Saturday, November 16, 2002
NENE?
If it had not been for my liking crossword puzzles, I might never have come to know what a “nene” is. Oh, there's and outside chance I might have gone to Hawaii for a few weeks, but that has not happened in the past four-score-and-six years, or I could have chanced upon it while reading travel folders.
The nene is the state bird of Hawaii.
It looks like a Canadian Goose many seem to think except when they start listing ways in which they differ the analogy gets lost. The Nene is smaller than the Canadian cousin, measuring from 21-to-26 inches in length compared to the Canuck version checking in up to 46-inches long. The people who give birds Latin-looking, letterery names tell us they may have been the same at one time long ago, but evolution has made some very real modifications. Oddly enough, there is absolute equality in male and female nene since they both sport about the same feathery covering, largely black and with white stripes across the wings. They have feet which are only partly webbed and with more toe and claw allowed for firm gripping on rocky lava floe surfaces in the areas in which they thrive.
The species was almost extinct in 1940 largely because of imported dogs, cats and mongoose predators which feed on nene eggs and young.. Some estimates have said that there was about 25,000 of the birds in Hawaii when Captain James Cook visited in Hawaii several times during the 1761-76 era. But, in 1940 , biologists had trouble finding forty of them to be placed under special, nurturing care on the island of Kaua'i.
Mother Nature showed science a better way when the area was a hit by a hurricane in 1982. The storm destroyed the nene cages and set the growing flock free. They took to the wilds and have prospered ever since on their own. Escaping to feed of the lush flatland grasses in mongoose-free territory these birds did so well biologists soon exported some of them to other areas and that, too, has been successful. Today, in addition to he wild flocks, There are now about a thousand nene in zoos around the world.
One of the largest groups is in Slimbridge, England and a few birds from that closed operation escaped and took up residence in the waters of old London's St. James Park, next to Buckingham Place. They, too, have done very well. Ordinarily, genetic problems and disease do not permit much distribution of the nene in foreign climes. They have remained, by and large, natives of Hawaii.
The voice of the nene is heard throughout the islands, but it is usually soft and restrained. It resembles the sounds made by geese usually interpreted as a “honk”which is resonant, yet less strident. Some seem to say ”ha-wah” a well, and many chatter in conversational sounds when communicating with each other. They fly and swim very little.
The breeding season of the nene runs November through March, and they build a round, bowl-like nest lined with soft down feathers. The nest is usually placed in the most concealed spot to be found. Typically, two to five eggs are found in each nene nest. Estimates place wild nene flocks at around eight hundred and growing steadily with each breeding season.
It may well be that Hawaiians will, in time, find themselves knee deep in nene.
A.L.M. November 15, 2002. [c578wds]
Friday, November 15, 2002
REDO I-81
We've been talking about updating I-81 for months and there is still a cloud of doubts and indecision.
It is obvious that Interstate 81 has become hazardous to those who use it because of increased traffic. Something must be undertaken promptly and, up to this moment, we seem to have been discussing expensive “make do”, “get by” and “Band-Aid” changes which will be obsolete before they are completed.
Six months ago, in these pages, we suggested that it might be time for us to share our problems with others. The suggestion offers a way whereby much of the traffic now being handled by I-81 could be siphoned off pretty much as I-81 has done with I-95 for years. The plan would prove to be less costly that proposed modifications widening exiting I-81 to add extra lanes; and it would bring other advantages to much of Virginia as well.
Basically the plan calls for at totally new north-south interstate highway east of the Blue Ridge mountains from a point in the Raleigh-Durham,N.C. area to Danville in Va., Lynchburg, Charlottesville and, then into the Frostburg, Md. vicinity avoiding highly compacted northern Virginia/DC.
Legislators and citizens of the districts involved should be beating the drums loudly for such a major interstate thorough their areas, and the sooner they start the better.
All the proposed “fixes”for I-81 are meeting with opposition and understandably so, especially the obvious plight of trucking firms being asked to pay tolls if they use the “new” or “modified” highway. It is time to check comparative costs, advantages and disadvantages while I-81 proposals are “on the shelf”. Objections are largely because of public outcry against the apparent foolishness of many of the costly proposals for temporary modifications, at best.
It is, no doubt, also probably accurate to point out that any plan is without permanence. At that point it will be time for citizens state house persons west of the Appalachians to talk up a Greenbriar Valley interstate. It might start in Tennessee, move through the Greenbriar Valley to Elkins and then into Pennsylvania. The interstate situation is no longer a Shenandoah Valley matter; not just a problem Virginia alone must face. It is an Atlantic states dilemma and should be treated as such. The same people should be considering ways of establishing distribution centers of commerce closer to existing marketing centers to make much of the excessive traffic unnecessary. We can control the flow if we really choose to do so.
Talk with your concerned political leader; talk to owners of trucking firms about this possibility. The need for a new Piedmont Interstate highway is urgent. It will be costly, but far less so in both money and human lives, than to continued patching-up, mending and the seemingly endless suggested repairs on I-81 to meet traffic needs it was never designed to handle.
A.L.M. Nov . 15, 2002 [c485wds]
Thursday, November 14, 2002
A THRU G
The names Arafat and Gore have been noticeably lacking in the news of late.
It used to be that we could depend on one or the other, and often both at the same time, to keep the news wires warm when real news was running low.
We hear that Yasher Arafat has been scheduled for export if Mr. N. gets named as Prime Minister in Israel and that would seem to be one way of getting rid of this gnat-like nuisance who has plagued Prime Ministers of Israel for some years. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to pack Arafat and his mini-burnoose headpiece collection off somewhere - possibly to Paris to join his wife and daughter - if an when he become the next Prime Minister. I found it to be surprising to find that the present P.M. Ariel Sharon has opposed such an idea and objected to such treatment of Arafat. It may be that Arafat-Head of The Palestinian Liberation Organization has more positive things going for him than we know about. While often cast in the role of a political clown, he may be far easier to get along with than whomever might rise to the surface of the constantly fermenting pool of potential Arabic leadership.
There might be some wisdom in that stand, too. I think so many Americans seem to think of Arafat as oft-times welcome sort of comic-relief personality in today's problems. His Houdini-like escapes from entrapment over the years have been almost farcical at times including his two recent total isolations at his desk with tanks at the ready awaiting he word – but the command never came and Arafat goes on-and-on like some batteries are said to do. If he should be set aside I, for one, would miss him in the news, I'm sure, as I have for he past six weeks or so.
Not a word from either Albert or Tipper Gore following the recent election. I fully expected some: “See! I-told-you-so!” comments when the new voting machines starting acting up a bit in parts of Florida. It seemed a good time to do some re-runs of the one-time Florida flap, but not a word did I hear. So, I asked around.
The Gores are traveling, I understand, at the present time, doing autograph signings to push the sale of their new books. Both Gores have new books on the market. I have forgotten which one wrote a book on the importance of family life and which one wrote one on raising children, but they are both new authors now. They have been quoted as saying they “suddenly found themselves with nothing to do” – so they dashed off a pair of books. They are doing a book-signing tour of major cities.
It just doesn't seem right that people should just drop out of the news like that, does it?
A.L.M. November 15, 2002 [c473wds]
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
SADDAM
We know him well enough to call him by his first name.
But, the tone in which his name is being said these days, at least here in America, is anything but friendly.
We called Hitler “Adolph” and there was Kaiser “Bill” before that. Along the way we have mentioned others in such a folksy manner as well, but it has been said in ridicule and in some cases complete names have been difficult to pronounce or squeeze into limited headline space.
When a subject or person becomes “a laughing matter” with people here in the United Stated it is often a good indication they are “done for”...”kaput” or “finished.” Humor can be, and has been used as a weapon in politics and warfare for much longer than we might think. It has been used successfully to point up the basic weaknesses of the subjects being pillared and to caricature them in terms everyone understands at his or her own level.When we refer to Amin as “Edie” or Castro as “Fidel” we are reducing them from man-sized problems to kid-sized tormentors.
Thomas Nast is generally credited with introducing the fine art of political cartoons to the world of print, by verbal lampooning has been in practical use ever since man first learned to point his finger at someone else and laugh.
When we choose to speak of individuals in this manner we are showing we do not accept them as mature men and women. We do the same to artists of various kinds – actors, actresses, writers, and others - we don't quite accept them as being what they pretend to be, or think they are, other than haughty and egocentric as a rule.
Ridicule can ruin.
A secondary phase is already underway in regard to Saddam. When this step starts critics begin to append descriptive titles and sub-titles and the meaning becomes more intense. How often , just in recent weeks, have you heard of “Saddam, the Thief of Bagdad” or “Saddam. the Beast of...”, or “the killer of Bagdad!” How about “Saddam – the Butcher of Bagdad?”
There is one thing, however, that is not funny at all about this tendency of Americans to see humor in such situations!
We must be sure we are not trying to cover unpreparedness and not being ready to best such enemies or that by laughing at anything bad we can drive it way! Ask any professional comics. They will tell you: “Being funny is serious business.”
A.L.M. November 13, 2002 [c426wds]
Tuesday, November 12, 2002
MUMBO JUMBO
She was not witch. Let's set that silly Salemism aside and resolve to avoid any references to the occult as we go along.
When I was nine or ten years of age, I had a rather noticeable wart on the back of my right hand. It was right on that muscle at the base of the thumb which old folks use to stretch out by raising the thumb itself to form natural snuff holder. The powdered tobacco was sifted into the hollowed-out cup , then raised to the nostrils for inhaling. Anyway, I had a hard wart on my snuff box strap.
A young negro girl who helped my mother with housework noticed it when we were seated at the kitchen table having lunch one day.“Nipper,” she said, having picked up the nickname from my Granddaddy 's most recent visit, ”would you like to get rid of that ugly thing?”
I said I would.
”I can take it away for You, if you believe I can?”
I must have looked at her in a puzzled way. “It won't work, if'n you don't believe it will. I know the magic words. My Grandmammy told them to be afore she died. They's secret words. Ain't many people admits they know them, but I do. I kin take that ole wart of your'n off if you just believe I kin! Hit won't hurt a bit, either.....”
The way she left the invitation dangling the air like that, demanded a positive answer. “Yes”, I said, “ I believe you can do it.” She seemed so straight forward and honesty about it all that I really believed she could. I turned to my mother who was seated there with us listening. I think I must have been seeking parental reassurance as I felt myself stepping to the unknown. “”Mom, Ada, here, says she can take my wart off. Can I let her do it?” She agreed. “Get rid of that thing. I hate to see you chewing on it like you do, anyway!”
I was about to protest that accusation, but I knew it to be true. Ada broke the silence of the moment when she asked Mom if she had a small onion handy. Our onions were kept in a net sack hanging inside the pantry, so I was sent to get on.
Ada took it in her hand; deftly skinned the light covering and the pungent smell of raw onion became noticeable. “Now, do 'zackly what I tell you,” she admonished, when I, at her urging, placed my hand on the table on the table in front of her. She began rubbing the wart with half of the onion as she squeezed juice from it. “Jus' you keep a'thinkin' out loud: “Ada kin take my wart away. She kin do it. Ada can make my wart go away. She kin do it...I know she kin.. i know she can....”
That continued for a minute or more, then Ada stopped rubbing and sat still. We all did so. Absolute silence for moment. Then she handed me the fresh half of the onion from the table after touching it lightly to the crushed portion on the table. “Eat it! Now!”
I did so and tears welled into my eyes.
She put the squeezed portion of the onion it my hand and ordered me to go out and bury it in yard. I was to kick a hole in the sod with the heel of my shoe and not to use anything to dig with.
When I returned Ada and Mom were busy doing dishes.
Without looking at me Ada said. “ When that onion rots away out there yo' wart will follow it.”
How ? Who cares! No scar. Not the slightest indication of any wart to this day!
A.L.M November 11, 2002 [c645wds]
Monday, November 11, 2002
CHANGERS
Don't think, for even a moment, that you are totally free from others about you!
Far too many among us get such an idea, it seems. Then, some come to believe they are some one set apart from all others. They are also confident that the reason for their having been selected is because they are in possession of stellar qualities of character for which others have only striven.
Ambition, of course, and Hope for betterment are good guide lines to keep in mind, but to think that we have attained a measure of excellence over and above that of others around us is an illusion which can prove to be costly to the individual who deceives himself or herself in that manner.
How many much-needed reformations have either been delayed or caused to fail because of excess fervor by someone among those working to bring about the desired change?
In our time we see “protesters” who engage in conduct ranging to the very edge of anarchy supposed to bring about what they call “Peace.”... Chaos to create order, wry actions, pointless pontifications and even cheap trickery. They will expend time, money and effort to bring about lawless climes to engender lawfulness to effect changes which will work to their ultimate disadvantage by alienating the very people of attainment, substance, ability and real holdings who can help support and sustain the ideal portions of their ideas ...their true concepts.
Reformers who use the easy method of getting others to march up and down the street bearing placards and shouting inane slogans, purposely disturbing the well-being of all, hindering the normal flow of traffic and calling forth the worst and most bestial instincts of man's past eons of depravity, do us all a great dis-service.
Such a stance leads to mob action, to recklessness and abandonment of decency and of fair play. What is the great merit of such plans of action ? Wherein lies the wisdom of opposing one's own stated ideals? Far better to seek the steadier platform of legislative halls, or even the venue of the soap box disclaimer in a public area.
True reform, I feel, suffers great loss today because of adverse affects of such tantrum tactics.
Vital energies are consumed needlessly as such attempts are made to dramatize need. Genuine need is apparent to any thinking, observing citizen and it is past time for reformers and protesters to align themselves with humanity instead upon standing in opposition - pathetically alone.
Reformers and Protesters too often leave out the main ingredient in their recipes seeking change. They must learn to stir in generous quantities of The People.
A.L.M. November 11, 2002 [c450 wds]
Sunday, November 10, 2002
YES. IT'S TRUE!
I find to be a fact that a number of you do not accept the assertion that the tallest building in the world is not located in the United States.
I am especially thankful for the fact that so many of you refrained from writing to me saying I was in error when I mentioned that fact recently.
Does it hurt so much not to be “first” in everything?
I can understand some such feeling because here has been some controversy associated with this matter of measuring buildings...short or tall. We abide by rules in such matters and while it might seem better if the rules all were fashioned to agree with the way we want it done,. Then, there's no reason for measuring tapes.
Such regulations are established by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The rule is that spires count but antennae do not. Even though they do not, as a rule, contain floors or rooms, spires do count officially. Remember when ocean liners were competing to see which could be the longest. They did it by extended the bow far ahead or by adding a few feet the aft deck area. Both, if necessary.
The Petronas Towers, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia were completed in 1998 at a cost of around $l. 6 billion. They stand 1,834 feet above the ground and there are eight-eight stories. The two towers are joined together at the 42nd floor by a “flexible” skybridge. The building are of concrete and steel and facing materials are aluminum and stainless steel. If you saw a Sean Connery film called “Entrapment” you realize that, seen from above, the floor plan forms an eight-pointed star said to have been inspired by traditional Malaynese and Islamic patterns..
Chicago's Sears Tower is 33 feet short of the l,487 feet set by the Petronas Towers. To keep the argument going, the top floor, occupied in the Sears building is actually 200 feet higher than the top floor of the Petronas Towers and the antennae stretch even higher. If you ignore the rule that towers count but antennae do not, you can keep the discussion going for some time.
Regardless of who wins, the Petronas Towers are a marvel of construction using almost thirty-seven thousand tons of steel and fitted with thirty-two thousand windows. The window material was made by DuPont and that was how I became aware of the fact that the towers were being built, from reading about DuPont's part in the venture in a company publication. For some reason, we have not encouraged our media to mention the existence of Malaysia's Petronas Towers.
The highest man-made structure in the world is The National Tower, in Toronto, Canada. That is good to know in case the Towers argument lags a bit and needs a fresh angle or shift of emphasis to give you time to get off the hook on the tallest building question.
A.L.M. November 9, 2002 [c495wds]
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