Walking In The Snow

As I walked through the snow one winter, I saw an elderly woman trying to shovel her driveway.

It had been a deep snow, with penetrating cold after.

The city plow had cleared the street, well had piled snow to the side and left a coating that defied thawing.

The elderly lady was attempting to hack away at a huge pile left by said plow that blocked her driveway.

I was running late for a meeting, but I was not about to let this lady exhaust herself and possibly hurt herself as well.

I asked if she wanted me to help her shovel and she agreed.

It was a heck pf a job. The snow was packed tightly where the plow had pushed it. I bid the lady go inside and I chopped and chipped, taking occasional breaks, the sweat building.

Gradually, the mound receded as I piled it out of the way.

She came out a couple of times to see my progress and asked if I wanted something hot to drink.

I thanked her and just kept shoveling. Once I start, I hate to stop.

After while, I had cleared a path for her car and managed to clear the sidewalk.

She thanked me and said she would pay me.

I immediately refused, saying it was not necessary. I merely did what needed to be done. Besides, I figured she was on a fixed income and needed every cent.

She insisted, stating it was worth it. She also said it was of 'no never mind'.

I asked her if she could really part with it.

She assured me it was ok.

I accepted the money gratefully and went on my way.

Though I was in need of money, I never dreamed of asking her.

It was my duty as a fellow human being to come to the aid of an elderly lady. It was done with no thought of recompense.

It was the right thing to do.

Yet, I was rewarded and with more than her money. Her thanks was enough.

But she felt it was not and thus I was given some much needed cash.

Not planned, not premeditated. Certainly not mercenary. Totally unexpected.

I was supplied with the means to go on another day.

You never know where nor when something might come to you, when you need it most.

It beats the heck out of fretting by doing. Giving.

It's a welcome thought on another cold day.

Snow

The first snow has hit Indianapolis, a whopping one inch.

Many of the people go into a panic even for an inch of snow that has already partially melted.

News outlets stay on longer and there are several school starting time delays.

Erica's bus was just fine, she must have a driver who can handle wet slick roads lol.

There was a stringed out story how the city 'miscalculated'.

Inidianapolis has always been a bit weeny when it comes to snow.

This overdramatization is pathetic however.

How far the city has fallen.

Failed social policies continue to pile up and our Mayor, Greg Ballard has proven to be a shill for the same old crapfest politicians and selfish business interests that infest coty government.

His brilliant idea to install 'New York' style gun laws here of course fizzled before formally being introduced.

I predict it will be back eventually watered down to chip away at us.

We must stand fast and not allow this.

I'd hate to come home to Indy from that cyst on the bowel of the Republic, Los Angeles, and find us succumbing to the kooladish drivel endemic out on the coast.

It could happen.

There has been a measure to ban smoking permanently in bars etc. There was a partially successful effort and many places adopted no smoking or limited options.

The total ban was tabled but got back quickly on the agenda thanks to the Fabian tactics of such shallow Council members such as Angela Mansfield.

She tried a previous attempt at halting 'gunfire' with in ther city limits some time ago. That fizzled, thanks to a concerted effort by Freedom minded Indy folk.

I confronted her personally and during my ex's failed campaign for City-County Council membership.

She is quite a piece of collectivist work. Excuse after excuse drooled from her fork tongued mouth. I countered every one.

BTW, she somehow squeaked back to a seat on the Council. She had apparently lost then miraculously came back and won, Julia Carson style (She of the ghetto mafia who always won when it was obvious she had been outvoted. All those dead voters doncha know.).

And all the time my ex was drummed out of the primary because certain precincts were shut down 'by accident'.

Todd Rokita, our Secretary of State promised to investigate.

That was two years ago.

What happened Todd?

Hoosiers and everybody else: Don't kid yourselves. We are in as much grave danger as the rest of the country in losing our rights as we all slide into socialism.

Stand up to it as we all the while endeavor to Restore the Republic.

But don't worry. Our Mayor promises to be prepared the next time the snow hits.

I'll just keep my gun on the table next to the pc, light a cigar and sip a whiskey and laugh.

All 4 Stanzas

You rarely hear all four stanzas of the Star Spangled Banner.

It is embarrassing in its candor as to how our nation was forged.

Briefly, it was written by Francis Scott Key while imprisoned on a British ship during the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and finished when he was released at a Baltimore hotel.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

This Republic was born in war and strife. Sure many other countries are born in blood. But, the blood shed here was, I believe, righteous because it was shed for Freedom.

This Republic is like none other in history and the blood of those who have died will NOT be shed in vain!

A note on the third stanza: It talks of 'hireling' and slave', a reference to Hessians and freed slaves anxious to vent.

The Brits did free slaves, but it was NOT altruistic. It was expedient. Their economy was not dependent on slavery. It made brownie points with the people. It stuck it to the South here. It was on its way out here, except that some clung to it to the point of lasting harm for all.

Oh and think of the peoples in other colonies such as India and Africa who were little better than vassals.

Then again, we should be grateful that Western civilization was spread around the world, though many places rejected it eventually in favor of marxism. It gave many values they would not otherwise have had.

The method could have been better -s-.

These are just some reflections on the 68th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Those were enemies without. We still have many.

Now there are many more enemies within.

They should be reminded of the lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner.

Runes

Symbols are powerful.

They have come to public prominence lately with the Davinci Code and Angels and Demons among other venues.

They have always been with us.

We as humans, must find a way to express how we feel.

Captain Obvious will not attempt to encapsulate the extant history of mankind's endeavors here, merely a thought or two re what we see.

We see what we want to see.

Black, white, grey, red, etc are but a sample re color of this thought.

But more evocative are the written or drawn symbols of faith, behavior etc.

For instance, would it surprise you that there is a spiritual aspect to gangs as evidenced in their symbols?

The symbols are often warding signs that seal an area. Sure, you can see it as tagging (IE marking territories, boundaries etc) and it is. But below the surface the signs are meant to have an effect on people and places, as well as attract spirit. In our park nearby, there are gang sumbols on one side of a bridge and at the other. To some that is a claim on people as vassals as well asmaking the land their own aka marhings. If you pass over them, you are then under their influence etc.

Personally I reject this simply because it's just another extension of tyranny. I have a previous claim on me from God.

Santeria and other variants are rampant in countries south of the border. They come to play as it were here.

Some signs are appropriated that have significance to Christians and Jews as well. Crosses, six sided stars, circles etc appear in various forms.

You don't have to believe. Others do. And if the symbols mean something to them, it's all that matters.

Far as I'm concerned, they have no hold on me nor do I allow myself to be scared on any level by gangs.

I merely watch their movements and treat them as I do any other threat to Freedom.

Many a house has stars, and various Amish etal signs adorning them. Again they may be just decoration or something deeper depending on belief.

Such 'runes' (Originally alphabets used by Germanic peoples ca 3rd to 13th centuries), sigils (signets), and the previously mentioned symbols can be for weal or woe.

Like colors etc they can represent good or evil.

Or they can be simply decorations.

Many more have stars and stripes, eagles, arrows and olive branches etc.

As to what you all think, it's open to inclusion or exclusion, as we almost all have 'some' symbols, and colors are part of this, such as red white and blue, or even words vis a vis e pluribus unum etc.

My word on this is simply NOT to let anything stand in the way of Freedom.

Let things stand FOR Freedom. ;)

III

Fresh Paint

I remember working with my old friend Schleupy the house painter.

There was something renewing about giving an old house a fresh coat of paint, even a new home.

I can still smell the new coats as they were applied. They did their job and gave new life to old or bare wood.

It's quite the opposite of 'whitewashed sepulcres'. That's just a coverup of something rotten. Cheap material at that.

Often, the painting was in line with other renovation or the building of a new house.

Like any kind of construction work, especially the craftsmanship Schluepy displayed and I tried to, it's not as easy as it looks.

I thought I knew how to paint, then I met Schluep. He asked me to show him what I could do. He quietly stopped me and said he'd show me a little something, in that raspy guttural voice. Come to think of it, his voice resembled the Scarecrow's from Disney lol.

It's also quite tiring. An outside job with rollers, though simple with just brush window trim, gave me quite a workout. I ached all over the next day, so badly I had trouble getting out of bed. I did though. What choice did I have? I had a job to do. Of course, after that day, the pain was less and so on til the job was done.

It was always a great reward to clean up and go out for drinks and dinner after a good day's work. It was a suitable reward. Well, the money was good too!

Frequently the painting was the crowning achievement of a team of craftsmen. Each brought expertise to the job and made something completely new or something old new again.

Aluminum siding just doesn't do it for me. And simply because a lot of people have it, well, I see a coverup -s-. The old painted wood is still there, underneath, old paint pealing, the wood unnurtured. A good paint job preserves the wood and the variety of colors suits many a temperament.

One woman wanted her house painted bright purple. The customer is always right! Besides, it's her choice. She complimented Schluepy saying, 'Don't it just shine!' The man knew how to please!

That fresh paint smell always cheered me. I don't keep a can handy -s-, but I still like the smell of fresh paint.

It reminds me of working hard, good times, craftsmanship, friendship and preserving something for the future.

I needn't say more.

Real Monsters

Last month, I published a bunch of horror/fantasy pieces. This was the rest of the 'visit' series and some spooky vignettes centering on 10th St. near me.

I had intended them for October for obvious reasons.

My hope is you all liked them.

There were some who were dismayed that I was 'wasting' my blog space when I was supposed to be writing about Freedom. Writing about Freedom is precisely what I WAS doing.

I've talked many times about how there is a 'message in the ravioli' in these types of stories, films, etc. How one can sometimes get a point across even in a popular wide release.

First, this is my blog and I will write what I feel needs to be written. That includes how I write.

The main theme is what I have stated in my purpose here: Freedom.

I'd hate to think there is a formula or worse a 'rule' just how that is expressed.

Isn't that what we are fighting for and more?

Some things here reflect Freedom better than others, JMHO.

I also like to get people thinking, whether they agree with me or not.

That is a gateway to Freedom and in that, I hope I emulate the Founders.

I am a 3per and have sworn to fight on all levels to Restore the Constitutional Republic and defend it against the myriad real monsters threatening us, past, present and future, something by the way we have passed on to our kids.

Freedom of expression is very important to me for this place as well as my future work in Hollywood. I don't expect my production company, BurlyRose Productions to do any business with major studios. Time will tell. There are certain folks with whom I want to work and with whom I'm in contact who share the aim of Freedom.

There are real monsters.

If reading about fictional ones (Or are they -s-?) doesn't suit you, go after the ones who exist.

Child rapists are one of my chief examples. The damage they do is truly monstrous. I refuse to call them 'molestors'.

And if that is not enough, how about these monsters who are destroying this Republic?

Expose these monsters. Do everything you can to reverse what they do and have done.

And as for these seemingly fictional or supernatural monster, there is at least a factual basis. Call it the 'dark side', hell, fallen angels, people who choose to do great evil. It all begins in spirit.

You don't have to believe.

Please do what you can to bring the Republic back.

As for my writing, take it or leave it.

Oh yes. Tell others. Ring the warning bells.

And do something!

Erica's First Target

In the interest of fair play, here is a remembrance of my daughter Erica's first time at an indoor range.

We had been shooting outdoors for some time, gradually building up her skills as we had her brother's.

The first pistol I bought her was a Walther P22. It's a great plinker and it was easy for her to master it. We spent time getting her used to handling it and breaking it down.

When the kids were homeschooled, it was part of their schooling to shoot and clean guns. Industrial arts for Freedom minded children.

A sidenote: They also both did some 'home ec', where they learned to cook great food AND wash the dishes. We also worked on hunting.

We went to Popguns, the only decent indoor range in Indy.

We rented range time and the family had a fine time that evening.

Erica did exceptionately well, placing within the inner rings at least 20 out of 50 rounds and except for two rounds, got the rest within the outer rings.

The target hung on the refrigerator for a long time with her art work and school papers.

Total education was our goal. It's working out quite well!