Not one God damned inch!

O say can you see, by the dawns early light. What so proudly we hailed. Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. How often we sing the words without the meaning. Yet the meaning is so grand. So what the courage of our nation is all about. You can batter us; you can indict our purpose; you can subvert our great mission. But when it has ended, America will be there, in all its glory, with all its great freedoms, with all its kindness; with all of its energy. And resolve; and honesty to the fair citizens who allow a nation to be as magnificent as it is. At dawns early light.

Do you realize how much more could be accomplished if people would just say what they mean.

The Question:
Where do you find these two poetic lines: "Praise the power that hath made and preserved us as a nation / Then conquer we must, when our cause is just."

The Headlines:
--British Press Wonders If Obama Snubbed Thatcher Funeral Because She Fought Unions.
--Pres Speaks In Boston.
--Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Looks Like Nuclear Disaster.
--Italy Again fals To Elect President.
--NK Tells America To End Sanctions They Will Stop With The Threats already,

American Idol Department:

It was pretty clear to me that Angie and Candice were the cream last night. While Candice is always perfect to listen too, I give a nod to Angie for pure entertainment value. I have liked Amber from the start. I like her demeanor on stage. She is easily always the best dressed person in the group. And she is just a damn good singer and should be in the top three. Kree is a very good singer, but she always comes along flat to me. I would put her last in last night's competition, and if so, the Judges would probably use their save. I thought Janelle was very good last night, but then I really like country music. By the way, I was thinking back to those lackluster guys. There is a lot of talk about why the great AI is suffering a significant ratings decline, and I believe in part it is the poor selection of men. And that, is a Judging problem. Without the guys, you turn off a huge section of viewers, young girls and women.

It's never to late:
I've been touched the past two days about a story from a friend about her brain damaged son. He was born with some brain damage and at five years exacerbated that with a playground fall to his head. That paralyzed the left side, resulting over time in great and continuous pain. The burden upon the mother became more and more painful too, as she tried to comforted her aggrieved son. She'd heard of new surgeries that might help, so she managed to get and appointment with the head neurological surgeon at Brown U. Shortly, she and her son found themselves in a small darkened room with the surgeon manipulating the MRI on the big colorful screen. The boy and mom watched eagerly. Finally the surgeon stopped and pointed to a black triangle. "That's the problem," said the surgeon. The mother smiled a bit, and then the 50 year old boy jumped and shouted in childlike innocence, "They found it!" Everybody in the room laughed at his exuberance, his total happiness,,, felt a tear on their cheek.

But, here is the rest of the story. When it came time to perform the surgery, the original surgeon was away. His associate was to step in, but first, he warned the mother that he didn't think this procedure would work and suggested an alternative. The mother resisted brilliantly and the surgeon agreed to set up and performed the first surgeons plan. It turned out to be perfect, The boy crippled for life is completely pain free. He is comfortable for the first time in 40 years. The mom brought him back for a check up after a week or so. The performing surgeon said, "I have a little story Mr's Jones. I was in church the other day and this thought came to me in that pleasant silence, that my associate, your first sugeon  must have received an intuitive urging to suggest a treatment that no other surgeon would have suggested. It is kind of a miracle."

A reader warns that while the Lenova detachable tablet computer combo looks tempting, beware of a practically non-existent customer service. He is telling me that this is a true leave-you-out-on-the-limb-customer-service- company. And they own the saw. Good luck

A Washington insider and reader reports that the Senate is seeking to register and do background checks on purchasers of pressure cookers. Sunbeam and grandmothers are expected to protest

I heard the President today say in the aftermath of yesterday's defeat of his pet bill on gun restrictions, that he will keep his promise to stamp out gun violence. I have a problem with phrase "Gun violence". It's people violence. Guns aren't violent. Oh, they could be dangerous, They could be killers, But they aren't violent by nature, In fact they are basically inert, potential energy. Waiting for a violent person to come it's way.

I used use as my harbinger of spring the increase in deaths by motorcyclists. Now I'm leaning to the recent rash of bridge jumpings. In the last week we have had a jumper from the Mount Hope bridge, the Jamestown bridge and the Newport Bridge, three of the four bridges leading to this island. Two succeeded in their high flying suicides, but the Newport Bridge jumper was saved after a terrifying fight between the jumper, State trooper and Good Samaritan. In fact, the jumper nearly took the trooper with him until the Samaritan grabbed both belts and leaned back with all of his weight. Anyhow, Spring must be some awful terrible stimulating tonic. Why can't I be normal and watch for the robin.

The Answer:
The two lines are from the Fourth versus of the poem by Francis Scott Key, the first verse being our national anthem. The two lines above are followed by, "And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.' / And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave / O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The weird world Department:
Icelanders can get an App which will help prevent accidental incest. Yikes! It is suggested that when having that first drink in a bar that a newly met couple bump their android phones and the app will make sure they are not kissing cousins. The bump immediately analyzes the genealogy data bank that includes all 320,000 Icelanders to determine the relative safety of a potential coupling. I expect it will say "Jump into bed" or "Say something funny about Uncle Harry."

Now, what exactly could a Tids App do?
!