown sugar and cayenne together, sprinkle over the top side of the bacon slices – bake @350 for 20 min
* Brush shrimp with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper & place under broiler for a few minutes each side
* Pour the Vodka, V8, worcestershire, tabasco, salt/pepper, and squeeze of lemon (or lime) into a cocktail shaker – shake vigorously and pour into a tall glass with ice
* Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon seasoning on the top of the drink and/or rim the glass.
* Garnish with olive spears, celery stalk, shrimp and bacon skewers
Classic Italian Bruschetta Recipe
6 Roma Tomatoes (1 1/2 lbs, diced)
⅓ cup Basil Leaves (chopped)
5 Garlic Cloves (divided)
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ teaspoon Sea Salt
¼ teaspoon Black PepperBalsamic Glaze (optional)
1 Baguette
⅓ cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded)Directions:
Make the Tomato Topping:
Core and dice tomatoes (or use a food chopper). Drain any excess juice and transfer tomatoes to a medium bowl.
Stack basil leaves and roll them into a tube. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the basil into ribbons and transfer to the bowl with tomatoes.
Finely mince 5 garlic cloves. Mix 1 tsp of minced garlic into 3 Tbsp olive oil and set aside. Add remaining minced garlic to the mixing bowl with tomatoes.
Season tomatoes with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp balsamic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir gently to combine and set aside to marinate for 15-30 minutes.
Serve with bruschetta toasts and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or balsamic glaze.
Make the Bruschetta Toasts:
Preheat oven to 400˚F with a rack in the center of the oven.
Place toasts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut toasts into 1/2” thick slices, slicing diagonally.
Arrange toasts on the prepared baking sheet and brush the garlic infused olive oil on both sides of toasts. Sprinkle tops with parmesan cheese and bake at 400˚F for 5 minutes then broil on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. (Note: If you do not have garlic infused olive oil slice a clove of garlic and manually rub each slice of bread with it and then brush on olive oil as described)
Build the toasts right before serving.
