550 billion...electronic run on the banks...lions and tigers and bears...oh my...

By 2pm on September 15Th something evil this way came...so tell me comrades...you still believe in the tooth fairy? You think this group is going to do what?????

Wake up America!...take back our government. Throw the bums out. And get up off of your butts...and read and learn.

Here is what happened...My God comrades...we were taken to the brink...and you all need to DEMAND an answer.

Me...I am going to get my pitchfork out...



Think!!!!! Reason!!!! Have you all lost your minds?

This is no fairy tale. This is as real as it gets. Warning--- Will Robinson...warning.

Love,
The Lass

Rob Roy's Grave...

I love poetry...and I love a tale. This is the best of both...

Rob Roy's Grave
By William Wordsworth



A famous man is Robin Hood,
The English ballad-singer's joy!
And Scotland has a thief as good,
An outlaw of as daring mood;
She has her brave ROB ROY!

Then clear the weeds from off his Grave,
And let us chant a passing stave,
In honor of that Hero brave!

Heaven gave Rob Roy a dauntless heart
And wondrous length and strength of arm:
Nor craved he more to quell his foes,
Or keep his friends from harm.

Yet was Rob Roy as wise as brave;
Forgive me if the phrase be strong; --
A Poet worthy of Rob Roy
Must scorn a timid song.

Say, then, that he was wise as brave;
As wise in thought as bold in deed:
For in the principles of things
He sought his moral creed.

Said generous Rob, What need of books?
Burn all the statutes and their shelves:
They stir us up against our kind;
And worse, against ourselves.

We have a passion -- make a law,
Too false to guide us or control!
And for the law itself we fight
In bitterness of soul.

And, puzzled, blinded thus, we lose
Distinctions that are plain and few:
These find I graven on my heart:
That tells me what to do.

The creatures see of flood and field,
And those that travel on the wind!
With them no strife can last; they live
In peace, and peace of mind.

For why? -- because the good old rule
Sufficeth them, the simple plan,
That they should take, who have the power,
And they should keep who can.

A lesson that is quickly learned,
A signal this which all can see!
Thus nothing here provokes the strong
To wanton cruelty.

All freakishness of mind is checked;
He tamed, who foolishly aspires;
While to the measure of his might
Each fashions his desires.

All kinds, and creatures, stand and fall
By strength of prowess or of wit:
'T is God's appointment who must sway,
And who is to submit.

Since, then, the rule of right is plain,
And longest life is but a day;
To have my ends, maintain my rights,
I'll take the shortest way.

And thus among these rocks he lived,
Through summer heat and winter snow:
The Eagle, he was lord above,
And Rob was lord below.

So was it -- would, at least, have been
But through untowardness of fate;
For Polity was then too strong --
He came an age too late;

Or shall we say an age too soon?
For, were the bold Man living now,
How might he flourish in his pride,
With buds on every bough!

Then rents and factors, rights of chase,
Sheriffs, and lairds and their domains,
Would all have seemed but paltry things,
Not worth a moment's pains.

Rob Roy had never lingered here,
To these few meagre Vales confined;
But thought how wide the world, the times
How fairly to his mind!

And to his Sword he would have said,
Do Thou my sovereign will enact
From land to land through half the earth!
Judge thou of law and fact!

'T is fit that we should do our part,
Becoming, that mankind should learn
That we are not to be surpassed
In fatherly concern.

Of old things all are over old,
Of good things none are good enough: --
We 'll show that we can help to frame
A world of other stuff.

I, too, will have my kings that take
From me the sign of life and death:
Kingdoms shall shift about, like clouds,
Obedient to my breath.

And, if the word had been fulfilled,
As might have been, then, thought of joy!
France would have had her present Boast,
And we our own Rob Roy!

Oh! say not so; compare them not;
I would not wrong thee, Champion brave!
Would wrong thee nowhere; least of all
Here standing by thy grave.

For Thou, although with some wild thoughts,
Wild Chieftain of a savage Clan!
Hadst this to boast of; thou didst love
The liberty of man.

And, had it been thy lot to live
With us who now behold the light,
Thou would'st have nobly stirred thyself,
And battled for the Right.

For thou wert still the poor man's stay,
The poor man's heart, the poor man's hand;
And all the oppressed, who wanted strength,
Had thine at their command.

Bear witness many a pensive sigh
Of thoughtful Herdsman when he strays
Alone upon Loch Veol's heights,
And by Loch Lomond's braes!

And, far and near, through vale and hill,
Are faces that attest the same;
The proud heart flashing through the eyes,
At sound of ROB ROY'S name.



A man...a legened and a grave...

Love,
The Lass

Nancy...please...will someone shut this woman up???

I don't think this needs further comment.

Oh..

And comrades...this is just the tip of the ice berg. There is more to come. Four more years...unless the Republicans get their act together.

Just looking out for us.

Love,
The Lass

a paradox...fermi...and an equation....I love this one

"If they existed, they would be here." ---Enrico Fermi

Stated in a logical statement...if P...then Q. Wow, now that is something to ponder. And ponder someone did. His name is Frank Drake, who first thought (as a good scientist would)...what are the odds? Well of course you know that Scientists are really odds makers, which of course makes them a little odd...I digress...

Drake's equation goes like this...

N = (R_s)(f_p)(n_p)(f_b)(f_i)(f_c)(L_c)
"where R_s is the rate of star formation in the Galaxy, f_p is the fraction
of those stars with planetary systems, n_p is the mean number of planets
suitable for life per planetary system, f_b is the fraction of those plan-
ets suitable for life on which life actually developed, f_i is the fraction
of those planets with life on which intelligent organisms have evolved, f_c
is the fraction of those intelligent species that have developed communica-
tative civilizations, and L_c is the mean lifetime of those civilizations.
The first three factors are essentially astronomical in nature, the next
two are biological, and the last two are sociological. We are able to make
some educated estimates regarding the astronomical factors, we may be on
shaky ground with the biological ones, and we are almost playing numbers
games in trying to estimate values for the last two."

And it is a numbers game after all...just look at Carl Sagan's assessment:



Well...here is Drake:



An equation and a paradox...I just love this.

So...me being me...had to look further...sort of a search for truth...or maybe just a search.

It seems to me that the Drake equation does not examine enough variables. The formula relies on 'stabs in the dark.' This makes it highly imprecise and unscientific. The margin of error is far beyond what should be considered acceptable or meaningful.

And of course would advance civlizations rely on radio transmissions? Ours will soon give up the "ghost"...and considering the lifespan of our technology...this window was very small.

The equation does not take into account migratory patterns. What???? You mean moving about the universe? Well of course. We didn't stay put...what are the odds other intelligent life would stay put?

Well, there you are...and there are other factors as well. One big one...if God is in the picture...what are the odds that the creator thought it a good idea to create other life forms. We are messy...and seems likely that the creator would not think it wise to clutter the universe with us...or us-light. Or maybe the creator figured the odds for enlightened souls would be better...considering...Lot had difficutly just finding one...I digress.

The point is...getting back to Fermi...

Fermi's conclusion goes much further...and includes some givens...

It is obviously difficult to comment on the sociology of a possible extraterrestrial civilization. A fact which seems nevertheless to be essential is that such a civilization would inevitably end up seeking to spread itself beyond its planet of origin. One can quote three reasons for which this objective seems natural:

Exploration
Colonization
Survival

Exploration consists of sending a mission towards other stars once the necessary technological level are reached. There is hardly a doubt that this must happens one day, whether it is by curiosity or for prestige reasons.

Colonization as this is the underlining goal of most terrestrial civilizations since the beggining of times, for religious reasons as well as for economic or political reasons. Unless we assume that other intelligent beings would be more reasonable than us, the temptation of colonization would then be probably widespread.

Lastly, the third reason, and surely the more important one is survival. The lifespan of a star in a stable form is limited. For example, in approximately 5 billion years, the Sun will cease to be the stable star which we know. It will become a red giant that will probably absorb the Earth. Under these conditions, sooner or later, space flights and interstellar flights will prove to be essential to the humanity's survival. Any extraterrestrial civilization will be one day or the other confronted with a similar problem.

Are we the only technologically advanced age of the Universe?

Since only one extraterrestrial civilization could spread in a relatively short time, how is it possible that that we never saw the extraterrestrial ones and that our radio telescopes never collected signals of suspect origin?


But back to my point...Lot's odds should have been better...that being just find one good person. God kept having to lower the odds for Lot to come out alive...so what are the odds that a civilization exists or existed that could speak to us...or travel around bringing good tidings...I think for that...we should rely on Lot's experience...and remember...even Lot's wife was not able to keep her eyes toward the future...instead, she did what most of us do...ignore instructions...and keep looking back.

As for me...well I am keeping an open mind. As for the odds...well Sagan went from 10 to a billion with just one change in the formula...I am thinking he needed to add the Lot factor...

What do you think?

Love,
The Lass

a great love letter...maybe the greatest...

July 14,1861
Camp Clark, Washington DC

Dear Sarah:

The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days - perhaps tomorrow. And lest I should not be able to write you again I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I am no more.

I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the government and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution. And I am willing - perfectly willing - to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this government, and to pay that debt.

Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but omnipotence can break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly with all those chains to the battlefield. The memory of all the blissful moments I have enjoyed with you come crowding over me, and I feel most deeply grateful to God and you, that I have enjoyed them for so long. And how hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes and future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and see our boys grown up to honorable manhood around us.

If I do not return, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I loved you, nor that when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name...

Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless, how foolish I have sometimes been!...

But, 0 Sarah, if the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they love, I shall always be with you, in the brightest day and in the darkest night... always, always. And when the soft breeze fans your cheek, it shall be my breath, or the cool air your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.

Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for me, for we shall meet again...


This was written by a soldier...and so many solidiers have written to their loves...this one is here for us...a testimony of the human heart. A letter...full of grace. Who was Sarah? She was a woman who was loved.


Just sharing a little of the greatest of gifts...words of love.

Love,
The Lass