View From Under a Rock

Clement C. Moore Spinning in His Grave 180 Years Later

2009-12-10T19:45:00.009-06:00

Night Befo Crizzmus

Wus da night afo' Crizzmus, and all thru da hood,

everybody be sleepin' and da sleepin' be good.

We hunged up our stockins, an hoped like all heck,

dat dear Ol' Obama's, gunna brang us our checks.

All of da family, was ly'in on the flow,

my sister wif her gurlfriend, and my brother wif some hoe.

Ashtrays was all full , empty beer cans and all

when I heared such a fuss, I thunk...."Sh'eet, it must be da law".

I pulled the sheet off da windoe and what I'ze could see,

I was spectin' the sherrif, wif a warrent fo' me.

But what did I see, made me say, "Laaawd look at dat".

dere was a huge watermelon, pulled by 8 big-ass rats.

Now over all of da years, Santy Claws he be white,

but it looks like us brotha's, got a black un' tonight.

Faster than a poe'lice car, my homeboy he came,

and whupped up on dem rats, as he called dem by name.

On Biden, On Jessie, On Polosi and Hillary Who

On Fannie, On Freddi, On Ayers, and Slick Willy too.

Obama landed dat melon, right there in da street,

I knowed it fo' sho', - can you believe that Sh'eet!.

Dat Santy didn't need no chimney, he picked da lock on my doe,

an I sez to myself, "Son o' bitch...he don did dis befoe"!

He had a big bag, full of presents - at first I suspeck?

Wif "Air Jordans" and fake gold, to wear roun my neck.

But he left me no presents, just started stealin my shit.

He got my guns and my crack, and my new burglers kit.

Den, wif my crap in his bag, out da windoe he flew,

I sho' woulda shanked him, be he snagged my knife too.

He jumped back on dat melon, wif out even a hitch,

and waz gone in two seconds, "democrat son of a bitch".

So nex year I be hopin', a white Santy we git,

'cause a black Santy Claws, just ain't worf a shit !!!!

Sliding Downhill

2009-12-05T12:14:00.003-06:00

The more we are the worse it gets. The worse it gets the more nanny government we experience. We're smoking roaches if we believe civility will outpace rudeness, bullying, et cetera. Miss Manners' efforts are doomed. We're surrounded with examples, e.g., Hannity, Beck, vehicle operators, and more.

I Stand Corrected

2009-12-02T14:51:00.009-06:00

I have humiliated myself. I fell . . . hook, line, and sinker . . . for an e-mail that I received from a friend. It included this same picture that I, in turn, posted to my blog along with misinformation. I neglected to verify the information with one of the reliable sites.

There's a classic lesson to be learned here. Believe nothing you hear/read and only half what you see.

I have deleted my post with same photo shown above and wrong supporting information. This time I used FactCheck with information that I accept as being accurate.

On Veterans Day Obama wore a blue, not red, tie. He also wore a winter coat over his suit. This picture is the same as in the C-SPAN video taken several months earlier, at a Memorial Day observation at Arlington National Cemetery.

One of the chain e-mails attached to the wrong picture reads in part: "I don’t know whether the National Anthem is being played, or the Flag is going by, or WHAT, but EVERYBODY in the picture is either saluting or has his hand over the HEART." (except for POTUS)

A little more than 11 minutes into this 42 minute C-SPAN video you can see evidence that the picture was mismatched in the e-mail. POTUS has just stepped to the podium and the ban was playing "Hail to the Chief." Obviously POTUS would not salute himself. The others beside him were saluting the President of the United States, as protocol dictates.

I apologize. I must be careful in the future.

You've Just Gotta Love That Jesse Jackson . . .

2009-12-01T16:20:00.009-06:00

You can't vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man.

You've gotta love Jesse Jackson for what he is . . . nothing! He's such a bubke. Not being Jewish and not speaking Yiddish, I didn't know what the word meant . . . until today. It's such a neat word. It's a noun defined as meaning absolutely nothing, something worthless. Use it in place of nada, zero zip, etc.

The literal meaning (plural, bubkes) is goat droppings. In other words, Jesse Jackson is just a pile of shit and should be valued as nothing more. Ramirez has nailed ol' Jesse better than anyone in a long time.

Thirteen, XIII, 13, Friday

2009-11-13T12:17:00.008-06:00

Sufferers from paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia can apparently rest easily for the next nine months (until August 13th). I suppose that I must admit to some minor superstitions but I can honestly state that I have no fear of Friday(s) the 13th. There is no burning need to stay at home hiding under the bed when the date occasionally comes around.

Neither paraskevidekatriaphobia nor friggatriskaidekaphobia are yet 100 years old. The former was derived in 1911 and in 1953 first appeared in a mainstream source, the same year Eisenhower became POTUS. Now, doesn't that just grab you?

We can thank the Norse goddess Frigga (associated with the word Friday) for the latter word which apparently came into being in 1910.

Triskaidekaphobia is a bigger umbrella word because it deals with all numbers 13. Hospitals and hotels eschew rooms and floors numbered 13. Towns avoid names like 13th St., 13th Ave., etc.

Seems the problem with number 13 is a western thing. FDR, Henry Ford, Napoleon, among others avoided doing anything important on Friday 13th.

In other parts of the world 13 is OK. Some other numbers not.

Courtesy Counts

2009-11-14T11:07:00.007-06:00

How often do we get email messages from friends that have been forwarded uncountable times and contain even more names and addresses? More importantly, how many times do we, ourselves, send those same messages "as is" without making any effort to clean them up before exposing names and addresses to the world?

If friends adhered to the gentle hint above, recipients would be left believing that they were special and the message was meant just for them.

All that's needed is a little time and effort on our part to demonstrate appreciated courtesy and consideration to friends and even many we don't know that have been thoughtlessly included in the clutter that makes email rounds.

Today's version of the old fashioned postal "chain letter" is the prime source of junk mail that floats around via the Internet. It matters not whether the subject matter be religion or patriotism or politics or friend-of-the-day that the sender deems to be critical to the spiritual or cultural welfare of their designated recipient(s).

I don't mind so much the subject matter as I do the attached clutter that the sender has been either too impatient or lazy to remove. Friend or not, they apparently think that I might give a fat rat's pattotie about their point of view.

On the positive side, something forwarded lets me know that that I have not been a completely forgotten part of their lives.

When someone requests a return I often return to them only without forwarding to anyone else. Don't want to injure their sensitivities, you know. For all they know I have BCC'd the 13 1/2 others in order to have my wishes granted before the Age of Aquarious begins December 21st, 2012.

Rule #1 for Mo Betta' Writing

2009-10-01T16:15:00.008-05:00

One of the first rules for good writing is that the writer must remember to never split an infinitive. Right here that rule has been broken. Often the word to marks a verb as an infinitive: “to walk,” “to think,” “to fly,” “to exist.”

Examples of infinitives are much easier to illustrate than to define that part of grammar. Never is an adverb and its placement in the opening sentence "splits" the infinitive, to split.

The same goes for a split, or cleft, infinitive. Probably the most recognizable split infinitive is this: To boldly go where no man has gone before! To go is the infinitive that is split by the adverb boldly.

In Latin, infinitives are only one word and cannot, therefore, be split. Modeling of English style writing on Latin has in the past often been considered the epitome of good writing. An example of the misguided application of this notion is the injunction against splitting the English infinitive.

Many modern speakers and writers depend on their ear for a natural sentence rather than arbitrary rule. In order to avoid awkward or stilted language there are occasions when a split infinitive is preferable.

Now, if anyone even bothers to read this, just who the hell cares? Blogs are for fun. Split away!

Conservatism vs Liberalism

2009-09-30T19:24:00.006-05:00

If a conservative doesn’t like guns, he doesn't buy one.

If a liberal doesn't like guns, he feels that no one should have one.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat.

If a liberal is, he wants to ban all meat products for everyone.

If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy.

A liberal wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.

If a liberal is homosexual, he loudly demands legislated respect.

If a black man or Hispanic are conservative, they see themselves as independently successful.

Their liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection and support.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.

A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn’t like a talk show host, he switches channels.

Liberals demand that those they don’t like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.

A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God or religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.

A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

Fashion Maven Alert

2009-09-17T10:28:00.010-05:00

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us

To see oursels as ithrs see us!

It wad frae mony a blunder free us.

~ Robert Burns

Bet you'll never guess which store this shopper was found. Saks Fifth Avenue in New York? Neiman's in Dallas? Or maybe Henri Bendel, New York's legendary Fifth Avenue boutique, a girls' playground for trendsetting young women from around the world.

Nope. All wrong. If you guessed, however, that she must might be in a Wally World somewhere in the USA you would be absolutely correct! She may not be a trend setter, but she surely is a follower.

So far as I know there is no law ... in this country at least ... that says a burqa is limited to women of the Muslim faith. This beautiful blue model would be perfect for the Wal-Mart trend follower. It's loose and probably allows the cool air to circulate whereas tight clothes are constrictive.

Gomer Pyle said it well after learning that if you can't say something nice about someone, then say nothing at all. His famous line was: For a fat girl you sure don't sweat much.

How fortunate we are to be able to enjoy our freedoms ... even if one of them is to exhibit a total lack of pride in our public appearance.

Prayer Request

2009-07-29T18:59:00.004-05:00

"Anyone with needs to be prayed over come forward to the front at the altar." the preacher says.

Leroy gets in line, and when it's his turn, the preacher asks: "Leroy, what do you want me to pray about for you."

Leroy replies: "Preacher, I need you to pray for my hearing."

The preacher puts one finger in Leroy's ear, and he places the other hand on top of Leroy's head and prays and prays and prays. He prays a blue streak for Leroy.

After a few minutes, the Preacher removes his hands, stands back and asks "Leroy, how is your hearing now?"

Leroy says, "I don't know, Reverend, it ain't ‘til next Wednesday!"

The Good Wife's Guide

2009-07-12T21:09:00.006-05:00

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc., and then run a dust cloth over the tables.

Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light afire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

Prepare the children., Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. The are little treasures and he would like to see them playing part. Minimise all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

Be happy to see him.

Greet him with warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first -- remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, to to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.

Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquillity where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.

Don’t complain if he’s late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.

Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment of integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

A good wife always knows her place.

Certainly shows importance put on vows of love, honor and obey a half century ago. Today that would get you laughed out of a Vegas wedding chapel.

Based on spelling of some words the original of this probably originated in an English publication more than a half century ago. So . . . don’t come gunning for me. I’m just the messenger.

Take it with a grain of salt and look at the humor in its content. I emphasized what I considered more ludicrous lines.

Who is more important?

2009-07-08T15:24:00.018-05:00

A friend on active duty in a branch of the US Military sent a note today. He started out by saying he needed to rant after seeing a part of the media coverage with regard to Michael Jackson's death. At the end he even apologized for having offended some. I took it upon myself to delete that line from his note because I firmly believe he needed to make absolutely no apology to the shallow celebrity worshipers that live among us.

Instead, we should remember those who lie in the flag draped boxes pictured above and all those they represent. We should all honor those who survived. We should honor all those brave soldiers who still live, but came home incomplete.

I was just watching the news, and I caught part of a report on Michael Jackson. As we all know, Jackson died the other day. He was an entertainer who performed for decades. He made millions, he spent millions, and he did a lot of things that make him a villain to many people. I understand that his death would affect a lot of people, and I respect those people who mourn his death, but that isn't the point of my rant.

Why is it that when ONE man dies, the whole of America loses their minds with grief. When a man dies, whose only contribution to the country was to ENTERTAIN people, the American people find the need to flock to a memorial in Hollywood , and even Congress sees the need to hold a "moment of silence" for his passing?

Am I missing something here? ONE man dies, and all of a sudden he's a freaking martyr because he entertained us for a few decades? What about all those SOLDIERS who have died to give us freedom? All those Soldiers who, knowing that they would be asked to fight in a war, still raised their hands and swore to defend the Constitution and the United States of America. Where is their moment of silence? Where are the people flocking to their graves or memorials and mourning over them because they made the ultimate sacrifice? Why is it when a Soldier dies, there are more people saying "good riddance," and "thank God for IEDs?" When did this country become so calloused to the sacrifice of GOOD MEN and WOMEN, that they can arbitrarily blow off their deaths, and instead, throw themselves into mourning for a "Pop Icon?"

I think that if they are going to hold a moment of silence IN CONGRESS for Michael Jackson, they need to hold a moment of silence for every service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan . They need to PUBLICLY recognize every life that has been lost so that the American people can live their callous little lives in the luxury and freedom that WE, those that are living and those that have gone on, have provided for them. But, wait, that would take too much time, because there have been so many willing to make that sacrifice. After all, we will never make millions of dollars. We will never star in movies, or write hit songs that the world will listen too. We only shed our blood, sweat and tears so that people can enjoy what they have.

Remember these five words the next time you think of someone who is serving in the military;

Southern HOTpitality

2009-07-14T18:17:00.010-05:00

Dear Diary:

May 30th: My husband and I just moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi from up North. Now this is a city that knows how to live!! Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings. What a place! Watched the sunset from a park lying on a blanket. It was beautiful. I've finally found my home. I love it here.

June 10th: It’s really heating up. Got to 100 today! Not a problem. Live in an air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun everyday like this. I'm turning into a sun worshiper.

June 14th: Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today. Lots of cactus and rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing the lawn for us! Another scorcher today, but I love it here.

June 30th: The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least it's kind of windy though. But getting used to the heat and humidity is taking longer than I expected.

July 10th: Fell asleep by the pool. (Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body.) Missed 3 days of work. What a dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson though. Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.

July 15th: I missed Morgan (our cat) sneaking into the car when I left this morning. By the time I got to the hot car for lunch, Morgan had died and was swollen up to the size of a shopping bag and stank up the $2,000 leather upholstery. I told the kids that she ran away. The car now smells like Kibbles and shits. I learned my lesson though. No more pets in this heat.

July 20th: The wind sucks. It feels like a giant blow dryer! And it's hot as hell. The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the a/c repairman charged $200 just to drive by and tell me he needed to order parts!

July 21st: Been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. $1,500 in house payments and we can't even go inside. Why did I ever come here?

July 22nd: It's 105 degrees. Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today. It cost $500 and gets the temperature down to 85, but this humidity makes the house feel like it's about 95. Dumb repairman peed in my pool. I hate this stupid city!

July 23rd: If another wiseass cracks "Hot enough for you today?" I'm going to strangle him. By the time I get to work the radiator is boiling over, my clothes are soaking wet, and I smell like baked cat!!

July 24th: Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts and sat on the black leather seats in the car. I lost two layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs. Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried ass, and baked cat.

July 25th: The weather report might as well be a recording: Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. It's been too hot to do anything for two months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. How can it WARM UP when it’s already 1000 freakin’ degrees? Doesn't it ever rain in this desert?? Water rationing will be next, so I might as well watch $1700 worth of cactus just dry up and blow into the pool! Even the cactus can't live in this heat!

July 26th: Welcome to HELL!!! Temperature got to 105 today. Forgot to crack the window and blew the windshield out of the car. The installer came to fix it and said, "Hot enough for you today?"

My husband had to spend the $1500 house payment to bail me out of jail.

Dang South! WHAT KIND OF A SICK DEMENTED PERSON WOULD WANT TO LIVE HERE!?!??!!

Recession - Depression - Recovery

2009-06-18T21:06:00.011-05:00

Graphic message says it all. No further explanation needed.

Republican vs Democrat

2009-06-25T18:46:00.010-05:00

A woman in a hot-air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below.

She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.

"She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican."

"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me."

The man smiled and responded, "You must be an Obama Democrat."

"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"

"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it's my fault."

To Assume is Logical

2009-06-27T18:43:00.013-05:00

Fifty-one years ago Herman James, a North Carolina mountain man, was drafted by the Army.

On his first day of basic training he was issued a comb. That afternoon the Army barber sheared off all his hair.

On his second day, he was issued a toothbrush. That afternoon the Army dentist yanked seven of his teeth.

On the third day, he was issued a jock strap.

The Army is still looking for Herman.

Not Really Funny

2009-07-23T19:46:00.004-05:00

A Harley rider is passing the zoo, when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside, under the eyes of her screaming parents. The biker jumps off his bike, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly.

A New York Times reporter has watched the whole event. The reporter says, "Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I saw a man do in my whole life." The biker replies, "Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger, and I acted."

The reporter says, "Well, I'm a journalist from the New York Times, and tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page.... So, what do you do for a living and what political affiliation do you have?" The biker replies, "I'm a U.S. Marine and a Republican."

The following morning the biker buys The New York Times to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads on front page:

"U.S. MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH"

How did Jefferson know?

2009-07-13T19:13:00.010-05:00

It has been said the greatest volume of sheer brainpower in one place
occurred when Jefferson dined alone.

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.

Thomas Jefferson said, in 1802: I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

Tanker's Good Advice

2009-09-15T13:15:00.003-05:00

Back on September 5th Tanker posted New blog!. I've been reading his Mostly Cajun blog for quite some time. Not every day but often. His post, New Blog!, has some good advice for those of us ... especially me ... who get our Model T stuck in the mud and there's no AAA to pull you out and provide a tow to the gas station.

His words from referenced post just may be the gas I need to get started again.

Try writing something every day, or at least posting SOMETHING. It’s disappointing to keep visiting a blog and seeing the same old post at the top for weeks on end. I know life intrudes, folks, but please, we’re your friends. Tell us! “I’m going to be on a two-week assignment to south Timbuktoo and won’t be blogging until I get back” is a nice thing to do.

The whole post serves as an incentive or kick in the butt. I thank him for that.

His "tricks" help to fill in the blanks and they are mostly pretty neat. I never thought of them as tricks but I did recognize them as being fillers. They beat the sox off our local excuse a/k/a newsless paper which uses their own ads when all else is lacking.

Another Obama Appointee of Questionable Character

2009-07-16T16:35:00.014-05:00

John Holdren — the guy who wanted to put a sterilizing agent in our water supply and is now in charge of federal science policy — is hardly the only dangerous radical to attain "Czar" status in the Obama regime. NewsBusters reports: The administration's "Green Jobs" czar, Van Jones, has a "very checkered past" deep-rooted in radical politics, including black nationalism, anarchism, and communism.

Jones is a San Francisco extremist who admits to having been "radicalized in jail." Phil Kerpen of Americans for Prosperity draws the clear parallel between Jones' communist and environmentalist advocacy: the idea that government ought to be reordering society in accordance with some utopian vision that failed with communism and socialism, and will fail with this green jobs idea.

Jones views environmental activism as a means to advance the ultra-left's Orwellian notion of "justice." He has referred to himself not only as a "communist," but as a "rowdy black nationalist."

The above is taken verbatim from here.

I first saw mention of this on The Bear's post dated today. The title -- Obama's latest "In Your Face": "Green Czar" admits he's a Communist with arrest record.

Washington's Buffoon Ex-Mayor Barry

2009-07-15T18:50:00.005-05:00

A little more than twenty years ago former Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry claimed that, Aside from the increase in homicides, the District of Columbia actually had a low crime rate. This statement has been authenticated. He declared this during a March 23rd, 1989, speech to the National Press Club.

He is current D.C. Council member representing predominately black Ward 8. So there are those who still revere him.

After all the time that's passed he back in the national (dim) spotlight again. Another arrest. Maybe he just likes the part of playing buffoon. At least he's successful at that.

Who really accomplished more?

2009-07-09T07:13:00.008-05:00

Surprise! Surprise! A viewpoint expressed via comment on another blog says it all about the shallowness of too many of today's people; especially in our country. In case you don't follow through on the link, here's the comment again.

The point you miss is that MJ accomplished far more during his life than most service persons do during theirs, hence the seeming disproportionate attention over the past week.

Each and every one of us owes a debt of gratitude to generations of soldiers who have defended freedoms that we take for granted today. One of those freedoms is that we can all express ourselves without fear of retaliation -- no matter how misguided or distasteful that expression might be to us who share a different viewpoint.

Jacko made no contribution but to entertain. Obviously there are some who believe that entertainment takes precedent over soldiers who, in defending the USA, die or return home either physically or mentally maimed.

The Bell Crack'd

2009-07-08T18:47:00.005-05:00

The Liberty Bell, so says tradition, cracked July 8th, l835. Apparently there is some evidence that the crack first appeared on Washington's birthday 1835. We may never know for sure.

It was first known as the State House Bell. Eighty six years later it became known by its current name.

So history tells us that it was rung July 8th 1776, for the first time. The occasion was to celebrate the proclamation of the Declaration of Independence, which had been adopted on July 4th.

Fifty-nine years later in 1835, on either July 8th or February 22nd, the crack first appeared.

If one chooses to accept that the crack first appeared on July 8th, then today marks the 174th anniversary of that incident.

Russian Spin on Visit by POTUS

2009-07-06T21:49:00.010-05:00

I was curous about whether Muscovites were fed news in a similar manner by the media as we are here. Seems that they are. For those who may be interested, here's what Pravda published on today's front page.

Like us, the Russian people are kept in the dark and fed shit. The three men quoted below have tried to warn us, but Americans have paid no heed. Muscovites and other Russians are fed similar shit but with their own spin and, as a result, their opinion of us remains the same. We have, for too long, been seen as builders of the Great American Empire and, apparently, from their POV there's been no change.

20th century French pholosopher Bertrand de Jouvenel said, A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves. Since he was one of our time, he was already seeing that of which he spoke. He died in 1987.

In 1772 John Adams warned us that there is danger from all men and the only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public.

Charles Sullivan said, We allow the most atrocious lies uttered by political and moral prostitutes to go unchallenged. These lies are endlessly recycled in the commercial media until they become ingrained in the public conscience as truth. Worse than burying our heads in the sand, we bury them up our collective ass. How do you like the view?

And here we are today in all our glorious ignorance.

Pete Seeger's Where Have All the Flowers Gone? is just as appropriate today as it was during the time of the Viet Nam war. Consider, for a while, When will they ever learn? Fact is, the great oil conflict is evidence that they never learned, at least not from Viet Nam.

I know that I have deviated from the spins that both Russian and American media have put on the current visit, but since we ostracised Russia for their invasion of Afghanistan and then we turn around and do the same. Sad.

Reunion

2009-06-30T19:31:00.011-05:00

Recently I attended a biennial class reunion -- for the whole damn school no less. The oldest graduate attending was eighty-seven. She was from a senior class dating to sometime in the nineteen-thirties.

A guy from the last class to graduate won every award that a male student could get, e.g., most handsome, most popular, most likely to succeed, highest GPA for a boy in the class, etc., In other words, he was the only boy in the senior class of that year. The other three were girls. That’s right. There were only four graduates.

The valedictorian of my class was a girl who completed her academic requirements in three years. She was the only student who finished in the top ten percent of our class. Even the salutatorian was not among the academic top ten percent. This gives one a perspective of the size of the school and town.

Even so, there were several achievers from the school. Three were journalists and writers who went on to successful careers in sports and news.

One covered seven presidential campaigns for The Boston Globe. He is also the author of Dixie: A Personal Odyssey Through Events that Shaped the Modern South. He holds the Kelly Cook Chair in Journalism at the University of Mississippi.

One minor celebrity, a pseudo-conservationist, is sort of a spokesman for the state's natural environment. Unfortunately he has an ego bigger than his celebrity status. One of the difficult things for egocentric man to face is that he is a minor character in every biography but his own.There were also about ten graduates who are members of the same extended family. Their background was, and is, considered to be comfortable. It seems they all tend to be impressed with their own sense of self importance. Maybe it's just my perception.

Most importantly were those who became teachers who had, and still have, an influence over those who followed and were influenced by them.

Some of the graduates attained more than one advanced degrees in their chosen disciplines, e.g., medicine, education, engineering, business, theology, journalism, banking, etc.

There were, of course, blue collars and white collars, many now retired, in the group. It was fun to be a part of a group so diverse.

Our little town appears to be much like Winchester, Virginia, as described by Joe Bageant in his book, Deer Hunting with Jesus. I would describe the entire population of our town as “working class” regardless of income or material wealth.