Face

Some hippie chick - Housatonic Community College - 1974 - do not leave her alone in a car with french fries or she will write your name with the fries on your seat!

Happy 4th - god bless amerika!

god bless amerika June/July 2007

part 1 – preamble
The sound of the drum
Beating
Like a tribal beat in the jungle
It says,
“Follow us people
listen to us
we’re your government
we’ll protect you
just follow our simple rules.”

part 2 – ravings
But the people shouldn’t follow the government
The government should follow the people.
It’s a struggle
To love the country – which is wonderful
And the people – who are great
But despise the government
Which has been overrun by swarms of incompetents
like that big red shinny thing
In the Steve McQueen movie “The Blob”

part 3 – the new pledge
I pledge allegiance to the flag
- not any political parties
of the United States
- not the Red states, or Blue states, or Purple states;
or any other colors assigned to us by an arbitrary media
of the United States of amerika
and to the republic
- the good working people of amerika
for which it stands
one nation –
which together stands better and stronger and more decent than the
political hacks we have voted to represent us and more understanding of each other than the political talking heads, who spend endless hours weaving phrases and labels that would have you believe people with honest differences actually – and should – hate each other
one nation Under God
- in the many – and every - forms she takes
indivisible
with liberty
- for us all to enjoy – like a mustang convertible on a summer day with the top down and Pet Sounds blasting
and justice
- from the tormented and wrongly persecuted to those who spill the innocent blood of our people and others in the name if oil, power and their lies to gain both
for all –
- not inherited by a few
- not horded by the rich and powerful
- not to be belittled by the politicians who benefit in us being filed away in negative stereotypes
- not to be toyed with – like the media who are unquestioning about a criminal and deceptive act of war just because they got a tank ride out of the deal… a FUKEN TANK RIDE!
- not to be shunned like those who can’t afford to buy into the intentionally impossible to maneuver and exploitive maze called the amerikan health care system
- not to be taken away – like so much we have loved has been taken away

for all -

part 4 – preamble revisited
The sound of the drum
Beating
Like a tribal beat in the jungle
It says follow us people
Listen to us
Do as we say
And we will do whatever we want
Until we the people
Say
NO!

Dead West - by Jack (Another original story by The Armored Emu)

This is my Gun

This is my Gun October 2006

Some years ago, I found myself spending a weekend on business in a friendly southern city. I was representing a major firearms manufacturer at a trade show, which meant I would spend 10- to 12-exhaughsting-hours each day talking advertising strategy and media placements.
On Saturday night, after grabbing a bite to eat and a soda at a Subway sandwich shop, I decided to take a leisurely stroll through the city before heading back to my hotel.
Whenever I traveled on business I would always try to keep a night free of meetings so I could see the city I was in. Otherwise, all I would ever see is the inside of a convention center.
On this cool, clear night, as the sun started setting, I came across a small crowd of about 30 people - most holding hands - by a fountain in a small public courtyard. I walked over to get a closer look and noticed they were praying. A black woman, probably in her late-50s, took my hand and said, “Thanks for coming,” as she pulled me closer to the crowd.
"I'm just here to watch," I said.
She replied, "Of course you are. But we can all use a good prayer."
I'm not big on prayer. I could have just as easily walked on and grabbed a beer somewhere, but this situation seemed welcoming. Comfortable.
I'm not big on guns either. I stepped into the gun account at work as a temporary measure so my firm would not lose the manufacturer as a client.
The client actually loved me because I had prior military experience. They had no idea I had a "cannot qualify for firearm use" on my record because of my staunch opposition to guns.
Most of the prayers were silent, although every so often someone would pray loudly for an end to gun violence or for the overall safety of our children on the streets.
In about 20 minutes time, the crowd grew to about double the size and started heading towards the convention center. The people we passed nodded and waved - some joined us and a few took photographs of us.
I walked with the crowd for a few blocks - engaging those around me in small talk about kids, music and the city. But I soon pulled away so I could get to my hotel.
Early Sunday morning I was back on the trade show floor getting ready for another day of guns and meetings when the lawyer for the gun manufacturer dropped a pile of newspapers onto a nearby table.
"Looks like there was a protest outside the conventions center last night," she said. "There's supposed to be another one today."
The newspaper on top of the pile had a photograph of some people in front of the civic center holding hands, their heads bowed in prayer.
My heart skipped a beat as the thought struck me that it probably wouldn't be cool if I were in one of those photos. But as I grabbed the stack of newspapers and started looking though them, a calmer thought overcame me:
Who am I kidding? I'm not a gun person. I won't be long for this.