This was the 38th year for the all-volunteer, free Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. There were over forty different breeds of sheep (baa!) on display and, of course, demonstrations of sheep dog skillz. Lots of workshops available for both farmers and crafters, and hundreds of vendors for shopping. There were demonstrations of spinning, yarn-dyeing and all kinds of other fiber techniques. And so many competitions, including one titled “Sheep to Shawl.”

One of the show’s highlights is the blade shearing competition, with shearers coming from all over the country. No electrics, they use hand-powered shears. It’s the only competition like this in the States. The winner (Emily Chamelin) goes on to compete internationally in New Zealand.

To get a feel for the event, please check out my slideshow, I took a lot of pictures for you.

Marvin Suggs and his Muppaphone — Witch Doctor, from episode 304 of The Muppet Show.

It’s time to return the favor, and by “return the favor” I mean that I would like to ask you all pitch in to help keep FDL (and myself) on the intertubes for a good long time. And even if that Rapture thing happens this weekend, hey, it’s not like you can take it with you. So just click on the little “Become A Member” above.

The Newt Gingrich 2012 Epic Failathon rolls on…

A report from McClatchy provides important new evidence and analysis in the FBI’s Amerithrax investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks. The report shows that the FBI ignored as potentially erroneous a measurement of silicon in one anthrax sample and then hid this information from Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). Even more importantly, the high silicon measurements in at least two samples also were coupled with high tin measurements, opening up the possibility that silicon was added to the attack material in a form that is not mentioned in any of the FBI documents.

Significantly, it is virtually impossible that Bruce Ivins, whom the FBI has concluded acted on his own to carry out the attacks, would have been able to perform the necessary chemical manipulations involved in this treatment of the spores. Ivins likely also would not have had access to the necessary laboratory equipment to perform this treatment.

Our elected officials have basically set up a political system that legalizes and facilitates bribery. And our failure to deal with that has created the most successful business model of the late 20th and early 21st centuries: maximize your profits by making bigger and badder loans that precipitate a “crisis” when they go belly up (which you fuel with a massive PR campaign), then you squeeze the government to make you whole.

It’s possible that this is just an illusion of investigation from the Department of Justice. But with Levin continuing to tell the press that there will be an indictment, it raises the stakes for DOJ. It makes it harder for them to let it go, although that’s certainly still possible.

Like everyone else in the Republican field, Huntsman would repeal the health care law, hold the debt limit hostage for more spending cuts and do nothing on climate change (even though he believes in its existence). On social issues he’s a bit more compassionate, but isn’t staking much of a bold position there either. But on one issue, Huntsman is breaking with his party. And that’s the issue of Afghanistan.

Austrailian journalist Ben Grubb, the Deputy Technolgy Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, was arrested for writing an article about a presentation on Facebook security vulnerabilities made at an IT conference in Queensland.

The core of Obama’s speech aims to highlight the value of ordinary citizens sparking movements for change. But this focus is deceitful on many levels.