Does anyone know the history of this tree?

It lives on Water Street between, I think 19th and 20th.   The tree has a wise face attached about 8 feet up, and at it's feet is a little shrine.  A natural cave created by the tree's growth.  The shrine contains many interesting icons and trinkets, that have actually begun to escape. They are outside the tree cave as well.  The objects in the shrine move and change from time to time. I always like to stop and see what is different. Today there was a circular piece of wood with a little design and painted red. it was attached with a screw. Mostly the objects are placed about.

So, what's the story? Does anyone know? How long as it been there? Who started the wise man and his shrine?

Over 380 Lebanese, 100 Palestinians, and 30 Israelis have been killed in the recent Mideast escalation. Over half a million Lebanese civilians have been dispossessed, and billions of dollars of civil infrastructure have been destroyed. What information are we not getting from the media that is essential to understanding the situation? And how is the US directly contributing to the conflict?

Join us for a discussion with James Yee, Therese Saliba, Basil Shadid, and Simona Sharoni.

James (Yusuf) Yee is a former US Army Muslim Chaplain with a Masters degree in International Relations.
Therese Saliba is a Lebanese-American professor of Middle Eastern studies at The Evergreen State College.
Basil Shadid is a local business owner of Lebanese and Syrian descent who has family in southern Lebanon and Beirut.
Simona Sharoni is an Israeli- American professor of peace and conflict studies at The Evergreen State College.

Sponsored by the Olympia Movement for Justice & Peace, Olympians for Middle East Peace and the Olympia–Rafah Sister City Project.

It is indeed a hot monday night at the BroHo. ¡Calor Puro! I don't have air conditioning at home, either. So I guess it's a wash. Besides, the fountain is just a hop, skip, and a jump away. I will likely play in that for a while before I go home. I don't have any children, so I might as well act like one.

Click picture for slideshow.

Thanks Yelley!

More Lakefair slideshows here and here.

I did a little "googling" tonight, and found some very interesting information from this website:

Divorce rates among Christian groups:

The slogan: "The family that prays together, stays together" is well known. There has been much anecdotal evidence that has led to "unsubstantiated claims that the divorce rate for Christians who attended church regularly, pray together or who meet other conditions is only 1 or 2 percent".

A recent study by the Barna Research Group throws extreme doubt on these estimates. They had interviewed 3,854 adults from the 48 contiguous states. The survey found:
1. 11% of the adult population is currently divorced.
2. 25% of adults have had at least one divorce during their lifetime.
3. Divorce rates among conservative Christians were significently higher than for other faith groups, and for Atheists and Agnostics.

An additional breakdown of numbers: (percent who have been divorced) Non-denominational (small conservative groups; independents) 34%, Baptists 29%, Mainline Protestants 25%, Mormons 24%, Catholics 21%, Lutherans 21%


I also found a very interesting NY Times article here.

Now somebody tell me, cause I'm REALLY curious, just why it is that conservatives claim to be "defending" marriage from... gays?