Musings of the Chronologically Challenged™ Fourth Generation

 
FREEDOM ISN'T FREE

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease..

I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

[Many thanks to Ken]


THE COWBOY AND CHURCH ATTIRE

One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out bible.

The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.

The preacher gave a long sermon about Hellfire and brimstone and a stern lecture on how much money the church needed to do God's work. As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what He thinks would be appropriate attire for worship."

The old cowboy assured the preacher he would. The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored.

The preacher approached the man and said,
"I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church."
"I did," replied the old cowboy.
"If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?" asked the preacher.
"Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear."
"He said He'd never been in this church before."


CLINTON LIBRARY GIVES JOBS TO SCOTLAND

(RALEIGH) – The Associated Press reported today that “While Democratic presidential candidates complain that too many jobs are going overseas, the last Democrat to hold the office is having a Scottish firm build nearly $1 million worth of cabinets for his presidential library” (David Hammer, Associated Press, “Clinton Library sends $1 million contract to Scotland,” 2/26/04).

This comes at a time when John Edwards and John Kerry continuously attack President Bush on jobs, despite the fact that economic growth and job creation is on the rise.

“You won’t hear the Democrats talk about one of their party leaders giving jobs to Scotland when they are on the campaign trail,” said Ferrell Blount, Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. “This just proves our point that we continue to hear hypocritical rhetoric from the Democrats, not just on jobs, but on a string of issues.”

Also, in case you missed it, an excerpt from today's Shreveport Times (Editorial, “Clinton missteps with library flap”):

As Democrats decry President George W. Bush's free trade policies, claiming that the Republican president's politics have allowed too many jobs to go overseas, the out-of-power party might want to check on the details of the $160 million Bill Clinton Presidential Library.

It appears that a Scottish firm, Netherfield Visuals of Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland, has been awarded the subcontract to build nearly $1 million dollars worth of display cabinets for the Little Rock, Ark., facility being constructed to honor the 42nd president of the United States.

And if the subcontract itself doesn't invite criticism, the response to inquiries about the move certainly will.

The museum designers recommended five firms to build the displace cases, and only one of the five recommended casemakers was a U.S.-based firm.

“I don't think a subcontract on a major museum project is setting international trade policy,” said Skip Rutherford, library foundation president. “I don't know if it's setting an example or not. [The library designers] are the best exhibit designers in the world and they want to use the best materials available in the world. So I think the example here is quality work.”

Rutherford's response sounds a lot like a back-handed slap at American, let alone Ozark, craftsmanship, as if such quality work cannot be performed somewhere within the 50 states.


SENIOR MOMENTS™

For those of us getting along in years, here is a little secret for building your arm and shoulder muscles. You might want to adopt this regimen three days a week.

Begin by standing straight, with a 5-LB. potato sack in each hand. Extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute. Relax. After a few weeks, move up to 10-LB. potato sacks, and then 50-LB. potato sacks, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-LB. potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight out for more than a full minute.

After you feel confident at that level, start putting a couple of potatoes in each of the sacks, but be careful not to overdo it.


CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

A Fairy told a married couple: "For being such an exemplary married couple for 35 years, I will give you each a wish"

"I want to travel around the world with my dearest husband" said the wife.
The fairy moved her magic stick and abracadabra! two tickets appeared in her hands.

Now it was the husbands turn. He thought for a moment and said:
"Well this moment is very romantic, but an opportunity like this only occurs once in a lifetime. So....I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me".

The wife was deeply disappointed but, a wish was a wish. The Fairy made a circle with her magic stick and.......Abracadabra! Suddenly the husband was 90 years old.

Men might be bastards. But Fairies are....................Female!

[evil laugh here]















posted by HCL at 8:16 AM