If
Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master;
If you can think -- and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run --
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son!
 
 

I think we all know this could just as easily read
"You'll be a Lady, my daughter!"
My personal "Thanks" go out to all our fine Ladies and Gentlemen    "Over there."

Lest we forget.

I have had this picture here for years.
On April 11 2007 my Dear Friend Jane Cormier
sent me an email with the following information.
Naturally I include it here with gratitude.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk
across the tomb of the Unknown and why?

21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute,
which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1.

3. Why are his gloves wet?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and if not, why not?

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb.
After his march across the path, he executes an about
face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

5. How often are the guards changed?

Guards are changed every thirty minutes,
twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb,
he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30."
Other requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of
life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot
drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot
swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform
{fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath
pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb.
There are only 400 presently worn.
The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat
and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the
top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.
There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform.
Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.
The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV.
All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid
to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are
and where they are interred. Among the notables are:
President Taft, JoeE. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy,
{the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame.
Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our
US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC
evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the
hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They
respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin,
marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding
the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be
afforded to a serviceperson.
The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

God Bless and keep them.

By Rudyard Kipling

NOTE: Tommy Atkins is the British forerunner of GI JOE.

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!

Note: Wind used to be pronounced as in wind a clock.

Another Great Kipling Poem courtesy of

Here's an exciting update on the U.S. flag!
It seems that a Salem Seafaring man one
Captain Stephen Driver
Was presented with a New 24 Star American Flag
In 1831. As the Flag unfurled in the Salem breeze
Driver, inspired by the sight exclaimed,
"OLD GLORY!"
AND this is only the beginning of the story.
I refer you to this page for the rest.
Click Here.

O.K. Here's another very cool Salem note. (I think so anyway.)
Incidentally this is also from the Civil War period.
The battle Hymn of the Republic seems to have gotten its start
courtesy of one Patrick S. Gilmore who at that time was a member
and probably the leader of a Salem based marching band,
which at that time was the best band in the country.
WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHIN' HOME AGAIN
Was written by the same Gentleman.

Not only that but it seems he started the New Year's Eve countdown
that will be celebrated in just a few days as of this writing!!!
Click his picture for particulars.
 

Worried about the world today?
Well here's a Penny from 1916.
He's still around. Give him a click for good luck!

How cool is this!?!?!
Wooden Nickels!
AND you can get them free!!
Click the Nickels to get FOUR, one of your own and THREE to share
Free! (As in FREEDOM!)

http://www.clown-ministry.com/History/red-skelton-pledge.html
Remember This? If you love your country you might want to hear it again.

Overseas there came a pleading,
"Help a nation in distress."
And we gave our glorious laddies
(and ladies these days),
honor bade us do no less,
For no gallant son of freedom
to a tyrant's yoke should bend,
And a noble heart must answer
to the sacred call of "Friend".

Iyama MeterMahden, Bad Tire Bob and Isawya Comin,

(Remind you of Osama Benladen and Bagdad Bob? They're supposed to!)
They are two crooks I met in my travels
from New York to Los Angeles and back again.
And one I caught on my way to New York.
The only good news is their crooked acts have been going on
since Marko Polo went to China!
But if someone would be so kind
please explain to me why why it is so bad
for American Children sent into combat in a foreign counteies
to hate and mistreat imprisoned Enemy soldiers who were trying to kill them
when it is O.K. for these guys to rob people and its an accepted thing?

Bad Tire Bob has a gas station about million miles from nowhere in the desert.
If he spots somebody he thinks he can fool,
( like a certain very cute, innocent girl I am in love with)
he will try to sell you tires you don't need.
He had her car up on the lift and had her almost convinced
she HAD to have new tires right away when I stepped in.
The sad part is he's really good at what he does.
He's a smooth talker and a very slick con artist
and I would have complimented him on his crooked skills
but he got mad at me when I quashed the sale
so I left with out saying anything.
One of his lines was, "Don't loook at the goood part,
loook at the baaad paart!" (This was out West.)
The sad thing is he's probably selling people tires
that aren't even as good as the tires they already have!
As a parting note the old tires are still on the car
and will last two or three years more.
 

Here is the scoop on Iama MeterMahden
If you go to Los Angeles be careful where you park
or they will rip you off!
In Los Angeles they will give you a ticket
even if you are parked where a sign says you can park!

See? Didn't believe me did you. AND,
I protested the ticket and they upheld it
and sent me a form to request a hearing with
knowing perfectly well I wasn't coming all the way across the country
to fight a phony parking ticket.
They claim that you can't park where the curb is painted red even if there's a sign.
In Massachusetts where I had to learn the laws
to get my driver's license that's not how it works.
A live policeman can tell you to go when the light is red.
A light can tell you to go when the sign says no,
and a sign is posted to tell you why the curb is painted.
Such as "No parking here to corner."
If the sign says you can park then you can park.
Is this what American kids are fighting and dying for in distant lands?
To defend somebody's right to rip you off?
That doesn't work for me.
And don't tell me "Its been going on for ten thousand years."

AND more of the same to the cop in Connecticut 
who claimed he clocked me on laser at "85 Yup, Yup, Yup." 
when I was doing less than sixty AND there was a trailer truck between him and me
not to mention a lot of cars.
I should also mention that he was in his car facing ahead not out with a laser gun!
I'm calling HIM Isawya Comin.
I have his badge number and name.
He was careful to give me an illegible ticket
but I scanned it into the computer and enhanced it!
If you get a phony ticket there which I understand is not unusual
Get in touch with me and let's see if its the same guy.
If so I will come down there and testify for you.
Even if it doesn't help we might get on the news
and give the guy a black eye in front of the whole country!

(Click Uncle Sam to see what Cops look like when you get to be my age!)