Saturday, July 13, 2002
HC
In times of national stress it is not unusual for people who, otherwise never thought
of the subject - to fear for their “rights.”
When talk concening rights comes up, sooner or later some one will mention the
Latin term habeas corpus. Being in Latin it has a legal ring about it which seems to
demand hushed respect when it is mentioned.
Quite often, too, the actual sayer has no idea of what the term means. It just
seemed like a good time to introduce it into the conversation to push it to new levels of
concern - exactly what being unknown.
Someone will comment that Abraham Lincoln abolished the right of habeas corpus
for the duration of the Civil War. Congress approved his action and only one opponent
disagreed. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who held that such a suspension was not
within the powers of the president.
Another will point to the imprisonment of all Japanese American citizen by FDR for
the duration of World War II as another infringement on the right of habeas corpus, and
others, will, no doubt, cite other moments when the right was ignored, at least in their
view.
The words habeas corpus mean “you should have the body” Some people hesitate
to say it. The pronouncing guide gives us: hA’bEus kor’-pus and it should be considered as
a term we have integrated into our language and not just a high-sounding foreign
expression used for show off purposes.
In more recent times, during the fifties and sixties, The Supreme Court’s liberal decisions
caused many prisoners to seek release through habeas corpus proceedings. The present
court has limited sucn habeas corpus filings, especially from prisoners on Death Row.
State plainly the writ asks only if the prisoner has been accorded due process, not if
he is guilty. The sole purpose of the write is to free those unlawfully imprisoned. The
Constitution of the United States provides that ”The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus
shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion Invasion the Public Safety may
require it.”
It is not a new idea. Habeas Corpus was first mentioned in the 15th Century in
England and it was formalized in the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679.
One may wonder why the term is used so freely when its application is so limited. I
think the very term is held dear, as it was in Revolutionary times, as a sort of symbol of all
freedoms we enjoy, rather than just one precise area.
A.L.M. June 24, 2002 [c 434wds}
STRANGE LIGHTS
Anytime seems to be “UFO Time,” now-a-days.
We used to have a “season” for such sightings - in October, I believe, but that
restriction has gradually faded away.
If you feel left out because you haven’t yet experienced the sighting a flying
objects from outer space in your locality, here is how you can do something about such
an unseemly deficiency.
Find a bedroom window from which there is a view of a portion of town, a lighted
area. Forget about the trees between you and the places you see. This calls for
advance planning because you must make your choice when leaves are not on the
trees ...mid-winter would be best. Then, some dark night, look from the window and into
the blackness of the sky and suddenly a tiny light will appear, flicker for a moment,
establish itself, then move suddenly to another area of the sky, so fast you can’t follow it.
It appears to be round, maybe a bit flat across the top as you watch it, and glowing
brightly!. Then, it just disappears; as quickly as it appeared!. It is gone!
What you have been watching are several, high-mounted lights in the parking lot
of a small industrial plant not too far away, but you have been seeing them through the
unsteady filter of leaves on one of the trees you have ignored. Sharp gusts of wind
moved the leaves and gave you intermittent views of several of the lights in the area. It
took very little imagination on your part, backed by popular folklore about unidentified
flying objects, for you to become a “believer” , at least for a few moments. Right?
You can see other ghostly lights in, of all places, your local cemetery.
Walk among the stones by yourself some dark night, or along the road on the
hillside where the cemetery is located if you are that “chicken”, and you will be amazed
at the eerie flashing of lights, you sense rather than see, on all sides at intervals. You will
find you are looking at the reflections of city lights and those of moving highway traffic
nearby. The glossy surfaces of varied sized, and shaped memorials cast a fearful
network of silent reflections about, responding to lights shining afar. Imagination and
willful ignorance can do a great deal with such basics.
If you have worn glasses for some time, you know the experience of suddenly,
becoming aware of a fact that someone was standing at one side or the other as you
read or type. You turn to see and there is no one there! Check out the side rim of your
glasses in relation to the room’s lighting or look up and realize that you can glimpse the
rotating blades of the ventilation fan even as either read or type. Or, it could have
been a piece of paper or cloth at the far end of your desk which moved when caught,
momentarily, in the downdraft of the fan.
I have found such unwelcome visitors looking over my shoulder as I write to be so
real and present that have spoken to them; finished the line I was concerned with;
turned and found no one there.
They are called: “ Unidentified ... Prying ...whatever the ”o” might stand for!” I
hate ‘em. “Gee whiz! I wish they’d go away.”
A.L.M. July 11, 2002 [c570wds]
“Little Theater
A “little” theater experience looms large in my life.
It all happened many years ago in Radford, Virginia where a group of people
interested in doing plays got together and formed a “Little Theater” group to produce
plays locally. I don’t recall if we did that before or after Robert Porterfield’s “Barter Theater
”found marked success not too far away in Abingdon, Va. southwest on Route 11 toward
Bristol, Va-Tn. I am sure we were influenced by the Barter Players in one way or another
because that was a primary dramatic event of our era.
Our group lasted about three or four years, I’d say, as members moved away, grew
up, found employment elsewhere - not an uncommon reason for change in those
Depression and Post-Depression years. Some areas recovered faster than others, so young
people, in particular, moved where the jobs seemed to be more plentiful. Oldsters were
more “sot” in their ways and not quite so ready for change.
We had oldsters in our group, too. By that I do not mean “old” in the sense of years,
necessarily, but older and more mature than those found in many such groups. I have
long held the view that they brought a sense of maturity to the venture which t would
not have had, otherwise. Such groups have a tendency to wax and wane, and I would
imagine the Radford “Little Theater” has been resurrected several times during the
intervening years since my experiences there.
I often think of what being in those plays meant to me later on. They gave me new
confidence in myself, for one thing, even though I never played anything more than
supporting characters. I came to know the “feel” of working before audiences and in a
special way, too, because the old Colonial Theater, in which we did all of our plays, was
build for theater use rather than for motion pictures. There was a real stage, elaborate
though somewhat worn curtains, four imposing boxes - two on each side of the stage, a
balcony and stage equipment albeit of another time, plus dressing rooms. It was not, of
course, in the best of condition, but few old theaters were or are even today. It was an
“authentic” setting for young drama students and I remember so much of it in bits and
pieces and usually as a good , warm feeling. It had enough of yesteryears about it to
encourage anyone who has a dramatic flare at all, to join such a group as ours.
It provided a testing ground for things in which we believed, or thought we did at
the time. We learned much about living there, too, as we pretended to be someone we
were not as a character in a play. You discovered how to make it all seem real enough so
that other people, paying customers, would accept it as such. What better way to study
of those elements which make people tick? For a time, you are that person you
pretended to be - real or fictional - and you come away from such a week of doing that
character over-and-over again, you will find that you, yourself, have changed.
We did all plays for one full week, which is unusual, or was, then. Most groups did a
play one night and that was it We did three per year and a set of three One Act plays in
mid-summer to give everybody a chance at playing lead stronger roles. Every member
did not act in every play. We were a large enough group so the many off-stage jobs -
lights, sound, props, makeup, tickets sales, advertising and promotion and other such
chores were assigned. You learned from that ,too, that theater was not such a glamorous
thing after all.
Doing those plays meant so much to us that I can recall characters becoming - for
a time - the person they were pretending to be. I can remember how lovers on stage
actually came to feel something special for each other, how people who were detested
in their stage role because somewhat like that in group relationships, and right on through
the list: silly on stage - silly in real life; sad...suspicious...sly...cocky...downright mean. Of
course, when the one month of rehearsals started for the next play, all that would fade
away as you tried on a new emotional wardrobe.
I have always been glad I did not get shifted into the theatrical life completely,
however. I never really had enough of that inner talent that develops into excellence in
the theater. I also have observed one had to become especially good at what he or she
did because there is only one person in this world who is more miserable than more
miserable than a theatrical “has been” and that is a “never was!”
A.L.M. July 12, 2002 [c819wds]
Thursday, July 11, 2002
OLE FACE-FULL ET AL
You already know, of course, that many offices have a malfunctioning drinking
fountains known affectionately among employees as “Old Face-full!”, but I’ll bet you did
not know that we have hundreds of real geysers we haven’t even used yet!
My youngest sister, who lives at Sumter, South Carolina - far removed from geyser
country - recently visited her daughter and son-in-law at their self-built log cabin in the
mountains of Colorado. They “did” Yellowstone National Park as a part of her visit and she
brought back taped evidence that geysers out number tourists in some areas.
I did not realize there were so many active geysers in the world, much less that
many in Yellowstone alone!
It’s quite possible that my sister got more than the usual serving of geysers because
her son-in-law is a University geology professor gregariously fascinated by gushing geysers
others never heard about. Their tapes of the geysers are proof that much is to be made
known about the oversupply of geysers we have available.
The best known geyser, beyond doubt, is the one designated “Old Faithful”
because it has a schedule with never varies of gushing skyward in a fantastic display
every of water and steam every seventy minutes, I think it is. We , as mere mortals,
understand and appreciate this tendency on the part of this one geyser to show some
sense of purpose through being aware of time which is the same thing we talk so much
about “saving.”
Yellowstone’s geysers have been using time rather extensively for centuries and as
a result we can see beautiful, extended displays of formations on rock, rills and anything
else which got in its path in times past. Some are silent, except when gushing, other are
noisy in a Niagara sense with intense murmurs of rushing, roiling water overcoming voiced
commentary on the tapes with their steady rush to get to wherever such waters end up.
As you look at the fantastic creations of water in motion carrying minerals for
deposit at exactly the right spot in the formation of the displays we marvel at the
complex variations.
There is no end to it, and no beginning that we can see ... it simply “is”. The changes
themselves, are so slowly made that we are not aware of them as we see them
happening. They will be seen and enjoyed by “tomorrow’s” visitors.
One cannot help but be impressed with the majesty of it all; with the intense
feeling of creative evolvement which haunts every such location. It is easy to see how the
early residents of the general area are said to have made it special thing to either avoid
the entire area completely as a taboo Holy area of magic and mystery. Try to imagine
their feelings when geysers rose up from the very core of the Earth and reached for
heavens above in a futile but unending quest.
Iceland, I think it might be, has learned to put thermal power to work heating their
homes. Considering distances involved, I don’t think we can look forward to such a use
here. Pipelines would be prohibitive in many ways and there is also the probability that
some might be saying: “Uh, oh! The geyser bill has gone up again!”, or “It’s an OPEC
conspiracy, I’ll bet!”
We may not know exactly what to do with them, but we should be thankful for our
plentiful supply of geysers, none the less. They remind us of so many basic factors in our
being.
They remain a mystery and mankind needs something he has to wonder about.
a.l.m. July 6, 2002 [c613wds]
Wednesday, July 10, 2002
PUSH
The discrete use of pressure is one of the mainstays of diplomacy.
There are certain moments within the process of arriving at any agreement when
this quality appears, however, and when it does so it might seem subtle at the moment.
even deceptively so. The comes a time when one party sets forth the concept that you
must do so-and-so unless you want such-and-such to take place.
That’s “pressure” even though it is nothing more than a hint or suggestion.
There is a scientific study being conducted right now by NASA and related research
groups to try to determine what and why “shear” occurs in certain liquids and not in
others. You have experienced this bit of wonder yourself if you have ever had a catsup
bottle which would not give a little; then, suddenly, spat forth much more catsup than
you wanted. The same thing occurs with some paints, plastics, blood, and other
substances and we don’t know why or how. It is suspected that tiny particles within the
mix start moving at individual rates as compared to the larger ones in its presence and
when shaken or given a good knock with your hand the fluid is stirred up and there is a
marked imbalance of pressure hence the fluid so treated becomes looser and far more
fluid than the rest.
The analogy is obvious. There is a certain factor -call it ”shear “ if you wish, which ,
when a concept is set forth for study seems to go contrary to set rules; takes its own way.
It can drag the main body of material along with it , too. This bit of “push” and “shove”
from the more aggressive portions of the mixture exert a tremendous influence o all
ingredients and all to flow forth in a sudden spurt. This element of “force” when used in
relation to behind to an idea under discussion can cause the basic premise to be
modified, even changed, if set forth properly. The tests being conducted in space allow
the contents of the test container to remain in place the than being allowed to settle to
the bottom of the bottle. They remain suspended and - we shall see what happens in
that area as the in-space conditions continue. You may remember how “wind shear” has
been the cause of aircraft accidents, too so the tests have wide applications.
They could give us some guidelines concerning the altering of our troublesome
egocentric ideas for the better, as well.
A.L.M. June 22, 2002 [c 427wds]
Tuesday, July 09, 2002
TIME WISE
Are we counting the (the hours)(the years) and ignoring (the minutes)(the days and months)
in what seems to be our mad rush into the future?
Are we moving so rapidly into tomorrow that we don't have time to take note of the surroundings at any given
moment along the way?
.
As we witness the crunch in so many of the workplaces of today, we can only agree that there is some truth in
such accusations.We do not, as we have been urged: "take time to smell the roses". So often , far too often, I dare say,
the emphasis has been on speed rather than quality in so much of what we produce - both in products and in services.
The fast food concept, as an example, does bring us food in record times but with definite limits as well. The fast
food diet has fattened the nation the last decade and will continue to make us wider and heavier if it allowed to grow
without more care given to nutritional values and quality. If it is fast it is not, necessarily good as many people seem to
have been led to think.Chances are exactly the opposite, in fact, and better, slower care in preparing foods to be served
might be more healthful in many ways. You might say that haste makes "waist" and we have sufficiently rotund abdominal
areas as it is without adding any more inches.
We have become a nation of clock watchers. Almost everything we undertake to do has time limits fore and aft.
We expect fast service in department stores; we cannot wait in line at the banks or airline ticket offices without nervous
agitation’s and loud complaining and there is a special urgency about shopping for foods and household needs at the local
supermarket. They are also expected to stock everything because we don't have time to visit specialty stores which
feature appliances, wallpaper, paint or gardening equipment and that sort of thing.. Hundreds of such items must be
stocked where you buy them when you buy your foods.One must save time at all times!
Saving time is a national mania with millions and must be undertaken on a daily basis even if it takes longer to do
it
On our highways speed is essential. Few people observe the set speed standards on any of our highways,
including those who will insist they do. I have been one of them and I have ridden with drivers who insisted they drove
slowly at all times. "Except when..." has to be inserted in their line of talk about driving, however, because they too join
the rush to everywhere more than they will admit. TV commecialsl for new cars feature speed above all advantages, too.
Every now and then some "kook" points out that we don't make good use of the time we claim we are saving.
Such helpful guidance usually occurs in printed materials as filler inserted to keep the ads apart a bit but the writers never
seem to have time to develop the idea about what might be done to alleviate the condition.
It is true.We do waste lot of our valuable moments, but the answer is not to be found in new strivings to fill such
vacant spots. Rather, we need to refer to past experiences and earnestly try to revive the concept of doing creating
things ourselves...on our own and without the intercession of electronic gadgetry or other such aides to creativity and
excellence in the management of parts, pieces and placement of things. An idea conceived while swinging in a hammock
was much more valued far mess stressful than the identical concept arrived at by the gadgetry route.
The manner in which we do things today is not always the best. It may be fast, but that does not make it good. In
needs to savor ideas just as one does good foods.
A.L.M. June 30, 2002 [c540wds]
DARKNESS WITHIN
I find it is easy to start an argument anywhere at almost anytime simply by asking: ”
What color is the inside of a watermelon before it is cut?”
Most people, confronted with that question, want to answer “Red, of course!!” but
many tend to move back from me a bit, wondering what kind of nut is running loose and
conversing with, and they usually let someone else blurt out the very words words they were
going to say.
“Red, of course!”
Others echo with the same reply and more than one of them is thinking about my
sanity and obvious lack of basic knowledge about such things as common as watermelons.
They decide that, although my elevator may be running , it simply does not go to the
top floor. And, I let them stew in those juices until the moment arrives when I explain calmly
and deliberately that color does not become what it is until it is in the presence of light.
“That’s right!,” someone pipes up in a sudden show of support for our side. “A
watermelon’s insides, before it was sliced are without sunlight, therefore they would appear,
if you could see them, as being black, maybe grey or colorless.”
It can become a vegetarian’s stampede as other vegetable after another is
mentioned ... beets, carrots, peas, squash.... avocados, cabbage, rutabagas, okra,
cantaloupe relations, and creshaws and zucinnae in addition. It’s endless as are the colors
and tints of the rainbow.
A few are not convinced at all. But they will worry about it later on and, eventually
they will come around - with reservtions and exceptions duly noted.
Or, if that doesn’t click this one next time: “Deer grow new antlers every year, and drop
them in the forest after mating season. They get new ones in the spring.”
I find a few hunters who can’t go along with that statement who ask: ”How come, if
what you say is true, that deer shed their antlers every year, then how come it is I don’t go
walk-in’ ‘round knee-deep in old deer anthers?”
Yet another argument starter question is: “How high is up?”
As my mother used to say: “A-dell”..she always abbreviated me when she was a bit
irked with my conduct. When I would talk like I’ve been for the past page or so, she would
look at me intently and say quietly: “A-dell, don’t be so silly!”
A.L.M. July 9, 2002 [c415wds]
Monday, July 08, 2002
BROAD BRUSHES
There can be little doubt but that what we sometimes call
“common business practices” have been violated by some
business firms in recent years.
Such opinions may vary, of course, and it would seem wise
that we do not try to use the same broad brush to mark them all in
one thoughtless condemnation.
Some critics will leap to condemn The Media which has
happen far too often in recent times, saying they exaggerate such
issues and do an instant overkill when covering them as news.
Certainly the Media - all arms, wings, tangents and levels of it -
have a journalistic duty to compelling them to observe and report
not only what is actually happening , but also the underlying
current which seems to be taking place, as well. Care must be
taken to isolate those element of business which are in poor
condition from those which are hearty and striving. They ,too,
cannot apply to same size brushes to all. The path of wrongdoing is
usually narrow and it is duty of the Media to protect those firms
who abide by the generally accepted rules even while they are
exposing the actions of those few who do not. There is real danger
lurking in any methods which allow innocent firms to become
“suspect” - so often of imaginary transgressions - in the minds of
readers and hearers.
We must refrain from pre-judging all firms because of the
wayward actions of a few,
Just because one company’s officers chose to guide their
company into the wrong road does not mean other are doing the
same thing. Before we even consider throwing the entire barrel of
good apples away, we go through the contents carefully and
patiently to remove the obviously bad ones. Then, we keep a
closer eye on what is left for a time to make sure we got all the
bad ‘uns.
I think it can be said that it is doubly important at this time in
our national history, when we are a nation at war against a
somewhat “unseen” power called “Terrorism”. This is a time which
calls for complete honesty in what we are doing and thinking. If
there are elements of the business community who are proved to
be not keeping faith with the public and their peer groups, we
must root them out carefully and individually not with one, swirling
harvest of any segments of our economy.
Let’s not be too quick to condemn the wrong folks,
especially with vague, unsustainable insinuations. A.L.M.
JULY 8, 2002 [c430wds]
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