The Town Cryer

To those just now reading this Blog, you might wish to read the previous entry below. Especially since this is a continuation of that Blog and this one might make more sense . If it makes any sense at all.

Did you read the previous Blog? Oh well, too late now. Let us continue.

In the previous article I commented on the possibility of anarchy. Well now, we have to remember that even Thomas Jefferson believed in anarchy. He was a proponent of minimal government, which is reflected in the basic format of the Constitution and the liberties held within the Bill of Rights. I agree with this concept of anarchy, but it requires the constant interaction of the people themselves to govern themselves.

Jefferson expressed his fears of the Constitution being subverted in personal letters to friends. Jefferson noted one aspect of mankind that Marx and Engles seemed to have missed. Basically, that mankind is just no good. And the reader must remember that anarchy takes on many forms.

Now, back to the original article. I mentioned how some folks out there are making money preaching distrust of the Government, fear of the Military, and fear of Law Enforcement. Here, I must apologize for a conceptual error of my own. I mistakenly said distrust, when I should have said fear of the government. Because let’s be honest here, everyone distrusts the government, even those operating within it.

One other thing I have noticed within many of these sites is the attack on Capitalism via articles on how the public is being lied too by Big Business. I found it interesting they specifically attacked the oil industry with an article that Peak Oil was a myth. I have my own views on this subject, but I feel the data is still incomplete and therefore refuse to comment.

Now, back to the original article. I mentioned how some folks out there are making money preaching distrust of the Government, fear of the Military, and fear of Law Enforcement. Here, I must apologize for a conceptual error of my own. I mistakenly said distrust, when I should have said fear of the government. Because let’s be honest here, everyone distrusts the government, even those operating within it.

But here is what you could call my fears. Sooner or later, someone is going to act on those fears. Some individual or group of individuals will consider themselves patriots and take up the suggestions of retaking our country by force. Once this happens, and it is bound to fail, then what all fear will come to pass. There will be an outcry from the rest of the country to make assurances that such a revolt could never happen again.

If this happens, not only the Federal Government, but State Governments will be forced to enact laws that will be near Draconian in nature. Liberties and freedoms will be curtailed to a level this country has never seen. And this will give birth to the real possibility of dictatorship and totalitarian rule.

What can be done about this situation? Nothing. Not even the most sever reading of the Constitution prevents the Right of Free Speech. Catch 22. A few will influence many for what gains is unknown.

One of the things concerning the NWO Conspiracy is that whoever wrote the guidelines for it was smarter then the average bear. He built a case against some of the very sources that that might possibly provide information distracting from, if not destroying the Conspiracy Theories base assumptions.

What we have is Orwell’s Thought Police being countered by the very thing he was talking against. Thought Police. Someone telling you who to believe and not to believe. This gives a person only a narrow view of who or what their enemy really is.

This violates two (2) principals of both tactic and political actions. Know Your Enemy. Keep Your Friends Close, But Keep Your Enemies Closer.

Lenin is probably laughing with joy on how much of his philosophies are being furthered by the Theorists and Orwell is probably spinning in his grave because of the way his views of Stalinism and Totalitarianism are being subverted for personal gains.

So here I have written what I feel is correct. Whether it is or not is purely subjective and judgmental. Only time will tell. I can only hope I am long gone from this earth in case I am correct in my worst case scenario. But I wonder how many will go to their end of days wondering why they have spent so much time worrying about that which never happened?

(24 hours later) I forgot to mention in either article that once a person becomes captured by such phobias as the Conspiracies, I have yet to discover any information which will enable them to see that the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train heading their way. They seem not to care where the information they need to feed their phobias comes from, as long as it fits into their vision of the end of the world. They are like a drug addict, feeding from whatever dealer provides them with their fix.

Before I delve into the subject matter, one very important piece of law must be remembered by any reader of this Blog. Within the Criminal Justice System, the Accused bears no burden on proving their innocence, But the Accuser bears the full weight of proving guilt. Although Perry Mason made good television viewing going out and proving his clients innocence, it was, after all, just good television.

Now. On the suggestion of an individual, I have been researching the aspects of the New World Order (NWO) Conspiracy. I learned in high school that the school solution is not always the correct solution. Granted, the Laws of Mathematics are rigid and impossible to overrule.

As much as some will scoff at this, I have always tried to search for the answers that support the question at hand. Single sourcing in research is the only way to support any problem or theory. Single sourcing also restricts a person to only finding those answers they believe in. Multi-sourcing a problem can provide a much broader spectrum of answers to a situation. Even if you can find the supporting information to your theory, you can find information that further expands your knowledge. This is what I tried to do with this task. I went out to find proof to support the New World Order Conspiracy Theory. What I have discovered is somewhat disturbing.

When you open a web site concerning the NWO, many times you will see slogans about Freedom of Thought. Thinking Free. Yet as you read the sites they will tell you to ignore certain councils, boards, committees, or groups, because they are part of the conspiracy and are not to be believed. But, you can trust them to give you the correct information. Besides being a contradiction in free thought, it also ignores one of Sun Tzu’s most quoted tenets. Know Your Enemy.

The reasons that are given for ignoring such information is as flimsy as some of the aspects of the Theories themselves. And the amazing thing is, even thought there are a couple dozen different approaches to the Conspiracy Theory, the base of each is identical in form and format. It is as each Theorist took the base format and modified the form to fit their particular phobia.

Granted, the current rage is Bush bashing, but there still active groups such as the USA/Rome groups. The Zionist Groups. The Alien (ET) groups. And the list can go on and on. But I figure you get my point. And if you don’t get the point, just consider each are saying the same thing, but from a different angle. It must also be noted that they all include the United Nations as a key enemy of the state.

I must also note that some of the folks hollering real loud about the NWO Conspiracy are making a living off it. The thing that must be obvious to the reader of such sites is these folks preach fear. Fear of the Government. Fear of the US Military. Fear of the Law Enforcement system. Fear of the United Nations. Fear of any secret organization that refuses to allow the public admittance.

What must be noted here is those Conspiracy Theorists are using the same tactic to breed fear. The creation of fear based propaganda to influence the masses to achieve their agenda. What that actual agenda is has yet to be determined. Other then making money out of the fear of others.

They take actions or events from history and use them as examples how simple it is for a despot to go from a countries leader to its dictator. And considering Hitler was the worst of the worst in a non-communist country, he is used as example Number 1. The real problem with this example is that it is taken totally out of historical context, which when examined in its raw form can confuse and deceive the reader into believing the possibilities of such occurrence happening in this country by the same method Hitler used.


Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich ("Law to Remedy the Distress of the People and the State"). Also known as The Enabling Act of 1933.

The Enabling Act was a special power allowed by the Weimar Constitution to give the Chancellor the power to pass laws by decree without the involvement of the Reichstag. These special powers would remain in effect for four years, after which time they were eligible to be renewed. Under the existing Weimar constitution, under Article 48, the President could rule by decree in times of emergency. The unprecedented element of the Enabling Act was that the Chancellor himself possessed these powers. The Enabling Act was only supposed to be used in times of extreme emergency, and in fact had only been used once before Hitler, in 1923-24 when the government used the Enabling Act to rescue Germany from hyperinflation. To activate the Enabling Act a party required a vote by a two-thirds majority in the Reichstag.

An Enabling Act (Ermachtigungsgestez in German) was passed by Germany's parliament (the Reichstag) on March 23, 1933. It was the second major step after the Reichstag Fire Decree through which the Nazis obtained dictatorial powers using largely legal means. The Act enabled Chancellor Adolf Hitler and his cabinet to enact laws without the participation of the Reichstag. The formal name of the Enabling Act was Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich ("Law to Remedy the Distress of the People and the State").

The previous two (2) paragraphs were stolen from an on-line source. Honestly, I did not feel like digging through my stored books for the same information, then reduce it to a readable level. These folks said it nicely in a much smaller form.

But what is missing is the nature of Germany in 1933. Germany in 1933 was in fact smaller then Germany today, which I might add is, according to what Almanac you read, is smaller then the state of Montana. Germany lost much of it’s industrial base in repartitions to France in the Treaty of Versailles. Also a lot of it’s industry base was destroyed by the same treaty because it produced materials of war during WWI. This caused major problems later on for the German people.

Add into the equation that the German Army were still humiliated by the conditions of the Versailles Treaty and accepted the promises of Hitler to rebuild the German Army to its once greatness. They turned their heads to what came.

In 1933 Germany was literally staving to death. The Weimar Government was printing money that was actually worth less then the paper it was printed on. It has been documented that often the German people was using the paper money to fuel their cook fires because it was so worthless. A loaf of bread could cost as much as 1 million Marks. Photos show men pushing wheel barrels full of Marks home after being paid for a weeks work. This is what has been referenced as Hyperinflation.

Hitler also had his own, private army in the form of the SA. And he used it to assist in his movement. The police stood back, out of harms way and allowed these troops do as they pleased.

It also helps that when he required the Reichstag to pass legislation in his favor that there were more SA troops in the chambers then there were ministers.

As I said, the German people were starving was like a drowning man, grabbed for the only promise of survival that was present at the time. Sadly it was the worst possible lifeboat in recent history. Hitler told them what they wanted to hear. And the price they paid was horrendous .

Does the United States have Enabling Acts? Yes. An enabling act is legislation passed by Congress authorizing the people of a territory to frame a constitution. The act also lays down the requirements that must be met as a prerequisite to statehood. These Acts have usually been titled "An Enabling Act for a State of (Name)". The last such act was the Enabling Act of 1910, for the Admission of Arizona.

Moving back into present day government, we must remember the original writings within the Constitution. The major point is Checks and Balances. The President only has that power allowed to him by Congress and reviewed by the Supreme Court. Congress cannot enact a Law without the President’s consent via his signature unless passed by 2/3rds majority. And even then, the Supreme Court can overrule Congress with a ruling that it is Un-Constitutional. We saw this when parts of the Brady Bill was tossed out because they violated specifics concerning the reimbursement of expenses incurred by local and state agencies in enforcing a Federal law. No previsions had been made for such activities, therefore the Supreme Court ruled it was Un-Constitutional in form, thus removing those portions from the Brady Bill.

The aspect of fear is based on the idea that the President has unlimited powers. Anyone watching the news of late should realize that is just not so.

Now, I have said many times the United Nations idea was a grand experiment that is dying from its own internal corruption. Just how scared blind do you have to be to not see this? They can barely recruit peacekeeping troops for countries smaller then Delaware, how does anyone think they can develop an army to take over the United States?

I could find the concept of secret military bases with thousands of foreign troops on US soil comical if not so sad. If they are secret bases, then how come the Conspiracy Theorists know of these bases. And how come none of the sites I have examined can produce a single location of said bases. Certainly we are a vast country, but it takes a lot of land to house, train and maintain troops. Not counting the logistical support needed to provide the basic functions for these troops. This cannot go unnoticed by even the most uncaring of people.

Certainly we have had foreign troops on US soil since the end of WWII. Some have been assigned to Liaison offices on Army bases in support of what was once known as REFORGER. Others acted as liaison for many of our military schools which trained their soldiers, sailors and marines, in our equipment.

I once walked into an Army mess hall at Ft Bliss, TX and found myself surrounded by over 100 West German troops. And passed Italian troops when exiting. Part of the IMPOC school at Ft Benning was within the School of the Americas area which was where large classes of Latin American troops were being trained in our equipment and tactics. I even had two (2) African officers in my IMPOC class, from different African nations.

In 1972, I watched an entire Canadian Airborne Regiment parachute into Ft. Irwin California with all their equipment and weapons. Along with the ammunition for them. And three (3) weeks later, they loaded back onto their Canadian Air Force C-130’s and flew back to Canada. Minus several thousand rounds of live ammo they had used in their exercises.

Here I must point to an article on PrisonPlanet concerning armed Mexican Troops entering the US during Katrina. The article says they have an Associated Press report claiming armed troops entered the US illegally, in convoy and then disappeared. They even provide a picture at the head of the article of armed Mexican troops in convoy.

First, I have not found a single article by the AP stating armed Mexican troops entered this country. They do have a very nice article concerning the 196 unarmed Mexican support personal who entered the US to assist recovery operations after Katrina. I did find a CBS News report which commented that there was a unsupported rumor of armed Mexican troops.

But the picture mentioned above raises certain suspicions since even without blowing the picture up for analyzes, it has signs of being doctored. Why does the private vehicle on the right of the picture have its entire license plate white out? If it was a Texas license plate, then to protect the owner would only require the actual numbers to be darkened out, but since Mexican license plates are also white and to prevent anyone from noticing what Mexican state they were issued in, such as Nuevo Leon, it was totally white out. Then you have no marking or signs on the buildings on either side of the street, other then a billboard at a distance which is unreadable. One building on the right has its façade darkened, removing the lettering, but looking closely at it, the colors are not a perfect match. The original colors outline the color used to obliterate any lettering. Then you have no lines or markings on the street at all.

No, that picture was taken in Mexico. Not in Texas. So in this day of nearly everyone having a digital camera, no physical proof exists of armed troops entering the US via a border patrol access point. No AP article referenced in the article to support the claim.

It does not take much to recognize that the Theorists are betting most folks will not double check their references. Many of the articles I read concerning the Government, Military or Law Enforcement carried only supposition and disinformation. It was based on the concept that the writers word is golden regardless of what other information might be out there to contradict their statements.

Especially within the Military and Law Enforcement articles, they act as if those personal serving the public are robots. Forgetting they were our neighbors before, during and even after their terms of service. They were educated in the same schools as we were. Have the same desires and goals in life we have. And have the same religious and political beliefs we have. They are not some sub-species, grown for the tasks in life they have chosen.

An interesting thing one will notice in the Conspiracy Theories is they have been around for well over 100 years. But it is only with the fall of the Soviet Union that the format of the theory has solidified into a specific format. As one individual recently told me, it almost seems that the format was written in Hollywood.

As I said in the opening paragraph, it is the accusers responsibility to prove the accused guilty. There is no evidence to support those claims. Just supposition, slight of hand tactics, and disinformation designed to create a condition the writers can milk to further increase the value of their stock portfolios.

I believe I could take Edward Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Extract specific passages, change the dates, places and individuals names with current times and names. Build a web site using a cover name, provide a picture of one of my deceased relatives as the sites author, create a bank account under one of my grandson’s names and commence to scare the crap out of those who would never catch onto where the information is coming from and all the while, asking for donations to keep the site open.

Hell, I could probably pay for all three (3) of my grandsons college education within a year.

If you will notice, I have not delved into the Psychology of why people are so ready to believe in such theories. Writing on that subject would entail the same effort as in writing a Masters Thesis. Not the most exciting thing in the world to do or read. So I’ll leave the reader to come to their own conclusions.

In all of my writings I have tried to be subjective towards the subject. I have always written in such a format to get the reader to think, develop their own conclusions and hopefully consider doing their own research to prove me wrong.

This article has bent my own rules for writing. I have tried to be as specific as possible without the name calling I have seen on many of the sites, both pro and con with the subject.

The one thing I find most disturbing is in reality the theorist are calling for anarchy. Much in the way Lenin did at the start of the Russian Revolution. Certainly they will not outwardly call for it, because no supporter of the Constitution would stand for such a thing. But the only thing that can result from the mistrust they ferment towards the Government, the Military and Law Enforcement would be anarchy until someone steps in with a better plan. Much in the way Lenin and his crew stepped in with a better plan. Much in the way Hitler and his cronies stepped in with a better plan.

Our system of government is not perfect. Far from it. But it is much better then the alternative.

I do propose this. Go read the senior Bush’s New World Order Speech in its entirety. I hope that you will notice that he is talking about the fact the order of the world had changed with the fall of the Soviet Union and that a New World Order is emerging. The face of World Politics and Economy was and still is changing due to that single event. If we do not adapt to it changing, then we shall become a victim to it.

Besides, who in his right mind will publicly announce a secret agenda to take over the world in a public forum? Even Hitler waited till he was firmly seated in power, and even then he did the majority of his evil behind closed doors and through his cronies.

Well, it’s been awhile since I posted anything to this blog. Mostly because I didn’t have any subject I felt worth commenting on. And it is possible today’s blog is not worth commenting on. But what the heck, each of us has our own version of self abuse and for many of the readers, my nonsensical ramblings are their version of self abuse.

Over the past week we have seen tragedy unfold nearly minute by minute as it happened. Then, we may have viewed the madness of a manic broadcast on national television, for what I consider to be nothing more then a ratings ploy. It did not take a far stretch of the imagination to realize that the killing of 32 people was madness.

But while the events were taking place, people all over this country were beginning wail and pull their hair out because even as they viewed the situation as horrible as anyone else, they were predicating that it would result in the loss of privilege. The right to own firearms.

Now I am going to take a short side trip here and hopefully examine the history of the armed citizen through out history. Let me see, looking, searching, well how about that, they don’t exist. Even the earliest settlers of this country were not armed, but they did have access to arms. The famous Captain John Smith was hired to teach and train the Pilgrims in the use of firearms for protection in this new, and dangerous land. But it was not long before the settlers realized that holding all the firearms in a central location was not practical for defense against the local Natives that took offense to their invading their lands, and began to hold those weapons in their homes. Plus, it made it easier to hunt game for the evenings meal.

Even before the advent of the firearm, the average citizen had nothing more then the implements found around the home to defend himself. We must remember that metals were expensive and wages were extremely poor. Even the barter for knives and such could put a major dent in the household savings of food or property. Movies nearly have the picture right when they show the peasants attacking the castle gates with pitchforks or scythes. Once the fight was over, those survivors could then arm themselves with the weapons of the castle. Such was the life of a European, living a harsh life, before this country was discovered.

An even better example of this comes from Asia, where the martial arts were developed. This method of defense, or fighting if you choose, came from the need to be able to defend ones self against either an armed or unarmed assailant. The weapons of the martial arts are in fact farm implements. Each item has a use and purpose within the farming structure. They learned to use what was at hand. After all, if it will cut and harvest rice, it will cut and harvest the head of an opponent.

All through the so called civilized world, the only folks that had what could be deemed weapons were those that ruled or served the rulers as soldiers. If the King decided that his neighbor needed the crap kicked out of him, he outfitted an army with weapons and went forth in the hopes his troops were nastier then his neighbors. Once the war was over, he collected up the weapons, and stored them in the castle’s armory until needed for the next war. Only a cadre of guards and such maintained their weapons. And we are not even going to discuss the bands of mercenaries that wandered the lands in hopes of employment. Many of which would hire out for the winter to protect one kingdom, then later return under the employment of neighboring kingdom as invaders.

So, we enter a new country finding the necessity of being able to protect ourselves on a moments notice. We find ourselves being put upon by our King and his advisors. And then one day we stand our ground at a bridge, with the intend to prevent the King’s men from taking away that which we need for our own protection and fire the shot heard around the world.

Once that little disagreement was settled, there was a discussion that maybe the people should be disarmed by some of the same folks that had fought so hard for this countries freedom from an unjust ruler. But the need was still there and specific words were written to protect the right of the citizen and the state. Our founding Fathers knew that the new country could not support a standing army, but would have to rely on the citizen to close ranks as they had done during the Revolution. Thus was born the Second Amendment.

So there is a short historical view of our right to bear arms. It came from the necessity to protect what was newly founded. It was also recognized that they lived in a violent land, with people that would and could strike anywhere, at any time and that the people needed to be able to defend themselves against such acts. It does not take much of a stretch of the imagination to consider that some of those same people would commit violent acts with that same means against their neighbors. So laws were enabled to prosecute those who violated the basic rights of others. And most of those laws are founded in writings thousands of years old.

But what my intent in this diatribe was that people were reacting without any solid information to events out of their control. What drives such actions? Simply fear. Fear of loosing what they consider a God given right. Pardon my verbosity here, but when did God come down from the mount and say each citizen of this country has the right to own a firearm? This does have me confused.

So those who feared that the tragedy at Virginia Tech would lead to more gun control, created comments all over the internet concerning the aspect that more legislation would come from the gore of the attack to take away that which they hold dear. But within this I see things others may have missed. The comments showed fear and within that fear were threats which if on the other side of the fence would scare me.

I really do not think either side of the gun control issue really can see just how each side is creating the fears which are rampant on both sides. But more importantly, has no one ever really tried to analyze why folks are so scared of the gun?

Oh sure, we all discuss how stupid most of the concepts of disarmament really are, but what brings such ideas to light? If you subscribe to the many conspiracy theories around the internet, there is an element which wishes to remove any and all abilities of the citizen to withstand their complete takeover of this country. If it were not for several factors, I’d be holding my ribs in pain from the laughter this evokes from me. One of the things that weight so heavily on my mind is I have heard such things from folks I consider to be rational, intelligent people. So what drives this fear? What are they really afraid of?

Flip the coin for a minute an try to put yourself in the shoes of the folks supporting the anti-gun movement. What are they scared of? I believe that answer is simple. Death. They are afraid of becoming a victim of a violent death by a firearm. I’ve even heard one state that they get violently ill if they find out they are in a home which contains a firearm. A person in fear of their own mortality cannot be reasoned with. All logic escapes them. The only focus they have is the protection of their own being and the only manner in which they feel they have is to eliminate that perceived threat. Can you imagine how they feel when some gun owner comments, “they can have my gun…..one bullet at a time”. Fear can create fear, and as Frank Herbert wrote, “Fear is the mind killer.”

I am certain many people who expound such sayings about giving the bullets or other such nonsense feel they are saying them in order to advise those who would attempt to take such freedom away that they would fight to keep that freedom. Some even think they are scaring those other folks into letting them keep said rights. In reality all they are doing is throwing gas on a fire.

Those folks that are so scared of being a victim of violence are hardly vocal. Rarely will they speak up to challenge those that they fear. But quietly they will work to bring down that persons downfall. It is those folks that elect the political leaches that proclaim they will bring about legislation which will bring the fearful some relief of their fears.

Those folks do not see the sporting application nor the protection side of the issue. They are scared and wish not to be. Boisterous comments of a macho nature does nothing to remove that fear, but can amplify it into doing something that in reality makes things worse. Hence, Gun Free Zones.

Now I do know several folks that carry a gun on a daily basis. Not because they are themselves scared of being a victim, but because they feel themselves to be careful, cautious individuals. And the locales where they reside have concealed carry laws. Oddly enough, the folks I know that go through the trouble to get licensed are not worried about becoming a victim, but do so in exercising the right to carry. It has nothing to do with being afraid, just being prepared in case the worst might happen.

And I rarely carry. Main reason is that any enemies I still have left above ground will never come at me head on, but from ambush. They are very much aware that given any chance at all, they would loose the argument and find themselves being zipped into a black bag. So why worry about that which I cannot control. Plus I am aware of where I go, when I go and how I get there.

By now the conspiracy theorist are frothing at the mouth, ready to crucify me for uttering such comments as written above. But I have yet to find anything to support those theories. Certainly there are those who would like to see firearms totally abolished. Some of their reasoning is actually noble in context, but wholly impractical in practice. Others are fearful they will become another victim of an individual like John Hinckley. Again they align their fears with that which will ease those fears and strike out against that which in many ways protects their freedoms.

How does one disarm this country? There are not enough law enforcement types to do the job. Besides, a very large percentage of the LEO’s of this country will fall into the category of the disarmed. The US Military Establishment? Same thing applies there. The UN? Oh, give me a break here. The UN was a grand experiment that has turned into a paper tiger. They can pass resolutions all day long to disarm this country, but who is going to collect those weapons? They cannot even place Peace Keeping troops into a country without that countries agreement. And we must remember this country is much larger then the average country they get sent into. Plus what country will commit troops to come into this one and disarm the public. The French? No, I have a real hard time seeing these things happening.

Dissolve the Constitution? Just how do you do that? Revoke the Second Amendment? That will take the voting of 33 state houses to approve such an action. And remember where those folks live. Presidential Order? Again, who will execute it? I have extreme doubt that having a Liberal President, a Liberal Congress and a Liberal Supreme Court could get away with such extremes. Even the Brady Bill was limited in its scope and power. And parts of it was tossed out by the Supreme Court.

So, what are the gun owners of this country really scared of? The loss of a way of life that goes back far before we became a country? Most of the time when I have asked this question, all I get is the same old pamphlet sayings about the right to bear arms. But this has to go deeper. I just wish someone would explain it too me without spouting pro-gun political slogans.

I saw an interesting fact a couple weeks ago. It seems the US Army has 800,000 people on their retired roster. Imagine if you will if only half those folks banded together to oppose the removal of any part of the Constitution which they once swore to protect. Then toss in the other services. Add those who have never been in service, yet have strong feelings about that document which provides us with the freedoms which we hold so dear.

Fear not the gun grabbers, but fear those who will restrict us in many other ways. Fear the religious right that would deny civil rights to all but those which believe as they do. Fear those who would deny the rights of man to an individual because of color or country of origin. And fear the person who would deny the rights to those who they believe are political opposites.

The wonder of this country is that people with differences can live, work and propel this country forward despite those differences. But to fail to accept those differences makes a person no better then the people they fear. Once that path is taken, only sorrow can follow.

I thought I had finished this entry into my madness, but the mind is a confusing thing and mine just keeps rambling about in my head, telling me that this is far from done.

Often in my writing I leave aspects of ambiguity all over the script. Let the reader think for themselves with only the least amount of prodding by myself. But I truly wonder if being more to the point would be a better tactic then what I have been using since I started these commentaries.

Then again, I have done what I have done with the hope that I could get folks to think without getting upset with me and my liberal leaning ways.

There is an email that has been floating about the internet for a year or better with points that says if you are a liberal you believe in these things. How sad that if you really believe in all those points, then you are in reality as guilty as those who believe in those points of being narrow minded and would deprive some of certain civil liberties. Think I am kidding? You think I say this lightly?

To blindly accept certain aspects as being purely a liberal concept can be a serious mistake for all. Liberals and Conservatives alike. To demand one liberty while denying another theirs because it does not fit into a neat package of political or religious beliefs is in essence the very actions which we, as Americans should be appalled with, instead of embracing. And we are our own worst enemy.

We ridicule that which we do not understand. We insult cultures and religions that have been in existence long before this country was even discovered. We make no attempt to understand the history of another people nor their way of life, but compare theirs to ours and find theirs pitiful. We stand with an arrogance of righteousness, yet treat do not understand why people look at us with contempt.

We will condemn the readings of another group, yet refuse to consider reading those same writings so we can better understand those whom we disagree with. We would deny the right of choice to those we disagree with while demanding that same right for ourselves.

We make no attempt to understand the fear of others while embracing our own fears.

But to create fear in another in a vain attempt to validate your own reasoning is without logic. Fear drives illogical actions. Once fear has embedded itself into the mind, then it is easy pry to ideas that can only appease that mind. Ideas without merit, yet comforting. Ideas that can break what is not broken. But they are comforting ideas which sooth the anguished mind.

How easy it is to forget one of the keys to warfare. Know Your Enemy. Yet, most of the comments I see shows very little knowledge of an enemy. Only a unearned contempt, but an unknowledgeable ally.

For the theorists that read this. Remember one factor I not only require but demand. Any proof you wish to offer in your defense, make sure it will stand up in a court of law. Half-truths, speculation and pipe dreams do not hold up in the light of day. Show me the enemy in their raw form so I can better construct a battle plan to defeat them.

And it is not what they are doing that is important, but why they are doing it. Because to manage the fear of thousands, gains you the vote of thousands.

Sober and Hating it
22 April 07

Some days you just have to pitch a bitch. No, I’m not talking about tossing your ex-wife out the window, I’m talking about throwing a tantrum and verbally abusing someone or something.

So, where do I start?

I have yet to comprehend the mentality of some of the posters to bulletin boards. A member will post a question. Sometimes not giving enough information, which is a handicap on developing a proper answer. Generally speaking, they give enough to make a valid assessment of requirements and form an informed reply.

What often burns my rectal regions is the variety of replies often posted in response to the query. More often then not, a respondent will pick out some piece of the puzzle, which fits their own preferences, and makes his response solely to that piece. And a majority of the time, without any other comment other then this is what they like, but never give rhyme nor reason to it. It is as if by weight of their name alone is reason enough for the questioning individual should expend his meager funds.

Sometimes, when the question is posted with a dollar limit, some individuals will ignore the limits to the situation, and all but demand that the individual buy what they use, even if the cost is twice too thrice their budget limitations. In my opinion, this is nothing more then the respondent stating he has more money then consideration of others.

Ever notice how some folks will harp on a subject, even in light of contradicting information. These are the folks Psychotherapists make their money on and Sociologists like to point too as being symptomatic with what is wrong with the world today. Okay, I may have painted that with a really broad brush, but I suspect the reader understands where I’m coming from.

Now, I am well aware that in chat, I am more often then not, going to give an answer to a question that has nothing to do with the initial question. Usually, it is totally ridiculous in form and context. But there it is designed to produce a laugh, although at times it only receives a moan and groan from the peanut gallery.

But, as we all are aware, the written word in a non-live environment, should be precise and informative. Something much of the press seems to have forgotten.

Ever notice that if you try to make a point, one or more individuals will counter with arguments, which if taken as read, seem as if they are talking to a mentally disabled individual. This especially occurs when they are not reading what is written, but what they presume is being written.

And these same folks cannot understand how wars get started.

Ok, enough of this for now. Maybe I’ll tackle some more at a later date.

20 Aug 2006
Staying in the A/C.

Change of pace here folks. Figured you needed a tale with a happy ending.

A long time ago, in a place far, far away, there was a matter of justice served. But first, an interlude in which I shall set up the tale itself.

One of the things that I enjoyed during my time in service was the trust I felt from the troops. Even those not under my direct command. For those who have been there, you know from where I am coming from. For those not familiar with the concept, this is a sweet spot which you have really missed out on.

Which brings me to a hard knock on my door one morning at about 0100 hours. Standing on my doorstep, in an inebriated condition, was one of the finest mortar gunners it has been my pleasure to know. He was romantically involved with a local girl and they had just one hell of a fight from what he could depart to me in his condition.

I poured coffee down his gullet until he was sober enough to explain that the fight generated from a complete misunderstanding and he didn’t know how to tell her how sorry he was. He was sure if he could just talk to her, he could straighten things out. So off we go, through the woods, to her parents house. Here I should mention, she was also a senior at the local high school. Relax folks, he was only 20 at the time.

Nearly an hour later, I am setting on the hood of my Malibu SS, drinking coffee from my thermos while Paulson, (no Lucy, that is not his real name), followed her around the front yard, (she was in her nightgown), while her parents watched from the porch. After half a thermos, he marched her over to the porch, hand in hand, and kneeled down in front of her and her parents, proposed to her. Yeah, I know it sounds a tad corny, but he was still tight, and as he told me later, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

She said yes, Mom started crying, and Dad just shook his head and went back into the house.

The date of the wedding was set for after she graduated in three months. Which also put him into the timeframe for leave.

Move forward nearly three months.

Senior Prom is important to those graduating. Prom dates are equally important. Here begins the tale of woe.

Paulson wanted to go to the prom with his honey. Plus, by this time, we had two other troops involved with girls from that class. Guess who the girls wanted as their dates, and in dress uniform? You got it. Under normal circumstances this would have been a no brainer. Except the morning of the prom, we were supposed to move into the field for a live fire exercise. Ninety Six hours of gunpowder, high explosives, and major fun.

Now Captain Shitforbrains, our Company Commander, (hey, I had to give him a name equal to his abilities, didn’t I?), was not keen on letting these young men out in public with respectable young ladies. Besides being a bit of a control freak, does this last give you any idea what part of fantasy land he often dwelled in? So, he forbid anyone from being absent from the movement too the field, without medical reason.

So, someone called the Chaplin, who talked to the General, who talked to the Regimental Commander, who talked to the Battalion Commander, who called Captain Shitforbrains into his office and from reports, gave him a detailed description of his command abilities (or lack thereof) and instructed him to insure that his people would be in the proper uniform, squared away and present to act as escorts for the young ladies described in previous paragraphs.

Things start going downhill from here. Captain Shitforbrains followed his orders, and issued some of his own. The critical parts are as follows. Sgt Brownnose, our Supply Sergeant, would collect all the escorts and have them at the Company Command Post by no later then 0630 hours the morning after or there would be hell to pay.

Follow me here as I fill in some gray areas. Our First Sergeant fell off his bicycle 3 days before the Exercise. So as Gunny, I became First Sergeant while he was in the hospital with a concussion. Who would have thought his head was soft enough to suffer a concussion? Go figure.

As we were loading out for the exercise at 0400 that morning, Sergeant Black, Paulson’s Squad Leader took a header out the back of the Weapon’s Carrier and fractured his wrist. I told him if the Doc’s released him to limited duty, he could hitch a ride with Brownnose the next morning and I’d find something constructive for him to do. We left for the boonies without the First Sergeant, Sgt Black, Paulson and 2 others. This does not account for the other sick or lame that were stay behinds yet had missions in the garrison area. I forget the exact number this late in my life.

Notice I have made no mention of Paulson’s Platoon Sergeant yet. That is because he was not worth mentioning. He was a Road Warrior. Retired On Active Duty. And he was only months away from actual retirement and was not about to do anything which might bring notice to himself. He only did what he had to do cause he was terrified of the First Sergeant, (with good reason), and scared of me.

Now, here is where the best laid plans begins to fall completely apart. I look back at the situation and tell myself I should have known better. Don’t get me wrong, but I had plenty of faith in the young Marines going to the prom, it was Sgt Brownnose I had no faith in. Anyway, Paulson had moved out into a cheap shack out in town. Wasn’t big enough to call a house, but he was happy cause his bride to be shared it with him. Relax folks, she was 18, and legal. Paulson asked Sgt Brownnose, in my presence, if he could swing out and pick him up instead of having to drive back onto base, cause he wanted Rita ( needed to name her something, didn’t I?), to keep his car so she could go out to her folks place and pick some of her stuff up while he was in the field.

Brownnose looked at me, I kind of shrugged my shoulders like, It’s ok with me, and the deal was done. I should have known better!

Brownnose arranged his pickup times accordingly to give him time to be at the CP on or before schedule.

The next morning, Brownnose pulls into the CP location at 0615. Sgt Black bails out of the truck and he is in a hostile mood. It seems Paulson was left behind, by Brownnose, cause Brownnose was more worried about being late then insuring Paulson was in attendance. As Black told me, they showed up maybe a minute or so at Paulson’s shack before the scheduled time. Brownnose waited maybe 3 minutes, without Paulson appearing at the door, before deciding he had to leave to meet the CO’s timeframe.

Black said he was nearly out of the truck, to go bang on the door, when Brownnose ordered him back in and they were leaving. Being that this shack was facing an alley, (old, converted 2 car garage), Brownnose wisely choose not to hit the horns of the truck. Air horns at that hour are not conducive to good public relations.

Statements from the others in the truck followed what Paulson said later. He turned the porch light on, turned back to grab his gear and when he stepped out, the truck was leaving. Black was trying to get Brownnose to stop and let someone get Paulson up and out, while the Marines in the back were hollering to stop so Paulson could catch up and get in. Paulson was left standing in the middle of the alley while the truck turned the corner and left. It seems the only thing that Brownnose was concerned about was that Paulson was not standing outside, waiting for them, therefore he was considered UA. For those not familiar with the term, it is the proper term for AWOL. UA means Unauthorized Absence.

Doing double duty required me to return to garrison later in the morning to insure the morning reports were filed and check the Duty Log. When I arrived at approximately 0745, Paulson was setting in the Orderly Room with all his gear and a look of distress. Corporal Remington, our Company Clerk, had everything ready and it was just a matter of review and sign off. The Duty Log showed Paulson reporting for duty at 0558. Note: Battalion Policy required that all Brown Baggers, (non-barracks residing personal) to be at their units barracks no later then 0600 hours each Duty Day.

Sgt Brownnose had returned to the barracks about 30 minutes before me. And there was an entry in the Duty Log where Sgt Brownnose had sustained a bruised cheek when Cpl Remington had opened the door to the Head as Sgt Brownnose was attempting to exit. This action caused Sgt Brownnose to be struck in the face by the edge of the door. PFC Smith, the Assistant Duty, was in the Head cleaning it and witnessed the incident.

FYI: Head is a Naval Term for Latrine which is an Army term for Bathroom.

FYI: The Duty NCO is same as the Army’s Charge of Quarters. This period it was Corporal Gray who was on light duty as was PFC Gray, his assistant/runner.

When I asked Cpl Remington about it, he just grinned and said it happened just as the Duty Log stated. I then asked for the truth, and in doing so, Paulson started to speak. Cpl Gray told him to stay quiet, then told the tale. Seems when Brownnose returned, he saw Paulson and popped off about how deep the shit pile was he had fallen into. Paulson it seems then gave a detailed description of the character of Brownnose, then Brownnose made a critical mistake. He made a disparaging comment about Rita. As I understood the tale, Brownnose had a meeting engagement with the floor while his words still echoed in the room. Remington stuffed Paulson into a chair and stayed between him and Brownnose.

Contrary to popular belief, not all clerks are mousy, little folks. Remington was about 6’2” and weighted in at a solid 220 pounds. He spent 2 hours every night pumping iron and was as solid as a rock.

While Brownnose was describing in detail what was going to happen to Paulson for striking an NCO, Cpl Gray was writing in the Duty Log. He showed the log to Remington who initialed off the entry and then PFC Smith, who also initialed it. When they showed it to Brownnose, it seems he grew irate and went to his Supply Room to write his own statement.

All three individuals stated before me that if it went to Court Martial, that was the story they were going to tell.

Honestly, I wish I’d had hit the bastard.

I went into the Supply Room to advise Brownnose that he would be required to submit a statement concerning the Absence of Paulson from field activities. He tried to hand me a statement concerning his bruised and swelling cheek instead. I told him that I’d accept the statement, but he had best consider that there were 3 witnesses saying otherwise.
I returned to the field with Paulson in tow.

Fast Forward: Later, after retuning to the barracks, SFB (hey, I got tired of typing Shitforbrains!), instructed me to have Remington to type up Reduction Orders on Paulson. I advised SFB to remember that Remington had done a tour as a Legal Clerk with 1st Marine Air and that was a bad idea. And that proper format must be followed just in case there were extenuating circumstances. SFB had no choice but to give in.

When I gave Remington his instructions, I also told him that I felt that regardless of circumstances, SFB was going to bust Paulson and told him about the first set of instructions. This did not make for a happy clerk. He wanted to have Paulson request a Court Martial, which would create a situation which took SFB out of the loop. I countered with several facts. One: Paulson would have been restricted to the barracks until the Court Martial, which means he’d miss his own wedding. Two: There was always the possibility that Paulson would be convicted, which could mean Brig time. Again, prolonging the wedding date. Three: Sgt Browning could introduce into evidence his bruised cheek. Then not only would Paulson be in a world of hurt, so would himself, Gray and Smith.

I told him to process the charges and if he was to type Reduction Orders, to hold off as long as possible. I had a plan.

Paulson stood before SFB and took his punishment like a man. SFB kept it short and sweet. He did ask Paulson for a verbal statement in his defense, which Paulson pretty much repeated what we already know happened. Paulson was told that if he was ever late again, he’d restrict him to the barracks for no less then 30 days and remove another stripe.

Remington then did as instructed. He processed Reduction Orders. Then after the unit shut down for the evening, he did as I instructed him to do.

After he made sure every piece of paper was properly filed concerning Paulson’s reduction, he handed over to me the copies, along with the letters of transmittal, that had to go forward to Payroll and such. Those I shredded. Other then our files and Paulson’s Service Record Book, Paulson was never reduced in rank. But at this time…only myself and Remington was aware of the situation.

Paulson got married. Dad even cried.

About 2 months later, Remington set Paulson to me over a problem with pay. Seems he was still drawing Lance Corporal Pay as a PFC. He was worried that Dispersing (Pay Master) would come back on him in full for the money he lost in the bust. I told him to keep his mouth shut and just cash the checks. I had him covered.

SFB got transferred to Regimental Staff a few months later. We got a good CO in exchange. Former enlisted man who had got out, went to college on his GI Bill and came back in as an officer.

Paulson got promoted back to Lance Corporal a month later.

The First Sergeant made SgtMajor and was transferred to 2nd Battalion. About 6 weeks later I was also transferred to the 2nd as Operations Sergeant.

Remington stopped by one day in civilian clothing. He had his Discharge in his pocket and was heading for the Main Gate. He handed me a large manila envelope containing every scrap of paper pertaining to Paulson’s reduction in rank. The record of this action was now totally in my hands. Remington never said a word about the contents and left.

I shredded the evidence.

Paulson made Corporal on schedule and received orders to 3rd MarDiv. Found out later he reenlisted for a second hitch.

By all definition, We defrauded the government of the money paid to Paulson at a higher rank. But think on this. It is very possible those actions saved a very talented individual who might have gotten out after his first hitch. It really wasn’t all that much money either.

SFB proved how big an idiot he was at Regiment. Was shown the Main Gate and asked to resign his commission.

The new Commander saw through Brownnose’s bull shit and later gave him a Fitness Report (Evaluation) which effectively destroyed his chances for further promotion and killed his ability to reenlist.

So there is the tale. And the Statue of Limitations expired years ago.

17 Jul 2006
Remembering Those We Lost.

In my files is a working document on Religion which is in excess of 5000 words at the moment. It is harsh at times to say the very least about it. Hopefully, this exercise in thought will produce a much smaller, less brutal view of my views on organized religion. Note here I say organized religion. Although it will contain personal views on religion and beliefs in general, it is towards organized religion I turn a jaundiced eye.

I am by nature, an observer. How I view much of life is based on my experiences and education. No matter what I see or how I see it, it is colored, tainted if you will, by my life experiences. One of the things I have done over the years is get a solid education. Granted, it was in essences a Liberal Arts education, which is both good and bad, it allowed me to expand my thought processes.

In writing this, one must keep in mind that as much as I disagree with Organized Religion as a whole, I find it a necessary evil. Hopefully, I’ll explain the evil part much better later on. Also I am certain some will wish to challenge my comments. Save your energy. They will be ignored. Also we will not entertain any attempt to seduce me back to the path of righteousness.

Oh! And one other thing. Even though this subject has always been on my mind to write about, I have managed to ignore such brain naggings until I was recently asked by a reader about writing on Religion. So, therefore, I refuse to take all the heat on myself for such rantings.

One only has took look at the growth in churches since 9/11 to recognize that mankind needs to belong to something which gives them the security that there might be a better life after this one. But herein lies one of my biggest complaints.

Am I the only one to notice how large the physical structures are being built to house a church since 9/11? How much money is being spent to show the world that their religious beliefs are better then another cause look at the size of our temple to the all mighty.

Join our church or you will surely spend eternity in hell. Live your life according to our beliefs or your will regret it in the afterlife. We are the only religion which properly interprets the Word of God.

Sound familiar?

The Word of God, aka The Bible, has many good life lessons in it. And according to the Hebrew scholars whom I have heard, that is exactly what the Old Testament was written for. To place, in writing, for all too see, the lessons needed to live life. Interesting that you can get most, if not all, those same lessons from Aseop’s Fables.

So here comes the hardest part of writing on Religion. First, consider that the Department of Defense recognized 145 separate religious beliefs in their conditions for enlistment. Second, you cannot even classify a single religious sect without mentioning the fact there are sub-sects to each one. Hell, place one cleric from each of the separate Baptist sects in a room with an obscure passage from the Bible to interpret and within 24 hours you just might have a body to remove from the room. This wild theory holds true with most religions.

The reader must remember that the stories of the Bible, (Old Testament), were never written down until approximately 70 A.D., and this was because the Romans were at the gates of Jerusalem, and the temple priests were afraid that their history would be lost for all time if it was not written down. Being this is the situation which brought froth the Bible, one must consider just how accurate it really is, in a historical context. Add in how many times it has been translated from one language to another till it is in its present form also adds to the possibility of error. Yet, it is considered to be irreproachable in context.

Remember, the Old Testament is in reality nothing more then the History of the Jewish race. But even their scholars will admit that they have taken tales for other peoples, molded them to fit their own needs and used them as examples of how to lead a fruitful life. There is solid evidence that Noah’s Flood took place in other people’s history, long before it was finally set to tablet. The names of the heroes were changed to suit the circumstances of the telling. Question becomes, who changed what to suit what circumstances? Believe what you feel you must.

Back to a comment made above, consider how much money is being spent to impress folks with the size of their church, when that money could be better spent by the church on poverty programs to help those who in reality cannot help themselves. Reduce hunger in the world. Provide housing to those who cannot afford it. Shall I go on? Nope, will not.

My Bride has attempted to attend church on a steady basis, but was turned off by a request for her pay stub in order for the church to bill her for tithes and offerings according to her pay. To both of us, this shows a distinct lack of concern for her soul as it does for the church treasury. Hell, my Great-Uncle Marion used to pay his tithes with eggs and maybe a fryer on Sunday. It was what he could afford and the minister accepted it in the manner it was offered. In good faith.

But over the years, it seems churches are nothing more then social clubs to be seen in and associated with. Used to develop contacts in the business world and to improve ones personal wealth. In this I have observed people who were your best friend on Sunday, and would cut your throat on Monday in order to advance in wealth.

Now, for a list of things I do not care for:

Churches not paying taxes. I pay mine. Any business pays theirs. So should any church.

Churches using their clout to force laws which is exclusive to their religion only. Sure there is no official religion/church in this country, but it is near impossible separate church from state when many of the suggestions for laws originate from the pulpit.

I have observed, as a Police Officer, certain religious people who act as if the rules of the road do not apply to them. I have seen them leave a church service and literally run a stop sign with us setting at the intersection in a black and white. Then when stop them, you will end up with several others stopping wondering why Brother Idiot was stopped in the first place. Acting as if that Stop Sign was for the other folks in the community, but not for them, since they were true righteous. Yeah Folks. God is your Co-Pilot and he is wearing not only a parachute, but a crash-helmet and fireproof clothing.

It has also been brought to my attention that church members are showing less compassion towards their fellow man, especially if those needy do not belong to their specific belief. And they get upset at me for no longer being my brothers keeper?

To be considered fallen, because being raised Pentecostal, I married a Baptist and no longer go to their church. Hell folks, I not only do not go to church anymore, I may not even show up in one for my own funeral.

Really touchy subject here. Abortion. Regardless which side of the subject you are on, consider that in reality we have a situation where religious groups want anti-abortion laws. Ever notice the news footage here? After a protest, many of the Anti’s get into their Volvo’s, Saab’s, BMW’s and go home, never once considering the cost of raising the unwanted child and yet, they will bitch and gripe about their taxes going to support a welfare state. If you think this is an outrageous comment, wait and watch the next time one of these protest rallies appears on television. And I have yet to see any Anti’s address the health and welfare of the child after birth except to comment on adoption, which then makes it someone else’s problem.

I have probably said too much already on this subject, yet no where nearly enough to cover everything. If anyone wants more, wait for the movie.

9 Jul 2006
Waiting for the Sun to come up in the West

Here it is, the 3rd of July and I set before the computer a tad bored. I could be out in the workshop, doing further remodeling out there, but I have expended my remodeling funds for the week and what details there are to do till more funds are available would only last at best 2 hours. Besides, I be plumb lazy today.

Might run out to Polecat later and set out some corn that has been souring in this heat for the past week. Best take several guns, cause using Root Beer and Maple Syrup sure makes for a potent smell. Might have to defend myself from being over ran by hungry hogs. Yeah, right and Pam Anderson is gonna give me a Tommy Lee lap dance too. Just in case, maybe I need too get my shot record updated.

My bride is busy painting the living room. Yeah, I know, here I set when I should be in helping her. Just went in to check on her and middle daughter was enjoying a helping of potato salad, watching Mom work. Best thing I can do is what I am already doing. Staying out of harms way.

Disconnected thought connected to the previous paragraph. Is it just me or when a female member of the family begins a cleaning project, it is like a shark feeding frenzy? Serious folks, I have observed my bride for years going thru the process of housecleaning and never really realizing what is being moved about or even where it is being moved too at times. I have watched her pick up something, move it too a new location, then 10 minutes later asked if she had seen said object . The usual response is , “No”. Don’t get me wrong here folks, I love my bride as much now as I did watching her walk down the aisle over 35 years ago, but that can be scary. And she wonders why I do all I can to stay out of the way. Afraid she’ll move me one day and forget where she put me.

One reader has commented I should do an article on Religion. I have mentioned this to others with a somewhat agreeable comment from them. As I have commented on before, the surest was to lose a friend is to discuss Politics or Religion. Now I know I have spoken on Politics several times, but that is a subject which is easy too be discussed in broad enough terms, that offense is deferred to a laughable state. But Religion is a whole different beast. It is not possible to thoroughly cover the subject without touching on a specific religious sector or beliefs. While Politics is often broad enough and defused enough to carefully paint with a broad brush, Religion is often too pointed a subject to paint in such a manner. If I do take up the mantel of this subject, the reader will have to be aware that even if I am diametrically opposite to their beliefs, I am still the same person they have came to know and loath over the passing years.

One of the pleasures of chatting with folks that have most of the same ideals you hold is the meeting with those folks in person and sharing a laugh, drink, great food and shooting. One given fact is that under no circumstances will everyone share the exact concepts of all of the above. There will always be something, however minor it might be, to separate and distinguish one person from another.

I had an extremely enjoyable weekend not long ago with a Scottish friend fishing for stripers. One of the best things about fishing over shooting or hunting, is that the fish do not care if you get loud with laughter or ignore the target. The fish will let you know when it is time to reel them in and except for the possibility of getting a hook in the finger, safety is not a big issue. This is slow time. Time to truly enjoy each others company. To tell tall tales and relax with the knowledge you are amongst friends. Even with a 5 hour drive each way, it was a very relaxing weekend.

Here I must also once again thank our Host and Hostess for the weekend. As usual, their hospitality was above what one needs to expect. Food was plentiful, drink was always available and conversation was entertaining, if not at times bizarre. Wait a minute, it was my comments that were usually bizarre. OK, strike the last comments concerning bizarre.

I have wasted enough of the readers time for the moment. Plus I have ran out of jibberish to depart up the sore eyes of the reader. We’ll see that we can do with the rest of the day without breaking in too much of a sweat.

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable 4th of July. Remember, the life you save might be a liberal.


3 July 2006
Hiding in the Den