"And Ajax by mad passion borne stern had replied, fierce scorn enhancing scorn to fell extremes…"
From FB:
“To the family of hippie tourists with their SIX kids on the Metro, screaming and yelling, while you thoughtlessly and obliviously sat together and happily chatted away: I hate you. Get out of my town.”
“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”
– Tecumseh
“Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.” Observed on 25 April each year, Anzac Day was to originally commemorate the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
In Australia and New Zealand, services to commemorate the day are held in the quiet, peaceful moments before dawn, which symbolically links the participants to the dawn landing at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 – 106 years ago today.”
“But, Jay Bobb. Your goatee could not have been THAT hideous. Surely you’re exaggerating?”
Nope. It even got worse than this.
This is me at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Amazing views.
Monstrous facial hair.
This was our first night in town. The Secretary came the following day.
We were on our way (at my idea and instigation) to taking a 2.5 hour boat trip down the Seine.
I thought it would be a good chance to drink in Paris’ culture.
But they had no booze. And it was boring.
So an hour in, I laid down on a wooden bench and slept through it.
As soon as it was over, I left my companions behind and quickly stalked over to the hotel bar and tried to drink as much and as quickly as I could before they closed.
My current work husband is the guy second from the right with the beard. All of his hair has since turned gray.
Personally, I am very fortunate mine as my hair is 99% brown, though I know that day is coming soon.
(I will deal with it with my typical grace.)
The girl in the middle is married to my current supervisor. She saved my ass at the Foreign Service Institute where I became acquainted with woke snowflake culture. And that was 2009.
That leaves the other two dudes in the picture.
The day after this photo was taken, we all went out to dinner. When it was time to pay the tab, one of these guys claimed to have forgotten to bring his wallet, but fulsomely promised to pay us back the following day.
Never heard from him again.
From FB:
“Sierra Nevada, Steve Earle, and an attention deprived Green Cheeked Conure trying to eat my glasses.
Typical Saturday night…”
On a trip protecting the Secretary with my post-Afghanistan hideous goatee.
We also went to Ankara, Turkey. Was early in the year so it was cold at the Northern Latitudes.
If I wanted to, my life could have always been like that – staying in five star hotels, jaunting around the world, never seeing my wife or kids.
Was fun while it lasted but I’m too much of a homebody.
And I happen to like my family. A lot.
From FB:
“A park in Holcomb dedicated to Herb and Bonnie Clutter.”
Song Of Ajax 