Musings of the Chronologically Challenged™ Fourth Generation

 
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
-- John F. Kennedy

The ultimate test of a man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.
--Gaylord Nelson



RETURNING TO BLOGWORLD
(By popular request: one reader. Thanks, Pet.)

Last night I read a certain blog for the first time and the writer was throwing such a pity party – you wouldn’t believe. Obviously, I made the right decision NOT to pour my probs out on my weblog. When and if Indigo Insights gets a few hits, please let it be because someone is interested, or has curiosity in what may be happening over at Indigo’s place today, rather than “Oh man! It’s a shame she gets no visitors. Think I’ll pop over and give her meter a sympathy number.” PU – LEEZE!!

On the other hand, some old and dear blog brothers and sisters deserve an explanation for my haphazard posting; ergo, a brief outline of the year to date follows.

** Jan., Feb., March: Health probs -- – couple of “bugs”, in addition to the ubiquitous back pain, cardiac malfunctions, and edema worsening as the result of sitting at the computer too much.

** April: Epiphany! A laptop may alleviate the edema, and since computer-stuff is my main connection to the outside world, I can justify the expenditure! It was another one of those “it seemed like a good idea at the time” moments.

** June: Two months later and the desktop and laptop still are not correctly connected. It's such a trial to try to make something work, that I’ve just about given up.. My daughter (warmly referred to by Chuck as The Venomous Miss E.) says she’s going to visit The Computer Place that has led me down this garden path of horrors and try to get them to DO SOMETHING for the $1500 + that is already invested in this abortion from cyberspace! Updates to follow.


And while I’m here, let me clear out my mail box - - - - -

~~ MAIL BOX ~~

DELIBERATE OMISSION

Lest there be any doubt: our core values are under constant attack in places we would least expect.

Today I went to visit the new World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. I got an unexpected history lesson. Since I'm a baby boomer, I was one of the youngest in the crowd. Most were the age of my parents, veterans of "the greatest war" with their families. It was a beautiful day, and people were smiling and happy to be there. Hundreds of us milled around the memorial, reading the inspiring words of Ike and Truman that are engraved there.

On the Pacific side of the memorial, a group of us gathered to read the words President Roosevelt used to announce the attack on Pearl Harbor. One woman red the words aloud:

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941-- a date which will live in infamy-- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked. . . With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph."

But as she read, she was suddenly angry "Wait a minute," she said. "They left out the end of the quote. They left out the most important part. Roosevelt said 'so help us God.'"

"You're probably right," her husband said. "We're not supposed to say things like that now."

"I know I'm right," she insisted. "I remember the speech." The two shook their heads sadly and walked away.

Listening to their conversation, I thought to myself, "Well, it has been 50 years. She's probably forgotten."

But she was right. I went home and pulled out the book my book club is reading. It's "Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley. It's all about Iwo Jima. I haven't gotten too far in the book. It's tough to read because it's a graphic description of the battles in the Pacific. But right there it was on page 58. Roosevelt's speech to the nation. It ends with "so help us God."

The people who edited out that part of the speech when they engraved it on the memorial could have fooled me. I was born after the war. But they couldn't fool the people who were there. Roosevelt's words are engraved on their hearts.

Send this around to your friends. People need to know before everyone forgets.

-- I received this from Don, in the mountains of Virginia --
and it is absolutely true! Unlike Ronald Reagan, I didn't know Thomas Jefferson, but I DID hear the Roosevelt speech as it was being delivered and many times during the ensuing years in film clips. HE SAID IT! And he said it very emphatically. And now it's being erased in yet another history revision. Makes me wonder if some of our nation's other historical quotations which have become Politically Incorrect may be doomed to history's trash can. Quickly to mind: Nathan "I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" Hale, and Patrick "Give me liberty or give me death" Henry. It's not as far-fetched as you may think. Some Americans already seem to frown on patriotism as being "uncool", don't they?
- Indigo

UPDATE: Well, not exactly.


THE ATHEIST AND THE LOCH NESS MONSTER

An atheist was spending a quiet day fishing when suddenly his boat was attacked by the Loch Ness monster. In one easy flip, the beast tossed him and his boat high into the air. Then it opened its mouth to swallow both.

As the man sailed head over heels, he cried out, "Oh, my God! Help me!"

At once, the ferocious attack scene froze in place, and as the atheist hung in mid-air, a booming voice came down from the clouds, "I thought you didn't believe in Me!"

"Come on God, give me a break!!" the man pleaded. "Two minutes ago I didn't believe in the Loch Ness monster either!"

[from Kristi, Greenville, NC]


'GENDER DIFFERENCES'

1. NAMES
If Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara go out for lunch, they will call each other Laurie, Linda, Elizabeth and Barbara. If Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla, Peanut-Head and Scrappy.

2. EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back. When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

3. MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need - but it's on sale.

4. BATHROOMS
A man has five items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from the Marriott. The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.

5. ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

6. CATS
Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, Men kick cats.

7. FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

8. SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

9. MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.

10. DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail. A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

11. NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

12. OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and
hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

13. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Any married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

AND FINALLY....
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, jack asses, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?" "Yep," the wife replied, "In-laws."

[from John, New Jersey]



>^..^<™

>^..^< Please go read Random Fate's Commentary "Leading By Example" from yesterday, and think about it while you read.








posted by HCL at 11:08 AM