I Wouldn’t Exactly Shout “Crucify Him!”

. . .though his embrace of the “messiah” title a few years ago might make that seem appropriate, and I suppose *sigh* that drawing and quartering are right out the window (that pesky Eighth Amendment), but. . .

IF the outbreaks of enterovirus sweeping the country can be and are traced back to illegals encouraged to enter and allowed to stay by executive action in violation of immigration law, then wouldn’t it be a Good Thing for suit to be brought by the various states (and individuals; class action, perhaps) affected against the administration seeking relief from damages? And would it not be just and proper to press for the voiding of qualified immunity for individuals whose ILLEGAL actions led to the outbreak (if the above linkage could be demonstrated) in order that they might be held personally responsible and punitive damages sought against them as individuals, all the way to the White House?

These suits could then be followed by prison and terms on chain gangs making little rocks from big ones. For life. In lieu of execution for treason.

Flogging, tarring and feathering would just be icing on the cake.

Good Neighbors

The last couple of decades living here in a relatively small town (fewer than 2,000 souls populate the town) in America’s Third World County™ have been good. The first 40-*mumble* years of my life I spent mostly in metro areas ranging from a couple of hundred thousand folks to a million and more. The whole county contains around 25,000 folks, with about 60% spread out back in the hills-n-hollers-n-piney woods. . . although there are some areas with more developed farmland.

Although I’ve been leisurely nosing around for 40-80 acres to “get lost in,” just to get away from the crowding and noise of this major metropolis *snerk* where I now live, it is nice to have the neighbors I have now. Example:

Heading on down to the post office, just before the one-lane low-water crossing, a tree had downed a pretty good-sized limb. Traffic coming, I slid on by and once I rounded Joe _____’s place, I made a turn around, to come back and haul the thing off to the side of the road.

A couple of neighbors beat me to it. One was the young(ish) dad of the best kids in the neighborhood* (really!) and the other was his uncle from a bit further on down the street. They had it dragged on off to the side of the road by the time I had turned around and come back.

Good neighbors.

Now, I won’t say things like that NEVER happened in the cities I lived in, in years past, but around here, it’s just normal.

*Yeh, his 9-year-old son is the neighborhood organizer/leader. I had a basketball goal I had taken down (‘cos some drunk had driven off the road and down the hill into our yard, taking the pole out. *shrugs* Son & Heir had stopped using it a few years ago anyway). Asked him if he could use it. Said no, he already had one, but he’d ask around. Came back later with his younger brother, and they took it down to a family with kids who could use it. Another time, he was mowing some of his granddad’s property (a grassed drive beside our house leading to a large storage building just above the creek). He went ahead and mowed my front lawn, too. Uh-huh. One of those times when I had twisted my bad knee again and was using a cane. The kid notices things.

Good neighbors.

I’ll miss them when I move out to live on Goa Way, but not enough to keep me from moving, if I find the place. *heh*

Pubschool Education is in the Very Best of Hands. . .

. . . or not.

[Names and location withheld to avert–justifiable–assault upon the guilty.]

Read/seen somewhere else. Woman happy to report via selfie that she and her friend were “Getting our nails did.”

A grade school teacher.

*sigh*

Oh, and the nail work was disgusting. Bad taste AND non-existent connection to logic and grammar. No, I wouldn’t dare “share” the pic. Why open myself up to charges of causing blindness. I had to exercise strict self-control to keep from putting my own eyes out after seeing what I can never unsee. . . The horror!

Remember: I do these things so you don’t have to.

Pejoration of Language is Inevitable

But why does it always seem to stem from illiterates and liars?

Illiterates, for example, tear down useful words and phrases through simple ignorance and sometimes stupidity. An example from something I read recently will illustrate this point: “[I]t’s the exception that makes the rule.” This corruption was obviously drawn from the old adage, “The exception proves the rule,” which actually means, “The exception TESTS the rule.” The writer of “the exception. . . makes the rule” never bothered to learn what the original adage actually said and so his corruption makes at least some sort of (non)sense, based on his poor literacy.

Worse are those who wittingly corrupt words, terms and phrases to mean something opposite of their once common senses. Take for example a self-proclaimed “liberal democrat” whose words and deeds prove him to be a tyrannical statist bent on corrupting democracy.

That’s why I so often call out and condemn both illiterate and disingenuous abuse of English. “Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” as it were.

In a Civilized Society. . .

. . . you know, one that actually recognized private property rights, the natural progression illustrated below would be perfectly acceptable.

A simple statement, easily understood, establishing a clear boundary saying, “Not yours. Stay out.”

no-trespassing

If a trespasser were to proceed, then a second warning might justifiably be issued by an exceedingly patient and forbearing landowner:

no trespassing

If that failed to deter a malefactor, then *sigh*. . .

final-warning

OK, MORE than excessively generous, kind and gentle landowners might include, between #2 and #3 (or #1 and #2), a sign stating,

Fence and “No Trespassing” Signs

Security/Surveillance System

Guard Dogs

Armed Response

For clearance to enter the property try calling 1-800-UGO-AWAY

Is “No Trespassing” Clear Now?

Holes and Gaps, Lacks and Losses. . .

I read too much and have done so for darned near all my life. That creates a few problems from time to time. For example, recently, my problem with reading books on history has been too many moments of getting into a book and either saying to myself (over and over), “Know that already,” or “Oh, you flippin’ idiot,” or “Liar!” *sigh* Every now and then, though, I do manage to run across a decent history (or related) book I’ve missed. For example, how I missed Thomas Babington Macaulay’s “Lays of Ancient Rome” for so many years, I’ll never know. Strange the lacunae one can find in one’s reading list. . .

Another problem is in reading fiction (well, and non-fiction for that matter). By now, I know all the plots. My reading/recognition/comprehension vocabulary is. . . probably excessive. Heck, I enjoy reading dictionaries and even puzzling out probable etymologies on my own before checking authorities, etc. I have read enough well-written text that, while I don’t always show it in my own casual writing here and elsewhere (for which I am NOT PAID), I’m familiar enough with good writing (grammar, word usage, etc.) that I’m offended by people who expect to be paid for writing crap.

And do NOT let me get started on contemporary “poetry”! Please! “Crap” is far, far too kind as a description of most of it.

It’s a burden. Be glad I bear it so you don’t have to if you don’t want to. *heh*

(Both of my regular readers here are literate enough to bear the burden as well, but can feel free to let me do so *cough* alone *cough* if they wish. ;-))

OTOH, one of the very real joys of reading a “lottamuch” is the discovery of those holes and gaps, lacks and losses in my education and. . . filling them.

Did I Say That?

Juuuust in case things should ever “get real,” 1776-style, having such things as FM3-07.22* and other military manuals to have some ideas how to counter the counters, as it were, might be handy. . . *heh*


*”Counterinsurgency Operations. Knowing what “counterinsurgency” might entail would be useful to those seeking to restore rights as the Founders were forced to do. Do keep in mind that I’m not advocating another American Revolution to overthrow illegitimate government, though our “feddle gummint” has certainly delegitimized itself. After all, the Founders themselves counseled overthrowing an illegitimate government only as a last resort. But should it ever become necessary, “know your enemy” is wise counsel. . .

4th Thoughts

Thinking about getting a lil place to raise pigs. I’d call them all “Mohamed”. . . just cos.

Could raise chickens, too. Rooster’d be “King Putz”.

Don’t care what inducements anyone might offer. Not raising baboons. One Congress is one too many.