THE TIME IS NOT NOW

No two people ever seem to see any one thing in exactly the same way, do they?

There is a special reason for us to be aware of this simple, well-known maxim right now when we are engaged in a war which few, if any, of us really, truly understands.

Our President, and hence, our Command in Chief of military forces, has chosen, in his privileged wisdom, to withhold those elements of the recently unwrapped report of the events “September 9-11th”, those specific passages dealing with the participation of Saudi Arabia.

He has cited as his reason for withholding the details of Saudi participation the very sound reason that to do so, at this time, might compromise and even destroy our line of communications with those sources which have enabled us to learn what we have about September 9-11. This is no time to make any announcements concerning our sources and neither is it time for any of us to dredge up fanciful tales about what role the Saudis may have played. It will be best to wait until time when the actual facts, as now know,m may be set forth with jeopardize existing contingencies.

We do ourselves and our nation a disservice if we attempt to build a possible scenario made to fill in the blank for the time being. We are not aware of circumstances which compelled some people to do what they did under stress. We had best leave it to our chosen leaders to fulfill their obligations in seeking to clarify special questions and circumstances. Without the proper facts – best not to be revealed at this point – No two of us would see it in the same light, anyway.

I think most American feel that there was, indeed, something amiss in our relationships with Saudi Arabia in the past. We did not relate to dictator-ruled nations with ease. The association of the nineteen skyjackers in the September 9-11evens could not have been a condition which occurred by chance. There have been views on that point. We did not know the exact circumstances which brought about such actions and have held back on discussing possibilities. The subject has been placed “On hold.” Let's keep it that way for a while longer until such time as the entire matter can be discussed and every piece of the puzzle placed precisely where it belongs.

Until such a time come along when that can be done, we had best leave it in the capable hands of few who do now ...know what has gone on, what is - even now - taking place and who have a far better basis for understanding things which are likely to happen in our future.

Just hold the hand you have been dealt; play your holdings with special care,and hold them them close and wait for guidance from the dealer.


A.L.M. July 30, 2003 [c406wds]

 
ARE WE?

In recent weeks I have read three letters in “Letters To the Editor” sections of a variety of newspapers which declared us to be a nation which is noted for being selfish, greedy, pushy, mean-spirited, sexually obsessed , evil-minded and far too aggressive.

The writer's of all three letters appeared to be intelligent by educational standards generally accepted today. They were adept in the language and did not fall into any of the usual traps which often cause letter writers to fall short of their intended mark. They accused us of those qualities and two of them went so far as to explain why we have fallen to such a low level. They blamed it on our two major political parties - one each way.

Such letters demeaning our country are a blight upon our national pride and respect for our predecessors. The writers of such tracts seemingly to not realize they are acting out some of the very qualities they accuse the rest of us of having. To attempt to blame political parties for our alleged shortcoming is cowardice and selfishness. I think of patriotic drive and being
something more personal.

Do we plead “guilty” or “not guilty” to their charges?

Before anyone steps forward and does either, let's review some of the ground rules for such talk. It is best for all that the playing field be level and free of real or imaginary obstacles.

Yes, people do have “rights” as citizens which allow them to express their views in public. It is held that they are, as a result of any such statement or action, held accountable for what results from their charges, admission, confessions, mal-practice, or, suspected mis-alignment. It is also held that the opposition has an equal “right” of rebuttal. Far too often, letter writers, in particular, adopt a pontifical attitude which used to reject any other view.

A mere glance at all that the United States has historically done to assist other nations in time of special need, will suffice to show the initial claim of our being selfish is untrue. We are now, and have always been, a sharing nation. We, in our cosmopolitan nature, may well harbor individuals -even groups of people who exhibit distinct signs of greed, avarice, hatred, distrust and all the other questionable traits on might expect to find active in such a polyglot population. That does not mean that our official, governmental stance is so tainted.

Today - right now - many people scan the news reports for any trivial incident which might show how much people overseas hate and distrust Americans.

Those people who are compelled to write letters to editors, might find guidance in simple ethics of a religious nature. Our nation is not a casual thing to be clipped and modified and changed at everyones whim. To accuse it falsely is costly to all.

A.L.M. July 29, 2003 [c463wds]

 
HINDELOOPEN-WHAT!

I didn't realize what I was letting myself in for when a friend recommended that I do a piece about a specific dress style called a “Hindeloopen” skirt.

I gather that with a name like that,I decide it has to be Scandinavian or Germanic I would probably be as long as its name and just as complex with frills and ad-ons.

I had some trouble finding it. In some strange manner I had acquired the idea she had said “Hickenlooper”. After several tries to track it down, and then the always courteous hand of Goog;le.com came to my rescue with their consistently polite and flattering way of asking:.”Do you mean Hindeloopen?”

Of course, I did - and suddenly there it was – Hindeloopen - and far more of it than I had expected to find!

It did refer to a dress style, but that proved to be minor product. In in the 17th Century when you said the word “Hindeloopen” you were referring to some of the finest plain or ;elaborately decorated furniture ever made by Man, to a fantastic array of delicate porcelain with an Oriental flare of pure simplicity and charm, or o any of thousand of household gadgets and do-dads made of wood. Hindeloopen eels were a well-known gastronomic treat,too. Yes, the dresses were there, too....dance frocks, mostly, but they were copied from other Scandinavian styles.'

In those uncertain years when France and England shifted power by the seasons, declined as a seaport .The importation of porcelain disappeared, and the populace found they were to live by eel fishing alone. The Town Hall stills stands and is reasonably intact. It houses displays of furniture, costumes, birth and death records for the area, mementos the seas glorious years, and examples of many of the customs and traditions. It is a museum of a dead town today. The rest of the old town fell apart in 1932 were a part of Hindeloopen culture of more than three hundred years.

When the Zuider Zee ports took over trade with the completion of the eighty million dollar enclosing dam was completed, the towns - including Hindelooper - found themselves to be located on the banks of an inland, quiet, fresh-water lake. With no sea trade, houses fell into dis-repair, whole streets were torn down as remaining citizens looked across the water which no longer provided them with a good living. Exodus. It is noted that even the town physician packed up and left.

Progress had come to The Netherlands in 1932,but not to this port city... not to this historic town. Think about these things the next time you are talking about “progress” in our own time. What may be good for some can be costly for others. I forgot about the copied skirts and dresses. That seems petty when you see how Hindeloopen - one hundred miles northeast of Amsterdam - was stricken and died.

A.L.M. July 28, 2003 [c537wds]

 
TWO DRINKS

There used to be a small eating place on, I think, Church Avenue, in downtown Roanoke,Virginia. It might have been one location for a franchised, fast-food place of our day, but I can’t recall seeing them in other cities and towns.

We, as a family, during the late 1920’s and early ‘30’s, when in Roanoke, used to stop frequently at the place called the “White Tower”. It got the name from the fact that it was construction of large, three-foot squares of some type of white enamel-coated metal. The end facing the street continued upward to form a castle-like, square tower – hence the name. The practical purpose of the tower was to conceal the large fan assembly and exhaust pipes from the cooking areas below.

The front window had a large sign I remember so well. In plain old black and white generic type it proclaimed to passersby that they had:

“Buttermilk! Deep Enough to Swim a Horse!”

It may well have included a “five cents” price, as well, because that was the going rate for drinks in those days.

They had a parking area for perhaps six or eight cars, diagonally, and since the place was small and usually crowded, one of us boys usually went in with Dad to help carry the food out to our car.

They featured sandwiches of various kinds, hot dogs, hamburgers and barbecue treats. Their buttermilk offer, however, caught and held my attention.

They would probably be hailed into court at some level today to explain why they insisted on doing false advertising, because it is highly unlikely they had a horse handy..

Above all, I will always remember that sign in the window and the fine buttermilk!

We as family ate at the White Tower when in downtown Roanoke, and also at a place west of Roanoke just as we topped the , then, long, slow climb of the Christiansburg mountain on our way to Radford. Everyone, it seems, stopped at Charlie's because most cars and trucks were boiling and roiling when they made it to the top of the long pull up the rutted, dirt road from down in Rose Valley, Shawsville and Elliston. Charlie's ample driveway looked like a field of geysers at one of the national parks out west with so many cars and trucks spouting steam plumes

So often, I find it was not because the food was any better or less expensive at such places necessarily. It was the people who worked there who, by their friendly attitudes, I think, were a lure.. We felt that they were one with us in so many ways. We developed regular places ...usually happy, friendly people, such as the man who wore a white cowboy hat at the White Tower, or Charlie - overweight, always beaming and projecting good cheer as only a black man can. He owned and successfully operated that place for many years. Charlie had a fabulous memory , too. After just a few visits, he knew where we were from and used our names:“ Mr. Al,” and “Mr. Andy” and that impressed a pair of pre-teen boys no end.

Charlie did not have “buttermilk deep enough to swim a horse”, but he did, I remember, stock a semi-popular commercially bottled drink which never caught on, but which I liked ...a chocolate-flavored drink called “Mavis.” Anyone remember that one? Small, but good. I can't be the only person who is blessed with these little reminders of the good things and good times we shared long ago.

A.L.M. July 25, 2003 [c664wds]”

 
CRUNCH AT CRUSH

Who would deliberately plan and execute a train wreak?

At least one man has been known to have done so. His name - fittingly enough - was Crush - William George Crush, who was a passenger agent for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company in 1896.

The line was lovingly Katy” know by many people and :The Katy”, but Crush though the RR needed some publicity to get people to use it more. He organized a super-duper train wreak - a deliberate head-on collision of two trains each moving at about sixty miles per hour. He purposely planned for them to be on the same track and that meant they would meet at a velocity of about 120 miles per hour. Crush set the miles long outdoor stage for a classic crunch of complete trains - box cars, included, not just two wide-stacked engines.

Two thirty-five ton steam locomotives, each pulling a string of cars were to be collided head-on at great speed. Experts seemed to think it would be safe for spectators to watch the crash, from a distance, of course. The promoter then advertised that admission were available for the event, that it would be a family affair, too, with no drunks in sight, and with food and beverage stands conveniently located along the length of the two spectator lines -one on each side of the straight stretch of track. His printed advertising g tracts also promised : “Fresh Waco water - Free!.”

Photographs of the great train wreck are extant, and Scott Joplin whom many think was present as a on-looker, wrote a song about it called “The Great Crush Collision”

The publicity intent of the scheme seemed to be working. Excursion trains came from every corner of Texas and rates were never more than five dollars regardless of what part of the expansive Lone Star state thrill-seeking travelers might have called home. Thousands of people gathered in Waco and in adjacent areas. It is said some trains were full and many people had to ride in on top of the cars. Some accounts of the event claim fifty-thousand people were present at the moment the two trains collided, but the pictures of rather thin lines of spectator at the crash site suggest that many be an exalted figure.

The wreak came about but not exactly as planned. Contrary to what the experts had assured promoter Crush could not happen ...one of engine boilers exploded at the moment of contact. It covered the entire area in clouds of steam. It blew metal parts of the engines into the spectator area and two viewers were killed.

Within hours the railway company's cranes had cleaned up the larger debris and souvenir hunters took care of the rest. The temporary city of Crush, Texas, called the '”second largest city in Texas” for a time, dissolved before midnight and was no more. A marker was set up in 1977 to show where it might have been. Agent George Crush was promptly fired by the Railroad management. He was rehired the next day, however, and retired as an average citizen after fifty-eight years of service with “the Katy”.

If you plan any such attraction, be wary of “expert” advice.

A.L.M. July 26, 2003 [c574wds]

 
NIGHT NOTES.

I keep a small clip board fitted with half-sheets of used typing paper and one-sided junk mail pages, on which I jot notes to myself during the night. I collect them each morning and some become daily themes, while others go into a file which I raid from time to time to re-read, re-write or toss out. Here are some January 1, '01 nonsense jottings from my Night Pad....

“I have added on another pound.
I ate fish last night!Never fails.
I know it was the fish.
When weighing , I saw scales. A.L.M. Jan. 30 2001

“How do you tuna fish?
By adjusting its scales.” A.L.M many years ago
---
“I swim like a fish. I flounder around a lot”. A.L.M Jan 30 '01
-------
“Have you ever watched a flounder
A'swimmin' in the water?
He swims by flopping up and down!
Not the way he ougther.

I've never understood
How flounders swim at all.
Goin' up and down..okay,
But, standing up he'd fall!” A.L.M. from Note Pad night of Jan 30, '0l

“A bee may thrive within the hive
But die if left outside.
A boy or girl secure at home
may fail if far they roam”.

“Hive dwellers know know they're hid
From dangers of the World.
Children must be made aware
By older folks how much they care.”

Worker bees and the royal queen
Strive to make more honey'
and skimp and save at every turn
'cause bees call honey money.

It doesn't work that way with us
Our youths grow up. Depart.
Youth finds youth .They mate and breed
A family to start. A.L.M. from Night Time note pad some time in January '0l

I want to buy a purple cow
I hope you've one more.Done.
I want to put it on my shelf '
to really prove I've really seen one!. A.L.M...... some time in Jan '01

This may prove to be a place to put some of them rather than simply tossing them in the trash.. Note pads offer good exercise in writing forcing editing, pruning, re-doing and discarding.

A.L.M. July 25, 2003 (from January 31, 2001file] [c512ds]

 
HEAR ME NOW

We will get a good laugh fifty years from now, when we look back at some of the things we are doing today. Or, you will, rather, because I will be long gone by that time.

During the last few years of the old century we had phase of “CB-itis”, it might be called. It became suddenly fashionable for everyone to have “Citizen's Band Radio”, or two... one installed as a base station at home, and all others in every movable car, truck or other vehicle they possessed, leased or borrowed. It all came about, I seem to remember, as a result our being urged to be ready for war which didn't start until we were in the new century. If the threat of an invasion was not real enough, people felt they needed CB radios in their cars for “safety” reasons. One never knew when they might be stranded in a wreaked vehicle a hundred miles from anywhere. The CB put you in touch with what you thought might help you in your predicament.

The truck driving portion of our nation's population - then growing to be a goodly number - took to it CB's feverishly and served as a model of sorts for “regular” users. The special code-like language the truckers came to use supplanted English as our national language to a large degree for a time and number, and combinations of them, such as “10-4” became the basic element of our linguistic culture. Very shortly the CB language slithered into being risque, feisty, smutty and bisque. Then, dirty, profane, obscene and permanently tainted. This helped to kill the entire CB craze. The countless thousands of antennae mounted on cars and trucks disappeared but modern technology was ready with another, more private mode of transportable communication. From Europe came the cellular phone and no spot in the civilikzed portions of the world has escaped its grasp.
We became a nation of one armed drivers quickly and completely. One hand on the steering wheel is enough The less apparent danger was the loss of mental association of drivers much more concerned with their phone conversation than with any traffic danger. Finland lead the pack, I think,and we're still trying to catch up on th Europeans ownership of cell phones. Together with the E-mail facility offered by computers in our homes and offices “cell-phone-ism” has clobbered the First Class mail tonnage at the U.S Postal Service.

The tiny communication wonder - wireless and world-wide - at now mutating into becoming camera, VCR, TV and computer with e-mail.

And we thought the CB craze was big!

A.L.M. July 24, 2003 [c464wds]

 
ALL B' HOLDIN'

“We are all b'holden' to somebody!”

An old man told me that many years ago and I must admit I did not accept his view completely at that time. Over years, however, I have found it to be very true. We owe someone in our past a great debt for help they gave us.

This “man” I quote was not a learned man in the usual academic sense. He was, as he called himself “a colored man” - which was the accepted form in use at that time, when one made any reference to an Afro American.

His name was “Carrington”. It was never shortened to “Carrie” or anything like that. It was always a dignified Carrington and he was a dependable, solid person in every way. He played guitar with a small group from his section of our semi-segregated Virginia community.

Without actually saying so, we knew that Carrington thought of parents as being basic to what a child might become. We owe our good parents a debt we cannot repay save by fulfilling an identical role with our own children... modified, censured and improved as needed. We should remember, too that parents are not always perfect not will we be in our time.

We owe a great many other people.

“They ain't nobody really free!”

Carrington said that because he was aware of the debt we all owe to our school teachers, our pastors in our religious, life, our doctors - in fact, the hosts of butchers, bakers and candlestick makers!

That group has been augmented greatly in this computer connected era.

We should be aware of these obligation. We should not feel crush and unable to repay them. We can't do that, but we can pass our precious wealth along to others.

A.L.M. July 22, 2003 [c312wds]

 
PLASTIC TIRES

Am I too far out if I ask if acceptable automobile tires could be made with plastic materials?

I have asked that question before, and each time I do, I am greeted with scathing looks which seem to tell me my hearers think my Alzheimer's must be kicking in a bit early.

I still wonder, however, about th potential of plastic tires and I would like to know why it can't be done.

I realize such a tire might not be the perfect gem as far as riding comfort is concerned. Solid tires do not, generally, suggest soft-pillow like passage, and there is nothing that says such plastic tires would have to be solid in construction. It just seems the logical way to get started.

I remember when truck tires were solid. I recall seeing heavy U.S. Navy trucks - both electric and combustion-powered models - in parades in Norfolk,Virginia in post WW- I days. The heavy tires on big, spoked wheels were solid, but with two-inch holes cut through them about six inches apart to allow for some buoyancy.

I find plastic materials being used freely in toys including wheeled craft for kids. They could be done far more sturdily than these creations, but the process is well on its way.. When I see fence post and entire fences being made of just a bout indestructible messes of stuff such as used plastic shopping bags boiled down , I am more convinced than ever that the same sort of thing, made in proper doughnut-style circles would serve us well as tires.

Certainly such an industry would meet with acceptable by environmental control people - whatever happened to be in style at the moment. The snail darter would be safe; the pleated-plaid gobble worms secure!. We would also be cutting down on the national trash bag piles,as well. We could look forward to a time when used tires would simply be ground up and used again, rather than saved in horrendous accumulations which always seem to catch fire and burn for years polluting most of Earth with fumes of burning rubber.

Has any major firm be engaged in such a plastics venture? Has anyone done any real testing in the field? If, so why don't we hear about such research and study. It may be that it would be too much trouble to build it up and then turn it over to China. Let them come up with their own scheme for once!

Either the idea of making tires with plastics is so despicably stupid that it does not even merit discussion, or we are, purposely avoiding any development of new ways to build better tires - of even just passable economy types - for fear of upsetting someone's profit cart by doing so.

Now, who could that be?

A.L.M. July 22, 2003 [c491wds]

 
LET'S HEAR IT FOR HANS!.

It's late! Far too late!

A man by the name of Hans Lippershey , a eyeglass maker in Holland in the early 1600, put together a presentable telescope well ahead of others. He made it when school children held lens types together and found they could bring the village church tower closer. Two lens types, held in line could work such magic. Lippershey slapped a tube over the two lens and it worked even better.

It's time we set the record straight

Lippershey called his invention a “Looker”,,“kilker”, in his native Dutch language, and in 1608 from his home in Middle burg, Netherlands he applied to the Belgian government for a patent. It is reported that he was well paid for his invention in his own time, but one of the strange quirks of history is that Belgian officials refused to grant a patent for the odd reason that: “it was felt the invention was so simple that it could not be kept a secret.”

That odd decision strikes us as being a bit weird today. We no longer thin patents as protecting our secrets.

Galileo Galilei is not the only contender, and historians say he was aware of Lippershey's creation before he came one of his own. Some historians beat the drum loudly in favor of one Giambattista della Porta, who wrote about the recently discovered convex and concave lens advancements, but Galileo has been credited by the general public as the inventor of the telescope. But that has not been the end of it all. Two other Dutch spectacle makers, Hans and Zacharias Janssen, who lived about the same time as Lippershey (1570-1619) are said to have invented a telescopes apparatus, and a Dutch diplomat, William Boreel, who apparently knew all three of them during their lens making days in Middleburg, claimed openly that Lippershey stole the idea from the Janssen brothers. He make the accusation so loudly and so often that, in time, people discredited his overly zealous support of the Janzzens.

In far off Naples, Giambattista della Porta wrote about the newly discovered lens and their qualities of being concave and convex and surmised that ”if one knew how to combine them exactly they could see both distant and near objects larger than they would otherwise appear and very distinct.” One fact that sets Hans Lippershey ahead of the others is that he was the first to describe the telescope in documentary form, while other talked about the potential of such an application.

Now that we have “Hubble” out there in space churning out sizzling photographs from far off places beyond our wildest dreams
what can re-hashing all of this telescope squabble mean to us today?

Imagine, if you will, what future arguments are being fed and fattened even now by a score or more of young men and women all over the world - generating inventions to be discovered any day now! They are contenders and they are all around us. You may be one of them. I have no way of knowing, but wherever you are be sure to put your ideas to written form. Get your ideas past the “expert” patent people of our time and put a mark on your rightful place among our great inventors and benefactors of Mankind.

In the meantime, join with me. Let's hear it for Hans Lippershey remembered today by so many as just another also-ran.

A.L.M. July 21, 2003 [c614wds]

 
EXPLORIN'

In 1924, when my father managed to gather a little over three hundred dollars together in one place, he purchased a bright new Ford Model “T” - our first car.

It was a 3-1/2-door “touring car”. In those days the door on the driver's side was merely impressed on the metal so that there appear to be a door there. No handle. It didn't open anyway. I don't remember if Dad had to pay additionally for some of the “extras” the new car sported, but it came with a bag of isinglass curtains you could hang “all around” if you got them
n snapped into place before the rains got to you. The car had running boards on both sides and the one on the left held a collapse able, metal ''luggage rack.” It was clamped to the step and was usually kept folded to fit the “non door” area on the driver's side. We also had a windshield wiper which we boys took turns operated by twisting a small handle as the first raindrops spattered against the high, vertical windshield glass. We also carried a spare tire mounted on the back of the car, and we soon learned that the “tire repair kit” and tools (i.e. - a crank, a lug wrench, an air pump,and inner-tube patches of various sizes as well as a small, tin container of glue.)...were essential for all travel.

With that momentous purchase, a whole new world of exploration opened up for us as a family. My Dad had a special sense of semi-controlled wanderlust. We were a church-going family so after Sunday School and morning worship services at the Presbyterian Church in our section of town, we had our Sunday Dinner and, then, “took a ride” in our car.

Dad loved to explore side roads he'd never used before. When he wondered what might be at the other end, we often found surprises awaiting us. One such Sunday afternoon we ended up in the front yard of a fine, old farm house where the entire family came down from their chairs on the spacious front porch to bid us welcome. The were so glad to have anyone even total strangers off the dusty road to call” on them. After Dad and the Father and Grandfather of the farm family walked around the car, kicked the tires and inspected other features, we all joined the family on rocking chairs, straight chairs, stools and and benches on the the wide, wrap-around porch and sipped minted tea with our new found traveler friends. The youngest girl, maybe six or seven, led my brother and me down creekside to the left of the big, white house and showed us how she could catch live crayfish “by hand.”

On another such adventure, Dad selected the worst looking road at the fork. We left the main dirt road and embarked a rocky trail leading downward through dense woodlands. We found ourselves riding along a valley beside a fine, fast-flowing stream. We had only a poor idea of where we were. When Dad saw an old man sitting on the lean-to-porch of a lean-to cabin leaning toward the river,and just a few feet above the water, he stopped the car and inquired of the seemingly friendly old man as the name of the river which flowed past his home. It was plain the old man heard the question, but he took his own, sweet time deciding what his reply might be. Finally, he poked his old gnarled sapling cane out toward the water and said: ”Well, now! I can't rightly say. I ain't lived here but seven year.”

We found out later the stream was a tributary of the Roanoke River called the Staunton river by folks down stream. With Dad as our leader, our family explored much of southwestern Virginia in the '20's. Even today I find myself wondering at crossroads where we might end up if we took that side road.

A.L.M. July 21, 2003 [c719wds].

 
BIGGER BROTHER

There is nothing wrong with our being “big brother” to many of the world's smaller nations. Trying to be a Father unto them, or even a “Daddy”, is both illogical and dangerous to all concerned.

Once a nation accepts the Father arrangement with a more established power, it will never be free on its own. It seems to work that way in history. Entire nations have been absorbed and in such a manner. It comes to be natural for the stronger power to continue to dominate the lesser group regardless of changes which should have altered such a relationship.

Rome never gave up any major portions of its extended Empire. They dissolved at home and ceased to be in a political or military sense, but continue to “rule” the subject peoples through the cultural clutter they left behind in the far flung domains they once ruled.

The Viking invasions left their mark in far-flung areas and they, too, faded away at home rather than surrendered the power they had attained in lands far off. Six hundred years of their presence as the “Dane Law” in eastern England left behind linguistic, social and economic concepts which are evident to this day

There is something like unto a “fatherly” feeling concerning the affairs of the nation called Liberia, right now, and in this me of crisis we are apt to give such feelings precedence because, years ago, we were in a father-like role in creating the state to start with. It was supposed to re-order the lives of free black slaves who had been sold in slavery and transported to our shores.

Just what our feelings might have been in recent incursions into Somalia, in Panama, in Haiti, Croatia, and Serbia, and, more recently, in the Bahrain area, Afghanistan and Iraq. It is difficult to say. I have feeling it was a mixture. The brotherly instincts therein have been in conflict with the more permanent nature of the Fatherly instincts found in our attempts to change the peoples involved.

It seems to me, that our Fatherly and Brotherly intentions are in conflict with each other in many of our incursions in our affairs. We need
some time right now in which to determine what it is we wish to accomplish. I, personally, am confident that we have suitable people in place right now to bring about such a determination, and it will be to the advantage of all of us if they are allowed to do without distraction from their task because of petty re-election-centered barbs from opposition individuals.

Right now is a time when unity is in special demand. It appears we have very little such feelings of working together among those n ow seeking political each. “Spam-ing” C-Span with daily rants of criticism is not the way to go about building strength through unity.

A.L.M. July 18. 2003 [c466wds]

 
AM I READY?

Often, I find, people who are complete strangers to me - even on TV - seem to stare at me - right in the eye - and demand of me: “Are You Ready?”

Usually they are reminding me of some novel, quirky gadget of the commercial world which I do not possess, and will never be happy again if I go without one much longer!

Regardless of the intent of the question in today's world, I tend, very often, to hear the expression in a antiquated meaning which offended me as a child. Maybe “scared'” me is a more exact term, because it was used in a religious sense.

We lived in a town in the Appalachian Mountains where there were numerous groups of people fresh out of the more remote areas. Their religious background was nil or, if it existed at all, it was made evident with a brash, evangelistic condition which took over their entire being and made each of them n active disciple of the Lord. Some of them worked at it as if they were on commission. Their favorite expression with strangers - even as an initial greeting - there was that investigative demand: “Are You saved? Or “Are you ready?” Doom was imminent! The final trump was about to be sounded! The time was upon us all They wanted to know if I had prepared myself for the coming events! I never quite what to say. I was a born once Presbyterian, had been all my young life. I went to Sunday School each Sabbath morn, read the Bible and attended church services with my parents unaware that the end of all was so close. I thought, maybe, our minister is out of town and hasn't heard about it yet.

Anyway, that religious overtone was in the words forever afterward and continues to taint the expression today. I time I came to understand what the individuals meant when they repeated the question so often. What so many were doing, I realize now, was that they were trying to convince themselves that they were prepared; that they understood what barriers were involved, In evangelizing others they were seeking proof, .In tell and re-telling “proofs” they could then feel that they were n only prepared but worthy of the blessings to come on the Judgment Day

Politicians use the concept today in suggestions that doom is imminent for other reasons. When I hear the present-day version of the old greeting in the form of a politician crying doom and disaster ...complete failure unless I adhere to his admonitions.

I'm not puzzled at all, not scared, sure, but, I do feel a little bit sick to the stomach if they persist too long

As a Boy Scout many years ago I tried to live with the maxim:”Be Prepared” in mind. To me, that says I am ready ...or, as ready as I am going to be.


a.l.m. July 19, 2003 [c502wds]

 
REVIVALS

When you bring something “back” you have to be sure it is actually better than it ever was before. It hasn’t changed. But, you have.

You have changed because of what it was to you have grown, matured a bit in some mysterious manner because it nurtured you in some way you may not ever remember that it did so. It can be the same, but you will have changed.

If you plan a revival of anything that gave you enough memories of it to merit a re-run, you must be sure to bring it back better than it ever was in its former life. Any attempt to bring it all back unchanged will not work.

In periods of inactivity things may stay rather constant, but we change and the aura which makes up our sphere of living changes as well. To bring back something which no longer fits the circumstance under which you expect it to take root and thrive, is a futile thing to attempt.

If you are going to revive something, accept it in keeping with them which your present world and you, yourself, have been altered.

There are hosts of examples to illustrate the concept, too.

When it was decided to restore Colonial Williamsburg,Virginia the concept was not one which merely dressed up what was left – a string of rather dismal looking, sagging somewhat ramshackle homes and shops along an narrow street with the Wren Building of W&M college as the keystone of it all at one end. That is not what we revived; not exactly what was brought at all. There was enough of many of the old buildings remaining under the earth in manuscripts forms to suggest – not the way they were, necessarily; not exactly what they were, but what they should have; might have been, and what the could have been at that time when Williamsburg was in its halcyon days. Look at them today and you have to agree that, Williamsburg never looked do good as it does today. At its peak as the Middle Plantation’s gem Williamsburg”s structure were impressive. It was the capital city of the Royal Colony but it never looked as beautiful as it does . The today is open, with wide, expanded streets, trees aplenty, paved walkways, and most impressive of all – the use of – a wide spectrum of colorful, high-quality paints! Unusual talents turned loose with adequate financial backing brought about a magical change,. Special artistic talents. Modern materials, and serious dedication above and beyond the usual calls of employment ...all these and many other sterling qualities transformed the Old into the New; Sores of homes and shops, inns, ordinaries, and a host of artifacts from Colonial times were reclaim. They were improved,to ...not changed,rally,but different ...more like the old timers wanted them to be than they ever were in historical times.

_Other sites have been restored. Much that has fallen into disuse has been revived to live and be again.

And, not just architecture either. Music has the same quality. To revive a musical comedy proves to be a difficult task if one attempst to bring it back as it was in it’s original time. It must be brought back better than it was before. Done in the exact styles pop, popular at the time of its original run will doom it to failure. The" ‘attitude” the “feel” must be retained, but the outward t ouches may well vary because you, the hearers have changed.
To successfully restore and revive an old public building or an historic church, one had best include in the plans a skillfully concealed air-conditioning system and adequate heating. Rest room must be provided. Pews had best be cushioned as well. The new generation may want to remember the way people before them lived but few of them want to live under normal conditions of that by-gone era. Historic structures , too, are best brought back better than they were before.

Right now ,after a long time in recessional business cycles, we are co constantly talking about the revival of prosperity. Far too many people seem to think that means turning back the clock to a time when full-employment. Is thought to have existed. Of course, there never has been such a time. Even in the best of good times we, as a nation, have about five million people who cannot work, choose not to work, don't need to work, or can't decide what they wish to do who remain idle, for a wide variety of so-called reasons.

We are seeking the revival of the spirit of good times times, day to day cares,troubles, worries and concerns. We are the changed factors, not Time or History . We expect things today; we strive for different rewards. We accept assistance in strange ways and look to political parties to solve our personal problems in some miraculous manner. To simply long for “the good ole days which never were” is a futile, foolhardy dream.
Today is different from yesterday. You are different from the person you were an hour ago. Oh, the change may be slight ...so fragile you can't pin it down, but, rest assured it is there. It will always be you - the restorer - who is in absolute charge. Any mistakes will be retained to be dealt with as your responsibility alone. As President Harry S. Truman is said to have said: “If you can't stand the heat, get the hell out of the kitchen!”
Revival is not for the the namby-pamby novice. On the contrary, it demands creativity of the highest order allied with making man's world what it can and should be rather than what it has been.

A.L.M. July 17, 2003 [c 996wds]

 
CLARK BARS

Some time ago, I recall hearing the name Wesley Clark suggested as a possible Democratic candidate for the office of President.

I've heard little from him since that time, but I still see him as an interesting possibility even at this late-date for getting started .

Certainly,with the placing of an authentic General on the ballot might well help overcome the feeling so many voters seem to have which insists that the Democratic party and the military are eternally at odds.

He is from Arkansas. Here's another man with a flair for leadership and with organizational ability proved in his career thus far. His manner suggests action, movement, and he excites his followers to positive manner.

His is a far better picture to place before voters. I think there are factions in the Democratic party who would welcome such an individual with such firm conviction and support him.

His chances of being nominated improve each day the present stable of potential runners engage in their curious contest to see who can raise the most money. By doing so they confirm that which a great many Americans already have come to believe, that the forth coming election is to be bought, rather than earned or merited.

If this is to be what some call a “sacrificial year” for Democrats it is better to take the chance which does exist on someone considered to be an outsider rather than a regular party sequencer.

In light of our increasing involvement in situation in the middle East, it might seem very wise for Democrats at their party might logically set forth a candidate who can, at least, make a convincing showing of militant capabilities. Wesley Clark has the proved ability to accomplish goals the average politician only talks ab out doing. He has not held back in being critical of the way in which the present wars are being waged.

Age is an important factor in this election, too. Think about it. Hillary Clinton, who has many people believing she will wait until the “next time”, will be in her sixties by that time. Others considering an Oval cal Office try will be even older, General Wesley Clark among them. Senator Clinton has not yet said she will not run and alluded to that possibility by saying ”well you never know what might happen” on a British television interview last week. For many this is a “now-or-never” decision.

Now, as mid-July 2003 whizzes past, the situation is, I think, that Hillary Rodham Clinton can have the Democratic Party's nomination if she asks for it, but I see little choice being made from the fund raisers running more or less rump-to-rump in their primaries.

A Wesley Clark ticket with any one of the others deemed to have raised the most money, in the V-P slot, would do well. Very well.

A.L.M. July 16, 2003 [c499wds]

 
LEDGER- DE-MEIN

Let's be careful not to cook the books on this Trade Deficit thing!

I heard an argument this past week which claimed that our un-employment rate has not been, in any way, affected by the steady siphoning of American industrial capabilities to overseas locations. To me, that is same as altering the entries in our book to fulfill wishes rather than economic truths.

That is both dishonest and dangerous.

You will meet with such contentions today in which people claim that we have lost only “unskilled” jobs to overseas firms They hold that the technical expertise jobs are being retained. It is held that the technical expertize jobs are being retained and the only lowly, routine, dull, unpleasant work is going to foreign worker. It is cited as a fact that those foreign works can do the job cheaper, too, because of lower wages scales and poor working conditions. This, to them, at least, seems to indicate that a lower price can be expected on the finished product.

This overly simplistic reasoning complete ignores the fact that these very same people argue that legal and illegal immigration of millions of people Mexico, Latin America and other countries are the one who are filling all these unwanted jobs America are said to refuse to do. They totally ignore the fact that the technical side our economy has, for some years, found it essential to import groups of fifty thousand trained Indian technicians to fill basic jobs in the expanding electronics industries alone. Obviously such advanced techncal jobs are not being being filled with the numbers of American workers supposedly made available by by shipping the their former jobs overseas.

The argument also contents that we are better off, because while the cars and other products are made overseas, we supply the parts with which they are built. We supply some of th e parts, but far from all of them, and in no way can revenue from parts manufacturing to meet overseas needs. It can never compensate for the loss of the original manufacturing facilities. They contend., too that some of the actual assembly plants for cars and other products are, more-and-more, located on the United States.They do not not state that profits from such heavily subsidized operations goes overses. It does no stay in America

My shirts, shorts, sweaters, seats and socks are from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Taiwan, Mexico, and (insert your own list at this point.)

Shoes for all members of the family come mainly from China, with the exception of one of the oldest and most honored brand names of the nation which have been made in India for a decade or more. It's been years since the last TV sets were manufactured in the United States and that applies to radios, many computers, just about all kitchen appliances and other such “non-tech” products.

A child's toy which is not made in China is a distinct rarity in most stores today.

Many of the foods you eat are often come from foreign sources, as well. Very often our much-praised labeling system tells you where the wholesaler might be who distributes the food product, but not where, or by whom, the food itself was grown and processed.

The American public is far from being aware of the fact that the Economic Invasion of American is well under way. It is past time for us to take a straight-forward, honest, non-political view of the situation.


A.L.M. July 14, 2003 [c581wds]

 
SHOE TIE

Is it your ambition to become a writer?

There are so-called “aptitude” tests to show how talented you seem to be - usually bordering on genius levels, as a rule, but you need the writing course they're selling to clinch it all.

There are other ways of determining if you are a “born” writer or that you can learn to become a reasonably good facsimile of one. Try some simple “tellings”. Explain, for instance, how to tie a shoe.

Describe each step in order and with such clarity that children, having your words read to them, can tie a decent bow knot.

No cheating, now! No test runs, to start with!. Tell how it is done straight off the top of your head, then, edit and, you probably will have to untie a shoe and do a trial run to be sure how it is done.

Try it. It may not be as easy as you think. If you do such informational writing quickly, that's a good sign and a good omen favoring a successful writing career - possibly as Technical Writer in a large manufacturing plant.

Another such test. Describe in detail how a man's fore-and-hand necktie is best tied to achieve specific results. Or ,a bow tie from a strip of velvet-like material. For graduate work: lean how to do an authentic turban headdress from a long strip of cloth, one that will fit and stay on securely.

Seek opportunities to write descriptive passages with accuracy and terseness. It one of those things you learn, then discard once the ability to do so becomes second nature with you.

One learns organizational techniques, as well.

Take the end of each shoe string in your right and left hand, holding them loosely between the thumb and forefinger. The plastic tips on each lace are uppermost as you cross one string over the other pull them into a reasonably tight half-knot on top of the shoe. Take the end of one of the strings and make a look by taking the tip down to the half knot. Hold it there and take the other string one full circle around the upright loop. Pull it through and tighten down to the shoe top. Viola!!

Test time. Take a shoe off and have at it. My wife will give it a try and I'm probably going to be back at the drawing board for another try. For one thing, I see it as being too long. It can be done with half that number of words. And - it can always be better, too.

A.L.M. July 13, 2003 [c404wds]

 
IT STILL HAPPENS

One would think that Man, with all his much-vaunted wisdom, could have solved one simple problem by this time.

It still happens ...wheels go backwards when being filmed

I will admit it has not been a problem as may years as one might think, but it has been a challenge, I would think, ever since we have
had motion pictures.

We have advanced to ”smart” highways and transportation has developed in both speed and efficiency to a degree which we never thought possible. But - when filmed - the wheels still go the wrong way.

Experts, with a look of pity in their eyes and attitude, carefully tell me it’s “an optical illusion”. They seem to think I really do feel the wheels go the wrong way them in some strange way. Everybody knows it is an illusion ...and that the spokes are turning in the right direction.

It was a point of concern for us when, as kids, we witnessed the stage coach rumbled across the sage-strewn hills. The piano player in the theater pit could back its movements with a skillful combination of crushed black and white keys and climaxing with a sharp swirl of musical dust when the stage drew up in front of the unpainted Hotel or Saloon with the brightly painted signs in black and white in generic clarity. The plot started going once more and the show went on its way.

In time, camera people earned to avoid full shots of wheel turning. They can be shown from angles or look down the axle from some impossible perch. Movie and TV crews today, have profited from the experiences of movie makers makers; and treat turning wheel with special care.

They have been aided of course, by the artistic change from wheel with large, obvious spokes, to meshed accumulations of wires or solid discs covering the offending area. If, however, you get a little glob tar or road kill on the surface of the wheel cover what happens? Right. The wheel goes the contrary direction . Or, seems to.

The problem is still with us special can have modern configurations - Vans, SUV's, RV's, OTV's and even re-created convertibles.

What other condition have we brought along with us - perhaps unwittingly? Are there conditions - “evils”, if you see them as such, which exit today which complicate our way of life today?

Foremost among such subjects is our beliefs concerning sexual orientation. We are increasingly being asked to explain why much seems, to so many, are going the wrong way.

A.L.M. July 11, 2003 [c472wds]

 
BIG CHANGES AGAIN!

A new planet!.

What will it be called? Is it actually inside our own solar system, or are we thinking and knowing beyond that mark now? This latest discovery of the space-set Hubble Telescope will raise a great many important questions about the Universe and about life.

I have strong memories of being here when they found Pluto, which would have been around 1930, I think. Pluto, a puny planet compared to the new one was announced as Number Nine in counting outward from the Sun.

Textbooks will have to be altered, solar maps redone, all sorts of changes in educational collections around the world and children will now have ten to memorize instead of a mere nine.

A great many questions will be raised once again about the Universe and about life itself. Changes brought about by this new discovery will affect our future in many ways.

What, for instance, happens to the people who write the daily “horror-scopes” in the daily[press and on the Internet?. A question of even greater import: what about the feelings of the millions of people who read and follow those forecasts devotedly concerning coming events in their lives. What happens when a totally new planet - and this time, a really big'un - is plopped down along the edge of their perfect Zodiac charts.

We talk a great deal about space these days, with good reason, too. Then, we contemplate mankind's great discoveries ...entire series of them... and begin to wonder, after a time, if we might be going at it all a bit too fast. We hardly get used to living under one set of beliefs and conditions before they are supplanted by another and, then, on top th of that, additional modifications. We wonder if we have, perhaps, veered too much to one side and are aiming for a vague, questionable destination? You realize you can't always depend on changes in other aspects of life, either, which seem to be affecting the lives of others.

Look at California's political and economic plight, as an example. Right now the state has a real problem with having too many people . They have become a haven for many and are now our most heavily populated state.They are currently in the process of a “recall” to remove their Democratic governor from the office to which they elected him. One cause is said to be the steadily mounting state debt with nothing being done to slow it down. A phenomenal growth in population is another, less discussed factor.

It is now generally agreed that the percentage of foreign born people in California above the thirty percent mark. The figure is being bandied about quite loosely, however, and just yesterday I heard an item on radio by a well-known talk-radio personality which quote that thirty- percent per cent figure. He then said that only ten percent of the citizens of California were born in the United States. He should have said only ten per cent were born in California – as :”native sons”. Even in my miserable mathematics 30% and 10% don't add up to 100 per cent!

These changes snowball. They multiply rapidly, and the discovery of another planet out there among the numberless stars will change many statistical charts and studies concerning the heavens. The population changes in California and “other underdeveloped portions of the earth's surface ( as late night TV comics are almost sure to say several times this week). The population changes are a subject which can be difficult for people living in other less pressured areas to understand.. The public “veto” of the governor is a sort of sign of basic discontent factors which are, perhaps far more widespread than we would like to imagine.

We are living, it seems, in a time of excessive changes. Nothing remains secure. Laws, it seems, at times, are being made with a built-in quality intended to invite evasion. The first thing citizens look for are the loopholes, and they are, assisted often by the very leaders who inserted those possible “outs” in the new legislation.

Time to slow down a bit, I'd say. The roses are still there by the roadside to be smelled. Is there sufficient fold space and pasturage at the end of the path down which we are being led. It may be time for us to curb out curiosity a bit.


A..L.M. July 12, 2003 [c757wds]

 

 
VPA FIREWORKS

Since January 28th of this year, I have expected to see a shower of special fireworks over Hampton Roads, Virginia, as the result of an article written by Jim Spencer for the Newport News DAILY PRESS.

It was an expose, and it was well-done. I put a copy of that story aside in my files to “watch” because I was sure it would cased accommodations and that there would be a real fight.

Here it is July the June items reminder has come up and been ignored for a week or so. Nothing, it seem – absolute zilch - has happened, it seems, relative to that story which released accounts of excessive spending of public funds by members of the Virginia Ports Authority on on a trip to the Paris Air Show in 2001.

I fact the Paris Air Show has gone by again while I have waited, and thus far I find no reference to the alleged charges. The VPA Secretary stayed at at $990 per night hotel suite, in spite of the fact that arrangements had already been made for a 200-per night facility in another hotel, which was no used at all. The Secretary rode in a $65.00 per day Mercedes limo.

The Promotions Director of the VPA stayed in a “more reasonable ale” room at $647.00 per night. And the Senior Marketing Director complained that “he had his staff had to eat our own money the last few months because we've been operating under the state's regulations.”

The Commonwealth of Virginia, it seems, has a state per-day scale concerning payment for meals in Paris at that time. It called for $92.00 per-day, per- person. Under “special circumstances” that figure could go as high as $138.99 per-day, per-person. The same scale showed New York eating at $46.00 up to $79.00 per-day, per-person.

I agreed with writer Jim Spencer's summation at the time that all of this appeared to be excessive.

Six months later, I find myself wondering how it can be that such revelations can go unnoticed. The charges set forth by the DAILY PRESS
article seemed to me to merit a public outcry.

Nothing like that has happened. The United States did not participate in this year's Paris Air Show because the American aircraft industry is not exactly “flying high”. I wonder if the Virginia Port Authority attended as usual. It would seem to be something too good to pass up.

Divergent opinions come to mind in such cases. Either the accusations are considered to be untrue or unprovable, that they are considered to be so common place that they can be overlooked to achieve
goals of unanimity and to support back-scratching arrangements.

A.L.M. July 10, 2003 [c473wds]

 
ENOUGH!

This past week in July of 2003, there seemed to be an ominous cloud of doom shifting to and fro in each day's news.

We all experience weeks such as that, I suppose, and we could do without them very well for the most part. They do serve to remind us of the unsteadiness, brevity, and possibilities of sudden change change in life's patterns which can, and do, change rather suddenly and sharply. This realization, which could stir us to increased activity, I'm sure, but they are, none the less disquieting.

I make no attempt to put them in proper order as to time, but a series of deaths of people who were important to me, fueled the basis misery of the rainy week. Bobby Hackett, Katherine Hepburn, Buddy Ebson ... three great entertainers – gone.

TV, radio, newspapers, on-line from all over the world - and even into space with news of the cause of the “Columbia” disaster- all seemed to directed toward excluding a great deal of trouble and strife everywhere. Flood waters came sweeping through some areas when drought have been the focus of news for months, an unusually strong tropical storm hit the Gulf and raged inland. There was shocking case of a disgruntled worker who turned up at his factory work site in Georgia; opened fire, at random, on fellow workers. Five dead, I think and that many, or more, injured. There was another unit of an entire family of mother and children found shot dead in their home. At Fayetteville, North Carolina, a child, left in a parked car, died and two others were hospitalized.

And, on-and-on it seemed to go.

We are not compelled to be a part of this montage of misery.

When we feel overcome by excessive violence, as we do so often these days in watching new TV shows,. There is an oasis for most people now and then , however, if one can escape the often self-constructed labyrinth of impeding walls, barriers and obstacles. One way, of course, is simply to ”give up” watching TV, or reading the papers. Or, exercise the keyboard less for a day or two.. Curiosity alone, draws us back, however ,and we have to admit we like living, with, among and close to other people.

Back in the days when I was an active newspaper reporter. I can remember believing strongly in the old news-gatherer's maxim which held that “things happen in threes.” I confess I was reminded of that during this past week or so as murder piled on murder and gore, upon gore and more gore.
I can recall covering two train wreaks and , then,waiting for the third one to happen. It did, and proved to be the most tragic of the series, the only one involving loss of lives.

We have, certainly, filled out our three-somes on TV and in the news in general, and it is time for a respite; time to concentrate on other, finer things. We sometime forget that good things happen to us “in threes”. You, as have many of us, have often complained, too, that “summertime TV is all repeats – all reruns!” What that indicates, however, TV people will tell you, is that you have been watching far too much TV during the winter months!

Take time today to select one good thing that has happened to you in recent weeks. Tradition among newspersons hold that you face two more such happy occasions.. Plan for them. Enjoy them.

A.L.M. July 10, 2003 [c634wds]

 
FOR ME, AT LEAST

It's almost a sure thing...

I'll bet you know of a town or city which seems to be unpronounceable - sometimes even for the people who live there.

Staunton, Virginia is such a city.It is not STAUN-ton; it is not STAN-ton, it is not whatever sly twist you try to put on it.

I was born in Norfolk,Va , so I am sensitive to the manner in which people say it. Too often I hear “Narfick” or “”Naw-fick” and some people try to make sound as close to the original concept of the word: “North Folk”...as possible. I lived and worked in Staunton, Virginia long enough to be be irked a bit when people insist on saying it incorrectly, even after they know better.

It was originally, named “Beverley's Mill Place”, which was plain enough. It was on land owned by William Beverley. He got Thomas Lewis to do the surveying and to set aside 44 lots , mostly of one -half acres each, with three north-south, and three east-west streets. All six of which exist today. That was in 1748-49 and it marks the first mention of the name of the town. It was spelled Stanton in those early years. The new city did not get certified until many years later. The colonial officials in eastern Virginia approved the plan which would recognize Stanton as a town and allow them to hold fairs there. The entire application was “disallowed”, however, and declared to be “absolutely void and without.” Exactly why King George II disliked the idea is not clear but it was necessary to wait until a new, more liberal king came to power before asking again to be certified.

The Royal Governor of the Colony of Virginia in 1748 was William Gooch, and it is thought the new town was named after his wife's English family. That name was Staunton and we have no assurance as to the exact spelling of the family name. It was determined , at length, and we do not not know when of by whom, that particular English family name was properly spelled as “Staunton”. Choosing the name of the Royal Governor's wife's was a wise move a when seeking certification. The spelling caused conflict, as the years progressed, but it is not unusual in a country where the name “Wyndom” is spelled “Wymingham” Or, try the name Chumley, if you dare.

Some visitors tend to call the city “Staun-ton” largely because that's the way word is spelled in other areas is pronounced with the prominent “ u ” sound. Others wonder why we mis-spell Stanton, which is they way they are used to seeing it spelled and said in their locale. This use may seem good enough, but the purest among us insist that it is not exact enough. Lady Gooch said her family name with a distinct touch and that is the way the name of the city a named in their honor, should best be said. One is not to say “Stan-ton”.On “ Staun- ton.” It is not, you see, Stan-TON. It is, rather: Stant-ON. Not “ton”, but a soft “ on”. It comes out smoothly with a slight aspiration before the “on” as it is appended to the “stant”.

Well- known, Staunton radio voices of the past said it right. Fulton King, Robert Sterrett and others said it naturally. It came out smoothly as...”WTON, Stant-on.” Today? Some do; some do not, at rest stops I-81 or I-64, and at many area eating establishments , you can expect to hear “STAUGHN-TON!”

The proper name is a pretty one. It has character, softness, elegance, charm, an historical significance. It's a fine name for a community also known as “The Queen City”.


A.L.M. JULY 8, 2003 [c638wds]

 
ONE TIME ONLY

I did something this morning which I never plan to try again!

I purposely steeled myself to read the entire contents of an eight-page, printed letter, with cardboard insert, from the President of a nationally known and highly respected university.

As with most of this specific type of higher-class “junque” mail genre, the salutation is a wide, sweeping “Dear alumni and friends”. The “term” friends is a loosely equivalent to estimates of Earth's living as of this past week

This particular epistle started , as so many do, with an attempt to do with some folksy comments about the recent weather. Spring. All kinds of rain. That sort of exciting information. This WX section details the supposedly happy misery details of around 20-thousand individuals who huddled under umbrellas, bearing the school colors, of course, at this year's graduation ceremonies. Trash bags served as seating accouterments. Lines dwell on the stalwart graduates and “friends” who eagerly endure such conditions if they can, only, be together.

The next few paragraphs deal with the increasing cost of it all. That doesn't hit most readers as being unusual these days. In spite of all such opposition, he has, however, urges us not to let such such a record fade away. Details of a gift opportunities for specific projects give are cited here as not have done so well thus far.

After such minituae, we go to the world-wide values of the entire movement. Civilizations existence hangs on our success in the our drive for increased funds. Elongated Internet addresses are included at this point for those who want to whole load dumped in their front yard. The bottom of the page, and lapping over to the next one, the four projects are itemized both the “under construction” and “planning” stages. Their fund drive is an act of faith.

Whatever is given will be a temporary thing.

';' Lunging, now toward page eight, charts show which divisions within the composite educational unit will grow or die based on your giving through the stacks and see how the each is the focal of your generosity .It seems to be set on a decade-ial cycle.

Following: some quick credits to those who worked on the letter ...some names. Then , to end it all, do we go back a full eight pages to our 20-thousand friends at the soggy ceremonies. Brave souls!

Such letters are usually signed “Sincerely”

It all makes me wonder: How many people actually read such long-winded fund finder pieces and who ticks off the amounts suggested on the enclosed gift card - postage paid – according to what a lawyer and C.P.A. Might say they should give for tax purposes. Most of all, I wonder that a “modern university” with graduates heading up huge segments of management for our industrial wealth a center of business training and
considered to be in the forefront of business acumen - has not found a better means of raising funds than trite old direct mail,“Friends:”solicitation letters!

A.L.M. July 7, 2003 [c519wds]

 
ON THE EDGE OF GREATNESS

That which an individual does which gains fame for him or her is ,quite often, something they say.

We have entire volumes of quotations which contain quotes from people you .otherwise, have never heard of otherwise.

Abraham Lincoln is said to have scribbled a few words on the back of a used envelope and from it delivered the celebrated “Gettysburg Address”. There were poets at the time who could have created many special works with worthy meanings honoring the men who had died at Gettysburg. There was another speaker on the program. He was widely accepted at the time as being the nations' most outstanding orator. He was introduced to the assembled throng by the presentation of a special ode composed by Benjamin B. French and sung by the Baltimore Glee Club. The musical moments introduced the famed orator Edward Everett who began a speech which lasted for several hours.

We remember nothing of Ben French's “Ode” and less of what Edward Everett took three hours to say.

Everett has been much maligned over the years because of the length of his speech – which varies in different accounts from two or three hours - when it can be shown that he, as a professional orator, delivered well-organized and thorough evaluation of the memorial circumstance of the day. He should be revered much more than ridiculed, and that, in part, for me, at least, is borne out in the known fact that Edward Everett who's long speech followed Abraham Lincoln's short remarks. He actually wrote to Lincoln requested a copy of the “Gettysburg Address” and praised him for it's sincerity, clarity and brevity,

We might also recall that the cartaciture media representation of Lincoln at that time was not the most pleasant. How could one expect
anything of merit from an awkward country bumpkin,; an ignorant, shambling dummy his enemies made him out to be in those troubled times.

Imagine, the preparations which must have been made to set up the Gettysburg memorial event. Think of all the work involved to get things ready. Some difficult foot work had to be done by the committee in charge of the celebration, and they invited the leading professional orator of their day as being best qualified to do the main speech. They wisely invited President Lincoln and members of his cabinet to be present and the same officials decided the President might be asked to say a few Dedicatory words prior to the main address. Lincoln accepted and stayed within the slot assigned him . He himself has been said to feel that his words were a failure. Newspaper persons showed themselves to be unaware of the lines, and only a few of the more energetic among them reported his having spoken the words , save for the reporter for The Chicago “Tribune” who saw in them key to the occasion and a durable literary work. It is not reported by the members of the cabinet thought - those few who showed up.

This sort of thing happens so often. It happens today in our times. People are, often on the very edge of greatness and don't realize it.

There are always key people involved in civic projects ...ones we never even hear about. while other are lauded for their overt presence.

For example: ”Who was the reporter mentioned above as being from the Chicago “Tribune?.” He was one men we have left sanding on the edge of greatness.


A,L.M. July 7, 2003 [c654wds]

 
TIMBER! CLAYHILL#4

When he was eleven years of age, Melvin, the younger of the two Clayhill brothers, got signed-on to become a member of a logging crew working in the Appalachian Mountains to the east of what is now Craigsville, Virginia. in Augusta county.

His uncle Caleb lived near Madrid,Virginia - pronounced MAD-rid - and he, through acquaintances in the lumber business he had an the offer did not include Timothy, Melvin's older brother. The job opening called for a “runt” and Melvin met that criterion perfectly.

Telling about the experience, Melvin constantly referred to his brother. It was a the first time the two had ever been separated. His looks which said, better than words, how much he missed being away from Timothy. It was really only time they were ever apart.

The Clayhill brothers were a team, as a rule. They had always worked together and been on terms of being constant friendly-enemies, arguing with each other without end and loving every minute of it.

Melvin left for logging camp by himself. He took a train from Staunton to Craigsville, and, following instructions, walked up the mountain trail to the north side of the train tracks just beyond the station at the village. It was a lonely walk, but exciting in many ways, and Melvin was unaware of he dangers lurking in the forest about him. He had no trouble finding the trail and was soon walking with a man , a logger, who was headed to the same destination -.Kopler's Log Camp.

“Damn it, Sonny you got rough time ahead of you!” the new companion stated bluntly. You're too little fer loggin'. “Melvin explained his job as his uncle had outlined it.

“I'm to be Cooky's helper,” he explained “I'm to cut farwood, git things cook needs, cleanup after each mess o' eatin' and such like! Ain't no real log cuttin' fer me ....just help with the feeding of the crew. I kin do that!”

The tall companion was impressed with Melvin's straight - forward reply. “Aw-right! Sure as my name's Jeb Carson, I do believe you can do it,” He laughed., “But it ain't gonna be easy! You your're right in a rough bunch of men at any loggin'' camp.” He seemed to be impressed with the direct reply he got from his young fellow traveler. He turned serious for a moment and added: “I know. I'm 'bout the worst of 'em.”

He took a bottle of whiskey from his pack and sipped a bit.. “I been out fer supplies.” he confided” and halfway offered the flat bottle to Melvin, then quickly withdrew the offer. “You're still awful young fer the job,” He put the bottle in his pack with care, and they resumed their walk.

Within the hour, they arrived at the camp.

Carson indicated to Melvin. You best go t' the end of that long buildin'' - that shed at th' end where th' smoke is comin'' up. That's Cookie's area. His name is Swartz. He a fat German. You'll know him right off. Good luck, Sonny. I think you might just need all you can git, too!” They parted, but Carson turned around and said. “Be careful, too, Sonny. You got a friend in old Carson, here, if'n you kin find him sober - any time. Maybe best you 'tend not to know me, till later on...maybe” And, he was gone.

Melvin Clayhill turned to face his own future.

Sure enough, as Carson had said, he recognized the man who had to be Cookie as soon as he saw him. He worn a miss-matched coat and dark pants, heavy yellow leather shoes of ancient vintage, a not-at-all clean denim cloth apron around his generous belly and a funny little hat perched on his on his gray head.

“You must be the new boy?” His voice was thick and guttural. “Bout time, too. Lemme show you where you bunk “ and he led the way through a wide arch without a door. Just inside the room he turned and pointed to a crude box built against the wall. “Your stuff goes in the box. Don't leave it underfoot like the last boy did..” He pointed to a sapling shelf above the door ....long enough, maybe six feet across the top of the doorway to the mess hall and three-feet wide. A ladder of six rungs went up the log wall beside the storage box. “They's blankets in the box fer you. Stow your stuff now. We need to git some food ready fer the hogs. They come in when the light a'gins to fade.”


Gruff though he was, Melvin told me , “I, knowed I was a a-goin'' t' like Cookie when he first spoke “at” me, but a day or two later day he was talkin'' “to” and “with” me.

(Next “When the Hawgs Come In”

A.L.M. July 6, 2003 [c899wds]

 
FIRST FIRST LADY'S CHURCH

The construction of St Peter's Parish Church in New Kent County, Virginia got started in 1702. The church had been established by the general court April 26, 1679. At that time, there were already two churches in the area and there seems to have been no immediate urge to start a new building.

One was near the town of Broaddus Flats on the Pamukey River. It was called “Newcastle” and has disappeared.

The second one, called the “lower church” because of its location “below” Broaddus Flats came to be known as the “broken back'd” church. It got that name, because it was a pole building built by what was called “The Earthfast Post ” system. The poles were set right in the soil with a block of wood as a base. They rotted quickly under in Tidewater soil conditions. It was a common type of building and we fed of several churches being ”reposted” after a few years of use.

On August 13, 1700 the Vestry met and stated: “Whereas the “lower church is very much out of Repair and Standeth very inconvenient for most of the inhabitants of the Parish it is ordered that as soon as it may be convenient a New Church of Brick ... sixty feet long, twenty fower feet wide in the cleer and fourteen feet pitch with a Gallery Sixteen feet long ....to be built and erected on the main Roade by the School House near Thomas Jacksons.”

Detailed records of all supplies were kept and we have many accounts of the actual construction. They contracted with Mr. Jackson, who donated one-acre of his land for the church, to make 100,000 bricks. The kiln adjoined the church property and it is thought today's parking lot covers portions of it. Jackson had the huge stacks of brick ready and waiting, but the Vestry demanded an outside inspection of the quality and dimensions of the brick before they paid him his alloted 25,000 pounds of sweet-scented tobacco. Records show it took the best part of 1701 April of 1702 before the inspection was so completed and the bricklayers got busy. The main portion of the church was finished in the course of a years, however, and covered 20,000 “good sound sipras shingles” each 18-inches long, 5 inches wide, no more less and ¼/ inch thick and no more then 3.4 inch. Henry Wyatt cut them in Chickahomney Swamp for a fee of 20,000 pounds of tobacco. All carpenter, joiners, and masons and so forth were well paid it seems, but for some reason “sawyers” - they received only a pound of tobacco for their work. And, we are left to wonder why.

It seems they had occasion to make use of the stocks, too with mentions of some “licentious and unseemly persons” who caused a scene in the congregation one Sabbath day.

This was the church Martha Custiss, wife of George Washington, must have talked about as being her home church . Think about that for a moment. We are re-living the same stories they, and others, shared when remembering old times.

A.L.M. July 2, 2003 [c569wds]

 
LIBERIA,TOO?

What is it which makes the present plight of Liberia different from others?

We are trying , it seems, not to “meddle” in their affair. We seem to feel their situation is desperate and may get worse unless some relief is forthcoming - and soon. We are hesitant about taking any actions due to some extent because of our involvements elsewhere.

But the special element of concern to be found therein, I feel, is, to a large extent, because we feel a curious sense of guilt when we remember the dominant role we played in the creation and development of Liberia as a nation.
We seem to have deeply seated feelings of obligation to the nation because we had a major role in its birth. We are, at the same time, not too proud of our in-attention to their needs during the ensuing years. The world, and the African continent, in particular, has seen many changes since the day of our President James Monroe, after whom the presently besieged capital city of Monrovia is named.

The physical placement of the nation in a strip of small African nations, each of which has suffered like ills, is not exactly the best place in the world in which to expect democratic principles to take root and to thrive unaided. We have, I think, had some second thoughts about the wisdom of entering the area in the in the first place.

We have made some poor choices over the years concerning various political groups in Liberia and surrounding countries and we have supported the wrong factions at times which may have seemed to our political leaders controlling our own affairs to have been proper and just for various reasons.

Is it too late? Can any genuine improvements or changes be bought about in Liberia?

I do not envy our President George W. Bush as he makes the decision which must be made within the next few days. I am writing this on July 4, 2003 at a time when we are especially mindful of independence and national sovereignty for all. His is not an easy task, especially, when the subject nation is in such dire turmoil.

President Bush is among those who agree that Charles Taylor, Liberia's President should step down, at least, until such time as peace and security can be restored. It seems almost a sure thing that a small police or peacekeeping military force will be sent to Monrovia soon. Over the longer range studies must be made of recent elections in Liberia to determine if they were legal.

Let's face it. It is one thing to enter such places as Somalia, Bosnia, Croatia, or Granada and quite another to go into Liberia.

A.L.M. July 4, 2003 [c425wds]

 
WARP! WOOF!

Weaving can be a fine avocation. It is creative every sense and allows the artistic side of one's inner self to find expression in fabric designs unique to an individual. I can see how weaving, started as a hobby, can become a full-time occupational concern.

To hold strands of thread of various colors in your hand, and then to conflate them all into a series of meaningful shapes, figures, symbols and pictorial representations - places, studio props or people, is, indeed, an attainment demanding the greatest of artistic abilities I envy those who can do it with, seemingly, with such ease and enjoyment.

One special incident concerning weaving came my way in the fall of 1973 when I was re-visiting sites I had know thirty years earlier in England. I spent several days at Norwich, in Norfolk County and one afternoon wandering up Charring Cross way hoping to locate a place called “Stranger's Hall.” - an old Flemish leftover, the home of a merchant and a place where many Flemish immigrants lived.

I found the place easily enough and had the odd feeling that it had not changed one whit in the ensuing thirty years. It has become a more formal Museum of Domestic Life now, I understand, but at that time, it was quite open to all. male single spectator who was seated on a long bench just inside the entrance. He nodded a greeting and I joined him.

There were three young girls seated a what appeared to be a large loom-like arrangement. An older woman turned from one to the other giving assistance and guidance for the work they were doing. She was pointing at the fabric giving guidance and instructions, and my bench companion told me they were repairing a damaged tapestry or wall-hanging.

The item on the loom did not look like a tapestry. We were seeing the reverse side. The girls were being taught to examine the flaws
or breaks in the and to repair them, any weak or broken connectives, and to repair them so that the observe side would be more secure and last longer.
They were “apprentices”, I thought at the time, learning the ancient art.

My previous stay in the Norwich area was at the behest of my esteemed Uncle Sam and during war time, when all art works and wall hangings had been removed and stored away in supposedly safe havens. On my return visit I was surprised to see that what I remembered as being bare walls was emblazoned with paintings, art works of all kinds and tapestries in abundance. The Great Hall at St. Andrews, the Guild Hall, the Castle, The Bishop's Palace ...even some commercial locations and many private homes, I would imagine, were suddenly restored.

The warp and woof of history has been busy, as well. It, too, was “set aside” during the years. We have brought back much of what we had developed over the years.

It might be wise to inspect the undersides of those things we saved to be sure the structure is secure. It is nice to be sure the side we see is firmly founded and carefully sustained.

A.L.M. July 2, 2003 [c550wds]

 
WASHINGTON' S FUNNY BONE


If you take a long, careful look at Gilbert Stuart's best known portrait of our first President George Washington, you can detect a bright gleam of good humor in his eye. I first noticed it many years ago when, our school tablets and notebooks had that picture on the cover. Then, in England in 1944, as I was descending a flight of steps too elegant to be calla stairway at Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge University, when, at the base of the descending flight or riser sections I came upon George - the original from their Gilbert Stuart collection. It was good to see him so far from home, and I swear George smiled at me.

“Parson” Weems,, born as Mason Locke Weems at Ann Arundal, Maryland in 1759, but associated in most people's minds with Vermont where he became an Anglican minister, writer, story teller and tract producer He must have notice that happy glint in George Washington's eye for when he wrote a tract convening the life of the First President he included bits of information not found in other biographies of the man from Mount Vernon. He used materials attributed to little George which seem to have come largely from his own imagination. The tale of little George chopping down his father's prized cherry tree and saying grown-up things about honesty and steadfastness when accused of the deed is one of such literary liberties he seems to have taken. He quotes George Washington';s father, as well. He had never punished the boy and was pleased with his statement concerning truth as being proof of his paternal skill in raising the lad. Weems painted both in [purest terms.

Artist Grant Woods painted a visible version of the Cherry Tree incident which details the activity.

George Washington, according to his own diaries and personal papers, was always ready for a good joke, and I particularly like the humorous treatment he inflicted on General Cornwallis at Yorktown.

When Cornwallis was forced to surrender to Washington he refused to do so personally. He delegated the act of presenting the symbolic sword to the American victor to an underling. I have not read if Cornwallis was present but if within hearing distance he had a message from George anyway. There was ceremonial music by the continental band and it was George Washington who asked them to play “Yankee Doodle”.

That song had originally been a British one, using the old tune of “Lucy Lockett”, put together by Dr. Richard Shuckburgh, a British Army surgeon. The British enjoyed singing the lyrics which satirized the American rag-tag army with whom they have been associated during the French and War. The song ridiculed of the untrained, gangly, uncouth and oft riotous Yankees who peopled the Colonies. The words were intended to be insulting. -and in three ways, too. The word Yankee is from a Cherokee Indian word “eankka” meaning “coward” or “slave”;“macaroni” had nothing to do with pasta - it meant “a fop” or “a dandy”. The word ”doodle” meant “fool” or ”slow-witted”.

Instead of the American being insulted., they liked the ditty and at the Battle of Bunker/Breeds' Hill they devised their own version of what they thought the lyrics should say and it became a sort of battle hymn to many of them. George Washington, who must have had other choices, instructed the band to play “Yankee Doodle” as the background music. It must have rankled, not only the British troops present, but m'Lord Cornwallis, as well, to be reminded that the rag-tag, make-do army they ridiculed as being totally incompetent, had bested them on the battlefield.

Can't you just see the mischievous glint in George's eye when he gave the order that the tune was to be drummed a fifed to all the world during the solemn ceremonies.

The Yankee Doodle man so despised by Cornwallis and his crew had defeated the finest the redcoats could bring forth. It is good that we can see some humor in Georges request. That devilish glint in his portrait eye has meaning to all of us.

A.L.M. July 1, 2003 [c773wds]

 
GOTHIC CATHEDRALS

I was surprised to find, just recently that the largest gothic style cathedral in the world is not in Europe. It is in America at Amsterdam Avenue at 112 the Street, in New York City. In is said to be large enough to hold all of Paris' Notre Dame and have room for Chartres cathedral as well.

Pace it off and you will find it measures 601 feet across the front by 360 feet at the transepts. The big rose window is forty feet in diameter and it is estimated to be made up of about ten thousand pieces of stained glass.

The idea of constructing such a building was much earlier, of course, but construction did not start until 1892. That was the year my mother was born in born at Aspenwall, Pennsylvania and, no doubt, she as a child ,read of , or was told about, the grand new building that was being built in New York City...a new church - real cathedral like those in Europe. I have heard and read about it being built all of my life, and it now appears that my grandchildren may be the ones to see it completed - maybe. Somewhere around mid-century a builder stuck his neck out and predicted that it would be completed by 2001.

They didn't make it. That date having gone by, I felt a need to check on it.

New Yorkers have an expression for such times. I don' t know that people in the Upper West Side, the Morningside Heights section near Columbia University use the expression, but a typical, terse retort to any critical allusion to the long delay might be the cryptic expression: “Not to worry!”
It means I am not to worry my empty skull worrying about such delays and postponements. That's the way cathedrals are built. They have always been built that way - with built-in procrastinations. Anyone who thinks he knows anything at all about he subject religious structures will know and appreciate that it takes longer than planned.

In its earliest days, the building of the edifice was deemed to be a joint effoct between the church and the community. Local, unskilled youths were hired and trained by James Baimbridge, a master stonemason from England, to cut the Indiana limestone to the proper sizes and shapes required and in the huge quantities needed.

Actual stone cutting from large chunks of Indiana limestone and estimates said they would use about 24,000 to build the two unfinished towers , and lest we think of it all being done by hand in a medieval manner, be it noted, they used used modern electric saws to cut the stone to exact proportions and even then it was project deserving the best of workmanship.

Grand cathedrals just can't be hurried.

Money, to, has been a delaying factor. At one point the cathedral filed bankruptcy papers. It has suffered several periods of inactivity. World War II saw it closed down from 1939 into the mid '40's. It has been progressing steadily ever since, and the church housed within the cathedral, such as it is today, is a vital part of community.

Let's not fret about when our new world-class cathedral will finished ...completed ...ready to show off. The European models were centuries a-buildin'..

I append a footnote for those of you who may become embroiled in an argument concerning size. Yes. St. Peter's , in Rome, is larger, but it is , “technically”, not a cathedral.

A. L.. M. June 30, 2003 [c622wds]



/

 
GOOD TIMES


We need to learn to make the most of what we have, rather than on that which we desire.

We waste valuable time and treasure when we insist on placing so much emphasis on the future

It will come as a shock to many individuals when they find they realize what a great store of positive values we have available to us at any given time.

In times of so-called social and economic recession, or depression, there may well be fewer innovative values, but the basis ones still exist and will prosper if properly used.

What does it really matter if we drive a car that is not this year's, stub-nosed lump of metal and glass but a rather smooth, sleek looking car of ancient, one-year vintage? And, do you remember when cars and trucks passed you on the nation's highways - each with antenna searching outward and upward to signify they had the CB radio capabilities you wanted so urgently. Everyone thought he or she had to have, at least one such unit, plus a “home base” where they lived when not driving. Where are they now?

They have all switched to cell phones, of course. And , who knows what the next phonic phase might be? Now, those same people who complained about the rather uncertain qualities of their versions of CB communications rigs – and, they were, indeed. A polyglot lot, weren't they? - are now cruising about here and there asking “Do you hear me now?”

Often the new things we want are transitory in nature, but the permanent values continue and deeply inured as an integral part of our very being being. If we simply use what we have, it is amazing how much better life can be or become.

Why wait for something which many never come your way? Put that which is at-hand for immediate use. Don't
just sit and wait.

As starter: try smiling a bit more.

Take stock of your talents. Get to know you - and your worth. And – don't sell yourself short. You are more valuable than your might think. You were “invested” by your parents at birth. It is now time to start clipping coupons ...using accrued values.

.A.L.M. June 26, 2003 [c391wds]

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07/31/2005 - 08/07/2005
08/07/2005 - 08/14/2005
08/14/2005 - 08/21/2005
08/21/2005 - 08/28/2005
08/28/2005 - 09/04/2005
09/04/2005 - 09/11/2005
09/11/2005 - 09/18/2005
09/18/2005 - 09/25/2005
09/25/2005 - 10/02/2005
10/02/2005 - 10/09/2005
10/09/2005 - 10/16/2005
10/16/2005 - 10/23/2005
10/23/2005 - 10/30/2005
10/30/2005 - 11/06/2005
11/06/2005 - 11/13/2005
11/13/2005 - 11/20/2005
11/20/2005 - 11/27/2005
11/27/2005 - 12/04/2005
12/04/2005 - 12/11/2005
12/11/2005 - 12/18/2005
12/18/2005 - 12/25/2005
12/25/2005 - 01/01/2006
01/01/2006 - 01/08/2006
01/08/2006 - 01/15/2006
01/15/2006 - 01/22/2006
01/22/2006 - 01/29/2006
01/29/2006 - 02/05/2006
02/05/2006 - 02/12/2006
02/12/2006 - 02/19/2006
02/19/2006 - 02/26/2006
02/26/2006 - 03/05/2006
03/05/2006 - 03/12/2006
03/12/2006 - 03/19/2006
03/19/2006 - 03/26/2006
03/26/2006 - 04/02/2006
04/02/2006 - 04/09/2006
04/09/2006 - 04/16/2006
04/16/2006 - 04/23/2006
04/23/2006 - 04/30/2006
04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006
05/07/2006 - 05/14/2006
05/14/2006 - 05/21/2006
05/21/2006 - 05/28/2006
05/28/2006 - 06/04/2006
06/04/2006 - 06/11/2006
06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006
06/18/2006 - 06/25/2006
06/25/2006 - 07/02/2006
07/02/2006 - 07/09/2006
07/09/2006 - 07/16/2006
07/16/2006 - 07/23/2006
07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006
07/30/2006 - 08/06/2006
08/06/2006 - 08/13/2006
08/13/2006 - 08/20/2006
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