Baked Blue Cheese Halibut

Chef Shane offers a fish dish that sounds tasty.

Time Magazine Fiasco

Big Picture has an interesting post comparing Time's distorted Ann Coulter cover photo to the New Coke marketing disaster. (via BusinessPundit) I'm not sure whether or not he has a point; however, I do know that this is not the first time Time has used digital manipulation to sway the public's opinion. There is a well-documented instance from the O. J. Simpson trial days where Time and Newsweek both used the same stock photo for their cover. The two magazines were sitting side by side on newstands across America. Newsweek printed the photo "as is." Time manipulated the photo to make O. J. seem dark and sinister. If nothing else, Time reminded Americans everywhere how easy it is to alter photographs to serve one's purpose. It's difficult to separate fact from fiction when the sources that report it manipulate photos and stories for self-serving purposes. This is one of the main reasons Americans trust MSM less and less. I just wish I had a subscription to Time to cancel.

Dogwood Winter

Brrrrrrr . . . The dogwoods have been absolutely gorgeous this year in East Tennessee. We got our "cold snap" this past weekend that corresponds to dogwood season. Although the weather had been cool all day Saturday, I was very surprised to wake up to "white" outside. The meteorologists had only predicted snow for elevations over 3000 feet. I have news for them. It snowed at lower elevations too! We used to tease a meteorologist in our Sunday School class. We'd tell him that we all wanted a job like his -- where you could be wrong all the time and still have a job.

Little House

One of my favorites series of children's books is the Little House series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Cheri Pearson Yecke offers some observations on the books, the television series, and what it all teaches.

Luther G. Presley's Songs

In an article talking about the donation of historical materials a descendant of the famed Luther G. Presley left the University of Central Arkansas' Archives, there is a brief mention that Gospel songwriter Luther G. Presley's song collection will also be donated to the university's archives.

New Crops

I'm so excited to see a tobacco farmer changing crops.

New Pope

I really like what Bill Hobbs has to say!

Praise for Librarians

George Morgan, well-known genealogical columnist, has written an article which should encourage every librarian.

Bush to Visit the Smokies

Pres. Bush will be in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for Earth Day!

Tax Freedom Day Graph

This is a very telling graph. Notice how the Clinton years were very taxing!

Prison book writer accused of strangling librarian in crime spree

That headline is enough to make any librarian take a second look.

Annotated New York Times

This is totally cool!

Passenger Lists

Mystic Seaport offers ship and yacht passenger lists.

George Younce

I've learned that George Younce, beloved bass singer for the Cathedral Quartet for many many years, died this morning around 3:30. I don't think there are enough words to express George's greatness. He was a class act! He served as a mentor for so many others in the industry. Although he's been ill for a number of years, he remained upbeat and continued encouraging many others who were also going through difficult times. Our prayers are with his wife, children, and their families! He's joined that "Heavenly Choir."

Update: Roger Bennett has a great tribute to George posted!

James Madison Papers

Library of Congress has released the

Royal Connections Link Camilla Parker Bowles to New England

Those with New England heritage may view this weekend's marriage of Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles with greater interest knowing they may have a kinship connection to the bride. Through work conducted by Gary Boyd Roberts, senior research scholar at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), "a sizable number of New England-derived Americans, including no doubt numerous NEHGS members, will find themselves distantly related to the Duchess of Cornwall."

This week at NotableKin.org, Gary Boyd Roberts writes about "Genealogical Aspects of the Forthcoming Royal Wedding" in which he connects Camilla Parker Bowles to Henry David Thoreau through the New England couple Elisha Jones and Mary Allen. Bowles (née Shand) is a sixth great-granddaughter of the Jones/Allen union. Henry David Thoreau is a great-grandson of the couple.

An attractive pedigree chart, created by Don Stone at LineageCharts.com <http://www.lineagecharts.com/>, accompanies the article, providing an overview of the ancestry that connects the bride of Prince Charles to New England and French Canada. Roberts notes that "Mrs. Parker Bowles has considerable French Canadian ancestry through ... Charlotte [Coursolles]; there is also a line to a very few Pennsylvania residents."

Other relationships covered in the article include Camilla Parker Shand's genealogical link to the late Princess Diana and another rather distant connection to Prince Charles via the 2nd Duke of Newcastle, among others.

Visit www.notablekin.org to download the pedigree chart and read the complete article. For those more interested in famous musicians than in royalty, NotableKin.org has also recently been updated to include four new articles culled from the NEHGS website, NewEnglandAncestors.org. These articles feature notable musicians such as the Beach Boys and Janis Joplin.

Media contact only:
Laura G. Prescott
NEHGS Director of Marketing
617-226-1252
lprescott@nehgs.org

Virtual Cemetery Visits

Somehow, I don't think this can compare with cemetery-hopping!

Teaching State History

This morning I heard on the radio (or television) a discussion regarding the teaching of state history in Tennessee. Apparently Tennessee History is no longer a requirement. They are leaving it to teachers to weave it in sporadically where appropriate. I find it totally unacceptable that students are not required to study Tennessee's history in an organized fashion. Hit or miss just doesn't get it! State and local history is a must! We can't allow kids to grow up in a vacuum, unaware of the rich heritage in their immediate area. Students need to know what contributed to things, and the only way that can be done is to have a course that presents the material in a systematic fashion.