...where the poor boys dance

Did you ever get a song in your head that you cannot shake? If you hit this link you may also fall under it's spell. "Where The Poor Boys Dance" by the ageless Lulu. On this day in 1993 Virgin Radio broadcasted for the first time in the United Kingdom. This song did not chart well, and I have no idea why. Mother's Day is fast approaching, and for those of you who still have your Mom on earth, give her a hug for me. I keep in touch with my Mom through signs and I love it. There is another place, 'calling us back home'. Please believe that. I have had a few Mother's Day orders that happen to be 'Botanical Needlepoint Pillows' available through my website.

"Are you sure you are drinking enough vodka?" my Mom

...Noah's Arc

If the waters are rising, build a boat. They will subside again. It is all in the cycles of life. On this day in 1429, Joan of Arc arrived to relieve the Siege of Orleans. This was a battle between France and England, not New Orleans, and was also Joan of Arc's first major military victory and the first major French success to follow the disastrous defeat at Agincourt in 1415. Many think that Joan of Arc was the wife of Noah, but this is not true. My 'Sailboat' and other 'Beach House' accessories are floating out and about the continental U.S. thanks to my website. One doesn't need a boat or armour to buy from the Internet. Click here to enjoy Jennifer Warnes singing 'Joan of Arc.

"Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash." Leonard Cohen

...engineer this

I figured out the drapery hardware, widths, finishes, diameter of each pole, size of rings, supports and required finished lengths. The TV shelf required off angle mitering, back, side and front supports and decorative trim embellishments. What an engineering feat! If anyone thinks that design doesn't require math skills, 'subtract' that from your reality. On this day in 2001, engineer and multimillionaire Dennis Tito became the world's first space tourist.
Space tourism is the phenomenon of tourists paying for flights into space. Orbital space tourism opportunities are limited and expensive, with only the Russian Space Agency providing transport. The price for a flight brokered by Space Adventures to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft is around 20–35 million dollars. Come fly with me! Wait. The mortgage is due again this month. Maybe next time. Shown today: "Butterfly Garden Needlepoint Pillow."

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." Walt Disney

...you can tune a piano

On this day in 1810 Beethoven composed his famous piano piece, Für Elise. For those of us blessed with the sense of hearing, it is a 'Joy' to listen to. For anyone who took more than one year of piano, you know it by heart. 'Classic Settee' shown today. Now please take a break and enjoy.

"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." Ludwig van Beethoven

...divine connections

This past week was unusually busy and I am thankful that everything was kept together. I do my part to try to remember every detail but there must be something more. Sheers were installed as was the corner TV shelf that I designed to a delighted birthday girl DJ. The beach job went well also, as I fit an 11' x 13' area rug, runner, Club Chair and Ottoman, 23 window treatments, framed sailboat art, tool boxes and sugar free energy drinks into my truck and 'sailed' over the Commodore Barry Bridge and onto Ocean City, NJ. Traffic was sparse at that early hour so I made excellent time. Everything fit, coordinated and connected well. Have you ever heard of laminins? Me either, until MB educated me on the subject. Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue. They are literally what hold us together being cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. The photo today shows 'design' in it's most intricate form and it has nothing to do with drapery or custom area rugs. Do you think that it's shape is a coincidence? Have a good day, keep your senses open to divine connections and do your best to keep it all together. Oh, on this day in 1946, Father Divine, a controversial religious leader who claimed to be God, married the much-younger Edna Rose Ritchings, a celebrated anniversary in the International Peace Mission movement.

"The universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent." Carl Sagan

...blacklist

Making a list and checking it twice does not apply to Santa only. We all know that Communism is a social structure in which classes are abolished and property is commonly controlled. That may work for some and to each his/her own. I tend to be a Capitalist,work hard and tend to be a 'determined' sort. The political philosophy of Communism created a second wave of the "Red Scare" and on this day in 1954 the Army-McCarthy Hearings began. Ironically, on this day in 1889, at high noon, thousands rushed to claim land in the Land Run of 1889. Within hours the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie were formed with populations of at least 10,000. I was a mere tot at the time and hadn't honed my design skills. What a missed window treatment opportunity! Speaking of which, this Saturday I will install many, many sheer panels and valances. The Seafoam Green wall-to-wall carpeting is on it's way to DJ's home. Her MBR will look fresh and new in a few hours. And yes, the carpeting is 'green'. "Mazaltan Sphere Candleholder Set" shown today.

"McCarthyism is Americanism with its sleeves rolled." Joseph R. McCarthy

...take a letter Maria/Martin

Happy Administrative Professionals Day everyone! (What was once called Secretary's Day, since 1952.) I personally have no Administrative Assistant...it is easier and faster to do it myself in my case only. This position is not for the faint of heart tho'. It could be compared to Motherhood, but is usually not a 24/7 proposition.That would depend on who you are assisting I guess. "Coir Mats" are selling via my website along with "Club Chairs" and "Ottomans". My mechanical talents were a success on Sunday, as I replaced my alternator but defective merchandise abounds in many arenas. I was driving home quite late these past several nights and noticed my large truck, as did everyone else on the road at that hour, blinking and strobing like an 80's disco. That's a whole lotta party! With the large black vehicle and tinted windows I could have been mistaken for a, well, please refer...not reefer, to yesterday's blog. "K & S Auto" came to my rescue, as they usually do and replaced the alternator in record time. Talk about reliable assistance! Have a good day. Take a letter.

"Man is not made for defeat." Ernest Hemingway

...4 20 blackbirds

Hi. Or should I say high? Today is a special day for all you potheads out there as April 20th has become an annual celebration of a ritual of sorts that began
at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California,in 1971. The term originated from a group of teenagers who would meet after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke marijuana at the Louis Pasteur statue.
According to an April 2009 article on the The Huffington Post, the group called itself the Waldos because its members hung out by a wall after school. Writer Ryan Grim, citing interviews with anonymous Waldos, claims that the group met by the statue at 4:20 p.m. to begin a search for a crop of abandoned cannabis growing near Point Reyes that they had heard about. They never found the stash, Grim writes, but smoked plenty of marijuana while looking for it. As a child I would smoke the good stuff while reciting a poem which, apparently blackbirds also partook. I never put the two together, probably because I was so damned high. Enjoy.

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye.
Four and twenty blackbirds,
Baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened,
The birds began to sing;
Wasn't that a dainty dish,
To set before the king?
The king was in his counting house,
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour,
Eating bread and honey.
The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes;
When down came a blackbird
And pecked off her nose.

"I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own." Andy Warhol

...sex sells

I was watching the Country Music Awards last evening while folding laundry and noticed that the age old adage 'sex sells' is still true. The visually 'hotter' performers with abs of steel and good bodies got the full camera pan. The others, especially one blonde vocalist, who isn't a size 2 enjoyed her performance while the camera remained on her pretty face only.
On this day in 1927 Mae West was sentenced to 10 days in jail for obscenity for her play Sex. Sex was a 1926 play, written by, and starring, Mae West. It was very popular for about a year before the New York Police Department raided West and her company, charging them with obscenity, despite the fact that 325,000 people had watched it, including members of the police department and their wives, judges of the criminal courts, and seven members of the district attorney’s staff.
West was sentenced to 10 days in jail, getting out two days early for good behavior. The resulting publicity increased her national renown.
Business is good and I hope that everyone out there can report same. My suggestion is, if you want a raise or need to increase sales, forget the typical corporate work garb and sex it up.Men: tight fitting slacks and shirts that show biceps. Women: show that cleavage and please try to wear skirts that barely reach the knee.
I am off to get 4'x 8'plywood and studs to construct tables for a prom with a Jamaican theme. Now, where did I put that G-string? "Sex on the Beach Toile Sex Fabric" shown today.
"A dame that knows the ropes isn't likely to get tied up." Mae West

...test your metal

Thanks to Mike Cummings, my awesome sales representative for Carole Fabrics, Tapestria and Hyde Park Drapery Hardware my appointment yesterday went great. Clients had beautiful drapery sent in from their Mom in India but needed designer drapery hardware and installation. I stopped over, they were gracious and tasteful and we chose hardware for 8 windows. In the Hyde Park Drapery Hardware line there are 8 finial styles, four finishes and extension poles to fit virtually every width of window. With these well priced, decorative rods it was simple to choose styles and finishes that compliment furniture handles, chandelier finishes and other details that make a room look beautiful. Expecting to solve a puzzle of magnitude proportions, the job was fairly simple. We went with the Oxford Finials for the most part in either Rust or Black. I can email photos of the hardware to you if you need. By the way, speaking of puzzles, on this day in 1924, Simon & Schuster published the first Crossword puzzle book. Have a tasteful day. I am off to replace my alternator...speaking of puzzles. Now for some irony...

"Things do not happen. Things are made to happen." John F. Kennedy

...lsd

Hi. Ever feel nervous or stressed? You know what I mean. Do you ever experience, or should I say, "are you experienced" in a raised body temperature, sweating, loss of appetite, increased hear rate, sleeplessness, dry mouth? Personally I do everything in my power to avoid these sensations. On this day in 1943 Dr. Albert Hofmann discovered the psychedelic effects of LSD. It was a popular drug of choice for a while and people would use blotters and stamps to get their high. Being health conscious, I prefer a martini every once in a while...but that's just me. The seafoam wall to wall carpeting is scheduled to be installed at the end of next week. "Beach House Pillows" are doing well still via my website as are "Rustic Ceramics." It must be the time of year. Have fun today and if you are sending a letter post mail, be cautious when licking stamps. "Mazaltan Floor Vases" shown. 'Mazaltan means "place of the deer" by the way. That should save you from Googling it.

"All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full." King Solomon

...where are you going?

"Take a left in one quarter of a mile," my navigation system barks. "Left, now!" Auchtung! I have no sense of direction I hate to admit. When my navigation system isn't playing with me I am fine. When it feels like telling me to travel 6.5 miles in the wrong direction, how would I know? That's why I have the system. People often stop into my shop to ask for directions. Yikes. I can help them with a Poly/Cotton blend in a drapery weight fabric in 54" widths but...so I usually hit Expedia and print out a map for them. Bon Voyage! 'Gordy's Events' wants some of my Regatta fabrics but alas, it is on back order. I will try to 'direct' him to a second choice. He has mapped out a party plan and I intend to help. On this day in 1924 Rand McNally published its first road atlas. I was in my early 20's so it came in handy but not as handy as the navigational system that I call Fiona. When she is on a good mood. Have a good day, stay on track and if you feel confused you know who to ask for direction. And I am not referring to either Expedia, Rand or Fiona. Shown today, "Metal Sailboat." Just don't put it in water for Heaven Sake. It's metal.

"It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go."
Jim Rohn

...Max

April, 2009. What a difference a day makes. It isn't quite April 15th but I am writing my blog tonight because I don't think I will be writing one tomorrow morning. I rescue dogs and my Max has been living in this household for 5 years. He was a team player, always upbeat, giving and a wonderful guy. Yesterday he was feeling a bit under the weather so I took him to the doctor. They diagnosed that he needed some medicine for a sick tummy and we got the correct meds. Today something told me to leave work early and go home (even skipping the gym) to hang with him. At 6 I called the vet because he was very lethargic. At 9:30 pm I learned that he had failing kidneys and liver and had bone cancer. As recently as Monday he ate Honey Baked Ham (thanks to my younger sister) along with Au Gratin Potatoes and Pineapple stuffing. He was euthanized at 10:10 pm because he was riddled with many diseases for which there is no explanation. I held him and sang his favorite song 'Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer' as he slipped into eternal peace. What a difference a day makes. I wrote in yesterday's blog "and if something in your life has to come to an end make it something that you would rather do without," well Max certainly does not fit that bill. My heart is broken but Max did not suffer very long. When I went into the room to hold him as he was euthanized he opened his eyes and kissed me incessantly. My heart is broken and I will miss Max greatly. What a difference a day makes. Live, love and know when to let go. On this day in 2009 my beloved Max died.
April 2010 update. I just returned from an orientation and the name of the machine is called MAX. On my way into the shop I heard "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel." We sure do. There isn't a day that goes by when we don't think of, and miss Max terribly. Time may heal all wounds, but thankfully it doesn't take away the wonderful memories. Sad yes, but I wouldn't trade our time with Max for anything in the world. Have a great day and hug those that you love. We never know what waits just around the corner.
"Love knows not distance; it hath no continent; its eyes are for the stars."
Gilbert Parker

...white elephant

Do you see it? A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth. Sort of like Neverland prior to Michael Jackson's death. I am finally mailing off the white arch template today. It was no easy feat to find a reputable workroom to construct three of these treatments for me. They should arrive in less than two weeks. Last evening SK and I played a little tennis out back and cleared the cobwebs from our minds. We are lucky to get all kinds of animals out back; deer, foxes, birds, raccoons, a cat or two and more. On this day in 1796 the first elephant ever seen in the United States arrived from India. It was reported that a very young gay couple was seen rubbing their hands in glee, thinking financial gain and then decided to choose a tiger from the following shipment. Shown today, "Elephant Ribbon Tassel."

"Life is not an exact science, it is an art." Samuel Butler

...marco polio

I'm sure that most everyone has played Marco Polo in the water at some point. Hiding, finding, trying to elude capture. On this day in 1955 the polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, was declared safe and effective,all but eradicating polio from most countries in the world. This discovery reduced the worldwide incidence from an estimated 350,000 cases in 1988 to 1,652 cases in 2007. We had Jimmy Buffet Sunday, cranked up the music and had our share of Pina Coladas. This morning I may take Advil to all but eradicate my headache. I am working on a sailboat runner and readying the Cellular Shade installation for this weekend most probably. Be healthy and safe and don't be a crab. Shown today, "Blue Crab Apron."

"I pictured myself as a virus or a cancer cell and tried to sense what it would be like."
Jonas Salk

...keeps the doctor away

Drapery Hardware is a necessity when hanging drapery. This statement may not be as important as Einstein's Theory of Relativity that was released on this day in 1905. The young couple who visited me yesterday are very nice. I am guessing that we may become friends. I am typing from my PC and yet, on this day in 1976 the Apple I was created. I babysat last night and everyone was well behaved, including myself. We had birthday cake, jumped on the trampoline and watched 'Old Dogs.' I think that I talked the wife out of tossing an antique sideboard and into painting it in a weathered white and placing it in her kitchen. It will look great and also service her ceramic collection. Keep the bees away KJ! The landscapers came while I was away so no outdoor work needs to be done. Since Jimmy Buffet is playing, it may soon be time for a Pina Colada. I have heard that it keeps the doctor away...at least temporarily."Seablue Bouyant Glass Floats" shown today. Whatever floats your boat!

"We are riding in a boat to sail." Karen Carpenter

...Max dreams

This past week has been full of Max dreams, some happy, some sad. It is coming upon the year anniversary of his untimely death and it still hurts my soul. Keep in mind that I save errant bees from latex paint also, so you get some idea of where I am. JW and I were playing tennis last Sunday out back and I found one of Max's tennis balls. We used to play indoors in inclement weather and the family room was our ball field. I still miss him terribly and may need to have my head examined. On this day in 1965, the Astrodome opened, and the first indoor baseball game was played. Not as much fun as Max and I had indoors, but still a good time. I have an appointment today for Drapery Hardware and it should be interesting. Then I am off to Perkasie to drop off a birthday card and do some babysitting. Hold your loved ones close and throw a ball to them. It makes for great memories...even if it is your 97 year old Aunt Bedelia. "Geometric Area Rug" shown.

"Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land." Aldo Leopold

...on record

"This call is being taped for security or training purposes." Are they asking or telling us? The other day I fielded the upteenth call of that nature as I stopped running a business to deal in the frivolity. When I again heard this (threat) warning, I began to sing a song that I had written many, many years ago. The lyric is rather weak, and my voice, without instrumental accompaniment probably sounded empty to the caller. She hung up on me. Since the call was being taped, and I would have to search high and low to find my old demo cassette, I thought it a perfect time to record the song to again have it on record. Did you know that, on this day in 1860, the oldest audible sound recording of a human voice was recorded? It wasn't me though. I didn't record until a few short years later. DJ is still in Florida and yes, those are her real initials. I didn't make them up to coincide with this 'recording' blog. She will experience 'sheer delight' upon her return as I will install many, many sheer white voile window treatments. I won't however, record her cry of glee. Some things should remain private.

"I have tried sex with both men and women. I found I liked it." Dusty Springfield

...common carriers

There is nothing common about them. Freight companies have a tough job meeting deadlines, satisfying customers, performing rudimentary customer service and attending to the bottom line. Oh, wait! So does pretty much everyone in the world. A delivery was made to my shop almost a year ago but came way before stated shop hours and the driver left the nicest note taped to my front door, explaining how sorry he was that he missed me. For some reason I took a digital photo of it. I miss you too! But let's be real. I cannot possibly have the place opened 24/7. My website is, but not the physical store. I did send a copy of the bill and the letter on three occasions explaining that I had paid the freight bill through the Home Fashions distributor. That is how they do it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to communicate this to the lovely FedEx woman. Yuck. So they sicked a collection agency on me. I responded thrice to their claim which also seemed to fall on deaf ears. Luckily, they have hired yet another collection agency to collect the double freight bill from me. When I say lucky, it is because I have my thick file handy and can go through this process yet again. They do not yet have email or Internet Access. The other Collection Agency did, which made it less expensive for me to simply email the documentation but my hope is that, once they have collected enough double bills, they too may be able to afford Internet Service. But not by me. How many of you out there like to pay twice for things? I didn't think so. I contacted a handful of proprietors and customers alike and they all readily agreed that they do not pay twice for things. On this day in 1943 U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in an attempt to check inflation, froze wages and prices, prohibited workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and barred rate increases by common carriers and public utilities. Shown today, "Yucca Tree."
"A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large."
Henry Ford

...friends

Well, last evening as I fired up the charcoal grill with a friction match out on my deck I heard a buzzing sound. Two slightly paint covered bumblebees hovered around me for quite a long time. I even called CN so that she could hear the buzzing thru my Bluetooth and to get some verification that I wasn't going crazier. I cannot tell you how happy I was that they survived the paint swim and even moreso, how they came back to let me know that they were ok. More blackout cellular shades arrived late yesterday which means a jaunt to the beach is in order in the near future. Maybe I'll bring my new bee friends with me. Strike a pose! Strike a match as on this day in 1827, John Walker, an English chemist, sold the first friction match that he had invented the previous year. He soon wished that he had made two as the young lad who bought it tried to light his joint in a strong wind and then had to rely on his Bic lighter to finish the job. "Tin Roof Wallpaper" is on it's way to Colorado for a big surprise...so I won't reveal any names, as usual. Peace, love and happiness. "Fishermen Bookends" shown above.
"Do good to your friends to keep them, to your enemies to win them."
Benjamin Franklin

...ah, nature

I was outside on my deck painting a shelf semi gloss white. As you know, birds do it...bees do it and sometimes in mid-air. Two bees flew into the gallon of paint that I was using and I quickly picked them out of the paint and set them onto a piece of cardboard. I then spent the next several minutes washing them off much like people do to ducks when oil spills occur. I pray that they are ok. I then took the paint inside and finished the job. I also pick errant worms up off of the sidewalk and toss them back onto the grass. Call me crazy. It certainly won't be the first time. Those chunky bees reminded me that, on this day in 1869, celluloid was patented. From that moment on people have been desperately trying to rid themselves of it; especially on the upper thigh area. Get your guitar pick and strum along to that! I think of Max daily still, some might find that odd, especially when I see an unfair act of nature. Like bees in paint. Ah, if I were King for just one day...I still couldn't change everything. Bee kind to nature, love thy neighbor, (but not in that way) and keep the peace. "Three Shelf Garden Wall Rack" shown.

"The right man is the one who seizes the moment."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

...fireside theater

I hope that everyone found the eggs yesterday. We played tennis, but with a tennis ball, not an Easter Egg. The boys spent many hours outside and were plum tuckered out by bedtime. I happened upon 'Housewives Of New York' which was more angst than I could absorb so turned off the television. With 'friends like that'...On this day in 1949 "Fireside Theater" debuts on television. It was an American anthology drama series that ran from on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Stories were low budget and often based on public domain stories or written by freelance writers such as Rod Serling. While it was panned by critics, it remained in the top ten most popular shows for most of its run. It predated the other major pioneer of filmed TV in America, I Love Lucy, by two years. I ran out of beaded trim while mitering for a TV shelf yesterday and almost threw the damned thing into the fire. Once completed, it will accompany white voile sheers and look clean and breezy. Much like this mornings air in Chester County, PA. "Coastal Glamour Wall Decor" shown today.

"Don't you stay at home of evenings? Don you love a cushioned seat in a corner, by the fireside, with your slippers on your feet?"
Oliver Wendell Holmes

...here comes Peter Cottontail!

Peter Cottontail - by Steve Nelson & Jack Rollins

Here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hopping' down the bunny trail,
Hippity, hoppity,
Easter's on its way.

Bringing' every girl and boy Baskets full of Easter joy,
Things to make your Easter bright and gay.
He's got jellybeans for Tommy,
Colored eggs for sister Sue,
There's an orchid for your Mommy
And an Easter bonnet, too.

Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hopping' down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity,
Happy Easter day.

Here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hopping' down the bunny trail,
Look at him stop, and listen to him say:
"Try to do the things you should."
Maybe if you're extra good,
He'll roll lots of Easter eggs your way.

You'll wake up on Easter morning
And you'll know that he was there
When you find those chocolate bunnies
That he's hiding everywhere.

Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hopping' down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity,
Happy Easter day.
...have a great day, whatever your beliefs may be.

...Thank God It's Friday

Good Friday everyone. Today is also known as Holy Friday, Black Friday, Great Friday, and is a holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, his death as believed by Christians at Calvary, and his Resurrection from the grave. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and often coincides with the Jewish observance of Passover. I usually find that it rains on Good Fridays but today it is sunny and beautiful in Chester County, PA. I made another arch shade template late yesterday and was high as a kite...on a ladder mind you. Flowers are peeking out of their beds, birds are singing and it seems as tho' most every part of nature is ready for this invigorating season. Have a great day, do unto others and if you see a group of people lynching, crucifying or doing anything obviously wrong to another human or animal, operate by the Golden Rule and kick their hating asses.

"And History will smile to think that this is the species for which Socrates and Jesus Christ died." Julien Benda

...I pity the fool

Happy April Fool's Day! Use caution when adding sugar to your meal! And don't forget al dente pasta. On this day in 1957 the BBC Spaghetti tree hoax brought down the house. The spaghetti tree hoax is a famous 3-minute hoax report broadcast on April Fools' Day 1957 by the BBC current affairs programme Panorama. It told a tale of a family in southern Switzerland harvesting spaghetti from the fictitious spaghetti tree, broadcast at a time when this Italian dish was not widely eaten in the UK and some Britons were unaware spaghetti is a pasta made from wheat flour and water. Hundreds of viewers phoned into the BBC, either to say the story was not true, or wondering about it, with some even asking how to grow their own spaghetti trees. Decades later CNN called this broadcast "the biggest hoax that any reputable news establishment ever pulled." Today's photo are my "Seashell Series Summerhouse Statues." I found them just as they are on the beach in Sea Isle City.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
Abraham Lincoln