Status Check From The West Coast

I'm still around, just haven't had much spare time recently.

Due to my father's death on the 23rd of July (about which I'll write at a later time due to raw nerve-ends on my heart-strings), I'm out here in Washington (State, not D.C.) to help take care of the various things that have to be done.

Watch This Space in about two weeks, when all the stuff should be completed, and I should be back home.

In the meantime, look HERE for good advice on "How To Be Taken Seriously As A Blogger". The context is the "BlogHer" convention, but the advice applies to any "serious" blogger.

Of course, I don't care whether I'm taken "seriously" or not - I write this thing to please me and a few other people. Read my masthead up above for the basic rules.

San Fran's Idiots Strike Again!

The latest whacko proposal out of San Francisco ( HERE ) is not just "misdirected", but if the GOP has any smarts at all, can be used to play Whack-A-Mole with any Democrat dumb enough to stick his/her head up.

"SAN FRANCISCO - A measure seeking to commemorate President Bush's years in office by slapping his name on a San Francisco sewage plant has qualified for the November ballot.

The measure certified Thursday would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.

Supporters say the idea is to commemorate the mess they claim Bush has left behind."

Let's start out with what GW had to clean up when he entered office:

1. The Clinton Administration's economic mess - remember the "Dot-Com" implosion?

2. The Clinton Administration's foreign policy fiascos - North Korea and the Sudan.

3. The Clinton Administration's non-handling of the Taliban and their Al Quaida allies, which culminated in the attacks of September 11th, 2001.

Independence Day

We did our burgers and 'dogs.

We did do beer/wine/soda/water, depending on age and preference.

We did do a quick reading of the Immortal Words. Took a whole ten minutes. Chickie asked the hardest question: "Daddy, what does 'sacred honor' mean?"

I didn't even stutter. "That means you do the right thing, even if it hurts you."

Then came the good part.

Meelie Noh and I went out for fireworks on July 2nd, and she's been frantic with wanting to make things go bang for Two Whole Days. She started counting hours and minutes at 9 this morning.

So, we (being Chickie, Meelie, Mrs. OWW, Hose-B, Mrs. Shopping, and assorted kid-friends set off sparklers, and poppers, and whiz-bangs, and screechers, and fountains, and googly-eyes, and more whiz-bangs.

Did I mention beer/wine/soda/water/lemonade?

We had a SPLENDID time!

John Adams

In addition to being America's second President, he was also a signer of our Declaration of Independence.

On the 3rd day of July, 1776, after the Declaration had passed the Continental Congress, but before he signed, he wrote the following to his wife Abigail.

It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Day's Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

Here at OWW's house, we shall have a reading of the Declaration of Independence, followed by food, fireworks, and other sorts of merriment and celebration.

And a moment of quiet reflection on the true words of John Adams, who pledged his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor, that I might live free.

Prelude

It's two days before Independence Day.

July 4th is the day that Americans celebrate as the birth day of our country.

This is the day that a group of men signed the Declaration of Independence, declaring "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Keep in mind that these men were British citizens, subjects of the Crown of England. That by signing the Declaration they were committing High Treason.

Why would they do this?

These men were The Power Structure of the Colonies - doctors and lawyers, big-time land-owners, publishers and merchants.

Can you see one or two of our current big-time heavy hitters doing this? Knowing that if the Government caught them, they'd be hung by the neck until dead?

Not bloody likely.

So, the question still stands.

Why did these men do this?

Figure it out for yourselves. Put yourself in their shoes.

Would YOU sign? Knowing that if they caught you, they'd string you up?

Would YOU "pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."?