Saturday, March 13, 2004
WAY TO GO!
You have a choice to make before you die. Do you wish to be buried in the conventional manner or cremated?
You can save relatives and friends a great deal of concern and care, if you, at least, make some reference to the subject and make your choice known before the time of need arrives.
This is not a subject which demands instant attention In fact, most of us would just as soon to forget it and leave the decision up to those who survive us. I don't know of any real complaints about having been put away by the wrong method, but I have found those survivors who, months llater let it be known that the deceased actually had wanted to be put way by the other method. That can cause ill-feeling among family members and needless worry and concern by others.
My rather limited inexperience in the field came about from being an newspaper reporter, though military service during war time, and through post-retirement employment by a funeral home. I have worked as an assistant in both procedures and neither method is pleasant. I have assisted in both embalming and cremation procures and neither one is pleasant. I would not seek employment neither field as a life work. In my limited view, I have “been there and done that” to a sufficient degree.
During World War II a friend of mine offered his mortuary capabilities to a firm in the English city near which were stationed. He was disappointed. He had no inexperienced in cremation, which was the predominant method used in England during those wartime
Take time to discuss the matter with family and friends if you have a preference in mind. Some people have some rather strange ideas about death and dying, and even stranger ones about the process by which the human body is changed in an attempt to make it more durable after death. Religious factor enter the equation with many individuals, and others take a nonchalant attitude which says, in effect,”What difference does it make?” If you have a special aversion to either form, let that fact be knows to those who might be called upon to see to your deathbed wishes and needs.
A.L.M. March 12, 2004 [c387wds]
Friday, March 12, 2004
LOOK AHEAD TO YESTERDAY
Like history is said to do, much of life, itself gets repeated.
What changes you make will set the stage for new ones next year, and both will be related to what has been done in the past. Life is a progression, not a series of new starts as some people seem to think it is supposed to be.. The "new" leaf you "turn over" is not so original after all, but rather a more defined translation of what you have experienced before, edited a bit, perhaps, amended to reflect the press of current circumstances an a more
awareness of our actual needs.
We are, then, very often, decided to do what we have done before.
We should all be made aware of this condition. Now that we are emmeshed in yet another national election. This is not a parlor game we are playing'. This is a time when we are actively setting the path we are to follow into our future. This is no time to be permissive and to allow errors to be made in the name of tolerance and so-called understandings of conflicting views.
Just about all of us have a time in mind which seems to have been better than that which we now know. We called such times as "the good ole days" and it sems to think we can wave a magic wand of words and bring them back for a re-run. We can't, of course, because we are seeing them as fueled by what has happened since that time, changes of circumstances since those halcyon days. The basis of need has changed far more than we might realize.
You can't go back to the rather ideal setting of your home town of which you have memories of being so happy and content. The village simply is not there in the same context. So it is wih our present locations. They are not what they seemed to have been just a few years ago. They have changed, even though they may appear to intact.
Nostalgia can be costly as many a person has discovered when he tried to restore the old home place to the condition in which he remembers it to have been during his youth. Political parties are not, and never have been flawless. No one party has a monooly on fairness and truth.
We have already had a few open-mike incidents in the present campaign and there will be more – accidental and staged – in which steet language will be used setting forth what many will consider to be the more accurate picture of events and of persons involved therein.
Brace yourself. This round shows promise of being a rowdy one.
A.L.M. March 11, 2004 [c466wds]
Thursday, March 11, 2004
A BLANK
I, quite honestly, draw a blank when I try to picture what the next generation of automobiles might look like.
They have taken a host of impossible shapes in the past from glass display cases on large wooden wheels to sleek, little trundle bed designs - flat, feisty and fleet a-wheel And, curiously, each of them, in their time, was – or soon became acceptable – until such time as one manufacturing house decided to try something a bit different. When one did so, all save a few stubborn holdouts did the same.
It was only natural that early designers would created something generally reminiscently of of the buggy, wagon or some other beast-drawn,wheeled contrivance from their past. Over the years some deliberate efforts have been made change that bias. Some designed cars with ships in mind; others went overboard and swamped us with cars which had tails, fins and spoilers. They were long, streamlined shapes which could whiz through the air, dust, smog and rains from heaven with exemplary skill and the greatest of ease in all of their chrome-crusted beauty.
That must have been in the late 40's and early 1950's but since that era, car designing here in America, at least,
has been pretty much of an echo-oriented thing. All came to look pretty short, pudgy, generously colored little pods ...one was said to resemble a pregnant peanut... became pretty much standard until the strange times when we hit tupon thew Van craze and bounced into the SUV stage. That called for higher, boxy designs and now we see a tendency to blend limo body styles and more big car features with all the super-sturdy, and often clunky-looking, macho addtives of recent years.
We are, I suppose teetering on the very edge of yet another time co-called time of change. How modest or how violent such changes will be remains a deep mystery. Even those who do the designs have yet to flip the holy chrome wheel cover to determine which direction they will take this time.
To me, one of the most innovative body designs which comes to mind, which, as far as I know, has never been duplicated well in any other make, was the wrap-around hood feature of the sharp, sleek and sassy looking car called “The Cord”. The Cord was modern ahead of its time by at least fifty years or so, and I can remember wanting to have one when I became rich.
That never happened, of course, and I suppose must be content to remain cordless the rest of my days. Some critics speak of me as having been unplugged years ago.
A.L.M. March 9, 2004 [c459wds]
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
READINESS
Each day, I read in the papers the papers about our wonderful accomplishments as a nation among other nations of the world. I read of our envied role in business affairs, in commerce, social life, the arts and stellar living qualities on all sides assuring a glowing future filliped with grandeur and blessings for one and all.
I don't have to even change to another page. or shift to a different channel to read, even see, the stupid things we have done today. Very little of it makes good sense. Even when seen as comic relief from the serious tedium of many of the tremendous variety of our lives.
I read, for example, about the completion of the signing ceremonies of the agreement whereby there may eventually be a constitution written by which the people of Iraq may have a proper government. Just a day or so ago, that was, seemingly impossible because five religious leaders refused to sign. Either they simply reversed their view or some of their demands were met. We may never know why they changed,but that sudden turn shows how active the United States influence is for good. A better world for the people of Iraq means a better world for us, as well.
That item made me feel good about our role in world affairs, but on the same page, I saw an item from Covington, Georgia which explained a curious activity at the local Wal-Mart store. A lady made a purchase of $1,745, I think it was, and the credit card she offered in payment showed a balance pf $2.36 remained. Without hesitation, the lady opened her purse as if she intended to pay cash for the purchase. She held out some currency. “ Here” she offered,”can you cash a million dollar bill?”
The young clerk explained that she may nor be able to do so able to do so since no such bill existed in American currency. She alerted security people nearby who came over there when the lady set out to prove there were such notes She did so my showing two more she had in her purse...novelty store playthings deceptively authentic in appearance.
Such contrasts are quite evident in the news about our culture and our willingness to participate in world affairs. At the moment, at a time when our presidential election fever is getting near the boiling point, we have to wonder if charges, counter charges and accusations are anywhere near to actual facts.
I question our, oft times, rather eager readiness to rule others. It appears, far too often, that we have some home work still to be done.
A.L.N. March 9, 2004 [c453wds]
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
UNCOMFORTABLE
I find it almost impossible to believe that John Kerry would even try to run for the office of President of the United States.
He has a right to do so. I have no strong feeling along those lines. Anyone can announce his aspirations and look forward to having a hand in the nation's future attainments. It is a noble thing to feel a need to be of service to others.
There are few grounds for thinking that one man mightbe better than another at undertaking to do the job of managing the world's strongest nation in the troubled international community. And, especially so at this time in our national history when the world is troubled so deeply in so many unusual ways.
Certainly, by this time Kerry is assured of being the nominee set forth as the candidate of the Democratic Party. As one of our major political parties, this group has a history impressive parade of stalwart citizens who have borne the Democratic Party banner well and with some commendable results. His rise thus far has been steady. His tenacity is evident in limiting himself to repetition of points chosen to vilify the Bush administration from every possible angle regardless of how trivial or how instable such accusation might be. It has worked well for him. He has has been careful to stay within the set criticisms except for such moments as when he vilified the National Guard - now about our sole source of military personnel - as being ” a haven for rich men's sons” He warded off what proved to be a weaker than expected drive from South Carolina by another John and simply stood by as Howard Dean did himself in and scurried back to Vermont At this moment, just eight months before election day, John Kerry appears to be well-established for a run at the Oval Office job.
Why , then should I be “uncomfortable?”
That which is, as yet, going unsaid is danging all around. John Cheery, better than any one person, ought to be aware of the potential disaster which awaits him if his heavy load of past strange conduct becomes well known prior to Convention time. He is running a great risk if he chooses to believe the Republican party operatives will not use “personal” shortcomings of his past life - both military and and civilian - against him in the campaign.
Think again, John. Can you “out talk” the revelation of straight facts about your rather limited military career? Can you explain why you did not report the hundreds of a deadly atrocities committed by American troops which you “witnessed” during your four months stay doing eighteen missions from a vantage point of a river boat in Mekong Delta waters? After asking for and receiving discharge from the armed forces, he became a long-haired anti-war protector dressed in ragged army fatigues. They paraded, burned other people's draft cards and military awards and service medals and records. He actually led a march attacking the capital with toy guns. It's all recorded in newspapers and magazines as photographs and stories detailing the violence of the his group later singled out, by name, by a Vet Nam General who wrote a book about how the anti-war groups here helped them to win the war.
This is “refute or admit” time.
I am “uncomfortable” with someone else, too. Those who have failed to bring this flood of facts into the campaign. With such such hesitation to speak out against unworthy opposition, I find myself becoming concerned about the value of our system itself.
A.L.M. March 8, 2004 [c608wds]
Monday, March 08, 2004
WHAT ABOUT MARTHA?
When was the last time you made a mistake?
Are you sure about that?
O. K. I’ll accept that – having been there and done that ,but I continue to wonder why the erasers on the upper tips of the almost-like-new pencils you use lack two-thirds of their eraser quantity. I never realized before erasers evaporate if they go unused.
To tell the absolute truth, we all make mistakes. Most begin as small sizes, and in a wide variety of shapes and colors, as well.
Martha Stewart got caught doing so.
At the moment of being “found out”, she made a second one. Had she offered a prompt apology the mention may have gone unnoticed, but that was not an easy thing for her to do. As a business-woman and eager carpentry’s, an intense innovator, and a folksy all-round “Doer”, she had created a group of contenders along the way – some of them of the green-eyed variety.
There are some among us who insist that, had Martha Stewart leveled with everyone at the very start and told he truth all the way, she could have avoided much of her recent troubles. I hold, however, that her “contenders” - enemies – in a technical sense – enjoyed seeing her trying to explain everything. There is still a great deal more old-fashioned macho feeling out there against successful business women, as well.
Hers is a complex personality and those things which happen to her seem to be more complicated than they otherwise might prove to be. Yes, Martha Stewart deserves what is being called “selective” attention ...which might also be known as “compassionate” treatment.
Certainly, with the “shame” of it all, with the tremendous financial losses she has and will suffer in her business ventures, Martha Stewart deserves a “break”. She is meeting today with that person or, those people, who will act as her Parole Officers, which suggests any jail terms might be suspended. In all fairness, I would hope so.
If imposing a fine would help sooth those who want to “make an example” of her wrongdoing, then, set one. Her “gain” from the sale of stock seems to have been about $38,000. To , satisfy, to some degree,the “let's get her” crowd, make that the amount of a fine?
Then, one more thing. It might be a good thing for that same group if they start looking at others - those who are making millions at stock manipulations without any punishment or loss.
A.L M. March 7. 2004 [c439wds]
Sunday, March 07, 2004
USED AND ABUSED
Often, I fear, the freedom we claim as a vital part of our lives, is being used against us.
I have serious doubts about the fact that suddenly, from out of the past, hundeds of New York firemen's widows have, overnight and seemingly on their own, found their tearful way into TV studios all over the nation voicing identically worded complaints about the nature of President George W. Bush's intitial campaign ad.
I can't quite bring myself to agree that such a coincidental arousal of weeping widow words might come about through chance and unnaturally prompt attention of widows to the artistic patterns and linguistic allusions made in a one minute TV commercial spot.
We listeners and viewers are being worked over carefully by experts at trickery and double-talk.
Some individul or small group of Bush-bashers, obvioously had prior access to the contgent of the commercial well in advance of distribution. Eager collaberators in the nation's communicaions industries, stood ready and eager to received the packaged propaganda release as if it were a legitimate "news" item.
We, the viewers, have once more been vicimized at the hand of such dishonest purveyorsof lies and planned deception. The same tactics were used the Clinton days when a WehiteHouse "spin: group did the same to new itxms for eek-pend release. Perhps you remember how Sunday TV' news and shows all worked the subject around to a set topic and actually used identical words sent out to all points by the staffer in the White House who had put the party spin on the item. That ls the way the word “gravitas” worked itself into the American language. A spin writer had said a certian individual had “gravitas” and all the panel personalities parroted it perpetually throughout each and every week-end “news” show.
We were taken for an informational “ride” then, and we are being “taken” again and again by such subtle, underhand manipulations of much of the news content of the day. No channel is free of such dangers.. radio frequencies, TV channels, cable connections, Internet pages, newspapers, magazines, newsletters,and columns we read and write on line.
The maxim seems to be:Don't believe anything you see, hear or read until you have checked it with your inner fund of common-sense
A.L.M. March 6, 2004 [c395wds]
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