rustle

We were very fortunate when my mother died. Two ladies in her quilting group approached me at her funeral, and offered to help finish any of her projects. I was crying when I took them to my sister, who had committed to do it, but was daunted by the work. Mom was GOOD. I believe when you're ready to work on the shawl again, you'll be ready to remember. Not all tears are bad.

Section 228 of the Kentucky Constitution, oath of officers and attorneys: Members of the General Assembly and all officers, before they enter upon the execution of the duties of their respective offices, and all members of the bar, before they enter upon the practice of their profession, shall take the following oath or affirmation: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth, and be faithful and true to the Commonwealth of Kentucky so long as I continue a citizen thereof, and that I will faithfully execute, to the best of my ability, the office of ——————— according to law; and I do further solemnly swear (or affirm) that since the adoption of the present Constitution, I, being a citizen of this State, have not fought a duel with deadly weapons within this State nor out of it, nor have I sent or accepted a challenge to fight a duel with deadly weapons, nor have I acted as second in carrying a challenge, nor aided or assisted any person thus offending, so help me God."

Hi Newbies! Welcome to our library. Pull up a chair and stay a spell. If you have any questions, just shout 'em out. You're bound to get a good answer in short order.

Attempting to suppress Spanish would require little less than genocide. The Mexican government tried that when they suppressed Nahuatl, the prevalent language of the indigenous peoples. The language was outlawed until fairly recently. The attempt failed. Here in Texas, as in many borderlands, speaking multiple languages is a marketable skill. I receive a bilingual stipend at work. With the growth in the Hispanic demographic, trying to establish a national language would be tough.

I love the poem. Its honesty flies in the face of its contemporaries. An excellent choice, and I'm glad his recital went well. For a comparison, here's an article and recording of what some scholars believe Shakespearean dialect would've sounded like in his day. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/9143302/How-should-Shakespeare-really-sound.html and another https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi-rejaoP7U

I cannot understand how she can refuse to follow the law and perform the duties of her office. She was voted in; she should be voted out. But it is Kentucky.

My first multi-chapter story is unfinished. I was holding myself to a rigid posting schedule, rather than taking the time to make the work as good as I wanted, so I took some time off from it. The plan is to complete the story before I post any more of it, so I can hold to a regular posting schedule, and post better work..

Hi Phillip. As a member, you can leave chapter reviews on any story posted here, at the end of the chapter. Just scroll down to the bottom and look for the button. There may be a story thread in the forum, Stories Discussion. You can also send a private message to the author, if you don't want your comments to be public. The best reward an author can receive is feedback on the story, so thoughtful critique is like gold. Please spend it freely, and I hope we get to see more of you around here. Welcome. rusty

what they said

Since this was Trump's press conference, he's entitled to set the rules, but they could have been laid out in advance. "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Trump will try to take all your questions, but we ask that you wait to be called on, and limit your followup to one question." Trump went against common custom for a white house press conference, and acted the bully, instead. There are ways he could have done it better, that would have been more admirable. Trump appeals to our base nature. Remember the voters who wanted to drink a beer with W? WL, you're right to be concerned. One sign of the downfall of a society is the breakdown of civility.

The other night, I signed an online petition to have Jon Stewart moderate one of the presidential debates. Normally, I dismiss petitions, but I thought it had some merit. He's interviewed more heads of state and high-ranking politicians than any "serious journalist", and I would trust him to try to keep it on the rails.

Feel the Bern.

Andy, Mikiesboy, and C B, I hope you like it here. If you've ever, or never, tried your hand at writing or editing, I hope you'll give it a try. rusty

Try substituting olive oil for the mayo and serving it warm. Maybe throw in toasted pine nuts and whatever else you would normally add.

A man I knew once belonged to a certain denomination which will remain nameless. He thought the world of the preacher until one Saturday night, he went to "a dive" and found the preacher there, shitfaced drunk, cavorting with a female customer. The following day, he was in front of the congregation, again looking so pious, condemning the evils of liquor and fornication. Hell fire and damnation were brought to life in the passionate words of this holy man. Some of these folks like the Duggars may know the evil of their ways and intend to do better, but out of their own weakness, fall to condemning others. It's easier to elevate yourself by putting somebody else down. And you can come to believe it.

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Confucius

Lajitas was a thriving border community until Homeland Security decided the border was too porous. Tourists in Big Bend National Park would cross the border to eat in Mexico. Now they cannot. Tourism on both sides dried up, causing greater financial hardship. Where do the Mexican nationals go to find work? Some cross the border illegally at great peril. Last time I visited Big Bend, I walked into the weeds at the Rio Grande and found a number of nice mineral specimens laid out on the sand next to a mason jar. I took some of the minerals for my collection and left some money in the mason jar. A few minutes later, I went back to find more minerals, and the jar was empty. Years ago, I went out there, and there was an old Mexican man under a shade shelter he'd made of sticks lashed together (huacales), selling wire sculptures of scorpions. I bought a few, shared a conversation with him, and we both left with something we wanted, and a pleasant memory. Those wire scorpions can no longer be found in Big Bend, though they were once common throughout the region. Wanna reduce illegal immigration? Stimulate the economies. Or in this case, soften the border. Government regulation strangled local trade, much of it on a micro level. Taxes uncollected are far less than the cost of policing the border with a zero tolerance attitude. I miss being able to cross the borders north and south without a passport.

All the best in double measure, darlin'. happ' burfday

For a long time, hatred has been used as a unifying force in this country. Now that same-sex marriage is no longer a wedge issue, the largest one remaining is abortion rights. With so many states enacting draconian restrictions and the federal battle to defund Planned Parenthood, I wonder if we'll see a pendulum swing there. The strong central authority of the Republican party may have done more damage than good. Untractable official party lines of climate change denial, defense of DOMA, lower taxes for the wealthy, reduced social spending, anti-abortion, and all without compromise or exception, no matter what, these rigid positions have weakened the ability to govern. In times past, inability to come to agreement on one issue did not necessitate shutting down the government altogether, but it does now. The Republican party is not alone in this, of course, although the Democratic party lacks such party discipline. The American people may have never agreed on much of anything, but the loss of compromise in politics has cost us leadership in the nation. How often do we now see legislators breaking ranks with the party? Even those bills enjoying broad support are often amended with poison pills to compel action on some unrelated matter, as a form of blackmail, or to advance some wingnut cause. Trump's presumed angry millions are far outnumbered by the numb and dispirited who have lost hope in our system. They've seen too little effective government. But the media seeks out the headline and the sound bite.

peace, and clear memories

ANYTHING AT ALL during a prostate exam. Doesn't matter if it's "oops" or "that shouldn't be there" or "What are you doing next Thursday night?"

Monday

Much luck and fulfillment with the new job. I hope they realize quickly just how lucky they are to have you. Believing in what you're doing is a tremendous motivator. It pains me to hear you've left the Republican party, because I know how staunchly you have supported it, but I believe you're right about its future. I hope you will continue to be politically active for those causes and issues you feel strongly about. In today's political climate, we need individuals who can think for themselves.

orneriness and dogged determination If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

All it takes for the haters to win is that others do nothing. Stand up and speak up. Thanks for posting this, Aditus.