Saturday, October 18, 2003
DOWNSIDE
Life is what we make it.
Your life.
Mine.
I have found that to be true in many ways.
My doctor tells me, as I approach eighty-eight years, that I am getting “younger” all the time. I know better than to think is speaking seriously and it gave me the opportunity to explain the system whereby I bring it all about or appear to do so. I decided many years ago that , if I should attain to the age of fifty years, I would then start taking one year off the total each birthday month. When I arrive at ZERO – then – out! Unless one has earned extra years under the bonus plans available.
Such a plan makes good sense to me. On that basis I am looking forward to my new downside year next February 25th. To what avail? That remains to it can be seen. We must to see what use I make of my Downside Teen Age years. They are said to be ”formative years”, you know.
Silly? I know that, but not nearly as foolish as worrying about ones advancing years leading to undue agony and frustration.
Growing younger is not the same as growing older. Nor, is it even a reversal thereof either. It is a new way of living which few people ever discover mainly because most of us accept the status quo methods and allow ourselves to descend into decrepitude in every aspect of human endeavor.
Stay busy ....physically ... as long as you can hack it; Ease off on energy use when bones and brawn no longer mesh properly at the right times. Stay busy mentally, as well. Set no limits on learning. Stay awake socially, as well ...read books, sing, write, play a musical instrument, gossip, if you've been good at that, and go right on expressing yourself so you remain you and do not become some sort of blah.
Friday, October 17, 2003
GETTING PLASTERED
If there are memories I would just as soon forget, one would certainly be that era in which application of a counter-irritant was considered th be the best way to cure a chest cold or other such ailment. The do-it-thyself procedure was not complicated. Drs.”Mom”, Grandma and Pa, after closed consultation, started with a large cloth - probably wool – or some designated fabric. That cloth was doused with water and a mat of dry mustard powder sprinkled upon it as I recall. The pad was then styled as a semi wrap-around pad for the chest area of the victim-patient.
Firmly in place and covered with a thick towel,,i felt good enough. It was, maybe, a bit chilly to start with, but it warmed up gradually, then some more and changed aggressively until it, proceeded to cooking temperatures I always felt.
You would hear the spoken word of the treatment staff: ”There, now! You'll feel better!” And, oddly enough I did. The coughing was gone. I felt warm, on the edge of being too cozy and drifted off to sleep.
I could dream of a parallel in which a large group of foresters were fighting a terrible fire along a mountain range. They went ahead of the advancing flames and started a smaller fire of their own. When the main fire came to that point there was nothing left to burn run and it would die out. That could, I suppose, be called counter- irritant action. Unless, the wind changed directions in the meantime, I suppose, that could be called and example of counter-irritant action.
There were frills which could be added,of course, but I only remember one occasion when the staff thought general slices of raw onion must be added to the mustard plaster application. I have heard such added touches were intended to alleviate the scalded, red appearance of the skin of the chest area which was often evident the next morning and for a time thereafter
That onion additive proved to be damaging in a psychological way for both patient and staff. It did little for the the patient to look up and see everyone looking down at tearfully.
Seriously, we have made tremendous strides in the treatment of all manner of illness for both man and beast since those days They were real, however, and it is often a bit scary to think of how primitive our present-day medical treatments are going to appear to have been a hundred years hence.
A.L.M. October 15, 2003 [c436wds]
Thursday, October 16, 2003
ONE SIZE MISFITS ALL
It seems to me to be unfortunate that TV Production people, those who make our entertainment and edification packages, are in real trouble. The condition, too, is worsening.
In theory, we should be working together, rather than opposing each other.
They depend on the income they receive from the shows which are sold to us and, in turn, we look I look to them them as people with training, experience, money, and know-how and, at least, they know the whereabouts of the need creative artists needed to provide such a product for us to buy.
Yet, season after season, these prize-winning persons seem to be incapable of producing other than one-size-fits all program materials. The ape and imitate each other; the deride the arty edges of the business when they try new, innovative techniques and try to continue rehashing the old formats until they have become threadbare and tattered.
The least admirably among them tend to depend more and more on shock values. The prove season after season that excess violence, profanity, obscenity, rape and ravishment are not, as such, entertaining Their idea of comedy seems to center on either male crotch kicks or sight seeing tours of female cleavage. Each year they steadfastly prove that such shows are shallow and doomed.
To remain vital, television needs to develop purpose. its lose its meaning and need to be refocused on a definite set of goal worthy of the best elements of it audience. It can do far better than it is doing. It has proved that, by becoming the overwhelming media giant of our century. It has brought us endless reams of good entertainment and educational creations over many years. It is because of its sterling achievements that we are so concerned about its future.
The major need right now seems to be a need for TV to decide what it wants to be, where it is going, and to try to work toward such goals rather than attempting to recreate and maintain a Golden Age which it once knew and cannot ever know again in exactly the same way. The industry needs a new sense of purpose.
TV producers have had everything their own way far too long. There are now other kids on the block are ready to entertaining and edify in their mode and TV can no longer survive on re-runs and new versions of the same old formats season after season.
Have you noticed that the last three “changes” offered in American TV have all been British imports – The “millionaire” things, the “survivor” things and “reality” farces?
A.L.M. October 15, 2003 [c449wds]
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
FEAR
Just about all of us, have and are, at times, confused and led astray by fear.
It can become a handy way of getting rid of things we think we don't like.
How often have you found yourself saying, or thinking ...”Oh, I'm afraid I can't be there at that time. The last time I did time did so I....” and, we attempt to prop up our objection with seemingly sensible reasons. We seldom admit any deep feelings of fear.
The same very human element is to be found in many of our activities, even our social and political lives, we live without any bothersome knowledge of it being there as a controlling factor.
Quite often it can prove to be a handicap. Each of us, deep within, has serious thought about changed we would like to see being brought about in our social systems, We are, it could be said, fearful of saying what we truly feel because we might face ridicule, and be branded as being pushy, ignorant, stupid, egg-headed, or worse.
It can happen that way, but in a group of your peer with standards of politeness pretty much like your own, you will often see different result. There will be noticeable pause in their speech flow. Some may insert such thoughts as “Well, I never thought of it in quite that manner...” As they continue to argue their points they, from time to time, will actually pause and even look at you for your opinion. Once our initial plunge into the discussion has been made, you may even realize that you know as much, or more , about the subject under discussion as they do. Such fear can be overcome. Remember how it was when you, as a child, were at the pool ready,willing able to learn how to swim. There was not a chance of learning if you didn't get in the water. During this next election year, when political opinion are flowing, take the dive, get in the swim and conquer your fears which have kept you from expressing your views in years past.
Try it. You'll like it.
Fulfilling one's social and political obligations is a tragically ignored element of present-day living. Find your role as a supporting player the Drama of Democracy.
A.L..M. October 14, 2003 [c395wds]
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
FAIRNESS
Should we move major criminal trials from the regions in which the alleged crime or crimes took place?
It is done in the name of fair play as an extra effort to make sure the accused gets a fair trial uninfluenced by personal associations of jurors with the incidents involved.
It seems clear that the current trials for the first of the two accused “Beltway Killers” might best be conducted other than in the immediate Maryland-D.C.-Virginia area as well as to the south down the Intestate 95 corridor. The first of those trials has just gotten underway at Virginia Beach, Virginia - the largest city in the Old Dominion.
It would seem to be a good choice as a place to hold such a trial. It is located out of the immediate area where the pubic felt some genuine - even reasonable – fear and apprehensions during the extended series of killings. It should be a city which is large enough to take care of the logistical needs of present day; large enough to allow for TV equipment without the entire community taking on the air of a carnival celebrations of some sort. It should also be a place where the media – now far more complex than many might imagine – may have sensible access as to the progress of events in the Court without undo restrictions which might encourage flawed reporting - which would also be unfair to the individuals being tried.
One purpose of such a move to to provide provide a more equitable jury for the accused, but the move does not make the difficulty of choosing a panel or, less important. With the means of communication as is is today, it is more or less impossible to find jurors who know “nothing” about the case at hand. They may not be sharply, influenced by such events; or they may not have formed a definite opinion from what little the do know. We would, I think , find anyone who declared he had no knowledge whatsoever of the crime, could be trusted to judge any one accused of committed the transgression.
Being “fair” about it all is important. In doing so we accent the better qualities within us - ethical standards. There will, however, this week be among us many individuals who will continue to say it is all foolishness claiming that, whatever we do, will be much “fairer” than were the accused gunmen as they gunned down innocent men and women.
a.l.m. October 13, 2003 [c432wds]
Sunday, October 12, 2003
DAFFYNITION
We are, in our governmental circles, often in danger of defining ourselves into dangerous corners.
For example: All this talk about “Weapons of Mass Destruction.”
All weapons are “weapons of mass destruction”, or they are useless.
Who would be willing to expend work and money developing a half-way or “maybe” piece of ordinance? At what point would it be defined as being a “weapon”? What constitutes a “mass”? How many? Of what?
“Weapons of Mass Destruction” as a cumbersome term of vague potentials, became “W.M.P.” when used by the media and as understood by an evermore gullible public. The acronym has an evasive quality about it, too, which permits individual gradations of severity. We can each visualize the immensity of the situation as being a mild, medium, moderate, or monstrous threat to our very existence.
With such a vague definition in mind, we dispatched agents into foreign lands to ascertain the existence of such demonic weaponry aimed our way, and ready for use by power-crazed despot in a matter of minutes. We were disappointed, confused and confounded, when our fantasy-fed inspectors fail to find such exotic weaponry as we have thought would have been available in glitzy bundles awaiting our arrival.
The natural public reaction has been for many to castigate the inspectors themselves as being inept, bumbling busybodies and others have seen it as an opportunity to blame the Bush Administration for seeing the danger in the first place.. The resulting standoff situations which developed between such factions, might well have obscured the reality inspection has found evidence that such feared weaponry system such as biological and chemical agents and the means of dispersing them against us, have been shown to have existed to some extent. Ruins of movable labs have been found which could well have been used by Iraq's former leader. He actually made us of such facilities to kill thousands of his own people who had rebelled against his despotic rule in the recent past. We have found that he had developed such capabilities and that they have either been destroyed or moved across the border into neighboring Arabic states.
There now remains a threat - and is far from being a minor one - which would point to the distinct possibility that the use and misuse of the handy acronym. The most glaring example of mis-use of the term is to be seen in our upcoming presidential campaign already underway. Misguided users of the questionable term are suspect in the minds of many.
A.L.M. October 11, 2003 [c476wds]
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