I am not a poster. I am a crispy critter.

[MNJohnnie]

Chocolate or cream cheese frosting?

Why not both?

[Lady Jag]

Cream cheese?

[tuliptree76]

LOL!

[MNJohnnie]

Semper Paratus!

I pretty sure that is the Coast Guard official motto, the unofficial one is "We gotta go out, we don't gotta come back".

[Lady Jag]

Want some eggs?

[Das Outsider]

Very nice drawing! (But I think you could have done a little better with the flux capacitor.)

It's a rough model. We may have to tweak the flux capacitor a bit, anyways.

Just wait until we get to the testing phase!

[Lady Jag]

Oh, sorry, I thought you were asking about me because so many people think I'm a JAG when I merely drive one.

You are right, I'm pretty sure, that's the Coast Guard motto.

[MNJohnnie]

Semper Paratus (Always Ready) Words and Music by Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck, USCG Words and Music Copyright by Sam Fox Publishing Co, Inc. From North and South and East and West,

The Coast Guard's in the fight.

Destroying subs and landing troops,

The Axis feels our might.

For we're the first invaders,

On every fighting field.

Afloat, ashore, on men and Spars,

You'll find the Coast Guard shield.

Chorus

We're always ready for the call,

We place our trust in Thee.

Through howling gale and shot and shell,

To win our victory.

"Semper Paratus" is our guide,

Our pledge, our motto, too.

We're "Always Ready," do or die!

Aye! Coast Guard, we fight for you.

Versions & Changes

The original words and music were written by Captain

Francis S. Van Boskerck, USCG in 1927.

The first line of each chorus was changed in 1969.

1st Verse (original, 1927 version)

From Aztec shore to Arctic zone,

To Europe and Far East.

The Flag is carried by our ships,

In times of war and peace.

And never have we struck it yet,

In spite of foe-men's might,

Who cheered our crews and cheered again,

For showing how to fight.

2nd Verse (original, 1927 version)

SURVEYOR and NARCISSUS,

The EAGLE and DISPATCH,

The HUDSON and the TAMPA

The names are hard to match;

From Barrow's shores to Paraguay,

Great Lakes or ocean's wave,

The Coast Guard fought through storms and winds

To punish or to save.

3rd Verse (original, 1927 version)

Aye, we've been "Always Ready"

To do, to fight, or die

Write glory to the shield we wear

In letters to the sky.

To sink the foe or save the maimed

Our mission and our pride

We'll carry on 'til Kingdom Come

Ideals for which we've died.

The current verse, and a second chorus, were written by

Homer Smith, 3rd Naval District Coast Guard quartet, Chief

Cole, others and LT Walton Butterfield USCGR in 1943.

1st chorus (original, 1927 version)

So here's the Coast Guard marching song,

We sing on land or sea.

Through surf and storm and howling gale,

High shall our purpose be.

"Semper Paratus" is our guide,

Our fame, our glory too.

To fight to save or fight to die,

Aye! Coast Guard, we are for you!

2nd chorus (added 1943)

So here's the Coast Guard battle song,

We fight on land or sea.

Through howling gale and shot and shell,

To win our victory.

"Semper Paratus" is our guide,

Our pledge, our motto too.

We're "Always Ready" do or die!

Aye! Coast Guard we are for you!

1st chorus (1969 change to 1927 original 1st chorus)

We're always ready for the call,

We place our trust in Thee.

Through surf and storm and howling gale,

High shall our purpose be.

"Semper Paratus" is our guide,

Our fame, our glory too.

To fight to save or fight to die,

Aye! Coast Guard, we are for you!

2nd chorus (1969 change to 1943 2nd chorus)

We're always ready for the call,

We place our trust in Thee.

Through howling gale and shot and shell,

To win our victory.

"Semper Paratus" is our guide,

Our pledge, our motto too.

We're "Always Ready" do or die!

Aye! Coast Guard we are for you!

[MNJohnnie]

Oh, sorry, I thought you were asking about me because so many people think I'm a JAG when I merely drive one.

Cool. Why a Jag?

[NicknamedBob]

"...to get an idea of Iain's Culture..."

Thanks for the link. An interesting read, and astonishing to me that I have existed in total ignorance of this cultural development.

Still, it gives me an opportunity to check on my own logical progressions through comparing our parallel developments.

But what I immediately get from it is another possible ship name, "UTS Windward Phalanx."

[MNJohnnie]

There glad that 50 is out of the way! Only 49 more to the 1st 000!!!!!!

[MNJohnnie]

So any other picture of any toys? Come on I am at work, you cannot all bail on me

[tuliptree76]

You are working today?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

(Well, there is that underarm sweat gland that we cloned from Michael Moore, but that has not been fully weaponized yet.)

Eeep!

Even the thought is offensive!

[Das Outsider]

It was a gray, breezy day in November. The leaves were blowing, scraping against the the sidewalk as they the wind carried them on their way. Narrow rays of sunlight pierced through the dark curtain above. Trails of smoke from all the chimneys in the neighborhood signalled that winter had indeed arrived--but there was something else. Something wasn't quite right. One could sense it, if only on a subliminal level.

A dull roar that had gone unnoticed began growing. Was it an airplane? A truck? But it grew louder and louder; it couldn't possibly be! The ground began to tremble--or was it you? It seemed to be coming from every direction. Spinning around, desperately seeking the source, "What, what is this?!" you cry....

[Alice au Wonderland]

*yelling out the window* hey, would you rather rake 175 acres?!

[Alice au Wonderland]

Lawn mower defeats the intent of tiring out the children.

[Alice au Wonderland]

You need some coffee and one of 'Face's cinnamon rolls.

[Alice au Wonderland]

Oh, I love the graphic! Thank you!

[MNJohnnie]

seemed to be coming from every direction. Spinning around, desperately seeking the source, "What, what is this?!" you cry....

An M1-A1 Abrahams tank?