Born2RideDILLIGAFHBIC LowRider family's blog: "Thought Provoking...."

A Different Christmas Poem The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight. My wife was asleep, her head on my chest, My daughter beside me, angelic in rest. Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white, Transforming the yard to a winter delight. The sparkling lights in the tree I believe, Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve. My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep, Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep. In perfect contentment, or so it would seem, So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream. The sound wasn ' t loud, and it wasn ' t too near, But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear. Perhaps just a cough, I didn ' t quite know, Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow. My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear, And I crept to the door just to see who was near. Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night, A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight. A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old, Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold. Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled, Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child. ' What are you doing? ' I asked without fear, ' Come in this moment, it ' s freezing out here! Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve, You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve! ' For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift, Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.. To the window that danced with a warm fire ' s light Then he sighed and he said ' Its really all right. ' ' I ' m out here by choice. I ' m here every night. ' ' It ' s my duty to stand at the front of the line, That separates you from the darkest of times. No one had to ask or beg or implore me, I ' m proud to stand here like my fathers before me. My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December, ' Then he sighed, ' That ' s a Christmas ' Gram always remembers. ' My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ' , And now it is my turn and so, here I am. I ' ve not seen my own son in more than a while, But my wife sends me pictures, he ' s sure got her smile. Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag, The red, white, and blue... An American flag. I can live through the cold and the being alone, Away from my family, my house and my home. I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet, I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat. I can carry the weight of killing another, Or lay down my life with my sister and brother... Who stand at the front against any and all, To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall. ' ' So go back inside, ' he said, ' harbor no fright, Your family is waiting and I ' ll be all right. ' ' But isn ' t there something I can do, at the least, ' Give you money, ' I asked, ' or prepare you a feast? It seems all too little for all that you ' ve done, For being away from your wife and your son. ' Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret, ' Just tell us you love us, and never forget. To fight for our rights back at home while we ' re gone, To stand your own watch, no matter how long. For when we come home, either standing or dead, To know you remember we fought and we bled. Is payment enough, and with that we will trust, That we mattered to you as you mattered to us. ' PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let ' s try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN 30th Naval Construction Regiment OIC, Logistics Cell One Al Taqqadum , Iraq .

Close your eyes...And go back... ......Before the Internet or PC or the MAC...... ......Before semi-automatics and crack.... ......Before Playstation, SEGA, Super Nintendo, even before Atari... ......Before cell phones, CD's, DVD's, voicemail and e-mail.... ......way back.... ......way.....way.....way back..... I'm talkin' bout hide and seek at dusk Red light, Green light Red Rover....Red Rover..... Playing kickball & dodgeball until the first...no...second...no...third Streetlight came on Ring around the Rosie London Bridge Hot potato Hop Scotch Jump rope Duck....duck....GOOSE!!! YOU'RE IT!! Parents stood on the front porch and yelled (or whistled) for you to come home - no pagers or cell phones Mother May I? Hula Hoops Seeing shapes in the clouds Endless summer days and hot summer nights (no A/C) with the windows open The sound of crickets Running through the sprinkler Cereal boxes with that GREAT prize in the bottom Cracker jacks with the same thing Ice pops with 2 sticks you could break and share with a friend .....but wait.....there's more.... Watchin' Saturday Morning cartoons Fat Albert, Road Runner, Smurfs, Picture Pages, G-Force & He-Man, Schoolhouse Rock Watchin' Sunday morning oldies (Abbott & Costello, Three Stooges) Wonder Woman & Super Man Underoos FONZIE.....AYYYYYYYY Playing Dukes of Hazard Christmas morning Your first day of school Bedtime Prayers and Goodnight Kisses Climbing trees Swinging as high as you could to try and reach the sky Getting an Ice Cream off the Good Humor Truck A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers Jumpin' down the steps Jumpin' on the bed Pillow fights Sleep-overs A 13" black and white TV in your room meant you were RICH Runnin' till you were out of breath Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt Being tired from PLAYING WORK: meant taking out the garbage or doing the dishes Your first crush Your first kiss (I mean the one that you kept your mouth CLOSED and your eyes OPEN Rainy days at school meant playing "Heads up 7UP" or hangman" in the classroom, Remember that? Oh, I'm not finished yet.... Kool-Aid was the drink of the summer So was a swig from the hose Giving your friends a ride on your handlebars Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school Class Field Trips with soggy sandwiches When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there When a quarter seemed like a fair allowance; and another quarter a MIRACLE When ANY parent could discipline ANY kid, or feed him, or use him to carry groceries...And nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it. When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited you at home. Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And some of us are still afraid of em! Didn't that feel good? Just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that!" Well, let's keep going!! Let's go back to the time when... Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!" "Race issues" meant arguing about who ran the fastest. Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "monopoly" Catching polywogs could happily occupy a morning It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends. Being old, referred to anyone over 20. The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties. Nobody was prettier than Mom Scrapes and bruises were kissed by mom or grandma and made better It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park. Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true (or for some of us . . . getting a foot in the snow!) Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare" Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles. The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team. Water balloons were the ultimate, ultimate weapon. Older siblings were your worst tormentors, but also your fiercest protector If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!! Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their "grown up" life...... I TRIPLE DOG DARE YA!!!!!! *smirk*

Bucky CovingtonA Different World

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com

BIKER IN BLACK Some think bikers are mean Some dressed in leathers and others in jeans You don't like our patches or the clothes that we wear You hate our bandannas and you hate our long hair You don't like our scooters and our loud noisy pipes You think we're not loyal to the stars and stripes You don't like our patches that are worn on our vests You think we're so different from all the rest But the truth is, Mister, we're kind of alike You drive a car and I ride a bike You have no tattoos painted on your arm But we fought side by side over in Nam So the next time your children are running around Enjoying their freedom and the fun that they've found Remember us bikers and all that we do We feed our lost veterans, we're Red, white and blue ! We bring toys for tots and toys for a smile By riding our bikes for miles and miles You see, us bikers have never forgot Our homeless veterans and our homeless tots We are loyal to our clubs and true to our bro's We will always wear black from our heads to our toes Society once said that long hair was for fags But you'll never see a biker burning a flag Now the tattoos and leather you don't understand Stands for free independence that us bikers demand Our long hair and patches and bikes with loud pipes is a tribute to our freedom, the Stars and Stripes So before you make up your mind on just what I might be Take a look in the mirror and what do you see? The man that you see that is staring right back Is not too much different from that biker in black. Ride Safe , Ride Free !! Author Unknown

Hello everyone; I would like to share this piece found on myspace site put together by Elizibeth, an Irish woman who is dedicated to working with abused women. There are so many of us out there who have suffered a relationship that falls apart violently.Too many of us are unable to speak of the horror we have survived, I must give kudos to those who have found the courage to do so. Thank you Elizibeth for sharing this letter and thank you to the brave woman who wrote it. The comments at the end of the letter are from Elizibeth. An open letter to her abuser: **************************************************** I was too selfish, I was too giving. I didn't try hard enough, I tried too hard. I was too feisty, I was too soft. I was too pretty, I was too ugly. I was too vein, I didn't take care of myself enough. I worried about what others thought too much, I was inconsiderate of others too much. I was rude to people, I was too nice to people. I was a liar, I was too honest. I drank the wrong drinks, I ate the wrong food. My taste in music was terrible. I made a show of myself when I was on a night out. I didn't enjoy meself enough when I was on a night out. I spent too much time with my friends, I didn't spend enough time with my friends. My family were not nice to you, My family were too nice to you. The colour of my sitting room was not to your satisfaction, you insisted I buy paint so you could change it. The couch wasn't comfortable enough. The firplace was an eyesore. The TV was too small. The colour of my kitchen was not nice. My house was too small. The tiles in the kitchen were not nice. The tiles in my bathroom were not nice. The floor in the hall was not nice. The curtains in the living room were not nice. The colour of my bedroom was too bright. The curtains in my bedroom let in too much light. The duvet on my bed was too small. My bed was not comfortable. I was too clever, I was too stupid. I was too perfect, I was insane. I was not good enough for you, I was too good for you. I was cold, I was too affectionate. I wasn't allowed to go away on business, I should put more effort into my job. I was too focused on money, I was too careless with money. I cried to get my own way. I cheered up too fast. When I tried to let you go...when I couldn't do anymore, when I was worn down and worn out, you would not let me go. when I asked, when I BEGGED you to let me go you wouldn't let me go...not until you had sucked the last remnants of my spirit away from me, not until you had made sure that I hadn't got a friend in the world and my family were distanced and made to believe you were the victim. They know the truth now don't they? According to you, I was a bullying, tough, heartless control-freak and you could just never do anything right. Never once, never ONCE in all the time we were together did you ever have anything positive or complimentary to say about me, my family or my life (accept if I asked you to and then you'd tell me I wasn't giving you a chance and I was too impatient and too demanding) You are fucking lying to yourself, I don't believe it anymore.You are a fucking abusive fucked up scumbag. You hide behind the "nice gentle guy" mask but underneath it all, there is just a huge black-hole of self-hate and denial and the all consuming fact that ultimately, you have failed at life and now merely exist until some other vibrant bubbly naive girl comes along for you to suck the life out of. Go and get some help before you do this to someone else. **************************************************** A comment to those of you who may know someone who is in or has just got out of an abusive relationship: Often you will see at some point in their recovery, and abused person will display quite aggressive anger like the last paragraph above, even the most gentle of souls may display this anger. The anger will be directed at his/her abuser, but of course, out of fear, he/she will not want to say it directly. However, this anger, will eat away if not vented. This is when you encourage him/her to vent safely, by writing it down, doing some kick-boxing classes or just letting him/her sit in your kitchen and scream! Whatever it takes! Its a normal part of healing. BUT one word to the wise is to try to discourage him/her from getting into another relationship while he/she is going through the angry phase, it could be quite destructive. Some people while in this phase will even vent it by becoming promiscuous, some not all. He/She may even take it out on friends and family, if so, please encourage him/her to get some help. There is no shame in getting some therapy, and there are more and more affordable therapists out there.

VERY EDUCATING - GLAD THINGS HAVE CHANGED Interesting. The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s: These are interesting... Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water.. Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying . It's raining cats and dogs. There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence. The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, Dirt poor. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold. (Getting quite an education, aren't you?) In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.. Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, bring home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.. Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust. Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake. England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a ...dead ringer.. And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! ! Educate someone. Share these facts with a friend

White People Someone else besides me finally said it. how many are actually paying attention to this? There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Native Americans, etc. and then there are just Americans. Some pass me on the street and sneer in my direction. You call me "White boy," "Cracker," "Honkey," "Whitey," "Caveman" and that's OK. But when I call you, Nigger, Kike, Towelhead, Sand-nigger, camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink you call me a racist. You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you, so why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live? You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day. You have Black History Month. You have Cesar Chavez Day. You have Yom Hashoah You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi You have the NAACP. You have BET. If we had WET(White Entertainment Television) we'd be racists. If we had a White Pride Day you would call us racists. If we had White History Month, we'd be racists. If we had any organization for only whites to "advance" our lives, we'd be racists. We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that? If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships, you know we'd be racists. There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US, yet if there were "White colleges" that would be a racist college. In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights. If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us racists. You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our white pride, you call us racists. You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. But, when a white police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist. I am proud. But, you call me a racist. Why is it that only whites can be racists? There is nothing improper about this email. Let's see which of you are proud enough to forward it.