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A Little TJ PIO!! (My Own Text Slang, I think)

This is amazing!  Be sure to check out the quotes at the end.

(I am seldom one to pass along chain Emails, but I suppose today is once in a blue moon)

Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.

• At 5, began studying under his cousin's tutor.
• At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
• At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
• At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
• At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
• At 23, started his own law practice.
• At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
• At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British Americaâ and retired from his law practice.
• At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
• At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence .
• At 33, took three years to revise Virginia 's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
• At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.
• At 40, served in Congress for two years.
• At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
• At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
• At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.
• At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active
• head of Republican Party.
• At 57, was elected the third president of the United States .
• At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation's size.
• At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
• At 65, retired to Monticello .
• At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
• At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.
• At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence along with John Adams.

Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us in the future:

John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement:"This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to 

gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

---------------------------------------------------

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe ."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government

results from too much government."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."

--Thomas Jefferson

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and

tyrannical."

-- Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.

If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

I wish we could get this out to everyone!

I'm doing my part. Please do yours.

Jersey Hot Dogs All-The-Way or Burgers?

"Congratulations Belmont Grill, you are my 100th Burger reviewed"

Where: The Belmont Grill, North Haledon, NJ

What: Double burger, all the way.
Build: 2 Burger patties (5oz ?), 2 slices American cheese, raw onion, chili sauce, mustard, hamburger bun.

Comment: I've been wanting to try this place ever since I've seen it on my new short cut to work. I stopped in with my son while Christmas shopping to try the "famous" Texas Wiener and I have to say: "holy sh*t" - hey Hot Grill in Passaic - move over. The dogs were fried to a wonderful "snap" and were fat and juicy. The toppings were simple and fresh, raw white onion, spicy mustard and a GREAT Texas Wiener sauce, reminiscent of the that other place, only a bit better actually. They were served on super fresh rolls which is oh-so important when attempting to create a memorable hot dog. The dogs get a 10/10 hands down. Now - I don't give a damn weather the person serving me is a fat old stinky guy with dirt under his fingernails or a gorgeous blond, but I thought I'd mention the staff were very nice and helpful. 

Next up, the fries with cheese and brown gravy - very good. Not a "10" but they definitely hovered around a 9/10 due to the excellent crispness of the fries and the fresh beef flavor busting out all over the gravy - it was just great. It was the cheese that left things a bit to be desired though. Let's face it, American cheese is processed, and pretty much classifies as "fake" cheese, so if you are using it, you'd better be using the best quality you can get, if, in fact, there is such a thing as "better" imitation food. (Ever try Parmesan cheese on fries w/ brown gravy? Don't turn your nose up - you'll be hooked instantly like I was).
Next up, the burger. I am embarrassed to say I ordered wrong. I scanned the menu which read: "double burger all the way or, lettuce, tomato and mayo". I didn't notice the word "or" on the chalk board so I ordered it all the way thinking I was getting it with the let and tom. What my order did in fact mean was that I had just ordered my double burger with chili sauce, onion and mustard. Now let me be clear friends, those toppings are "hot dog" toppings only and should never see the topside of a 4-inch diameter piece of ground cow. There is a reason those toppings are reserved for hot dogs... they taste good together. Like the way a burger tastes good fried on a flat grill, crisp and brown and served on a buttered roll with things like, onion, cheese and pickle. With that said, the burger was staggeringly good. It worked! - I don't know how, but all the flavors along with the quantity of each just worked. I was very pleasantly surprised, proving that it sometimes pays to take the road less traveled. Due to the slight over-doneness of the burger I'm rating it a 9/10, but I will be back to the Belmont - and soon. Well done.

Bill Cianci's (mostly) Burger Reviews - Real Food Photos - No Fluff and No Food Snobbery

Only honest burger reviews here folks - my goal is for you to taste exactly what you read about here when you order your food. I make a constant effort to keep my personal taste out of my reviews. All too often I've read reviews from "burger experts" praising a burger only to be disappointed come judgement day. For this reason, I don't go into a burger establishment with cameras blaring, announcing who I am and what I'm doing... maybe that's the difference, you decide...

A Ribbon of Help for Newtown

On Sunday, 12/17/12 I attended a youth wrestling tournament.  Shortly after arriving, I noticed a small group wearing shirts that read: Newtown Wrestling.

Out of boundless respect and compassion to all those affected, I cannot write this post about my own grief or feelings or points of view.  Only that I commend the parents, coaches, etc. for having the strength and courage to try to bring some semblance of normalcy to some of the children of their community.

I held the door for one of them as he walked out with a medal around his neck.  I gave him a high five and nodded to his dad.  There was another match I noticed, involving their team, in which the boy was not there.

Today, I saw a tweet referencing a relief fund 

Coincidentally, the article mentions their wrestling team.

The purpose of this post is to spread the word of this fund.

Please donate and pass along.

Bed Of Nails Review

A few weeks back, I purchased something from a Woot! ad on my phone.  It was an acupressure mat called Bed Of Nails.

Being I seldom do Yoga, or even regular exercise these days (bad, bad, bad!!!), the thought of better sleep, an endorphin rush, stress relief, weight loss, and all that other good stuff, just by lying on a mat for 10 minutes intrigued me.

To be honest, it sounded like hocus-pocus, so I checked out the reviews.  4-1/2 of 5 stars on Amazon.  Hmmm.  5 of 5 stars on Bed Bath and Beyond.  Wow!  

What the heck, why not give it a shot?
So, of course, lying on non-toxic plastic nails for the first time is a strange feeling.  What's interesting is that it feels different each time.  The first night there was a cool, hot feeling near my shoulder blades.  The second, more towards the middle of my back.  The third night was more of a tingling all over.  Each night I slept very well and woke up energetic and refreshed.

Interestingly enough, the pamphlet said using at different times can produce different effects.  So this morning, I woke up with a stiff neck.  No I did not use the mat last night after staying up late only to watch the Yankees eventually lose.  Anyway, I thought, why not try the mat now?  So I did, and it worked!  Stiff neck went away, and I only laid on it for about a minute.

I must admit, my experience thus far has made a believer out of me.  My review has to be 5 of 5 stars as well.

Def Leppard / Poison Rock of Ages Review

On Wednesday, July 11th, I took the little guy to his first rock concert with a few friends.  It was Def Leppard and Poison with Lita Ford as an opening act.


Lita Ford did a very short set.  Maybe 5 songs?  She ended with Kiss Me Deadly and obviously Ozzy was not there for Close My Eyes Forever.  At one point, she tried to get the limited crowd to sing along with her.  Funny to hear an awkward silence in an arena full of people.  I think the people there at the time just were not paying attention.  No complaints here.  She sounded fine.




Next up was Poison.  Nice to see them with their original lineup.
They did most of their recognizable songs and played each one well.  I was slightly disappointed that they did not play Life Goes On and I Won't Forget You, but it seemed like their set was cut short since they were not the "headliner."  The also did not play Something To Believe In, although I would have preferred either of the previously mentioned songs over that one.


The crowd's best reaction came with Fallen Angel with Ride The Wind not being far behind.  Every Rose Has It's Thorn was done very well too.


Rikki Rockett and Bobby Dall are very low profile.  Bobby Dall is cool, though, and I've always liked him for some indescribable reason.  C.C. DeVille is back and despite all his past troubles, performed really well. As a guitarist, I thought the scales in his solo were ridiculous, but being an EVH fan, his finger tapping sounded too much like Eruption.

Then there is Bret Michaels.  This guy is pure class.  Right out of the gate he says how much he likes coming back to Jersey.  He never said, New York (hint hint, Joe Elliott!  Ah, it's just across the river and we'll give you a break since you're a Brit). Over the course of the show, he dedicates songs to men and women in our Armed Forces, workers from local unions, and things like that.  He always speaks with respect and sincerity.  If you've never watched the VH1 Behind The Music about Poison, or any of the reality shows Bret has been on, you're missing out.  For someone who's been through a lot, especially health issues, it's great to see a talented yet humble regular guy in the spotlight.  From my seat, I was able to see, what I'm guessing was, Bret's wife and kid just off stage for their whole set.  Good stuff.  He also mentioned that he'll be on the Celebrity Apprentice All Stars coming soon.  

Finally, Def Leppard came on.  This is the first concert I've ever been to where the band ended up playing EVERY song I hoped to hear.  The ones I didn't expect them to play were Let It Go and Bringing On The Heartbreak, both from High 'N Dry, but to my delight, they did.  Their set was the largest of the night and had the most effects.  Joe Elliott's voice is a little aged, but he still does a good job.  One thing I thought was done well, was for some of their "less knows" ballads like Two Steps Behind, When Love and Hate Collide, and Have You ever Needed Someone So Bad, Joe started alone sitting on a roadie box at the end of the catwalk with an acoustic guitar.  One by one, each band member slowly joined him and sat on the box with an acoustic.  Lastly, one armed Rick Allen came out and sat next to Joe with a maraca.  It was done very well.

Overall, I'd say the show was outstanding.  Getting to see Photograph played live was something I had never considered before.  It wasn't until before the concert yesterday, that I started reflecting on the impact that one song had on my youth.  Yes, I had the sleeveless Union Jack T-shirt at one time.  For the little guy's first concert, I think he enjoyed it very much.  He and his friend didn't touch their video game too much during the show.


If this show comes your way, I highly recommend it.

The Retail Wish List of a 9 Year Old

We have a little boy who has always been quite particular in his toy selection.  If he’s given the green light to select something from the shelf, he usually will take 3 or so “finalists”, line them up side by side, then weigh the pros and cons until he decides upon the perfect selection.  Mind you this may change from one day to the next or even hourly.

Since it's 2012 and he has his own Iphone, Ipod, Android Tablet, etc.  I’ve given him access to my Amazon Wish List.  In the past few days, I think he has amassed close to 200 items!  Keep in mind, Amazon has a gigantic variety of items, and he may have selected inappropriate items (like a Halloween style rubber knife that appears to go through your head), some by accident,  or even some things that are not toys.  Good thing I didn’t show him how to finalize the checkout process!  

 

Nevertheless, I thought I'd share his list.  I found it entertaining to skim through.  It's fun to observe how his mind works.  When we came out of the theater, after seeing The Avengers, he said, "Can I use your phone?".  He preceded to search for action figures for the characters in the movie.  Yesterday, I noticed him writing what appeared to be letters.  He informed me they were actually invitations to some of his friends.  Invitations to join his squadron when the Airsoft Guns he "wished" arrive...

This list is a fun insight into the mind of a youngster, as well as a dynamic gift registry containing the popular items such as Beyblades, Pokemon cards, Action Figures, Army Men, and somehow recently, Air guns.  Oh boy.  


I'll likely use it each time he gets invited to a friend's birthday party.