The world turns, but stays still

Meaning nothing seems to change. Hey, Google paid me! Biggest check so far!! They wired it on the 23rd and of COURSE, my bank cleared it today at 12 noon-ish. Ack! Anyway, the wifial unit decided she needed milk and ice (don't ask...), so off we went to town. I took out $100. at good ole Sheetz and put $50. in the tank... it didn't quite fill it >:-(

Next, was Taco Bell -- I like their fresco crunchy tacos and it's got the least carbs and sugar so woohoo. This was then followed by the obligatory Starbucks. Next, to Rita's for some custard... (okay, I'm addicted to Rita's!!). Next on the Wee trip of "fun" was to get her nails "filled" something I don't know much about, but if she loses one, it will cost a bunch to redo them... okay, whatever. Last, Giant for ice and milk. I kept Pacha company in the car the whole time... was nice today, a little warmish, but still not jungle hot yet. Back home, an argument of epic proportions was had, to the enjoyment of all. Anyway, them's the facts and dat's how a'hm is a gonna report 'em.

In the Meantime...
WWII is done and Rob and Harry have begun updating. :-) Also, Civil War is mostly done, only needing a navigation kludge to weave it together until I can get a real one figured out. Next is Ancient Periods for Kim, as I know he is chompin' at the bit to get at it. Things are looking up. I wish Google was spitting out more $$, but it's okay. I had signed up on some of the google boards and now get spam form some of these guys. Yeah, it'd be neato-keen to get $500.+ a day from my ads, but I doubt it'll happen -- what I see these guys doing looks like scammery. Don't really wanna lose my account due to that.

Back to the Mines
Anyway, my "weekend" is over. Gott sei Dank that it was a holiday or I'd a only had one day off. That's kinda sucky when it happens -- 'tis like working 6 days straight -- it kills my back and there's not enough time off to undo the damage.

Memorial Day

Remember Me...

© 2005 by Jimmie Barlow (Jimmiebarlow@aol.com)

Remember me as your son
when you used to doctor my bumps
remember me playing in the dirt
remember me crying when i would get hurt
remember walking to get my diploma
remember arguing and saying I'm gonna
remember me as a man doing my job
remember me , and please don't sob.
I did what I had to do no matter what
I was heavily trained and I fought
no regrets as I am in a wonderful place
Remember me when you look at my purple heart in your glass case.

Moose Stuff

When I was younger, say in the early days of my reenactorness, I heard and grew fond of the Moose Song. A song that is great to sing and fun to sing with a lot of people. If you don't get it, well so what, I don't get a lot of things either. It's fun, ah likes it 'Nuff said!

Die Mooselied
1. When I'm in the mood for a very good lay,
I go to the closet and get me some hay.
I go to the window and spread it around,
for the mooses will come when there's
hay on the ground.
...And its moose, moose, I want a moose,
I've never had anything quite like a moose.
I've had lots of women me life has been loose,
but I've never had anything quite like a moose!

2. When I was a young man I really liked girls.
I played with their bodies and fondled their curls.
But my girl ran off with a salesman named Bruce,
I've never been treated that way by a moose!
And its moose, moose usw.

3. I've done it with all kinds of beasties with hair.
I'd do it with snakes if their fangs were not there.
I've done it with sheepdogs, a llama, a goose,
but I've never had anything quite like a moose!
...and its moose, moose usw.

4. Gorillas are fun on a Saturday night.
Lions and tigers, they put up a fight.
But the feeling I get when I ram their caboose
is like nothing I get when I'm humping a moose.
...and its moose, moose usw.

5. And now that I'm old and advanced in my years,
I look to my past and shed not a tear.
I sit in my chair with a glass of vermouth,
playing hide the salami with Margaret the Moose
...and its moose, moose usw.

Started it is!

Finally, I did some real work on the WWII section... it's not all linked together, but the main WW2 pages are there, plus all the Allied pages and Axis Main. I'm too tired to keep after it. Will work on that tomorrow. It's just labor-intensive :-0 However, saying all that, it's not so hard, mainly a lot of search-and-replace in the code I am transferring over -- you just have to get that right or it's ALL messed up.

What else?
I dunno... we had chili tonite. Watched the series finale of M*A*S*H as it was on and I really needed a break. Kind of wierd looking at it... you see sooo many 70-isms and stuff. Plus, being a reenactor-geek, I see ALL the farbisms (besides long hippy hair on 1950's American military) and Wee hates me going on about stuff like that :-0 Kinda like Cross of Iron with the long 70's hair... a great movie that needs CGI haircuts real bad.

Battlestar Galactica
Galactica last night was interesting. They seem to just be going off on some wierd tangent. I wonder if it will all end with Zac Adama getting out of a shower and it all being a bad dream of Starbucks?? Ron Moore couldn't get away with that nowadays as this kind of thing is considered old and hackneyed. Who's the final Cylon? I'm betting on Gaeta... kinda seems that way, but I bet it's too obvious. Cottle maybe or a real kicker would be Bill Adama. Or the President... We shall see -- in TWO weeks, of course... isn't that bunch of crap how they do that when a series is winding down... hey, Sci-Fi, you idiots... I'm not gonna watch your other crap in the mean time. I hate corporate hacks.

Town
Was going to go to town to pay my rent and get my meds, but couldn't get a hold of my landlord. Will go to his work tomorrow. Then on to Wally World with the $4. prescriptions (probably made in China, but who can afford US made?). Shopping at Wal-Mart is like bills, you just sweep the thought under a mental rug and don't look at it. You'd like to shop somewhere else, give the money to Americans, but it's kinda hard when everywhere else is sooooo expensive. You know what I mean.

A bit o' the Drinkin' it was...

Okay, only 2 beers and 4 red-headed sluts (Kent's fav drink nowadays)... At least I didna drink one of the Irish Car Bombs... not tonite. Some time when I don't have to come home, drive or anything else.

So, how's your life? Mine's a quagmire of bills and the long, slow slog to get out from under them :-( Ack! Not ready to be profound tonite...

Maybe my ass will get WWII going tomorrow.

Okay... THIS is AWESOME!

I'm becoming such a feel-good dork!! But really, this is just a really cool little commercial for the Discovery Channel... Wee showed it to me tonite on Discovery and I had to add it here so my 1-2 readers can share in the wonder and neatness of it :-) Boom-de-ada!

The Magma guy reminds me of my friend Kim :-)

One More Song That I Find Haunting

I've read about it, but some of this song sure makes you think and just has a real haunting quality to it. And of course, that's the purpose of the lyrics isn't it — and it's done SO well in this song. What's weird is that Garth Brooks won't let his stuff be on iTunes... so I bought a version by Dan Roberts (one of the composers of the song). Guess what, I think I like Dan Robert's version better :-0

This is not the first time Mr. Brooks has done something like this... he was one of the movers trying to make it so artists got a cut off of USED CD's >:-( I'm all for artist's rights, but come on... if I buy a used car, Ford shouldn't get a cut! He'd get more sympathy in his battles (as most of HATE the record labels for Killing Napster) if he'd realize his fans are not his enemies.

The Beaches of Cheyenne

They packed up all his buckles
And shipped his saddle to his dad
And by the way the house looked
She must have took it bad
The workers come on Monday
To fix the door and patch the wall
They say she just went crazy
The night she got the call

He was up in Wyoming
And drew a bull no man could ride
He promised her he'd turn out
Well it turned out that he lied
And their dreams that they'd been livin'
In the California sand
Died right there beside him in Cheyenne

They she just went crazy
Screamin' out his name
She ran out into the ocean
And to this day they claim
That if you go down by the water
You'll see her footprints in the sand
'Cause every night she walks the beaches of Cheyenne

They never found her body
Just her diary by her bed
It told about the fight they had
And the words that she had said
When he told her he was ridin'
She said then I don't give a damn
If you never come back from Cheyenne

They she just went crazy
Screamin' out his name
She ran out into the ocean
And to this day they claim
That you can go down by the water
And see her footprints in the sand
'Cause every night she walks the beaches of Cheyenne

Nobody can explain it
Some say she's still alive
They even claim they've seen her
On the shoreline late at night
So if you go down by the water
You'll see her footprints in the sand
'Cause every night she walks the beaches of Cheyenne

Yes every night she walks the beaches of Cheyenne

A song fer ma life

This ALWAYS struck a chord with me

Guitar Town
(Steve Earle)

Hey pretty baby are you ready for me
It's your good rockin' daddy down from Tennessee
I'm just out of Austin bound for San Antone
With the radio blastin' and the bird dog on
There's a speed trap up ahead in Selma Town
But no local yokel gonna shut me down
'Cause me and my boys got this rig unwound
And we've come a thousand miles from a Guitar Town

Nothin' ever happened 'round my hometown
And I ain't the kind to just hang around
But I heard someone callin' my name one day
And I followed that voice down the lost highway
Everybody told me you can't get far
On thirty-seven dollars and a jap guitar
Now I'm smokin' into Texas with the hammer down
And a rockin' little combo from the Guitar Town

Hey pretty baby don't you know it ain't my fault
I love to hear the steel belts hummin' on the asphalt
Wake up in the middle of the night in a truck stop
Stumble in the restaurant wonderin' why I don't stop

Gotta keep rockin' why I still can
I gotta two pack habit and a motel tan
But when my boots hit the boards I'm a brand new man
With my back to the riser I make my stand
And hey pretty baby won't you hold me tight
We're loadin' up and rollin' out of here tonight
One of these days I'm gonna settle down
And take you back with me to the Guitar Town

A Nice Club...

What, yer askin' is that fat bastard babbling about this time!? Well, I am now a member of Flannery's Beer Club — this thanks to my brother Kent, who bought me a membership. They've now stopped accepting memberships for a while (much to Wee's irritation) but... as a member, you get your own marked stein, an embroidered golf shirt, a t-shirt and discounts on beer and food at Flannery's Tavern on the Square. It's so worth it!

Why??
Why, youz is thinkin' would that be that great? Well, for one, they have GREAT food. For another, I find I am enjoying having a beer (or three) in a congenial place such as this. The people that work there are great, the people I have met there are great! What more can you ask for? Okay, Kent lives close by, if I get tanked, he doesn't fear driving and so I can pass out at his place :-) Is that good enough?

Something Missing
I think that this is something we miss in America, the pub life they have in the UK and other Commonwealth places. A social place to unwind, to talk, to discuss things from politics to sports to life. We all need such a thing. I miss it in my life nowadays. My Mom used to have a great bar called the Bohemian Tavern in Cottage Grove, Oregon and I liked it too... no problems, a good time. This is what I want in life... Oh, I am so into a Disney ending... not some damn art-geek ending where everyone gets wiped out and even the dog gets killed... oh, I'm so shallow, aren't I?
Ende!

A Song

Now when I was a young man I carried me pack
And I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback,
Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915, my country said, "Son,
It's time you stop ramblin', there's work to be done."
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun,
And they marched me away to the war.

And the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As the ship pulled away from the quay,
And amidst all the cheers, the flag waving, and tears,
We sailed off for Gallipoli.

And how well I remember that terrible day,
How our blood stained the sand and the water;
And of how in that hell that they call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.
Johnny Turk, he was waitin', he primed himself well;
He showered us with bullets, and he rained us with shell --
And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell,
Nearly blew us right back to Australia.

But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
When we stopped to bury our slain,
Well, we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs,
Then we started all over again.

And those that were left, well, we tried to survive
In that mad world of blood, death and fire.
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
Though around me the corpses piled higher.
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head,
And when I woke up in me hospital bed
And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead --
Never knew there was worse things than dying.

For I'll go no more "Waltzing Matilda,"
All around the green bush far and free --
To hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs,
No more "Waltzing Matilda" for me.

So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed,
And they shipped us back home to Australia.
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane,
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.
And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where me legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me,
To grieve, to mourn and to pity.

But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As they carried us down the gangway,
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared,
Then they turned all their faces away.

And so now every April, I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me.
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march,
Reviving old dreams of past glory,
And the old men march slowly, all bones stiff and sore,
They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?"
And I ask meself the same question.

But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda,"
And the old men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, more old men disappear
Someday, no one will march there at all.

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda.
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong,
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?

A bit of political hillarity

Okay, THIS is funny. Yes, I know, it is "evyil" because it has "Heetler" in it. I know, how DARE I defame Hillary Clinton or promote someone else doing so :-0 I do it because it'd frigging HILARIOUS!! Kudos to the genius who made it!!

And the Band played on...

Wow! No matter which side of something I take, it seems people get bent. My recent blog about my friend who did the "suspension" thing has honked some off. My brother says I'm a "liberal" and I have to laugh at that. As far as the friend goes, I just can't talk to them now — I know I'll give in and they don't need that. Hey, maybe I'm wrong here, I don't know. I'm not the fount of all knowledge — I only know I have to go where my conscious takes me.

On Other Fronts
Thanks to one of our webmasters donating some money for it, we now have a good, updated copy of the gallery program for the site. Hopefully, we can get it to do everything we need it to do. Seems better and more stable than the version we had. I was just using that anyway until we could afford the real thing.

Rain
I like rain and it's been giving me what I like. Alas, sure makes the grass grow and that's $35. a pop... no, I can't do it myself. It takes at LEAST 3-4 hours to do and it's getting dark when I get home. Besides, the guy who does my lawn can do it in like 20 minutes. I know, you probably think I'm a lazy bastard.

I hurt, I'm tired (along with something neat)

Too much time at the keyboard, getting nothing else done :-( Yeah, I got the Frontier area moved over to the Portal, but crikey, it took like 2-3 hours. I'm so procrastinating moving the WW2 section as I KNOW it will take the better part of a DAY :-( Ack! So, I do the other time areas and sort of side-step WW2. Yes, I know, I'll have to get to it, but dammit, not right now.

Civil War needs to happen soon — so does 1600-1800! :-0 I'll get it... a little bit at a time. Right now, they're hooked together w/ a kludgy fix using links at the top and bottom — something to fix one of these days. I don't really know how to do it, but a friend does. Soon.

Something(s) neat!
I got an e-mail from Lats & Atts about their online radio station and it IS kewl! Go here and enjoy!! I love it... I can listen to this music in the background and it helps sooth my mind.

Another kewl thing that I found out about today (on my high school alumni list) was freecycle.org a site that has all these yahoogroup lists that allow people to GIVE stuff they no longer need, away to someone who DOES need it. Kind of like a barter system w/ out the barter. Can you tell I like barter and things like this :-) The government steals enough money from me already... I think!

A sad day... (emotionally draining, don't read if that bothers you)

What can I say? I dunno... a friend, a GOOD friend is following the path to doom. Will they go all the way? I don't know. I worry that the answer is "yes." Lately, this person has been doing things to hurt themself, pursuing destructive behaviours and just, trying to seek attention and help, but then not allowing anyone TO help :-( Heavy drinking, cutting, tattoos and piercings, but the latest, is this: suspension... maybe you don't know what it is, but I'll tell you:

Here is the description from suspension.org:

The act of suspension is hanging the human body from (or partially from) hooks pierced through the flesh in various places around the body.

There are many different reasons to suspend, from pure adrenaline or endorphin rush, to conquering ones fears, to trying to reach a new level of spiritual consciousness and everything in between. In general, people suspend to attain some sort of "experience".

Some people are seeking the opportunity to discover a deeper sense of themself and to challenge pre-determined belief systems which may not be true. Some are seeking a right of passage or a spiritual encounter to let go of the fear of not being whole or complete inside their body.

Others are looking for control over their body, or seek to prove to themselves that they are more than their bodies, or are not their bodies at all. Others simply seek to explore the unknown.

I am sorry, but this is wacky! I know, I know... the Sioux did this crap (if you've ever watched "A Man Called Horse," you've seen a version of this called "o-kee-pa"), it was as a torture, to prove you were/could be a warrior. I don't care, the idea that this will lead to enlightenment is just plain bullshit. And I don't care what the practitioners of this mutilation think either – all it is, is a way to experience pain and get some kind of acceptance in doing so.

Hurting for Attention
Many people try to hurt them selves for attention – my friend was one. "Cutting" is one of those things. Here is a good description of cutting from (BTW, my friend is also a "cutter") kidshealth.org:

What Is Cutting?

Injuring yourself on purpose by making scratches or cuts on your body with a sharp object — enough to break the skin and make it bleed — is called cutting. Cutting is a type of self-injury, or SI. Most people who cut are girls, but guys self-injure, too. People who cut usually start cutting in their young teens. Some continue to cut into adulthood.

People may cut themselves on their wrists, arms, legs, or bellies. Some people self-injure by burning their skin with the end of a cigarette or lighted match.

When cuts or burns heal, they often leave scars or marks. People who injure themselves usually hide the cuts and marks and sometimes no one else knows.

Why Do People Cut Themselves?

It can be hard to understand why people cut themselves on purpose. Cutting is a way some people try to cope with the pain of strong emotions, intense pressure, or upsetting relationship problems. They may be dealing with feelings that seem too difficult to bear, or bad situations they think can't change.

Some people cut because they feel desperate for relief from bad feelings. People who cut may not know better ways to get relief from emotional pain or pressure. Some people cut to express strong feelings of rage, sorrow, rejection, desperation, longing, or emptiness.

Maybe I'm bad, maybe I'm wrong not to accept this, but I don't think so. I think this person wants my reaction and worry and such. I think I have enough in my life to worry about without being fed on by someone who is fast becoming (if not already) an emotional vampire. I love them to death, like a sibling, but enough is enough. When this person decides to come out of the dark and live life again, I'll be here. I'm not taking this journey... Sorry Mr. Conductor, but let me off this train. :-(

On the Good Side of Today
So, now that I've bummed you out, now that I've depressed you, let me just say that my life is looking up and I am taking time to smell the fresh-cut grass! Tonite, I went and had a beer with my brother Kent (someone I have known for 34 years). We went to town earlier as his car was broken and had a good time today. For too long, we weren't really and now we are again. I missed him! "Never work for friends nor hire them" is what they say... it might have worked if the "big boss" wasn't the way HE is. Oh well.

"A Red-Headed Slut"
Also, Kent introduced me to a new drink I'd never had... "A red-headed slut" which is Jägermeister, peach schnapps and cranberry juice. Very, very smooth! I even had two! :-Þ Normally, I am NOT a Jägermeister fan, but this was good!

I'm gonna sign off for now... it feels good to blog and I miss it when I don't have a chance. If you're reading this and would like to comment, please do, even if it's only in an e-mail...
Best, Marsh

Is it Time?

Is it Time?

...I was not angry since I came to France Until this instant.
Take a trumpet, herald; Ride thou unto the horsemen on yond hill;
If they will fight with us, bid them come down
Or void the field; they do offend our sight.
If they'll do neither, we will come to them
And make them skirr away as swift as stones
Enforced from the old Assyrian slings;
Besides, we'll cut the throats of those we have,
And not a man of them shall we take
That shall taste our mercy.
Go and tell them so.

Henry V, Act IV, scene vii

Dueling

Dueling
So, if dueling were legal, would you? With whom? With what weapons? I sure bet that if dueling WERE legal today, people would be a damn site politer in this country/world. Rudeness rules the day and no one seems to care anymore. And in the work place, more and more it seems, employers are once again starting to believe their egos that we're all their personal slaves or serfs. >:-0 Am I alone in my beliefs here? I think not! Now I'm sure some reader will gasp in horror at my notions -- just like when 9-11 happened and I suggested crucifying terrorists... "Oh the horror Marsh, how could you?"

Marriage Musings

(Some of this (the marriage part anyway) was typed out on my cell phone whilst sitting in Pizza Hut tonight during an argument with my wife):

Why is marriage so painful? I think part of it is the needs of the "me" being subordinated to the "we" and the "me" getting shortchanged by the other "me." Each "me" needs things which are NOT important to the other "me."

Not Nearly So Profound
Of course, the above, when re-read out of the moment is not nearly so profound... As usual, money issues rear their ugly head :-( Tomorrow is our 10th Anniversary... doesn't seem that long most of the time, but then if you think on it, why it WAS that long :-0 I remember Tim Fensch telling me that about the 7th year you'd hate each other and you just had to grit your teeth and tough through it. When, pray tell, does this part end? I am tired of gritting my teeth... At least if I weren't a driver, I could smoke some weed :-) Oh well.

Northern Virginia
So, in the morning, we are driving down to Annandale to the park where we got married... haven't been there since 1999 when we moved away. :-0 I liked Annandale, but now it's kind of like Korea-town and has a lot of gangs and crap :-( That blows. When I moved to Annandale, it was a nice place... Hell, Thurgood Marshall, the Supreme Court justice lived there. Now, the "progress" of Northern Virginia's "boom" has kind of messed up the feel of the area.

Progress?
Well, it's called that, but I don't think so. Progress means going forward and things getting better, not worse. Watch out "world leaders" remember the Czar.

Food Riots and Upheaval
Have you noticed the large amount of food riots going on all over the world in the past few months -- this could get really interesting. I was noticing it in the paper the other day and thinking about it. There will reach a point where things will break down. I wonder if our idiot leader (who I voted for btw), will break with his oil cronies and finally come to the realization that the country is in deep shite! We need his leadership, not the Bush/Clinton way of "looking out for your buddies." Every day, the gas prices are climbing higher and I read in the papers how the oil companies are making record profits and they JUSTIFY it as okay?! What crap!! I sure hope another collapse of the oil industry happens like in the '80s; them Bastards!!

It seems we're in for an interesting ride this summer... wonder when the mass demonstrations will happen in DC? Think "W" will hang in there or bug out of town... You KNOW most of the idiots in congress will bug out. Parasitical scum!