Catspaw49:

It may be comforting for you to know, as I sincerely hope it will be, that about all the "Iron" I was packing last night at the sing was my pint tin "mucket" and a Clarke "C" tin whistle. I had full intentions of enjoying a couple of Guiness stouts from said mucket, which I did with great relish - and I have this quirky personal policy; When under arms I refrain from consumption of alchoholic beverages (I do NOT "do" "recreational" drugs), and when enjoying adult beverages, I do so disarmed, leaving the defence of self and company in the hands of Angels.

You might find it incredulous to consider that an insensitive roughian such as I would allow a defference to anticipated companys' personal feelings and concerns about armed Citizens' in their midst, even though these sensitivities might be at variance with my own opinions, to also be a factor in my departure from otherwise routine procedure. Perhaps it was.

If anyone "whipped out" a Short & Weak, or a Slick & Wet, or any other sort of "S&W" as you allude, it was done with sufficient discretion as to completely avoid my perception thereof.

About the only presentations of anything even remotely offensive, were the few political cracks... none, as I recall, from me. Despite lack of Spousal supervision, I think I was able to restrain myself pretty well, even resisting the temptation to respond to one particularly off-color "poem" about Presidential bedroom activities involving "Nancy". Somehow, when "alternative sex acts" in the White House are being discussed, "Nancy" is NOT the first name which comes to my mind... but I digress. Besides, being outnumbered about 27 to 1 (if there were any other Conservatives there, I was not aware of them, and felt pretty safe in assuming the absence thereof). Discretion being what it is to valor, it seemed wise to leave my politics in the bottom of the old guitar case (as I had left my trusty .45 secured at Quarters) for the duration. I rather wish that others had done the same. With the politics, anyway. If anyone was packing that "S&W", they were cool.

Now, if you can handle this: there was not one participant on deck last night, "politics", lifestyle, "orientation" or other human distinctives nonwithstanding, whom I did not genuinely and sincerely desire to like, respect, and get along with.

I surely do love singin' with each and every one!