I've posted this every Thanksgiving for at least the past three years (I may have posted it prior, but I'm too lazy to go look).
"With G-d as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." This has to be one of the funniest gags ever. "The Pinedale shopping mall has just been bombed by live turkeys. Film at 11." "It should have worked." "It's like the turkeys mounted a counter-attack." Just love that bit.
This is the first Thanksgiving we're on our own, so it should be interesting. We've done Thanksgiving with my folks for the past, well, ever; the Mrs.' family isn't all that big on it, and Mom G. being, well, an Italian mother goes all out. Usually by the time we get to the turkey we're too full to do much more than pick at it - which leaves plenty for cold turkey sandwiches on homemade bread on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
This year, it will be the four of us, quietly (HA) sitting down with our barely-larger-than-a-chicken turkey in the dining room (this is like the third or fourth time we've used the dining room since moving in less than a year ago; I think we've used this one about half as much as we used the one in MA the 15 years we lived there...) We've got a traditional Thanksgiving feast planned: Turkey, mashed potatoes, peas, cranberry sauce, biscuits, and pies. Oh, the pies... Might even be a glass of wine tossed in for good measure.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Take a moment today to think of the men and women serving in our Armed Forces that can't be with their families today because they're too busy being our heroes.
That is all.
Showing posts with label Celebration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celebration. Show all posts
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Today...
Veteran's Day
I know there are many veterans represented in the blogrolls to your right. To all of you, and everyone who reads MArooned that has worn the uniform of the American soldier, I offer a simple word of thanks. You did - or are doing - a job I was not brave enough to do. I regret not having served; possibly my one true regret.
Thank you, all. Even if you never saw a single second of combat; even if your time served was the minimum required to qualify for the GI Bill for college; it doesn't matter. Even if you never went overseas or were in any danger other than getting run over by an inattentive buddy in a Humvee. You were there. You put it on the line when many didn't.
Thank you.
That is all.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.Memorial Day commemorates the soldiers lost. Veteran's Day celebrates all who have donned the uniform of our armed forces.
I know there are many veterans represented in the blogrolls to your right. To all of you, and everyone who reads MArooned that has worn the uniform of the American soldier, I offer a simple word of thanks. You did - or are doing - a job I was not brave enough to do. I regret not having served; possibly my one true regret.
Thank you, all. Even if you never saw a single second of combat; even if your time served was the minimum required to qualify for the GI Bill for college; it doesn't matter. Even if you never went overseas or were in any danger other than getting run over by an inattentive buddy in a Humvee. You were there. You put it on the line when many didn't.
Thank you.
That is all.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Who Are We To Judge?
So, Fred Phelps finally kicked it, eh? I'd like to be a good Christian and point out that it is G-d's job to judge, not mine - that whole "Judge not, lest ye be judged" part. Except that Phelps himself never gave the benefit of the doubt. I won't judge Phelps' soul - that is His job, and one I care not to attempt.
But what we can do, however, is judge Phelps' actions while on this earthly plane.
I'm pretty confident that, no matter what His inclinations might be, claiming that one of His creatures should be put to death because of who they love is a big no no. The whole "hate the sin, love the sinner" part. G-d didn't send His son down here to die for our sins so some shitheel in Kansas can picket funerals, sorry.
Phelps had every right to do what he did, don't get me wrong -- but I have every right to take a metaphorical dump on his grave.
That is all.
But what we can do, however, is judge Phelps' actions while on this earthly plane.
According to Westboro, the church has picketed more than 53,000 events, ranging from Lady Gaga concerts to funerals for slain U.S. soldiers. Typically, a dozen or so church members -- including small children -- will brandish signs that say "God Hates Fags" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers."You know what? I hope Phelps honestly and truly did believe that he was doing some twisted version of the Lord's work. Because it's going to make his judgement that much sweeter, when he is told in no uncertain terms that promulgating hatred of his fellow man is most certainly not His will. And then Phelps is going to wonder why it got so hot all of a sudden.
...
Under Phelps' leadership, Westboro members have preached that every calamity, from natural disasters to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, is God's punishment for the country's acceptance of homosexuality. Phelps had advocated for gays and lesbians to be put to death.
I'm pretty confident that, no matter what His inclinations might be, claiming that one of His creatures should be put to death because of who they love is a big no no. The whole "hate the sin, love the sinner" part. G-d didn't send His son down here to die for our sins so some shitheel in Kansas can picket funerals, sorry.
Phelps had every right to do what he did, don't get me wrong -- but I have every right to take a metaphorical dump on his grave.
That is all.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
They Know Me...
Heh. I meant to share this yesterday. Here's my Father's Day cupcake:
Do they know me or what?
And yeah, being the consummate dad, I let my son have the yummy cupcake, mustache and all. I wanted to get a picture of him with the chocolate mustache in front of his face, but he bit into it too quickly and I really didn't want a picture of my son looking like a little chocolate Hitler... This was at the end of an exhausting weekend and an exhausting Father's Day where I grilled for well over a dozen people on two small portable gas grills. And loved it.
And to top it off, a chocolate mustache cupcake? I'll take it...
That is all.
Do they know me or what?
And yeah, being the consummate dad, I let my son have the yummy cupcake, mustache and all. I wanted to get a picture of him with the chocolate mustache in front of his face, but he bit into it too quickly and I really didn't want a picture of my son looking like a little chocolate Hitler... This was at the end of an exhausting weekend and an exhausting Father's Day where I grilled for well over a dozen people on two small portable gas grills. And loved it.
And to top it off, a chocolate mustache cupcake? I'll take it...
That is all.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
For The Dads...
Grill something today. Have a beer. Enjoy your time with your kids. If they're out of the house, give a call and say hi. If they're little, take time to play with them (good day for a squirt gun fight, knowhattamean?). And call your dad, if you can; if not, say thanks - sometimes serving as a cautionary example of what not to do is something in and of itself...
Happy Father's day to all the dads out there (and moms who act as dads).
That is all.
Happy Father's day to all the dads out there (and moms who act as dads).
That is all.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
He Is Risen
Continuing what appears to be a MArooned tradition at this point...
Matthew 28:1-10
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." (NIV)
Today we celebrate His Resurrection. Rejoice.
That is all.
Matthew 28:1-10
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." (NIV)
Today we celebrate His Resurrection. Rejoice.
That is all.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Because It Must Be Done...
And of course, enjoy a Thanksgiving tradition:
Turkeys, of course, can fly - for short distances...
Happy Turkey Day Everyone! Get stuffed!
That is all.
Turkeys, of course, can fly - for short distances...
Happy Turkey Day Everyone! Get stuffed!
That is all.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Independence Day.
I did this last year, and I liked it so much, I'm doing it again...
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his
measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and
altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — 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.
— John Hancock
New Hampshire:Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Happy birthday to the greatest nation on this planet.
That is all.
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his
measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and
altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — 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.
— John Hancock
New Hampshire:Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Happy birthday to the greatest nation on this planet.
That is all.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
For Today...
Footprints
Author Unknown
Walk a little slower, Daddy,
Said a child so small.
I'm following in your footsteps
And I don't want to fall.
Sometimes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower, Daddy
For you are leading me.
Someday when I'm all grown up,
You're what I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
Who'll want to follow me.
And I would want to lead just right,
And know that I was true;
So walk a little slower, Daddy
For I must follow you.
Happy Father's Day to all the dads, granddads, and moms filling in the "Dad" role. You're doing a difficult, (sometimes) thankless job, but one that is absolutely critical in your child's life. Your actions now, in their formative years, will help shape them into the adults you want them to be. Don't screw it up. If you've got a bad habit, a particular vice or weakness, work on it. Drop 20 pounds. Start walking around the neighborhood. Get off the couch and toss a ball to them.
Play with them. Love them. Don't be afraid to let them know that their Daddy loves them with all his heart.
That is all.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
They Say It's Your Birthday...
Nine years ago today, I brought home my little princess:
And here she is just last week:
Nine years ago today my life changed for the third time. I brought home my second child, my sweet little baby girl. The challenges of multiple children, different genders, sibling rivalry; all of that ran through my head the day we brought her home. We knew from the get-go there were going to be problems when TheBoy pushed the baby out of Mommy's lap because she was "in his way" - and things haven't progressed much beyond that in the internecine warfare department...
Having a daughter changes the world for a man (and a woman, of course). You realize that, yes, sometimes life *is* unfair to the other gender; that the expectations of little girls are significantly different than that of little boys - and most often, not as forgiving. There's "boys will be boys" but no "girls will be girls", that sort of thing. When you have a strong-willed male child, people talk about his leadership potential, about how he's going to be the captain of the winning team, the head of the debate club, etc. A strong-willed female child is stubborn, intractable; she should know her place, behave like a lady.
Hogwash.
BabyGirl G., you be as strong-willed as you want. Don't let anyone define who you should be - let yourself be you, and if that's not good enough for someone, that's their problem, not yours. Explore the world; never be constrained by clucking tongues and being told you're not "acting like a lady" - tell them you're acting like BabyGirl G., because you are. We may clash occasionally, butting heads over bedtimes, or appropriate attire, or other mundane items that crop up in the here and now; but remember this today and always:
You will always be my little girl, and I will always love you with every fiber of my being.
That is all.
And here she is just last week:
Nine years ago today my life changed for the third time. I brought home my second child, my sweet little baby girl. The challenges of multiple children, different genders, sibling rivalry; all of that ran through my head the day we brought her home. We knew from the get-go there were going to be problems when TheBoy pushed the baby out of Mommy's lap because she was "in his way" - and things haven't progressed much beyond that in the internecine warfare department...
Having a daughter changes the world for a man (and a woman, of course). You realize that, yes, sometimes life *is* unfair to the other gender; that the expectations of little girls are significantly different than that of little boys - and most often, not as forgiving. There's "boys will be boys" but no "girls will be girls", that sort of thing. When you have a strong-willed male child, people talk about his leadership potential, about how he's going to be the captain of the winning team, the head of the debate club, etc. A strong-willed female child is stubborn, intractable; she should know her place, behave like a lady.
Hogwash.
BabyGirl G., you be as strong-willed as you want. Don't let anyone define who you should be - let yourself be you, and if that's not good enough for someone, that's their problem, not yours. Explore the world; never be constrained by clucking tongues and being told you're not "acting like a lady" - tell them you're acting like BabyGirl G., because you are. We may clash occasionally, butting heads over bedtimes, or appropriate attire, or other mundane items that crop up in the here and now; but remember this today and always:
You will always be my little girl, and I will always love you with every fiber of my being.
Happy birthday to my little princess.
That is all.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Holy Long-Lived Blogs, Batman!
The Smallest Minority just turned nine.
KevinBacon Baker has been writing on an online weblog for a few months more than I have. He's turned out slightly fewer posts, but almost assuredly a higher word count. Kevin's one of my daily stops in the blogosphere, because he's always got something good to say - even if it does take him 9 million words to say it... :)
Go wish him a happy blogiversary, and don't TL/DR that post...
That is all.
Kevin
Go wish him a happy blogiversary, and don't TL/DR that post...
That is all.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
For The Moms, Redux
Mother's Day. Some sneer at the "Hallmark Holiday", and maybe there's
some truth to that - do we really need a holiday to make us realize that
we need to celebrate the moms in our lives? Surely every day should be
Mother's Day; a celebration of the woman who gave you life (or life to
your children) dedicated to reminding her how special she is and just
how deeply you appreciate all that she does.
I was fortunate. My mom is a first generation American, growing up the only daughter in a newly-Americanized Italian household. Saying the woman can cook is like saying that the sun is mildly warm - there's a reason I spent the first 35 years of my life overweight. Holiday memories filled with antipasto, lasagna, Italian wedding soup, and pizzelle make up my childhood - imagine what a shock it was for me to discover that most families didn't have a 14 course Thanksgiving meal! But it wasn't just the food, it was the calm, steady hand (that often held the wooden spoon, bringer of pain when I deserved it) and the soothing voice when all was not well.
Now Mrs. G. has the coveted title of "Mom" in my life; I don't mean that she mothers me (although I certainly could use it at times), but that she's the one that responds to the frantic call of "MOOOOOOOM" (usually when I'm only five feet away, too). She's the stereotypical "do it all mom" - working a fast-paced job, taking the kids to their various and sundry activities, and still finding time to do little things for the kids like leave them little notes in their lunch boxes. She has become the chief applier of bandaids (although I am the official remover of splinters), the finder of lost clothing articles, and the early morning "I feel sick" nurse who makes the official "NO SCHOOL" determination (I get the late-night "I was just sick" calls...)
Kids don't, as a rule, remember to say "thank you" even in regular situations when they know they should. We work with them, reminding them of the "magic words" they need to use; chiding them when they forget their manners and praising them when they do remember. Setting aside one day to specifically thank the most important woman in their lives gives them something concrete they can focus on so that they do remember to say "thanks". For the little ones, have them draw a simple card. For the older ones, have them treat mom to her favorite breakfast in bed. Dress them up. Take mom out for a special brunch/lunch/dinner (I believe I will be grilling steaks later).
And remember to say thank you. Thank you, moms, for all that you do. Thanks to all the moms on the MArooned blogroll, and to all the dads who fill that role as well - my hat's off to each and every one of you. It's a tough, gritty, snotty, dirty, smelly, often thankless job that goes mostly unappreciated - until much later in life when those kids go on to have children of their own. Only then, I think, do we really start to appreciate all that our moms did for us. It's when you hear your son torment your daughter for the 159th time that you hear your mother's exasperated voice come out of your own mouth, and you begin to realize just how much she did for you. Including not selling you to the gypsies when she could have made a few bucks...
And, most importantly, you moms put up with us dads...
That is all.
I was fortunate. My mom is a first generation American, growing up the only daughter in a newly-Americanized Italian household. Saying the woman can cook is like saying that the sun is mildly warm - there's a reason I spent the first 35 years of my life overweight. Holiday memories filled with antipasto, lasagna, Italian wedding soup, and pizzelle make up my childhood - imagine what a shock it was for me to discover that most families didn't have a 14 course Thanksgiving meal! But it wasn't just the food, it was the calm, steady hand (that often held the wooden spoon, bringer of pain when I deserved it) and the soothing voice when all was not well.
Now Mrs. G. has the coveted title of "Mom" in my life; I don't mean that she mothers me (although I certainly could use it at times), but that she's the one that responds to the frantic call of "MOOOOOOOM" (usually when I'm only five feet away, too). She's the stereotypical "do it all mom" - working a fast-paced job, taking the kids to their various and sundry activities, and still finding time to do little things for the kids like leave them little notes in their lunch boxes. She has become the chief applier of bandaids (although I am the official remover of splinters), the finder of lost clothing articles, and the early morning "I feel sick" nurse who makes the official "NO SCHOOL" determination (I get the late-night "I was just sick" calls...)
Kids don't, as a rule, remember to say "thank you" even in regular situations when they know they should. We work with them, reminding them of the "magic words" they need to use; chiding them when they forget their manners and praising them when they do remember. Setting aside one day to specifically thank the most important woman in their lives gives them something concrete they can focus on so that they do remember to say "thanks". For the little ones, have them draw a simple card. For the older ones, have them treat mom to her favorite breakfast in bed. Dress them up. Take mom out for a special brunch/lunch/dinner (I believe I will be grilling steaks later).
And remember to say thank you. Thank you, moms, for all that you do. Thanks to all the moms on the MArooned blogroll, and to all the dads who fill that role as well - my hat's off to each and every one of you. It's a tough, gritty, snotty, dirty, smelly, often thankless job that goes mostly unappreciated - until much later in life when those kids go on to have children of their own. Only then, I think, do we really start to appreciate all that our moms did for us. It's when you hear your son torment your daughter for the 159th time that you hear your mother's exasperated voice come out of your own mouth, and you begin to realize just how much she did for you. Including not selling you to the gypsies when she could have made a few bucks...
And, most importantly, you moms put up with us dads...
That is all.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Two Score and One Year Ago...
...I was born.
Happy birthday to meeeee... Currently spending it in the woods with the Cub Scouts on the very last campout. I'm a little sad, because this is the second-to-last event I'll be doing with the Pack, and the last of the *big* events. All we have left is the Fishing Derby (which I will be passing on) and the graduation; once I've gotten through those, the new Cubmaster will have been present for every event in the Cub Scouting year. Theoretically, at that point he'll be fully "trained" in the ways of the Pack and can start next year at a full run.
I'll continue to be available to help out with planning and such as needed; but I won't be attending the events. With my son moving on to Boy Scouts, I'll be thinking about becoming an Assistant Scoutmaster and/or Merit Badge counselor to assist the Troop in their endeavors. Part of that whole growing up thing, you know. Before you know it, I'll be teaching him to drive (and yes, I know that in the very near future I'll be giving him "THE TALK" - EEK - but let's not think about *that* right now...), then trundling him off to college... Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset.
But for now, I'll enjoy camping with my son on my birthday.
That is all.
Happy birthday to meeeee... Currently spending it in the woods with the Cub Scouts on the very last campout. I'm a little sad, because this is the second-to-last event I'll be doing with the Pack, and the last of the *big* events. All we have left is the Fishing Derby (which I will be passing on) and the graduation; once I've gotten through those, the new Cubmaster will have been present for every event in the Cub Scouting year. Theoretically, at that point he'll be fully "trained" in the ways of the Pack and can start next year at a full run.
I'll continue to be available to help out with planning and such as needed; but I won't be attending the events. With my son moving on to Boy Scouts, I'll be thinking about becoming an Assistant Scoutmaster and/or Merit Badge counselor to assist the Troop in their endeavors. Part of that whole growing up thing, you know. Before you know it, I'll be teaching him to drive (and yes, I know that in the very near future I'll be giving him "THE TALK" - EEK - but let's not think about *that* right now...), then trundling him off to college... Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset.
But for now, I'll enjoy camping with my son on my birthday.
That is all.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Happy Birthday, Johnny...
Happy 80th Birthday, Johnny Cash: Rare and Unpublished Photos of the Country Music Icon
Happy birthday, Johnny.
That is all.
From picking cotton to help his impoverished, Depression-wracked family; to his exhausting tour schedule; to struggling with a serious drug addiction; to his songs about guns, murder, revenge, punishment and repentance—Johnny Cash was a troubled man who sought redemption through his music.In honor of the Big Man's birthday:
To commemorate what would be the county-music master’s 80th birthday on Feb. 26, several celebrations, projects and events are scheduled throughout the year. Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess, Ark. is being restored. Columbia/Legacy will release a series of archived recordings, starting with a collection of his gospel and spiritual songs from 1970s and ’80s called Bootleg IV: The Soul of Truth, which will be available in April. A Johnny Cash Museum is scheduled to open this summer in Nashville.
Happy birthday, Johnny.
That is all.
Monday, January 23, 2012
They Say It's Your Birthday...
...and if he were alive today, he'd be kicking Gaston square in the Glock...
John M. Browning Day Celebrated in Utah all week.
That is all.
John M. Browning Day Celebrated in Utah all week.
January 23 was John Moses Browning's birthday. All of us at Browning are proud to celebrate -- along with gun enthusiasts everywhere -- the birth of the person known as "the greatest firearms inventor the world has ever known."Browning was responsible for the following firearms:
U.S. M1895 Colt-Browning machine gunI have six of these; how about you?
FN Browning M1899/M1900
Colt Model 1900
Colt Model 1902
Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer (.38 ACP)
Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless (.32 ACP)
Colt Model 1905
Remington Model 8 (1906), a long recoil semi-automatic rifle
Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket (.25 ACP)
Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless (.380 ACP)
FN Model 1910
U.S. M1911 pistol (.45 ACP)
Colt Woodsman pistol
Winchester Model 1885 falling-block single shot rifle
Winchester Model 1886 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1887 lever-action repeating shotgun
Winchester Model 1890 slide-action repeating rifle (.22)
Winchester Model 1892 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1894 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1895 lever-action repeating rifle
Winchester Model 1897 pump-action repeating shotgun
Browning Auto-5 long recoil semi-automatic shotgun
U.S. M1917 water-cooled machine gun
U.S. M1919 air-cooled machine gun
U.S. M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
U.S. M2 .50-caliber heavy machine gun of 1921 ("Ma-Deuce"!)
Remington Model 8 semi-auto rifle
Remington Model 24 semi-auto rifle (.22) A.K.A. Browning SA-22
Browning Hi-Power
The Browning Superposed over/under shotgun
Ithaca Model 37 pump-action repeating shotgun
That is all.
Friday, December 23, 2011
For the Rest of Us...
Yes, today is Festivus. I'd air my grievances, but that's pretty much what this blog is for the rest of the year. Feats of strength are a possibility, but only if there's beer involved.
Happy Festivus everyone!
That is all.
Happy Festivus everyone!
That is all.
Monday, December 5, 2011
A Little Birdie Told Me...
It's someone's birthday today.
OldNFO is one of the nicest, most generous people I've ever had the good pleasure of meeting. Whether it was shepherding me and my family through the Pentagon or Udvar-Hazy, or "arranging" the NRA after-party at Lidia's, or just showing up at the Northeast Bloggershoot with all his wonderful toys, every time I've had the good luck to spend time with OldNFO has been far too short.
Happy birthday NFO!
That is all.
OldNFO is one of the nicest, most generous people I've ever had the good pleasure of meeting. Whether it was shepherding me and my family through the Pentagon or Udvar-Hazy, or "arranging" the NRA after-party at Lidia's, or just showing up at the Northeast Bloggershoot with all his wonderful toys, every time I've had the good luck to spend time with OldNFO has been far too short.
Happy birthday NFO!
That is all.
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month...
To all that have served: Thank you. Not just today, but every day. You may not have put your lives on the line, but by stepping up and volunteering to be those rough men and women who stand ready to do violence on our behalf, you have kept us safe. We thank you every day, but especially today.
Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and
Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.
Take a vet to lunch. Let them know how much you appreciate their sacrifices, and how much you cherish the freedom that they have paid for with their blood, sweat, and tears. Let them know that their service means something; that the country they swore an oath to defend is worth defending. Thank them. Profusely.
Thank you for serving; for keeping us safe; for making sure there's an America left for us to fight over.
That is all.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Semper Fi...
Happy 236th Birthday, USMC!
I figure others have said it better, and with more feeling, but I have a secret weapon: a very cute picture of a little girl with one of the best known Marines:
I figure others have said it better, and with more feeling, but I have a secret weapon: a very cute picture of a little girl with one of the best known Marines:
(picture borrowed from my #1 blogdaughter)
Semper Fi Marines!
That is all.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Labor (Union) Day...
There's something both ironically fitting and yet incongruous about celebrating the American labor union by a day off from work. On the one hand, it's fitting that a celebration to unions involves actually ceasing work. Given that the origins center around violent strikes that stopped work (and were supported by socialist regimes that had a vested interest in seeing American capitalism fail), it's no surprise that a long weekend would be the legacy of the anti-business movement.
Even the reason for the date - halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving - is ironic. The summer months - filled with vacations that the unions will be the first to tell you would not exist if not for them - are holiday-free after July 4th. Organized labor once had a place in American business. Unskilled workers were often at the mercy of unscrupulous factory owners and worked in conditions we would never tolerate today. The contribution of organized labor - that of the workers banding together to demand better working conditions - is significant and has a place in the celebration of the unique American story.
But in today's global market - we're constantly reminded that we need to be "citizens of the world", remember - we're competing - and losing - with countries that don't "respect" the workers rights. And our adherence to the unions out of deference to bygone victories is costing us dearly - one need witness the devastation in Detroit and the American auto industry to know this is true. Allowing the stranglehold of the unions to continue - as we've seen in WI with the public employees striking to keep their free benefits that the rest of us pay for - is only going to hurt us in the long run.
But hey, enjoy that cheeseburger cooked over the grill made in China while you stick it to the man...
That is all.
Even the reason for the date - halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving - is ironic. The summer months - filled with vacations that the unions will be the first to tell you would not exist if not for them - are holiday-free after July 4th. Organized labor once had a place in American business. Unskilled workers were often at the mercy of unscrupulous factory owners and worked in conditions we would never tolerate today. The contribution of organized labor - that of the workers banding together to demand better working conditions - is significant and has a place in the celebration of the unique American story.
But in today's global market - we're constantly reminded that we need to be "citizens of the world", remember - we're competing - and losing - with countries that don't "respect" the workers rights. And our adherence to the unions out of deference to bygone victories is costing us dearly - one need witness the devastation in Detroit and the American auto industry to know this is true. Allowing the stranglehold of the unions to continue - as we've seen in WI with the public employees striking to keep their free benefits that the rest of us pay for - is only going to hurt us in the long run.
But hey, enjoy that cheeseburger cooked over the grill made in China while you stick it to the man...
That is all.
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