I was just reading over some of the recent court documents, for my county. This is what I found. All sentences were issued during the same week. MONDAY; Female age 19 . Theft. Class D Felony., One year in prison. All suspended but Four days. Credit given for two days already served. Why sentence to One year, if the actual sentence is merely four days. Just say a Four day sentence for a Class D felony? Male age 50. failure to register as a sex offender, Class D felony. One year, six month with credit for 180 days already served. So he gets a one year sentence. Assuming he gets good behavior credit for the 180 days served, (which is usually 1 day for each day served). Equals 270 days credit. Which in turn means he has credit for 270 days. Which leaves him 275 days in jail. Assuming good time credit for time he will spend in jail he will serve 137 days, or 4.5 months in jail of a 1 1/2 year sentence. TUESDAY Male age 32. Domestic battery Class D felony. Criminal confinement, Class D felony. Intimidation. Class D felony. Sentenced to 3 years in prison with credit for 163 days served. Female age 43. Theft, Class D felony. Sentenced to ONE (1) day, with credit for 1/2 day served as a Class A misdemeanor. WEDNESDAY Male age 28. Attempted dealing in methamphetamine. Class B felony. Neglect of a dependent. Class C felony. Two counts of aiding in theft. Class D felony. Ten years in prison with credit for 89 days earned. Thursday Female age 23. Possession of methamphetamine. Class D felony. Ssentenced to a year and a half in prison. ALL suspended. WHAT? Why bother to sentence her? Female age 26. Neglect of a dependent, Class D felony sentenced to ONE day in prison with a HALF day credit earned. Male age 56. Criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. Class D felony as a Class A misdemeanor, Sentenced to 180 days in prison with all but TWO days suspended. Does any one see a trend here? Very small sentences, (in the end). For felonies. I remember reading about a man many years ago in Texas who received a life sentence for stealing a 5 cent candy bar. Do these small sentences curtail future crimes.? Probably not. That Is How I See It, merely Views: 418
Category: NEWS
It’s Motorcycle Season Part Four
Sorry to take so much time on this but I do love my motorcycles, and I have a point to make. Being a single parent I didn’t have a lot of time to ride. But I still felt the need to ride. As mentioned before many years ago I met my lifelong mechanic. One day he called to let me know he had a 1973 Honda 350 that he had for sale because the owner had not paid or picked up the bike in the specified 90 days. I paid him $250.oo for it. It was OK it got me to work and occasionally when my sons were visiting their mother, my girlfriend and I would take off for a day trip. It rode really well and we had all kinds of fun on it. Then after 10 years on the job I got laid off, and had to sell it, in order to pay the rent. I sold it for more than I paid for it. Here again I was bikeless. When I got back to work I purchased a 1978. The bike was only 1 year old and only had 1500 miles on it. The bike was a Yamaha 650 Special. The year I bought it was 1979. I paid it off in a year. But the bank never sent me the title. They claimed they did. The bank was sold several times. and in 1999 I received the title. I still had the bike and was riding it daily. At the time it came the closest to looking like a Harley of any bikes. I can’t tell you how many miles I put on it. I put it in the shop in 2000 and had the motor rebuilt as I had stored it a couple of years. and the motor had locked up. I had special pipes put on it that made it a little louder. My youngest son wanted it so I gave it to him. He immediately messed up the carbs by putting in old stale gas. Then my oldest son wanted it and said he would get it fixed.. I never saw him ride it so I asked him where it was. He said a friend had it doing the repair. That was 10 years ago. He doesn’t know where his friend or the bike is. I still have the title. Next I bought a 1978 Honda Gold wing 1000. This one I paid $500.oo for. It was a bare bones bike. running, but no extras. I put a fairing, radio, saddlebags, and Air Horns on it. My girlfriend would take short weekend trips and I rode it to work. worse part about the Gold Wing was its stability on wet pavement. I sat pretty high. While sitting in the break room, at work, one day. An older fellow sat down and we started talking. He was telling me in his younger days he had an Indian motorcycle, but hadn’t ridden in years. We talked a lot about the fun I was having riding. The next thing I know he is asking me about the written and skills tests. I had no information for him on the test as I had grandfathered the new requirements. But he took the tests and passed. He borrowed a moped for the skills test. Soon he and his wife and I and my girlfriend were riding out to eat and just sight seeing. (He had bought a Gold Wing 1200. A really nice bike.) Soon another guy we worked with decided he wanted to ride with us. He passed his tests, and bought a really sharp Gold Wing 1100. Sometime later a friend of the first man who had gone to school with him bought a Gold Wing 1200. I met an older fellow who was giving up riding, due to health problems. I sold my Gold Wing for $800.oo and purchased his 1983 Kawasaki Voyager, for $2500.oo. [Just for the record I paid $200.00 for the Honda, and sold it again for $500.oo.} The Voyager was the ULTIMATE motorcycle. It came from the factory with fairing, removable saddle bags, an adjustable trunk. It would slide forward or back to make more room for the passenger. Queen/King seat. Air adjustable shocks with built in air compressor. AM-FM- Cassette player, CB Radio, intercom system. Fog Lights, Air Horns, cigarette lighter, and a compass. Head light adjuster at the flick of a switch. Individually adjustable (two piece handlebars). Computer to give mpg, miles before needing to refuel, miles traveled between stops, and I can’t remember all the things it would give you. And held the road much better than the Honda. It had a fuel injected in line six cylinder. No end to power. I know on one trip we were hitting 110 mph with a trailer on. (Don’t recommend this.) We talked about one day riding all the southern states during the winter and the northern states during the summer. We sometimes took weekend trips to other states just to say we had ridden in that state. We never got to take the southern and northern state trips. He retired and died one year later. One of the guys. knees went out on him and he couldn’t hold the bike up at stop lights. The other retired and moved to Florida. With no one to ride with I found myself riding less, and the 900 pound bike was getting a little harder to hold up at stop lights. My girlfriend wanted a truck so I traded it for a really nice truck. She drove it 2 times in 2 years. I was wanting to get another bike. But my place of employment had shut down. No work for me. No money. Then in October of last year the fellow we rode with that had moved to Florida located me. He had sold his farm up here, and wanted to know if I would look after his… Continue reading It’s Motorcycle Season Part Four
It’s Motorcycle Part Three
My second bike was Kawasaki 350 R. The R stood for Racer. How I came about getting this bike was a fluke. A friend was moving out of state. He had a Chevette that was pretty rough, and the Kawasaki that he wanted to sell. He was asking $300.oo for the Chevette, and $350.oo for the Kawasaki. The Motorcycle was in great shape, but the Chevette was pretty rough and planned to sell it for parts. As it turned out a mechanic friend of mine was looking for a parts chevette parts car to repair customers car. The parts he needed were in good shape. He offered me $550.OO for the Chevette. I told my friend about the offer and he told me to give him $50.oo and I could keep the Kaw. Great luck there for me. The Kaw was a 350 R. Supposedly the R stood for Race. All I know is the bike would be real slow until you got the RPM’s up Then if you weren’t careful you would pop a wheelie. I rode this bike for a couple of years. Itook my boys for a ride on it. A short ride. But my youngest who was about 2 years old enjoyed most. Years later while attending college he was asked his earliest memory. His answer was riding the bike with me. I had a picture of him on it with me, I dug it out and gave it to him. I only wish I had a copy. Somewhere during his many moves to colleges and jobs he lost it. Siomeone gave me a Honda Scrambler, and I traded the Kaw for a dune buggy. I could get both boys in it. Later a guy who rented one of my bays in my garage to open a bodyshop. Butwas rusty after 20+ years being out of the business. I helped him catch up on techniques and the new paints. About a year later he moved to a bigger shop. But one day he called and had a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria he said he had $500.oo cash (not counting his time) in it and to thank me for the help I could have it for $500.oo. I sold the dune buggy for $500.oo. When I got home the next day and was going to get the car, I found a new refrigerator in the kitchen. My wife had taken the money to buy a bigger refrigerator. Bye, Bye Car. The Honda scrambler was ok for a while I only had about a mile to ride to ride to work. But I had to tune it every day before I could ride it. One night, (by this time I had divorced) I came home to find my Honda missing. All the cops did was say ask the neighbors if they saw anything. About a year later the boys came home from visiting their mother and told me they saw my Honda in pieces in her basement. Apparently her boyfriend wanted it but knew nothing about bikes. Any way I bought my next bike. A 3 cylinder 750 Yamaha. Fun bike to ride. I took it to a Yamaha dealer for a tune up and overall check. Worked fine for about a month. Then had trouble starting it. If I put old plugs in it started fine, just didn’t run so good. I traded it for a ford window van. Had some fun with it. But it wasn’t a motorcycle. More to come later. Remember it isn’t what you ride. It’s that you ride. That Is How I See It, Views: 136
Motorcycle Season Part Two
I have never owned an Indian, Triumph, BSA, or Harley. These would be my favorites in order. My early riding years included riding these brands, but they belonged to friends, My one friend, whom I rode with most of the time, had a Triumph and his father had a Triumph. So by age 14 we rode together quite a bit. I would ride his bike and he would ride his fathers. So that is where I found a fondness for Triumphs. My parents would not allow me to own a motorcycle, and I had to keep them from knowing about my riding adventures. Most of which was on the country roads. After graduating from high school. (You didn’t think I got that far did you.) I was earning $66.oo a week pre-tax. Another friend of mine’s Dad bought him a basket case Harley. He had been working on it for 2 years and was still not riding. I was impatient and wanted to ride NOW. It was a 15 mile drive to work everyday. I did have a 1960 Chevy Convertible but I wanted to ride a bike. At the local truck stop, the owner began selling a new brand of motorcycle. I test drove one and really enjoyed it. This bike had a revolutionary new concept. It was a 175 cc, 2 stroke two cylinder, with oil injection. This meant you did not have to mix the oil to the gas and gave you a better mixture. A rotary valve engine, with a rotary transmission. This meant you could go through the gears in two ways. 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Then return from 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and back to 1at. OR, you could go 1st, 2nd 3rd, 4th, 1st. Without having to work your way down. There was also a lever on the left side of the transmission, you could reach down and shift it, now you had a 5 speed transmission, but the rotary was locked out. Oh yes it had a kick start. Which meant sometimes several minutes of wearing down your right leg trying to start it. (I sometimes cheated and pushed it as fast as I could, popped the clutch and away I went. The price for this motorcycle was $695.oo. This meant I had to borrow the money to buy it. Not having any credit history I had to have my brother, (remember he is 10 1/2 years older than me) co-sign the loan. If you remember I never liked buying anything I could not pay cash for. But I could not wait that long. I remember my payments were a whopping $50.oo a month. (About a weeks pay.) This bike was very versatile. Friends with their Hondas would get together for a small hill climb event. (Pretty small hill). I could beat them up the hill and had my girlfriend on the back. On the interstate, we could travel 105 mph with the two of us on it. And it would run all day like that. The first night I had it I made surprising discovery. The night I picked up my bike my friend, with the Triumph, and I went for a ride. We were doing about 60 on a country road, when we found ourselves approaching a busy State Highway. I released the throttle, but the bike did not slow down. It maintained it’s rpm’s and speed. Finally I panicked and clamped down the front brake. I went tumbling over the handlebars. Not really it just seemed like it, The bike nosedived and I went down. Not injured. I was about ready to take the bike back, and demand my money back. That is when I found out the little knurled knob I was playing with was a sort of cruise control. How it worked was by turning it you locked the throttle. It did take me a while to gain confidence in using the front brake again. I had this bike for about 4 to 5 years.before I sold it. I had gotten my money’s worth out of it. It was time to move up to a larger bike. Before I go I have to tell you this story. Being a youngster with this bike. At this particular time there was an outlaw motorcycle gang, I only use this term for your reference. They preferred to be called a club. Anyway some of the members were riding their Harley’s and I passed them like they were standing still. Suddenly one of the biggest bikers I had seen caught up to me, and pulled me over. He asked, “What you got there?” “You passed me so fast I thought my bike had stopped and started to get off” I told him it is a Bridgestone 175 twin. He kind of laughed. We talked a while. The last thing he told me was this. “Pay no attention to others who may try to put you down because you aren’t riding a Harley, the main thing is you are riding.” I saw these guys in town for a couple of weeks, while the trial was going on. They remembered me and would stop to talk. After that I never saw them again. Oh yes, they did get a kick out of one friend I occasionally road with. This friend was about 6 foot 3 in. tall, and weighed over 300 pounds. He road a Honda 165 dream. (not the same one mentioned earlier). But it was a comical sight. They never gave him a hard time either. He was riding. This is also the time I met my lifetime mechanic. He had taken over the Bridgestone dealership. He has owned 13 Harley’s but even though he hasn’t sold new motorcycles since the Bridgestone days. He does not recommend Harley-Davidson to anyone. He even refuses to work on them. WHY. I don’t know. Bridgestone 175 Twin (almost a BSA, It had the BS only missed the A) Bridgestone went out… Continue reading Motorcycle Season Part Two
It’s Motorcycle Season
Finally it is MOTORCYCLE SEASON!! Living in the northern part of the country we look forward to the time we can get our motorcycles out and ride, ride, ride. Yes we do ride during the winter. I usually get mine out and ride if the temperature reaches 30-35 degrees and the weather is agreeable. No Snow, Ice, Sleet, etc. It may be a short ride of only 3-5 miles, but at least it is a ride. Some people ride anytime. One of the guys I used to ride with many years ago, rode in snow, rain sleet, it didn’t matter. The reason was this. He worked part time for his father, (my boss). When he had his 16th birthday, his Dad wanted to take him out to buy him a car or truck. He knew how much I enjoyed my motorcycle, and opted for a motorcycle. I tried to talk him out of this choice, knowing how cold and snowy it gets around here. He wouldn’t listen. His Dad bought him a brand new Honda 165 Dream. He rode it in snow 4 inches deep. Just to get to school. It was about a 3 mile walk to his school. They didn’t send a bus around then. I guess you could say I started riding fairly young. Being a late baby. Most of my cousins were 10-15 years older than me. In fact I have 2nd cousins my age. My first experience I remember was behind cousin on his Harley-Davidson 74. I was about 5. I was never sure if my brother, who is 10 1/2 years older, actually had a motorcycle or if he just rode friends bikes. I know it had to be a secret when he took me for rides on an Indian Motorcycle. Perhaps that is why I have a soft spot for Indians. I almost bought one once. It was a heck of a deal. I had been out of work for about 6 months. I just started a construction job. Not really knowing anything about construction, I was only making $1.65 an hour. I had a wife and two boys. Next door to the construction site was an old Indian Cycle shop. The old guy who owned the shop I remembered from trips there with my brother. He vaguely remembered my brother and he and I would talk sometimes after work. One day he took me to back his shop. He still sold parts and occasionally repaired an Indian. Any way in the back of the shop he still had a couple of Indians in crates. I don’t remember the model that caught my eye, I only remember it was GREEN. He told me I could have it for $300.oo. But he was closing shop and moving to Florida, so I had only 2 weeks to come up with the money. I never was one to buy anything I couldn’t pay cash for. Now looking back I wish I had asked my brother to loan me the money. But I didn’t. One of my second cousins father drove a Borden’s milk truck. One Sunday they were having motorcycle races at a local track. He was a Harley rider and some of the stories he and his wife (my 1st cousin) could tell about riding in the 1940’s and 50’s. I only heard some of them a few years ago). Like the time he got to the next town before he realized she hadn’t gotten on, and had to go back to get her. Any how he would sneak us in while making deliveries, then pick us up when he came back to pick up the empties. It was a real treat, to watch the men race around the kidney shaped dirt track. I have owned only 4 brands of Motorcycles in my life. But I am running longer than I planned so I will stop here and pick up with Motorcycle Season next post. Remember April is “Get out and Ride” month. It isn’t what you ride. It is that you ride’ That Is How I See It. Views: 133
Mac Vs PC
Have you ever noticed in movies, and TV shows you usually see the actors using Apple Computers? I know there are two factions here PC Users, and Mac Users. I have never had a Mac, and never saw a need for one. My PC does everything I need to do, and at a lower cost. So, I have no experience with Macs. What I do have is the fact I don’t even know anyone who owns a Mac. I haven’t even seen any in our area for sale. Not even in the big box stores. Maybe it is just a regional thing. Perhaps there are pockets where this trend is reversed. So, why does it seem in the make believe world of TV and Movies, everyone owns a Mac? Product Placement. Companies pay to have their products displayed in this make believe world. I have no numbers of units sold or used, for either product. (Sold does not always equal Used). Thus X units sold is a moot point. Nothing against you Mac users. Computer choice is a Personal Choice. That Is How I See It, Views: 124
NCAA FINAL FOUR
Today we will see who advances to the NCAA Championship Game for 2011. We have Kentucky. A pretty good team. They execute well and are well coached. BUT. I still have a mistrust issue with the Kentucky coach. After all he has more NCAA infractions in his history than all the other 3 coaches combined. To be fair I wish the them the best. Boys do it for yourselves ,the team, the school the conference the State of Kentucky. I just would find it hard to play for a coach with his record of infractions. VCU. What can I say? I really know less about them than any team in the FINAL FOUR. congratulations VCU you have performed admirably. I understand your coach is young (30 ish). But he seems to have set a good work example, for you to follow. He appears to be a good strategist. I have heard no bad things about him or from him. He will put the game in your hands. Listen to him. Connecticut. Great team. Great season. I don’t recall too many bad things about your coach, or any of the players. Teamwork will go a long way down this final stretch. I apologize I don’ t know much about your team other than what I have stated. I could give you an excuse. But, I feel there is no excuse if you don’t prepare. And that is where I failed you on this report. (My excuse would be didn’t have time to look at your program) This is true. But I should have taken the time. Please accept my apology. You however have had time to prepare. Good Luck. Butler. I have had friends and acquaintances, even relatives attend Butler going back to the 1950’s. I was lucky enough to attend one of your home games last year. Outstanding. You have been here before, in fact only one year ago. Many fans wrote you off after losing your “STAR” player. This year you have proven you are all STARS. Matt Howard, Mr. Clutch. Stay the course. Stays calm I would have to call him a great leader of his team. But I believe he is a believer in TEAM, he realizes the Bulldogs would not be there if not for the TEAMWORK they display. Brad Stevens. 30 + but strategy is his game. He knows whatever he asks the TEAM will knock themselves out to do. Sets a good example for his team. All that said here are my picks. Kentucky and Uconn. Close game. (Maybe) Kentucky will either run away and hide for the win. Or we will see Uconn put a clamp on them to keep the game close. If UCONN keeps it close I think they will have a chance to win. Kentucky just doesn’t perform as well in a tight game. I predict Kentucky the winner. Butler and VCU. Should prove to be the game to watch. Both young coaches, strategists. VCU (who would normally be a 16 seed and not an 11 seed.) Only an oversight by the NCAA cast you as an 11 seed. I think probably depriving the College fans of a 16 vs 1 upset. Which everyone would like to see. But seeding doesn’t matter. It is just a starting place. What you do from there is all that counts. Ask the number 1 seeds this year. A lot of heart is what you have. Butler EXPERIENCE the best teacher. You have that experience. Now you have to show what you learned. I believe experience will win out on this one. (I may be just a little prejudiced by my previous stated connections. They all say Butler will be NCAA champs for 2011). But my pick is Butler based solely on the experience side. The only thing that will stop them is if VCU can run off a huge run and hang onto a big lead. Close game Butler all the way. Championship game. Kentucky Vs Butler. The second year in a row for Butler to advance to the Championship game. Can they pull it off. One thing else you have here is the Indiana/Kentucky feud. There will be a little more tension in the air for this game. My pick,,,,,,,,,Drum Roll Please!!!! BUTLER. Again I am betting on EXPERIENCE. Good Luck to all teams. (it still takes some luck to win the championship) That Is How I See It, Views: 201
High School Sports Pay To Play
Want to play sports in Middle, or High School? Cough up the DOUGH! It seems schools are trying to eliminate sports from the learning process. they have found a new avenue to this means. MONEY. Pay to play. With unemployment so high, gas prices out of sight, and the economy in general, the states have less tax money so cuts must be made. What to cut? Schools are in the business of book learning. Te academics in charge of schools feel sports is not a learning experience. If it isn’t in the books WE approve, it is not worth learning. Most of you know sports teach the things we need to work with others, and get along. Things you can’t learn in a book. Team mates are not only mates on the field, court, or track. Real team mates are also mates in academics, and in many cases this is a lifelong friendship. I know some of the people on teams are just a member of the sports team. But if you are a REAL TEAM MATE, you will help your other members. A team mate is having trouble in English, some one on the team will tutor him, work with her. A team mate is having social, mental, or emotional problem, A real team mate will be there to help them in any way they can. Can you learn this in a book? Now in some school districts the Academics, have decided to impose a fee on sports. One district I know of has chosen to impose a fee of $170.oo per sport, per student. Pretty much eliminating the economically depressed students. Imagine you have, say one boy and one girl. Your son plays basketball, and baseball. That is $340.oo plus the other expenses such as, sales, and meals, to earn money to support the particular sport. Your expense to get him to and from practice, (even if he drives himself you are probably paying the expense or some of the expense for that car). Your expense to follow his games, and eating out before or after the game. Concessions at the game. Your daughter plays tennis, and soccer? That is another $340.oo plus all of the other above mentioned expenses. We all know if you are a real stand out athlete some one will cover you expenses. But how many of our children are a LeBron James, or Peyton Manning. How many potentially great athletes or leaders will be left behind because their families can’t afford that $170.oo. Why not charge our students, for each class they take, or a fee for school clubs, etc? That Is How I See It. Views: 793
State Looks to Raise Gas Tax
Our state. like most states, is looking for more money. With our unemployment above 9%. Where do you go. The solution they think of is raising GAS TAX. Earlier our Government was telling us to combat high prices drive less. Then we had the clunker thing. (All that accomplished was taking many a vehicle the lower income people could afford to buy and do necessary travel), out of service. Now Our State Servants, have an attitude of: if we need money add taxes, or increase taxes, or somehow get the people pay for it. An Aside here. I just looked and our Servants in the state capital make in excess of $30,000 a year for about 2 months of service. Not bad for a part time job. Any way now with less gas sales due to the economy, and as I see it Price Gouging by the greedy oil companies. Price in our state is now, as I write, is $3.55 9/10 a gallon for regular. We pay sales tax on gas at the rate of 7% (supposedly pre-tax STATE and Federal), we don’t know for sure as it is figured in at the pump. We presently pay 18% a gallon State tax. With 18.4% Federal tax. I’m not a mathematician so I won’t TAX my brain to figure out what the untaxed price of gasoline is. Just guessing total tax Federal what 65 cents, a gal. and about the same for State. That takes the price to what about $2.25 per gal. which would make us paying about 15 cents per gallon sales tax. Hmmm. Looks to me like the Government is making more per gallon than the dealer. So right now it appears that our State government is making about 80 cents a gallon from taxes. That with no expenses. I say no expenses but the dealer gets maybe a penny or two for collecting the sales tax. Will our state be satisfied making $1.00 a gallon. That would be about a 20 cent hike in taxes. Like I said our state likes taxes. You pay tax on everything you buy, rent, use, sell, earn, we even pay sales tax on every game we bowl. Use less gas. Pay more taxes per gallon. Combat greedy oil companies use less gas, they raise their price so they can live the high life at our expense. To me we taxpayers are in a no win situation. Government and Oil Companies are going to maintain their profits plus, regardless of the hardship it brings the people. Perhaps the hardest people hit by this is the people out of work and the retired person who has lost his savings due to the economy. For these people it is like locking them in their homes. Limited income will only stretch so far. When gas prices rise, so do prices of food, and about everything else. The increased cost of production and transportation has to be absorbed somewhere, (we the consumers). Oh and a bonus for the STATE increased price means more sales tax money. That Is How I See It. Views: 147
St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day. A day we celebrate with parades, shamrocks, and green beer. But who was St. Patrick, and why do we celebrate a day with his name. St. Patrick a, Christian leader, is revered by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheran Church, and the Anglican Communion. Patrick, the only name I could find, was born in the year 385 at Banna Venta Berniae. of Roman Britain, and died March 17, 461 age 75 or 76 depending on month of birth. (There are some who believe his death was in 493.) The son of a high ranking Roman family. Around his 16th year he was captured by marauders, and sold into slavery as a shepherd for an Irish Chief, from Antrim, (a country in N.E Ireland). While tending these flocks he would pray to God as many as one hundred times a day. It was in those six years young Patrick learned the Celtic language . His master ,Milchu, was also a high druid. Thus Patrick learned of the primeval Irish religions. He fled to Tours (a city in Western France). While at Tours, Patrick became a missionary and later was dispatched to Britain to combat wrongful teachings of Pelagius, (an English monk whose teachings opposed those of St Augustine). Although St. Patrick is accredited with ridding Ireland of snakes, evidence supports the theory after the Ice Age, Ireland never had snakes. It is suggested the “snakes” referred the serpent symbolism of the Druids. The shamrock, you see in so many St. Patricks Day was used by him while explaining the Holy Trinity. St Patricks Day parades was started by the American-Irish who celebrated the saint’s feast day by marching through the streets of New York in 1792. Although Chicago is host to the most famous St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Kiss me I’m Irish. Some enterprising person came up with this idea, because of the Blarney Stone of Irish legend. Supposedly kissing the Blarney Stone, (A stone built into the Blarney Castle; which one has to lean out on a ledge look up and kiss), brings one the gift of gab. The thinking was….If you can’t kiss the stone, then kiss an Irishman. When drinking your “green beer” say “slainte! (Pronounced slancha). Irish version of “cheers.” Slainte means health. Again, we have here a holiday no self respecting atheist can celebrate without being a hypocrite. Too Bad. Happy St Patrick’s Day!! That Is How I See It. Views: 281
