Five years ago, if you had told me that someone would pay me to write anything, I would have thought that you were crazy. The way that life has pushed me towards this endeavor in so many ways has been remarkable to experience and dare I say almost magical to do. Circumstances have moved me to find my voice and my passion through writing. It is not the easiest of ventures but I think that it is the one I was meant to follow at least for now. The Problem with My Education
One of the reasons that I think I moved away from writing for so many years was that from the earliest days of my schooling I had two majour problems, I had poor penmanship and I didn’t like rules. The poor penmanship seems trite, but the educational environment I experienced made it a real issue, and I think that much of the substance of a story or the thought behind it was ever obstructed by the unwieldy and messy mode of delivery I could provide. How many times as a child can you be criticized about something before you move away from it completely? About a thousand is my guess. I am not complaining or feeling sorry for myself here, because I recognize the entire journey leads to the right destination, but this is one of the explanations that pushed me away from writing anything, ever, for anyone.
Don’t be afraid to write
As for rules, I don’t think anyone likes them, but I like them even less when it comes to writing. If the proper formation of words and punctuation gave words their power to impress, motivate, or inspire then I would freely submit to this point, however it is not even the least bit true. The power of the written word comes from the thoughts and emotions that motivate the words. Yes I concede that I was given the rudimentary background for creating cohesive sentences, but with that concession comes the acceptance of responsibility of our educational system, spending too much time on form and format and not enough time on appreciating and encouraging creativity and original thought. Losing My Overly Critical voice
For much of my life, I think that whenever I wrote anything, there was a voice in my mind that always pointed out the weaknesses of that
Don’t listen to the overly critical voice
writing. It is too sappy, too long, too intricate, too personal. You name a criticism and that voice made it. I always worried about how a word or a phrase would be read and accepted by someone else rather than if it truly expressed the thoughts that I was having. Like most people I think that often times I would deem my work foolishness and destroy it. Thousands of thoughts have met their demise in this manner, and I am not sure if it ever would have changed if I hadn’t needed money and decided to enter the world of freelance writing. People hire you to create content, usually around keywords, for their websites. For anyone who has ever investigated making money online, the creation of quality content is a huge undertaking.
I accepted a job in which I had to produce large volumes of articles quickly and under a deadline of 48 hours. At first it really brought out all of the emotions I had about writing, from following rules to writing things that I thought sucked, but being under deadline they had to be good enough. As I worked from day to day, creating written articles about every different topic you can imagine and miraculous thing began to happen, that critical voice started to disappear, the more I wrote, the less I heard from it. I think that the total emersion in writing began to make many more thoughts come to me and need to be expressed. The fear facto of what anybody else thinks of those thoughts is now a distant memory, and all I seem to need is the time to write and some thought to write about. That is a feeling of freedom and expression that I have never felt before. It is truly amazing. Many Stories to Tell
So here I am at the beginning of a journey that I am tentatively beginning, there are many stories that I feel the need to tell, stories about my life which need to be expressed to tales of imaginary people and things that have no substance as of yet because they only exist in my mind.
If I ever have the time to sit down and watch an eight-hour epic event, it would be Lonesome Dove, the mini-series from the late 80’s which was in a word, awesome! It was based on the novel written by Larry McMurtry, which I have read as well, but the movie is better than the book. So I encourage you to sit back and relax and take a few evenings in the near future and watch Lonesome Dove and follow these cowboys on their journey from Texas to Wyoming.
https://youtu.be/W7EivcfYOZI
You Should Watch Lonesome Dove
If you have seen it, you’ll remember why you liked it. If you haven’t seen it, time to get out from under that rock and get some old west entertainment. To help you along here is a list of characters and what I liked or didn’t like about them.
Captain Augustus McCrae
Augustus ‘Gus’ McCrae played by Robert Duvall, my personal favorite character, because he knew how to joke and have a good time, but steal his woman and he will follow you to the end of the Earth and kill all of the outlaws that get in his way. He also has a perspective on life that is simple and easy to follow.
“Just once I’d like the chance to shoot at an educated man.”
Woodrow Call: “We come to this place to make money. They wasn’t nothin’ about fun in the deal.”
Gus McCrae: “What are you talkin’ about? You don’t even like money. You like money even less than you like fun if that’s possible.”
“God Woodrow it ain’t dying I’m talking about… it’s living”
“Here’s to the sunny slopes of long ago.”
“Well, I’m glad I ain’t scared to be lazy.”
“Lorie darlin’, life in San Francisco, you see, is still just life. If you want any one thing too badly, it’s likely to turn out to be a disappointment. The only healthy way to live life is to learn to like all the little everyday things, like a sip of good whiskey in the evening, a soft bed, a glass of buttermilk, or a feisty gentleman like myself.” Captain Augustus McCrae
My Personal Favorite: “The older the violin, the sweeter the music.”
“Yesterday’s gone and we can’t get it back.”
Woodrow Call: You ever get tired o’ loafin’ I reckon you can get a job waitin’ on tables. Gus McCrae: “Oh, I had a job waitin’ tables once. S’ on a riverboat. I wasn’t no older than Newt, there, but I hadda give it up.” Newt: “How come?” Gus McCrae: “Well I was, too young and pretty and the whores wouldn’t let me alone.”
“I wish you’d taken that chance a little earlier, Jake; a man who’ll go along with five killin’s, takin’ his leave a little slow. “
My Assessment of Augustus McCrae- He is honest, tough, likes to have fun, a little wild and wise. He likes a good time and he loves the ladies, A lot like me. A great character, Robert Duvall’s best work. I can’t imagine anyone else being Gus other than him! His friendship with Woodrow is also something that most people can relate to.
10 Lessons Learned from Augustus McCrea
If you wouldn’t cheat at cards for a poke, you don’t want one bad enough
The older the violin the sweeter the music
Make fun wherever you are
Enjoy the little things every day
He doesn’t like dawdling service
He doesn’t need anyone’s help to kill outlaws
Sometimes you just want to chase buffalo
Pride comes before the fall
Writing to two women at the same time is ticklish business
Enjoy life, it is a short ride.
Woodrow F. Call
Captain Woodrow F. Call
Played by Tommy Lee Jones, before he was a big Hollywood superstar. This was definitely his best work. The uptight, workaholic who is so emotionally tied up he can’t even tell his own son that he is his father. Woodrow is a tough bastard, who doesn’t take any foolishness from anybody else. You do not mess with the captain. Ask the army scout who tried to steal Dish’s horse, and was hitting Nute. Great Scene, and Woodrow’s response, “I hate rude behavior in a man, I won’t tolerate it.” Classic. The fact that he would travel across half the country to keep a promise to his friend is all you need to know about this character. We all strive to be this honest, forthright and solid person. You mess with mine and I’ll kick your butt all over Nebraska.
Some Favorite quotes: “Well is there anything else? Are you sure you don’t want me to haul you down to the South Pole and bury you down there? All you gotta do is ask.”
“I reckon I’m as American as anyone from Tennessee.”
To Gus: ” I’d like to see the herd that you and Jake could gather. Herd o’ whores, maybe.”
“You’re one-of-a-kind, Augustus. We’re gonna miss you. ”
“I hate rude behavior in a man. I won’t tolerate it.”
https://youtu.be/FmENUHILJpM
Below is the best scene with Woodrow and Gus in a bar in San Antonio. Gus whacks a surly bartender for ‘sassing” him.
https://youtu.be/LfKEJgBuz1k
Woodrow F. Call is a character that almost any man can relate to. We all are bound and repress our emotions because that is what we do. If you don’t understand men at all, watch Woodrow F. Call, we are all like that on the inside. We never want to admit we made a mistake, we never want to ask for help, we never want anyone we care about to suffer.
10 Lessons of Woodrow F. Call
Work is good for you.
Don’t stay up half the night talking
Rude behavior will be dealt with accordingly
Ride with an outlaw, die with an outlaw
A promise is a promise no matter what
Never ask for help
Don’t admit that you are human
Protect your family
Leadership is earned not given
Yesterday’s gone and we can’t get it back
They Say you are a man of Vision. A Hell of a vision.
“I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!”
— Chris McCandless’ journal from Alaska
The other day I happened to come across this movie called Into The Wild. I had no idea what it was about or that it was based on a “true” story. I started watching it and there seemed to be a lot of problems for this kid, Chris McCandless growing up, the movie portrays his parents as not so nice people and because of this, he was propelled to give up his identity, his money and hike off across the country to find some inner truth. Two things struck me about this movie as I watched it. First, either this kid was out of his tree crazy, or he was brilliant and had a large supply of courage. Into the WildTravel Biographies & Memoirs)
Secondly, was the soundtrack which was performed mostly by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam fame, and I have to say, it is outstanding. Made me remember that I really loved Pearl Jam and the music, well listen for yourself, I will put the videos at the end of this.
For those of you who don’t know the story here is a brief account:
Chris McCandless Story
Into the Wild is the story of Christopher McCandless, aka Alexander Supertramp, who chose a life on the road in the early 1990s after graduating from Emory University. He hitchhiked, hopped freight trains and backpacked throughout the American West before hitchhiking to Alaska in summer of 1992. It was there in the Alaskan bush near Denali National Park that Chris McCandless died in an abandoned bus, having lived off the land before a series of tragic events caused his death by starvation.
Kind of Creepy Picture of the Real McCandless in front of his bus
Chris’ story was told by Jon Krakauer in the bestselling book,Into the Wild, originally published in 1997 in response to the popularity of Krakauer’s article on McCandless in Outside magazine. The book was adapted for the screen by Sean Penn, who also directed. Actor Emile Hirsch plays Christopher McCandless. The film also stars:
Marcia Gay Harden (Billie McCandless), William Hurt (Walt McCandless), Jena Malone (Carine McCandless), Vince Vaughn (Wayne Westerberg), Catherine Keener (Jan Burres), Hal Holbrook (Ron Franz), Kristen Stewart (Tracy).
Now I warn you that Chris McCandless is a lightning rod for people to complain about. You don’t have to look very far online to find people that claim you shouldn’t romanticize and make McCandless a heroic figure, because it is making a hero out of a crazy person or a fool. Their words not mine. There is much worse out there, claiming he could have hiked ten miles in the opposite direction to find safety, or a few miles up or down stream to get across the river and save himself. There are also many accounts that McCandless had a reputation for doing foolish things his entire life and almost killed himself numerous times. I do not know if any of this stuff is true or not, but I do know that the story is inspirational as told by Sean Penn and it’s hard to watch it without it affecting you. I mean, how many people live their entire life and never take a chance on anything? Ever? The story ends with McCandless’ death but the idea lives on, that life is to be lived and not survived. It made me wonder if I had ever done anything even remotely heroic, ever in my life. I recommend you watch it and judge for yourself.
“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greather joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”
Chris McCandless quote
“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods:
There is a rapture on the lonely shore:
There is society, where non intrudes.
By the deep sea, and music in it’s roar:
I love not man the less, but nature more…….” Lord Byron
Watch the videos below you’ll be glad you did.
Society
Two years he walks the earth.
No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, ’cause “the West is the best.” And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.
— Alexander Supertramp
Hard Sun
Probably the best: Rise
“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”
— Chris McCandless
“The core of mans’ spirit comes from new experiences.”
— Chris McCandless
“Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.”
— Chris expanded on the original quote by Henry David Thoreau
“Greetings from Fairbanks!
This is the last you shall hear from me Wayne. Arrived here 2 days ago. It was very difficult to catch rides in the Yukon Territory. But I finally got here. Please return all mail I receive to the sender.
It might be a very long time before I return South. If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t ever hear from me again, I want you to know your a great man. I now walk into the wild. Might be a very long time before I return South…
I now walk into the wild.”
— Chris McCandless, in postcard sent to Wayne Westerberg in Carthage, South Dakota, from Alaska
“…henceforth will learn to accept my errors, however great they be…”
— Chris McCandless’ journal from Alaska, written weeks before he died
“I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!” — Chris McCandless’ journal from Alaska
“It should not be denied… that being footloose has always exhilarated us. It is associated in our minds with escape from history and oppression and law and irksome obligations, with absolute freedom, and the road has always led West.”
— Wallace Stegner
“I want to go up to them and say Stop,
don’t do it— she’s the wrong woman,
he’s the wrong man, you are going to do things
you cannot imagine you would ever do.”
— Sharon Olds, May 1937
(In the movie, Chris reads this to his sister, Carine, outside the restaurant)
It is rare today to listen to someone and feel like they are really telling you how they think without censoring themselves to support or extend an agenda. When you listen to Penn Jillette speak you feel that you are actually hearing the truth from his point of view. I do not think that Jillette is right about everything, but the honesty is refreshing and the way he is looking at religion without a real bias against.
I enjoy the thoughts on how Christianity has changed over the years. He is a clear humanist and his contention with religions of all types is educational and thought provoking. Watch his videos and try to argue with the facts that he presents. Bug nutty, bat shit, crazy.
Speaking of bug nutty, bat shit, crazy, below is Penn and Teller Bullshit episode about P.E.T.A. and how they euthanize two thirds of the animals they rescued.
The ALF or Animal Liberation front are using violence as a tactic to make sure animals receive their rights. These groups compare the plight of animals to the Jewish people in Nazi Germany. These people are crazy.
I am continually reminded day to day, how lucky I am to live in a country where I am guaranteed certain freedoms that many others around the world are denied. The document that is most responsible for this is the Bill of Rights. The first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States, were written by our forefathers to make sure that no future generation would be denied their individual rights by anyone including the Government of The United States, they were adopted as part of the U.S. Constitution on December 15, 1791. It is also astounding to me that so few people, understand which rights they are given by this document.
What is an amendment?
A constitutional amendment is a formal change to the text of the written constitution of a nation or state.
Amendment I–
Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion and Petition-Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
*Religion
*The government can’t help or hurt any religion. They can’t make any person believe or practice any religion, nor can they stop any person from believing or practicing any religion. The government can’t make someone Jewish, Hindu, or Muslim nor can they stop someone from being one. They can stop a person from a religious practice if it hurts somebody else. You can’t kill someone even if it is part of a religion.
*This is true for city governments as well. At Christmas time cities sometimes get into trouble for putting up decorations that specifically denote the Christian religion while ignoring others. Schools can’t promote any religion because they are operated by the government.
*Freedom of Speech
*Freedom of Speech does NOT mean that a person can say whatever they want to say. It means that someone’s right to say something is protected within certain limits. A person may have to suffer consequences for saying some things, but they still have the right to say them. For example, it is against the law to yell, “Fire!”, in a crowded place because it may lead to panic and injuries of others. A person has the right to say it, but they also are responsible for the consequences of their actions.
*A person may not say things verbally or in print that they know aren’t true. This is called slander and there are consequences for doing this.
*Freedom of Speech includes non-speech also. What someone wears and how they behave is considered, “Freedom of Expression”, and is a protected right. The Supreme Court has even said that burning the American Flag is a protected speech because it expresses an opinion.
*The authors of the Bill of Rights did not want the government to be able to practice censorship over its citizens, so we have the right to say what we think. An individual can even say disparaging things about the government and nothing will happen to you. There are limits on what kinds of things a person can say in public. that is why the government can limit television programming.
*There are often conflicts over things that are said or printed in books, magazines and newspapers, but just because someone doesn’t like what is being said doesn’t mean that an individual doesn’t have the right to say it.
*The right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
*The right to peaceably assemble means that someone can gather together with others without fear that the government will treat this act as illegal or treat them like a mob. People can gather with whomever they want as long as they are peaceful and not breaking the law. This applies to all groups, even if people generally don’t like or agree with these groups. Motorcycle gangs, militia groups, vampire clubs and the Klu Klux Klan can all meet freely as long as they are peaceful. Protest marchers and government dissenters also have th right to meet with whomever they want.
Citizens also have a right to complain to the government about things they don’t like. The government even provides a way to change those things, by way of a petition. If there is a law or policy that the citizens don’t like they can gather signatures on petitions. These petitions are then used to place initiatives on a ballot and the people can vote about whether to change the law they disagree with.
Amendment II–
Right to keep and bear arms-A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
*During the formation of our country, there was a strong mistrust of the government of Great Britain. The colonists knew that the only way to protect themselves from the same type of tyranny in the future was for citizens to be able to form a militia to protect their freedom. When The Bill of Rights was written, this protection was included. According to current interpretation of the Second Amendment, the government does not have the right to prevent it’s citizens from owning guns. However, this amendment is argued about often. Some people believe that the government is the enemy an citizens must continue to protect themselves. Some believe that the level of violence is so high in the United States because the number of guns available is too high and too many people have guns. There is a popular saying, ” if you outlaw guns, only the outlaws will have guns.” Another popular saying is ” Guns don’t kill people, people do.”
*The government can and does regulate the ownership of guns. There are laws about gun ownership, registration, permits, transportation of guns and the sale of guns. Gun proponents believe that attempts by th government to regulate guns are the same as attempts to keep guns out of the hands of it’s citizens.
Amendment III–
Conditions for quartering of soldiers in homes. No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
*During the Colonial Period, colonists could be forced to let British soldiers sleep in their homes and eat their meals. The authors of The Bill of Rights wanted to make sure this could never happen again so the Third Amendment was added.
Amendment IV–
Right of search and seizure regulated-The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
*The police can’t search someone’s person (body), house, papers, or effects without having a good reason. They can’t take anything from someone without a good reason. Of course the question is often argued, “What is a good reason?”
*Unreasonable searches and seizures are those that are without cause, or more specifically without probable cause. Probable cause means that the police have a good reason to believe that some law has been broken. The Police can not do anything until they convince a judge that they have probable cause and then they can get a warrant which gives them permission to search.
*After the police convince a judge that a crime has been committed, a warrant is issued. The search warrant must say what is to be search, when it is to be searched, what they expect to find and the warrant must be signed by a judge. Many cases are dismissed in court because someone is arrested for having something that is listed on a search warrant. This amendment is the reason the police always ask permission to come into your home or the search your car.
*The police can arrest someone without a warrant when there are special circumstances. If they are chasing someone from the scene of a crime or if they catch someone in the act of a crime, they may not have time to get a warrant before hand. After the arrest, they must then convince the judge that they had “probable cause” to arrest them.
Amendment V-
Provisons concerning prosecution–No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
*No person can be put on trial for a serious crime, unless a group of people called a grand jury first decide that there is enough evidence to make a trial necessary. When there is enough evidence an indictment is issued, which means that the person charged with the crime will face trial for that crime.
*There is an exception for an individual in the military. They can be put on trial without an indictment from a grand jury. If they commit a crime during war or a national emergency.
*Double Jeopardy- If a person is put on trial for a crime and the trial ends, they may not be tried again for the same crime. If they are convicted and serve their time or they are acquitted, they may not be put on trial again.
*The government can’t make someone testify against themselves. A trial generally relies on witness testimony and physical evidence to find justice.
*Due Process-The government can not take away an individual’s life, freedom or property without following a series of steps that give them a fair chance to defend themselves. This procedure makes sure that everyone gets treated the same. No matter who someone is tey should be treated fairly by the police, courts and government.
*The government can’t take away someone’s property without paying them for it in some way. If the state wants to build a road through someone’s property, they can’t just do it they have to compensate the person for it.
Amendment VI-
Right to a speedy trial, witnesses, etc.- In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.
*An accused person has the right to a quick trial. This doesn’t mean that the process of a trial must be over a quickly as possible. It protects a person from being held in jail for an unreasonable amount of time while they wait for a trial. This would be unfair to anyone who is innocent.
*An accused person also has th right to a public trial. The state can’t put them on trial behind closed doors. The trial must be available to the public so that it is certain the rights of the individual were not violated.
*The Trial must be held by an impartial jury. The member of that jury can not be prejudiced against the accused or the crime that they’ve been accused of, or it would be unfair. The trial must also be held in the area where the crime was committed.
*The only exception to this is that in some cases a change of venue would be appropriate if the accused might not get a fair trial in the region the crime was committed due to publicity.
*The accused has the right to know what they are being charged with and why they’re being held in jail. They also have the right to know who is saying that they’ve committed the crime, and the right to ask them questions.
*The accused has the right to force anyone to come to their trial that they believe can help their case. The court can force someone to come to court by issuing a summons or subpoena and the person has no choice but to come to the trial.
*The accused also has the right to an attorney. If they can’t afford an attorney, one will be appointed to them by the court. Whenever someone is arrested they must be read their Miranda Rights which include the right to be silent and the right to an attorney.
Amendment VII-
Right to a trial by jury-In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
*When the Bill of Rights was written twenty dollars was a lot of money. Today, any dispute involving less that $15oo will be handled in small claims court without a jury. Otherwise you are given the right of a trial by a jury.
*United States law forbids anyone from setting up their own court system. If a person goes to court they will always go to a recognized court of the government, either national, state or county. This prohibits a person or a small group of people from taking the law into their own hands, and robbing individuals of their rights.
Amendment VIII–
Excessive bail, cruel punishment-Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Excessive Bail
*The courts can not assign an accused an excessive amount of Bail. If they could, then a judge might be able to decide a bail amount excessively high because he has a personal dislike or bias toward that individual.
*Bail is a sum of mone or property given to the court as a promise that the accused will return for trial. If the accused fails to appear for their trial, they lose the bail.
*Bail is assigned regarding the type of crime committed and the likelihood that the accused will return for the trial.
*Bail allows time for the accused to prepare for theri defense, which might be somewhat harder to do if one were in jail.
Hanging is an acceptable form of execution
*Cruel and unusual punishment- You can not punish someone cruelly nor unusually because of this amendment. Defining what is exactly cruel or unusual can be somewhat difficult to define. It could be argued that all punishments are cruel, that is why they are called punishments and not rewards. The circumstances of the times determine largely what is considered cruel and/or unusual. For example, punishments that might have been condoned in the past are today considered cruel and unusual. Today the issue usually surrounds capital punishment or the death penalty. States that practice capital punishment use either the gas chamber, lethal injection, the electric chair, a firing squad or hanging. Some of these may be considered cruel or unusual. As for the unusual part
Firing Squads are an Accepted Form of Execution
the Eighth Amendment prevents teh government from punishing a criminal in an unusual way. You can’t cut off someone’s hand for stealing, or publicly humiliate them as a form of punishment.
*The Supreme Court ruled in 1976 that the death penalty is legal. Since that time there have been 628 citizens punished in this fashion.
Amendment IX-
Rule of construction of Constitution-The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
*This amendment was written to protect the rights of people, even though those rights were not specifically mentioned in the Bill of Rights. No one is really sure what these rights are but it is believed they may have included the rights of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, etc. The Ninth Amendment has not been used to justify protection for any citizen of the United States that I am aware of.
Amendment X-
Rights of the States under Constitution-The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Marriage laws are determined by the states
*Anything not mentioned in The Constitution specifically will be handled by the state government. For example, each individual state issues it’s own laws regarding marriage, driver’s licenses, state taxes, voting, job and school requirements. Since these areas are not mentioned in the Constitution they are determined by the states.
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
Mahatma Gandhi
Here are some of the best quotes from Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi is commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi (Sanskrit: mahātmā or “Great Soul”, an honourific first applied to him in South Africa in 1914[) and in India also as Bapu (Gujarati: bāpuː or “Father”). He is officially honoured in India as the Father of the Nation; his birthday, 2 October, is commemorated there as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and world-wide as the International Day of Non-Violence.
A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.
Mahatma Gandhi
A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.
Mahatma Gandhi
A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.
Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi
A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.
Mahatma Gandhi
A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.
Mahatma Gandhi
A policy is a temporary creed liable to be changed, but while it holds good it has got to be pursued with apostolic zeal.
Mahatma Gandhi
A principle is the expression of perfection, and as imperfect beings like us cannot practise perfection, we devise every moment limits of its compromise in practice.
Mahatma Gandhi
A religion that takes no account of practical affairs and does not help to solve them is no religion.
Mahatma Gandhi
A vow is a purely religious act which cannot be taken in a fit of passion. It can be taken only with a mind purified and composed and with God as witness.
Mahatma Gandhi
A weak man is just by accident. A strong but non-violent man is unjust by accident.
Mahatma Gandhi
Action expresses priorities.
Mahatma Gandhi
Action is no less necessary than thought to the instinctive tendencies of the human frame.
Mahatma Gandhi
All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take.
Mahatma Gandhi
All the religions of the world, while they may differ in other respects, unitedly proclaim that nothing lives in this world but Truth.
Mahatma Gandhi
Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.
Mahatma Gandhi
Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.
Mahatma Gandhi
An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.
Mahatma Gandhi
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
Mahatma Gandhi
An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.
Mahatma Gandhi
An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so.
Mahatma Gandhi
Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding.
Mahatma Gandhi
Anger is the enemy of non-violence and pride is a monster that swallows it up.
Mahatma Gandhi
Are creeds such simple things like the clothes which a man can change at will and put on at will? Creeds are such for which people live for ages and ages.
Mahatma Gandhi
As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves.
Mahatma Gandhi
Before the throne of the Almighty, man will be judged not by his acts but by his intentions. For God alone reads our hearts.
Mahatma Gandhi
But for my faith in God, I should have been a raving maniac.
Mahatma Gandhi
Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed.
Mahatma Gandhi
Commonsense is the realised sense of proportion.
Mahatma Gandhi
Confession of errors is like a broom which sweeps away the dirt and leaves the surface brighter and clearer. I feel stronger for confession.
Mahatma Gandhi
Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.
Mahatma Gandhi
Culture of the mind must be subservient to the heart.
Mahatma Gandhi
Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.
Mahatma Gandhi
Each one prays to God according to his own light.
Mahatma Gandhi
Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.
Mahatma Gandhi
Every formula of every religion has in this age of reason, to submit to the acid test of reason and universal assent.
Mahatma Gandhi
Everyone who wills can hear the inner voice. It is within everyone.
Mahatma Gandhi
Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into.
Mahatma Gandhi
Faith… must be enforced by reason… when faith becomes blind it dies.
Mahatma Gandhi
Fear has its use but cowardice has none.
Mahatma Gandhi
No matter what shape, size, or design, all clowns are creepy and scare me, and I do not like them at all. They are all crying on the inside.
I have never liked clowns, and I don’t apologize for it. When I was a child, I went to the circus and saw the clowns there and instantly knew to fear clowns. I knew they were supposed to make you laugh, but there was just something about a person who would hide behind a mask of makeup, doing silly things that made them inherently untrustworthy. Being a clown is not something that anyone aspires to become; it is quite a derogatory comment to call someone a clown. “Look at that clown over there by the doorway.”
Today I am trying to think of a clown who did not terrorize the public. Today there are not many famous clowns; in the ’50s and 60’s you had your Bozo and Clarabell, but even they were creepy and scary. It would be fine with me if clowns and all of their clown activities were banned forever, like Mel Gibson at the Holocaust Museum.
Stop being such a Bozo! Get out of my way, clown! They are all crying on the inside.
Ronald McDonald is the closest thing we have today to a famous clown. Yes that is who I would
I wonder how desperate I would have to be to don clown make-up and look happy about it. Ronald is crying on the inside, as they all are.
like to hang around with a creepy clown whose best friends with something called a Grimace and a criminal called the Hamburgler. Well, I like Grimace, and even though he steals, I like the Hamburgler as well. Kudos to those advertising execs at McDonald’s. So I guess Ronald has made a few good decisions in his life after, of course painting his face and shilling unhealthy food to a nation of willing consumers. So just a note here, I have always been partial to big purple Grimace characters and sneaky Hamburglers, it is the clowns that I don’t like.
Apparently, l am the only one who likes Grimace even if he is crying on the inside.
Even cartoon clowns like Krusty on The Simpsons are not lovely people. He is portrayed as a cheap, money mulching, fame hoar. I like The Simpsons and see the development of Krusty over the years to help make some in roads to destroying the creepiness of the clown in general, but even Krusty can’t save this disturbed group of people.
A recent study that quizzed 250 children in a pediatric hospital ward found that all 250 of them were afraid of the various clown imagery that decorated the wing. As though the terminal illness wasn’t enough. Penny Curtis, a professor who worked on the study, is quoted as saying, “We found that children universally dislike clowns. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable.”
Why So Serious?
So what is it about clowns that are so damn terrifying? We decided to find out. Hence, we’d like to present Best Week Ever‘s Top Things That Make Clowns Scary. Below is a video of some lady who is Petra-freaquin-fied of clowns. The clown is Mr. Giggles. That’s weird, and she has a stuffed animal, maybe that should be a clue there needs to be an intervention.
Coulrophobia-Yup, She’s Scared of Clowns
All Movies Written About Killer Clowns are Probably Based on True Stories. In all seriousness, there was who was also, strangely, Bob Goldthwait. And what else happens in Derry, Maine if not for a child-killing clown named It? But perhaps no movie was more scarring to the reputation of clowns than the 1988 classic Killer Klowns from Outer Space, a likely true story about puke-inducing alien clowns with pointy teeth and evil eyes who trap their victims in cotton candy cocoons. If ever a movie scarred my small child brain at the age of 7, it was KK from OS.
8. Grown Men with Freckles Painted on Their Face is Inherently Terrifying. Enough said.
7. Most Clowns Are Alcoholics and Urinate Everywhere. Tell-tale sign number one that most to all clowns are alkies? They have humongous flame-red bulbous noses. Tell-tale sign number two that most clowns are probably hitting the sauce with a green-gloved fist? Wouldn’t you bathe in appletinis if your entire life was based around living a paint-faced lie?
6. Hyuk Hyuk Laughter. Who the laughs like that? Seriously, have you ever heard a normal, mentally sane person emit a laugh that sounds like their starting the engine of a Model T car? No, really, other than Goofy – who is a 6 foot tall animated Disney Dog who wears pants — I’m pretty sure no human being “Hyuk Hyuk”‘s their way through an episode of Seinfeld, you read me?
5. They Wear Onesies. What sort of baby-ass infantile diaper-fetish craziness is that all about?
4. Clowns Molest People. If you weren’t aware that clowns molest people, do yourself a favor and add the creepumentary Capturing the Friedmans to you Netflix queue.
I put the Hamburgler here because I like him and unlike all of these clowns he is not crying on the inside. He is quite happy and full, due to all of the hamburgers, he is also a prime candidate for a triple bypass.
They Can’t Afford More Than 1 Car.Judging by the clowns mode of transportation — a Volkswagen Bug or Serbian-style two-seater that magically fits the driver and 8,000 of his rainbow-colored pals — it appears that clowns don’t actually earn a real living. They can’t even afford the kind of car homeless stoners drive! Meaning that clowns, for whatever reason, choose to do the devil’s work for a pittance. Pittance! Which might go to explain why clowns eat their dinner directly out of the can of baked beans instead of a bowl, and why they sometimes use their hands instead of the classier “wooden spoon”.
2. That Red Paint Around Their Lips? The blood of the elderly. That, or fire-engine red lipstick. Either way, creepskies!
1. John Wayne Gacy, or Clowns Will Kill You and Bury You Under Their House.Killer Klowns from Outer Space aside, John Wayne Gacy is, gigantic inflatable hands down, the scariest thing to ever happen within the clown community. Gacy murdered 33 teenagers in his town and buried 31 of those bodies under his house. And, according to Gacy’s wiki page (Warning: Do not read after 5 PM), “He said he used his clown act as an alter ego, once sardonically saying that ‘A clown can get away with murder.’” (throat clear) A CLOWN CAN GET AWAY WITH MURDER!!!
Bonus Reason: They use the devil’s magic to twist perfectly normal balloons into grotesque, creepy animal shapes.
A friend suggested that I should read this poem and I am glad I did. I do have hope for the future and a hope that the past will all make sense and all will work out ok in the end, despite what it looks like at the present time. I have found this to be true. The past is what it is, accept it, and today will be a much more pleasant place for you. Peace to all.
Do you have hope for the future?
someone asked Robert Frost, toward the end.
Yes, and even for the past, he replied,
that it will turn out to have been all right
for what it was, something we can accept,
mistakes made by the selves we had to be,
not able to be, perhaps, what we wished,
or what looking back half the time it seems
we could so easily have been, or ought…
The future, yes, and even for the past,
that it will become something we can bear.
And I too, and my children, so I hope,
will recall as not too heavy the tug
of those albatrosses I sadly placed
upon their tender necks. Hope for the past,
yes, old Frost, your words provide that courage,
and it brings strange peace that itself passes
into past, easier to bear because
you said it, rather casually, as snow
went on falling in Vermont years ago.
This week I heard of the passing of Mr. Ron Boynton and I think he would be surprised as I was of the number of memories that I had of the man that had a distinct impact on me. First of all, Mr. Boynton was the Assistant Head Master at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, Maine from about 1979 until the early 90’s. This was a pretty thankless job from what I could see. He spent all of his time punishing kids who were operating on the wrong side of the school rules, and I don’t think many students liked being caught doing whatever they were doing wrong. I will touch on how he handled the job later. There are two distinct interactions with Mr. Boynton that immediately jump to the front of my mind and for very different reasons.
The first incident occured during my freshman year of high school. I remember I had a substitute teacher in English class and we were headed to the library to do some interesting project, when I and one of my classmates thought it would be a great opportunity to sneak away from the rest of the class and go shoot baskets in the gym. It seemed like a good idea until, I heard Mr. Boynton’s voice across the gym asking us what we thought we were doing, and inviting us to enjoy the comforts of his office for the rest of the afternoon. As a fifteen year old kid, I was like any other kid I think, just trying to figure out where I fit in in the world. I had no idea. This event sticks with me because I know I deserved the punishment I got, which I don’t even remember, but I remembered the talk Mr. Boynton had with me. I can’t say for sure what the exact words were, but the gist of the conversation was, “You seem like a good kid most of the time, except for when you do stupid things. Stop doing stupid things and go to class.” I never skipped another class until I was a senior.
It was that second skip that is the second thought of Mr. Boynton that comes to mind. Toward the end of my senior year, I was involved in an incident with several classmates, where an acquaintance of ours was tragically killed in an auto accident. It affected me pretty deeply because of how I was involved. It occurred during April vacation, so when we returned to school the following Monday, they pulled all together. I thought I was hiding what I was feeling pretty good, but I really didn’t know how I was going to make it through this day, trying to pay attention and learn anything. That is when Mr. Boynton found me, not a group of people but me specifically, and told me that perhaps I should just take a couple of classes off and get it together, he would take care of everything else. The irony of the request was lost on me at the time, but today, I remember the obvious wisdom and compassion with heartfelt gratitude.
I was just one of thousands of kids that had contact with Mr. Boynton over his long career, and I am sure that there were many more who knew him better than me and were closer to him. I think that personally I would like to commend him for performing his job with dignity, consistency, caring and professionalism in the four years that I was a student at Lincoln Academy. My sympathies go out to his family and friends, who surely must be feeling the loss of this man. Most importantly I would like to say thank you to a man who made a subtle, long lasting impact on many kids including myself.
In this picture you can see the typical "work"station at Tim Horton's. Computer, Ipod, kindle, and of course cell phone. The coffee doesn't represent technology, but it was quite good. Caffeine makes me happy.
Technology Rules My Life
Yesterday, I forgot my phone at home which by itself is a pretty forgivable offense, but what i started to realize was that my life has become a reliance on a large number of electronic gadgets that continually entertain me and keep me moving from one activity to another. It seems ironic to complain about the reliance on technology and all that is bad about it, when I am writing on a computer and posting the result on my blog, but we live in the world we live in, I don’t make the rules of the game, I just play in it every day. This is what I learned from this experience.
When I realized my mistake, at first I contemplated driving an hour out of my way to go back and get my phone but then I decided to ride it out and see what the results would be. I mean, what was the worst that could happen? I was supposed to meet my associate at Tim Horton’s to use some internet and work on a collaborative project. Now he often changes plans at the last minute, ok, he always changes plans at the last minute. He was supposed to meet me at 10 AM. He finally showed up at approximately 11:30. He looked perplexed, and inquired why I didn’t answer my phone? Learning I had forgot it, he informed me that he tried to inform me of his tardiness, and had called a few times. When I did get home there were seven missed calls, a text message and a voice mail from him. I guess that if I was kidnapped at least someone would notice.
Missing My Phone Is Like Missing An Arm
Throughout the day, I began to notice how much a part of my life my phone had become. I never realized how often I look at it, to get whatever information I desire. Did someone call? Did I get a text? Was that an email? From several different account? Who has sent me a message on Facebook? What time is it? There are so many questions my little phone answers every day. I kept patting my pockets to make sure I really forgot it, I guess maybe I thought that it was hiding on me, and if I just kept looking it would reappear and tell me all of the things I need to know. It has become clear I am addicted to technology and I don’t know if I will ever be happy without it.
Total Addiction to Technology
My addiction to electronic devices makes me wonder how I ever survived my life when just having a CD player was considered “cutting edge technology”. I thought back to try to remember what life was like before cell phones. I know that I resisted the technology for a long time, I even said I would never get a cell phone, because my thought was, if people couldn’t get in touch with me, then they couldn’t bother me. My phone was at home, and I was never there, so I was rarely bothered at all. Then I gave in and got my first cell phone. It didn’t really work very well, it was brown and looked like a mini-phone. The cycle had begun. In about a year, I upgraded to a newer flip phone which at that time were brand new. Soon I was getting rid of my home phone and upgrading again. I couldn’t stop myself, this time it was for the Razor, which was just the best phone I had ever seen.
Texting is Idiotic, That’s Why I Do It
Also it is important to point out that I learned to receive and send my first text messages during this time. My first reaction to text messaging was, “That’s stupid. Why would I write something when I could just call and say it much faster. What am I an idiot?” The first text message I ever got made my phone ring, and I thought someone was calling me, I answered it and nobody was there. It was about 10 minutes later I realized what had happened. I had to ask for help to respond. After that I was hooked and still am to this day. A phone call is an investment of your time, a text message is a much smaller commitment of your time. I learned how to write everything using as few characters as possible. lol. I think that texting is a great representation of where the intellect of our world is heading. Say as little as possible with as little effort as possible. People used to write letters to each other that not only took hours to write, they took days to deliver, you really had to think about what you wanted to say. Today, these thoughts are sent and received almost simultaneously, you would think there would be better communication and problems resulting from it, but it seems like there are more. How can anyone explain that?
Computers Suck, But Can’t Live Without Them
Then you just look at the other electronic devices that make our lives move in the way that they do. Everyone has a computer of some sort, I have two, due to the natural progression of things, and I have to admit that they make my life better, but I am sure my life was good before and would be fine now if I didn’t have a computer to perform mundane tasks on. When I was in high school many years ago, there were like three computers in the whole school and only two kids knew how to use them. They were big and cumbersome and I really didn’t see that they would be very useful in any real way. In college, computers showed a little value as a great word processing tool, better than a typewriter, but little else. Then the internet came, and I am embarrassed by my initial reaction to that technology, “What the hell would I ever use that for?” Little did I know that I was witnessing the greatest revolution in information since the Guttenburg Bible. Today I would probably ask, “What the hell would I do without it?” Funny how technology has changed me and my own perceptions of life.
The Future’s So Bright, I Can’t Wait
This all makes me wonder what is coming next? Phones are already becoming interactive and before long all computers will be voice operated and will talk to you and tell you all that you want to know. It will be like talking to a really boring smart person. But it will be neat. I am already enthralled by the Iphone, because when you ask it if it is going to snow today, it answers you. That just blows my mind, and makes me want more, talking interactive books that will teach you about life in Ancient Athens. All I know is that whatever is coming, I will more than likely mock the technology at first, and then use it for the rest of my life. All I can possibly hope for is to never forget my phone again.
Why is the Bill of Rights so Important
US vs USA
