Link Log for December 18

This one should have appeared on December 18; sometimes the clicker on a laptop computer doesn't work, and sometimes, when I'm going home for the weekend, I don't check to confirm that it did. Sorry. Categories: Faith, Food, Gift Ideas, Nature & Phenology Links, Politics, Security, Words.

Faith 

I don't have a problem with children learning to read, write, or say La ilaha ill'Allah. In fact, I think Christian American children (I'm not qualified to say anything about Jewish or Buddhist American children) should learn this phrase right along with salaam alaikum; it's part of our faith too, and we should affirm it. The part about Muhammad is the specifically Muslim phrase Christians should leave alone. But...

"Students said that the teacher focused on Islam, mandated that they copy the statement of faith, passed around a Quran and told the students they should read it, encouraged girls to try on a Muslim scarf, and photographed the one who did — against her will — with her (the teacher’s) personal cell phone and the school’s camera. - See more at: http://www.cwfa.org/writing-for-allah-101/#sthash.d7g4NhAf.dpuf"

Really? Did this teacher also mandate that students copy "Lord Jesus, come into my heart today," tell them to read the Bible, or photograph them "trying on" Jewish stars? (What about Wiccan pentagrams?) And can you imagine the howls of outrage if s/he had? Sometimes it seems to pay to be a minority in these United States...

http://www.cwfa.org/writing-for-allah-101/

Food (Yum) 

Gluten-free, and since the recipe leaves so much leeway to add or subtract ingredients, anybody who can eat eggs can do a version of this that they'll like.

http://blogjob.com/mountainrecipes/2015/12/18/mountain-mans-kitchen-sink-omelet/

For vegetarians, here's a gluten-free "spaghetti" (or "lasagna" if you arrange it in layers):

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/dec/17/spaghetti-without-carbs/

This recipe isn't "free" from anything, but those who like recipes may want to follow this blog...this blogger should write a book of Malaysian recipes. It might be the next fad here!

http://blogjob.com/localfood/2015/12/malaysia-salad-rojak-mamak/

Gift Ideas 

Christmas ornaments to chortle over:

http://blogjob.com/giftsforartlovers/2015/12/05/whimsical-christmas-ornaments/

"Adult" (in the sense of intricate) coloring books:

http://blogjob.com/adultcoloringfun/2015/12/09/johanna-basford-adult-coloring-books/

Nature/Phenology Link 

I need to make the time to do a proper phenology post...anyway, here's the kind of sunset (or is that a sunrise) we definitely won't have here today. (In the Blue Ridge Mountains, sunrise usually takes place behind fog. It's rare to see any color in the sky at sunrise.)

http://blogjob.com/mountainmanmusings/2015/12/17/what-is-it-with-red-sky-in-morning/

These little native willows...may be the same species that's occasionally found in the higher elevations of the Blue Ridge. They look similar. But we don't call them that any more...

http://blogjob.com/insights/2015/12/17/montana-tree-profiles-pussy-willows/

Politics 

How hard should U.S. tax regulations make it for U.S. citizens to maintain bank accounts in countries where they may be living?

http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=6a89b73599e68a4cdf6730e21&id=42287c238c&e=e038f280b8

Fellow Virginians, would you like to see how your State Senator and Delegate scored on key votes in last year's legislative session? The Tea Party Federation and CoLA do a really professional job with this kind of "report card" page. For those who may not agree with their assessment of the bills in question, there are links to all the bills at the bottom of the page--you're free to recalculate the scores!

http://www.vtppf.org/scorecards/

Security 

In the real world...

http://blogjob.com/northernblurbs/2015/12/17/before-you-dump-your-car/

Words

How, why, and what kind of young men came to be called "dudes":

http://nowiknow.com/hey-dude/