le chose du jour

EDUARDO CHILLIDA: A sculptor vasco that embodies his culture's contradictions, beauty, and persona.
His sculptures bear resemblances to rocks, yet the finite, sharp carvings made in them bring them out of the natural realm. These granite and steel sculptures can be found in the lush hills outside of San Sebastian, Spain. Situated on a perfectly rolling landscape, they fuse with the history of the countryside, weathering the same wind and rain, reflecting the same light and shadows that los vascos have for centuries.

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shiny, new

You know that liberating feeling when you realize you can do something previously thought impossible?
yeah.
You can get wax off of fabric, and I'm talking the whole, greasy stain, not just the hardened crust.
Here's what you do:
1)pop offended item in freezer
2)scrape off the wax once hardened
3)soak in mineral spirits, rubbing at stains
4)rinse with alcohol (the kind for rubbing, not drinking)
5) let dry
6)launder

It. Works.

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election year revelation

My brow has a few added furrows from thinking about how hot-button issues figure into my voting this November. Abortion rights, for example. I don't like abortion. But, I also generally don't like Republican policy. So how does one reconcile these two issues in the ballot booth?
Well, people, let's talk it out.
Say McCain gets elected, puts another strictly conservative judge into the Court. Roe v. Wade gets overturned, right? Wrong. Abortion rights don't really hang on that one vote, as conservatives would have you believe in an election year. Don't believe me? Okay, so let's say Roe v. Wade does get overturned.
Then what? Well, the states get to decide individually whether abortion is legal. Yep, that's right. The battle is not won; it is merely passed along. Let's face it: most states would keep abortion legal.
So, Catholics, your vote for McCain is not a vote to end abortion.
Alternatively, Obama wants to offer prenatal and maternal support, more expedient adoption, and maternity leave laws as a way to pre-empt abortion. Does that make great, great sense to anyone else?
Please take a close yet holistic look at your values and see how they align with each candidate. (I'm thinking feeding the poor, I'm thinking the value of life, including those fighting in faraway countries...)

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