Second that, Amy. These heroes follow in the shining tradition of our founders, who risked and often lost their lives and fortunes in throwing off the yoke of the greatest empire of its time. I only hope that, when called upon (and I believe we will be, soon) we will also be up to the example of all patriots who have preceded us over the decades.

>> I only hope that, when called upon (and I believe we will be, soon) we will also be up to the example of all patriots who have preceded us over the decade.

Can you elaborate on that?

As is the M-Day habit, I took a slow stroll through this graveyard today. I saw Pat Boone there, solo as I was, looking about as fit despite being a generation older, but muttering to himself. When he saw that I'd seen this, he pretended to be ashamed and I pretended not to notice.

I never liked him. He got famous for being the guy who could take our nation's most powerful, threatening performance forms –rock 'n roll, specifically– and bleed the glandular quintessence from them, so that they'd be safe for Television America ... He helped people pretend that you could enjoy that profoundly human magic without actually having to deal with any pesky Negroes. For doing this, a special chair in Hell awaits him.

But as he climbed into his superbig deathfuck SUV to drive away, I took some consolation in the hope that he was muttering thanks to the soldiers underfoot who'd given him a life of such inexplicable richness. He owes people shit, and it's good to think he knows it.

Crid, you're an imbecile. What is your point, man?

Maybe Pat Boone was doing his best to get the heck away from you, creep.

Disclaimer: No, I am not any kin to Pat Boone.

You light up my life, Davey!

The feeling's not mutual. That also doesn't explain your post.

If you have specific questions, shoot. But if (as seems more likely) it was perfectly clear and you just didn't like it, then our work here is done. We've had gently chilled ocean breezes under gorgeous, gorgeous afternoon sunshine in LA all weekend, and we still have two hours to go!

So enjoy the rest of your holiday, OK?

Oh, our work is long ago done. Stay out in the sun - it'll clear your head.

Oh, our work is long ago done. Stay out in the sun - it'll clear your head.

Will have to buy a drink for the next GI I see in Itaewon. Salute to all those soldiers past and present who helped or died for the US and the world.

Eric --

What I mean is that our governments (at all levels, but especially federal, since so much of what they do is unconstitutional) have gotten so much worse than the colonists ever had it under British rule. By worse, I mean more abusive of our rights as free people.

At the same time, by dumbing down the sheep, hopelessly corrupting the political process by creating safe districts and incumbent protections, buying votes with our own tax money, and beginning the systematic practice of electoral fraud wherever elections are still up for grabs, our governments have made it darn near impossible to change our system by the ballot box. I expect that, if our freedoms are ever to be fully restored, it will have to be through extraordinary means outside the conventional system. I believe you can figure out what I'm getting at.

It'll either happen when enough (formerly) free people have nothing left to lose. Or it won't happen because not enough people care to take action, and we'll just slip into some combination of European welfare state and banana republic totalitarianism. I believe we're already on the way there.