Happy New Year!

For the first time in 2 weeks, I have internet. Don't know what the problem was... don't care... it's working for now.

I hope all had a blessed Christmas & I wish everyone a happy 2009.

Speaking of blessed Christmas's, this Christmas was an unexpected surprise. Things hadn't been going well financially in the Bodhran home & The Wife & I weren't planning on doing much for the kids this year..... just couldn't afford to.

Well, it seems that someone in our church happens to work in a parochial school here in town. Every year, this lady's school collects donations (in gift form) for a family "down on its luck" so that those kids can have something under the tree come Christmas morning.

Usually, the kids sponsored are from one of the poorer schools in town, but this year she decided to sponsor a Catholic family down on its luck from her church.....

Us.

When I found out (The Wife called me at my part-time job) I was speechless. Couldn't say a word.

This wonderful lady showed up at our door with 2 large plastic bags FULL of gifts for my children.

Now let me say The Wife & I aren't "destitute".... yet -- each kid had a couple gifts from us & Santa, & if our friend had asked us beforehand, I would've told her that we were alright & asked her to find someone who "really needed it".

Turns out, I really did need it.

For so long now, I've only focused on how rotten people are; selfish, rotten creeps.

This teacher from our church, her students & their parents have made me completely rethink how I view others. I can't assume that people are bad or self-serving when I'm confronted with such kindness from total strangers, & I'll never see others in that dark light again.

I received the best gift of all this year. I've had the burden of bitterness lifted from my heart. While there is still evil in the world, there are a whole lot of folks out there who are willing to make sacrifices for complete strangers, folks who care enough for their fellow man that they give of their time & money so that kids they'll probably never meet can have something to unwrap on Christmas morning. That means more to me than anyone can ever know.

There is more love in this world than I've ever wanted to believe was there.

Anyway, I pray everyone has a truly wonder-filled 2009!

Never Seen One Like This Before!

I love reading old documents.

I've read all sorts of things including posters for escaped slaves, but I've never read one like this before, from the Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg, VA, dated March 7, 1750-1:

---

Virginia Gazette
(Hunter), Williamsburg ,
March 7, 1750-1.

RAN away from the Subscriber, in Charles County, on Patowmack, Maryland, Two white Servant Men, a white Servant Woman, and a Negroe Man; viz., Thomas Long, about 5 Feet 9 Inches high, has a Scar on one of his Hands, black Hair, sandy Beard; had on when he went away a Cotton Jacket and Breeches, and a Felt Hat, but it is thought he has other Cloaths with him: He was a Scotch Rebel. Patrick Donahow, an Irish Man, about 5 Feet 7 Inches high, has black Hair and black Beard, and a little bald; had on when he went away, a brown colour'd Coat, two blue Jackets, one Camblet the other Cloth, without Sleeves, and both lin'd with red, a Pair of Pumps, Silver Buckles, and a fine Hat. Anne Harris, about 30 Years of Age, big with Chile, she has a long Face, with a Scar on the right Side of it near her Eye; she took away with her a fine Chintz [?] gown with red Flowers, a Dungear ditto, with red and green stripes, a Velvet Cap, and a Pair of fine Holland Sheets, with other Things of Value. Cooper, the Negroe Fellow, is about 26 Years of Age, and about 6 Feet high, has a Scar on one side of his Face near his Eye, has remarkably thick legs, and has lost one of his Toes; had on when he went away a Cotton Jacket, and a Pair of wide Trousers. Whoever takes up the said Run-aways, so that I may have them again, shall have Ten Pistoles Reward.
Jacob Andrew Minitree.

(all emphasis mine).

I've always known that not all slaves were black, but never before have a seen a poster for runaway "servants" in which one is described as "a Scotch rebel"!

To view the above (and other postings) in it's original (reproduction) form, go to longhunters.com.
Thanks, Long hunters, for keeping history interesting!

Back to Bodhrans!

It is in the title after all....

So, for your listening pleasure, I've found a fellow who lilts while he plays. This is something I started doing at rendezvous after getting sick of complaining about a lack of musicians... If you can't play with someone else, play with yourself.

Uh..... wait....

Anyway, this guy's quite good.

Enjoy.

You Know You Work In A Public School District When...

You pick up your ID badge & the district employee can't spell "Custodian".

According to my badge, I am a "Custodain".

It just makes me laugh.

Thankful & Penitent

I got a job today. It's part-time, but I knew that when I applied & it's only for as long as I'm in college.

It's for the company in charge of cleaning the local schools.

That's why I'm thankful today.

Why do I feel penitent? Well, without getting too specific or invading the privacy of another, I, without thinking, had a hand in making someone I consider a friend feel even worse than he/she did in the first place.

I. Am. An. Ass.

I apologized earlier today, explained why I said what I said, hopefully without sounding like I was making excuses -- which I wasn't -- & begged forgiveness.

What I did was thoughtless, careless, and hateful. It doesn't matter that it was unintentional. I did wrong & I'm deeply sorry.

This incident has caused me to rethink my outlook on life & people.

I hesitate to write a lot about myself.

(Then why do I even HAVE a blog? I ask myself that, too, to the point where I sit with my finger hovering over the 'delete' button.)

I've shared, with whomever cares to read this excuse for a blog, a few things about myself here, but the things that make me ME, those people and incidents that had a part in shaping the man I am today..... Well, I wish I could talk about some of it, but I just can't, for several reasons: (1) It's just too painful, (2) I don't think anyone else would care, & (3) Most folks have their own burdens & I don't want to add to them.

This time I shared what I thought (at the time) & guess what..... I added to a respected friend's burden. He/She need lifted up, & I helped bring him/her lower. I tried commiserating & I blew it.

See what I meant about not knowing what to say? If one doesn't know what to say, one should say NOTHING!

If I'd remembered that, I wouldn't have added to his/her pain.

All I can say now is, I'm sorry.

It's About Damn Time!

Heard about it.

Had to verify.

It's true.

Blago's goin' down!!!

Finally!

His arrogance has, at last, gotten the better of him. I mean, trying to sell Obama's senate seat in the midst of his on-going federal investigation???

Good God Almighty! If that's not arrogance, WTF is?!

Now can we please get a governor in Springfield whose next stop isn't the hoosegow?

What To Say, What To Say...

Something with which I've always had trouble is: what can I say to someone who's suffering?

I hate cliches.

(I know there's supposed to be a ` or something over the 'e', but I don't know how to put it there!)

HATE. THEM.

They're what people say when they shouldn't say anything at all.

"I know how you feel", "Things could be worse", "I know what you're going through"....

MEANINGLESS!

That said, I have real trouble when it comes to offering verbal support to friends who are in real pain. What can I say that doesn't come off as sounding cliched?

A friend looses their job... I say, "that sucks!" because I don't want to bring up the fact that I lost mine too, & trivialize their pain by comparing it to my own & maybe making them feel worse not because of their circumstances, but because it could seem as if I'm trying to usurp their misery.

Someone's loved one dies... I say, "that sucks!" instead of, "I know how you feel because I've had loved ones die, too" for the same reason.

I just wish that I had the ability to verbalize sympathy without sounding like a Hallmark card.

I don't have a lot of friends, but the ones I do have I feel a fierce loyalty toward, to the point that I want to "fix" what's wrong, "kill" that thing that's hurting them so keenly, "defend" them from what so often turns out to be indefensible.

(Am I making any sense at all, or is this one of those "stream of consciousness" things?)

I don't like to burden them with my problems simply because I don't want them worrying about me when I know they have problems of their own; most of them much worse than my own.

I'm unemployed, going on more than two weeks now..... A friend of mine has been without work for over 6 months!

I have a sick kid in the house..... I have friends who have things wrong with them that even the so-called doctors can't figure out!

So what can I say?

The only thing I can seem to do is pray. That should be enough, right? I mean, I'm not going to stop praying for you. I just want y'all to know that when I say, "You're in my prayers", that I'm definitely NOT spewing forth a cliche!

It also doesn't mean I'll show up on your front stoop waving my arms around, shouting "GAAWWD!!" at the top of my lungs, or waxing eloquently with a plethora of 'thees' & 'thous'.

Not for me.

Unless you REALLY want me to, you know, scare the bejabbers out of your neighbors...

ANYway, I just want you, my friends, who are in many ways more like family to me, to know that yes, I'm perpetually praying for you (and for myself, too) & eagerly awaiting the time when we can once again enjoy each other's company.

Pax,
Wes

Wow... I've Never Been FIRED Before....

Had a great weekend.

Woke up Saturday morning about 4am projectile vomiting.

I don't recommend it.

Had a couple friends come over

(one stayed -- God knows why -- and one who did the sensible thing & left).

Was feeling better this morning so I went to work.

Yet another hour later because, once again, my hours were cut.

I'm talking to another driver, who I'm surprised to see, hadn't left the dock yet. She's had her hours cut also, but now she's waiting for her truck to get back, & it's an hour late. She had 5 deliveries to make between Oregon, IL., Sterling, Loves Park, & then several pickups between Freeport & .......

I'll just say she didn't know how she was going to meet her deadline, 'K?

I mentioned something about "this fucked up company going down in flames".

Well, my boss (uh, former boss) came out of his office asking what I meant about him going down in flames. I told him I wasn't talking about him, I was talking about the company

(Straight Shot Express.... like I give a fuck anymore)

going down in flames because of a lack of planning, poor upper managerial skills -- on the part of those in Neenah, WI.-- & poor marketing on the part of the Sales Dept.

I also told him that conversations I have with other people don't concern him.

He starts in with "you don't do anything around here & when you finally get work you bitch about it!", to which I reply "that's bullshit and you know it!" & "so it's My fault we don't have enough customers anymore and you've cut 2-1/2 total hours from my work day?!"

That's about the time he gets IN MY FACE, which REALLY pisses me off, especially when he accuses me of getting in his face.

Other things were said, including: (me) "Friday's my last day. I'm thru with this fucking place", & (he) "What!?" & after some more indecipherable cussing on his part, I added, "Keep being a prick, ya cocksucker, and I'm done now!!"

Can ya guess what he said then?

"You called me a name! YOU'RE FIRED!!"

(me) "After all the names you've called your employees, AND ME, you're firing me for calling you a name!?"

(him) "I've never called anybody names!"

(me, laughing) "You're telling me that you've never called Gerald a 'stupid motherfucker'? You're telling me you've never called damn near every other driver here a 'lazy son-of-a-bitch? You're a cocksucker AND A FUCKING LIAR, TOO!!"

So here I am... Fired...

It doesn't feel all that bad. I mean, I'm not rushing to tell The Wife, but I've already got a lead on another job 2 hours later, & I'm starting college on the 20th of January. I would've been done with that cocksucker anyway!

Now I can call DOT & report the various violations that're on-going at Cheap Shit Express (the squatter living in the Men's room, the unsafe conditions of the trucks, the fact that Stan let's non-CDL drivers drive Class B straight trucks....)

Well, I'd better get back to that job application. Looks like I'll be cleaning schools again.

Roll on!

Now That I've Calmed Somewhat.....

I have several friends I know that voted third party, & after thinking about my last post, I owe them an apology.

I know why you voted the way you did & I actually understand the reasoning behind it. McCain wasn't anywhere near the Conservative we needed, but he wasn't a communist, just the lesser "bad". I actually HOPE you're message to the Republican party came through loud and clear: "STOP GIVING US MILKSOPS, CHOSEN LARGELY BY DEMOCRATS FOR US TO VOTE FOR!" "WE WANT AND NEED A TRUE CONSERVATIVE TO LEAD OUR COUNTRY, NOT SOMEONE OBSESSED WITH 'CROSSING THE AISLE' IN ORDER TO WORK WITH SOCIALISTS WHO'LL STAB YOU IN THE BACK AT THEIR FIRST OPPORTUNITY!"

Was it something like that? I know I'd been screaming those messages for the last 2 years....

I guess what I'm REALLY pissed about is this: How many selfish, lazy, non-thinking brain donors there are in this country who continually vote for liberals, after all the damage liberals have done to our nation. The same people who continually fuck up are the same ones who say that they're the only ones who can fix what's wrong. How does that make any sense whatsoever??

It's so easy to be a liberal Democrat; there's no thinking involved. Everything they do is based on how they FEEL.

So, my fellow Conservatives, let's do what we can to get the Congress back in 2010.

Again, I apologize to my third party friends for my earlier outburst.

UP THE REPUBLIC!

Congratulations America!

You've just elected our FIRST MARXIST PRESIDENT of the U.S.S.A!!!

Feel good?

Feel proud?

Well that's funny.....

Considering you've fucked us all.

You third party voters...

You wanted to make your "statement" & you did:

You were willing to accept an anti-American Socialist over a man who, despite his many, MANY faults, truly does love his country, who sacrificed more than the vast majority of us ever will for his country, for your "statement".

Was it worth it?

I wasn't a big fan of McCain, God knows! But 1 of 2 people were gonna win this election, one of whom is a man who's stated that his country sucks

(in different, no doubt more nuanced words),

wants to "redistribute"

(read: "confiscate")

the money of folks who work hard and give to other folks who don't, thinks it's just fine to let babies who survive their abortions die anyway since "that was the mother's intent in the first place", thinks his Black Liberation theology is a wonderful religion & his hate mongering "Reverend" Wright is a good man.....

I don't need to go on.

What else can I say but...

Welcome to the White House, mulatto messiah.

I hope our nation survives you.

UP THE REPUBLIC!

Now With 100% More Shirt!

So, Saturday I loaded up with Contagion, his boy Boopie, & Shadoglare, and went down to Ottawa, IL. for some shootin' fun. I'd never been to the Buffalo Range before and I'm glad I went. The Plinkin' Pit rocks! Folks bring whatever they want - except metal, glass or toxic items - to place in the pit, & then shoot it.

Target of choice on this occasion.... Somebody's old printer. Watching chunks fly off that printer while hitting it with 7.62 x 54 rounds fired from Contagion's Mosin Nagant made me giggle like a little girl! I learned a couple valuable lessons also:

1. The mosin kicks like a fucking mule, as the bruises on my shoulders will attest, &

2. When firing the mosin, or any bolt action rifle, left handed, make sure your left thumb is well out of the way when working the bolt with your right hand. That mother'll slice it quite nicely.

As fun as it is to shot, I think I only put 30 rounds through that Mosin, mostly for reason #1.

The AK-47 now..... I wish I'd had at least another 300 rounds for that. Gawd, is it nice to shoot! I can see why a lot of AK shooters wear gloves though... That fore grip gets fucking hot!

The Walther PPK now, I think I was the only one who enjoyed firing that little gun. I didn't have the problem of "slide bite" that some complain about, & I wasn't overly concerned about hitting targets with it (most targets were at least 100 feet away, & it's only good for the first 50 or so), but for close up, it's not a bad little pistol.

The .357 was fun as well, but the newest love of my life?

The Colt .45 model 1991. That's about the most accurate I've ever shot with a pistol. There is nothing I don't like about that gun; the way it sits in the had, the ease of operation, everything.

I've got to get me one o' those!

We left the range around 2 I think, & headed back to Contagion's to find his lovely wife Ktreva, along with lovely Wil, Red, & Petey in the backyard, partaking of adult beverages.

Stuff gets fuzzy from there.... Graumagus showed up, as did Bruce & I think at least another 30 people....

Hell, I don't know....

I know that I'd brought the bodhran down & Petey & I sang some songs. I think I got ass-punched a couple times.

And yes, at one point I removed my shirt. Wouldn't you if it was covered in various and sundry stomach fluids & snot?

Not my most dignified moment.... Oh no....

Bottom line, we all had a good time & though I didn't feel up to blogging much (read: "I didn't want to yack on someone's laptop) I'm looking forward to Blogcrawl '09.....

Probably as a Designated Driver....

Blogcrawl 2008

Yeah. It's happenin'.

I should probably wait till I'm sober......

I'm shirtless , I'm drunk.... that's all I should say right now.

Change Is Hard.

Which is why I prefer bills.

*rim shot*

Yeah, I know....

Really though, for me change has always been difficult.

I'm not talking about the empty "promise" of change proclaimed by the liberal's mulatto messiah currently running for president, but actual life altering change.

Tomorrow I go to a local college to speak with an adviser about returning to school for my teaching degree.

I'm looking forward to it, don't get me wrong. This is a good thing; an end to my loooong series of dead end jobs; the first step to an actual career.

I just know it won't be easy. I just turned 38, I have a wife and 4 kids & I have to get a job to work around whatever hellish schedule I'm about to subject myself to......

But I can't let those things stop me. I'm done with excuses & I'm finally going to go through with it.

It's just scary for me, ya know?

I'd appreciate prayers, good thoughts, whatever sort of karmic support I can get.

Thanks in advance. :)

9/11 + 7

Remember this?

And this?



Remember them, the heroes who ran in, many to their deaths, while everyone else ran out, .....





and the prayers the survivors offered up to their Lord on that day & after?






Remember the barbarians who did it.....



and the barbarians who celebrated their "triumph"?



Remember the victims....


and the families they left behind?




Remember those who fight so that this never happens again?


Remember.

I Know I Was Gonna....

But I didn't.

Sorry.

I was gonna critique the Galesburg Heritage Days event, but well..... you know.

I just can't get excited about posting anymore. There's no inspiration, the words just don't come to me anymore. I have a head full of ideas but when it comes time to write them down.....

The only reason I'm posting now is that I took the day off originally because the sitter was going to be closed. Her husband kept it open, but I took the day anyway. Just to get some shit done around the house & yard without arguing kids.

What the hell, right? The bullshit I have to put up with from my incompetent boss, retarded co-workers, piss poor drivers, & customers who get upset that I'm not a fucking psychic, I deserve a "me" day.

Let me explain that last part. I go to a place of business to pick up freight. All I know when I walk in their door is: 1. How many pieces of freight I'm to pick up, & 2. What the approximate weight is.

That's all!

I don't know where their shit's going! They, the shipper, need to tell me that!
I don't know what exactly it is that they're shipping! They, the shipper, need to tell me that!
I don't know what service they want to use (Next, 2nd, or 3rd Day, guaranteed or not guaranteed). That's all information that I get from THE SHIPPER! I DON'T KNOW ANY OF THAT GARBAGE UNTIL. THEY. TELL. ME!!!

Many, many times I've had to listen to some fucking brain stem talking on the phone saying, "This guy [me] doesn't know anything!"

To which I've said, "How can I know if you don't TELL me? This is all information that I need FROM YOU if you want me to move your freight!"

Work's been bumming me out. I'm just not going anywhere, you know? My hours are still cut from 10 to 11 hours a day to 7-1/2 to 8. I need to get out. Every time I walk in that shop door, I die a little.

I need to go back to school. I've been thinking about it for awhile & by next spring, I'll be enrolled in school again.

What field? Teaching. History (or "Social Studies", if you prefer). To 6th - 12th graders.

The Wife thinks I'm coo-coo for Crazy Puffs. Not because I want to be a teacher, but because I want to teach history to packs of walking hormones! Truth is, I feel I can deal better with older kids than with younger ones.

It's something I have a passion for, history, ever since I was a kid. History never bored me & it always confused me why most people seemed to be so..... blah!.... about it.

My only problem is before I can start school, I have to get a different job.

A job that pays at least what I make now, because to tell the truth, I can't honestly say we're making it right now, & with a drastic pay cut, we'd be back in the crapper once more.

The Wife's been saying that if I need to take a job that makes less in the short run, to do it because in the long run, I'll have a degree & the certification to teach anywhere.

Heh. That sounds good..... Until the bills start piling up...... again...... and the fireworks start..... again.

Yep, we've been there before...

If there's anyone out there who's been in this situation, how did you handle it? How did you go back to school as an adult with kids and bills and such?

I really want to know.

No, I Don't Need a Drug Test, Thank You!

Now that I've got a bit of time, I can fill ya in on the truck driving nun story.

Well, it's not so much a story as an observation, but here's what happened:

'Twas the middle of last week & I was pulling my truck into a TA truckstop, where I would wait for a call from my dispatcher telling me to go somewhere and fetch something.

I sit a LOT in my current job, waiting for such calls.....

Anyway, I'm going into the TA for a (diet) coke & as I open the door, there's an honest-to-God nun coming out. I hold the door for her, she smiles, nods & passes by.

Now I thought it odd that a nun was coming out of the commercial drivers door but I wasn't going to chastise the sister. I just assumed her station wagon was nearby.

I go in, pay for my diet coke, & walk out. As I do, the Penski rental tractor-trailer nearest the door fires up & when I look up at the driver, there she is: the little nun.... in full habit.... sitting behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler flatbed hauling a fork truck.

I was.... well.... speechless!

I walk back to my truck, I know, with my jaw hanging down, staring at this improbable sight as Our Lady of the Interstate pulled out of the lot & right on down the highway.

Friends, I can honestly say "I have seen about all there is to see, truckdriving." I've seen Africans right off the boat (one of which wore a dashiki!), Sikhs wearing turbans, newly arrived Asians, Eastern Europeans, & even a few Canadians, but if you'd told me, "Wes, today you'll see a Roman Catholic NUN driving a rig", I'd've told you to go take your meds.

Of course, when I told folks back at the shop what I'd seen, my DP wanted to send me to the clinic for a drug test.....

Maybe I shoulda went....

Ah well, that's what happened. Tomorrow I'll tell about Heritage Days, but right now I need to say my novena to Our Lady of the Open Road. +

Three Years Later....

And I still don't post for shit!

It's been three years & two days since I started this blog.

I'm still wondering, "Why?"

I'll update soon. I have to tell somebody about the truck driving nun, but as I've gotta go to bed, it'll have to wait.

Yeah, I suck!

You Think You Know Somebody.....

I don't know what to say about this.

This man is (was?) my friend. We had a lot of fun in "The Miserable Few" & later in "Twice Daily", the Irish bands that we played in together. He amazed me with his talent on guitar, bazooki, mandolin, banjo & anything else he played.

And then I hear a news story on the radio & later, in order to prove that this isn't the guy I know, that it's somebody else, I went to the original newspaper article & read this:

A Lindenhurst man has been charged with possession of child pornography found on his computer by a Kansas technology firm.

Peter Macdonald, 57, was arrested Monday by Lake County sheriff's police.

Lou Archbold, an investigator for the Lake County state's attorney's office, said Macdonald sent his laptop computer to Resq System in Olathe, Kan., to have a new hard drive installed March 16.

Technicians at the firm could not start the computer, Archbold said, so they called Macdonald for his user name and password.

Macdonald supplied the company with the information, Archbold said, and technicians found a pornographic picture of a young boy as the desktop background of the device.

Technicians also located several files they suspected contained child pornography, Archbold said, so they contacted local police.

Kansas police sent the computer to the FBI for analysis, Archbold said, and the FBI alerted Lake County authorities.

Macdonald was taken into custody at his home at 839 Colony Court. He was released after posting $10,000 cash for bond.

He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted and is scheduled to appear July 7 in court.

When I saw the photo at the top of the page, it was like getting hit in the gut. Denial kinda stops at that point.

I want to give my friend the benefit of the doubt, you know?

But as a father, I don't want to hear excuses, I don't want to hear lies, I don't want to hear rationalizations. Pedophiles make me puke. There's not a pit in Hell hot enough for those who get off on the victimization of children.

Even if one of them was my friend.

I still pray that this is some mistake. We all know people who've taken pictures of their little kids in the tub, running around nekked and what not, without one iota of a sexual thought - the kid's cute, & that's it.

Of course, nowadays that could be seen as kiddie pr0n even when it's plainly not....

I just don't want to believe that my friend is a pervert is all.

Their Intent

I was happy to see that the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the 2nd Amendment.

That's partly sarcastic: imagine the Supreme Court having to "uphold" an actual amendment -- not a court ruling, BUT AN ACTUAL, ALREADY EXISTING AMENDMENT to our Constitution!

It disturbs me greatly that 4 judges voted to just toss out one of our most important freedoms, that of being able to defend ourselves from harm, with firearms, & that this already clearly defined Constitutional right wasn't held up BY ALL NINE JUDGES!

Those four liberal hacks claimed that they "didn't know the intent" of what our Founding Fathers meant when they wrote the 2nd Amendment...... Fuck, they didn't look too goddamned hard, did they, because my incompetent ass found various comments from several of the Founders on just exactly what they meant when they wrote:

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

• To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of the people always posses arms... -Richard Henry Lee, Additional Letters From The Federal Farmer, 1788

• The Constitution [shall] be never construed to ... prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms. - Samuel Adams, Massachusetts' U.S. Constitution ratification convention, 1788

• Let us remember that if we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our liberty, we encourage it. - Samuel Adams

• The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword, because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force far superior to any band of regular troops... - Noah Webster, An Examination of The Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, Philadelphia, 1787

• No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. -Thomas Jefferson, Proposed Virginia Constitution, 1776

• Arms in the hands of individual citizens [may] be used at individual discretion ... in private self-defense... - John Adams, A Defense of the Constitution of Government of the United States of America, 1788

• ...[A]rms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as property... Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them. -Thomas Paine, Thoughts On Defensive War, 1775

• Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. When you give up that force you are ruined. - Patrick Henry, Virginia's U.S. Constitution ratification convention

• If I were an American, as I am an Englishman, while a foreign troop was landed in my country, I would never lay down my arms - never - never - never! You cannot conquer America. - William Pitt, Speech, November 18, 1777

• Necessity is the plea for infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. -William Pitt

• (The Constitution preserves) the advantage of being armed which Americans posses over the people of almost every other nation ... (where) the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms. - James Madison, The Federalist, No.46

• A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercise I advise the gun. While this gives a moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion on your walks. -Thomas Jefferson, August 19, 1785

"...on your walks." Unless you're just walking around your house, I'm pretty sure he meant when you're not home!!!

• "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." - Thomas Jefferson

• "Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." - George Washington

(The above quotations were found here.)

That's just a few, but you get my point. THEIR INTENT & MEANING WAS CLEAR & JUST AS RELEVANT NOW AS THEN.

And if you still can't understand it, then piss off, 'cause I have no time for someone who can't read what's in front of them.

With Love (I'm sure) From Petey

That sonofa..... I mean, my good friend Petey smacked me with this meme, & nice guy that I am...... aww Hell, here it is:

The rules:

1. Post the rules of the game at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

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What were you doing five years ago?

I was working as a temp making rotary brakes. Exciting, eh?

What are five things on your to-do list for today?

1) Go to work
2) Come home to work (dishes, laundry, kids' baths, etc...)
3) Go down to Contagion's to fill out the online registration for Theatiki (seeing as how my 'puter's a piece of shit & barely able to handle this blog). I should probably ask him first, of course.....
4) Fill out this freakin' thing
5) Go to bed, so I can repeat steps 1 & 2.... into perpetuity.....

What are five snacks you enjoy?

1) Those Reese's Granola bars with the peanut butter on 'em
2) The Wife's cookies. Doesn't matter which ones; peanut butter, chocolate chip, peanut butter- chocolate chip, etc...
3) Peanut butter & honey sandwiches (are you seeing a pattern)
4) Cheese, the stinkier the better!
5) corn chips with salsa

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?

1) Get one or two off-shore accounts
2) Pay off my & my family's debts
3) Donate a goodly portion to Catholic Charities, the Boy Scouts, the Red Cross & whatever other worthy charities I can think of, all anonymously. I have ALWAYS wanted to do that -- drop a couple thou in a small church's collection plate, & walk away.... That'd be the BEST!
4) Get the fuck out of Rockford!!!
5) Take The Wife & kids to Scotland, Ireland, & England for a year... maybe longer

What are five of your bad habits?

1) Smoking cigarettes... a pack & a half a day now...
2) I drink a lot -- A LOT -- of Coke. I'm working on sticking to Diet Coke as of today
3) I get pissed easily, especially at fucking morons who don't know how to fucking drive!
4) I have a slight tendency to curse.... &
5) Sometimes I understate facts

What are five places where you have lived?

1) Roodhouse, IL. Born there, left there at the soonest opportunity
2) Ft. Benning, GA. All too briefly.. Long story & I'll not repeat it
3) Jacksonville, IL. For the one year I went to MacMurray College & thereby met The Wife
4) Champaign-Urbana, IL. Where The Wife & I lived after we married
5) Rockford, IL. God help me...

What are five jobs you’ve had? (a short list)

1) Security guard (briefly)
2) Fork truck driver in a warehouse
3) Machine set-up/operator in a paint/colorant factory
4) Machine operator for a brake manufacturer (very briefly)
5) Truck driver

Now I know I'm supposed to pass this on to five other people, but I know from experience that by the time I get these meme things, all my close friends have already gotten 'em, so what'd be the point?

This one was one the better ones: nothing nasty &/or nothing that was nobody's goddamned business....

There's that cursing problem....