Defending The Republic, Not some Democracy, and enjoying some of life's rewards along the way.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
THE EPHEMERA: AN EMBLEM OF HUMAN LIFE - Benjamin Franklin
TO MADAME BRILLON, OF PASSY
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
You may remember, my dear friend, that when we lately spent that happy
day in the delightful garden and sweet society of the Moulin Joly, I
stopped a little in one of our walks, and stayed some time behind the
company. We had been shown numberless skeletons of a kind of little fly,
called an ephemera, whose successive generations, we were told, were
bred and expired within the day. I happened to see a living company of
them on a leaf, who appeared to be engaged in conversation. You know I
understand all the inferior animal tongues. My too great application to
the study of them is the best excuse I can give for the little progress
I have made in your charming language. I listened through curiosity to
the discourse of these little creatures; but as they, in their national
vivacity, spoke three or four together, I could make but little of their
conversation. I found, however, by some broken expressions that I heard
now and then, they were disputing warmly on the merit of two foreign
musicians, one a _cousin_, the other a _moscheto_; in which dispute they
spent their time, seemingly as regardless of the shortness of life as if
they had been sure of living a month. Happy people! thought I; you are
certainly under a wise, just, and mild government, since you have no
public grievances to complain of, nor any subject of contention but the
perfections and imperfections of foreign music. I turned my head from
them to an old gray-headed one, who was single on another leaf, and
talking to himself. Being amused with his soliloquy, I put it down in
writing, in hopes it will likewise amuse her to whom I am so much
indebted for the most pleasing of all amusements, her delicious company
and heavenly harmony.
"It was," said he, "the opinion of learned philosophers of our race, who
lived and flourished long before my time, that this vast world, the
Moulin Joly, could not itself subsist more than eighteen hours; and I
think there was some foundation for that opinion, since, by the apparent
motion of the great luminary that gives life to all nature, and which in
my time has evidently declined considerably towards the ocean at the end
of our earth, it must then finish its course, be extinguished in the
waters that surround us, and leave the world in cold and darkness,
necessarily producing universal death and destruction. I have lived
seven of those hours, a great age, being no less than four hundred and
twenty minutes of time. How very few of us continue so long! I have seen
generations born, flourish, and expire. My present friends are the
children and grandchildren of the friends of my youth, who are now,
alas, no more! And I must soon follow them; for, by the course of
nature, though still in health, I cannot expect to live above seven or
eight minutes longer. What now avails all my toil and labor in amassing
honey-dew on this leaf, which I cannot live to enjoy! What the political
struggles I have been engaged in for the good of my compatriot
inhabitants of this bush, or my philosophical studies for the benefit of
our race in general! for in politics what can laws do without morals?
Our present race of ephemeræ will in a course of minutes become
corrupt, like those of other and older bushes, and consequently as
wretched. And in philosophy how small our progress! Alas! art is long,
and life is short! My friends would comfort me with the idea of a name
they say I shall leave behind me; and they tell me I have lived long
enough to nature and to glory. But what will fame be to an ephemera who
no longer exists? And what will become of all history in the eighteenth
hour, when the world itself, even the whole Moulin Joly, shall come to
its end and be buried in universal ruin?"
To me, after all my eager pursuits, no solid pleasures now remain, but
the reflection of a long life spent in meaning well, the sensible
conversation of a few good lady ephemeræ, and now and then a kind smile
and a tune from the ever amiable _Brillante_.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Pink Panther in Super Pink - Saturday Cartoons
The Pink Panther in Super Pink. Watch the Pink Panther every Saturday right here on
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| The Pink Panther cartoon character (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
MR Magoo - When Magoo Flew
Saturday cartoons. Mr Magoo in When Magoo Flew. Watch Mr Magoo cartoons every Saturday right here on GVLN.
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| When Magoo Flew (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Virginia State Police Crime Statistics Report
Virginia State Police Update Report. Most current statistics as reported on the Virginia State Police website. 136 pages total. All the detailed figures on crime for the state of Virginia.
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| English: The state seal of Virginia. Српски / Srpski: Застава америчке савезне државе Вирџиније. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
VIRGINIA’S ANNUAL CRIME ANALYSIS REPORT - VIRGINIA STATE POLICE
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| English: The state seal of Virginia. Српски / Srpski: Застава америчке савезне државе Вирџиније. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The following 2012 crime trends
within Virginia
ü Virginia
ü Property crime such as burglary,
larceny and motor vehicle theft decreased 3.3 percent; the FBI figures for the
same period of time are not yet available.
ü The homicide rate increased slightly
for 2012 (3.86) compared to 2011 (3.77) per 100,000 population. Based on the
ages reported, victims tended to be older than offenders; 23 percent of
homicide victims were 50 years of age or older, while only 6 percent of
offenders were in the same age group.
ü Motor vehicle thefts and attempted
thefts decreased 8.0 percent. Of the
8,988 motor vehicles stolen, 4,729 or slightly over one-half were recovered
(52.6%). Automobiles and trucks stolen had the highest percent recovered (62.4
percent, 62.9 percent), while recreational and “other” motor vehicles
(motorcycles, mopeds, snowmobiles, etc.) had the lowest percent recovered (35.6
percent, 32.5 percent). Four out-of-ten (40.3 percent) of all motor vehicle
offenses were reported stolen from the location of residence or home. The value
of all motor vehicles stolen was $59,806,194, while the value recovered was
$33,021,149 (52.2 percent).
ü Drug and narcotic offenses showed
slight decreases in 2009 (-2.5%) and 2008 (-3.5%). For the past three years
drug offenses have increased compared to the previous year (5.3 percent in
2010, 7.1 percent in 2011 and 9.4 percent for 2012).
ü Fraud offenses increased by 7.5
percent when compared to 2011.
ü Robbery decreased 13.2 percent. Of
the 4,729 robberies and attempted robberies, 37 percent took place between 8 pm. and midnight . The days of the week showed little
variability with the most robberies occurring on Saturdays (16 percent) and the
fewest on Thursdays (13 percent).
ü Of the weapons reported, firearms
were the most frequently used in homicides (71 percent) and robberies (57
percent).
There
were 143 hate crimes reported in 2012. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) were
racially or ethnically motivated. Bias toward sexual orientation was next
highest (19 percent) while bias toward religion comprised 16 percent. The
remaining 2 percent reported was attributed to a bias against a victim’s
physical or mental disability. The offense of destruction/damage/vandalism of
property was associated in just over half of all reported bias motivated crimes
(51 percent).
The report employs an
Incident Based Reporting (IBR) method for calculating offenses, thus allowing
for greater accuracy. IBR divides crimes into two categories: Group A for
serious offenses including violent crimes (murder, forcible rape, robbery and
aggravated assault), property crimes and drug offenses, and Group B for what
are considered less serious offenses such as trespassing, disorderly conduct,
bad checks and liquor law violations where an arrest has occurred.
For Group A offenses,
between 2011 and 2012, adult arrests in Virginia
Per state mandate, the
Department of Virginia State Police serves as the primary collector of crime
data from participating Virginia
Free Song Of The Day - Bob Wizman - Country Rock
Today's pick is a little bit country, a little bit rock and a little bit blues. It's an all instrumental with some cool sound effects towards the end that make it somewhat comical. A very enjoyable tune. Listen to it here first and if you like it, download a free copy for yourself. Enjoy.
You can copy, distribute, advertise and play this track as long as you:Give credit to the artist
Distribute all derivative works under the same license
Recipe Of The Day - French Rolls
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| Ramona's Table Grilled Beef on French Roll 10-16-09 (Photo credit: stevendepolo) |
To one quart of sweet milk, boiled and cooled, half a pound of butter,
half a tea cup of yeast, a little salt, and flour enough to make a soft
dough, beat up the milk, butter and yeast in the middle of the flour,
let it stand till light, in a warm place; then work it up with the
whites of two eggs, beaten light; let it rise again, then mould out into
long rolls; let them stand on the board or table, to lighten, an hour or
two, then grease your pans and bake in a oven or stove.
half a tea cup of yeast, a little salt, and flour enough to make a soft
dough, beat up the milk, butter and yeast in the middle of the flour,
let it stand till light, in a warm place; then work it up with the
whites of two eggs, beaten light; let it rise again, then mould out into
long rolls; let them stand on the board or table, to lighten, an hour or
two, then grease your pans and bake in a oven or stove.
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