Neddy's Palaver

Blatherings Has Moved and is now

"Neddy's Palaver"!

The new address is http.neddy.blogsome.com

All of the old posts are still at "Blatherings" in the Archives.

You may also use the search engine.

Neddy's Pages

On Primrose Day of 2001, I created my first webpage as a tribute to the 100th anniversary of my father's birthday. Since then I have continued to create page after page and a number of sites. Those pages that are themselves entire web sites, I have marked with an "*". Whatsoever good I have accomplished in life is all to the glory of God, inspired by Saint Paul's epistle to the Corinthians. ~~Neddy

• Neddy's Nook on the Net*
• Richardsons from Hounslow Heath*

Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle! ~~ Alice from "Alice's Adventure in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll

• Who Is Neddy?
  
• All Quiet Along the Potomac
  
• America Weeps
  
• Ancestry of my Grandfather
• Ancestry of my Grandmother
  
• Arthur Richardson Memoir 1
  
• Arthur Richardson Memoir 2
  
• Arthur Richardson Memoir 3
  
• Aunt Florrie's Journal
  
• Aunt Flo's Letters
• Ballard Descendancy
  
• Beary Happy Birthday
  
• Ben Richardson in LA Times
• Ben Richardson, Washington Post
• Ben Richardson, Baltimore Sun
• Ben Richardson, 1967 News Clipping
• Ben Richardson in The News American
  
• Ben Richardson - The Cottage O'er The Pond
  
• Ben in America's Forgotten Folk Arts
  
• Bless Those Who Serve
  
• Branch Family Photographs
  
• Casper Powell of Albemarle*
  
• Cliff Barney's Homeplace
  
• Cliff's Family ~ 2001
  
• Dr. Jamison and the Boer War
  
• EdnaBarney.com
  
• Edward and Emily's Saga
  
• Fairfax County Chapter NSDAR*
  
• Farm Laborer's Cottage of 1860s
  
• Finding The Via Bury Ground
  
• Flanders Fields 2003
  
• Frank Arthur Edward Heming, World War 1
  
• Grandfather's Memoirs
  
• Growing Up in the 1950s ~ financially
  
• Hackett Family Photographs
  
• Happy Birthday!
  
• Harry Richardson and Family
  
• Hounslow Heath, England
• Hounslow, England 1831
  
• Jamesons of Woods Gap*
  
• Jesus Loves Me
  
• John and Polly Mills
  
• Julia's Ladybug Page
  
• Keepers of the Stories
  
• Kerfuffles
  
• Letters From Arthur
  
• Links of Interest to Richardsons
  
• Me At DAR Ceremony
  
• Merry Christmas 2001
  
• My DAR Chapter
  
• My Father ~ Ted Richardson
  
• My Revolutionary War Patriots
  
• My Scottish Page
  
• My Via Grandparents
  
• Neddy ~ 1943
  
• Neddy's Book Nook
  
• Neddy's Kitchen
  
• Neddy's Kitchen ~ Appetizers
  
• Neddy's Kitchen ~ Breads
  
• Neddy's Kitchen ~ Cakes
  
• Neddy's Kitchen ~ Casseroles
  
• Neddy's Kitchen ~ Cookies
  
• Neddy's Kitchen ~ Desserts
  
• Neddy's Kitchen ~ Salads
  
• Neddy's Kitchen ~ Seafood
  
• Neddy's LULU Nook
  
• Neddy's Palaver
  
• Neddy's Palaver & Blather
  
• Neddy's Web Construction Help
• Nooks and Crannies
  
• Obituary of Ted Richardson
  
• Old Picture Album
  
• Peytons Along the Aquia*
  
• Primrose Day ~ April 19th
  
• Rally 'round the Flag
  
• Richard Richardson's Story
  
• Richardson Artwork
  
• Richardson Genealogy & Scrapbook*
  
• Shannon's Wedding
  
• Slinky the Grandcat
  
• Slitherin' Serpents
  
• Spirit of September 11th
• Ted Richardson in the News, 1985
  
• The Forgotten Folk
  
• The Path to Nowhere
  
• The Sanctity of Life
  
• The Screen Painters of Baltimore
• The Smith Family of Chelmsford
  
• The Wedding
  
• This Land Is Your Land
  
• Turks of Virginia*
  
• Unanimous Declaration of 1776
  
• Uncle Ben's Stories
  
• Via Family of Albemarle*
  
• Via Family Photographs
  
• Vias of Buckingham
  
• Willy Cliff's Fun Page
• Search All Pages
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Neddy's Palaver

Please Visit the NEW Blatherings: Neddy's Palaver

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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.

Put ICE in Your Cell Phone

The 7/7 London bombings highlighted the "National "ICE" Awareness Campaign campaign that had been launched in the U.K. in April of 2005. The idea had originated with the East Anglian Ambulance service in 2004, when it suggested that people store the word "I C E " in the memory (address book) of their mobile phones, and against it enter the name, telephone number and other details of the person to be contacted "In Case of Emergency".

If the unforeseen should befall, ambulance and hospital staff will be able to quickly contact one's next of kin.It is so simple that everyone should do it. SO DO! Please do. It could save your life, and even more lives if you convince your friends and family to do the same. For more than one contact name, enter ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 and so on. The Washington Post reported on this:

The idea was conceived by Bob Brotchie, a clinical team leader for the ambulance service, after years of trying to reach relatives of people he was treating. He began the ICE initiative in April, but it gained momentum only after the bombings in London, when information about the plan spread by e-mail.

Paramedics, police and firefighters often waste valuable time trying to figure out which name in a cell phone to call when disaster strikes, according to current and retired members of the emergency services, who said they must look through wallets for clues, or scroll through cell address books and guess. Many people identify their spouse by name in their cell, making them indistinguishable from other entries.

Lt. Robert Stimpson, acting police chief of Madison, Conn. ... "I think it's a great idea. . . . It's so simple I can't believe that other people haven't thought of it before. Not only does it help emergency workers identify a responsible party when they come upon an unconscious person, it also helps identify the owners of lost cell phones,". (Washington Post)

This message about the 'ICE' Campaign has been sent around the world in e-mails, which for a change are mostly based on the truth. However, according to BBC News of 13 July 2005, there are "false" e-mail virus hoax warnings targeting the ICE Campaign. Some malicious person with time to waste is writing that "ICE" entered into a mobile phone makes it vulnerable to a virus attack or hidden charges. Virus Experts say these warnings are false and should be ignored.

Linked at basil's blog Lunch: 7/28/2005.

No Celts in Ancient Britain

The Isle of Albion was invaded throughout its history by Saxons, Romans, Vikings, and finally, the Normans, who conquered and ruled the land. In modern history the British welcomed Jewish and Protestant refugees from Europe. Yet, amazingly, the genetic makeup of today's white Britons is much the same as their prehistoric ancestors, a few thousand Ice Age hunters.

Author, archaeologist David Miles, believes that about 80 percent of the genetic characteristics of most white Britons have passed down from their progenitors of 12,000 years ago. The ancient hunter-gatherers arrived at what is now Britain immediately after the Ice Age. They were tribal nomads who followed herds of reindeer and wild horses northward to Britain. As the climate warmed and sea levels rose, the Isle of Albion became cut off and isolated from mainland Europe.

This same race of Ice Age hunter-gatherers settled also in the part of northwest Europe which is now the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Because of random genetic mutations, those populations are now different from the British population. Red hair, a mutation that probably occurred 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, is the most visible British genetic marker. It was noted when the Romans arrived 2,000 years ago. Today, studies show that there is more red hair in Scotland and Wales than anywhere else in the world.

One area of Miles' book is certainly destined to foment debate. Writing that there are no historical references to Celts in ancient Britain, he explains; "In the 18th and 19th centuries, as Ireland, Wales, and Scotland started to assert national identity, they began to talk about themselves as Celts", a group of tribes living in ancient Gaul, which is now France. Their language shared the same roots as those of the British tribes and that heritage was more palatable to those eschewing British customs and rule.

No Celts in ancient Britain? Now that is a new twist. David Miles did acknowledged that the techniques used to explore genetic ancestry are still in their infancy and that much more study will be need to more fully understand British origins. However, I found more at the BBC history site. "The Peoples of Britain" by Dr. Simon James explains:

"However, there is one thing that the Romans, modern archaeologists and the Iron Age islanders themselves would all agree on: they were not Celts. This was an invention of the 18th century; the name was not used earlier. The idea came from the discovery around 1700 that the non-English island tongues relate to that of the ancient continental Gauls, who really were called Celts. This ancient continental ethnic label was applied to the wider family of languages. But 'Celtic' was soon extended to describe insular monuments, art, culture and peoples, ancient and modern: island 'Celtic' identity was born, like Britishness, in the 18th century."

Coffee Anyone?

This post has been moved to "Neddy's Palaver".


Have you ever wondered about those fancy push button Italian coffee makers? Especially when the coffee is a bit too flavorful? Make your own free coffee in this self-service coffee maker.

Bon appétit.

1. CLICK ON THE LATTE to access the Expresso Machine
2. PUT THE COIN IN THE SLOT
3. CHOOSE YOUR DRINK
4. CLICK ON THE CUP WHEN IT IS READY
5. CLICK ON "APRI" (OPEN - very important, don't forget!) to open the machine and see the coffee being made.

It's Italian humor.