Neddy's Palaver

These meanings of the Flag Folding Ceremony are not a part of the U.S. Flag Code, but are sometimes recited at burial services for veterans.

The sayings seem to have originated on the Internet. Oftentimes, there is a recitation while the flag is being folded which describes the significance of each of the 13 folds of the flag. There seem to be various versions of the recitation which typically describes the first fold of the flag as a “symbol of life” and the second as a “symbol of our belief in eternal life.” Other folds pay tribute to “womanhood,” and “father.” The 11th fold glorifies “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”, the God of the Jews, and the 12th fold glorifies “God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost” the Holy Trinity of Christians.

The U.S. Air Force has an approved (2005) Flag Folding script for ceremonies which is optional and without religious references. However, that recitation is not used at funerals conducted by the Air Force, where the flag is folded in silence.

The Flag Folds

1. Symbol of life.

2. Symbol of our belief in the eternal life.

3. In honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.

4. Represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for his guidance.

5. A tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”

6. Represents where our hearts lie. It is with our hearts that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

7. A tribute to our armed forces.

8. A tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.

9. A tribute to womanhood.

10. A tribute to father.

11. In the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

12. In the eyes of Christian citizens, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.

13. When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

The Virginia Pilot

~~NEDDY of Neddy’s Palaver

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Fly your flags this week, September 16th through 23rd, in tribute to the United States Constitution. This coming week is Constitution Week.

“The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution encourages you to celebrate Constitution Week, September 17 through 23. This year commemorates the two hundred twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States of America. In 1955, the DAR began the tradition of celebrating Constitution Week by successfully petitioning Congress to set aside this week annually to officially observe the oldest document still in active use that outlines the self-government of a people.” ( www.dar.org, September 2007)

This photograph is from “My Picasa Albums.” It is of Constitution Hall, Washington, DC, which was built in the 1920s by the Daughters of the American Revolution as a tribute to the U.S. Constitution. In 1928, the Daughters of the American Revolution began work on a building as a memorial to the United States Constitution. They commissioned John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, to design a concert hall. DAR Constitution Hall is the only structure erected as a memorial to the Constitution of the United States of America. DAR is the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world, with over 165,000 members in all fifty states and eleven foreign countries.

• Honoring the Constitution
• Constitution Week 2005
• Constitution Week II

The image, Constitution Hall, was originally uploaded to the Internet by barneykin. It was posted here by Neddy of .

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“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

What is “The Golden Rule” ? The phrase “do under others as you would have them do unto you“, is the most common expression of “The Golden Rule” .

“The Golden Rule” is the clearest expression of God’s moral law for his children to follow. It is the underlying rule for knowing what is good to do, and what is bad. “The Golden Rule” can be applied even by those who profess no belief in a supreme being, as it guarantees more happiness in one’s life. In bygone days of yore, every pupil in American public schools would be taught the Golden Rule. In these more modern times, it is probably against Supreme Court rulings for it to be taught. It has to do with something known as “separation of church and state“, recently discovered in the U.S. Constitution. Of course, the country has been governed by the same Constitution since its founding, but in these more erudite eras, the ACLU has brought to the attention of the justices of the Supreme Court, various penumbras, visible only to those anointed at exclusive schools of higher learning.

“The Golden Rule” establishes no particular religion. It leads to harmony amongst people. It is the foundation of Democracy.

Where did “The Golden Rule” come from? Who taught it first? It is from the spoken words of Jesus as recorded by Matthew and Luke in the Holy Bible.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. ” (Matthew 7:12 KJV)

“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” (Luke 6:31 KJV)

(Updated from 12 September 2005)

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Another rockin’ Saturday night for Grandma Neddy, watching PBS between its super-long info-commercials. “Hang Down Yer Head Tom Dooley” by the Kingston Trio? Is there anyone still alive in these United States who remembers that popular song, … except for me? I was still in high school when that song became popular. Imagine - there are still people who like to hear it and there are still people alive who remember.

Tom Dooley was a real person whose real name was Tom Dula, pronounced “Dooley”.

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I snapped this shot at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington D.C. in May of this year. I saw the quilt hanging upon the wall on the second floor while returning from the dining hall, near the bank of elevators. Here is the large size image where you may read the children’s greetings and gratitude to the soldiers (large image).

I hope you get well soon. Thanks for fighting for the U.S. ~~ Thank you soldiers. ~~ Thank you. ~~ You did it for America. ~~ America Rules. ~~ You are like a light shining on the world. ~~ Thank you. Thank you. ~~ God Loves You. Thanks You. ~~ Thank you. You shine on the world. ~~ Have a sunny day. ~~ Thank you for all you’ve done. ~~ I hope you feel better. ~~ You did it for America. ~~ Thank you. Thank you. ~~ Thank you for fighting for freedom. I hope you get well soon. ~~ Thank you for sacrificing your life for the safety of America. ~~ America Rocks. ~~ Thank you. ~~ Thank you from a soldier lover. ~~ God Bless the USA, Love …

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The image, Thank You Troops, was originally uploaded to the Internet by barneykin. It was posted here by Neddy of .

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All of Virginia is abuzz about the upcoming arrival of Queen Elizabeth II to Jamestown and points in between from there to Washington. It was 400 years ago this month that her royal relative, the first Queen Elizabeth, sent her British subjects to the Colony which was named “Virginia” in her honor for being a “Virgin Queen”. One has to wonder if at times the present Elizabeth doesn’t wish she had been a “Virgin Queen” too, considering the antics of her progeny these last few decades.

Some lucky Virginians are going to have the great privilege of coming face to face with the Queen, but few of them know what to say nor how to behave. “Give the Queen a Hand, but When It Comes to Bowing . . . ” don’t, advises WaPo, the local self-proclaimed authority for all things Virginian.

Virginia’s governor has inserted himself into the royal festivities by creating a new Web site illustrating how HE expects HIS subjects to behave when Her Royal Highness comes calling. First tip - she will be greatly insulted if you address her as “Her Royal Highness” , according to “Virginia’s Royal Welcome”. Furthermore, His Highness the Commonwealth’s Governor has created an entire page for Virginians to learn Queenly “Royal Etiquette.”

If you are a United States citizen you are not required to bow or curtsy to the Queen. Jolly good - as after all we fought a war over just that sort of silliness with the Queen’s Great-Great, George III, back in ‘76. For genuine Americans shaking hands is acceptable. If you are British or a citizen of one of the Commonwealth states, excepting Virginia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, you must bow or curtsy, depending upon whether you are a man or a woman. Be real careful about that last rule, as these days it is hard to tell one gender from another, and we don’t want anyone on Virginia soil to be suddenly banished to the Tower of London to lose his, her or its head. If you are an illegal immigrant - anything goes, as no one can lay a hand on you, Queens, Governors, Presidents notwithstanding.

Genealogists have to be especially cautious when talking with the Queen. Her Majesty absolutely does not want to hear that you too are descended from royalty. Even if you have the DNA evidence to back up your claim, keep your lips sealed, or you may be getting a non-tour of the Tower too, as no self-respecting Royal wants to be reminded of the scattering of the Royal seed amongst the hoi polloi.

After all these centuries of British settlement here in Virginia, it was not until the Queen’s own father, George VI, came to call in 1939, that the United States had ever been visited by a British monarch. Queen Elizabeth II is only the second Royal ruler to step upon this formerly British soil that is now the Commonwealth of Virginia. This will be Queen Elizabeth’s third visit to Virginia. It was during a presentation of Appalachian dance many years ago, that the then young Queen Elizabeth referred to it as “clogging”, which name has stuck ever since then. All Hail to the Queen.

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“On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive, Who remembers that famous day and year….” ~~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, from “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.”

In honor of this day and the many American patriots who fought for freedom during the years of the American Revolution, I have created a slideshow of some of those patriots’ graves: Patriots of ‘76.

If you would like to listen to appropriate music while viewing the Patriots’ Graves slideshow, click this little arrow to hear America’s Liberation Song, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, and then open the slideshow in a new tab or page. It is music that expresses the spirit that once motivated America, “a giant filled with a terrible resolve, unleashed against tyrants and oppressors.” It was performed at the funerals of Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan, and at the memorials for the victims of September 11th in Washington, New York and London. This version is sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the language style of the Old Testament of the Holy Bible.

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Where is “Blue Grass Country? Hint: it is NOT in America.

Who would have thunk it? The music culture of the mountains of the east and west Virginias, Tennesse, Kentucky and North Carolina is being kept alive by a tiny volunteer radio station, Hawkesbury Radio, on the other side of the world, in far away Sydney, Australia. Why? Do red-blooded Americans not appreciate their own homegrown music enough to support it? Seems that is the case. So we listen to our own music, with an Australian accent, which is far preferable to NOT listening at all.

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Where we broadcast: It’s a small brick building with an aerial on the roof. Music From Foggy Hollow comes to you from a 25 year -old community radio station, Hawkesbury Radio in Sydney.  It’s a volunteer-run non-profit society, and one of the first community FM stations to set up in Australia.

The station is a strong community-based station - with lots of involvement in the local community.  The format of the station is top 40 music from 6am till 6pm, and specialty programmes from 6pm till 6am.   That includes Country, Blues, Jazz, Cajun,  Irish and other music,  sports shows,  motor sport, rugby league etc, and of course more bluegrass than on any other radio station in Australia.

The station runs from sophisticated facilities in what must be the smallest and least-sophisticated building in Windsor, on Sydney’s north-west outskirts.   The station’s listening area covers most of the Sydney metropolitan area and as far north as Gosford, and south to Wollongong.

The show is recorded as it goes to air live in Sydney, and the local news and weather is edited out.  Then it is sent over the internet to Bluegrass Country in Washington DC in time to be encoded and loaded into the stream for the new week’s shows on Saturday night on the Internet.  The Internet shows are played about 2-3 weeks after they air live in Sydney.

In addition to being heard on the internet, the show is also heard on HD Radio (i.e. digital radio) in Washington DC (on 88.5 channel 3 to be precise) as part of the WAMU-FM feed.   Digital radio is a new medium, giving listeners CD quality sound, with no pops, crackles or distortion, even in their cars.   Crystal clear as though they were sitting in the studio while the show is produced! Pasted from <http://atalkingdog.com/index.cfm?pid=111503>

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Celebrate Christmas with the Daughters of the American Revolution.

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The Snakes and Snipers (mp3)
“We won the fight upon the battlefield,
but then the politicians came,
and played a sad and alien game.
They said that we should bend and we should yield.
And the snakes and snipers slayed us in the bush,
but they couldn’t ever beat us with the sword.
Now the snakes and snipers hide behind the pen,
and try to get us with the written word.” ~~John Edmond

The following is an essay that I wrote and posted at “Blatherings” on 28 July 2005. As we near a Veterans Day 2006, that has been overshadowed by political slings and barbs against our fighting men and women, I feel it bears repeating.

Military Culture
A country can never know exactly when it may need to call upon its warriors to take on the enemy; to fight to the death if necessary in order to protect its citizens’ lives and property. For this reason, it has always been necessary for countries to have a strong and well-defined military culture that is built upon ancient traditions and respect for national history. Governments and civilians who allow their military institutions to dissipate into an unhealthy state, will bring devastating effects upon their nation’s security if not corrected. No country, even one as wealthy as the United States, has ever been able to financially reward soldiers fairly for the risks they take and the deeds they do. Therefore a people must rely upon the ancient military culture to give the soldier the rewards necessary to have him go into battle and to fight valiantly for his homeland.

If one were to ask military people what they like about their careers, most would answer that they enjoy the opportunities to lead, to work and train with other soldiers, the military camaraderie and the opportunities to be patriotic. Military people enjoy the “esprit de corps” that comes from working on a team, the sense of accomplishment for jobs well done and the pride and prestige that comes from just being soldiers, representing their beloved homeland. These opportunities can only be found in the military lifestyle. No other job offers them. Seldom does a soldier mention pay or benefits, and every military person understands that his pay is in no way comparable to what his job would gain in the civilian sector.

What exactly is a healthy military culture? The military is a world of the young and always will be. There is no generation gap, but instead a hierarchy among the various ranks from low to high, which the military finds comforting. Each soldier knows exactly where he fits in the grand scheme and he call tell another soldier’s place by the uniform, rank and medals worn. There is a “warrior spirit” interwoven into the framework of military culture, which is built upon basic moral and institutional values held in common between the warriors. Additionally, the military is rich with old fashioned traditions that have been bequeathed from soldier to soldier, as civilians hand down unseen treasures from father to son. Rather than having an occupation, a soldier feels part of an institution that is far greater than himself.

The military is expected by its commander in chief and the taxpayers who fund it to maintain a high code of ethics. In order to fight and win in battle, each soldier understands that discipline is demanded at every level of his job. Because military culture is almost always more conservative than that of the civilian sector, it can hurt morale to change codes of behavior which were in effect when the soldiers joined up. Although a civilian employee can walk off the job when he dislikes new rules imposed by his employer, a military person is subject to imprisonment for doing the same. Although a soldier fights to uphold freedom, he in fact has been required to give up some of his own freedoms in order to serve as a soldier. Ofttimes, this causes a lack of understanding from civilians as to why a soldier does or does not do certain things.

In the United States of today, with its entirely volunteer fighting force, it seems that, more than ever, the military culture should be upheld and respected. In fact, even a bit of emulation could be of great benefit. Those who belittle it, or try to merge it into the more modern civilian culture, or attempt to destroy it in various way, are actually harming all of us, not just the military.

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