Lie Like a Dog

Last night, like most of us here in Chicago, I was plowing the snow on my walk, driveway and porch - every ten minutes - and decided to treat the neighbors and took the Old MTD Snow Blower north on Rockwell.

At 107th, the auger was packed with wet,icy chunks and not blowing snow out of the chute as it should. I shut off the machine and unclogged the blockage. I noticed a sign in the front window of one of the houses - TALKING DOG for SALE.

As it was about 7:30PM, I decided to inquire.

"You gotta talking dog?"

'What of it?'

"Nothing. I saw your sign."

'He's out back in his house. Hey do my drive.'

" No sweat."

I plowed the man's drive - sounds homoerotic, that.

In the fenced-in back yard was a beautiful Golden Lab.

"Hi, there handsome! You are a good boy."

'Don't patrionize me. please.'

I was Gobsmacked! "You Talk!??!"

' Is that a question or an exclamation? Yes, I talk very well. I have from the time I was a puppy. I speak Farsi, Arabic, Russian and Korean, as well as English. The lout who pointed you in my direction - who wants to be rid of me - has only had me for the last year. You see, I was placed in the Department of Defense and served with distinction in Desert Storm II - I listened to Al Qaeda and reported on their planned attacks. I was so effective that I was transferred to the Department of State and sent to pick information wherever the Nation needed me. I was retired, took a mate and went halves on three litters of pups and eventually sold to this Knot-head from Chicago.'

" Would you care to move down the block? My dauhter Clare would love you!"

'Proud to! Get his asking price.'

I knocked on the back door and the man answered, 'You do my drive?'

"I did. What are you asking for the dog?"

'Sawbuck ($10)'

"That's all for a talking dog? Here. . . here's a Jackson!"

'Take him! He's #$%^ing Liar! He never did any of that $hit!"

. . . And on I plowed. That lying dog stayed put.

With apologies to John Linehan Leo 1977!

How Governor Pat Quinn Can Explain the Tax Increase

There ain't that much booze in the world to make this Tax Jump in any way palatable - unless, of course, one is a Public Radio Zombie already. Open wide and swallow hard!

Nevertheless, Governor Quinn can present this tax for what it is . . .


Governor Pat Quinn should follow this script-rubric presented by Speaker Madigan's spokesman Steve Brown. This is the only common sense approach to explaining the run-away fiscal avalanche that Illinois created since Blago bought the governor's office . . .with alot of help.

In response to this question, "If you were the governor, how would you sell this income tax hike to the citizenry?"

Steve Brown wrote -

-

Steve Brown - Wednesday, Jan 12, 11 @ 7:47 am:

The easiest message is the truth. The budget reforms — including the tax increase — prevent a shutdown of vitally needed government services, payless paydays and bond defaults. It will also prevent derivatives traders from actions that might lead to same consequences we saw in the housing market.

The Illinois tax structure remain competitive with both surrounding states and states with the same quality of life as Illinois — two vastly different categories.BTW Rich’s newsletter contains a number of errors concerning Speaker Madigan and the gaming bill.

The Speaker recused himself on that bill early on because a client of the law firm could benefit from the bill. He took role concerning the bill and therefore was not involved in the decision to not move the bill.

Rich was asked to correct the incorrect information in the newsletter.

(emphasis my own)


Steve Brown earns every nickel he makes.



From Capitol Fax Blog -

From Anaheim, CA! Does Bill Maher Need Spell Check?

Bill Maher needs a spell checker on his spray paint can.

As long as our media is ramped up about the climate of political discourse, I thought this might get a glimpse from the news folks. Naw.

ANAHEIM – Police were called Tuesday morning to investigate a report that "Kill THE CATHLICS!" was spray-painted on a wall near the entrance of St. Boniface Catholic Church.
About 7:15 a.m., police were sent to the church at 120 N. Janss St. regarding the incident on the west side of the church, police said.
Parishioners attending mass this morning at Saint Boniface Catholic Church experienced a hateful message spray painted on the church's west wall. The graffiti read, "Kill THE CATHLICS!" BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
removed Wednesday. Parishioners have been asking what happened, said Maria Alcala, a secretary at the church.
Alcala said police took an incident report and will review surveillance video to determine when the incident occurred and to see if they can determine who did it.

Thanks to Patrick Madrid!

http://patrickmadrid.blogspot.com/

Heart Tugging Tale Tunester Ted Williams Tossed in L.A. Iron Hotel

What was the over and under on the comet collapse of Ted Williams?

Last week the media offered a terrific feel-good story: the sudden transformation of the so-called “Golden Voiced Homeless Man” from the streets of Columbus, Ohio to mainstream media star making appearances on Today and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (among other notable programs.) Some wondered if the sudden fame brought to the viral video sensation would be a storm that Williams could weather, or if he would soon end up in trouble. Well according to Mediaite’s sister site Gossip Cop, it appears that the good times may have already come to an end for Mr. Williams.

Gossip Cop reports:

The formerly homeless Williams, who has battled drug and alcohol problems, got into a heated argument with his daughter at the Renaissance hotel, say sources.

An LAPD spokesman tells Gossip Cop that the police “responded to a disturbance call at the Renaissance Hotel last night at about 9 p.m.” and two people “were transferred to the Hollywood station.”

The spokesman added, “The investigation is ongoing,” but “no one was booked, no files were charged.”

During his appearance on Today, host Matt Lauer asked if Williams was going to be able to handle the intense media scrutiny and attention. While it might be too early to say exactly, it appears that Mr. Williams might have his work cut out for him.

Dang! Flame out on Take Off? Who'da Thunk?

Is This The Face of American Political Discourse? Hell No! It is Jared Lee Loughner - A Murderer.

The Arizona nightmare is not owned by America. It is Owned completely by Jared Lee Loughner. It is not the fault of any politician, school, or person. This massacre of good and innocent people is on him alone.

This is a monstrously unbalanced man. This is not the face of political discourse in America. This is a whack job who was going to bring his nightmare to innocent people no matter what.

A cue tip could have set him off.

If you are looking to find safety in legislation, grow a backbone; it is not there.

Insanity is not like a Ken Kesey novel. Good living and happy life are the results of tough minded steps to meet our obligations as parents, relatives, and citizens.

Disgraceful Dick Durbin Tries to Make Arizona Tragedy the Reichstag Fire for the Lefties

As the landscape of American policing was being reshaped, the horrific abuses of Nazi Germany began to come to light. This reinforced American opposition to torture and other forms of cruel treatment.

One of the counts in the Nuremberg indictment of Gestapo officials detailed official orders approving the application of "third degree'' techniques, including "[a] very simple diet (bread and water)[,] hard bunk[,] dark cell[,] deprivation of sleep[,] exhaustive drilling[,] ..... [and] flogging (for more than 29 strokes a doctor must be consulted)'' as a means of obtaining evidence, or "information of important facts'' regarding subversion. One of the defenses raised by Gestapo officers was that such actions were necessary to protect against Resistance terrorism.

Senator Dithering Dick Durbin, (D, IL) on Senate Floor in 2004.

Watch Lamarr Alexander make coleslaw of the fatuous Durbin. The horrific slaughters in Arizona belong to the whack-job shooter. Dithering Dick is shilling to make this some type of Later-Day Reichstag Fire*.

Gee, maybe my last remark might be too incendiary.


*

After viewing the damage, an emergency meeting of government leaders was held. When told of the arrest of the Communist arsonist, Van der Lubbe, Hitler became deliberately enraged.

"The German people have been soft too long. Every Communist official must be shot. All Communist deputies must be hanged this very night. All friends of the Communists must be locked up. And that goes for the Social Democrats and the Reichsbanner as well!"

Hitler left the fire scene and went straight to the offices of his newspaper, the Völkischer Beobachter, to oversee its coverage of the fire. He stayed up all night with Goebbels putting together a paper full of tales of a Communist plot to violently seize power in Berlin.

At a cabinet meeting held later in the morning, February 28th, Chancellor Hitler demanded an emergency decree to overcome the crisis. He met little resistance from his largely non-Nazi cabinet. That evening, Hitler and Papen went to Hindenburg and the befuddled old man signed the decree "for the Protection of the people and the State."

The Emergency Decree stated: "Restrictions on personal liberty, on the right of free expression of opinion, including freedom of the press; on the rights of assembly and association; and violations of the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications and warrants for house searches, orders for confiscations as well as restrictions on property, are also permissible beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed."

God Guide Governor Quinn and Illinois! Why Is Sr. Mary Paul McCaughey Absent from the P-20 Initiative Board?

Superintendent of Chicago Catholic Schools Sr. Mary Paul McCaughey speaks truth to power and succeeds. Here, she seems to have baffled CPS's Karen Lewis with common sense.


SPRINGFIELD – January 10, 2011. At 11 AM on Monday, IIS Radio will begin a live broadcast of the 2011 Inaugural Ceremony. Video and audio-only streams will be available. Follow the link above for more information.

God Bless, Governor Pat Quinn. He has tons of coal to shovel. One thing is certain, it this -all Illinois tax-payers will have a huge pile of that coal on their backs.

Illinois Public Education takes up a good portion of the weight. To that end, Governor Quinn formed the Illinois P-20 Initiative to study and advise on making Illinois school children from Pre-school through Graduate School ( that's the 20, as in years) competitive.

The P-20 Initiative's charter states,

The P-20 Council is a statewide coordinating body composed of government officials, business executives, university administrators, and other leaders in the education community. This diverse group is charged with the responsibility of making recommendations at all levels of education in Illinois. As the name implies, the Council understands that Illinois needs a framework to guide education policy and integrate education from Pre-Kindergarten through grade twenty.

As part of this effort, P20Council.Illinois.gov will serve as a central resource for all educational initiatives radiating from the P-20 Council. This site includes announcements, meeting agendas and minutes, research tools, and links to other agencies to facilitate the move toward efficient and accountable educational programs.

That would be Catholic schools, Governor.

Time magazine states -

Statistical evidence of the parochial system's success is striking. James Coleman, a University of Chicago sociologist, has found that Catholic high school students outperform their public school counterparts in reading, vocabulary, mathematics and writing. The dropout rate in Catholic high schools was less than 4%, he discovered, compared with more than 14% in public schools. Black or Hispanic students are three times as likely to graduate in four years as their public school counterparts. Some 83% of the graduates go to college, in contrast to 52% of those from public school.Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,973017,00.html#ixzz1AdaWYPjH

That is why the absence of the most successful education leader in Illinois, Sr. Mary Paul McCaughey Superintendent of Chicago Catholic Schools should have been appointed to the P-20 Council.

Here is the list of whom the Governor appointed -

P-20 Council Members
Name Membership Position Affiliation
Miguel del Valle Chair Clerk City of Chicago
Josh Anderson Member Executive Director Teach for America
Perry Buckley Member President CCCTU Local 1600
Ron Bullock Member Chief Executive Officer Bison Gear
Brad Burzynski Member Senator IL State Senate
Thomas Choice Member President Kishwaukee College
Deanna Demuzio Member Senator IL State Senate
Barbara Flynn Currie Member Representative IL House of Representatives
Ray Hancock Member President IL Community College Foundation
Fr. Dennis Holtscheider Member President DePaul University
Dr. Erika Hunt Member Project Director IL-SAELP Illinois State University
Dr. Michael Johnson Member Executive Director IL Assoc. of School Boards
Joyce Karon Member Former Director/ Former Member Barrington CUSD/ State Board of Education
Debra Kasperski Member National Board Certified Teacher Coal City School District
Maggie Laslo Member Campaign Director Service Employees International Union
John Luczak Member Program Director Joyce Foundation
Terry Mazany Member Chief Executive Officer Chicago Public Schools
Dea Meyer Member Executive Vice President Civic Committee
Jerry Mitchell Member Representative IL House of Representatives
Dr. Gary Niehaus Member Superintendant McLean County Unit School District
Jeffrey Owens Member President Advanced Technology Services, Inc.
Dr. Audrey Parsley Member School Psychologist Chicago Public Schools
Cynthia Plouche Member Portfolio Manager Williams Capital Management
Glenn Poshard Member President Southern Illinois University
Laurel Prussing Member Mayor City of Urbana
John Rico Member Chief Executive Officer Rico Computer Enterprises
Kathy Ryg Member President Voices for Illinois Chidlren
Audrey Soglin Member Executive Director Illinois Education Association
Robin Steans Member Executive Director Advance Illinois
Rick Stephens Member Senior Vice President Boeing Corporation
Debra Straus Member President IL Parent Teacher Association
Sharon Thomas Parrott Member Senior Vice President DeVry University
Andy Davis Ex Officio
Leadership Council Executive Director Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Chris Koch Ex Officio
Leadership Council Superintendant State Board of Education
Max McGee Ex Officio
Leadership Council President Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy
Geoff Obrzut Ex Officio
Leadership Council Chief Executive Officer Illinois Community College Board
Diana Rauner Ex Officio
Leadership Council Executive Director Ounce of Prevention
Warren Ribley Ex Officio
Leadership Council Director IL Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
Don Sevener Ex Officio
Leadership Council Interim Executive Director Illinois Board of Higher Education
Dr. Mike Baumgartner Leadership Council Executive Deputy Director Illinois Board of Higher Education
Lizanne Destefano Coordinator/ Leadership Council Professor, Director I-STEM University of Illinois
Karen Hunter Anderson Leadership Council Vice President Illinois Community Colleges Board
Elaine Johnson Leadership Council Vice President Illinois Community College Board
Deborah Meisner-Bertauski Leadership Council Associate Director Illinois Board of Higher Education
Susan Morrison Leadership Council Deputy Superintendent State Board of Education
Ginger Ostro Leadership Council Senior Policy Advisor Illinois Student Assistance Commission
David Smalley Leadership Council Assistant Director Illinois Education Research Council
Julie Smith Leadership Council Deputy Chief of Staff Governor's Office
Jeffrey Stauter Leadership Council Senior Policy Advisor IL Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
Kathleen Sullivan Brown Leadership Council Former Director Illinois Education Reseach Council
Jason Tyszko Leadership Council Deputy Chief of Staff IL Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity

Sr. Mary Paul McCaughey leads the largest and the only tax-saving and success driven educational body in Illinois.

After the inauguration, Governor Quinn needs to amend the roster.

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/tribnation/2010/09/chicago-forward-education-the-video-pictures-and-livechat.html

Baptism and JUG

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness." Then he consented. Gospel of St. Matthew 3-13-15

Jug [dʒʌg]
n
1. a vessel for holding or pouring liquids, usually having a handle and a spout or lip US equivalent pitcher
2. Austral and NZ such a vessel used as a kettle an electric jug
3. US a large vessel with a narrow mouth
4. Also called jugful the amount of liquid held by a jug
5. Brit informal a glass of alcoholic drink, esp beer
6. a slang word for jail

I spent the better part of my freshman and sophomore years at St. Augustine Seminary in Holland, Michigan ( 1966-1967) in JUG. JUG was a mandatory sentence for any and all infractions of rules, common sense, and God's Law.

I was and remain, with some modification, an incorrigible.

Father John Gavin, O.S.A. was our Principal. Father Gavin taught Civics, History and coached everything. He was a fabulous athlete.

In my sophomore year, after serving JUG. I asked Father for the etymology of the term. "It generally means 'Jail," but some folks say it means "Juveniles Under Guard." That is not entirely accurate, Master Hickey. The term for your intents and purposes means Justice Under God. Hickey, you know how you always are?"

Yes, Father.

"Don't be that way. Go, and sin much less!"


Today, marks the Baptism of Christ by his cousin John The Baptist and signals the end of the Christmas Season. Next Sunday marks the beginning of the Ordinary of the Catholic Liturgical Year. Nothing ordinary about that.

You know how you always are? I do. Don't be that way . . .again.

Thomas James Dunn,46 -God, Welcome This Heroic Angel!

Thomas "Jim" Dunn is the son of Tom and Barbara Dunn and brother of Pat Dunn.

This wonderful family of giving people nurtured a hero*.

I taught and coached Jim Dunn at Bishop McNamara High School in the late 1970's. Tom Dunn once looked at the shabby state of the Fighting Irish Track uniforms and told Head Coach Jim Frogge and me that the boys looked like 'rag pickers.' The next day new uniforms were ordered - shorts, tops and sweats. Tom wanted no acknowlegement. Jim Dunn and Pat Dunn were weightmen -shot and discus heavers.

Barb Dunn volunteered and was a substitute teacher -without pay, I believe, at Mac. Barb and Tom bought tables at fund-raisers for the faculty and gave back every raffle they won. The Dunns are givers.

This giving attitude came into full fruition with the life lived by Jim Dunn - he was an auxiliary policeman for Bourbonnais, like his old man, and helped autistic children cope with life. Jim gave his life for one of the kids that he shepherded.

Jim Dunn is what being alive is all about.

God Bless a great family!

A guardian angel, perhaps. Dunn, 46, was killed Monday when he was struck by a bus during a trip with his student for a soft drink at the convenience store.

The teen, whose name has been withheld at his mother's request, told police Dunn was struck as he pushed him out of harm's way.

"They were constant companions. He just admired and looked up to (Dunn)," said the teen's mother, who also did not want her name published. "It's hard for anyone to deal with a loss like this."

At Dunn's home in Bourbonnais, family members on Thursday afternoon were setting up a Nintendo Wii and readying a cake for Dunn's daughter Brenna's 11th birthday party.

"We're trying to keep things as normal as possible for today," Dunn's mother, Barbara said.

Visitation for Dunn will take place Friday afternoon, with funeral services Saturday.

Dunn was well-known in Bourbonnais, where friends called him Jim and knew him as the son of Thomas Sr., owner of the Manteno Stone Quarry; as a 20-year veteran of the police auxiliary; as an animal lover who could always find a home for a stray; as a devoted single father of two children; and, as of Monday afternoon, a hero.

Police have only the Camelot student's account of Dunn's final act. The driver of the River Valley Metro Mass Transit bus that struck Dunn said he didn't see the collision, Interim Bourbonnais police Chief Greg Kunce said Thursday. Numerous witnesses at the busy intersection of North Convent and John Casey roads said they saw only Dunn and the student near the road, then Dunn lying on the pavement.

"I knew Jim. Putting others first was what he was all about," Kunce said.

*

Obituary & Life History
Thomas J. “Jim” Dunn Jr., 46, of Bourbonnais, died Monday (Jan. 3, 2011) in the emergency room at Riverside Medical Center, Kankakee. Visitation...

Thomas J. “Jim” Dunn Jr., 46, of Bourbonnais, died Monday (Jan. 3, 2011) in the emergency room at Riverside Medical Center, Kankakee. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home, Bourbonnais. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday at Maternity BVM Catholic Church, Bourbonnais, where he was a member. Father Richard Pighini will officiate. Burial will be in Maternity BVM Cemetery. Memorials may be made for his children’s education. Mr. Dunn was an employee of Camelot School and an auxiliary policeman in Bourbonnais. He was born May 15, 1964, in Kankakee, the son of Thomas J. Sr. and Barbara Fanning Dunn. He was a graduate of Maternity Grade School and Bishop McNamara Catholic High School. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State
University and a master’s degree from Olivet Nazarene University. He was a member of the X-Line Sportsman’s Club, the Trapshooting Father and Son League, the Illinois State Rifle Association, and a third degree in the Knights of Columbus. He enjoyed working on computers and was a
competition pistol shooter. Surviving are one son, Ian James Dunn, of Bourbonnais; one daughter, Brenna Kathleen Dunn, of Bourbonnais; his parents of Bourbonnais; one brother and sister-in-law, Patrick T. and Marissa Dunn, of Bourbonnais; three nieces, Alyssa, Kaitlyn and Anna Dunn; and one aunt, Beverly Bowers, of Greensboro, N.C. Jim loved being with his own children, his dog and working with other children. He was a loving father and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Chicago Mail Guarded by Marines from 1921-1927: Photos from Chicago Historical Society and Chicago Daily News

The Tenth Marines were assigned to Chicago. Here above Marines guard a Mail Car on the Chicago Rails; Armed with rifles shotguns and Tommy guns Marines guard a mail plane; Marine formation in Chicago's Union Station.



I was doing some research on the legendary Chicago Racketeer Edward "Spike" O'Donnell, who outlived nearly all of the Chicago mobsters, because he got out of the beer rackets and into real estate, coal and oil and paving. Spike survived more than dozen attempts on his life from 1923-1943 - the last attempt took place on 83rd Street between Ada and Loomis.

In that era, there were a number of attcks on mail trains by mobsters and the United States Marines were tasked with guarding the U.S. Mail. I found these photos on a site operated by the Chicago Historical Society taken from the archives of the old Chicago Daily News. Link to that great site and see great photos of Chicago and Chicogoans in true historical perspective.

"In 1921 the robbery of the U.S. Mails necessitated the detailing of marines to guard mail trains, post offices etc. In November 1921 a force of approximately 53 officers and 2200 enlisted men were dispatched throughout the country and performed this duty until March 1922 when they were withdrawn. Maximum strength 54 officers 2208 enlisted. (Nov 30, 1921)
The marines were again detailed to guard the mails in October 1926. The number of officers and men on mail guard duty reached its maximum of 68 officers and 2452 enlisted on December 20, 1926. Due to the demand for marines for expeditionary duty, a gradual withdrawal of marines was begun on January 10, 1927, and completed on February 19, 1927."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Cocked And Locked!"
"Subject: Miscellaneous Instructions, dated 13 December 1921, from The Major General Commandant....
1. In cases where trains carrying Marines guarding mails cross the Canadian Boundry enroute to another point in the United States, the Marines, upon crossing the boundry, shall place their arms in a registered mail-sack and turn over the sack to Canadian Post Office Officials (who accompany the train) until such time as the train re-crosses into the United States. Under no circumstances shall Marines exercise a military function in Canadian teritory.
2. Shotguns preferably will be carried with filled magazine and empty chamber, in order to avoid accidents.
3. Pistols may be carried loaded, cocked and locked. The holster should be fastened to the leg and the flap tucked or tied back, so as not to interfere with drawing. The Marine (if not carrying other arms) should carry his hand on the pistol butt.
4. Arrangements should be made for each mail-coach to carry a supply of ordinary railroad flares, which should be ignited and thrown out of the car if an attack is made on it. Also, in case of attack on a car, interior lights should be put out. On trains lighted with electricity the guard should be prepared to turn out all lights.
5. The Marines should be continually reminded that they will use their firearms to wound or kill only when necesarry to prevent robbery or theft of the mails. The use of firearms except for this purpose must be avoded.
6. Where it is decided to convene a summary court-martial and a shortage of officers exists, a request may be made on the local Recruiting Officer for one or more officers to report for this temporary duty. When they report, the Commanding Officer may order them as members of the Court-Martial. In such cases, the officer or officers requested should be junior to the officer ordering the court.
7. Cases have arisen where men have been transferred to barracks without punishment for the offense which caused their transfer. Except in cases serious enough to warrant trial by General Court-Martial, men should be tried, before transfer, by a Deck Court or Summary Court-Martial, as it will be impracticable to bring them to trial after transfer. Men committing offenses warranting a general court-martial should be held at their station until a decision in the premises has been received from Headquarters.
8. The official title of the Detachments is --U.S. Marine Corps Detached Guard Company ( Place ). For instance, "U.S. MARINE CORPS DETACHED GUARD COMPANY, WASHINGTON, D.C.". Hereafter no other title will be used.
9. Commanding Officers must take steps to provide a suitable Christmas and New Years for their commands. No doubt much can be done for their entertainment by enlisting the good offices of local welfare organizations.
10. Precious orders regarding transfer, for discharge of men from U.S. Marine Corps Detached Guard Companies to nearest Recruiting Office or Barracks, are rescinded. Hereafter Commanding Officers of U.S. Marine Corps Detached Guard Companies will discharge their men in the same manner as any other Commanding Officer.
(signed) LOGAN FELAND
by direction"



Organization

Another directive HQMC memo dated 22 July 1960, titled "Notes On Organization Of The Mail Guard, 1926-1927, states...
"The United States was divided into two zones, eastern and western. The dividing line ran through Williston, North Dakota, Green River, Wyoming, Denver, Colorado, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, all points named being the Western Mail Guard.

The Eastern Mail Guard came from the Expeditionary Force stationed at Quantico, reinforced by two companies from Parris Island. Brigadier General Logan Feland was designated as commanding general of the Eastern Mail Guard, with headquarters at Quantico. The Eastern Mail Guard zone was divided into three areas: Fifth Regiment area ( CP, New York), Tenth Regiment Area( CP, Chicago ), and the Southern Area ( CP, Atlanta ).... "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following is from the "Marine Corps Historical Reference Series Number 9"

"Toward the end of 1926, the men of the 4th Regiment had an opportunity for something more exciting than garrison routine. A recrudescence of robberies of the United States mails, featured by a particularly brazen and bloody attack on a mailtruck at Elizabeth, New Jersey, on 14 October 1926, led to arequest by the Post Office Department for the services of theMarine Corps to bring the situation under control. The Marines
had been called upon once before to guard the mails, when a
similar situation had developed in the fall of 1921, and they
had quickly put a stop to the robberies. There had been
virtually no incidents after the Marines had entered the picture
on that occasion, and after they had been withdrawn in the
spring of 1922, the Post Office Department, having provided
itself with civilian armed guards, had been able to carry on
satisfactorily for some four years.

In 1926, when the Marines were called on the second time,
the country was divided into an eastern and a western
mail-guard zone, with Brigadier General Logan Feland commanding
in the east and Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler in the
west. Most of the personnel for the eastern zone came from the
east-coast expeditionary force at Quantico, Virginia.
The westernmail-guard zone was manned by the west-coast
expeditionary force
from San Diego - that is to say, by the 4th Regiment.
Although it was a change from life at the base, mail-guard
duty on this occasion proved to be scarcely more exciting. No
incidents occurred after the Marines began guarding trucks,
railway cars, and various strategic points in the handling of
the mail.<47> These quiet conditions, however, made the
withdrawal of the Marines feasible sooner than would normally
have been the case, when a need for their services on
expeditionary duty outside the United States arose at the
beginning of the new year.

The early withdrawal was considered necessary because of
conditions in Nicaragua and China, where American interests
were endangered by civil strife. The east-coast expeditionary
force, reinforced, was sent to Nicaragua, where, under the
command of General Feland, it was designated the 2d Brigade.
Similarly, the west-coast expeditionary force (4th Regiment),
reinforced by various other units, was to become the 3d Brigade
in China, commanded by General Butler."


The following is from the Marine Corps Monograph, "San Diego Recruit Depot"

continued..........

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

thedrifter08-05-04, 09:06 AM
"Violence and robbery brought a new and entirely different role for the 4th Marines as the year 1926 progressed. In Elizabeth, New Jersey, on14 October 1926, the brutal robbery and killing of a U. S. Mailtruck driver forced President Calvin Coolidge to turn to the Marine Corps for assistance in the civil community. By Presidential Order, 2,500 Marines proceeded on duty to guard the mail. The Commandant, anticipating the Presidential Order, on 18 October had directed the Commanding General, Headquarters, Department of the Pacific, located in San Francisco, ...You will organize a force from the 4th Regiment, to be known as the Western Mail Guards, under the command of Brigadier-General Smedley D. Butler...

Brigadier-General Smedley D. Butler, known as "Ol' Gimlet Eye" to fellow Marines, brought a long record of combat leadership and two Congressional Medals of Honor to the Mail Guards. Veteran of both World War I and the guerrilla wars of Central America, Butler's easy-going manner hid his cold, methodical approach to the task given to the Marines. As the primary source of personnel for the Western Mail Guard, the 4th Marines initially would be spread throughout eleven states. Part of a twelfth state, Texas would be added on 22 October 1926.

General Butler's fully armed Marines soon became sobering influences throughout Post Offices, mail trains, and mail trucks in those areas. While Marines carried out their mail guard assignment, only one attempted robbery was recorded. That particular robbery involved an unguarded mail train carrying no mail at the time. Meanwhile, in San Diego, the base stood relatively empty with a reduced level of caretaker personnel awaiting the return of the 4th Regiment. When normal operations returned to the U. S. Mail system as a result of the Marine guards, the need for continued assignment of such forces became less and less justified. The return of the 4th Marines to San Diego began on 10 January 1927 and by 18 February all personnel had been returned to their home bases as the Mail Guard Force disbanded.

In 1927, American interests and lives in China and Nicaragua had once again been endangered by internal unrest and civil war. The Marines received the call to conduct expeditionary protective operations in these two countries to protect Americans and their property."



In Conclusion

There is more that can be written here, and I may add more later, but this will suffice to provide some food for thought regarding the Marines as Mail Guards during the 1920s.

The following is from a letter to The Major General Commandant, Headquarters U.S, Marine Corps, from the Office of the Postamaster General, dated February 15, 1922, which states in part...
"My dear General:
It gives me extreme pleasure at this time to submit to you this letter of commendation of the marines who have been performing, during the past three months, the duty of protecting United States mail in railway terminals, post offices, railroad junctions and federal reserve centers. The protection of the mails has been splendidly effective through the loyalty, cooperation, bravery and fearless manner in which the marines have handled the situation in general.
For the twelve months ending with April 9, 1921, there have been thirty-six major mail robberies, with a loss of $6,300,000 stolen from the mail. In April 9 an order went out to the postal service to arm all outside postal employees and through the cooperation of the War Department, guns and ammunition were placed at the disposal of the Post Office department....from April 9, 1921 to October 9, 1921, there had been a total stolen of something like $300,000. In this effort postal employees were injured and killed and some robbers were slain, but the followed a series of robberies and depradations at points at which the Post Office Department had not as yet been able to eqip fully and with which it was unable to cope.
Therefore on November 8, 1921, the Postamaster General submitted a request to the Secretary of the Navy for the use of marines to take over this arduous and difficult duty. This request was immediately complied with and a force of ,,,,were dispatched by the U.S. Marine Corps instantly, in the characteristic of Marine Corps efficiency. These marines were detailed to ride on mail trucks, and on trains...at outlying points...post offices and stations where special protection was vita. They have performed their arduous and difficult duty in a most excellent manner and they have my most earnest praise and appreciation for their invaluable service to the public...
Therefore, I desire to express my personal appreciation to the officers of the Marine Corps connected with this work of guarding United States mail, as well as to the Marine Corps and the Navy Department, for the responsive, expeditious and effective manner of carrying out these duties.

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-16110.html

Catholic School Battles UFO Cult -Oh, Canada!

This nearly had me micturating my Boxers. Thank you to Pundit & Pundetta/Creative Minority Report for this link.

If you think that PC is whacked out wild here in the USA, Hoss, take a gander to our neighbors to the north.

TORONTO, Ontario, December 20, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ordered a Catholic school board to compensate three members of a prominent UFO cult after finding the board guilty of religious discrimination.

Daniel, Michel, and Sylvie Chabot, members of the Raelian cult, were hired in November 2006 by the Conseil Scolaire Catholique Franco-Nord to offer ‘emotional pedagogy’ training sessions for teachers. They delivered such sessions through what they call the Academy of Pleasurology and Emotional Intelligence (APEI).

The Catholic board chose to end the contract in January 2007 after discovering their membership in the cult, which claims that humans were planted on Earth by benevolent extraterrestrials.

On December 15th, Tribunal vice president Michelle Flaherty ruled that the board had discriminated against the three siblings on the basis of their beliefs. The parties had agreed to mediation, but asked the Tribunal to determine if the human rights code was violated. The decision does not reveal how much the board must pay in penalty.

The Raelian sect was founded by former French sports journalist Claude Vorilhon, now known as ‘Rael’, in 1973 after he claimed that he had an encounter with aliens. The cult is known for its strong support of human cloning, which is based on their belief that cloning will usher in a paradise where people live forever.

Daniel Chabot, who calls himself a bishop, said they have filed dozens of human rights complaints, but this is the first to side with them. “It took us 17 years of relentless battles and one case before a Human Rights Tribunal in Ontario to finally have our voices heard,” he stated in a press release. “This sentence was ironically delivered on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2010 and was, needless to say, a sweet victory.”

Ronald Demers, the school board’s chairman, told the Catholic Register that they will not appeal. LifeSiteNews.com did not hear back from the board by press time.

WHO was the nitwit at the school who brought these grapenuts to "teach" Pleasurology?

I know several esteemed Pleasurologists and all have hair growing in the palms of their hands and have gone blind, due to their dedication to Pleasurology.

Great idea, there Pascal!

Milwaukee Archdiocese Goes Bankrupt - Media Ignores Claim Jumping Attorney

“This action is occurring,” Archbishop Listecki said in a letter to parishioners, “because priest-perpetrators sexually abused minors, going against everything the church and the priesthood represents. As a result, there are financial claims pending against the archdiocese that exceed our means.”

"If there's anyone to press this case, it's Jeff," said David Clohessy, national director for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a longtime ally of Anderson. "Jeff doesn't get sole credit, and he wouldn't claim it, but he was among the very first to see the magnitude of this cover-up and is still among the most dedicated to its undoing."

The Milwaukee Archdiocese is Tapioca. Attorney Jeffrey Anderson has been using the priest pedophile tragedy to make millions of dollars. Jeffrey Anderson wants more.

In December, a Los Angeles attorney by name of Donald H. Steier issued a ten page court filing with the Los Angeles Superior Court detailing the fact that more than half of the claims of abuse are spurious at best. The Media ignore that - Chicago Tribune's Spiritualist Ink Slinger Manya Brachear trots out every instance of Catholic Church failure or the navel gazing of self-professed Catholics who don't like the rules. However, any serious inquiry to the fact that there are at least two sides to a story goes into the can. No reporter in Chicago has taken even a gimlet-eyed, much less a hard-eyed view of Jeffrey Anderson, his long and helpful association with SNAP, nor the quality of the claims made against any diocese.

Jeffrey Anderson wants more 'transparency' - opportunities to bring suit against any Catholic diocese -

Twenty-three alleged victims have sued or announced their intention to sue the archdiocese for fraud. Mediation sessions between the archdiocese and the victims’ lawyer, Jeffrey Anderson, who has handled hundreds of abuse lawsuits against the church, ended in a stalemate last month after just two meetings.

The victims had demanded that the archdiocese agree to 14 abuse prevention policies, the most contentious of which was releasing the names and personnel files of every priest accused of abuse. Mr. Anderson said some accused priests might still be in ministry.

But a church spokesman, Jerry Topczewski, said the archdiocese had already released the names of diocesan priests that had been judged by its independent review board to have been “credibly accused” — the standard used by most diocesan review boards.

The archdiocese offered the victims a settlement of $4.6 million, but Mr. Anderson said he would not discuss monetary compensation until the archdiocese met the victims’ demands for transparency.

Jeffrey Anderson, SNAP and the clergy abuse industry ( open any Yellow Pages) needs some light shed on their activities. Donald Streier did so and the media ignore it.

The Catholic Church as an institution bollixed the job on predator priests. Not only did the bishops protect monsters in stiff collars, they opened the door to media opportunists and ambulance chasers. Every creep in a collar has earned a special place in ignominy - Hell, Purgatory or any violent Penitentiary matters not to me. Likewise, those whose motives are money and power deserve a special hot seat as well.

What PC is Doing to the Navy - Enterprise Skipper is Part of a Great Tradition -Rogers and Hammerstein

By Greg Jaffe
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 4, 2011

The Navy moved quickly on Monday to pledge to investigate videos in which a senior officer uses anti-gay slurs and mimicks masturbation, while a prominent gay rights group praised the military's condemnation of the videos.

Capt. Owen Honors, who commands the USS Enterprise, based in Norfolk, Va., stars in the videos that were aired on the aircraft carrier's closed-circuit television system in 2006 and 2007 when he was the ship's second in command. In recent days, the videos have made Honors an Internet sensation.

"What we see here is, unfortunately, a 49-year-old Navy captain acting like a 19-year-old fraternity boy," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which has advocated for gay military members. "There is no place for that type of frat-house behavior."

In The Navy? Anywhere? Not Broadway? Not Hollywood? Perhaps Rogers and Hammerstein were too 'Gender Specific.' Nothin' Like a GBLTQ? N'cest Pas?
Really, Aubrey? Hasty Pudding? Village People? SNL?

Oh, SNAP! Clergy Abuse Cases Inflated Claims L.A. Investigating Attorney - No Media Report on This Bombshell.

I would love to see every child-abuser hanging by his goodies from a high wire. Nevertheless, I believe that the clergy abuse industry and the American Progressive media will continue to assault the Catholic Church until doctrine becomes Gay Friendly and Abortion just ducky.

Here is some news.

In a stunning ten-page declaration recently submitted to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, veteran attorney Donald H. Steier stated that his investigations into claims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests have uncovered vast fraud and that his probes have revealed that many accusations are completely false.

Counselor Steier has played a role in over one hundred investigations involving Catholic clergy in Los Angeles. In his missive Mr. Steier relayed, "One retired F.B.I. agent who worked with me to investigate many claims in the Clergy Cases told me, in his opinion, about ONE-HALF of the claims made in the Clergy Cases were either entirely false or so greatly exaggerated that the truth would not have supported a prosecutable claim for childhood sexual abuse" (capital letters are his).

Mr. Steier also added, "In several cases my investigation has provided objective information that could not be reconciled with the truthfulness of the subjective allegations. In other words, in many cases objective facts showed that accusations were false."

Mr. Steier's declaration is a stunner. He is as experienced as anyone in studying the claims of abuse against Catholic clergy in the Los Angeles area. Also among Steier's eye-opening statements:

"I have had accused priest clients take polygraph examinations performed by very experienced former law enforcement experts, including from L.A.P.D., the Sheriff Department, and F.B.I. In many cases the examinations showed my clients' denial of wrongdoing was 'truthful,' and in those cases I offered in writing to the accuser to undergo a similar polygraph examination at my expense. In every case the accuser refused to have his veracity tested by that investigative tool, which is routinely used by intelligence agencies."
"I am aware of several plaintiffs who testified that they realized that they had been abused only after learning that some other person - sometimes a relative - had received a financial settlement from the Archdiocese or another Catholic institution."
"In my investigation of many cases, I have seen the stories of some accusers change significantly over time, sometimes altering years, locations, and what activity was alleged - in every case, the changes seemed to have enabled or enhanced claims against my clients, or drastically increased alleged damages."
"I am aware that false memories can also be planted or created by various psychological processes, including by therapists who might be characterized as 'sexual victim advocates,' if not outright charlatans."
"Most of the approximately seven hundred psychiatric 'Certificates of Merit' filed in these Clergy Cases, as required by [California] Code of Civil Procedure § 340.1, were signed by the same therapist." (!) (Note: A "Certificate of Merit" from "a licensed mental health practitioner" is required in California before filing an abuse lawsuit.)
Steier signed and submitted the declaration "under penalty of perjury" November 30, 2010. Los Angeles County Superior Court officially filed it at 11 a.m. on December 15, 2010. (Images of Steier's declaration: pages 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10.)

Steier also took aim at the outspoken advocacy group SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests):

They maintain an interactive Internet website with a user 'Forum' and 'Message Board,' among other features, where people can share detailed information between alleged victims pertaining to identity of specific alleged perpetrators, their alleged 'modus operandi,' and other details of alleged molestation. In effect, a person who wanted to make a false claim of sexual abuse by a priest could go to that website and find a 'blueprint' of factual allegations to make that would coincide with allegations made by other people. Law enforcement also uses the S.N.A.P. website to attempt to locate new victims and allegations against Catholic priests.

Needless to say, SNAP had a fit at the sight of Steier's declaration. In a frantic press statement dated December 13, 2010, SNAP derided Steier's declaration as a "legal maneuver" that was "among the most outrageous and hurtful ever made by a church defense lawyer." In addition to claiming it will file a complaint with the California Bar Association, it demanded that Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony "denounce Steier's claims and to disclose how much archdiocesan money has been paid to Steier." (Gee, the last time I checked, SNAP steadfastly refused to divulge how much of its income is derived from the number of lawyers with whom it closely corroborates!)

Yet there is a glaring absence from SNAP's statement. The organization does not refute nor deny any of the specific claims made by Steier. It simply labels them as "outrageous" and "hurtful." That is hardly a blow to the explosive declaration aired by the veteran attorney.

Yes, Catholic priests terribly abused minors, and bishops failed to stop the harm. That's an undeniable truth. There are few crimes that revolt more than sexual abuse. The abuse of minors is a dark episode that the Church will forever have to live with.

Yet major media outlets have largely ignored a major element to the entire Catholic abuse scandal narrative.

Here is Wall Street Journal writer Dorothy Rabinowitz:

"People have to come to understand that there is a large scam going on with personal injury attorneys, and what began as a serious effort has now expanded to become a huge money-making proposition."

Surprise: Ms. Rabinowitz made her remark in 2005. Since then, the Church has doled out an additional $1 billion in settlements.

Will 2011 be the year that the media finally begins to take a closer look at many of the claims being made? What about the suspicious relationships between SNAP, lawyers, and many in the media? (Vincent Carroll at the Denver Post is a rare voice of acknowledgement: "[F]raudulent or highly dubious accusations are more common than is acknowledged in coverage of the church scandals — although they should not be surprising, given the monumental settlements various dioceses have paid out over the years" (Oct. 10, 2010).)

Stay tuned.


-- Dave Pierre is the author of the heralded book, Double Standard: Abuse Scandals and the Attack on the Catholic Church. Dave is also the creator of TheMediaReport.com and is a contributing writer to NewsBusters,org, the popular media-bias blog of the Media Research Center.

Leave It To Bashir! Coming Soon to the U! Very Funny!

Wadid Cleaver calls the boys Walid and The Bashir into the den for a 'man-to-man' chat.
Junah, Mom knows best! Humas before your dates, Boys! Oh, those Boys!


In response to Katie Couric's demand* that America Needs a Muslim Cosby(which is the iconic African American Family but too Female Friendly)Family, TV Production has begun on a spin-off of the Iconic Leave it to Beaver!

Leave It to Bashir! Follow the adventures of the Dearborn Michigan Cleavers!

Meet the Cleavers!

Hugh Beaumont as Wadid; Barbara Billingsley as Junah; Tony Dow as Walid and Jerry Mathers as The Bashir!

Tune into the U and catch the Pilot Episode when The Bashir issues a Fathwah on Infidels Larry Mondello, Whitey and Gilbert for ratting out The Bashir to Miss Landers!



*she thinks there may need to be a Muslim version of "The Cosby Show."

"'The Cosby Show' did so much to change attitudes about African-Americans in this country, and I think sometimes people are afraid of what they don't understand," she said.

Innovation Key to Chicago's Rebirth -Interesting Thoughts By Bruce Katz, Vice President and Director, Metropolitan Policy

I spoke with a skilled tradesman, a journeyman electrician, who has been out of steady work since 2008. His nest egg is being eaten up by making his mortgage payments, paying his taxes, and working where and when he can find a job. His wife works. His kids attended Catholic Schools, until this year and that is no longer viable.

Foreclosures in Chicago are ballooning. Guys who once made $ 80,000 to $ 100,000 a year as skilled tradesmen are out of work. Shakman makes even asking a neighbor in a government agency about any job an impossibility, Machine? As if . . .

The Mayoral election will be that important. While everyone is tasking the atmosphere with questions about residency and race, Chicago is losing jobs faster than a fixed income victim feeding the slots at a casino.

Chicago Chamber of Commerce posted this interesting presentation by Bruce Katz. Give this a viewing.



Chicago must take the industries already here and send them around the world and then the world will return to Chicago. Chicago has skilled workers, innovative thinkers and an infrastructure that can be productive and competitive. Chicago had better select a Mayor who knows what is here already and send it forth.

There is a skilled electrician and thousands of other skilled people hungry for work.

The Chamber of Commerce is ready -

The Summit further concluded what the Chamber has been advocating for years- that the future of our economy depends on how we innovate and transition to a "knowledge-based" economy. This includes using innovation in processes and products to modernize traditional industries and supporting entrepreneurship to grow new sectors and firms.

The Chamber has long been a supporter of innovation, the knowledge based economy, and fostering entrepreneurship to help grow our economy. In 2006 the Chamber Foundation launched InnovateNow; a major, new regional economic development initiative focused on enhancing the region’s innovation and entrepreneurial capacity. The goal of InnovateNow is to transform our region into a center of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. For more info on InnovateNow visit www.innovatenow.us.

Learn more at InnovateNOW -

•Expand the Innovation Capacity of Illinois Businesses---Assist Illinois businesses in improving their capacity to develop new business models, products/services, and markets, especially small and mid-sized businesses in key sectors such as manufacturing that are facing global competition.
•Strengthen Public-Private Innovation Networks ---Promote stronger linkages and partnerships between Illinois businesses and universities, colleges, and federal laboratories to drive and support innovation in Illinois.
•Expand the Innovation Talent Pool---Develop a new breed of innovation talent in Illinois that can start new businesses and drive innovation in existing businesses in Illinois. Innovate Now will promote the development of innovation talent at all education levels (P-20 pipeline) with stronger foundations in business as well as science, technology, engineering mathematics (STEM) and related creative and design fields. ( emphasis my own)

Where can we get more information?

Lance Pressl, Ph.D.
Foundation President
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
200 E. Randolph Street, Suite 2200
Chicago, Illinois 60601
LPressl@chicagolandchamber.org

Jews, Greeks and Romans - The Feast of the Epiphany -The Heart, Head and Hands of Man

I fail to follow the Star over Bethlehem. I fail every time I fall prey to my personal monsters - arrogance, anxiety and anger. It seems that I have had a lifetime Triple A membership. This morning's Mass of the Feast of the Epiphany was another whack to the back of my ten cent head.

The Epiphany was once almost as important in Christian devotions as the Birth of Christ. According to the Gospel of St. Matthew, Magi witnessed the rise of new star signalling the birth of a Redeemer of Man in Bethlehem of Judea. These wise men or astrologers, or kings followed the star with unquestioning devotion - taking the long journeys from their homelands. Traditionally the Magi represent all the people of earth - Asian, African and Caucasian.

A wise man with whom I have the honor of knowing, Max Weismann -Director of the Center for the Study of Great Ideas - is dedicated to the study of how man can lead a happy life. The Greeks called happiness Eudaimonia (evðaimoˈnia pronounced FEW-Day Monia). Roughly translated the word is a composite for "Spirit of Well Being." Aristotle wrote in the Nicomachean Ethics that leading a happy life is not merely the pursuit of pleasure but in 'living well' - according to arete - or virtue. Doing anything well requires virtue or a tough minded application of our skills and abilities to make something useful and beautiful. It takes concentration and tireless effort to become an athlete, an artist, or a parent. Nothing springs from the head of Jove.

The Greeks it seems to me are the Head of Mankind - the Intellect.

The Jews are the Heart and Soul of Man. It was the Jews who recognized that the power of God lies not in might but in forgiveness, charity and humility.

The Romans made use of everything and everyone that they conquered and offered systematic application of all that was good, lasting and worthwhile. The Romans are the Hands of Man - the great manipulators and architects of Faith, State, and Taste.

Together, civilization offers us a means by which to follow the Star of Faith with Head, Heart and Hands. One or two is not enough. The Epiphany brings three wise men together in an act of recognition, humility and fortitude. They recognized the right path, allowed the Star to guide them without questioning its place in the heavens, and ventured into a journey fraught with perils and uncertainty.

The Epiphany has come to mean an awareness of something that was once hidden. The Star of Faith is not hidden - it is merely clouded by my submission to arrogance, anxiety and anger.

I pray that God helps me allow my membership in Triple A to lapse - permanently.

Frank Sinatra & Keely Smith - How Are Ya' Fixed For Love

Al Qaeda New Years Message - More Attacks on Christians

At least 21 people are dead and nearly 80 wounded after a bomb exploded outside a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria, Egypt, early Saturday.

Officials believe a suicide bomber attacked as worshippers were leaving a New Year's Eve mass.

The Interior Ministry said the wounded included eight Muslims from a mosque across the street from the Saints Church.

Any response from the CAIR Bears? Don't hold your breath . . .you'll be needing it.

Happy New Year! Samuel Johnson's Poem: To Myrtilis - The New Year's Offering

Dr. Samuel Johnson, like me, tended to equate worth with wealth and though a poor man, - impecunious, Tapioca, short of the long-green-difference - offered the target of his manly heart his hoard of love-loot. I offer the very same, with the Great Doctor's lines.

I offer this to those I love ( agape, philia, as well as eros) this new year.

Happiness - it can't buy you money, but it's pretty damn good!


To Myrtilis - The New Year's Offering

Madam,
Long have I look'd my tablets o'er,
And find I've much to thank you for;
Outstanding debts beyond account,
And new - who knows to what amount?
Though small my wealth, not small my soul:
Come, then, at once I'll pay the whole.
Ye powers! I'm rich and will command
The host of slaves that round me stand;
Come, Indian, quick disclose thy store,
And hither bring Peruvian ore:
Let yonder Negro pierce the main,
The choicest, largest pearl to gain:
Let all my slaves their art combine
To make the blushing ruby mine,
From eastern thrones the diamonds bear
To sparkle at her breast and ear.
Swift Scythian, point the unerring dart,
That strikes the ermine's little heart,
And search for choicest furs the globe,
To make my Myrtilis a robe.
Ah, no! yon Indian will not go,
No Scythian designs to bed his bow,
No sullen Negro shoots the flood:
All, all my empty power disown,
I turn and find myself alone;
'Tis Fancy's vain illusion all,
No Moor nor Scythian waits my call.
Can I command, can I consign?
Alas! what earthly thing is mine?
Come, then, my Muse, companion dear,
Of poverty, and soul sincere;
Come, dictate to my grateful mind
A gift that may acceptance find;
Come, gentle Muse, and with thee bear
An offering worthy thee and her;
And though thy presents be but poor,
My Myrtilis will ask no more.
A Heart that scorns a shameful thing,
With love and verse is all I bring;
Of love and verse the gift receive,
'Tis all thy servant has to give.
If all whate'er my verse has told,
Golconda's gems, and Afric's gold;
If all were mine from pole to pole,
How large her share who shares my soul!
But more than these may Heaven impart;
Be thine the treasures of the heart;
Be calm and glad thy future days
With virtue's peace and virtue's praise;
Let jealous pride, and sleepless care,
And wasting grief, and black despair,
And languor chill, and anguish fell,
For ever shun thy grove and cell;
There only may the happy train
Of love, and joy, and peace remain:
May plenty, with exhaustless store,
Employ thy hand to feed the poor,
And ever on thy honour'd head
The prayer of gratitude be shed!
A happy mother, may'st thou see
Thy smiling, virtuous progeny,
Whose sportful tricks, and airy play,
Fraternal love, and prattle gay,
Or wondrous tale, or joyful song,
May lure the lingering hours along;
Till death arrive, unfelt, unseen,
With gentle pace and placid mien,
And waft thee to that happy shore
Where wishes can have place no more.

Samuel Johnson