Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A Poem About A Crabby Old Man

A Poem About A Crabby Old Man

I was sent this and after reading it I couldn’t help but think of those in my past, the crabby, disagreeable old men/women I’ve had interaction with, those wasting away in nursing homes, those I have seen in passing or even those that have come up to me when I was so very busy asking for a handout, always the same jargon, you’ve all heard it. Sometimes I can’t help but give something, other times I am the grumpy old man and just brush them aside. I know, it is impossible to give a hand out to them all, and it’s especially hard when so many act as though that is all they want and not a hand up. Everyone deals with this on an individual level each and every time the situation reveals itself.

I think that this writing is appropriate for any day of the year but especially so during the Christmas season.

Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses? ..What do you see?
What are you thinking.....when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, ...not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .........with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food.......and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice....."I do wish you'd try!"
Who seems not to notice ..the things that you do.
And forever is losing ........... A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not...........lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding .... The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse... ...you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am ......... As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .....as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten.......with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .........who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen ....with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now.........a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty .......my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows......that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now ......... I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide .... and a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty ......... my young now grown fast,
Bound to each other ....... with ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons ...have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me.......to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, ......... babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children ....... my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me ........... ... my wife is now dead.
I look at the future ...............I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing......young of their own.
And I think of the years....... and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man........and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age .....look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles..........grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone........where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass ...... a young guy still dwells,
And now and again .......my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys........... I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living.............life over again.

I think of the years ..all too few......gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact........that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people ...........open and see..
Not a crabby old man. Look closer....see........ME!!

Anonymous

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.....we will all, one day, be there, too!



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Monday, December 15, 2008

Bill of Rights Day, December 15, 2008





Another important article left off the front pages. Unfortunately I have come to expect such omissions.

The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution are the Bill of Rights. How many of your children or grandchildren have ever been taught about the Bill of Rights, or the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence? My grandchildren haven’t been taught, God have mercy, they have never even been taught about the Alamo or who the major players were who fought and died there, they have no knowledge of Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, nothing, and they are in junior high. I’ve only digressed to prove a point, the dumbing down of our children is all to evident. The less people know about the “Constitution,” the “Bill of Rights,” the better for those who seek control over their lives.

The Bill of Rights: A Transcription

The Preamble to The Bill of Rights

Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

Note: The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form.
These amendments were ratified December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment II
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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment III
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment VII
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.



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Bill of Rights Day, December 15, 2008

Bill of Rights Day, December 15, 2008




Another important article left off the front pages. Unfortunately I have come to expect such omissions.


The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution are the Bill of Rights. How many of your children or grandchildren have ever been taught about the Bill of Rights, or the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence? My grandchildren haven’t been taught, God have mercy, they have never even been taught about the Alamo or who the major players were who fought and died there, they have no knowledge of Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, nothing, and they are in junior high. I’ve only digressed to prove a point, the dumbing down of our children is all to evident. The less people know about the “Constitution,” the “Bill of Rights,” the better for those who seek control over their lives.


The Bill of Rights: A Transcription


The Preamble to The Bill of Rights


Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.


THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.


RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.


ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.


Note: The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form. These amendments were ratified December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment II
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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment III
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment VII
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.


Friday, December 12, 2008

“The Battle of Chosin Reservoir”

November 26–December 13, 1950
“The Battle of Chosin Reservoir” Part of the Korean War

My brother, a Marine, fought in this battle, his name was "Bernard Swan."

2,500 killed,
192 missing,
5,000 wounded,
7,500 frostbite casualties

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir was a battle in the Korean War, in which 30,000 United Nations (UN) troops (nicknamed the "Frozen Chosin" or "The Chosin Few") under the command of American General Ned Almond faced approximately 120,000 Chinese troops. The name Chosin is the Japanese rendition of the Korean place name Changjin. The name stuck due to the outdated Japanese names on maps used by UN forces.

Shortly after the People’s Republic of China entered the conflict, large numbers of Chinese soldiers swept across the Yalu River, encircling the UN forces in the northeastern part of North Korea at the Chosin Reservoir. A brutal battle in freezing weather followed. Although they inflicted enormous casualties on the Chinese forces, the UN troops were forced to evacuate North Korea after they withdrew from the reservoir to the port of Hungnam.

The battles of the Chosin Campaign, which had a decisive impact on the future course of the war, were fought in the ten day period between November 27 and December 6, 1950. Four different actions were fought:

the successful defense of Hagaru-ri,
the successful defense of Yudam-ni,
the successful effort of the 5th and 7th Marines to break through from Yudam-ni to Hagaru-ri, and
the fight of RCT 31, east of Changjin.

My brother had nightmares till he passed away of the horrific fighting he and those with him had to endure, the endless assaults, the bitter cold, the nonstop fighting to survive in that incredibly freezing campaign.

Not one word of mention have I found to honor those who fought, suffered and died in that horrible ordeal.

We can’t allow things like this to just pass into the dustbin of history and be forgotten. These men gave their all for us, they suffered, they bled, they froze, the least we can do is remember and honor their sacrifice.

Information gathered from Wikipedia



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Friday, December 5, 2008

Answers Sort To Unresolved Questions

I know, a lot of you may say there he goes again, but I didn't just decide to bring this up, it's in the news and in some newspapers, although not the Californian.

I checked the Internet version of the Californian and, as usual, found nothing that would in any way put the election of B. O. in question, or any investigative reporting by those working for the newspaper willing to dig as deep as it takes to shine the light of truth on all the questions and allegations associated with B. O. Before the election little or nothing was checked into, following the election those on CNN were remarking about how little they really know about B. H. O. The Californian can add their name to the list of those who cared little to ask appropriate questions and demand commonsense proved answers. Is this not the roll of a newspaper and they ponder why their readership is going down?

It is up to all of us to push our elected officials to pursue and have made available everything required to dispel any and all arguments concerning the legitimacy of B. O. in this past election based on Constitutional grounds. Until this is done B. O. will be considered a counterfeit President by half the country and our Constitution of no apparent value, pushed aside by politicians who only aspire to power.

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/election/562

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/election/461



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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Diary of a Snow Shoveler




I know that some may have seen this before but it holds so much truth that it is hilariously funny. I hope you enjoy it and share some of your experiences.

Diary of a Snow Shoveler...

December 8 - 6:00 PM. It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

December 9 - We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the Whole World? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had. Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life.

December 12 - The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry, we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. l don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man, I'm glad he's our neighbor.

December 14 - Snow lovely snow! 8" last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish l wouldn't huff and puff so.

December 15 - 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.

December 16 - Ice storm this morning. Fell on my butt on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, Which I think was very cruel.

December 17 - Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20 - Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. The damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.

December 22 - Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the damn white stuff fell today, and it's so cold it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to run to the bathroom. By the time I got undressed, and dressed again. I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he's too busy. I think the bum is lying.

December 23 - Only 2" of snow today. And it warmed up to 0*. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she nuts!!! Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's lying.

December 24 - 6". Snow packed so hard by snowplow, l broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the sob who drives that snow plow I'll drag him through the snow and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the damn snowplow.

December 25 - Merry damn Christmas! 20 more inches of the damn slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil, damn I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she’s a freaking idiot. If I have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to stuff her into the microwave.

December 26 - Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

December 27 - Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze, plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $1,400 to replace the pipes.

December 28 - Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. She's driving me crazy!!!

December 29 - 10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

December 30 - Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver, he is now suing me for a million dollars, not only for the beating I gave him but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel where it doesn't belong. The wife went home to her mother. 9" predicted.

December 31 - I set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling.

January 8 - Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

Ammunition Accountability Act

Ammunition Accountability Act

I have found four sites on this subject yet I personally have heard nothing on the radio or read anything in the newspapers. Everyone should spend time looking into this. If the gun grabbers aren’t trying a frontal assault on our 2nd. Amendment rights they are trying to take our rights by a rear assault through the back door. Will we ever be rid of them?

http://www.hunttheus.com/huntingarticles/ammunition-accountabilty-act.html

http://www.usavsus.info/US-AmmoRegistr.htm

http://www.ammunitionaccountability.org/Legislation/Ammo%20Accountability%20-%20Sample%20Legislation.pdf

http://www.ammunitionaccountability.org/Legislation.htm




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Governor Sarah Palin





Governor Palin is Commander in Chief of the 49th MissileDefense Battalion of the Alaskan National Guard that is America's first line of missile interceptor defense that protects the entire United States .


Governor Palin is routinely briefed on highly classified military issues, homeland security, and counter terrorism.


During the election Governor Palin had a higher classifiedsecurity rating than either candidate of the Democrat Party.


Governor Palin is the future of the Republican Conservative Party and the hope of this country.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Ford Assembly Plant In Brazil

Every one needs to see this -- and they want a bail out!

Worried about our auto industry? Watch this!

Assembly Plant In Brazil. Interesting ...This is a video of a new Ford plant in Brazil.One look at this and you will be able to tell why there will probably never be another one built in the USA. It will also point out why more assembly plants will go offshore.

http://info.detnews.com/video/index.cfm?id=1189

and.. pay attention to the last few words. It says a lot!

The plant was built in 2007.

There is a lot of material, take the time to go through it.




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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Is Reality Beginning To Set In?

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

I wasn’t going to get all riled up over this Holiday but with what is going on in the news, in India and reports of the possible bombing attempts anticipated to be made on the New York subways, I got riled up anyway.

It has been my observation before and sense the election that B. O. is like a kid playing dress up. He has seen the face of reality and like facing the grim reaper it has scared the he** out of him.

I remember when President Bush was in Salinas, I wasn’t more then 20 feet away from him, his hair wasn’t gray, he didn’t look worn, look at him today after eight years, knowing what he knows, seeing what he has seen and doing what he has had to do as Commander in Chief.

In my humble opinion we all owe our thanks to God for President Bush during the perilous times we have faced, and we owe a debt of thanks for his steady hand at the helm preventing any further attacks. Islamic terrorists are out there waiting for a smell of weakness, of fear, of uncertainty, of confusion; they didn’t find it in President Bush. In fact President Bush has taken the fight to the terrorists wherever they are. He has seen to it that terrorist leaders are killed at every opportunity. The terrorists are on the ropes, if the people of this country don’t respect President Bush, believe me, they do.

We are at war people. It’s not just the economy, it’s not just these banks and everyone else lining up for a handout. We are at war. Maybe when Biden said B. O. will be tested within six months, if elected, he was actually warning the people to beware, but at least 53% of the country didn’t heed his warning. You have to give O. credit though, he is sly, he kept Defense Secretary Robert Gates, some are probably wondering why with all the Clinton retreads he has around him, he has possibly finally come to the full, unmasked, realization that we are at war, not words, but a shooting, killing war and Defense Secretary Robert Gates is kicking butt. B. O. has no idea what to do, how could he, he has no résumé, no experience in anything, he has found himself about to be thrown into a pool of hungry sharks, so I’m sure he pleaded with Secretary Gates, maybe with a bit of a whimpering voice, to please, please stay on. It’s one thing to go out and talk to a bunch of suits with their hands out, it’s quite another to face the incredibly stark, unbelievably horror filled realities of what he has found himself right smack dab in the middle of.

Well rehearsed flowery talk said over a teleprompter, as he used during the campaign, will no longer cut it, he is about to be up to bat, he will be facing fast balls coming from every direction, he is far from ready, the most difficult decision he possibly has ever had to make is what suit he will wear on a given day, now because of all you B. H. O. people out there he is about to become Commander in Chief. Are you all as happy and comfortable now that reality has had a chance to set in and your no longer hearing the mantra, “CHANGE?”

Yes the New York subways have been threatened by terrorists, thank you Mr. Biden for your forewarning.

What next?

Happy Thanksgiving. When you gather around your tables today remember our troops away from their families fighting for us all, our country, remember those less fortunate and the homeless and maybe see what you can do to make this a more thankful day for them.

Friday, November 21, 2008

POW/MIA's



I have a subject all of you can get wrapped around; what is it you ask excitedly? POW/MIA’s, specifically for this post, those from Vietnam/Laos.


I was listening to former Congressman John LeBoutillier on the Mark and Jim Show on 1460 AM this morning. LeBoutillier was elected to Congress in 1980, representing New York’s 6th. District. He defeated 16-year incumbent Lester L. Wolff to become the youngest member of the 97th. Congress. He served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and as a member of Special House POW/MIA Task Force.


He reported that in 1974 there were about 1200 pow’s being held by North Vietnam. The United States, reportedly made a deal to give around 5 billion as war reparations, half was provided, half of the pow’s were released including John McCain. The last half was never given, the remaining pow’s were apparently abandoned.


Why have these men been left abandoned all these years? Politicians are apparently hoping time will take care of the problem and it probably has, unfortunately, in many cases. The government has done everything it can, not, to bring them home. We have been and are shoveling out money like it was rain from Heaven but not one cent to complete the deal made way back then and to see to it that all remaining POW’s are returned and families finally have closure. Even if there is only one left we owe it to him to bring him home. A good book to read on this is “An Enormous Crime” By Bill Hendon, William Martin Hendon, Elizabeth A. Stewart.


Thank God there are some out there like Congressman Bob Dornan, Bill Dumas, http://www.billdumas.com/ and the American Legion acting on the behalf of our Nation’s POW’s and MIA’s.


This is important and requires research and interaction by us all to bring this injustice against our nations hero’s to an end.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

A 2nd. Amendment Topic

I keep hearing in the news that a great many people are actively purchasing handguns and ammunition because of the upcoming B. O. presidency. It is reported that this activity has been ongoing sense it was observed he would win the nomination. People are afraid of what he and his cohorts will do in connection with the peoples right to keep and bear arms, to have weapons in useful readiness in their homes for self protection without having to be either disassembled or crippled in their usefulness by a trigger lock. Then there is the fear of taxes, so severe, placed on weapons and ammunition that the average person will not be able to afford them.

Forgive my apparent misunderstanding but I thought this had all been settled by the Supreme court decision of June 26, 2008. Are we as a people still in jeopardy of losing our 2nd. Amendments rights? Can we as a people be so laid back and unresponsive that we allow the government to come in through the backdoor and infringe upon our rights under the 2nd. Amendment through excessive taxation? I thought this was a settled issue.

I have included the June 26, 2008 Supreme Court Decision below.

The 2nd. Amendment
District of Columbia v. Heller
From Wikipedia,

Supreme Court of the United States Argued March 18, 2008 Decided June 26, 2008

Full case name: District of Columbia, et al. v. Dick Anthony Heller Docket no.: 07-290 Citations: 554 U.S. ___; 128 S. Ct. 2783; 171 L. Ed. 2d 637; 2008 U.S. LEXIS 5268; 76 U.S.L.W. 4631; 21 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 497 Prior history: Provisions of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 infringe an individual's right to bear arms as protected by the Second Amendment. District Court for the District of Columbia reversed. Procedural history: Writ of Certiorari to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Argument: Oral argument
Holding The Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed. Court membership Chief Justice: John G. Roberts Associate Justices: John Paul Stevens, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, David Souter, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito Case opinions Majority by: Scalia Joined by: Roberts, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito Dissent by: Stevens Joined by: Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer Dissent by: Breyer Joined by: Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg

Laws applied U.S. Const. amend. II; D.C. Code §§ 7-2502.02(a)(4), 22-4504, 7-2507.02 District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. ___ (2008) is a legal case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for private use. It was the first Supreme Court case in United States history to directly address whether the right to keep and bear arms is a right of individuals or a collective right that applies only to state-regulated militias.

On June 26, 2008, the Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Parker v. District of Columbia, 478 F.3d 370 (D.C. Cir. 2007).[1] The Court of Appeals had struck down provisions of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 as unconstitutional, and determined that handguns are "Arms" that may not be banned by the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.), also striking down the portion of the law that requires all firearms including rifles and shotguns be kept "unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock."

Decision

On
June 26, 2008, by a 5 to 4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the federal appeals court ruling, striking down the D.C. gun law. Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, stated, "In sum, we hold that the District's ban on handgun possession in the home violates the Second Amendment, as does its prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm in the home operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense ... We affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals."[30] This ruling upholds the first federal appeals court ruling ever to void a law on Second Amendment grounds.[31]

The Court based its reasoning on the grounds:

that the operative clause of the Second Amendment—"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"—is controlling and refers to a pre-existing right of individuals to possess and carry personal weapons for
self-defense and intrinsically for defense against tyranny, based on the bare meaning of the words, the usage of "the people" elsewhere in the Constitution, and historical materials on the clause's original public meaning;

that the prefatory clause, which announces a purpose of a "well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State", comports with the meaning of the operative clause and refers to a well-trained citizen
militia, which "comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense", as being necessary to the security of a free polity;

that historical materials support this interpretation, including "analogous arms-bearing rights in
state constitutions" at the time, the drafting history of the Second Amendment, and interpretation of the Second Amendment "by scholars, courts, and legislators" through the late nineteenth century; and

that none of the Supreme Court's
precedents forecloses the Court's interpretation, specifically United States v. Cruikshank (1875), Presser v. Illinois (1886), nor United States v. Miller (1939).

However, "[l]ike most
rights, the Second Amendment is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose." The Court's opinion, although refraining from an exhaustive analysis of the full scope of the right, "should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms."

Therefore, the District of Columbia's
handgun ban is unconstitutional, as it "amounts to a prohibition on an entire class of 'arms' that Americans overwhelmingly choose for the lawful purpose of self-defense". Similarly, the requirement that any firearm in the home be disassembled or bound by a trigger lock is unconstitutional, as it "makes it impossible for citizens to use arms for the core lawful purpose of self-defense".
The opinion of the court, delivered by Justice Scalia, was joined by Chief Justice
John G. Roberts, Jr. and by Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr.

Issues addressed by the majority

The core holding in D.C. v. Heller is that the Second Amendment is an individual right intimately tied to the
natural right of self-defense.

The Scalia majority invokes much historical material to support its finding that the right to keep and bear arms belongs to individuals; however, rhetorical impact is provided by the Court's linguistic assertion that the "people" to whom the Second Amendment right is accorded are the same "people" who enjoy First and Fourth Amendment protection.

With that finding as anchor, the Court ruled a total ban on operative
handguns in the home is unconstitutional, as the ban runs afoul of both the self-defense purpose of the Second Amendment—a purpose not previously articulated by the Court—and the "in common use at the time" prong of the Miller decision: since handguns are in common use, their ownership is protected.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

The Evolution Of A Republic


When the 13 colonies were still part of England,
Professor Alexander Tyler, a Scottish historian,
wrote about the fall of the Athenian Republic over
2000 years earlier. He said:


A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of
Government. It can only exist until the voters
discover that they can vote themselves money from the
Public Treasury. From that moment on, the majority
always votes for the candidates promising the most
money from the Public Treasury, with the result that
a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy
followed by a dictatorship.


The average age of the world's greatest civilizations
have been 200 years. These nations have progressed
through the following sequence;


From bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to
great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to
abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from
selfishness to complacency, from complacency to
apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency
back to bondage.” ---- Alexander Tyler


Where does this country stand on the evolutionary scale?


"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual -- or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country."

"When People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders."

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!" --Samuel Adams



Sunday, November 2, 2008

It Is Time To Act As Responsible Adults

Some of us are acting like quarrelsome children during this election period. Instead of discussing the issues rationally, pro or con and backing them with commonsense and the Constitution, many of us have reduced ourselves to name calling, finger pointing and in the case of political signs, stealing and vandalism. What I am about to say is hard to believe but I even had one man, a liberal in every sense of the word, a store owner in fact, so outraged with me that he gave his name and address and pleaded with me to find my way there so he could show me how tough he was by engaging in a fist fight with me.

People it is time to grow up and act as adults, not disrespectful quarrelsome children full of hate towards one another.

Politics is a war of ideas and each idea must, must, must be backed by the Constitution, otherwise it isn’t worth the paper it is written on or the time it took to write it. If an idea is not inline with our Constitution it is naturally in line with that which is bad for our country, that will cripple and pull the rug out from under us all.

There is a time for children but this is not it.

A Chronology of Obama

A chronology of Obama, his family and associates. Very interesting reading.

It never hurts to know as much as possible about a man that could become our next president.

For those who have already made up your mind to vote for Obama facts will have little meaning, this is, at the least, an insight on how he came to be where he is.

http://www.renewamerica.us/news/081030obama.htm

Saturday, November 1, 2008

What Has Happened To Halloween?


When I was a boy the children in grade school would dress up in their costumes after lunch on Halloween and we would all have a party. After school we would go home and get ready to go trick or treating. We were out at dusk, not glumly trudging along as they do today, we were out for all the candy we could get, we literally ran from house to house as though in a race, it was, I guess, a race for candy. Up one street and down the other we would go until our bags were about to burst.


Everyone got involved, homeowners bought all sorts of candy to give out, some people even made candied apples, of course that wouldn’t go today but back then there were few problems. Every home had their lights on, not like now where more then half the lights on any given street are off. What’s the matter with everybody today, has everyone forgotten what it’s like to have fun, to be a kid and dressing up one lousy day of the year? Have people become so cheap they can’t go out and buy candy? Have parents become so warped that they have forgotten how they use to look forward to Halloween?


When I was young the streets, on Halloween, were full of kids, even after I grew up, married and had a family of my own and took our kids out the streets were still crawling with kids scampering around from house to house, people had their lights on.


Now lets jump ahead to today. Most all lights are off, telling kids they aren’t worth a few pieces of candy just one day out of the year, the precious money it takes to bring a smile to a kids face is just to precious to part with. Parents are to lazy to get their kids ready and take them out.

A few years back, approximately ten or eleven. we would have around three hundred kids come to our door. We always bought candy bars from Costco, or some such place, to give out and would give each kid three. We had a ball going to the door and seeing the kids all dressed up in their costumes and some that were still trying to hold on to the last vestiges of their childhood, people were having fun. Then gradually, year after year the numbers began to dwindle. A couple of years back we only had about a hundred come to the door. Some of the neighbors, like me, were wondering what in the world is going, no one could come up with an answer other then it might be the parents and a great deal of selfishness from people who feel their time is just so d*** important that they can’t be bothered.


My wife and I thought that this year was going to be different, there are a lot of kids in the neighborhood, I bought four large bags of candy bars at Costco and boy oh boy I was ready for the expected onslaught. Sure enough, at 5:30pm there came up the walk four kids all dressed up. I told little Momma that it wouldn’t be long now, I was getting excited, Halloween has always been a fun time for me, for my wife also. Tick tock, the minutes went by, then an hour, what in the h*** is going on? Finally here comes two more. Stragglers like this would come around until the last two at 9:00pm. The sum total of kids was 34. Of those who came most never said thank you. I never saw a smile, never a glimmer of excitement, some were even to lazy to come up the walkway to the front door, why did they even come out, they expected for us to bring the candy to them.


Can anyone explain what has happened to Halloween? Is Halloween dying away only to become a relic in the dustbin of our memories?

Friday, October 31, 2008

Information Concerning Obama

I received an incredibly informative email concerning B. O. that warrants being seen by everyone.

There are actually two videos. One is embedded at the end of the first video. The second video is about one minute.....but is a must see. For those that are concerned about the direction our country is going politically, you will find this video informative and interesting.

http://oldbluewebdesigns.com/USSA.htm

This should be a subject of much discussion.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Answering An Email

I received an email from someone with questions about the election, that at this stage of the game, I found distressing. Some of the questions had to do with intolerance, accusations and the Constitution. I attempted to answer in the following way.

The problem is the Constitution, in many respects, is not being followed, Judges legislate from the bench, candidates such as B. O. refer to it as an impediment, an obstacle in need of revision.

Those that do not follow the Constitution, those that listen to and preach hate America rhetoric, those that adhere to socialistic/communist philosophies are a danger to America.

Joseph Story said, "There is little need of commentary upon this clause. No man can well doubt the propriety of placing a president of the United States under the most solemn obligations to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution. It is a suitable pledge of his fidelity and responsibility to his country; and creates upon his conscience a deep sense of duty, by an appeal, at once in the presence of God and man, to the most sacred and solemn sanctions, which can operate upon the human mind."

B. O. feels the Constitution is an impediment, how can he preserve, protect, and defend what he considers an impediment?

I am extremely intolerant of socialist/hate America groups spreading their failed philosophies throughout our country and our colleges by so-called professors like, Bill Ayres, filling the heads of the students with nonsense. The opposite of socialism is freedom and this country has no business experimenting in the arena of socialistic ideas. Everything that B. O. has said indicates that he is a socialist. He believes in Marxism, for instance “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.” Obama wants to spread the wealth around. First he was going to tax those making $250,000 a year, now it’s down to $150,000. Last year he advocated taxing those who made $42,000 a year. Businesses and corporations do not pay taxes, they pass it on to the consumer, but sadly people don’t seem to understand that. I agree with Mark La Vin when he said “Extremism in pursuit of Constitutionalism is no vise,”

There are 'absolutes' in our society, they are the Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights; isn’t it sad that B. O. thinks that such things are an impediment, why should people in this country be tolerant of anyone or any group who have no respect for these?

If what is said about an opponents is true, is factual, then where is the evil? Politics is a war of ideas, when someone enters that arena he must do so with the intention to win, not win by lies and deceit but by shining the light of truth on everything pertinent to his opponent, otherwise he enters the fight with one hand tied behind him.

The trouble with so many in office today is that they don’t understand that the history of liberty is the history of the limitation of government, not the increase of it. If you thought you saw government grow under Pres. Bush just wait and see, God forbid, what B. O. and his pathetic group will do.

Look what has been going on in the background for B. O., Acorn, the homeless in Ohio being allowed to vote having no address to place on the registration form, the relentless attack on “Joe the Plummer,” an innocent citizen who had the nerve to ask a pertinent question, expand that to any of us should B. O. gain the presidency. Ronald Reagan said, "A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, simply to swell its ranks."

"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself." —Marcus Tullius Cicero

In my opinion many liberals in our government are treasonous by the things they say about our country while on foreign soil, their disrespect for the values of this country and what has made this the greatest country on earth, the dumbing down of our young in the public, government run, schools, are a few inexcusable examples that will, in time, bring down our country.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=79411

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Where Have All The Questions Gone?

In all this rhetoric that is going on today no one has brought up the redistribution of wealth plan i e. Karl Marx, whose maxim declared, “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.”


A good thought to remember; “In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate - look to his character...” —Noah Webster


There has not been one question asked of either candidate of his position on immigration and how we are going to deal with the burden of those who are currently here and more coming everyday. A nation that cannot control its borders (boarders) will not long last as a nation.


Both candidates have their problems, especially B. O. who has a resume as thin as tissue paper and a character collaboration list that smells to high heaven; McCain’s problem is his constant desire to reach across the aisle in bipartisanship, bipartisanship is just like liberalism. It's a gutless choice. People want him to stand on principles, not water them down by the constant reaching across the aisle that he constantly holds claim to in pride.


A good question asked by Rush Limbaugh concerning B. O; "What kind of man makes friends with domestic terrorists? What kind of a man sits in the pews of a church where his preacher spews hate about his own country -- for Jews, for whites, for blacks who don't agree with him? Do you want such a man representing your country as president of the United States? This is why we cannot elect Barack Obama president.

" Nothing has been brought up about the poor quality of education in this country. Take time to consider what the kids are being taught in our schools today then compare that with the quality of education that was offered back in the 60’s and beyond. Yes technology is constantly changing and what kid doesn’t know how to roll out of bed and place a cell phone to their ear, but what else? They have no incentive to read, to go to libraries and do diligent research, the books that are used in our school system has removed much, if not almost everything, about what has made this country the greatest country on the face of the earth. In the last 40 plus years the curriculum has been steadily eroded. On the Sean Hannity “Man On The Street” interviews it is alarming how ignorant those that are interviewed really are, college students with absolutely nothing going on between their ears, college students taught by liberal professors who teach as though they have nothing but distain for this country and go about teaching it to their students with malice, the students lap it up. They “feel” rather than “think” their way through political issues, and the consequences for future generations of Americans are dire. Where are the parents in this picture? Why are such teachers being allowed around their kids, a perfect case example is Bill Ayers. Ronald Reagan said it best. “It is freedom itself that still hangs in the balance, and freedom is never more than one generation from extinction.”


"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders." -- Samuel Adams


Soviet despot Nikita Khrushchev observed that America’s transition from liberty to serfdom would have to be incremental: “We can’t expect the American people to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism.”


None of you are bringing up the fact that B. O. has a middle name that has been placed off limits; why has it been placed off limits? Why isn’t anyone asking?


No one seems to remember that B. O. spent twenty years under the tutelage of Rev. Wright (Wrong.), or seem to remember the comments of B. H. O‘s. wife when she brought up how she has never been proud of this country. As Samuel Adams said, “The public cannot be too curious concerning the characters of public men,.” in this case men and women.


How about the question of our right to keep and bear arms; who has brought that up as a question to either candidate, especially B. O., remember his comment about people clinging to their Bibles and their guns?


Remember, “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”


What about questions concerning the most secret, yet most out in the open thing that is happening to us that concerns the agenda to create a North American Union, effectively erasing our borders with both Mexico and Canada? Doesn’t anyone remember any of this?


The price of gasoline has been coming down, although it is still incredibly high compared to what it was not that long ago. Now in the news there is talk about cutting back production; where are the questions? Where is the outrage? We could be producing more, but Congress has put large areas of potential supply off-limits. These include the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and parts of Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. By government estimates, these areas may contain 25-30 billion barrels of oil (against about 30 billion of proven U.S. reserves today) and 80 trillion cubic feet or more of natural gas (compared with about 200 tcf of proven reserves)."What keeps these areas closed are exaggerated environmental fears, strong prejudice against oil companies and sheer stupidity."


What about asking questions and getting answers about socialized medicine, its costs and affects. People from other countries come here for treatment, if we, as a country, revert to their pathetic system where will we go when we need care? Ronald Reagan said, “Realize that the doctor’s fight against socialized medicine is your fight. We can’t socialize the doctors without socializing the patients. Recognize that government invasion of public power is eventually an assault upon your own business. If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he’ll eat you last.”


Why aren’t there more questions concerning the tax and spend measures B. O. has in mind? Barney Frank said more taxes are needed and there should be more spending. What kind of a crippled mind would come up with that and yet there is so little being said or asked about it.


Have any of you thought about the kind of baggage that B. O. would bring with him, the kind of judges he would appoint? Where are the questions? Where is the concern?

Are all your memories so short that you have forgotten the following? “An opportunity society awaits us. We need only believe in ourselves and give men and women of faith, courage, and vision the freedom to build it. Let others run down America and seek to punish success. Let them call you greedy for not wanting government to take more and more of your earnings. Let them defend their tombstone society of wage and price guidelines, mandatory quotas, tax increases, planned shortages, and shared sacrifices. We want no part of that mess, thank you very much. We will encourage all Americans—men and women, young and old, individuals of every race, creed, and color—to succeed and be healthy, happy, and whole. This is our goal. We see America not falling behind, but moving ahead; our citizens not fearful and divided, but confident and united by shared values of faith, family, work, neighborhood, peace and freedom.” —Ronald Reagan


There have not been any questions about the “Fairness Doctrine;” will it be pursued and what affect it will have on talk radio and free speech?


Remember we have a right to ask any candidate about his understanding of the problems facing us, his acceptance of responsibility for solving those problems, and what his approach to handling the problems will be.


I can’t believe it, I have come up with two more very important question that no one, not even the alphabet news outlets are asking or will ever ask. It has to do with B. O’s. birth certificate and the law suit against him and the D. N. C. to provide proof, unquestionable proof that he, B. O. is a natural born citizen and also his qualifications.

Obama disqualified himself
"http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78668"http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78668


Obama admits Kenyan birth
"http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78671"http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78671


Now the $64. Question; will we ever ask the questions???????????????????????????

Article by Thomas Sowell

I happened upon a very well written piece by Thomas Sowell and thought it would be of interest to everyone.

Record Vs. Rhetoric

Obama vs. Palin.

By Thomas Sowellhttp://article.nationalreview.com/?q=Y2FiN2IzYjRkMDk1NzY1MGM 3NTM5NzJkZmExYzc0N2M=

Sen. Joe Biden says if they are elected to expect trouble. He doesn’t say McCain will expect trouble, why should he, how could he, McCain has already been tested.

That’s all we need, we are fighting two wars, trying to fix the economy and then there is the issue of Israel. If McCain/Palin win Israel will have no reason to make a huge military strike against Iran, they know McCain will stand by them. On the other hand if B. O. wins Israel will have no choice but to strike while President Bush is still at the helm. Israel knows that B. O. will cast them aside.

Then is everyone ready for whatever B. O. does as far as Iraq is concerned? Everything he says states that he will withdraw our troops precipitously even if it means in dishonor.

Then there is the little matter that involves “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.” Is everyone really ready for that?

“ABC News' Matthew Jaffe Reports: Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., on Sunday guaranteed that if elected, Sen. Barack Obama., D-Ill., will be tested by an international crisis within his first six months in power and he will need supporters to stand by him as he makes tough, and possibly unpopular, decisions.

"Mark my words," the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. "It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy.”

Sunday, October 19, 2008

New Hampshire





New Hampshire is no doubt a beautiful state, some would argue the prettiest, I’m biased but each state has its own natural beauty, but I believe New Hampshire has to be in the top ten. New Hampshire is not a tremendously big state so it’s easy to drive the length and breadth of it but if you take time to take in all the areas of beauty it could take you weeks.


The coastal areas with the great waves crashing sometimes with a thunderous roar, the birds, the beaches. How beautiful it is to go to the beach with friends and just kick back, poor on the suntan lotion, get a tan and enjoy the water. I always come away with a bad sunburn, I guess I never learn.


Driving up the country roads takes you past lakes, rivers and brooks to numerous to mention, each with its own significance, its own beauty and history. What a wonder it is for those who love to fish, there’s nothing like it. I remember stopping at brooks going after a trout; I don’t know who fared better, me or the mosquitoes? I remember taking a breath and choked because of all the mosquitoes I inhaled, sounds ghastly doesn‘t it; but I had fun.


The natural wonders that take your breath away, the unique areas that capture your attention are what makes New Hampshire what it is. The covered bridges, so very rare, so hard to find. My family and I stopped at one covered bridge and had a picnic lunch, we wanted our sons to have time to take it all in, to have something to remember.


The beautiful lakes, the taste of the water, the very feel of it against your skin. I use to love going to Milton Three Ponds, get there early and spend the whole day just having fun. There was another lake in the Milton area, I can’t think of the name of it but people would park their cars along the side of the road, get into their swim trunks and dive in, there was also a Tarzan rope hanging from a limb to swing yourself out into the lake. Afterwards people would get changed and hang their swimming trunks over the cars antenna to dry on the way home. For some the antenna was the only place they kept their trunks, they were always ready for that next opportunity.


The New Hampshire mountains are truly splendiferous, the clouds that cover their peaks, the beautiful trees that cover them. Have any of you ever went into a forested area of White Birch and just laid down on the forest floor and listened to the silence? I have, it will stay with you a lifetime. The drive up the Mount Washington Highway to the top and beholding the wonder of all you see is to incredible to put into words. A link to some of it is: http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/cam/
From summer to winter it is a wonderland.


The leaves that turn in the fall are a wonder that enthralls people from all over and compels them to come, their senses try to take it all in, but how is that possible? Some just stand in awe, others take pictures, while others try to capture it on canvas, but no matter how you try it is impossible, the wonder of it all is constantly changing.


The seasons are full of fascination, each leading into the other, the spring with the budding of the leaves, the March winds, April showers. I love the winter and look forward to waking up to the first snow of the year, a pure white blanket, untouched, unspoiled. I grew up in the country, on the boarder between Union and Milton. As a boy my brothers and sisters and I would walk out onto the porch and brake off the icicles and eat them like a treat, of course now that wouldn‘t be recommended but back then it was fun and part of winter. I use to have loads of fun on my sled running and jumping on it going down a hill. As I was growing up we lived at 14 Pine St., Portsmouth, just down the road from New Franklin School which I attended. The hill on the next street, I believe Start St. was a source of great entertainment for many of us. We would each take turns playing traffic cop at the bottom of the hill at Clinton and Stark Sts. while the rest of us came sliding down and across the street at the bottom into the thick snow to bring us to a stop, what a wonderful and exhilarating way to spend the day, no television just pure unadulterated fun.


I don’t think there is a better sound then walking through the snow in boots with a deep tread, I use to were the ones that are sort of olive colored and tied at the top; what a sound they made, crunch, crunch, beautiful.


Lets not forget the people, I don’t mean those who have migrated to New Hampshire, I mean those with years here, those whose families have a history here, the way they speak, so unique, so genuine, so unmistakable, a way of speaking that shouts where your home is, where your heart is. In the north country they refer to everyone else as flatlanders, a unique term that speaks volumes. It tells of different life styles, different interest, a different pace of life. Regardless, whether flatlander or not, this is our state, New Hampshire. The danger comes from listening to and allowing those who aren’t native to influence the rest of us, if we continue to allow this then everything that makes New Hampshire what it is will be lost to the dustbin of history.


A side note. How many of you have stopped at Gilleys in Portsmouth? How many remember how he use to park the trailer at the corner in Market Square and the police give him a ticket every night before placing their order? http://www.gilleyspmlunch.com/
He was the best, and the place, although moved to a stationary spot, is still going strong, this along with so much else makes us who we are.


After careful thought and consideration I must change my mind, New Hampshire must be placed at the top of the list.




Saturday, October 18, 2008

Sandwich Fair









It has been years sense my wife and I have been to the fair. My brother Bernard use to be the Chief of Police up there, he was always very busy that day from dawn till dark. It was fun having a brother that was the Chief of Police. He earned the position, he was extremely qualified and a Korean War Vet as well, he was a survivor of the battle at the Chosin Reservoir, a freezing cold, miserable, bloody battle where they were extremely outnumbered.


When I was a kid my brothers and I would never miss Sandwich Fair, it use to be a one day affair on October 12th. ending in fireworks, now it goes on for three days, it was the highlight of the year. In fact I would tell my teachers not to expect me in class, they would have to struggle through without my contributory excellence because being at the fair was far more important then being in school. I remember in High School at Portsmouth High, I was in English and my teachers name was Mr. Grogan, what a great guy he was, he even gave his time to teach track after school, anyway, I’m getting sidetracked. He told the class that he needed a 100% attendance so as to prepare for a big upcoming test. I put my hand up and said Mr. Grogan you know better then to expect me to be in class on Columbus Day, you know I’ll be at the fair. He just looked at me in astonishment, but he knew, we had talked together about the fair a few days before. Thank God he was an understanding teacher.


I would be there at opening ready for any kind of action. I remember standing in line to get a glass of hard cider, to me that was the best thing ever. As I recall I spent a great deal of time in that line. Then my brother and I made the mistake of the day when we bought some red died hotdogs, we found out later just how big a mistake it was, we both became so sick that on the way home we had to stop along the side of the road and run into the trees to heave our stomachs out. On the way home we stopped at a dinner and ordered up some Alker Seltzer. Neither of us have ever had one of those red died hotdogs sense.


I use to love to watch the horse pulling contest, what incredible animals they were. Then the hogs, they were enormous. The food contests were fun to, sometimes we got to bring some home with us and the girls, the place was crawling with them.


My older brother, Dean, would compete in the log cutting contest where he would stand on top of this big ol’ log and using a double bladed axe, you could shave with, bring it down between his legs, and for what I thought, one slip and there goes your leg, but no one ever got hurt and my brother would win from time to time. There was also the pole cutting contest to drop a pole onto a wedge and drive it into the ground, he won a lot of those as well. When he wasn’t doing that he would be plucking away at one of his musical instruments with his wife Phyllis.


The food, not the red hotdogs, the contest, the huge animals, the friends to have fun with and the fireworks at night made it a wonderful event. A lot has probably changed by now but one day I’ll return with my wife and we will relive once again, those great days of years past.


http://www.thesandwichfair.com/