OK, I admit a fascination with language ............................................

I LOVE researching etymologies {hey, small town, no airport, whatcha gonna do? ;-) }

I also TRY to gear MY language to whomever I'm talking to; I don't discuss the theory of relativity as I was finally able to understand it, with someone who gives me vacuous stares & either a grunt or a "Hunh?"

There's a group of young men who come in every morning for coffee; there's horseplay, sugar/creamer all over, but the language is what gets to me - I asked them Monday morning if they kissed their mothers with those mouths.*

THAT being said, I do NOT agree with censorship of the 'Net - this is the greatest facilitator of communication ever developed by man - when one is able to instantly "talk" with someone in Australia or New Zealand or the UK, when one is able to research ANYTHING that interests one, the idea of censoring this source sends chills up my spine. Maybe it's because I've had the idea of 'freedom of speech' given to me from birth {it's one of those quaint American ideas}, but, due to the nature of the 'Net, there is NO comparability to shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater. {If someone is stupid enough to act on the first thing they view, consider it Darwin in action.}

VDare has an interesting article of something I had not been aware of, but will be following closely: UK Censorship in league with Obama.

They link to the wonderfully erudite Martin Kelly: Human Stains.

If this doesn't concern you, you've NO IDEA of what "freedom of speech" means.

*One of the favorite words of these young men is the "F-word" - DID you know, WERE you cognizant, of the origins of this word? It's an acronym, for For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, or Fornication Under {meaning without} Consent of the King ........................ Thus endeth your trivia lesson for the day ............................ ;-)



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To all my visitors from around the world ........................................

Merry Christmas Comments



And if you're offended, too bad!! ;-)


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New job is right on a major north-south interstate ............................................

we were getting a LOT of folks over the last week headed to Mexico, Guatemala, etc. This morning, had a young, VERY sweet young Mexican with limited English proficiency in, getting coffee, etc. As he was leaving the first time, I wished him Feliz Navidad; apparently, he's not too used to kindness/respect from most folks he deals with - he came back & tried chitchatting - asked my name, asked if I was married {bear in mind, he's late 20's/early 30's - I'm 52 & LOOK it! ;-) } - he wanted to buy me a Coke, or a beer - I think it was merely loneliness, in that he was unable to go "home", wherever that might be, and a little bit of kindness was interpreted as something more - no biggie, I can pretty much handle "situations" ......................... but he's most likely illegal, and I AM vehemently opposed to illegal immigration - don't care where you come from, as long as you come here legally ........................ but I have to admit a certain sympathy for people such as this young man ................... if Mexico & other places spent as much time FIXING their countries, as they do haranguing the U.S. to leave their illegal citizens alone here, folks such as this young man wouldn't NEED to come here as economic refugees .........................


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I started a job 8 December ...............................

clerking in a convenience store - the lady who trained me {if she stops by here, her handle is SuperNova} is THRILLED that she's able to take some time off to visit family in CA & rest assured that at least "things" will be pretty well taken care of, while she's gone {she's been there over a year, so is pretty much the owner's right hand} - she initially was friends with the FodGuy, when he'd stop in on his way home from work in the mornings - HE gets really upset when I refer to her as his 'girlfriend' - here's the thing - they're both Harley aficionados, so they can talk cams, gear ratios, shifting issues, etc. - they're both VERY well-versed in how to put computers together {her degree is in IT} - which is a WONDERFUL outlet for him, as I'm not too into such, & any men around here who are into Harleys, can be rather snooty about the whole matter - 'Nova is just a really cool lady {built HER OWN BIKE, thank you very much!} - anyhoo, she's just so tickled that I'm there, that as a Christmas gift, she bought me a box of .380 ammo, that I can practice with, & save the expensive stuff for when I'm proficient & carrying on a regular {read: everyday} basis ........................... ;-) ;-)

Just washed my hands with Baby Magic .........................................

but one can STILL smell the {gun} oil on them ......................... YES, I got my .380 today - now, from all the horror stories re: background checks, waits, etc., I was thinking it'd be next week, if not into January, before I was permitted to bring it home - I asked a county Constable yesterday who he'd recommend for gun purchases - he recommended a shop dedicated to guns, ~ 20 miles distant - I called them this morning, they HAD the .380 in stock, so I hied myself up there - chose the pistol, filled out the paperwork {had to come home & renew my driver's license online, as the feds would've claimed it was expired, even though Texas would give me to the end of the month}, took the printout back up there, he filled in HIS part, called & within five minutes, I was OK'd to bring it home - NOW, for "potential gunnies" out there, I have to provide a caveat - 6 years ago, I purchased a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun, & went through a half-hour wait, while they ran my name & SSN background check - since THAT one came back clean {I was able to take the shotgun home the same day, too}, and I've no charges/convictions/etc., in the intervening 6 years, this second check was very quick ............................. got a box of expensive ammo {20 rounds for $14.00}, but will get some cheap for use on the range. {For comparison purposes, picked up a box of "regular" ammo (50 rounds/$20.00) for my spousal unit}



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Don't hate me, Crusader Rabbit ......................................

my "big" Christmas present is going to be {drum roll, please} .......................






That's IF we can find one - Academy Sports is having problems getting them from Bersa ....................... pawn shops are selling them as soon as they come in ........................ I'll be going for my concealed carry class/certification in January, once I HAVE the pistol ....................



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I had started avoiding WalMart for our day-to-day needs .............................

I can get cat food for less @ Sam's Club or Costco, OUR needs can be met at either the local independent grocery {spousal unit prefers their meats}, or the absolutely fabulous HEB in Kingwood - but, our prescriptions have been filled at WalMart for 6+ years now, so, when I needed to drop one off yesterday, I decided to check the cookie aisle & end caps, for Archway's Cashew Nougat cookies.

Now, LAST year, they were on the shelf before Thanksgiving; when I saw them then, I grabbed a pack - when I got to the checkout, the cashier couldn't get it to scan, so according to HER, they weren't in the computer, so she refused to sell them to me ....................... fast forward to yesterday - NO Archway Christmas cookies at all on the shelves - I went to one of the store managers & told him that his bean-counters were idiots & why {WalMart has a reputation for cancelling orders of products that don't produce a high volume of sales} - HE referred me to his grocery manager - I explained to her what I was looking for, etc., etc. - she realized then that she hadn't received ANY Archway Christmas products, so would be calling her reps ................ now, the REASON for my worrying about something as ultimately inconsequential as cookies - my Dad LOVED the cashew nougats - even after he was diagnosed with diabetes, he'd still indulge in them, and Breyer's Butter Pecan ice cream, in a serving bowl, "schmeared" with Hershey's syrup & Jif peanut butter - I just can't get into the ice cream/Hershey's/peanut butter routine too often - but I CAN {WHEN I can find the da## things!} enjoy Archway's Cashew Nougat cookies, and feel closer to my Dad for a bit .................... the grocery manager allowed as how HER Dad's favorite gnosh was cornbread soaked in milk; every once in while, she'll have some cornbread {even though she doesn't LIKE it too much}, and think of her Dad .....................


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On Tuesday, 9 December, it will be 9 years since my Dad's death ...................................

he is missed, every day; I completely understand Kinsley Penny's sentiments





I don't know HOW many times over the years we said 'goodbye' to my Dad, as he went where the Marine Corps needed him; from a child's perspective, it was always too many, for too long ...................... I miss you, Daddy



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;-) ;-) ;-)

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