The College of William and Mary and It Gets Better!

I had a friend of mine send me the above (thank you Allison)... After watching it and going to the College's website, I thought I'd offer some fun facts about the College of William and Mary. I Know it's a long video for my blog, but it's worth watching these kids and the faculty:

The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA

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Not many colleges can say they've canceled classes because 'the British invaded'.

The College of William & Mary is the second-oldest college in America. The original plans for the College date back to 1618—decades before Harvard—but were derailed by an “Indian uprising.” We couldn’t make this stuff up.

On February 8, 1693, King William III and Queen Mary II of England signed the charter for a “perpetual College of Divinity, Philosophy, Languages, and other good Arts and Sciences” to be founded in the Virginia Colony. And William & Mary was born.

Workers began construction on the Sir Christopher Wren Building, then known simply as the College Building in 1695, before the town of Williamsburg even existed. Over the next two centuries, the Wren Building would burn on three separate occasions, each time being re-built inside the original walls. That makes the Wren the oldest college building in America, and possibly the most flammable.

The College has been called “the Alma Mater of a Nation” because of its close ties to America’s founding fathers. A 17-year-old George Washington received his surveyor's license through the College and would return as its first American chancellor. Thomas Jefferson received his undergraduate education here, as did presidents John Tyler and James Monroe.

William & Mary is famous for its firsts: the first U.S. institution with a Royal Charter, the first Greek-letter society (Phi Beta Kappa, founded in 1776), the first student honor code and the first law school in America.

The College became a state-supported school in 1906 and went coed in 1918. In 1928, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. chose the Wren as the first building to be returned to its 18th-century appearance as part of the iconic Colonial Williamsburg restoration.

Traditions

Chronology

Our Historic Campus

Jeffersonia

Over, "Out" and wiping a couple tears from my face, here in Portsmouth, VA USA

Is this the Congress We all Want?...

No one has been able to explain to me why young men... and women serve in the U.S. Military for 20 years, risking their lives protecting freedom, and only get 50% of their pay. While Politicians hold their political positions in the safe confines of the capital, protected by these same men and women, and receive full pay retirement after serving one term. It just does not make any sense. 

On Fox news they learned that the staffers of Congress family members are exempt from having to pay back student loans. This will get national attention if other news networks will broadcast it. When you add this to the below, just where will all of it stop? 

35 States file lawsuit against the Federal Government

Governors of 35 states have filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon them. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.

This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree, please pass it on.

This is an idea that we should address.

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform... in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop.

If each person that receives this will post it on their wall, in three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message.. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution: "Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States .."

Now, what are you going to do about it? Read and delete, or work for reform? Share on the wall of EVERY congressman, representative, governor, the white house!!!!! Pass it around!!! Make calls, send fax's and email's...

Just an FYI, I sent this to Pres. Obama, Mrs. Obama, Sen Warner, Sen Webb and VP Biden with my name on it, even though I didn't pen it...

Over, "Out", and still waiting from Portsmouth, VA USA

American Idol... One more Season...

One of the reasons I will watch American Idol again this season. Maybe JLo will come out with another one of these by the end of the year..  Randy? Steven? I don't see anything by you guys. Maybe Pitbull needs to be the next judge?

Over, "Out" and "On the Floor" here in Portsmouth, VA USA

ps: Loved the comments from yesterdays' post. My response would be the same as my newest favorite commenter "anne marie"...

I Dare You to leave a comment...

Over and "Out" on a very rainy day here in Portsmouth, VA USA

Friend of Dorothy? Or Friend of Betty?

As you can see by the above, I choose the latter...

Happy 90th Birthday Betty White... I always had a thing for Mary Tyler Moore, then when you came along as the Happy Homemaker (aka the happy home-breaker) as Sue Ann Nivens you caught and earned my allegiance as to what a snarky, funny, quipy woman can be...

And then came the Golden Girls... What can I say?

Bless you as a "Friend of Betty"...

Over and "Out" from another day in Portsmouth, VA USA

Does Mitt use lesbian quotes often?

I was going to post one of the many "Mormon Tabernacle Choir" performances available on you-tube of this since the "Mittster" likes to quote the beautiful verses from the original poem written by Katharine Lee Bates. I just find it a little odd that Mr. Romney would use a poem written by an "alleged" Lesbian to try to make any points? That and who can resist a little "Babs in the morning"?

I have included the lyrics below, as I for one, never knew there were so many verses:

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet

Whose stern impassioned stress

A thoroughfare of freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife.

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the enameled plain!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till souls wax fair as earth and air

And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,

Whose stem impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till paths be wrought through

wilds of thought

By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale

Of liberating strife

When once and twice,

for man's avail

Men lavished precious life!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till selfish gain no longer stain

The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till nobler men keep once again

Thy whiter jubilee!

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth, VA USA

Republicans can play nice too...

This is a video going around right now that many of you have probably already seen. The brother story is a phenomenal one that can't be beat... 

The underlying story (that I see) is that the Republican Party is not all that bad. It's their alliance with the religious fundamentalists that has messed them up... 

Remember my republican friends: Separation of Church and State... No candidate for any office in any state or federal office should be supported financially by any religious organization, unless that group would prefer not to receive all those (local, state, and federal) tax breaks they so enjoy.

Republicans are not all affiliated with the Christian Right, just like many Democrats are not supportive of gay rights and are not supportive of a woman's right to choose...

Golly, I need to use this soapbox to fill the holes under the fence that Ubu has been digging to play with the dog behind us...

Over and "Out" from Portsmouth VA, USA