About Lugnut -- Patrick Malone

Pat, I can't decide which represents living the most dangerously: risking provocation of certain of your Idaho 'neighbors' had they perceived you were poking fun at some of their more, shall we say, stereotypically odious proclivities; risking their enthusiastic acceptance if they didn't; or risking your ass if ever you drove to a more (ahem) 'urban' area than Boise. Well, I'll give you this - I may not have laughed even if I had figured out your little joke on the street, but you definitely must have a pair on ya!

I've long schemed that if I ever got custom plates, I'd have them read, "& ROLL". People could fill in the blank: besides being a euphamism for rolling down the road (or sex, take your pick), it would either signify my credo that Rock was best before it lost the Roll, or if the missing part of the phrase is taken as "Shake, Rattle," then not only a great Joe Turner song, but also a pretty apt descriptor for some of my junkier rides down the years. But besides never being able to justify in my mind the $50/year premium, after 9/11 I didn't want to risk any possibility of confusion with those gung-ho "Let's Roll" bumperstickers that can be taken as cheerleading for war, so my plates remain boring stock...

Alex,

This is an interesting world. Idaho has a bad rap for white supremicists. Richard Butler and a small compound in northern Idaho consituted about 40 people total. Mr. Butler has been driven to bankruptcy by Idaho residents and had subsequently moved away. He has since died. The local northern Idaho folks instantly bring to attention any such activity. To make my point, I'd suggest that if you take any urban area where folks look down on Idaho, those cities have more racists living in just a few blocks than we do here in Idaho. I'd bet on it. For the most part we live in harmony excepting gang members shooting each other because of the influx of such from those, ahem, "enlightened areas" that look down on us. Thanks a lot California.

Regarding my license plates, it was a hoot at the drag strip. Most of my car friends just commented about how it was an extension of my personality. Sometimes though it was very interesting. At one of my favorite races of the year there was a couple of entrants that traveled to Idaho from Wyoming to compete and were obiously Indian. I've found that the most racist of all whites are those that live, or have lived anywhere near a reservation. On those occasions where I've been expected to tolerate rude comments about this continents first people I always took great pleasure in informing the rude person that I was of mixed blood and honestly don't know which of my primary bloodlines is a higher percentage, American Indian or Irish. These people just don't get it except when confronted with an informed knowledge of history. I love to make them squirm. I've also met very angry Indians with a bad attitude and can criticize them too without recourse. Mixed blood can be a blessing at times. I feel strongly, and urge everyone to consider my style, that those that wish to divide us through hyphenated labels be ridiculed and laughed down. Otherwise, we will become more tribal as time passes and therefor more divided. United we stand, divided we fall. We should all just try to be Americans. That doesn't mean we need to agree and cannot celebrate our ethnic heritage if we have one. We just need an environment where each of us can be praised or criticized based on the merits of our behaviors rather than pretending to be so sensitive because we belong to a sub group. Of course, I have no faith in that ever happening but I will continue to try and enlighten folks until I'm gone. God, I love my country so much it hurts. I also love my fellow Americans and wish each one of us the best of blessings this country has to offer. There is no group, no single individual anywhere whose shit doesn't stink, mine included.

As a very strange side note my experience with fly fishers is that they are exceptional folks, much like audiophiles. Highly educated too. Almost none of them "got" the name on my boat, even the waders as I drifted by on the other side of the river while they gave me a cranky stare. Go figure. Maybe when a guy goes fishing he gets tunnel vision to escape what ails us in our day to day lives. Audio is like that for me.

Martin Luther King gave us all some very important gifts even though he was a very flawed fellow, IMO. His comment about judging each other by the content of our character is burned into my brain forever and I've tried very hard to live these words. His followers that live today DO NOT live by his words with only a few exceptions, and those poor souls are insulted unfairly in an attempt to silence them.

Sorry to rattle on so much about this. Steroid high you know. But, it's important to me that I be understood by this group. My tactics in dealing with people throughout my life are unusual just like everything else I do.

You rattle on all you like Pat - I love reading it. It means we're both alive. You are not misunderstood, and weren't before the last post either. As a pigmentally-challenged American, I have come to an understanding in the last few years that in a way, MLK actually came to liberate *me* and people like me - we just didn't realize it, and unfortunately by and large still don't. You see, to me, a person is most in need of freeing when they can't recognize or deal with the truth. (But that's a statement which those who might hold views diametrically opposed from yours or mine could also make.) I've lived most of my life in a region that's quite a mixing bowl (including periods when I was locally in the minority), and been to places where you almost never see a different face, but I have yet to discover any 'enlightened areas'. When we were out West a couple of years ago, we went to as many reservations as national parks, because both are strong doses of reality about our country of a type you don't get very much of here in East, though I was always aware in each that I was merely a tolerated visitor. But of all the states we traveled through, Idaho was the one where I'd never been before that I'd most like to return to and see more of someday.

A boat named Row v. Wade. Damn that's good. I like the way your mind works.

Patrick

All Blacks ~ Not a lame name at all.New Zealand has a very proud rugby tradition,just like South Africa.The rivalry between the two countries go back for more than a century.Lots of emotion and pride involved when these two countries meet for battle on the field.Wonderful game ...

The game of rugby,very much like life ...ups and downs,joy and heartache.No matter how well we plan,sometimes we dont have control over the course or the outcome.....Sometimes goes your way,sometimes doesnt.Sometimes, miracles happen against the greatest odds.Never,ever lose hope.....