Labor Day

The first Monday in September was set aside as a federal holiday in 1894, one hundred nineteen years ago, but the history of Labor Day actually goes back to September 5, 1882 in New York City.  It was on that day that the Central Labor Union celebrated with an official day off and grand parade.  The idea spread, city to city, then state to state, until the holiday became a national day of celebration of the workers of the country.

There is some question as to who actually started the idea of the celebration.  Some believe that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters started all this fun and frivolity, while others believe it was Matthew Maguire, a machinist who is responsible.  According to the U.S. Labor Department, Matthew Maguire is quoted as saying the day was to honor those  "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

And how do we celebrate?  Some call it the last opportunity of failing summer for an outdoor celebration, BBQs, camping trips, see the seashore, visit a lake, or, if you happen to be within a hundred miles or so of Sparks, Nevada, eat too many of the finest smoked and BBQd ribs available in the country.

The actual holiday will be September 2 this year and those that are close enough will probably start getting the effects of those large smokers about Friday, August 30.  When the breeze is just right one can gain ten pounds just driving east or west along I-80, and more than one driver has lost the concept of staying in one’s lane doing the looky-look at seventy MPH.

Back in 1882, the Central Labor Union of New York City offered a proclamation to the labor force and basically outlined how Labor Day should be celebrated.  Here is what they said, and as you’ll read, we haven’t changed much in the last century:

a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.

It’s the last major weekend of the summer, the kids have either already returned to the classroom or will Tuesday, the days are getting shorter, the temperatures are cooling off, thoughts of blizzards, skiing, smoke from the chimney instead of the Weber give impetus to the celebration.

If you happen to work five eight hour shifts per week, and get at least a minimum wage, you can thank those people in New York City who created what we call Labor Day back in 1882.  And the best way to thank them, is to celebrate the holiday.

Cold beer will soon be replaced by hot buttered rum, lawn chairs by recliners, and lawn mowers by snow shovels, so, yeah, it’s a good time to have a grand party.  Break out a rack of ribs, a large brisket of beef, several pounds of bratwurst, or a couple of chickens, fire up the grill and let’s get it on.

Mind Your Own Business

There are any number of groups that have developed over the last few years dedicated to abolishing most of the varied uses found on public land in the west today.  You have to say “in the west” because there is very little public land east of the Rockies, and virtually none along the bank of states east of the Big Muddy.  The lands east of the Mississippi were first stolen from the original inhabitants and then declared “owned,” so those fanatics who believe the public lands should be off limits to everyone but themselves, for their own selfish uses, make their case “in the west.”  They seem to have not heard the phrase, ‘mind your own business.’

No motorized vehicles, no mining, no ranching or farming, no commercial enterprise of any kind.  These millions of acres should be as pristine as when the first human set foot there, and since those first humans had only their feet as means of transportation, only hiking should be allowed.  Most of those advocating this social structure are under fifty years of age, and among that extreme selfish generation of ‘me first.’

Oil reserves in Texas are found, for the most part, on private land.  Indians, or if you prefer, Native Americans, have vast oil reserves on private lands in Oklahoma.  Pennsylvania comes to mind as does Louisiana.  Oh, my, let’s not forget California.  So, it seems, if you own the land, commercial enterprise may be an accepted practice, but heaven forbid, it shouldn’t happen on the sage and cheat grass covered open spaces of most of the western states.

It’s the same government that stole the land from the eastern tribes that stole the land from the western tribes.  Why then were those eastern lands then made available for private ownership by citizens, but westerners are not allowed to own any of that land.  Personally, I would love to homestead 160 or 320 acres of public land in Nevada.  Patty and I are almost self reliant on two, I’d dance till dawn with 160.

And again, you want to say, mind your own business.  Those that hike hate horseback riders.  Horseback riders don’t get along all that well with off road motorcycles and cyclists.  But what’s important to remember, there is room for all, and all must get along with each other for the concept of public land to work.  We pay for it, we pay for the over grazing by wild horses,  We pay for the failed efforts of federal and state wildlife preservation work, we pay for the trails that aren’t maintained. That’s why it’s called public land.  There’s more to ‘public’ than hiking.

Now, we have another area of fuzzy thinking making its way through the public news rooms filled with reporters that have probably never sniffed the aroma of desert dust following a big old thunder boomer in the Big Smoky Valley.  One group is claiming that since some animals can be trained as easily as a dog can, that they shouldn’t be considered food.  They’re starting with pigs.

Anyone who has ever raised or been around pigs is very aware of just how smart those animals are.  Intelligence has nothing to do with flavor, my little vegan fools.  If you want to be a vegan, then be one, but don’t proselytize me, because I have raised some damn smart animals in my lifetime, and I have eaten some smart, dumb, even stupid ones.

One group of vegans calling themselves Farm Sanctuary ask, “Why don’t you eat cats?  You eat pigs.  Why not dogs?”  Obviously these people have never been outside the confines of the U.S. borders, because, and if you served overseas in your military career, you know this for a fact, in many countries and areas of the world, cats, dogs, rats, monkeys, horses, and other forms of animal protein are found on many menus.

I’m not upset with the vegan, I’m upset with the vegan that has the audacity to tell me how to live my life.  Mind your own business, please.  I’m upset with the little selfish city type that tells me that commercial enterprise should never happen on public land, and that only people like him should be allowed to use that land.  Look up the meaning of the word “public” first, and then, mind your own business.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in “public” money is spent in law suits defending the rights of the “public” to use “public” land, and more hundreds of millions of dollars are spent by commercial interests to be included in that delightful word “public.”

It’s past time for the government of this country to get out of the “land” business.  They have done a miserable job caring for the land and its inhabitants, is spending far more money for projects that have no science behind them, and seem to be catering to a few very selfish groups that, while they can spell ecology, don’t know the true meaning of the word.

Ah, the pleasure of having a blog.  Until next time, read good book and stay regular.

Silly, Silly August

In the world of journalism, the month of August used to be known for silly times.  Rarely did anything of consequence take place, and those pages with advertising had to be filled with something.  Man bites dog type stories flourished in the days before CNN and FOX news and their pandering.

From the world of entertainment, the first thing that comes to mind is the wonderful Marlon Brando performance in “Teahouse of the August Moon.”  In the world of music, can’t think of any song, off the top of my thick head dealing with August.  Help me out with this one, if you can.

In history?  Oh, nothing silly here.  It was in August that the First World War began, which ended with the deaths of more than forty million people, brought the United States to a level of world prominence it has never left, and some say, led to the disintegration of the British Empire.  It certainly did lead to the destruction of the Ottoman Empire.

How did all this come about.  Well, it started in Rome many years ago.  Julius Caesar had the month of July named after him, and some felt Augustus, his nephew was given short shrift.  After all, it was Augustus that defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra.

There was a month called Sextillus, and the Roman Senate felt no qualms in changing its name to August.  They did it with a simple proclamation or resolution.  To wit”

Whereas the Emperor Augustus Caesar, in the month of Sextillis . . . thrice entered the city in triumph . . . and in the same month Egypt was brought under the authority of the Roman people, and in the same month an end was put to the civil wars; and whereas for these reasons the said month is, and has been, most fortunate to this empire, it is hereby decreed by the senate that the said month shall be called Augustus.

Of course all that messed up the calendar and days had to be added, then months had to be moved around, and then chaos, followed a couple of thousand years late by having people refer to it as the silly month.

One thing, though, only Julius and Augustus, of all the Roman Emperors and generals, have months named in their honor.  What would they have called the month if one had been named in honor of Nero?  Neromus?  Nerember?  Neroly?  Stop.  Enough already.

In northern Nevada you have Hot August Nights, a grand showing of a life style that few remember.  Coupled between the Korean War and Haight Ashbury, a deuce coup would obviously come out second best.  See?  Silly month.

At least we have ribs to think about next.  Have a great day, read good books, and stay regular.

Good Times A-Comin'

Got some good news this morning, from two sources.  Patty had to put aside her ambitions with being a trucker’s broker when the company she was an agent for went bankrupt.  This put a pretty good hole in the monthly ledger and she has been down in the dumps, and trying to get a job in an economy wracked by Obamaism.  Her boat arrived Monday morning with a call to report for drug test and training starting Tuesday.

Atta go girl.

And when I opened my e-mail account Monday a.m., I found a delightful note from Cindy Rosmus, editor at Yellow Mama, a hard boiled mystery and crime magazine.  One of my Simon Sol Dorsey mysteries, “A Princess Gone” will be published in the October 12 issue.  Like it hard boiled, read it here: http://blackpetalsks.tripod.com/yellowmama/index.html

Good news is always welcome around the J-P Rancho.  Have a great day, read good books, and stay regular…

Dog Days of Summer

Hot!  Yes, dear one, these indeed are the Dog Days of Summer, something endured by those living in the northern hemisphere during July and August, and those living under the Southern Cross in January and February.  Endured is probably the correct word to use as these are typically the hottest, driest days of the year, one following, then another, then another until madness approaches.

I may have exaggerated just a bit there, but remember, the Romans, those ancients that, too suffered under the concept of dog days, sacrificed a brown dog to ease the effects of the heat.  The Romans called the brightest star in the heavens Sirius, or Dog Star, and it’s in the constellation Canis Major, meaning, you guessed it, Large Dog.  Ah, but it was the Greeks, according to Aristotle, who coined the term Dog Days.  Ancients believed it was an evil time.  In 1813, a Mr. Brady wrote in “Clavis Calendaria”, “The seas boiled, the wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid …”

Makes one want to sit on the edge of a babbling brook, dangling one’s feet in the cool refreshment of said brook, of course enjoying the rapture of a sprawling leafy tree’s shade, quaffing an intoxicating mixture of liquid pleasures.  The Dog Days of Summer bring on a “state of inactivity, listlessness.”  Oops, that’s the definition of Doldrums.  Must be related, eh?  Only colloquially.

Doldrums also relates to seafaring, particularly in areas near the equator, between the two tropical zones.  Winds are calm, often non-existent, interspersed with squalls, and the gentle trade winds.  Sailing boats and ships have been known to be trapped, dead in the water for days, even weeks, by The Doldrums.

Back in the 19th Century some people were referred to as being a doldrum, that is, a sluggish and slothful person.  That evolved into meaning a state of low spirits, and that evolved into the seafaring colloquialism.  The seafaring doldrums didn’t come into general usage until the mid 19th Century, and was used as the geographic area rather than the state of the ship involved in the calm air.

Well, enough of that.  The blender just mixed up some orange juice and rum, and possibly another ingredient or two, glasses have been removed from the freezer, and the kiddie pool awaits.  Have a great day, read good books, and stay regular.

King Obama?

King Obama?

It appears from this distance of more than miles, rather a vast separation of what makes up the concept of “American Citizen,” that the current administration seems to believe  the general public will follow the leader without question, that a regular feeding of lies and deception, coupled with an uncanny ability to “speechify,” will suffice for leadership of a noble kind.  The first thought that comes to mind: Nixonian.  This isn’t simply liberalism run wild for even the hard core of the far left appear amazed at the level of criminality that exists in the Obama administration.  No, this is a power mad egoist with an agenda, and it’s that perceived agenda that I fear most.

Setting aside large areas of the constitution in the name of anti terrorism, denying terrorism when it suits the mood, and cracking the whip over political enemies by way of the most feared arm of the federal government, that is, the IRS, is leading to a scary conclusion.  Oh, and before I forget, stifling the free press, over and over again.  Obama and his henchman, Eric Holder, are looking to stay in power at the end of this current constitutional term, and declare a national emergency to pull it off.

President Obama was a constitutional law professor before his congressional elections and apparently what he learned from that was how to evade the workings of the government of the United States.  The man seems to have no regard for law.  An obvious coup in Egypt, which sets in motion a law that has existed for years forcing the government to end all monetary aid to that country, and Mr. Obama plays semantics to break the law.  Every lawyer learns how the judicious use and mis use of words can influence a situation, but this man is extraordinary in its use.

How does Mr. Obama plan to pull off his own coup?  First and foremost, the general public must be disarmed, and then their personal freedoms must be limited or made non existent.  The first of these points are already underway, and watch what happens when troops are pulled from the near east.

Mr. Obama’s patriotism has been questioned before, and his fealty to the constitution is limited at best.  Where are his core values?  They do not appear to be attached to things like personal freedoms and individual rights as demanded in our constitution, but rather in some vague idea that the presidency is a step toward monarchy, the opposite of what our first president fought so hard to evade.

The major news outlets have let the public down from the beginning of this administration, seemingly to coddle his moves, and even now, they are finding it difficult to report what to many seems so obvious.  Those on the political right have a hard time understanding the concept of the ACLU because they do seem to defend contemptible people, while in reality, they are defending the rights of those contemptible people.  Now, those on the left are finding themselves having a difficult time understanding why so many citizens are screaming about the contemptible actions of the president and his attack dog Holder.

These words you’re reading are public comments on a public soap box, so the federal bloodhounds at NSA would have every right to read this.  They probably are or have.  Paraphrasing, the president. ‘every citizen of this country however, should not fear the government’s current practice of monitoring telephone and e-mail conversations unless they are doing something illegal.’  The government does not have the right to monitor those messages without specific permission from a court, and with a specific goal in mind.

So, it follows, the objective must be greater than finding illusive terrorists, and in my mind, that equates to subduing the populace through fear of its own government, which leads, again in my mind, to clandestine take over of a free and democratic republic.  This man we call president still has three years left in his current term, and only the people can slow or stop his final objective, President for Life.

To paraphrase something that has been paraphrased too many times, “It’s the people, stupid.”  This government came into existence for the benefit of the people, not to provide a haven for government.  It was a fight against an overbearing government that led to the American revolution and this grand experiment we call representative democracy.  And those in congress that are supposed to represent us need to get their act together and begin impeachment hearings soon, before Mr. Obama and his henchman can get their act in full gear, or there might well be a second American Revolution.

Our Bill of Rights

The Bill Of Rights Of The American Republic

AMENDMENT I.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

AMENDMENT II.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

AMENDMENT III.

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

AMENDMENT IV.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

AMENDMENT V.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of  a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval  forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.  

AMENDMENT VI.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

AMENDMENT VII.

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

AMENDMENT VIII.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

AMENDMENT IX.

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

AMENDMENT X.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.