Good day to you all on a cloudy Thursday.  The weather people say we will have cooler temps and rain today.  Instead of the 80s we will have 70s and a couple in the 60s.  I didn't do much yesterday in the garden: harvested a handful of peppers, trimmed back the oregano, installed the last shepherd's hook, and transplanted my lavender and sage into their winter positions.  I plan to take today off.

Evidently the mysteries concerning that incendiary 'film' grow.  I noted yesterday that the accounts of what happened were confusing and today that is even more so.  By last night's news, ABC national news reported that they tried to find the 'writer and director' but found nothing beyond the name.  Who the person is no one really knows.  I wonder who was interviewed (by phone) by NPR?  ABC couldn't find him.  The ABC reporter also tried to get some details about the supposed showing of the film which according to 'accounts' were 'sparsely attended' and found nothing--no documentation, no advertising.  They did track down some of the actors who said they thought they were working on a film about 'desert warriors' (original title: Desert Warrior) of two thousand years ago and nothing was mentioned about Mohammad.  And the dialog was changed and dubbed over the actors voices for the final cut.  And  there is no evidence for the full length film beyond the YouTube 'trailers.'  This ABC news story covers the story. Our assessment--the U.S. was set up.  The question now is--by whom?  And to what end?  Al Jazeera also has a good account.  I found it with a link in one of the stories about the spreading violence.  And here is the BBC's latest coverage.

Then there is the mystery of where all the money raised for charities goes.  This article might reveal some uncomfortable truths about the big business of charity.  I remember consumer advocated advising potential donors to look up stats on the charities to make sure they were legitimate and that most of the money raised went to charitable activities.  Haven't seen that lately.  But now it seems donors have to make sure that the channels through which they donate passes the money on to the charity.  Where do we get that info.