Month: January 2007

This morning while driving the Darling Munchkin to school, I had my iPod playing, and an old song by Styx, from their Grand Illusion album, started playing… and I was taken back to when I wasn’t much older than ten (I was 14), and Styx was one of my favorite groups!

I remember having the radio on all the time. I remember stacking six albums on my record player, and turning it on low as I went to sleep. I remember going to the record store and flipping through album after album, looking for Manfred Mann’s the Roaring Silence so I could have “Blinded by the Light” in my collection.

I remember not worrying about seatbelts. I remember going trick-or-treating in my neighborhood and not even needing to worry about being kidnapped. I remember riding my bike to and from the club pool, and sneaking in after dark (after I had my license) to go skinny-dipping. I remember walking from my school to the Avenue (after school – I was a good girl, LOL), and being picked up by one of my teachers and given a lift.

I remember paying $1.95 for a nice, thick paperback novel. I remember Daddy bringing home a calculator that added, subtracted, divided and multiplied, and had one memory… And was the size of a typewriter. Hey, I remember typewriters!

As I talked to the Munchkin about all this, I realized all the things she’s growing up with that I had no clue were coming: computers, the Internet, cable TV, stalkers, terrorism…

And I told her that I now understood (yeah, just NOW) how much my parents worried about me as I was growing up – their childhoods were very different from mine, too. Just as I look back on all the freedoms I had that I don’t dare give to the Munchkin today, they must have looked at all the changes that happened in their lifetimes and been deeply concerned about my welfare.

The Munchkin’s fenced areas are now both narrower and broader than my restrictions were. The Beloved Husband and I want our child to grow up secure but aware, confident but careful, and loved but disciplined. Today, I got smacked in the face (again) with how hard that is.

Don’t worry, Mom and Dad. We’ll take care of your favorite (only!) granddaughter. We’ll watch over her, love her, guide and teach her to the best of our ability. God willing, in twenty or thirty years, she’ll be talking to her own children and remember our conversation this morning… And will have the same fierce, protective desire to love, cherish and guide her children into the future as her parents did before her.

(Crossposted from CatHouse Chat)

Not on my own computer. Not on my own ISP. Not in America’s Third World County, even. *sigh*. No broadband, no power, can take. (Barely) No water? Survivable. No backup dialup, even? Not survivable. *heh* Yep. Lost a BUNCh of large braches off the stand of 60′ tall sycamores in the back yard testerday/last night. Took our POTS drop line with them.

I’ll be asking the folks with posting priviledges here at twc to fill in this week. Consider this an open trackback post until further notice, OK?

Be sure to check Linkfest Haven Deluxe for all the latest linkfests!

You absolutely *must* go on over to the Evangelical Outpost and read what Joe has posted about pre-marital adultery –

My recycling bin is a symbol of the obligation I feel I owe future generations. Unfortunately, I have no such token to give my wife that shows the obligation I owed her. Instead, I had only a string of sexual sins that showed that before we met I treated the concept of “soul mate” as a useful fiction. I offer this confession to young people who have not yet lost one of the most valuable gifts God gives man: the ability to give oneself completely to the person you love. If you want to show true love to your future spouse, then start now by keeping the Seventh Commandment.

Read the whole thing!

And, you should have bookmarked EO, and be reading every day!

(Crossposted from CatHouse Chat)

Ice storm. Broadband (heck, cable TV–no real loss there) down. 28.8 backup dialup. (Essentially, “no access” *heh*)

See ya later when I’m not in a chokehold on sloooooowwwww dialup. Y’all play nice now, y’hear?

Mini-micro update: Well, ALL power is out, now–across the whole town, apparently. Went down just as I had finished paying for a fillup on my car. Folks pumping gas at the time? Stuck holding the bag, cos power’s not coming back on for a while, apparently.

Here updating w/my Wonder Woman’s ntebook, on battery power, via dialup…

Been having “Summertime” melody floating through my mind, whstling it, etc… while scraping windows, freezing my ____ off outside, while pumping gas, etc. About time t’ be thankful for a gas water heater (recall last summer’s “water heater installation from hell”?).We can always jump into a nice, warm tub and defrost…

🙂

Have to use candles or break out the oil lamps, though…

Nice day for snuggling. (*Oh Joy!* :-))

Well, probably oughta save WW’s battery. TTFN.

Laconic Blog has THE post on the Iraq War this week. Must-read. Do NOT just read the excerpt below and move along. CLICK over to the post and READ IT.

…let patriots criticize this president and his administration when decency and reason demand it; remember always, though, the shame that the Left has brought upon itself and trust them never with the security of this nation and your family.

Yeh, I added the emphasis. Go, READ.

Repeat after me:

“Liberalism* is a philosophy of consolation for Western civilization as it commits suicide.” (James Burnham)

“Liberalism* is a philosophy of consolation for Western civilization as it commits suicide.”

“Liberalism* is a philosophy of consolation for Western civilization as it commits suicide.”

Continue reading “THE Iraq War Post of the Week”

Several weeks ago, I pondered actually sitting down and toying with a revisionist history piece titled something like “What If There Was No America?” The most difficult part, not being a sociologist, economist, engineer, historian, scientist, etc, would be to find a point in time to “separate” the American experience from the actual history and then commence to postulate on the path “history” would have then taken with some degreee of credibility for the purpose of the article/essay.

I guess it was all spawned by the History Channel “Engineering an Empire” series. What it took, and how nations formed and developed, and then had to come up with innovations to continue their growth is facinating. As I watched the episode “Britian: Blood and Steel,” I began to consider what we have contributed to civilization and the genesis of my essay idea.

Well, as luck would have it, some called about three days ago, while they were discussing the Sandy Berger song writing contest on the Bill Bennett show (this week – and you have until midnite tonight to get your entry in), someone suggested Bill write a book “A World Without America.” Bill’s response was to say he will set up and essay contest for submissions of 1000 word essays for this 4th of July time frame – $1000 to the winner.

So, the question is: Do you have a flair or passion for writing fictional history? Maybe, just maybe, you’ll get rewarded for your efforts…but…based on some of the lyrics submitted for the Sandy Burgler song contest, be ready for some seriously competent competition from the listeners to that show…

Cross posted from: Chaotic Synaptic Activity

Will Marie “Let them eat cake” Antoinette be the next Speaker of the House?

Too late. Nancy wants to usurp Marie’s best line.*

Because Speaker Pelosi just does not like that niggling lil thing called the First Amendment.

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.

An oft-forgotten but very important portion of the First Amendment is bolded above. Where McCain-Feingold *spit* sought to limit freedom of (political) speech—and largely succeeded due to President Bush’s unwillingness to use the veto (he apparently wanted to play nice with congresscritters, hoping for a Supreme Court “veto”) and a Supreme Court that feels too little debt to the Constitution—Nancy Pelosi’s plan would simply excise the last clause of the First Amendment almost entirely.

Pelosi has already stated she is planning to push through major legislation during the first 100 session hours after the Democrats take control of Congress this week.

At the top of the list is seemingly good legislation intended to curb the power of lobbyists. But the Pelosi law goes far beyond bridling Washington influence peddlers. Under her proposed legislation, Pelosi will seek to control and limit any organization in America from encouraging citizens to communicate and influence Congress.

Well, from Pelosi’s standpoint, it makes perfect sense. Why subject herself to calls, emails and faxes from the little people? She–and her office–has much better things to do than to listen to “the people,” after all!

Let them eat cake.

Continue reading “Chipping Away at the First Amendment”

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The following is something that’s all over the place, in my inbox multiple times, and probably in yours as well, but just in case you’ve not yet seen it, here ’tis. As so many of these sorts of things tend to be nowadays, the apparent attempted burlesque falls short of the reality. *sigh*

A Tale of Two Times: 1963 and 2006

Jack pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack.

1963 – Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack’s rifle, goes to his car and gets his to show Jack.

2006 – School goes into lockdown, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

*******************************************

Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1963 – Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled.

2006 – Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.

*******************************************

Little Jeffrey won’t be still in class, disrupts other students.

1963 – Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. Sits still in class.

2006 – Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.

*******************************************

Billy breaks a window in his father’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping.

1963 – Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2006 – Billy’s Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. Billy’s sister is told by state psychologist that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy’s mom has affair with psychologist.

*******************************************

Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine to school.

1963 – Mark shares headache medicine with Principal out on the smoking dock.

2006 – Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car is searched for drugs and weapons.

*******************************************

Mary turns up pregnant.

1963 – 5 High School Boys leave town. Mary does her senior year at a special school for expectant mothers.

2006 – Middle School Counselor calls Planned Parenthood, who notifies the ACLU. Mary is driven to the next state over and gets an abortion without her parent’s consent or knowledge. Mary given condoms and told to be more careful next time.

*******************************************

Pedro fails high school English.

1963: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.

2006: Pedro’s cause is taken up by ultra-liberals. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro’s English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he can’t speak English.

*******************************************

Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.

1963 – Ants die.

2006 – ATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny’s Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

*******************************************

Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary, who hugs Johnny to comfort him.

1963 – In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2006 – Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison.

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As an attempt at satire, this fails because it falls short of the truth. Please re-read Samuel Francis on anarcho-tyranny…

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson’s Website, Conservative Cat, Pursuing Holiness, 123 Beta, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Faultline USA, Woman Honor Thyself, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, stikNstein… has no mercy, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox News, High Desert Wanderer, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Jerry Pournelle posted a link to copy of this “From a Navy source,” and I thought y’all’d enjoy it:

Be SURE to stay for the “credits” at the end… *heh*

TTFN

Trackposted to Rightwing Guy, Perri Nelson’s Website, The Random Yak, Big Dog’s Weblog, basil’s blog, Pirate’s Cove, Stuck On Stupid, Dumb Ox News, Conservative Cat, Pursuing Holiness, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Well, almost. After I finish jamming my “life” on a thumb drive, I’m outa here for the day.