From 5 to 12

I was looking at 'The U.S. Constitution for Dummies' and found this. 

I got a laugh at it and thought you might too. 

Well Bye,
®achel™ 

Beating the Tea

Day 351

“After we had cleared the ships of the tea, it was discovered that very considerable quantities of it were floating upon the surface of the water; and to prevent the possibility of any of ifs being saved for use, a number of small boats ere manned by sailors and citizens, who rowed them into those parts of the harbor wherever the tea was visible, and by beating it with oars and paddles so thoroughly drenched it as to render its entire destruction inevitable.”  

~George Hewes~ a Mohawk on the ships on December 16 1773

 

This is one of my favorite quotations I found this year. It makes them sound so real; to think of all those men with funny hair going out in their boats to beat the tea it's really a very funny picture. 

I guess. If you don't have anything else to laugh at.

Maybe it might just be funny to me. 

Hope you like it anyway. 

Well Bye, 

®achel™

Like the cover of an old book,

Day 162

"THE BODY of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Printer

Like the cover of an old book,

Its contents torn out,


And stripped of its lettering and gilding


Lies here, food for worms;


Yet the work itself shall not be lost,


For it will (as he believed) appear once more,

In a new,


And more beautiful edition,

Corrected and amended

By the AUTHOR

Erin said something the other day that made me think about this. 

I had read it a long time ago and thought it was funny. 

So here it is manly for Erin to read. 

Well Bye, 

®achel™ 

a good boy

Day 138

"I am not surprised at what George has done, for he was always a good boy." 

~George Washington's mother~ 

Well Bye,

®achel™

Playthings

Day 136

"Old boys have their playthings as well as young ones; the Difference is only in the price." 

~Ben. Franklin~

Well Bye, 

®achel™

Good Advice On The Moon

Day 133

"I think it is Ariosto who says, that all things lost on earth are to be found on the moon; On which somebody remarked, that there must be a great deal of good Advice on the moon." 

~Benjamin Franklin~ 

In a reply to James Hutton who asked his advice on making peace with Britain.

Well Bye,

®achel™

Not the best, but funny.

Day 112

 "Eat to live, and not live to eat." 

 ~Ben. Franklin~

Well Bye, 
®achel™

P.S.
Heads up. I'm going to change the URL for my blog to apassionforliberty on May 1st. Everything will stay the same except them name. 
Thanks!

Almost the 18th

Day 108 

 

"Paul Revere? Ain't he the Yankee who had to go for help?" 

~An old Texas joke~

Okay, so today is April 17th so that means tomorrow is April18th and that is the day Paul Revere road his famous ride. And seeing as I have to post the poem tomorrow I thought I would post this today.
I read it to Jessica this morning and she liked it so I though it was good enough to post on here, though it's not my normal quotation tip thing.  


Well Bye,
®achel™

As for Me, give me liberty or give me death!

Day 82

Well today, if you don't already know, is the day Patrick Henry gave this speech. So here it is, in all it's long glory!

 

"Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death"
By: Patrick Henry

MR. PRESIDENT: It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth -- and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those, who having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years, to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the house? Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation -- the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer.
Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned -- we have remonstrated -- we have supplicated -- we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free -- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending -- if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained -- we must fight! -- I repeat it, sir, we must fight!! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts, is all that is left us!
They tell us, sir, that we are weak -- unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature has placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged. Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and let it come!! I repeat it, sir, let it come!!!
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! -- I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!


Y'all are going to get really tired of my long posts. Sorry about that, I'll try to do some more readable  ones in the future, but no promises.

Well Bye,
®achel™

Random thing!

Day 55

A farmer in our country, sent two of his servants to borrow [a harrow] of his neighbour, ordering them to bring it between them on their shoulders. When they came to look at it, one of them, who had much wit and cunning, said, “What could our master mean by sending only two men to bring this harrow? No two men upon earth are strong enough to carry it.” “Poh!” said the other, who was vain of his strenght, “what do you talk of two men? one may carry it. Help it upon my shoulders and see.” As he proceeded with it, the may kept esclaiming, “Zounds, how strong you are! I could not have though it, Why, you are a Samson! There is not such an other man in America. What amazing strangth God gas given you! But you will kill yourself! Pray put it down and rest a little of let me bear part of th weight.” “No, no,” said he, being more encouraged by the compliments, than oppressed by the burden; “you shall see I can carry it quite home.” And so he did.
 

~Benjamin Franklin~

 I don't know what good reading this will do you, but I am digging deep to find things to post, and in doing so I came up with this.

Well Bye, 

®achel™

Why the Bald Eagle?

Day 33

In January 1784 Ben Franklin wrote a letter to his daughter in which he complained about the using of the bald eagle to symbolize America and the image of the eagle he used looked more like a turkey. here is what he wrote.

“For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.
With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by sharping and Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little “King Bird” not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who hare driven all the king birds from our Country…
I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a bald Eagle but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America… He is besides, though a little vain and silly a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”  



Well Bye,
®achel™

Surrounding them

 Day 23

“Do you not remember the story you told me of the scotch sergeant, who met with a party of forty American Soldiers, and thought alone, disarmed them all, and brought them in prisoners? A story almost as improbable as that of the Irishman, who pretended to have alone taken and brought in Five of the enemy by Surrounding them.”

~Benjamin Franklin ~
in a letter to William Strahan

I thought that this one was kind of funny. Just my thought on it.

Well Bye,

®achel™

The Wisdom of Mr. Franklin

Day 13

You need not be concerned in Writing me about your bad spelling; for in my opinion as our Alphabet now stands, the bad Spelling, of what is called so, is generally the best, as conforming to the Sound of the Letters and of the Words. To give you an Instance, a Gentleman receiving a Letter in which ere there Words, “Not finding Brown at hom, I delivered your maseg to his yf.” The Gentleman finding it bad Spelling and therefore not very intelligible, called his Lady to help him read it. Between them they picked out the meaning of all but the “yf,” which they could not understand. The lady proposed calling her Chambermaid; “for Batty,”says she, “has  the best knack at reading bed Spelling of anyone I know.” Batty came, and was surprized that neither Sir nor Madam could tell what “yf” was “Why,” says she, “‘yf’“  spells Wife, shat else can it spell?” And indeed it is a much better as well as shorter method of speling “Wife,” than by “Doubleyou, i ef e,” Which in reality spells “Doubleyifey.”

~Benjamin Franklin ~
To his Sister, after she lamented her bad spelling.

I got a book from the library recently of quotes from our founding fathers and this was in it and I was just so surprised and thought that it was so funny, primarily because I have never been very happy with the fact that I am not good at spelling.

Well I hope you think it's funny too.

®achel™