Outlaws, Outrages and Outright Lies
Wandering Soul Blog
From CNN: Marjorie taylor Greene accuses Nancy Pelosi of sending the Gazpacho Police to enforce House Rules.
For the record, Gazpacho is a Spanish soup. (Quite good too.)
Fhttps://www.cnn.com/2022/02/13/opinions/greene-gazpacho-police-sums-it-up-column-galant/index.html
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The anthem of our youth, the day the music died,
our better days forsooth, we might’a even cried.
On that fateful night, our troubles would set in,
and somehow it seemed, we’d never laugh again.
The tappin’ of our toes, could not dispel our woes,
Rock and Roll just froze, or so the story goes.
No more Chantilly lace, no more Peggy Sue,
Teardrops on her face, Donna’s feelin’ blue.
The wreckage of a dream, lay scattered in a field,
and Camelot did seem, like Paradise repealed.
A war without end, more soldiers to send,
The people wouldn’t bend, in streets they’d contend.
Sing a protest song, nuthin’ can go wrong,
Pass along a bong, to liberate Mekong.
Cities all aflame, no one takes the blame,
Our rights we proclaim, yours’ are not the same.
Martin, John and Bobby, a-lying in State
We wondered when we’d see, the end of the hate.
Quarters in the juke box, remind us of those days,
when we took some knocks, along life’s rocky ways.
Good times never stay, ask me how I know,
they simply melt away, like teardrops in the snow.
LDT Feb 3, ‘22
Don Mclean’s American Pie (A musical collage):
Meaning of American Pie by Don McLean (w/lyrics) – YouTube
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Over in Apartment Three, just across the hall from me,
lives a man of mystery, not the sort I like to see.
He has a funny sounding name, and our skin is not the same.
no, it’s not he that I distain, and I, of course, should not complain.
He’s not an ordinary gent, I’d have to say he’s different,
no, I’m not intolerant, but he seems to me irreverent.
He worships on a different day, and in a very different way,
if it were up to me to say, I have never even seen him pray.
I know nothing of his work, a surreptitious clerk,
wherever does he lurk, slipping through the murk?
He might be a Socialist, or a sneaky terrorist.
that shifty look I missed, with the clenching of his fist,
With everything I saw, could he have broke the law?
now my suspicions gnaw, deep within my craw.
Report him I must, in the State I do trust,
his thoughts are unjust, his error must be crushed.
A statement I have sworn, he is rotten to the core,
the authorities I must warn, soon they knock upon his door.
Shortly after his arrest, major charges are assessed,
my neighbor has transgressed, his thoughts must be suppressed.
The wicked man is put a way, and I’m the hero of the day,
but I, too, have a dossier, I am now the regime’s prey.
I have been denounced, for the thoughts I have pronounced,
the gendarmes on me pounce, on my liberty they trounce.
Oh, why did I deviate, from the teaching of the State?
No one left to mediate, for me it is just too late.
LDT Jan 29, ‘22
Governor Youngkin of Virginia has set up a Tip Line for parents to report “divisive’ teaching in public schools. Presumably, this will enable him to dictate what is taught. This is freakishly similar to the way the Nazis controlled the indoctrination of their children. Nazi education was designed to promote loyalty to the State. It reinforced the Nazi ideals of extreme nationalism, the superiority of the Aryan race and the need for racial purity. Children were urged to report/denounce educators who did not conform to Nazi standards. I am reminded of Martin Niemöller’s classic poem, “At First They Came for the Jews”. If we do not stand up for freedom of expression for all, we will eventually lose our own freedoms.
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The desert sun is shinin’ down on me and you,
no, it ain’t the Islands, but it will have to do.
No palms and no ocean, just cholla and mesquite,
but I’ve got a notion, our life is pretty sweet.
The waves are not crashing, upon a sandy beach,
but blessings we are stashing, within a lover’s reach.
Forget about the Islands, the desert is our home,
in your eyes are diamonds, there’s no need to roam.
LDT Jan 22, ‘22
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On a desert island, middle of a plague,
Love that never falters, never will it fade.
The only one to touch, nestled here at home,
Though we sorely miss the places we did roam.
In these turbid times, we pick each other up,
Though it should be empty, you did fill my cup.
Fifty years and holdin’, our time was always Golden.
My heart did you embolden, to you I am beholden.
LDT Larry and Karen’s 50thth Anniversary, January 21, 2022.
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Life is just a gamble, a-rollin’ of the die,
might become a shamble, never knowin’ why.
Take a spin on the wheel, let the number ride,
if it’s y’er turn to deal, never stand aside.
Blackjack’s just a game, you win or you lose,
love is much the same, gotta’ pay some dues.
I headed off to Vegas, this time not alone,
Life has lots of stages, the future is unknown.
Pretty girl at my side, is she the one for me?
And never have I eyed, someone of such beauty.
The desert sun is settin’, as we’re rollin’ into town,
Forget about the bettin’, we are courthouse bound.
Our wager is our license, we head out on the Strip,
and if it all makes sense, it becomes a lifelong trip.
The Chapel of the Bells, preacher ties the knot,
There’s nuthin’ that dispels, the love that we’ve got.
Spent our money on a ring, we’ll dine at Burger King,
To each other we do cling, that ain’t no simple thing.
No matter where we ramble, it’s always you and I,
Life is just a gamble, a-rollin’ of the die.
LDT Jan 21, ‘22
Larry and Karen were married at the Chapel of the Bells, Las Vegas, Nevada on January 21, 1972.
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APACHE JUNCTION, AZ. Virgil Stanley Thill crossed the Great Divide on January 8, 2022 after a short battle with lung cancer. Virgil was born to Rex and Marian (Wilson) Thill in Malta, Montana on October 27, 1940. He was raised in Glasgow and graduated from Glasgow High in 1958.
Upon graduation he joined the United States Marine Corps, in part, because he heard that they had a string of bucking horses at Camp Pendleton. Trained as a mechanic, he rose rapidly in the ranks and received a prestigious assignment to a Military Advisory and Assistance Group in Korea.
Upon leaving the Service he did ranch work and rodeoed for a while. A job with Montana Power in Havre helped him learn to operate and maintain construction equipment. He ultimately worked all over the West maintaining road construction and paving equipment.
Virgil eventually retired to Apache Junction, Arizona. Though Macular Degeneration robbed him of much of his vision, he continued to lead an active and productive life. He celebrated 31 years of sobriety last year. He loved the Lord, the NFL, the PRCA and PBR.
Virgil also loved children. His stepkids, nieces and nephews and younger cousins all adored him. He leaves behind his brothers John of Hico, Texas and Larry of Sierra Vista, Arizona, and stepchildren Debbie of Utah and Randy and Eddie of Montana.
Per his wishes, there will be no service. He wanted his remains to be sprinkled in a garden to help it grow. Please remember Virg with an act of kindness for someone.
Out Behind the Chutes
Life is like a buckin’ chute, comin’ at ya’ hard,
get’s a little better if yer brother is yer pard.
Big brothers are the best, I’m lucky I got two,
now one of them is gone, and I’m feelin’ blue,
They taught me how to swim and how to ride a bike,
in between they took the time to take me for a hike.
Limp and wet, Virg pulled me from the pool,
And as I coughed the water up, he wiped away the drool.
One time, Virgil saved me from electric shock,
You could hear me holler half-way down the block.
They bought our Mom a present and said that I chipped in,
When we played a game of cards, they often let me win.
They taught me how to shift and how to work the clutch,
Though at first it seemed, I didn’t have the touch.
They took me to the Church and to the Sunday School,
They hoped that I would learn about the Golden Rule.
They bandaged up my cuts and washed away the hurt,
Rode me to the ER, when my blood began to spurt.
They grew up and went off to serve our great land,
I was so proud of them that they took a stand.
Later they would pave the roads and put the dirt in place,
and I would still appreciate their wisdom and their grace.
Now Virgil, he is gone, we’re left to carry on,
No use to fret upon, his final curtain drawn.
He’s crossed the Great Divide, made his final ride,
And if I even tried, my tears I could not hide.
One day my time will come, at the end of my run,
But Lordy don’t be glum, I’m gonna’ find someone.
Saint Peter have you seen him in his cowboy boots?
I’ll betcha we can find him out behind the chutes.
LDT Jan 8, ’22
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There’s a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere….*
In the darkest days of the war,
did they know what was in store?
Toss that apron, roll up those sleeves,
let’s go beat those Nazis.
No more calls for America First,
we see the world at its worst.
Send our sons off to war,
we must avenge Corregidor.
Make this world a better place,
inspiring all the human race.
Stand for justice, Rule of Law,
don’t be Freedom’s last hurrah!
Show them all what Freedom is,
stopping tyrants is our biz.
We respect the Rights of Man,
the Constitution is our plan.
We lift up the other fellow,
Be he Black, Brown or Yellow.
Don’t take away his vote,
he is not your scapegoat.
Cancel all that hate,
before it is too late.
Serve the nation well,
ring out Freedom’s Bell.
If Democracy has died,
you, at least have tried.
A banner so star-spangled,
has all of us entangled.
Let’s do a course correction,
We don’t need no insurrection.
LDT Jan 6, ‘22
*In the dark early days of World War II, Elton Britt inspired the nation with the song, “There’s a Star-spangled Banner Waving Somewhere”. America put aside its differences, abandoned its selfish isolationism and went to work making the world a far better place. We became the Beacon of Democracy for the Free World and the oppressed peoples of other lands.
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Elton Britt’s version of “There’s A Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere” (1942)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwxVLQcG9pA
I don’t watch many movies.
I rarely recommend them.
The Netflix film, Don’t Look Up is an exception.
It is a parody of and a metaphor for our time.
The plot includes:
A catastrophe facing humanity.
A nerdy scientist who becomes a sex symbol.
A beautiful whistleblower who must be silenced.
Media obsessed with celebrity and scandal.
A government in denial.
A bombastic President driven by power and image.
A tech guru with too much influence.
A coverup.
Exploitation of a crisis for political gain.
Decisions based on greed instead of science.
Conspiracy theorists screaming “HOAX!”
In the end a cataclysmic event destroys all life on the planet. One gets the feeling that this finale was well-deserved. The film is artfully produced and the acting is superb. Jennifer Lawrence gave an exceptional performance. Don’t Look Up gets five stars from me.
Perhaps the most poignant part of the movie was Yule’s prayer as the end draws near:
“Dearest Father and Almighty Creator
We ask for your Grace tonight, despite our pride
Your forgiveness, despite our doubt
Most of all Lord, we ask for your love to soothe us through these dark times
May we face whatever it is to come in your divine will with courage and open hearts of acceptance
Amen”
Outlaws, Outrages and Outright Lies