I Handle Snakes


In commemoration of this lady here:

Woman fatally bitten by snake in church

I just had to give a listen to one of my favorite CD's tonight: Tonio K's "Romeo Unchained" - and my wife had to sit and listen to me do Karioki:

From the top, boys:

I HANDLE SNAKES

it's my life
it's my decision
it's my idea of a good time
it's my religion
i don't make no sudden movements
can't afford to make mistakes
i'm a fearless man
i handle snakes (y'all)

the lord of hosts
has got to like me
else this thing here
(this one right here)
would surely strike me
the one man lays down 10 percent
another man trembles and quakes
i save my money
i handle snakes (y'all)

i handle snakes
well i hug 'em and i kiss 'em
i handle snakes
and if they kill me
i'll sure miss 'em

(i handle snakes
i love it when they listen
listen)
i handle snakes
and if they kill me
i'm sure gonna miss 'em

'cause it's my life
it's my decision
it's my idea of a good time (yes it is yes it is)
it's my religion
However
i don't say hallelujah
i don't even say grace
but i make my statement
i say it with snakes

* * * * * *

There's a brief demo version of the song here, in case you want to hear it:
http://home.earthlink.net/~mrmando/tonio_k/Discography/romeo.htm


Regards,
Basil

America and Freedom

Sometimes I wonder: just what sort of freedom do we have here in the U.S.A.? Freedom of Speech? Freedom of Press?

Here's something to put it into perspective for you.

Lately, I've been wandering the Russian web. There's several good reasons for this: one of which is the fact that I'm polishing up my Russian language skills right now. Another is the fact that I'm slowly working on a russian website in the .ru domainspace.

Tonight I fell upon this little gem here:

http://www.lamagrad.ru/

What is particularly cool about this site is that it is the main web-portal for a city north of Moscow called Lamagrad. That's not really what's so cool. But I find the fact that they list the Saint of the day, display an icon for the day, and tell you whether or not it is a fast day, on their main city web portal, to be quite a blessing.

Is U.S.A. really the land of freedom?

God Bless the good people of Lamgrad!

Cheers!
Basil

A thought for the day

Since I haven't blogged in a while, and I've come upon this interesting little quote, I thought I'd spit it back to the world as a "thought for the day":


"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are
always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts."
~ Bertrand Russell

So true.

~ basil

One Web Day

Today is One Web Day - a celebration of how the internet brings people together.

True, I've met many people all over the world that I wouldn't have through the internet. I've met folks from all sorts of diverse backgrounds, many of whom I have practially nothing in common at all, but we managed to converge around one small idea.

The world is full of ideas.

The internet, and particularly the www, now that we have so much more interactive content on the www, brings people together in ways that were unimaginable just 20 years ago.

It also brings out freedom of speech, freedom of expression, in ways never before imagined. There is so much truth out there today available to everyone.

And so much falsehood.

There is so much crime, and so much good - and all of it on the internet.

Good points:
* you can learn all about anything you ever imagined
* you can say anything you ever imagined

Bad points:
* you can learn all about anything you ever imagined
* you can say anything you ever imagined

But really, I think the good far out-balances the bad. You just have to keep perspective, and updated virus signatures.

Cheers!
Basil

Picture(1.jpg

That's me in front of Pat's home of the original Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich.

Good stuff!

Cheers!
Basil

Picture(8).jpg

That's me in front of the Ben Franklin post office - really the FIRST U.S. Post Office where Ben Franklin (the first U.S. Postmaster) was Postmaster when the newly formed U.S. government took over the post from the British.

It is still an operational post office, and you can send mail that gets a special postmark on it.

Regards!
Basil

Picture(8).jpg

That's me in front of Besty Ross' house in downtown Philladelphia. She lived right across the street from a building that Ben Franklin owned and let out to tennants (one of which was the old Philly post office.

Cheers!
Basil