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1 July 2002
If you need to understand Darwin's theory of evolution, you could buy
this swell toy from the seventies. Where was Jerry Falwell back
then?
..........
4 July 2002
On this Independence Day, I am thankful for friends like Ray and Tommy who I was able to spend a good
deal of yesterday with and I am thankful for Duncan
who I am able to spend much of today with. A coworker who lived in
Bosnia until six years ago has given me even more reason to be thankful
for this country. As fucked up as it is sometimes, you have to
realize that for the same reasons it is so fucked up, it is the greatest
country on Earth. We fight and argue over issues that have little
relevance. We can say what we want for the most part. In
many other countries, I would live under the constant threat of
execution just for being me. Two hundred and twenty six years ago,
our forefathers sat down and declared our independence from Britain by
signing this document. If you've never paid much attention to it,
you should read it. Today more than ever, we should be thankful we
are not in one of the many countries that are going through the same
exact struggle right now.
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of
America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one
people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with
another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and
equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle
them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That
whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is
the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new
Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its
powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their
Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments
long established should not be changed for light and transient causes;
and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more
disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves
by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long
train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object
evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their
right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide
new Guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient
sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which
constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history
of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of
repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the
establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this,
let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary
for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing
importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should
be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend
to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large
districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of
Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and
formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual,
uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records,
for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his
measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with
manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause
others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of
Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise;
the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of
invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for
that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners;
refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and
raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his
Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of
their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of
Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the
consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to
the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign
to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to
their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders
which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring
Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging
its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument
for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and
altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves
invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his
Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and
destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries
to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun
with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the
most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized
nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas
to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their
friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured
to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian
Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction
of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in
the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by
repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act
which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We
have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to
extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of
the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have
appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured
them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations,
which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.
They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We
must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our
Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in
War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America,
in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the
world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the
Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and
declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free
and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to
the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and
the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and
that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War,
conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all
other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for
the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection
of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our
Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
..........
4 July 2002...Later
We just back from the greatest fireworks show I've seen
in a long time. And ya know, life sucks.
..........
5 July 2002
OK. So maybe life doesn't suck. But last
night did but I'm better now. And I finally got around to doing David's swell new Otherstream
Code. Busy week. Now, it's off to work I go.
M37 Ed3 Oc5 Soc- Ind FV Lit124 PolCR Rl Mus0234 Crn++
SxB+ Or Ag Rp++ Sl- Fet1+2+3+4+7+9 Tec+ Toy259 Cn+ Int14
..........
6 July 2002
Picked up these along the way this week so happiness can't be to far
off. Maybe I should back off of that but Godzilla
vs. Mechagodzilla is on and after a long day at work, it's the
best wind down ever. Well maybe except for perusing my NC road map collection.
..........
8 July 2002
Cow tipping
can be fun. Old Hollywood
Squares with Paul
Lynde can be too.
..........
10 July 2002
No work today so it was Jeep riding time. To much
sun in this 95 degree weather makes a white boy red. Eighty
degrees tomorrow, then 78, then 79...... Also, went biking with my
new pal Robert. My lord, I am so out of shape. Until I get
back in shape. rate a scary clown.
..........
11 July 2002
 
 
Happy 50th anniversary Dorton Arena. The metal roof, suspended on a
network of cables, which extend crosswise from the 90-foot parabolic
arches, is saddle-shaped. The 14-foot wide arches reach a maximum height
of 90 feet. They cross each other at about 26 feet above the ground,
then extend into a tunnel below the surface at the east and west ends.
The weights of the roof is equalized by tension cables, with 14 two-inch
strands connecting each end of the parabola through the stress tunnel.
The roof, so suspended, eliminates any necessity for structural steel
supports and presents no view obstructions from any seat. The exterior
walls are constructed of translucent heat and glare-reducing glass above
the lobby levels and of heat-absorbing transparent glass on the lobby
levels. In 1952, even though it's capacity was only 5,200, it was
a marvel.
 
All that said, the Cricket
Arena, formally Independence Arena in Charlotte, should be
celebrating it's 50th anniversary in a couple of years. Completed
in 1955, it was the world's largest free standing dome arena at the time
with 11,000 permanent seats.. It has been kept up well and still
looks largely like it did when it was completed. It is just
stunning as you drive up Independence Blvd and see the giant steel dome
from a mile away.
..........
12 July 2002
National Military Appreciation Month. Thanks
Beth.
..........
13 July 2002
Wow, I thought it was Friday the 13th until a minute ago. It's
Saturday. That's good by the way. I was talking with this
kid at work last night and I made some comment about a long time ago,
so he asked me how old I was and I said how old do I look? He said
27. Ok, so my day was made. I also thought up some great
secret plans for Duncan's birthday Friday which we will celebrate on
Wednesday because I must work. For today, mid July and
sunny, beautiful, not muggy, breezy, 80 degrees, and it's the third day
in a row.. Everything
is
beautiful
after
all the rains we've had earlier in the week so I'm happy and 27 today.
..........
14 July 2002
The Flying Nun and
Hogan's Heroes in TV Guide's 50 Worse Shows Ever list. I don't
think so. Does anyone remember the first few seasons of FOX with
shows like Parker
Lewis Can't Lose or more recent shows like Bob Patterson? So there, please revise
your list now.
..........
17 July 2002
A few days ago, during a rain storm which seemed to come up out of
nowhere, I had a flat tire. It seems that all through my life, I
remember changing my share of tires in the rain. Unfortunately,
after I plugged it where the nail was, it turned out it had come through
on the side making it unfixable. I decided that the tires were too
good to replace the set or even two but not good enough to replace with
a new tire. So I was off to the biggest used tire shop I've ever
seen. The people were super helpful and I was on my way for almost
nothing. While I was there, one of the employees, unbeknownst to
me, was mute. It took me a long time to pick up on this fact as I
tried to make small talk with him, really thinking he was kind of rude,
or like many people today, just lacking any social skills. There
is a man who cannot speak who is a cashier at the Home Depot I frequent
and he more than makes up for not being able to say thank you with
gestures that are more friendly than any words that could be said.
..........
17 July 2002...Later
Today as we were leaving the house, the Orkin
salesman, was walking up the driveway. He said, "I was
wondering if you were aware of what was happening tomorrow in your
neighborhood. You're going to see Orkin trucks all down the street
tomorrow." All this while he was pointing down the street at
all the houses. So I'm thinking the city has hired them take care
of some problem possibly with some worm or something eating the oak
trees. Then he says, "A lot of the neighbors have called us
out to exterminate all the sudden (still pointing all along the street)
so we thought it would be a good time to offer a special."
You know, I used to do pest control and I know how salespeople are, but
how lame of a pitch is this? Our old salesman would have just went
into a place, showed them where the pest were and we would take care of
it. There, a customer for life.
Friday is Duncan's birthday (so don't forget to call). And because of
my work schedule, we are celebrating tonight.
..........
17 July 2002...Later Again
OK. So the pre birthday plans didn't go as planned. After
dinner, I had planned to take Duncan to a movie at the Starlite Drive-In in
Durham. We explored Durham for a couple of hours and then took off
to the drive-in. Why are we the only ones here? We finally
saw a sign, Open Every Day Except Wednesday. At least SouthPark was
excellent tonight.
Oh, and by the way, there was an accident with the hair
trimmers. There was only one way out. I now have no hair.
..........
20 July 2002
OK, so I'm not some huge Nelly fan, not really one at all but how can
you not like Hot
In Herre, with lyrics like,
I was like, good gracious, ass is bodacious
I'm flirtacious, tryin' to show patience
I love it, and may you all forgive me...
..........
21 July 2002
 
This is what I managed to scavenge up this week. The North
Carolina tourist map is especially good because it has a great picture
of a recently opened section of I-40
between Greensboro and Winston-Salem. This is one of my favorite
interstates in the state, which by the way is now Business I-40.
It has beautiful rural undeveloped areas and twisty and turny
urban areas. It is old concrete that has never been paved over and
it does not have a lot of traffic. I love riding on it as opposed
to riding on the main I-40 route. There was a very dangerous curve
in Winston-Salem that was the scene of many accidents that was
straightened out a few years ago, but other than that it retains much of
it's original character. That will change soon because it is
getting old and the state is getting ready to start on a project that
will replace many of the bridges and pave over that beautiful
concrete. As we head for the folks today, it may be the road less
traveled, but maybe it'll be the road traveled by us. And maybe
you just want to look at my other old NC
road maps, that's cool too. And as I promised before, I will
soon have pages with more detail about each map.
Also, for all who care, no more night work and no more weekends
baby. Monday thru Friday is GOOD.
..........
24 July 2002
Sunday, while driving to my folk's house, we decided we should hit
the beach this weekend. So we left Kaleb there when we left, and
while I'm sure she's having a great time frolicking and sleeping, I sure
do miss that dog. Also tonight, Duncan is out of town and I
believe it's the first time I've been completely alone here. It is
so quiet. I even managed to scan some old pics from
1999. Duncan found a few old cameras and had the film inside
developed. A trip to Charleston, New Orleans, and me with bleached
hair. What the hell was I thinking?
..........
25 July 2002
I feel so selfish right now. I just talked to my mom and she
told me one of my cousins died today. In reality, I didn't know
him very well. I probably only met him three or four times in my
life. He was much older than myself, 20 years or more, and always
lived very far from me. I only know the stories about how he lied
and conned his way through life. I always felt very uncomfortable
when I knew he was visiting my grandmother because I knew she would fall
for anything he said. He always had some sort of angle. My
guilt right now comes from the fact as my mother was telling me the
news, I was only thinking how this could spoil our beach trip this
weekend. The body has to be shipped up this weekend, an autopsy,
and whatever else has to be done. His mom and dad are my favorite
aunt and uncle and I feel I need to do something for them. Maybe
Monday will be the day and I can include myself and get a beach trip in
this weekend. I need a vacation BAD.
..........
28 July 2002
 
 
Lesson learned this weekend: Don't go to Myrtle Beach
in the summer on Friday night, late and expect to find a room. OK,
that's a lie. If you drive around all night and finally drive all
the way to Wilmington,
NC, by 4am, you'll find a place. Needless to say, Saturday we
found a great place in Kure Beach and ended up having a great time.
Turns out, Duncan's
sister was down there along with some youngins so we met them, played
around at the beach and scrammed today. I have not spent so
much time in the water since I was a kid. I have found a new
passion and I think I dragged some of that good stuff out of Duncan
too. Tomorrow, I have to go get the Kaleb and go to the funeral of
my cousin. It'll be sad because he was to young and I love his mom
and dad but to be honest, it's hard to get all worked up about it.
However, I haven't seen the Kaleb and tomorrow I will.
..........
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