HOLD OUT

I fear, I am woefully behind the times, in as much as I remain among those few people who have not read any of Harry Potter books.

Certainly, judging from the recent accounts detailing the purchase of such tremendous numbers of the latest book in the series, I hav had opportunity to do so.

Some people deride them by saying: “They're kid's books!” We can all name a score or more of other such writings for “older youth” which have been successfully marketed to people of all ages. I'll get my chance to delve into the cavernous realms of wizardry yet- just give me time.

One thing we should all notice in this success is that young people can read and will do so if acceptable material is placed before them. We have been told and re-told that we have raised a generation of young people who cannot read; have no desire to do. it is good we are being proved so wrong.

It seems that British authoress J.W. Rawlings has touched - not a new nerve b utton to bring about this frenzy of reding by so many young people. The writing is not all that unusual or “mod”, and that too, is a positive factor concerning the books. It seems that the same old things which urged us to read as youngsters, still exist and can be re-kindled by a right kind of writing.

Rawlings' Potter Project - she still has two books planned to complete the set - may prove to be the catalyst which casue sone improvements in our writing styles which have been rather dismal and unsteady in recent decades.

Opening day sales were somewhere in the neighborhood of a million copies which is most unusual for any book. The prices ranged from $16.97 to over $30.00 per copy, depending on where you bought your copy and that adds up to a healthy entry in anyone's check book.

It is obvious by now that the magic worked by Harry Potter and his friends and associates has been in areas involving all of us and literature in general. I do not know what surprising acts of wizardy Rawlings has planned which will power her next two volumes ,but she has already worked an important change in the way we think about our young people, and their reading.

Rawlings is not alone in this phase of a revival of compelling literature for young people. Here in the United States a series of books being written by West Virginia author Mary Rodd Furbee under the collective designation “The Founding Mothers Series” is first-rate reading for young people. Read her “Ann Bailey:Frontier Scout”, for a sampler. All are illustrated biographies of women of various areas and regions in various walks of life ...Mercy Warren, Phillis Wheatley, Anne Royal, Mary Draper Ingles and others. Mary Rodd Furbee's “Outrageous Women of Colonial America” is compelling reading for both young and old.

A.L.M. June 27, 2003 [c505wds]

 
WHY DO WE IGNORE OUR OWN?

He was widely honored and in the national news He has been described as one of the most creative engineers ever - a man who took out fifty-some patents before he died in 1927 all concerning the production of power and transmission of power. He had been called “the father of the aircraft radial engine”, and was a pioneer in flight along with Orville and Wilbur Wright, Langley, Curtiss, Berlloit, and others.

This exceptional man – Charles M. Manly - was born in Staunton, Virginia, April 24, 1876.

As far as I know, there is not one, single marker anywhere in “The Queen City” in memory of the man and his accomplishments on behalf of the nation and of the world. His was a short life - barely fifty one years - but in those years he packed a tremendous, amount of good, often dangerous work.

Charles M. Manly has been dead for seventy-six years and it is past time we remembered him ...honored him. I thought one of the newly Industrial Parks might well have been named after him. That would, it seemed to me, be a place to start honoring the memory of this native son who did so much to give us the travel and communications capabilities we know and accept so casually today.

Manly studied Mechanical Engineering at both Furman and Cornell Universities and after his academic years he faced many historic hurdles which faced our nation.

It was Manly who was at the controls each time the Langley airships were “launched.” On one such “flight” attempt he came very near to being trapped and drowned in the wreckage of the shattered plane which fell to pieces in the Potomac River.

Aviation today owes Charles M Manly a debt which can never be fully repaid for his inventiveness and improvements on his original radial engine which has successfully powered so many flights world-wide for a century or more

I appreciate the memorials we have honoring President Woodrow Wilson, Stonewall Jackson's mapmaker Jed Hotchkiss' home on East Beverley Street, and , in modern times, the Statler Brothers Quartet - a prime entertainment group.

It seems improper that we do not, in any way, mark Charles M. Manly as a native son of Staunton ,Virginia.

A.L.M. June 26. 2003 [c442wds]

 
ON THE ROAD

America's highways are not exactly the safest place to be.

In many areas we have an enviable system of roads and they have been improved steadily over the years at great expense to local,state and federal governments.

Highways age rather quickly, however. At their best they are, as a rule, more of less inadequate on the day they are completed, because the world around them changes sharply, in part do to their presence, and also because the politics of road-building can often be a tedious, drawn-out process. It is this aging process which makes them a constantly increasing danger to all they serve.

This past weekend we drove from mid-Virginia to mid-North Carolina in about four four hours of actual travel time. We were on Interstate routes almost all of the time. That would be I-81, I-77 and I-40

Having travel their predecessors many times, I think of each of them as being exceptionally good highways. They each carry larger numbers of cars and trucks than they were designed to serve, and they are remarkably safe and one travels them in comfort and some assurance of safety. comfort witht with court and assurance .

On our week end trip saw two accidents. One occurred on I-77 north of Statesville, North Carolina. A “Toyota” pick-up with extended cab and a black tarp covering the cargo bed, veered from the highway suddenly and turned over several times and came to a crumpled stop on the median strip. Only the driver was seriously injured. He was air-lifted by helicopter he to the hospital. hpitl .His neck was neck was b broken. His mother, in the passenger seat beside him and three people in the rear seat were all were taken by ambulance to area hospitals. They suffered only minor injuries. Reports have it that the driver attempted to avoid striking a van ahead which was changing lanes;. He is thought to have over adjusted and the car wheels dug into the edge of the road and the vehicle flipped.

The other accident involved at least two motorcycles. We had found biker to be out in great numbers because it was the first sunny weekend we have e experienced months. We passed many such groups time and again, and rarely riding in side-by-side twosomes, but that must have been what caused two of them to touch and become a tangled mass in the grassy slope of I-77 near Fancy Gap, Virginia. I have not found any media reports on that crash so it may not have been as severe as it appeared to have been. We were part of the miles-long jam in back of it all and we were urged by the site quickly once we worked our way up to it.

The whole trip for us was, I'd say, a safe one. Drivers of both cars and trucks, I think, stayed reasonably close to set speed limits – seventy m.p.h. on I-77...for about a 75 average forward thrust for traffic in general. Considering the traffic, handled it is remarkable safe system.
.
State police were evident in both states throughout the entire trip. That, beyond any doubt, is a strong deterrent to excessive speeds and careless driving. Theirs is no easy task. The highways are being used heavily; they are crowded and some are operating well beyond the intended capacity.

I-81 is in the process of being updated temporarily by the addition or more lanes. That will help for a only a few years after the project is completed. An additional north-south intestate is going to be urgently needed rather than such make-do adjustments.

A.L.M. June 25, 2003 [c649wds]

 
AIR SHIPS

My father used the term “air ships”. I found my first Father-In Law also called any contraption that flew through the air - by whatever means and for whatever purpose - was called a “ship” - and “air ship.”

When we were younger, the usage seemed to us to be a mis-use and it could prove to be embarrassing when they spoke of “airships” in the presence of younger people who realize they were talking about airplanes.

In time, I finally, came to understand why they spoke as they did.

The emergence of the motor-powered cart or wagon to become the automobile was something they could adapt to , but the world of flight was thrust upon them much more quickly when the Wright brothers did their thing down on the sands of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and after such pioneers as Langley and his test-test pilot and engine designer Charles Manley had tried and failed, as had other individuals around the world. They made what they called “flying machines”. That, in fact was much more realistic term than our present habit of calling them calling them by numbers of usage - “747's or “bla-bla-blahs” depending on the purpose to which they are applied.

The turn-of-the-century generation in goth 1900's were,of course, aware of the balloons the Montgolfer boys had sent into the air over France. During our Civil War we made us more observant and air-minded enough to realize how important balloons could be to the military world. We put up enough such observation balloons to learn ,at last, two things ...we could actually see and trace the location and movements of enemy troops from afar, and we also realized for the every first time, that weather conditions traveled. Ben Franklin puzzled about a sever storm hitting Charleston, South Carolina; then Richmond, Philadelphia, and Boston. The balloon changed our weather observance ideas drastically. Up to that time,storms were thought of as being locally originated and finalized.

It was natural that those who accepted balloons in the air could come to appreciate the emergence of blimps, zeppelins and dirigibles during and after World War I.. They were as large as ships; they plied the heavens in impressive grandeur. Calling the dirigibles ships of the air ....”air ships”, was logically and apt. The term took root in common expression and endured even after the dirigible ceased to be an acceptable means of air transport with the fiery crash of the German trans-Atlantic craft Hindenburg"” at Lakehurst, NJ,. That disaster put a stop to the development of even grander versions of such ships.

The term now means any winged craft, as well. Our modern planes have now achieved such tremendous size and passenger capacities that they can, more logically, be equated with the concept of being “ships” of the sky.

So, my Dad and my Father-in-Law were right ... in a delayed sense. They were simply ahead of their time.

A.L.M. June 23, 2003 [c578ds]

 
LOOSE MOOSE

I'm told that the wild moose, if fed by visitors, will, in time, turn on them when they show up and fail to bring food.

How like people and politicians?

“Look at the moose!”

` Few of us actually have the experience of seeing a live moose emerge from the forest cover into a green pasture. We may see deer on occasion here in Virginia, but I have yet to see a moose on the loose. They are big and, I should think, most impressive to those who do see them. A moose in motion is memorable, I would imagine.

I bring the subject up or two reasons. One; I have heard talk about attempts to re-establish both the moose and elk in Virginia's National Forest areas. Ten years ago there was such talk about bringing in the coyote and rural residents in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina now speak of the need to kill coyotes to protect their sheep and hunting dogs.

My second reason concerns all of us. It is about the forthcoming national elections - already in progress with politicians hitting the primary trails in record numbers. I watched a baker's dozen or so such candidates the other afternoon on C-SPAN as they each recited a series of promises to voters who support them. This group happened to be all Democrats, but the Republicans and others, such as the Greens and Libs, will be out there pitching packages of prosperity and plenty for potential patrons as well.

They were an impressive lot in some ways, I must say, and all but two or three of them are well-known.

But, what you might be wondering, has all of that to do with the moose I mentioned. Just this. A person who knows much about moose tells me that if you a moose out in the wild, he will accept your offering again and again, but if you happen to come into his presence without gifts of food for him, said moose may well attack you!

It would seem to me that those politicians who are filling the air with wild promises of what they are going to do for all of humanity when elected had best turn to the lesson to be learned from observing the tendency of the loose moose - the uncommitted voter - to get, one way or another, what he thinks you have for him. If you slack off on enticements and favors, you must be ready to run for cover.

Back off a bit. Stay real. Not all of those voting critters out there are bunny rabbits.

A.L.M. June 23, 2003 [c429wds]

 
LOOSE MOOSE

I'm told that the wild moose, if fed by visitors, will, in time, turn on them when they show up and fail to bring food.

How like people and politicians?

“Look at the moose!”

` Few of us actually have the experience of seeing a live moose emerge from the forest cover into a green pasture. We may see deer on occasion here in Virginia, but I have yet to see a moose on the loose. They are big and, I should think, most impressive to those who do see them. A moose in motion is memorable, I would imagine.

I bring the subject up or two reasons. One; I have heard talk about attempts to re-establish both the moose and elk in Virginia's National Forest areas. Ten years ago there was such talk about bringing in the coyote and rural residents in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina now speak of the need to kill coyotes to protect their sheep and hunting dogs.

My second reason concerns all of us. It is about the forthcoming national elections - already in progress with politicians hitting the primary trails in record numbers. I watched a baker's dozen or so such candidates the other afternoon on C-SPAN as they each recited a series of promises to voters who support them. This group happened to be all Democrats, but the Republicans and others, such as the Greens and Libs, will be out there pitching packages of prosperity and plenty for potential patrons as well.

They were an impressive lot in some ways, I must say, and all but two or three of them are well-known.

But, what you might be wondering, has all of that to do with the moose I mentioned. Just this. A person who knows much about moose tells me that if you a moose out in the wild, he will accept your offering again and again, but if you happen to come into his presence without gifts of food for him, said moose may well attack you!

It would seem to me that those politicians who are filling the air with wild promises of what they are going to do for all of humanity when elected had best turn to the lesson to be learned from observing the tendency of the loose moose - the uncommitted voter - to get, one way or another, what he thinks you have for him. If you slack off on enticements and favors, you must be ready to run for cover.

Back off a bit. Stay real. Not all of those voting critters out there are bunny rabbits.

A.L.M. June 23, 2003 [c429wds]

 
LOOSE MOOSE

I'm told that the wild moose, if fed by visitors, will, in time, turn on them when they show up and fail to bring food.

How like people and politicians?

“Look at the moose!”

` Few of us actually have the experience of seeing a live moose emerge from the forest cover into a green pasture. We may see deer on occasion here in Virginia, but I have yet to see a moose on the loose. They are big and, I should think, most impressive to those who do see them. A moose in motion is memorable, I would imagine.

I bring the subject up or two reasons. One; I have heard talk about attempts to re-establish both the moose and elk in Virginia's National Forest areas. Ten years ago there was such talk about bringing in the coyote and rural residents in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina now speak of the need to kill coyotes to protect their sheep and hunting dogs.

My second reason concerns all of us. It is about the forthcoming national elections - already in progress with politicians hitting the primary trails in record numbers. I watched a baker's dozen or so such candidates the other afternoon on C-SPAN as they each recited a series of promises to voters who support them. This group happened to be all Democrats, but the Republicans and others, such as the Greens and Libs, will be out there pitching packages of prosperity and plenty for potential patrons as well.

They were an impressive lot in some ways, I must say, and all but two or three of them are well-known.

But, what you might be wondering, has all of that to do with the moose I mentioned. Just this. A person who knows much about moose tells me that if you a moose out in the wild, he will accept your offering again and again, but if you happen to come into his presence without gifts of food for him, said moose may well attack you!

It would seem to me that those politicians who are filling the air with wild promises of what they are going to do for all of humanity when elected had best turn to the lesson to be learned from observing the tendency of the loose moose - the uncommitted voter - to get, one way or another, what he thinks you have for him. If you slack off on enticements and favors, you must be ready to run for cover.

Back off a bit. Stay real. Not all of those voting critters out there are bunny rabbits.

A.L.M. June 23, 2003 [c429wds]

 
LOOSE MOOSE

I'm told that the wild moose, if fed by visitors, will, in time, turn on them when they show up and fail to bring food.

How like people and politicians?

“Look at the moose!”

` Few of us actually have the experience of seeing a live moose emerge from the forest cover into a green pasture. We may see deer on occasion here in Virginia, but I have yet to see a moose on the loose. They are big and, I should think, most impressive to those who do see them. A moose in motion is memorable, I would imagine.

I bring the subject up or two reasons. One; I have heard talk about attempts to re-establish both the moose and elk in Virginia's National Forest areas. Ten years ago there was such talk about bringing in the coyote and rural residents in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina now speak of the need to kill coyotes to protect their sheep and hunting dogs.

My second reason concerns all of us. It is about the forthcoming national elections - already in progress with politicians hitting the primary trails in record numbers. I watched a baker's dozen or so such candidates the other afternoon on C-SPAN as they each recited a series of promises to voters who support them. This group happened to be all Democrats, but the Republicans and others, such as the Greens and Libs, will be out there pitching packages of prosperity and plenty for potential patrons as well.

They were an impressive lot in some ways, I must say, and all but two or three of them are well-known.

But, what you might be wondering, has all of that to do with the moose I mentioned. Just this. A person who knows much about moose tells me that if you a moose out in the wild, he will accept your offering again and again, but if you happen to come into his presence without gifts of food for him, said moose may well attack you!

It would seem to me that those politicians who are filling the air with wild promises of what they are going to do for all of humanity when elected had best turn to the lesson to be learned from observing the tendency of the loose moose - the uncommitted voter - to get, one way or another, what he thinks you have for him. If you slack off on enticements and favors, you must be ready to run for cover.

Back off a bit. Stay real. Not all of those voting critters out there are bunny rabbits.

A.L.M. June 23, 2003 [c429wds]

 
LOOSE MOOSE

I'm told that the wild moose, if fed by visitors, will, in time, turn on them when they show up and fail to bring food.

How like people and politicians?

“Look at the moose!”

` Few of us actually have the experience of seeing a live moose emerge from the forest cover into a green pasture. We may see deer on occasion here in Virginia, but I have yet to see a moose on the loose. They are big and, I should think, most impressive to those who do see them. A moose in motion is memorable, I would imagine.

I bring the subject up or two reasons. One; I have heard talk about attempts to re-establish both the moose and elk in Virginia's National Forest areas. Ten years ago there was such talk about bringing in the coyote and rural residents in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina now speak of the need to kill coyotes to protect their sheep and hunting dogs.

My second reason concerns all of us. It is about the forthcoming national elections - already in progress with politicians hitting the primary trails in record numbers. I watched a baker's dozen or so such candidates the other afternoon on C-SPAN as they each recited a series of promises to voters who support them. This group happened to be all Democrats, but the Republicans and others, such as the Greens and Libs, will be out there pitching packages of prosperity and plenty for potential patrons as well.

They were an impressive lot in some ways, I must say, and all but two or three of them are well-known.

But, what you might be wondering, has all of that to do with the moose I mentioned. Just this. A person who knows much about moose tells me that if you a moose out in the wild, he will accept your offering again and again, but if you happen to come into his presence without gifts of food for him, said moose may well attack you!

It would seem to me that those politicians who are filling the air with wild promises of what they are going to do for all of humanity when elected had best turn to the lesson to be learned from observing the tendency of the loose moose - the uncommitted voter - to get, one way or another, what he thinks you have for him. If you slack off on enticements and favors, you must be ready to run for cover.

Back off a bit. Stay real. Not all of those voting critters out there are bunny rabbits.

A.L.M. June 23, 2003 [c429wds]

 
ED CHANGES

Education has changed radically.

But, not enough to suit everyone, it seems.

When I went to school we went, primarily, to seek fulfillment of our thirst for knowledge. Oh, yes, that feeling was there and genuine one for most of us. Our parents, very much aware of their own limited schooling experiences, stressed the need to learn and we saw it as a way to better our lot as adults. We were, for the most part eager students, admittedly some more than others.

The system itself must have been harsher in those days. Any boy or girl who did not attend, or who fell behind in schoolwork, were simply dropped. Laws compelling children to attend school were lax or poorly enforced. And, too, there were parents who saw schooling as colossal waste of both time and money. Children entered the job market at an earlier age, and some did well at it.

The intent of schooling in those days was to set facts and figures before a child and for them to absorb all they could from such a wealth of provender. Various methods were developed to encourage them to drink of the fount of knowledge, or to force them to do so. Some did, some did not, and at the end of the school year the lower achievers were weeded out. There was no social promotion in those days. Do the work, or repeat the grade. If you don't like that arrangement. Goodbye.

The general idea was for a person seeking to be educated to absorb as much of the factual content available as he might possibly hold, and to parrot much of it back at test times. The human mind was packed with information.

Eduction today is structured in a totally different way. The change has been brought about by the arrival of the computer in our daily lives. Education now, during this present era, has a totally different objective. No longer is a student expected to know all there is to know about a subject. Mankind's supply of knowledge - now said to double in volume every ninety days - has become so prodigious, so fantastically complex and involved, that no human mind can possibly contain it all.

We no longer educate youth to know things, but, rather, to know where to find that fact, figure or process they need to know as the need arises for it to be essential to their lives.

Just in time, too.

Some old timers will scoff at the idea, of course, but I think we will see a crop of better educated young people in the future with this plan in place. The “college” student now has time for social pursuits and other elements of living to achieve and ever-widening range of goals in life.

Education has been simplified. Knowing where to find that which our need to know what you need is the guiding element.

It is rapidly re-defining who can be rightfully be said to be said to be “educated”. Existing school systems are having difficulty keeping up with the many subtle changes now in progress at all levels.

A.L.M. June 23, 2003 [c523wds]

 


AFRICA TOMORROW

The discovery of skull fragments in Ethiopia recently underlines old claims that what we know as civilization may well have originated in Africa.
There is a growing fund of information which seems to prove the contention that what we call our history, did, indeed, have its roots in Africa.

The potential of the area is termendous. The history of one nation after another looks back on better days and there is evidence of a strong talent for advancement if there can ever be a lull in warfare and strife long enough for a government to grow and to attain power to curb such sucicidal actions as are now so evident. The halcyon days of ancient lore can have a strong influence on the power and glory of re-established states now in this 21st Century. That which once existed, can have a valid counterpart today once the will of the people is contained and directed toward such a goal, but the promise of such a change is not very evident at this moment in Time.

There is much bickering about how to go about it all, and the all to frequent cop-out tactic is to blame it all on "colonialism". That only sets the black-white thorn more deeply in the flesh that needs nourishment not added torture. Many balcks seem to feel better, momentarily, by placing the supposed blame of everything bad that takes place at the feet of failed Empires. This does very little toward solving the basic problems which exist among millions of men, women and children. It only makes things worse since it deal with things past rather than things present.

Of all the African states, South Africa, Egypt and Morocco, seem to be the only ones who even attempt to better themsleves. Nigeria held such a hope for decades but failed dismally in an attempt to come into modern times. Lybia has advanced to an imitation dictatorship but is stuck there in a swamp its own making. Sierra Leone is among the recenty ones to suffer severe internecine strife. Liberia - that great experiament by a western nation to revitalize the Dark Continent - with infusions of western concepts of democracy and people-power, has fallen apart.

Ethiopia and Eritrea are at it again and that is nothing new. I have often wondered why more western-educated Africans have not returned to their homeland as "leaders" - not politicans , necessarily - but innovators working on all aspects of living to help revive a sense of self-respect and unity among their people. Those few who attempt to do so, are, I fear, often handicapped beyond our understanding, by tribal differences in their native land. One of the basic things which has to take place in Africa is to overcome this clannishness, this pettiness "families" seem to think is the only way to survive.

As long as Nigerians hate each other violently, for example,who can even talk to them about unity much less convince them of their need for change and modification of their petty demands one upon the other.

In many of these areas, famine sets the stage for foreign intervention and involvement. Gigantic relief programs are in order, blended with sincere efforts at encouragment to enchance self-esteem among these needy millions.

A.L.M. June 23, 2003 [c531wds]

 
MUCH TRAVELED GEORGE

George Washington never slept here.

I can make that distinction with some degree of assurance that it is correct because the community from which I am writing simply did not exist until after George Washington's time.

He moved about quite a bit as a young man. He did some surveying work for Lord Fairfax in western Virginia and is said to have stopped repeatedly at a site just a few miles north of here. One-time Royal Governor of Virginia Alexander Spotswood led a strange mixture of Virginian gentlemen to be known as ”The Knights of the Golden Horseshoe” across the hen forbidding Blue Ridge Mountains into the Shenandoah Valley. They crossed at a point not far form today's west-slope town of Elkton. It was a good -time jaunt, rather than a serious discovery expedition. They came across th mountains, partied a while in the Valley are and went back to Eastern Virginia and to its relative comforts. The Royal Governor had a medals struck marking the occasion which was a small golden horseshoe presented to each participant.

Actually exactly where young Washington may have stayed during his early visit as to the Valley is uncertain. There is large brick home at the Crossroads itself, but George is said to have stayed at a smaller place east of there on the Spotswood Trail. He is also reported to have stayed at the estate still called “Smithland” north of Harrisonburg on the Valley Pike Tradition holds he made several such stays in his surveying work for Lord Fairfax.

The only time in his travel when George ever left the Colonies was when he accompanied his brother Lawrence on a sunny vacation stay in the Barbados. George was nineteen at the time. Such a warm, dry climate was thought to be helpful for Lawrence as a tuberculosis patient, so they wintered there in 1751-2752. Lawrence was not cured of his malady and died shortly after returning. In time George, as President of the United States, made it a political point to visit each and every one of the original thirteen colonies which became states. He had, as Commander in Chief of our armed forces, seen a good many of the areas before. For that time the number of locations claiming “Washington Slept Here” multiplied rapidly.

Another thing about George. He did not go around throwing silver dollars across rivers in spite of that kind of story. The truth behind that tale seems to have come from the memoirs of a grandson of Martha Washington, who , speaking of either the Delaware or the Potomac Rivers, said that George threw a piece of slate “about the size of a silver dollar” all the way across the river. Or, others say, it might even have been the Rappahannock River at the site of the Washington's birthplace which is about two hundred fifty yards across.

It is natural that we have collected all manner of trivia concerning the boyhood years ands time of growth to Manhood of our nation's founder and First President . He never live in the city named after him, nor did he get to reside in the White House – the only president not to live there.

A L.M. June 22, 2003 [c568wds]

 
REUNIONS

I find reunions of many kinds, including family get-togethers, to be beneficial in many ways.

Right now, when so much depends on bettering relationships among the many branches of those groups who constitute the Middle East families, we could all use some practical advice concerning merely getting along with each other.

This past week end we attended such a family reunion in North Carolina I wondered often, during the sessions, how such sentiments of mutual understanding and acceptance of realities can be translated into the international families. It is not easy. Few see it as being a quick victory.

The Reunion we attended Friday, Saturday and Sunday was held this year in the tri-town area of Newton, Conover and Hickory, North Carolina. Hickory, the largest of the three, is really a small city and Newton and Con over a steadily progressing. They have existed for some time back-to-back. Yet there is unity in many ways. They have e some disagreements, of course, but the family feel is always there and it is the solidifying factor in their mutual well-being.

I married into this particular reunion twenty-four years ago. This week- end we were the “Herman Family Reunion” to motels, restaurants, filling stations and other business locations in all three communities, and we felt welcomed, too.

Nationally the Herman family is quite large, of course. Our is a small wing of those who came from Germany and found their way to the Carolina colonies. Largely Germanic they were also of related Lutheran religious tenets. Those two qualities enter into just about every reunion there is - strong elements of element of unity in origin and basic beliefs they hold to be true and binding – both religious and secular religious and secular.

As with families of all types today, we are no longer tied to The Carolinas. Our “most distant” attendee year was. again Michelle Rogers who lives and works in Fairbanks, Alaska. The second largest portion of the group drives in from various sections of Virginia. There is no organized program as such but the whole group is made aware of good an bad news which has visited the lives of members during the year. Attention is paid to those members who were unable, for one reason or another, to attend ...a couple from Armada,.Co., a family from Murfreesboro, TN, another from Ocean City, Md other from Dearborn ,MI. The names names vary all over the spectrum now, too . ..Arndt, Beard, Campbell, Carr, Conn, Coleman, Dale, Fulk, Howe, Hovis and Crawford ...fifteen groups of actual Hermans, plus many others and I have, probably made a mistake listing some, knowing I would have to leave some out.

But, the Herman Reunion is always a happy one. There is no place for bickering over minor points. Organize your family to observe and annual reunion. Keep it informal and real. There is no better way for us to prepare ourselves as citizens to improve national family understandings world wide.

A.L.M. June 21, 2003 [c538wds]

 
MY REAR VIEW MIRROR
February 19.1936


Everything, of course was radio, news reels and newspapers when I wrote a page or so for this file in 1936.

"I have always enjoyed listening to the varied opinions and sometimes strange interpolations of the various radio new commentators. Enjoyment and education can be combined in those fifteen minute sessions, and the best among them for me is Lowell Thomas. Others I listen to quite regularly are Boake Carter and H.V. Kaltenborne. For sports related news Ted Husing is the one I like best and when it comes to globe-trotting and adventure Floyd Gibbons is the leader beyond any doubt. He might turn up anywhere on the dial from anywhere in the world and it wouldn't be a surprise.”

“I prefer Lowell Thomas to the Philadelphia newscaster. I think, because his style of delivery is less editorial and critical. is less editorial and critical. Thomas fulfills the concept of being a news reporter for me. He does not try to tell me what he thinks it might mean. He is opposed to using color when black and white will give the picture accurately. I, still, however, respect the opinions Carter voices before I make up my own mind about how the news affect me.”

At this point in the 1936 essay, having outlined the general feeling concerning my two favorites favorites, I wondered what it took to become a good radio reporter, news reader, or commentator.I used them as guides ,examples for study for study and possible emulation.

“What type of training and experiences led to their successful careers? Lowell Thomas, to me , is a writer, lecturer, and foreign correspondent who, for many years, traveled to develop a wide view of the the world as it actually is. He can see national policies of many nations and relate it all to our lives confidently and with accuracy. Mr. Carter also, has a newspaper background. I find his experience was in the court room and the police environment. His associations led him to be aware of things which might be be wrong in our society rather than what is right with the world. Carter, to me, is a home country speaker speaker and news person , while Thomas seems to incorporate a view with those of the entire world.”

Each was worthy of hearing and heeding.

So, since 1936 things have changed quite a bit on the radio scene. Radio is entirely different It has had its “fifteen minutes” of fame and is now on the wane in many ways. Some would say: “gone.” The radio voice is less influential than it used to be. Local announcers do the “chore” of news when necessary - maybe for three or four minutes on-the-hour - depending on what the competition might be running a that time.

Today for our Thomas and Carter sound-likes we turn to TV and we pick and choose our favorite by a whole set of new criteria.

A.L.M. June 19, 2003 from MS- DT107, Feb 11,1936 [c517wds]

 
DIFFERENT PATHS

We should all be thankful for the changes we experience in life.

No punishment can be worse, in my mind, than solitary confinement where one must be with himself alone at all times with no changes whatsoever. What punishment could possibly be worse?

Make it a point to vary the phases of your life when you can do so and it will prove to be one of the most rewarding things you can do.

It is so very easy for us to get into a rut and live the same old routines day after day, until nothing is challenging to us; nothing is fresh or growing and it is all something we have long since lost interest in maintaining.

Not only will you see your own pathway in a different and brighter place, but those around you will be led by your example and the entire way of life will improve for everyone with whom you come in contact - both new and old friends and associates. And, you will make new friendships,as well.

Just about every day I hear someone complaining about the fact that the world is changing constantly and doing so too fast for any one to keep up with all the new trends. That's quite true. And, if we don't make some effort to ride along with a few of those changes we will, most certainly, be left far, far behind!

People, as well as machines, become obsolete if not used and improved along the way. A computer, for instance, now in use as a pretty much up-to-date unit, will be obsolete within three years. I have added more memory to this one recently in a rather futile attempt to keep up but it will be gone before I know it. It cannot take any more hard disk space,either, which fits it for the discard bins at any time now. The analogy is plain. We need to renovate and exercise our minds regularly or prepare to be set aside by society.

Why be a social drop-out? There is far too much at stake for any of us to let old age creep up on us without preparing for the downside days so that old age is a blessing and not a cross to be borne.

I get disturbed when I hear any person say they: "have nothing to do." That cannot be possible if they are alive at all and willing to share their lives with others! They can do that by being truly interested in what other people are doing, saying and reading. My trouble is that the hours of the day are never long enough for me to get all things done I want to do! And - I get equally upset when I hear myself or others express that rather smug view, as well.It has un unpleasant bragging overtone in it.That doesn't set me apart from others but it does allow me to realize at the end of each day that I have accomplished far more than if I had simply sat all day and stared at a television screen in thoughtless abandon.

Your path in life is varied.I think it is supposed to be that way. Learn to value every turn, stumble or tangent along the way.

A.L.M. June 18 2003 [c508wds]

 
DID YOU EVER!

Members of our family use several expressions which I find turn up on TV from time-to- time but I can't think of anyone else who uses them. One is: "Well, I never! And the other: "Did you ever! Both are said that way, too...with the "!" rather than "?"

I think they are "localisms" more than "Southern" by nature. They are used to express surprise or astonishment, at times, or simply a pert expression of questioning or doubt.

I wrote lyrics to a song based on both of them the other night. I jotted the words down the clip board which I keep on the night table beside my bed and , if I can figure out my notes, I'll dig the item out of the writing-to-do stack and try to work them up.

The sayings are: Number One - "Well, I never....!" (And the elipse is always there as if there might prove to be more to it if one could find words to express it. Perhaps it could be extended to say: ."...I never, in all my life, heard of such a thing!"

Number Two usually follows after the first one has been said, but not always. It is: "Well, did you ever!" It often follows close upon the first one - - - the "well" is sometimes dropped, as if the expression is a restatement, underlining or italizing of the original statement.

We might be watching a TV show, as we were doing the other evening when someone won a small fortune on "Do Your Want To Be a Millionaire?" When the amount was stated, someone in our family enthused: "Well, did you ever!" and restated it at once as "Well, I never!" The tone indicated happiness about the whole thing and was not , in the least, critical.

At the moment I can't recall what sort of twist I incorporated in the song lyrics, but I have a feeling it could become a family fun favorite. I seldom remember the tune to which such sleep songs were being sung, but this one was lively and moved right along which it suitable should, of course.

Each locality has its own little expressions, it seems. I have known people who could spot strangers and tell where they were from, simply by hearing em talk.

One of the enduring beauties of our language is that it accepts and makes use of subtle changes and localized grammar-isms.

What is your contribution?

A.L.M. June 17, 2003 [c423wds]

 
AND THE BEAT GOES ON.....
(Pop Quiz Appended)

Back in 1937 many of us were just beginning to be become aware of the active presence of a disturbing personality among the rather staid rulers of Europe. Year by year, often in semi-legal ways , an emerging individual achieved advantages for his German Socialist party certain treatments which gave him standing among politicians. By 1939, much of the world had come to believe it was too late to do much of anything about his steady rise to control and about his Nazi concepts and extremes. To many, it was a moment of realization that much of what we had cherished had been put at risk by our lack of interest in world wide political problems.

An interesting feature of the time for me, was a real-life “rags to riches” story in the old Horatio Alger manner, A poverty stricken, misfit of a boy changed into a national leader to make his fortune. It was not until years later, when we realized that a dictator was at odds with our thinking and threatening our land and the possessions of our friends. Only then did some people realize that their very way of life was endangered.

We now have - in 2003 - a total of about a dozen active dictators depending on what you think Saddam Hussein best be termed as being at the moment. Can we, by any form of logic, conclude that the potential problems we face from dictators - is, has or will - be ended with Saddam gone?

I don't know that anyone has studied the related circumstances of birth, location, and rise to power, of such people as Napoleon, Edie Amin, Bastista, Castro and other such dictatorships - large and small - to see if there is some standard colorations among them. By this time there must be scholars who have sifted and studied the ashes of portions of our civilization past to recognize dictatorships under construction. I should think there are some who have compiled lists . We see them seeded and reseeded inur in ou social garden.

Most of our current stock of dictators are aging individuals. Among the older one: Jong, 61. Fahd is 80, Abdullah,79, Shwe, 70, Nguerma, 60, Niyazub 62. Gadhafi at 60, Taylor at 55 and Lukashencko at 40 are the younger set among dictators.

Isn't that an odd list?

The average American citizen will not know them.

Self Test. If you are fairly well up on such topics you should be able to parrot off the name of the country in which each holds power. Try it.

If you know their first names - you may go to the head of the class. You'll like it there. Not crowded at all.

A.L.M. June 16, 2003 [c 487wds]

 
CORDLESS CARE

I wonder how many four-page instruction booklets concerning proper care of cordless phones go unread.

Most new phones have such a booklet with them, often in variety of languages , but I've never actually seen anyone reading one. Everybody, young and old alike, seems to feel they know all about telephones and that the peregrine phase of phonic development is not all that different from all the others in eras gone by in which they have been using and misusing it since Alex G. Bell devised it years ago. “Nuthin' to it! Anybody kin use a cordless phone!”

Simple information contained in these folders will tell you things you already claim to know, such as a warning not to use them during a severe thunderstorm. There is a slight chance you may be fried by a lighting strike.

Do not use a cordless phone anywhere there might be a gas leak or presence. Don't install a base near such an area. Don't not use your cell phone if it becomes wet in a shower of rain, or a bathroom shower, near water, or when you are wet even though the phone is dry. This includes bathroom and kitchen sprayer attachment, a wet basement, next to a swimming pool, bathtub ,or laundry tub. Do not use liquid foams or sprays for cleaning. If the cell phone becomes in contact with any such liquids jels or semi-solids, it should be cleaned and throughly dried.

Other warnings tell you to avoid opening your cell phone to see “why it ain't workin' right”. Doing so could expose you, or others, to high frequency and other such risks.

Each advance in communications method brings its own little list of potential ill effects - new problems along with the advantages. The cordless phone is one of them, and the cell phone, in its more exotic forms, is not the world's safest form of communication either.

I cringe inwardly when I see people pumping gas with a dozen others filling and spilling gasoline all around them, their phones in constant use inches from the nozzle. Some of them and be closer to heaven than they think they want to be some day.


A.L.M.. June 15, 2003 [c357wds]

 
PLANS

The importance of wise planning is not being emphasized enough. I don't do it with any degree of consistency myself, and I find that few of those about me do so, either.

Much that we do each day as we go about our living seems to be decided by forces outside of our control. Time, for instance, the relative ease with which a particular thing can be done, the weather outside or the humidity inside ...that sort of thing.

At night, I have found myself, when I am unable to get back to sleep to be able to get drowsy by "planning" precisely what I intend to do the next morning. It can, you see, strike us as deadly and dull.

It can become routine,too, and not exactly inspiring. The things I plan are usually physical in nature -such as working a specific area of the garden or of the yard. Very seldom do conditions allow me to get the actual work done the next day, but it, in itself, is good "therapy", I suppose. It does tell me, deep down, that I have to admit I could do so much better in so many things if I did, indeed, plan ahead and work toward specific goals. I awaken with a sense of having accomplished some planning in my mind, but it very seldom carries over into practical physical change.

When it does, however, the results are excellent. If, by chance, I do recall my plans during the night, I actually get specific work done because of it. I keep a small clipboard with paper and pencil at my bedside and jot down reminders of "things to do" for the next day. When I can read my notes, it helps. If I cannot decipher my night notes, however, all is lost.

We are all aware, I'm sure, of the wisdom of "taking time to smell the roses." Life should not be "all work and no play." For that very reason, I find that much of my "planning" is really "dreaming". It is good to dream because it is planning with potential; a promise of betterment in Tomorrow's activities and, in a way, we are, in doing so, setting up goals for attainment - however high or grand.

Much of my planning is, I think, based on my interpretation of a word-of-wisdom my Mother used to use with us in a effort to teach us basics of housekeeping. "Always leave every room just a little bit better than you found it.!" If every member of a family follows that simply, easy rule it cancels the need for "Spring Cleaning", for "Getting-Ready for Company"or "Here Comes The Preacher!"and a host of other such household emergencies solve themselves.

The handy maxim applies quite aptly to other aspects of our living, as well. If we use every hourly room so that it makes our lives better than they were when we started, we're making progress without even trying.

A.L.M. June 13, 2003 [c524wds]

 
CARRAGEEN

I 'm certain there are some people who will never eat anything they can't spell. That means they are missing out on their fair share of carrageen.

The above mentioned delicacy is, in case you might be wondering, a seaweed extract used in some foods and for other purposes as well. It is the “other purposes” usage which makes me shy away from using it in food preparation. It often has an "h" after the internal "g", since it gets its name from Carragheen, Waterford, Ireland.

The average American, a recent study is survey shows, consumes twenty-one and four tenths pounds of snack food each year. That intake is in addition to what we call “fast foods”, and critics attribute much of our problem with obesity to just such a steady in take of foods. You may not remember it, and Golden Arch food engineers would probably like to forget their efforts in 1992 to market a"91% fat free" dubbed the "McLean Deluxe". It was be the hamburger that even a health food far-outter would love. It didn't exactly"“bomb ou". It just didn't catch on, even with the weight-worried buyers once they found out they were eating what came to be called a" seaweed hamburger."

"What's in a name?" That's what, Willie. No go.

The other uses of carrageen an suggest why eaters may have shied away from such contrived foods. The ways in which it can be used are seemingly without end, and new ones are being added constantly. We can look forward, I think, for a strong return of the substance in both foods and everything from toothpaste to jellies, lotions, medicines, to protect exposed metal surfaces of machinery, to serve us as air fresheners and to meet various agricultural needs as well..

The redeeming quality of carrageenans is their unusual capability of jelling and the stabilization they offers in just about anything that is best used when changed from a liquid to a usable solid. The gels do not demand to demand refrigeration. The process merely stiffens the original material and makes it more adaptable to change which can influence its value. Fast food products make use of it, to bring us foods which taste better and which can be eaten with more pleasant reactions. Ice cream often uses this extract from red seaweed, and it makes breads and pasta dishes tastier. It also causes cleaning material to thicken up and be easier and more efficient to use. The contrasts become endless, when the need of emulsive action is considered to be important. We use materials to “thicken” juices and broths to make them into better tasting, more nutritious soups and stews; we add more of that sort of thing to flour to thicken or thin mixtures we wish to bake, we also rearrange qualities of various products to change them from liquids to gels so we can make better, more efficient use of their helpful qualities.

The carrageenans allow us to make such adaptations in our food products. They have not departed entirely and we will probably see a new version of a hamburger that will be 91% fat free and tasty just the same. We just have to get used to the idea of the complexity of simple seaweed

With our cars and trucks, some of us are just now beginning to find filling stations which stock B-2 fuel for use in regular engines. It is five percent soybeans. It cost several cents more per gallon than conventional gas because it has to be truck in form the mid-west, but many users insist it provides special lubrication advantages of motor plus lower pollution threats. Somewhere along the line, I'd be willing to bet, some product has been used which has been enhanced, thickened, suspended or emulsified by the use of the lowly purple-red seaweed essence.

A.L.M. June 13, 2003 [c626wds]

 
ON WHEELS.

Do you remember the very first time you tried to roller skate?

I don't, but I do recall that, when I did try to do so, I was, like everyone else I've talked with, afraid of falling.
I never had any childhood experience of ice skating, having been born in the South, where non-skaters were common. I had tried to walk on ice, of course, and that was enough to teach me how hard Mother Earth – or Water - could be, even from just a few feet above the surface.

The pages of skating history record the inventor of roller skates, one Joseph Merlin, a Belgian, is best remembered for doing a classic crash when he first tired to introduce roller skates to the world of social activities of his time. That would have been around 1760 in London, England. Merlin, no relationship at all, I'd say, to the Magician Merlin of King Arthur's Court, was, however, quite a showman, none the less. He decided that it would be good to put wheels on skates instead of blades.

He tried it and was successful, to a degree. In order to bring the invention to the eager eye of the public, he divided to dress himself up in the colorful costume of a Court Minstrel. He planned a spectacular entrance into the ballroom where a magnificent masquerade dance was in progress. Merlin also decided, in dressing up for his act, that he ought to do so to music and that was no problem. He was, by trade, a respected maker of quality violins, so , in the midst of the masquerade dance , a fleet-footed minstrel, playing the violin, came gliding onto the dance floor where the dancers were somewhat taken. Many stopped dance to watch the gliding appartition.

Merlin circled the floor, a romantic symbol of graceful art in motion, gliding skillfully along on his metal wheels where blades ought to have been, on a waxed, hardwood floor instead of an expanse of ice. Apparently, he caught a glimpse of himself in a huge crystal mirror, which ,with flowers and small tables, and shelves, constituted the main decoration for the dance area. That sight of himself was to be, well, his down fall. Merlin must have been so intensely impressed with the sight of a minstrel dressed in color array, playing expertly on a fine, hand-crafted violin, it seems, that he forgot to turn aside and crashed headlong in the mirror and totally demolished it, the fiddle and portions of himself!

So, however you fall whens skating today, you can't exell the performance of the originator of roller skates when he demonstrated how fall-able they could be.

Small wonder, isn't it, that “roller skating” did not catch on at that time – in the 1760's. We had to wait until the 1860s' before anyone tried it again, it seems. A veritable rollerskating craze swept furiously though the United States spread to England, then Europe where it remains a popular form of falling to this day.

A.L.M. June 11, 2003 [c530wds]

 
AWESOME!

One of the recent buzz words which started among the sub-teens has now spread to the teens and into other areas as well.

Those elements of our daily living which were thought to be set apart as something superior of special were, at one time, not too many years ago, all said to be "keen". They are currently considered to be: "awesome."

I first noticed it among ten or twelve year-olds, then the upper teens adopted it as standard and now I find it in the sports field and just about everywhere. The winner of the stock car races speaks of many things proving to be "awesome " about his crew and about his victory. It has become a stock answer for sports figures being "interviewed" and it has eliminated some of the "y'know" and some "ers" and" uhs", as well. "Awesome!" seems to be a sufficient , all-inclusive statement by such sports greats.


I'm hearing it in politics, as well. George W. Bush's tactics for raising funds for his election were called "awesome!", Donald Trump's maybe. No!-don't-think-so”- candidacy bore the same, one-size-fits-all label on the TV and radio news when people are asked what they think of it, as did Warren Beaty's hint of a run. They were all "awesome!"

The speed of our advances in the Iraq war, called for the generous use of the term on network news, that's when it was overused, perhaps.

I've been trying to remember what some other overused terms such as this have been in recent years. There was time, I recall where "hugh-mongous" was popular, but I don't recall, how it was spelled. Before that, 'way back, we spoke of things as being "peachy" or "peachy keen". That was in the 30's, perhaps, and it came back, in part, in the fifties and sixties as just "keen. When our daughters were in high school, everything commendable, I remember so well, was "keen" or "keeno!"

There were, certainly, many others along the way.

Another area of word kill is more general in that certain buzz words become standard in print and in advertising of all kinds. The one that is beginning to wear a bit thin right now is “lycopene” which is much desired. How about "antioxidants" which just about everything is said to be “free of” or “full of?” We have gone that round with "cholesterol", as well as a long stint with "chlorophyll." Ad agencies seem to cluster their productions around such terms as they become popular and try to play all angles as long as the word endures.

If you don't know what to say at any given time or place, and especially if you have no comment in mind ...just say, with confidence: "It's awesome! I think it is absolutely awesome!"

That'll have to do, until the next buzz word comes along.

A.L.M. June 11, 2003 [c526wds]

 
ELECTION DAY IN MONTEREY

The thriving mountain town of Monterey, Virginia has long had a tradition of voting entirely by write-in ballots on election day.

Since I am already writing this piece, I assume the practice is still in effect. The system has some interesting sidelights about it.

I sure there are very few places which follow this system of voting without the usual printed ballots.. I wonder which is the oldest of those who do so and how long it has been maintained.

There are nopolitical campaigns in the usual sense. No speeches. No campaign posters and banners splattered on every fence, tree or power pole. A bare minimum of election talk is forthcoming in most areas. All citizens are informed as much as they choose to be without such pressures being applied to change their opinions.

You simply enter the booth and set down the names you think best fitted for the offices designated. The names of the post to be filled is there but the area following us left blank. Occasionally, some one is elected who refuses to serve, but political loyalties run strong in such a community and that seldom happens.

The theory holds that the ones thought best are selected, but that ,too, varies from time to time. One individual. For instance, may excel as a leader and fall short as an administrator in the office. Few rebel against the system

One young lawyer, some years ago, decided he would buck the old-fashioned system. He campaigned furiously. He was elected but after a month or two on the job left town and has yet to return.

The Monterey voting system means extra work for the county Registrar,of course, counting the ballot. That official l has regularly petitioned them and others to consider doing away with the system,but. As ,as far as I know, as I know, they have e been unsuccessful. The system cannot be condemned as being old-fashioned. It didn't start until shortly after World War II. It is the “new” way of voting.

It may well have been supplanted recently. I don't know. The critical fault of the system is that without debate or discussion ....political brawling and bravado at the ballot box so Election Day is not what Election Day should be.

The write-in system, someone has said , results in “under kill”.

A.L.M. June 9. 2003 [c404wds]

 
CLEAN UP

Let me take this opportunity clean up some random notes which are cluttering my "to do" stack at this time.

I see one note that reminds me to do a page or so someday concerned with our current shortage of Tech workers. We don't have enough trained personnel to do the work that is available and we have imported about 150,000 from other areas to fill existing jobs. By “other areas” foreign locations are intended. Some leaders of the technical fields say we could use another 150,000 right now and they are urging Congress to set forth legislation permitting them to bring in that many addition foreign workers to fill jobs which are going begging. The alternative, they point out, is to actually ship the work itself overseas and do an offshore operation entirely eliminating such work areas here in the United States.

This process, it strikes me, is already well underway and will continue until our educational system is refurbished and brought to a point where we can educate our young people to do such work. At the present time we simply do not teach such skills. Those who do so learn it all on their own or in some industry related situations where business defrays the costs involved. More young people are learning to work in "on the job training"" situations than ever before, but this is a costly way for industry and commerce to handle it and to bear the burden which should not concern them - that of training young people to work.

Also, tying in closely with that note, is one which says that I should write something about the rising costs of a college education. Harvard is around $35,000 per year. Is it worth that much? I rather doubt it. Increases are noticed at all levels. You can see them all the way down to ,and including, our community colleges and trade schools.

I notice, too, that in some current resume forms allow very little if any attention to be paid to a listing college credits and degrees. More space is being devoted to practical experience the individual may have had along the lines required by the job being considered.

In another note I told myself to do piece about the importance of young boys and girls learning HTML. It is, I'm told, not all that difficult, and that if properly presented it could change the future livelihood prospect of hosts of high school boys and girls.

A basic amount of skill in handling "Hypertext machine language" could do a lot toward solving the first item I listed above - educating technical workers for today's job market. Young people must learn to actually use the computer for other than playing games and engaging in chat room relationships.

We need some radical changes in our schools. Basic changes are needed - not just cosmetic modifications. By this time our colleges should be churning out skill technical works of all types.

Who dropped the ball and how long ago? I don't think our "educators", so called, ever had possession of it to start with.

A.L.M. June 9, 2003 [c500wds]

 
DOWN TO THE SEA

Why, I wonder, do so many people continue to build and/or rebuild homes along seashores which are knowingly doomed to be dumped into the eroding sea? One third of our population now lines in coastal areas.
l
These are not make-do shanties, either. Some elegant homes are constantly being build along cliff sides which plainly show they cannot long endure the ravages of the surf and winds beating against them and their base. Everyone who builds such projects seems to think that sort of thing takes place elsewhere that it "can't happen here." They put great credence in talk about “five-hundred year floods" and other time-based disaster classifications. Even if they have just experienced a major flood or hurricane, they find it easy to convince themselves it will be a long time before such a thing happens again. Every such disaster turns up half a dozen people who claim this is the third or fourth time they have "lost everything", but they keep coming back.

The reason has to be financial, I'm sure . It is a matter of economics in the final analysis, I'm sure, but it works both ways. If a person has legal possession of a specific site - be it on the seacoast or in a known flood plain area in the mountains, he or she is going to find it difficult to simply it give it up or to sell it for a price which they deem to be far too low. Others, finding such property available, find the reduced price to be attractive and are willing to take a chance on the floods not coming again, at least, for any time soon. It's a gamble of sorts.

I have know places, however, which are located just ten or twelve feet above the water's edge who have lived in that same place for generations and have never been inundated by any serious flood waters. To some, just the potential danger involved is all the more reason to live there. It adds an element of adventure to everyday existence for many.

It would seem that insurance costs alone would be high enough to discourage such construction, but, on the whole, I dare say, such builders don't worry too much about insurance of any type. I have often wondered how local building codes can permit construction on land which is known to be prone to erosion and of literally sliding into the sea. This would indicate that the building codes are, often, political tools to be used for all sorts of purposes other than the safety of human lives.

California is one of the prime offenders in such building, both along the coast and inland on land which is unstable and subject to brush fire hazards,as well. As California grows to 50-million or more in population, it is going to get a great deal worse, too.

We point at them, and that makes us feel a bit better, as we go right on doing the same silly sort of thing here at home wherever that may be.

A.L.M. June 9, 2003 [c495wds]

 
GIVE OR TAKE

I have no idea who calculated it, but it is claimed that in order for one to read the books now in our Library of Congress one would have to have clear title to at least fourteen thousand years - give or take a few hundred years either way.

That's a lot of books and a great deal of reading and it, of course, could not be done anyway because the words contained in the new books coming in would always exceed those having been read.

Unless I have been mistaken all these years, I have an idea it is part of out system to require that two copies of everything published must be deposited with the Library of Congress., That would be, of course, every copyrighted item published, which cuts down on the volume somewhat, I would say.

Even then, the monumental pile of printed stuff which would be coming in would b enough to build a few Egyptian pyramids ,or a new wall of China every few months. Where, I wonder do we keep it all, or is Washington. D,C., considering the acquisition of additional lands in surrounding states. Or, it may be that a portion of the holdings are shared with regional libraries all over the nation. That may be part of plan to keep the nation balanced and thus prevent any capsizing into the Potomac Rive wetlands or into the already polluted Chesapeake Bay. When you consider the sheer amounts of copyright protected drivel this might involve you have to think in high figures only a good politician can use with any confidence. The redeeming thing in it all may be the wordage which said two copies were be “deposited with” the Library of Congress. But,does that mean they have to save them?

The published materials would be of all types, and not at all representative of the best our social heritage. What a record these gems might reveal! Earth explorers, centuries from now, might get a rather warped view of our civilization.

I've had trouble, just this past week, in realizing it has been fifty-nine years since D-Day of World War II. For me to even try to comprehend how much material has been written, printed, collated, bound and read in just those few years, is futile.

How much of it all is contained in electronic form, I wonder? Is such a copy considered legal? Certainly we much he beyond the concept of simply stacking copies of every magazine, book, music, recipe in the endless amalgam. Much better, I think on discs, in a fully conditioned area in a file somewhere. Even such a collection would become, in time, a killer for storage. To meet the coming need for extra room we must look to the Moon and Mars. Better get with it, there, NASA. We are going to need either the Moon, or Mars - or both. Better fix those new Mars kiddie cars to carry books and papers.

A.L.M. June 7, 2003 [c540wds]

 
TOOTH PASTE

I am , at age eighty-seven, finding out what the term "tooth paste" really means.

It is not, definitely not, what most of us think it has always been. Instead of the flavorful mixture which is intended to clean, polish and, perhaps "nourish" teeth and gums, when used properly on a long handled, mouth-sized brush , it is, rather, a substance designed to hold dentures in place - a sort of glue, an adhesive paste.

That's where the reality term ”paste” comes into the picture in a serious fashion. Some have a "breath sweetener" added and one actually claims to have a hint of mint. Most are a sticky substance which is not intended to taste good or to nourish or sustain.

Once you start using them, it is a totally different world. It calls for a period of transition, too, getting used to the "feel" of having the substance in your month. It is not a favorite with taste buds and none t think, makes any claims of dietary benefits.
.
In my time of toothlessness, I have learned a great deal about such materials. It quickly became a matter of experiment, I found. By trial and error we come to know which seems to work best for us - for a time, at least. Methods of application are the critical point, I think.

I tried one powdered preparation given to me by the dentist who removed my last tooth. Results were, to me, sub-standard. I don't feel my trial was a fair one entirely because the sample container did not have a narrow outlet to allow only a small, thin line of powder sift into the dentures. When I had devised a narrow outlet for the powder, it worked much better. The manufacturer's carton sifted the powder out like a salt-shaker. As a result, I got the powder all over the denture rather than in the proper cavity and ended up with sticky lips, jaws and fingers. Packaging is one thing, then , which should be considered seriously.

I have tired three paste types and one fabric insert type and have not yet found any one which is always trustworthy. Only on rare occasions does any one of them live up to the glowing accounts on the TV and print commercials. There are times, however,when they have exceeded such claims. There is still reason, however, for whomever is responsible for "tooth in advertising" to look into that particular phase of advertising.

I assumed, and, I think most novices do the same sort of thing, that the idea was to coat the gum surface with a generous layer of the "paste" worked down into the denture form which is to be in direct contact with the gums. The tendency is, then, to press it down, or up, and wait for it to "firm up." I soon found that this path way has several wrong turns in it: too much goo is bad, too much pressing is bad, as well. The stuff will ooze out around your teeth. It can even tend to glue your gum to your cheek. Once that happens, you had best rinse your mouth well with hot water and start all over again.

I found all of these substances to work well to a degree. They seemed to do so much better at one time than another, but that, I found, has a lot of do with the exact procedure of installation. You can't hurry this operation. It will pay to take you time and do each step deliberately and sure or you will be doing it all again very shortly.

I'm still learning the hard way. And, don't get the idea that this is mainly for old folks. You will get your chance to check it out and to learn what to eat and drink and when.

One thing, for sure, is the realization that if I had spend the same amount of time in caring for my real teeth, I would not be eating with ersatz choppers today!

A.L.M. June 6, 2003 [c619wds]

 
HERO WORSHIP

It is plain to see, during these early days of the month of June 2003, that the American public retains generous portions of hero worship in its general makeup.

In the news of this week we have experienced several events which illustrate that point. I think it to be important that we examine our thinking along such lines to be sure we maintain this attitude of respect and appreciation for those we admire or dislike or, simply “put up with” because they are here and, in a sense, one of us. It is, I feel, a good trait to preserve and nurture.

Three stories have been headlined in the past few days. One deals with the mis-adventures of Martha Stewart, business tycoon and TV personality. Another finds Sammy Sosa holding the shattered remains of an illegal bat on the baseball diamond and the other remarks on the publication this coming Monday of a new book – a much expected one - supposedly by Hillary Clinton detailing here feeling during the Monica Lewinsky scandal in which her husband Bill, our President, was so crudely involved.

Any one of these offenses against society, which, after all, is our definition of “crime” would seems to be sufficient grounds for condemnation of an individual in contrast to our former acceptance of their conduct. But, such is not the case in any of these three cases

The Sosa baseball story, no doubt, was the one which took the most people by surprise. The other two were in the making for months. Sammy Sosa was idolized by million for his sensational home run accomplishments; for his ability to bat the ball out of the park - and almost, it seemed at times, to order. He broke existing records and set new ones, stirred no ideas that he might be using devious methods of doing such wonderful things. All that changed with one, odd-sounding whack!

He is being suspended. Fans are, however, still holding up large posters saying: “We still love Sosa!” For the most part there is a strong body of sympathy for the player, including standing ovations, rather than harsh criticism While admitting that he may well have done wrong the excuse he created as he ran around the field, that he had simply picked up the wrong bat by “mistake”one used for batting practice only. His stock of over sixty bats is being x-rayed today to see if any contain unusual internal materials..

I joined that group, in a sense, when I agreed with comments made yesterday that I hoped the officials do not go all-out to ruin Sammy Sosa as they Pete Rose. I have read that the suggested punishment is suspension for ten games and a fine of $25,000. Most fans feel that, such a fine and some punishment is logical, but that anything in excess of that would be vindictive and cruel. The hero worship aura is still there for many Sosa fans.

The same may be said to be true in the Stewart fiasco. We were better prepared for this to happen .Nine indictments were handed out which means the trials will drag out for months, even years. Martha Stewart has a tremendous following in her TV roles and even though she had a reputation in the business world as being stern, uncompromising and assertive, often to extremes, her troubles do not come as a big surprise to most admirers. She was already thought of as being crafty, elusive and innovative. Her admirers are pleased that she has denied all charge and will fight it through the nation's courts!

Hillary Clinton and her new book centered around the Monica Lewinsky scandal,has the same sort of appeal and will gather sympathy and a feeling of warm commonality among her supporters. Some say the book is a starting point for her run for President next year or in '08. it is one way to answering campaign question well before the campaign gets started; one more way of unifying a following for an Oval Office run.

The elements of Hero Worship are hard to kill. They are also inexplicable at time, as well ...such as the many cases in which men on Death Row for killing their wives or sweethearts, get offers of marriage and gifts of money from women all over the nation.

A.L.M. June 5, 2003 [c721wds)

 

STRIVING

What about the general attitude concerning lifestyle which we seem to be so intent on maintaining? We have set up standards by which we judge if we are living proper and normal lives.

Even as we do so, I think, we accept the idea that a “normal” life is and of little interest and certainly not worthwhile.

Being "healthy" is , to some extent, feeling good about ones self. How we feel about ourselves is not often critical, but it can be costly if we have an unmerited opinion of our own worth. It can be overdone and used as a crutch to hold up a body which is all but dead in one sense of the word.

Pretending we are someone whom we do not even try to be, is a mistake and results in personal troubles for us and for others about us as well.

It is a common place hazard for many of us. There are people who constantly dwell on feeling sorry for themselves and they compile larger and longer lists of things that seem to be wrong and adjust the rest of their lives - and yours - to fit that pattern they have contrived. Physical illness seems to be a favorite and conditions and circumstances are beyond classification. Some dwell on exotic, tropical maladies while others harken back to the olden days and re-take things their grandmothers are supposed to have had.

Actual pain and suffering become real to these people and they do, indeed, suffer marked discomfort, especially as they either "treat" the condition from which they suffer or refuse to do so. Some demand the attention of every doctor in sight while others decry the low standards of today's medical profession and go their own herbal way.

The problem seems, to me, to have worsened in recent years, too. or, it may be that I am at that age when one thinks more about dying. I have heard to expressions concerning thinking well recently: "I plan to live forever. So far - so good!" ...and the other had something to do with the word "immortality" but the twist on it escapes me for the moment. Another one: "Each morning when I wake up, I read the obituaries and if my name isn't in them - I get dressed."

Striving to live longer takes a sense of humor, I suppose. George Burns tried it, and Bob Hope is right in there trying. That's stance - that attitude, is I think, an important part of living. Excesses or all types are best avoided, I'm sure and healthy exercise routines must be used on a regular basis. Pain - real or imaginary - leads to inactivity and that, in turn leads to sedentary habits and the physical side of the body wastes away in disuse. It is slow suicide and millions of people die because of it.

Far too many of us fall victim to our own laziness in this phase of our later years. Get with it. Find yourself a personal "matra" which symbolizes what you want to be, then strive to fill in the details which make it a true picture of who our really are.

Typical of it all, I am absolutely positive as I sit here on my cushioned chair and touch keys which write all this down for me - even check the spelling - as I “work” in tiresome comfort and pontificate on the subject. Where are you, at this precise moment?

So often, you see it is not others who are doing or, not doing all of this sort of thing - it's us.


A.L.M. June 3, 2003 [c563wds]

 
DECEPTIONS

I am often amazed at the ways in which so many people prove to be so gullible and confused when they meet with deceptions. How can they - or, we – have been so dumb?

At the same time, I am aware that people may be looking at me and having identical thoughts about my actions, lack of them, decisions and choices. I suppose we are all likely candidates for being victims of con schemes ...especially self-induced ones. We can all be conned in a wide variety of ways, I'm sure.

A common area for such willingness to be scammed can been seen today in the medical and health products fields. Any figures you care to come up with will, in all likelihood, be away off base in estimating the amount of money spent on fake medications or diluted substances. Fraud and deceptions are running rampant in the medical field and just about all of us have fallen victim to them at one time or another ...unwittingly or knowingly under the guise of curiosity and adventurous experimentation.

It is not only the underprivileged and uneducated segments of our society who are victims of deception,either, but the well-educated and affluent are a prime target for deceptive practices as well skillfully graded to suit such needs as they might encounter. Less than legal business practices are, tempting to the newly rich, in particular. It's part of "Sudden Wealth Syndrome" which we are hearing about in this time of new millionaires being created faster than ever before.

Health fads fool more people than we might imagine. Many such schemes operate - some legally (more or less) - for many years and build large followings. Thousands of people are "taking" daily doses of so-called multiple vitamin products in pills and capsule form... all colors, all sizes and shapes, to suit the imagined need of men, women and children. The edge of the medical field is also home to far too many charlatans who practice pseudo-doctor careers at great profit - preying on the aged, inept and infirm.

Man's gambling instincts often rule our lives far more than we admit. The readiness to be conned is evident in just about every field of man's varied occupational interests. Not one is totally immune.

Deception leads to intolerance, too. Racial and ethnic differences are turned from molehills into mountains for monetary reasons and thousands of people "buy into" such tangential thinking, a great cost to all of us.

Few of us escape the common enemy of fraud. "Charity" campaigns often play on our gullible nature to forward other ends. We all need to re-examine our thinking along these lines from time-to-time ....especially concerning "self-deceptions."

A.L.M. June 3, 2003 [c460wds]

 
A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

You don't have to be too old to remember when women wore fur coats made with real, animal furs. That era departed rather swiftly when public opinion was swayed in favor of elimination of fur coats because of animal cruelty concerns.

We haven't stopped eating hamburger or chicken salad sandwiches yet, and there is no indication that we are about to give up our enjoyment of seafoods and other eatables which result in the death of creatures.

Nor, has leather been banned. It has been replaced by artificial materials which do as well at less cost, but the making of leather is not forbidden. Except for specialty markets, it is just not as profitable as it was at one time.

Thus far I haven't found a any favorite food products which come up to that taste like the realthjing.Try what they might soy shows.

It seems logical that the next item to go in to oblivion will be the diamond - that symbol of love and romance, that icon of the rich. It is fated to be discontinued as a result of cruelty to humans, oddly enough. The catalyst of this new campaign to forbid the use of diamonds, has gained new impetus from the war and strife in Sierra Leone, Africa, and other such areas. It has grown to such an extent that De Beers, the world's major diamond merchant, has started a PR campaign to improve it's public image.

The situation has existed before - in the Congo, in Angola and other hot spots, but never to the extent that came be in Sierra Leone. The rebel group there, called Revolutionary Union Federation (RUF) a small Muslim-oriented group of malcontents, captured the area in which diamond mining has long been the major occupation. That was in 1991 and since then the group has grown in number and in wealth from the sale of diamonds, smuggled through Liberia and other obliging neighbor nations, to the Antwerp Diamond market. The continuing war is financed by diamond mining in this manner.



The RUF has been particularly cruel in treatment of natives in the mining area. Amputation seems to be the prevailing mode of punishment for even the slightest opposition. Photos of young girls with stubs where hands used to be are becoming all too common.
Several important points must be considered when we think about outlawing diamonds.

First, diamonds have no intrinsic value. They are plentiful and value is maintained solely by market control tactics. Second, one company - De Beers, Antwerpt, Belgium, controls two-thirds of the world's diamond trade. Third, in Sierra Leone, in 1991, remember, the RUF group has become aggressively prominent in disruptive world affairs through their abuse of humans in regard to this traffic in gems. They have become "notoriously brutal" and have gone too far. A logical comparison migh tbe with the cocaine ooeratives in Colombia andtheinteractionof politicalandmilitry stgructgures.

Watch for such a change. Diamonds may well be "a girl's best friend" but there will be thlse who will insist that:“Diamonds must go!"

A.L.M. June 2, 2003 [c549wds]

 
INTENT TO TILL

Agriculture ..farming, that is ..,has lost it's sense of purpose with many young people, it seems.

Oh, the basic yearnings are still there to a degree, I suppose. A young lad sees things growing and feels an affinity with the Creator in a real, tangible way, and he would like for such feelings to remain, even to grow stronger. They are good feelings.

There is a bit of this yearning in most men, I'd say. It has something to do with survival and of being related to the Source.

We are all farmers at one time, watching things grow and feeling a responsibility to keep them doing so and to help them grow bigger, better, more rapidly and, then, often at that very point, something else enters with the idea that such growth and maturity must be profitable.

At that point the art becomes a job. It now entails work and worry. This is the point at which many lose interest in farming and think of other ways to earn profits easier. The temptations toward being a butcher, a baker or a candlestick-maker become practical lures - whatever seems to need doing that has more certain promise of profits.

No. That is a not "selfishness" or "greed", nor is it to be condemned. It is a natural system of selection which should be encouraged - not stopped. Farming today requires dedicated doers just as it always has. In true farming one is more closely associated with the basic "makings" of civilization. Other occupations, while essential in most cases, are one step removed from the creative process, in a sense, and are given more to frills and thrills along the way like icing on a cake that is already delicious and worthy within itself.

While farming is fundamental; other occupations seem to be add-ons, supplements, or "fixings."

Young folks no longer want to farm in the traditional sense. It has become something it never was before - something we call "big business". Any sensible youngster today, given a choice, is going to see farming as the organized costly and somewhat risky business it has become. Other types of work appear to be - and are in most cases - more profitable.

This change has taken place, too, in my lifetime, too. (1916 to now..- and holding.)

It is a whole, new world!
A.L.M. May 31, 2003 [w641wds]

 
RELEVANCY

So often what we want to do is judged by others to be irrelevant.

That takes some of the enjoyment out of living, I feel, and notice, if you will, please, that I said "living", because the day-to-day activities in which we are all engaged go to make up the totality of "life". It's all those little things woven into a particular, peculiar pattern which gives living a lasting quality and true meaning. If we don't enjoy it as we go along, much of it is a worthless accumulation of nothing, but what we had to do rather than things we anticipated and looked forward to doing.

"Take time," the old saying tells us. "to smell the roses." That's a good guideline to happiness I would say, but there are those among us who look at this simple act as being of silly and romantic - a waste of valuable time which could better be spent - well, planting more roses, for instance, without any conscious intent of enjoying what you are doing. The idea that "someone's gotta do it!" is not valid reason for taking on a task, I'd say. We should make it a point to be happy with what we are doing - even the fulfillment of those daily requirements forced upon us by circumstances - such as household chores and office routines.

If there ever was a man who, during his lifetime, was given a good look at the pattern of his life, Alfred Noble, the Swedish scientist and inventor. He opened up a newspaper one morning to read the obituary of his younger brother who had been killed in an explosion. To his amazement, he found he was reading his own obituary because the Editor had confused his biography with that of his younger brother. In his obituary notice Noble found he was acclaimed as "the merchant of death!" because he had invented dynamite.
No, it was not the New York “Times” in an earlier phase of their recent reporting irregularities.

Alfred Nobel set out to change that horrible memory because he had always been a person who took great joy and satisfaction in helping people. His experiments with explosives were done, primarily, to advance mankind's well-being. It was his "Dynamite" that made the digging of tunnels under the Alps possible, as well as score or more of other achievements. The fact that Man has misused the inventions he discovered to conduct war - which he had long hated and scorned - was not his fault.


Nobel, from that point on, made it one of the joys of his daily living to give his wealth to the advancement of mankind, not only in the Sciences and the Arts, but to world-wide Peace for all mankind. His real obituary, years later, spoke of him as the founder of the Noble Peace Prize. He was revered, too, as the man who found a way to make the use of highly volatile intro-glycerin safer for man (a material he called "Dynamite") to use in construction work as well as devising a score of more of related inventions which helped mankind in many ways. He went right on experimenting - often endangered but dedicated - because he was doing what he enjoyed doing , however irrelevant it must have seemed to many of his critics in his own day.

A.L.M. May 30, 2003 [c867wds]

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08/20/2006 - 08/27/2006
08/27/2006 - 09/03/2006
09/03/2006 - 09/10/2006
09/10/2006 - 09/17/2006
09/17/2006 - 09/24/2006
09/24/2006 - 10/01/2006
10/01/2006 - 10/08/2006
10/08/2006 - 10/15/2006
10/15/2006 - 10/22/2006
10/22/2006 - 10/29/2006
10/29/2006 - 11/05/2006
11/05/2006 - 11/12/2006
11/12/2006 - 11/19/2006
11/19/2006 - 11/26/2006
11/26/2006 - 12/03/2006
12/03/2006 - 12/10/2006
12/10/2006 - 12/17/2006
12/17/2006 - 12/24/2006
12/24/2006 - 12/31/2006
12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007
01/07/2007 - 01/14/2007
01/14/2007 - 01/21/2007
01/21/2007 - 01/28/2007
01/28/2007 - 02/04/2007
02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007
02/11/2007 - 02/18/2007
02/18/2007 - 02/25/2007
03/25/2007 - 04/01/2007
04/01/2007 - 04/08/2007
08/05/2007 - 08/12/2007
08/26/2007 - 09/02/2007
11/18/2007 - 11/25/2007
12/09/2007 - 12/16/2007
12/21/2008 - 12/28/2008
01/04/2009 - 01/11/2009
07/26/2009 - 08/02/2009