Yeah, I'll be gone again

I'll be out for another week and a weekend. I'll be going to Scout Camp with my son, and spend a little time at the lake hideaway as well. Please stay tuned, and with any luck at all the other contributors on this blog will pitch in when I'm gone (hint hint).

Have a great week!

-Leo-

A whole lotta meme going on....

It would appear that the MOBosphere is popping up with song parodies, like here and here and here. Well, I'd like to add to that body of flippancy by contributing the following. True, it's not classic rock, but it is a classic, and I wrote it around 21 years ago, as an ode to a co-worker that kept on stealing my ideas as a radio copywriter/producer:

Big Jule (to the tune of Big John by Jimmy Dean)

It all started one day on the fifth of June,
The night that there was a big blue moon..

From that day on twasn't a donut that was safe,
From the mouth of a great big oversized waif named Jule

Refrain:
Big Juule.. big Jule, Big Juuuule--BIG BAD JULE!

Well the donut shop was a big hangout,
But she ate all the donuts and she let out a shout--
She cried "Where's more donuts?!?" and a blow of her hand
Sent another poor baker to the promised land, Big Jule.

Well all the donuts were gone, she grazed out of her range
So she went to McDonald's to watch the numbers change.
After three million burgers, she let out a sigh,
"With a meal like that I can go for some pie!" Big Jule. (Refrain)

Well all the food was gone-there wasn't a lead,
Everything was gone from fruit to seed--
So the townspeople said, "Everyone take heed!
Let's blow this town 'cause there's nothing left to feed Jule!"

'Twas a voracious appetite that led Jule on,
To eatin' everything from buildings to lawn,
And she ate and she ate til there wasn't nothin' left
But that nine-story building at 5th & Calumet-Big Jule.

Well she started on the cornerstone and ate her way indoors
She gobbled everything from the sinks to the floors...
But when she got to the trusses, the building collapsed..
and everybody knew they finally seen the last-of Big Jule. (Refrain)

Well there's not much left of that town today,
All the townspeople just moved away..
Not much of that building, 'cept a sign that's assumin':

"At the bottom of this buildin' lies a big, BIG woman--Big Jule" (refrain)

I'll stand back and wait for the tomatoes to pass.

That's gonna leave a mark!

Hat tip to Northern Alliance Wannabee, who said:

American diver Chelsea Davis attempts a 2 1/2 somersault at the world swimming championships in Montreal, forgetting that with the exchange rate, she needed a 3 1/2 Canadian.

Full story here.

Time is running out! You have til August 1 to buy anhydrous ammonia..

As of August 1, 2005, 61 new laws will go into effect on the Minnesota books. Among them would make it a felony to

...steal, purchase, or possess anhydrous ammonia with the intent of cooking meth. Anhydrous ammonia is used as fertilizer, and farmers' supplies of the product are often the target of meth producers.

Fair enough. But I thought it was already a crime to make meth.

Also, as a public service, the Ice Palace reminds you that you have only 3 days as of the time of this writing to exceed 100 mph without automatically losing your drivers license for six months. You also have only three days left to provide police officers with false information before it becomes a crime to do so, or to steal gasoline without automatically losing your license for 30 days.

Still other laws give citizens permission to do things that really shouldn't require the permission of the state in the first place:

A new law, carried by Sen. Don Betzold, DFL-Fridley, renders as useless any rental or homeowner association prohibitions against displaying the American flag or the Minnesota state flag. Anyone denied the right to display a flag must file a lawsuit, which could result in getting money for damages. Rules pertaining to the size of flags that can displayed are unaffected by the law.

and

Yet another law will allow high school students to take pain relievers such as Tyenol for minor ailments while in school (...well, right now minors could get an abortion without parental permission; this just takes away the argument on the pro life side regarding the paradox of the requirement for parental permission that was always required in order to take a tylenol).

At any rate, 61 new laws will be on the books in the state of Minnesota. In the context of the hundreds or even thousands of old laws, I wonder if simple enforcement of those already existing laws would have made the invention of most of those new laws irrelevant. For example, enforcing a shoplifting law or larceny law should have taken care of the gasoline drive-offs. Obstructing justice should have taken care of providing false information to police. As far as giving one permission to fly the American Flag, I would have figured the First Amendment would have had that one covered (freedom of political speech, anyone?). Still, I believe that lawmakers think that they have to have something to show for their salaries and per diems that they make off of the taxpayer dole. I suppose they have to support their habit of obstructionism and hyperbole somehow.

The Elder has a younger...

Chad the Elder has some great news regarding an addition to his family, as well as to the Fraters' farm club. Congratulations to Chad--may he be blessed with many rewarding years, and poopy diaper changes!

Move over, Iowa

Patrick Ruffini has a straw poll for Republican 2008 presidential hopefuls, so vote your conscience. My only problem with the poll is that it doesn't include Condi Rice in the mix. It would appear that Tom Tancredo went and shot himself in the foot (before inserting it into his mouth) and thus is effectively out of the running... my vote (out of that field) is for George Allen.

Things that make you go barf....

Captain Ed has some great info regarding the sentencing of Ahmed Ressam for a measley 22 years for plotting a deed that could have murdered hundreds at LAX. What was even more insidious than the slap on the wrist given such a scumwad, was the judge's (John Coughenour)admonishment with regard to our handling of terrorists:

"Secondly, though, I would like to convey the message that our system works. We did not need to use a secret military tribunal, or detain the defendant indefinitely as an enemy combatant, or deny him the right to counsel, or invoke any proceedings beyond those guaranteed by or contrary to the United States Constitution.

"I would suggest that the message to the world from today's sentencing is that our courts have not abandoned our commitment to the ideals that set our nation apart. We can deal with the threats to our national security without denying the accused fundamental constitutional protections.

"Despite the fact that Mr. Ressam is not an American citizen and despite the fact that he entered this country intent upon killing American citizens, he received an effective, vigorous defense, and the opportunity to have his guilt or innocence determined by a jury of 12 ordinary citizens.

"Most importantly, all of this occurred in the sunlight of a public trial. There were no secret proceedings, no indefinite detention, no denial of counsel.

"The tragedy of September 11th shook our sense of security and made us realize that we, too, are vulnerable to acts of terrorism.

"Unfortunately, some believe that this threat renders our Constitution obsolete. This is a Constitution for which men and women have died and continue to die and which has made us a model among nations. If that view is allowed to prevail, the terrorists will have won.

Now again I would say, thank God that Bush was elected. But the Captain points out the disquieting fact that Coughenor was appointed by Ronald Reagan. As saddle blankets once given to Indians were supposedly purposefully riddled with smallpox by unscrupulous traders, perhaps judicial robes are riddled with stupidity by unscrupulous liberals. Thankfully, Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas have remained immune. It is my fervent hope that Judge Roberts follows suit.

Okay, okay... ... I've been tagged...

The folks over at Freedom Dogs have tagged me for the book meme thingy... Although I haven't seriously read much (outside of periodicals and journals) since my never-ending days of reading in grad school, I do on occasion pick up a book. Some of the ones I have found to be enjoyable are: Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Tolkien, The Last Jihad and The Ezekiel Option by Joel Rosenberg, 1776 by David McCullough, and of course Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. I also found the biography of the brilliant mathemetician Paul Erdos in the book entitled, The Man who Loved only Numbers by Paul Hoffman to be absolutely riveting.

Thanks for the tag--it was fun :)

The Secular Taliban takes one in the shorts..

San Diego voters overwhelmingly supported a proposition to give the National War Memorial, which includes a giant cross, to the federal government, thus rendering moot an effort to remove the cross from what will no longer be city property. The Secular Taliban, however, has not yet given up their insidious struggle to re-make America:

"James McElroy, whose client is suing to have the cross removed from Mount Soledad, says the courts and not the voters should decide the issue. "It's fundamentally a constitutional issue," he said."

Note that the courts are the left's god, the end all and be all. Who needs legislators or voters if you can get an activist judge to side with your leftist causes? Keep telling yourself: This is why we elected a Republican as president (can you say Judge Roberts?), and why the White House is so important.

Beware of shrews in sheep's clothing.

Senator Hillary Clinton is talking a good talk lately. On Savage tonight, a guest host, supposedly very conservative, expressed that Clinton's apparent move to the center may actually be genuine. After all, she's the only one talking up the need to get tough on immigration. She's become a hawk with regard to Iraq. She is said to support Bush's nomination of John Roberts.

What everyone appears to be failing to recognize, is that Hillary, being intelligent, and being a good democrat knows that she cannot win the presidency by running on who she is. She knows that in order to win in 2008, she has to run by portraying herself as what she is not. This following Biblical passage is one that is well worth remembering in the coming years:

Matt 7:15-23

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

If you want to know where Hillary Clinton stands on issues, her history of actions speak volumes more than do her words.

When I'm not blogging...

I'm here: (in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota)...I'll have to admit that it's been probably the most enjoyable summer of my entire lifetime, as I have been able to realize that there are beautiful things to see in life and roses to smell amidst the dungheap that is politics and the culture war. The problem is that I have been unfaithful to my "blogging mistress" and have neglected her quite a bit lately (there's no internet access at the lake). This summer has been great in other ways as well. I have had the chance to spend time with some of the older kids, travelling to Bozeman, Montana, where our second eldest son is working in construction while deciding what he wants to do with his life (amidst the backdrop of beautiful mountains). The wife and I also had a chance to engage in some wilderness camping, where the scenery was magnificent, and close encounters with wildlife were legion:

This bear just happened to wander into our campsite, and was a bit aggressive for my taste. He wandered in, and we yelled at it and threw rocks toward it. He retreated, but only momentarily, and came toward us again. Again, we yelled and threw rocks toward it, at which time it climbed up a tree and hissed at us. It came down the tree and came toward us again, when we decided to run after it and chase it away with more rocks. Luckily the bruin had the good sense to retreat for good. Despite the unexpected encounter with creatures, we did manage to take in some beautiful scenery:


Mt. Sacajewaia, around 40 miles north of Bozeman..








We also got a chance to take in Yellowstone and the South Dakota Badlands on our return trip:


No matter how much driving is involved, I never tire of travelling. There's always something to see... even in South Dakota.

Which Monty Python Character Are YOU?

You're Sir Lancelot the Brave: you're definitely brave alright, perhaps a bit too brave in some circumstances (large, festive gatherings come to mind), but you're always in your own idiom.

Take the Which Monty Python & The Holy Grail character are you? Test @ The Monty Python & The Holy Grail Unofficial Fan Site

Finally Made It!

After several tries I have finally made it to the Ice Palace. Thanks to Psycmeister for the invitation and I hope that I can contribute something to this blog.

I'll be "out of pocket" for another week...

I'll be going to Montana, wildnerness camping for the next week with my son who lives in Bozeman. As access to the net will be extremely limited at best I won't be able to blog for another week at least. However, I leave the Ice Palace in the capable hands of Richard, along with another member who has been trying to join the team for quite some time now.. hopefully the Blogger gods will smile kindly upon him and allow him to do so once and for all. Nauti by Nature, a Canadian who is highly involved in political circles there, will soon become a regular contributor to the Ice Palace. The Ice Palace extends a warm welcome to him!

Trivia For a worthy Cause... tonight at Keegan's

Where: Keegan's on Hennepin and University

When: 8pm-???

What: All American Trivia Night and fundraiser for Soldiers' Angels. Reps from SA will be on hand to collect donations and a portion of the night's drink specials will go toward the cause. You can find more info on Soldiers' Angels here:

Soldier's Angels

Thanks for your support.

Regards,

The Gents at Fraters Libertas

Why I sing

Over the past few weekends I've been in a few local town parades.. in our Barbershop chapter newsletter, the following was printed:

My story begins on the parade route at the Waite Park Spass Tag Celebration. We were heading down the main drags of the parade route when I heard a voice from behind me say, "Ryan, why aren't you singing for us?" I turned around and saw Becky, one of the tellers I had worked with from the Wells Fargo Sartell office. It appeared that she had her whole family sitting there waiting attentively to hear some music. I chuckled and said, "You really want to hear us?" She said, "Yeah, let's hear something!" I looked around and yelled for a few of the guys to come over and sing. Jeff, Tom, Bob, Dan and Leo scurried over and we began to bicker over what to sing. Finally deciding on Down Our Way, we sang for the anticipating audience. It wasn't the best you ever heard by far, but we did a decent representation of the song. The crowd of people cheered, and on our way we went.

A couple of days later I ran into Becky again. She said, "Ryan, I have to tell you something. What you guys did for my family was not just sing a song. You had my family in tears!" I couldn't imagine we were that bad, so I asked, "Why?" Becky said, "My grandfather has been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for many years, and has been relatively unresponsive." She went on to say, "When you guys finished singing, my grandfather had a smile from ear to ear and was clapping for you guys." He has never been as responsive as he was when you guys sang for him!" Becky wanted to thank everyone who was involved with this moment. She had even said that Leo had saluted her grandfather and that her grandfather saluted back to him.

. After reading this I was really choked up. I had noticed that there was a flag on the man's wheelchair, and he looked like he was retired Army, so I saluted him. I have noticed also, that whenever we sing in nursing homes, the people are very appreciative. I do believe that music does have the power to touch people in ways no other force can. It is great to be a barbershopper!:)

Happy Independence Day

C-ya Tuesday :)