Quote:

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Leaning on the counter, Gleed gazed absently at a large can of pork.’ Seeing that I’m out of uniform and not on duty, I sympathize with you though I still shouldn’t say it. I wouldn’t care myself to be taken over body and soul by a gang of other-world bureaucrats. But you folk are going to have a mighty tough time beating us off. That’s the way it is.’

‘Not with what we’ve got,’ opined Jeff confidently.

‘You haven’t got much,’ scoffed Gleed, more in friendly criticism than open contempt. He sought confirmation from Harrison. ‘Have they?’

‘It wouldn’t seem so,’ said Harrison.

‘Don’t go by appearances,’ warned Jeff. ‘We’ve more than you bums can handle.’

‘Such as what?’

‘Well, just for a start, we’ve got the mightiest weapon ever thought up by the mind of man. We’re Gands, see? So we don’t need ships and guns and similar playthings. We’ve something better. It’s effective. There’s no defence against it.’

‘Man, I’d like to see it,’ Gleed challenged. Data concerning a new and exceptionally powerful weapon should be a good deal more valuable than the mayor’s address. Grayder might be sufficiently impressed by the importance thereof to arrange a fabulous reward. With some sarcasm, he added, ‘But, of course, we can’t expect you to give away precious secrets.’

‘There is nothing secret about it,’ said Jeff, very surprisingly. ‘You can have it free, gratis and for nothing any time you want. Any Gand would give it to you for the mere asking. Like to know why?’

‘You bet.’

‘Because it works one way only. We can use it against you but you can’t use it against us.’

‘Nonsense!’ declared Gleed. ‘There is no such thing. There is no weapon inventable that the other fellow can’t employ once he gets his hands on it and learns how to operate it.’

‘Are you sure about that?’

‘I am positive. I’ve been in the space service for twenty years and you can’t be a trooper that long without learning all about weapons of every conceivable kind from string bows to H-bombs. You’re trying to kid me. Nothing doing. I’m too grey in the hair and sharp in the tooth. A one-way weapon is impossible. And that means im-poss-ible.’

‘Don’t argue with him,’ Harrison told Baines. ‘He’ll never be convinced until he’s shown.’

‘I can see that.’ Jeff Baines’ face creased into a massive grin. ‘I’ve told you that you can have our wonder-weapon for the asking. Why don’t you ask?’

‘All right, I’m asking.’ Gleed put it without any enthusiasm. A weapon that would be presented on request, without even the necessity of first planting a minor ob, couldn’t be so mighty after all. His imaginary large reward return to indexshrank to a hand-full of small change and thence to nothing. ‘Hand it over and let me look at it.’

Edging ponderously around on his stool, Jeff reached to the wall, removed a small, shiny plaque from its hook and passed it across the counter.

‘You may keep it,’ he said. ‘And much good may it do you.’

Gleed examined it, turning it over and over between his fingers. It was nothing more than an oblong strip of substance resembling ivory. One side was polished and bare. The other bore three letters deeply engraved in bold style:

F.—I.W.

Glancing up at Baines, his features puzzled, he said, ‘You call this a weapon?’

‘Certainly.’

‘Then I don’t get it.’ He passed the plaque to Harrison. ‘Do you?’

‘No.’ Harrison examined it with care. ‘What does this F.—I.W. mean?’

‘Initial-slang,’ informed Baines. ‘Made correct by common usage. It has become a worldwide motto. You’ll see it all over the place if you haven’t noticed it already.’

‘I have seen it here and there but attached no importance to it and thought nothing more about it. I remember now that it was inscribed in several places including Seth’s and the fire depot.’
‘It was on the sides of that bus we couldn’t empty,’ put in Gleed. ‘It didn’t mean anything to me.’

It means plenty,’ said Jeff, ‘Freedom-I won’t!’

‘That kills me,’ Gleed responded. ‘I’m stone dead already. I’ve dropped in my tracks.’ He watched Harrison thoughtfully pocketing the plaque. ‘A piece of abracadabra. What a weapon!’

‘Ignorance is bliss,’ asserted Baines, strangely sure of himself. ‘Especially when you don’t know that what you’re playing with is the safety catch of something that goes bang.’

‘All right ’challenged Gleed, taking him up on that. ‘Tell us how it works.’

‘I won’t.’ Baines’ grin reappeared. He seemed to be highly satisfied about something.

‘That’s a fat lot of help.’ Gleed felt let down, especially over that momentary hoped-for reward. ‘You brag and boast about a one-way weapon, toss across a slip of stuff with three letters on it and then go dumb. Any folly will do for braggarts and any braggart can talk through the seat of his pants. How about backing up your talk?’

‘I won’t,’ repeated Baines, his grin broader than ever. He gave the onlooking Harrison a fat, significant wink.

It made something spark vividly within Harrison’s mind. His jaw dropped, he dragged the plaque from his pocket and stared at it as if seeing it for the first time.

‘Give it me back,’ requested Baines, watching him.

Replacing it in his pocket, Harrison said very firmly. ‘I won’t.’

Baines chuckled.’ some people catch on quicker than others.’

Resenting that, Gleed held his hand out to Harrison. ‘Let me have another look at that thing.’

‘I won’t,’ said Harrison, meeting him eye to eye.

‘Hey, don’t start being awkard with me. That’s not the way—’ Gleed’s protesting voice petered out. He stood there a moment, his optics slightly glassy, while his brain performed several loops. Then in hushed tones he said, ‘Good grief!’

‘Precisely,’ approved Baines. ‘Grief and plenty of it. You were a bit slow on the uptake.’

Overcome by the flood of insubordinate ideas now pouring upon him, Gleed said hoarsely to Harrison, ‘Come on, let’s get out of here. I’ve got to think. I want to sit somewhere nice and quiet while I think.’

---

Quote:

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
...never Free. Some gave All, for your Freedom.





Regardless, for some Freedom is an illusion, or a dream.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Wishimay:
Living your life the way you want as long as your decisions don't physically hurt anyone else.

Also, having no in-laws

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Quote:

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
...never Free. Some gave All, for your Freedom.





Regardless, for some Freedom is an illusion, or a dream.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
...never Free. Some gave All, for your Freedom.





Regardless, for some Freedom is an illusion, or a dream.

---

Or just another word for nothing left to loose. Nothing ain't worth nothing but it's free.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:


Actually, my mother-in-law was a decent woman, better to me than my ex

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Wishimay:

Quote:

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Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:


Actually, my mother-in-law was a decent woman, better to me than my ex

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One time I left a family get together, then realized I forgot something upstairs, so I came back in the other entrance then went downstairs to tell them I got it...in that time she had gathered everyone else to talk smack about me and I heard it all...and the thing is, the stuff she was saying was completely made up. It's like she couldn't find any real dirt, so she made something up so she could feel better about herself by talking smack about me. My father-in-law threatened to shoot me for disagreeing with them last year, and thankfully...I haven't seen then since.. Not all who fight for our country should be honored, and he's the prime example. Since the guy came back from Iraq all he's done is issue edicts about what we can and can't do with our own kids and even our own bodies. My spouse has partial hearing loss in one ear and his first memory is being punched... PUNCHED!...in that ear by his father...

Despite all the shit...I tried so hard with those people for years. Wish I could have those years back and we could have moved the hell outta here 15 years ago when we got the chance.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Wow. Marriage sounds awesome.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Wow. Marriage sounds awesome.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Wishimay:

Quote:

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Wow. Marriage sounds awesome.

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We weren't even talking about spouses. We WERE talking about asshole in-laws and tweaked military nuts. You aren't invited. Go justify your incapable existence somewhere else...

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
I agree with both of you.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:


F R E E D O M!!!

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Quote:

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Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:


Me, I met the love of my life when I was a teenager (19) and she 17. The most
beautiful creature on the planet, and a gem of a person. We were too young.
Long story short, we lost contact. I tried everything to find her, even bumped into her step sister, but to no avail. That's the way it goes sometimes.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Wishimay:

Quote:

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Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
Me, I met the love of my life when I was a teenager (19) and she 17. The most
beautiful creature on the planet, and a gem of a person. We were too young.
Long story short, we lost contact. I tried everything to find her, even bumped into her step sister, but to no avail. That's the way it goes sometimes.

---

Women changing their names when they get married needs to stop. FULL STOP. Do you know how many girls I grew up with that I can't find anymore??? That's just not right. We need to make reverting to your maiden name free and stop the stupid.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Wishimay:

Quote:

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Wow. Marriage sounds awesome.

---

We weren't even talking about spouses. We WERE talking about asshole in-laws and tweaked military nuts. You aren't invited. Go justify your incapable existence somewhere else...

---

Quote:

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Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
It could be awesome with the right person. I know many couples that have been
married 20, 30, 40 years and are blissfully happy. Oftentimes we find good mates,
but the in-laws turn out to be (how did Wish put it?) real assholes.

I have a buddy who has been married for 40 years, he is happy with his wife (she's
a lovely person) but his in-laws (well, a handful of them) are complete idiots.
He tells me he keeps them at a distance because they bring nothing but drama. It's
just the way life is sometimes. You meet someone amazing and need to build a
mote around your house for the in-laws (and sometimes your own family).

Me, I met the love of my life when I was a teenager (19) and she 17. The most
beautiful creature on the planet, and a gem of a person. We were too young.
Long story short, we lost contact. I tried everything to find her, even bumped into her step sister, but to no avail. That's the way it goes sometimes.


SGG

Quote:

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Wow. Marriage sounds awesome.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

---

Quote:

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If you took all the girls I knew
When I was single
And brought them all together for one night
I know they'd never match
My sweet imagination
Everything looks worse in black and white

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Wishimay:

Quote:

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Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:


F R E E D O M!!!

---

This thread is a great illustration of exactly why there can be no real and true freedom. I honestly believe it's not achievable. Humanity will always be held hostage by humans that are incapable of being rational... or adult... or unwell. We all need to deal with the fact that the scope of freedom for some isn't even on the same page, let alone the same book as others..







Maybe instead of trying to make EVERYTHING work, we should let freedom be its' dysfunctional best....

Let's send everyone who wants all Mexicans dead to Texas, where building a wall will be their priority. No one will ever try to cross that border

Let's send all the Socialists to Nebraska ..... if they like sharing so much, let them go where "sharing" everything is NEVER going to be easy...so they know the true value of what they preach (make sure EVERYONE is poor though -it's the only way)

Let's drop all drug and alcohol addicts on an island with all the drugs they could ever do so their actions couldn't hurt anyone else...

Let's put all the people that have ever threatened to kill someone over a minor disagreement into coliseums and make them have to shoot their way out. Let's see them disagree with that plan

Have all the narcissists go to California and make them deal with all the other narcissists while they build the worlds' mirrors. Them film it. Oh, wait...I think that's L.A...

I haven't figured out what to do with religious extremists, but neither has anyone else. They all seem to have raging gullibility in common. Maybe throw boxes of paper over a cliff and tell them that those are tickets to heaven down there?


See, I've solved EVERY problem the world has....WHAT??

Got any better ideas???


WHY STAND IN THE WAY OF FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOM??? I think it's time to do some damn facilitatin'!!!

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
It could be awesome with the right person. I know many couples that have been
married 20, 30, 40 years and are blissfully happy. Oftentimes we find good mates,
but the in-laws turn out to be (how did Wish put it?) real assholes.

I have a buddy who has been married for 40 years, he is happy with his wife (she's
a lovely person) but his in-laws (well, a handful of them) are complete idiots.
He tells me he keeps them at a distance because they bring nothing but drama. It's
just the way life is sometimes. You meet someone amazing and need to build a
mote around your house for the in-laws (and sometimes your own family).

Me, I met the love of my life when I was a teenager (19) and she 17. The most
beautiful creature on the planet, and a gem of a person. We were too young.
Long story short, we lost contact. I tried everything to find her, even bumped into her step sister, but to no avail. That's the way it goes sometimes.


SGG

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Wow. Marriage sounds awesome.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

---

Meh... I dunno....

I think Paul Simon said it best when he said

Quote:

---

If you took all the girls I knew
When I was single
And brought them all together for one night
I know they'd never match
My sweet imagination
Everything looks worse in black and white

---

I think you're probably better off with the sweet memories than a shattered reality.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Wishimay:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:


F R E E D O M!!!

---

This thread is a great illustration of exactly why there can be no real and true freedom. I honestly believe it's not achievable. Humanity will always be held hostage by humans that are incapable of being rational... or adult... or unwell. We all need to deal with the fact that the scope of freedom for some isn't even on the same page, let alone the same book as others..







Maybe instead of trying to make EVERYTHING work, we should let freedom be its' dysfunctional best....

Let's send everyone who wants all Mexicans dead to Texas, where building a wall will be their priority. No one will ever try to cross that border

Let's send all the Socialists to Nebraska ..... if they like sharing so much, let them go where "sharing" everything is NEVER going to be easy...so they know the true value of what they preach (make sure EVERYONE is poor though -it's the only way)

Let's drop all drug and alcohol addicts on an island with all the drugs they could ever do so their actions couldn't hurt anyone else...

Let's put all the people that have ever threatened to kill someone over a minor disagreement into coliseums and make them have to shoot their way out. Let's see them disagree with that plan

Have all the narcissists go to California and make them deal with all the other narcissists while they build the worlds' mirrors. Them film it. Oh, wait...I think that's L.A...

I haven't figured out what to do with religious extremists, but neither has anyone else. They all seem to have raging gullibility in common. Maybe throw boxes of paper over a cliff and tell them that those are tickets to heaven down there?


See, I've solved EVERY problem the world has....WHAT??

Got any better ideas???


WHY STAND IN THE WAY OF FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOM??? I think it's time to do some damn facilitatin'!!!

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Wishimay:
Aww, he thinks he's trying to school ME in freedom based on a joke, and then posting song lyrics about his lack of love life JSF's didn't even make ANY sense

See what I mean SGG??

When 1+2= F* for these people...how are we EVER gonna get anywhere...

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Wishimay:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:


F R E E D O M!!!

---

This thread is a great illustration of exactly why there can be no real and true freedom. I honestly believe it's not achievable. Humanity will always be held hostage by humans that are incapable of being rational... or adult... or unwell. We all need to deal with the fact that the scope of freedom for some isn't even on the same page, let alone the same book as others..







Maybe instead of trying to make EVERYTHING work, we should let freedom be its' dysfunctional best....

Let's send everyone who wants all Mexicans dead to Texas, where building a wall will be their priority. No one will ever try to cross that border

Let's send all the Socialists to Nebraska ..... if they like sharing so much, let them go where "sharing" everything is NEVER going to be easy...so they know the true value of what they preach (make sure EVERYONE is poor though -it's the only way)

Let's drop all drug and alcohol addicts on an island with all the drugs they could ever do so their actions couldn't hurt anyone else...

Let's put all the people that have ever threatened to kill someone over a minor disagreement into coliseums and make them have to shoot their way out. Let's see them disagree with that plan

Have all the narcissists go to California and make them deal with all the other narcissists while they build the worlds' mirrors. Them film it. Oh, wait...I think that's L.A...

I haven't figured out what to do with religious extremists, but neither has anyone else. They all seem to have raging gullibility in common. Maybe throw boxes of paper over a cliff and tell them that those are tickets to heaven down there?


See, I've solved EVERY problem the world has....WHAT??

Got any better ideas???


WHY STAND IN THE WAY OF FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOM??? I think it's time to do some damn facilitatin'!!!

---

So what you're saying is that everyone should be free to do whatever it is that they want as long as you agree with them and they don't offend you, right?

Unfortunately, having to deal with others is the price of Freedom when you're not part of a hive mind, or you haven't gone full recluse off the grid in the middle of Nebraska somewhere.

Your Freedom is no more valuable than my Freedom is no more valuable than SGG's Freedom is no more valuable than JSF's freedom.

As long as your Freedom isn't encroaching on mine, or vice versa, that's the best system that humans are ever going to live in. Unless we all get drugged up and brainwashed to think and behave exactly the same, it's never going to be perfect.

Don't complain when people don't agree with you, or even when they offend you. You can just ignore them. That's not an attack.

When somebody attacks you physically, then you have a legal right for reciprocity in defense. When you get a stick up your ass because a neighbor is planting stuff on your yard or not taking care of theirs, you can get the city involved.

That's what cops and lawyers are for... So you don't go all crazy and stab your neighbor because they're dicks.


Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I'm only happy that you and I can enjoy our own Freedom many, many miles away from each other Wishy. I feel so bad for your family. And your in-laws, for that matter. And your neighbors.... and your kid's teachers... anyone you work with... any pets you may have...

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by Wishimay:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I'm only happy that you and I can enjoy our own Freedom many, many miles away from each other Wishy. I feel so bad for your family. And your in-laws, for that matter. And your neighbors.... and your kid's teachers... anyone you work with... any pets you may have...

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You are soooo worried *sarc* about everyone around me?? Funny, I have people around ME, what you got?

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