An important day tomorrow

On August 18, my wife Sandy and I celebrate 36 years as a married couple; I can't think what I would do without her.



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More fighting over the health bill; I hope they scrap the one they're pushing. The government is necessary, sometimes, but should never be brought in unless absolutely necessary; most of the time they just make stuff worse. And the people in Congress are up to their usually hijinks. (H/T to The Irritable Architect)

"Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
- Mark Twain

"We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office."
- Aesop

"What's the difference between a whore and a congressman? A congressman makes more money."
- Edward Abbey

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Some good articles in the blogosphere for those people who believe in taking care of themselves.

Brigid has a good post (I don't think she has ever written a bad one) concerning home security; it is an excellent read.

Paladin shows how he put together a practical medical pack for a fraction of what you would pay if you bought one.

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More ancient music. Any favorites in this collection of moldie-oldies?

"Moondance" by Van Morrison
"Red, Red Wine" by Neil Diamond
"Scarborough Fair/Canticle" by Simon & Garfunkel
"You Only Live Twice" by Nancy Sinatra
"Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones
"Eight Miles High" by The Byrds
"Whispering Pines" by Johnny Horton
"Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys
"Legend of a Mind" by The Moody Blues
"Let Me Be" by The Turtles

The last one has always been a favorite of mine, due to the lyrics.

Please don't mistake me or try to make me
The shadow of anybody else
I ain't the him or her you think I am
I'm just trying hard to be myself
Oh, society's goal is to be part of the whole
That may sound good to you, not to me

Let me be, let me be
To think like I want to
Let me be, let me be
That's all I ask of you
I am what I am and that's all I ever can be

Don't try to plan me or understand me
I can't stand to be understood
I could never give in to or ever live up to
Being like you think I should
I've got some inner need which I'm tryin' to heed
I can't take hand-me-down destiny

Let me be, let me be,
To think like I want to
Let me be, let me be
That's all I ask of you
I am what I am and that's all I ever can be

Don't try to change me or rearrange me
To satisfy the selfishness of you
I'm not a piece of clay to mold to your moves each day
And I'm not a pawn to be told how to move
I'm sorry I'm not the fool you thought would play by your rules
But to-each-his-own philosophy

Let me be, let me be,
To think like I want to
Let me be, let me be
That's all I ask of you
I am what I am and that's all I ever can be

I said that's all I ever can be
I said that's all I ever can be
I said that's all I ever can be



The next to the last one is familiar to anyone old enough to actually remember the Woodstock years, the Sixties, and the relevance of terms such as Orange Sunshine, Purple Microdot, and Clear Light.