Reports from London indicate that over 400,000 marchers participated in the Countryside March (see below). Final totals are likely to be higher. And travellers from North America and other parts of the globe added a wonderful air of international solidarity, as demonstrated by this Floridian.

And, of course, we should all be concerned about Dubya's continued march towards war in Iraq. But there are others (far too few, I'm afraid) who are making the argument against that insanity far more eloquently than I could. I suppose I should find and link to some good examples, but for the moment I just want to stand up and be counted on the side of peace.

Worldwide, on a personal level, I guess I need to be interested in Countryside Alliance 'Liberty & Livelihood March' occurring today in London. For those who don't share my interest in foxhunting, and therefore may be unaware of this issue, the British government is considering a ban on hunting with hounds, and those whose liberty and livelihood is threatened by this are planning one of the largest protests London has ever seen, anticipating crowds of over 300,000.

The biggest news statewide is, of course, our governor's embarrassing predicament. For those in more distant locations (or living under a rock), Gov. Paul Patton is following in the footsteps of fellow Democrat, former Pres. Bill Clinton. He's been sued by a woman claiming he had state regulators shut down her nursing home in retaliation after she quit bonking him.

Last week's Earth Harp performance (see below) was sponsored by the Idea Festival , an interesting symposium of technology and art, or, according to its own description, "a unique international event centering around the presentation, integration and exploration of "big ideas" and innovation, spanning a range of fields."

Intrigued by an article in the local newspaper, I walked downtown Thursday to see the Earth Harp, billed as the "world's largest stringed instrument." The harp itself is an interesting concept, but the entire performance by it's creators, The Mass Ensemble was much more than just the harp.