Saturday, May 14, 2005
HOLIDAY I have had one holiday plan in mind for years, but I rather doubt that it will ever come to be a reality. There are logistical, financial and and semantic problems involved. I have been there before which may be the reason for delay and hesitation. Personal experience and that of others tells me that a second visit is never the same as that discovery visit years before. Perhaps its best to just put this plan aside and think of it as a trip which might have been a fine one. The place is that waterway located in East Anglia, England just a few miles north of the city of Norwich, in Norfolk. The village is Wroxham. It is best seen in Spring when the full,finest colors are in array and on display which is almost overdone. Every cottage owner seems to be bent on outdoing all others with flowers, shrubs, and trees of every type. You get the feeling you are visiting the place where artists find those ideal calender art pictures ...ornate, dipped in tinsel and good cheer. Wroxham shares a portion of the River Bure on the south bank the other back a bit on the north shore. Hoveton, I've been told, meant "a hill near the water" and Wroxham meant " a place frequented by buzzards." It is, today, however, frequented by thousands of renters of other types of water craft. I would like rent a houseboat and spend a month or so leisurely visiting and revisiting coves of "The Broads. While I'm wishing for such a thing, I might as well include a fine laptop computer so I can get my writing done. Wroxham also shows off what may well be the initial shopping mall arrangement for blanket merchandising of goods and services of all kinds. One of the first things I noticed when I first biked into Wroxham in 1944 from Salhouse-Rackheath way is that about eighty per cent of the real estate of the town seemed to be to be the private possession of one man named Roy! Shop after-shop, pub-after-pub, store-after-store, restaurants, petrol points, beauty salons, insurance brokerages, boot repair ...everything! There was the neatly painted red wooden sign saying it , too, was: "ROY'S". The store started in 1895 and is still doing well, I understand. Alfred and his brother Arnold members of a family named "Roy" in the village of Coltishall not too far away, started buying up troubled business firms; and refurbishing them with the intent of making money. They are today a disjointed shopping mall, a department store with stocks spread out all over town, including any ship chandler's supplies you feel you need You can visit Roy's by rail, highway or water. Anglia Railways serves Hoveton as a scheduled stop on their "Bittern Line". The narrow guage Bure Valley Railway runs between Wroxham an d Aylsham and during summer season and school holidays and summer season including "Boat Trains" which combine a narrow-gauger rail trip with a 90-minute boat trip. Off season they offer "Train Driving Classes"; you can buy or rent hiking equipment to take on the trails beside their tracks or camping out, or, a bike if you want to work out on the bike trails nearby. I'd like to vacation there if only to ascertain for sure if any of that is something that might now belong to Roy, as well. A.L.M. May 14,2005 [c580wds]
Friday, May 13, 2005
FRIDAY ONE THREE I've read several good articles recently urging more and better better planning in each and every project we undertake to do. We can all readily see that need and I, personally, have problem with one step: knowing when to stop "planning" and to take to "doing." I find that to have been a flaw in my planning plan for years. It has haunted me more than I like to admit. I've always been practicing and seldom performing. That's bad. Much that we do each day as we go about our living seems to be decided by forces outside of our control - Time, for instance, the Relative Ease with which a particular thing can be done, the weather outside or the the humidity inside... that sort of thing. At night, I have found myself, when I am unable to get back to sleep to be able to get drowsy by "planning" precisely what I intend to do the next morning. It can be a deadly dull routine. The things I plan are usually physical in nature - such as working a specific area of the garden or of the yard.Very seldom do conditions allow me to get the if I were back in condition to do so. That one has served me well over many years. It was good "therapy" , I found. By setting gardening goals I laid off a work plan for the next morning . In recent years, as I have slowed "up" or "down" or physically, I have gradually learned to replace physical plans with mental ones. I can now set a writing work plan for the next morning and doing so serves me in different ways, too. I feel that it ,too, mcan be called "good therapy". Deep down, I have to admit I could do so much better in so many thing if I did, indeed, plan ahead and work toward specific goals. I awaken with a sense of having accomplished some planning in my mind, but it very seldom carries over into practical physical change. When it does, however, the results are excellent. If, by chance, I do recall my plans during the night, I actually get specific work done because of it. I keep a small clipboard with paper and pencil at my bedside and jot down reminders of "things to do" for the next day. When I can read my notes, it helps. We are all aware, I'm sure of the wisdom of "taking time to smell the roses." Life should not be "all work and no play." For that very reason, I find that much of my "planning" is really "dreaming". It is good to dream because it is planning with potential; a promise of betterment in Tomorrow's activities and, in a way, we are, in doing so, setting up goals for attainment - however high or grand. Much of my planning is, I think, based on my interpretation of a word-of-wisdom my Mother used to use with us in a effort to teach us basics of housekeeping. "Always leave very room just a little bit better than your found it.!" If every member of a family follows that simply, easy rule it cancels the need for "Spring Cleaning", for "Getting-Ready for Company", for "Here Comes The Preacher!"and a host of other such household emergencies. It applies quite aptly to other aspects of our living, as well. If we plan our every hourly room so that it makes the area better than it was when we entered it, we're making progress without even trying. Today - Friday the 13th of May 2005, is a good day to remember that attempts to rely on luck, happisstance, or any voodoo-ish system is a waste of valuable time and effort. A.L.M. May 13, 2005 [c636wds]
Thursday, May 12, 2005
FORESIGHT There are times when we get the feeling we should have known would happen. I am not speaking of clairvoyant experience or of any magical potient or words or anything of that nature which is so often paired with any such skills of prophecy. It is more, I suppose as the old folks used to say so often: "I should have known better!" If we are truly aware of of exactly what has happened to us in the past a willing and capable of admitting any individual errors which led us to make any misjudgment when we had such an opportunity for choice and change. It is not to learn to change events, but rather that we might make better use of those elements which may work best with our plans for advancement. I suppose we might think of it as a sort of preview of a preface or a glimpse of a tentative sketch of the concept to be developed with Time. Hindsight often tells us we have missed like opportunities in the past concerning such adventures in living. It occurs to me, now that the U.S.S.R. has broken up, and other regimes of a like nature show evident signs of doing the same sort of thing, that we should have anticipated what was going to take place in the U.S.S.R. years ago. When any communist state begins a series of repressive measures within their own area designed to strengthen their hold on the people, we should look at such a campaign as one indication of doubts and weaknesses within the governing body of that state. They are showing doubts by insisting on "purification" of the basic tenets by which they have hold power. The only reason a dictatorial state has to declare a need for purification is the fact that ideology cracks and crevices are beginning to show. There is always a reason for someone being especially "good" when that has not been their demeanor most of the time. It is much like a child who anticipates the arrival of Santa Claus bearing gifts well in advance of the holiday season and who earnestly tries to improve his or her behavior to merit special gifts. In 1979-80, when Kosygin was Premier in the Soviet Union, he ranted at great length upon how improvements could only be brought about by more diligent adherence of the people to the old Marxist-Leninist package. The fact that such an emphasis was deemed to be necessary should have told us that the economic conditions in Russia were in a ferment and that people were discontent and complaining. Leonid Brezhnev was quite ill for a time and the power struggle that went on in the Kremlin should have been a textbook to us at the time concerning the future of the Soviet Union, but we failed to read it all properly, I suppose. Returns to Stalinist terror techniques were tried before the Politiburo realized that counter-offensive action was needed to muddy the public opinion waters a bit more throughout the Soviet Union. It was evident the public was getting to know too much and the old rules would take care of that - they thought. Happily for the world they proved to be in error. I dare say the advances in our communications systems had a great deal to do with the demise of the old Soviet system. Year by year the Soviet citizenry has become more and more aware of what goes on in the world. The Kremlin had to loosen it's traditional grasp on sources of information because it became more and more evident that the people actually knew more than officials thought they did about world events. They questioned the tinted versions they had been receiving Right now we are attempting to "read" what some people see as "Putin's doubts". A.L.M. May 12, 2005 [c601wds]
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
LESSON 5-11-05 I think it may we said that the American people did well on their first alert. May 11th around noon. Evacuation ordered for the halls of Congresss and other federal government sites. Unidentified aircraft were reported to be present four miles away. For those closely concerned, four miles was a about the same as nothing. Someone estimated as it was happening that the people leaving the buildings in our national capital had "about a fifty-six second warning" had it been a standard military aircraft ...even less if that plane had already launched a guided missle to do the actual hit. Is the "no-fly" zone around our national capital city large enough? Of course not. No such area is ever what it is said to be. And, to be effective must be more complicated than most taxpayer citizens would ever allow it to become. It, to be effective, would need anti-aircraft concentrations, in-air confrontation forces and barrier and absolute control of all land-traffic movement by the military. There are far too many variables involved to allow for multiple source decisions. An early time overview of the whole event, I think, indicates that the American people will take such things seriously. I think that was evident in public actions earlier. All of the expected types of evacuees were present except those who become subject to hysteria. It was evident, I felt, that this was being cosidered as being something more than reheresal or practice session. I had a good feeling about the general conduct of the departure. People moved along the sidewalks and pathways in a steady manner and with urging from police along the way. People in the lines followed those ahead of them seemingly confident that there was some one ahead of them who knew where they were going. One has to have been under an actual threat of this nature to realize that people play "roles" under such pressures. Older men tend to try to be what they have always hoped the would be under such dire circumstances; older women turn to romantic views caring for others, young boys and girls find they have to make decisions they had never faced before. That which is learned during such moments is not so easily forgotten when the "all clear" has sounded. I found myself wondering how it came to be that the specators in the balconies above the floor of the congressional bodies seemed to become aware of the alert a good minute or so ahead of those members of congress and their staff workers. I supposoe that will all be explained some day when it is determined how many cell phones, hand-held computers, TV sets and radios there were in use in the balconies. The spectators were up and about well ahead of the congressional staff and membership who were about ready to issue a general call to quell the disturbance in the balconies when they first became aware of the alert being under way. We need to study our actions of this day. We have a great deal to learn and lives may be affected. We must learn well, and soon. A.L.M May 11, 2005 [c544wds]
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
WHAT WE'RE READY FOR. We seem to stay in an agitated "state of readiness" since the new century got started. I don't recall any time in the recent past when were beset with such a conditions of many of which continually distract us over which we don't seem to have any real control. We have busied ourselves in gathering as many such problems as seems possible, under the common label of "Terrorism" with the possible hope that we might see their mutual evils and falseness as being potentially harmful to our national existence. We have been urged to make preparations for the defense of our homeland as a unit. It is difficult for many citizens to readily see what they view a silly, incidental, irksome things as being dangerous. Continuing stress in many areas around the world demand that we continue to make special preparations. Most the time, we are called upon to "be ready " just as a matter of routine and past training. Your need for readiness may come upon you rather suddenly when not to be ready could be costly? We so seldom enjoy the luxury of time in which to get ready. The injunction must, justifiably, be, then, to "be" or "stay" ready rather than to "get". We learned that much from the Boy Scouts, member or not. "Be Prepared" is a good slogan in whatever age group or social division one might find himself, or herself, to be. It is possible, as every college kid can tell you, to "cram" - to make all sorts of last minute arrangements if you know what the emergency is going to be - such as an exam on a subject you have been lax in studying about recently. How many of us are prepared for the surprises of our daily lives? Few, I dare say, in a strict sense. Most of us are content to "muddle though"..."get by"... or, "wing it". By and large, we do very well with this sort of conduct mainly because we are more prepared than we realize to met the common sameness and routine of our lives as a rule. Only when something comes up which is of an unusual nature do we realize that we are , at times, ill-prepared to cope with emergencies. One prepares for tomorrow with every second of today, of course. It might not appear to be a set pattern but those things which help us get through situations of concern one day will help us on another every more so. We learn from doing. That is why it is so important that we give detailed attention to what is happening at the "right now" time of our lives, because it can determine, to some extent, what is going to take place tomorrow and tomorrow. Maintaining good health is of prime importance, of course, for all of us. If you don't feel well; you won't do well. Proper rest and genuine sleep are essential in being prepared . We must learn to eat well and sensibly, too; drink moderately, or not at all, exercise within reason without taxing our fibers and functions unduly. Misguided and selfish preparations can be costly in many ways. Witness the "Y2K" panic we "survived". The strange madness which came upon normally "average" people during those pre-Century months has been hushed up now and we don't hear about what such people did with their massive stores of canned foods, gasoline, batteries, - you name it - which they piled up in preparation for something which didn't materialize. The same things happens on a smaller scale with many every day who plan from for things which are most unlikely to become a part of their actual experience. This is no time to Get Ready. We must Stay Ready. A.L.M.... May 10, 2005 [c637wds]
Monday, May 09, 2005
MANAGEDIf you get a feeling that there seems to have been a rather definte change in manner by which we express our political, social, military attitudes with various foreign powers,try not to be among those who seem to condemn such "management" as being a bad thing for the nation and for world understanding. Many critics express some strong doubts about a plan which enables President Gorge W. Bush to move about freely in a series of foreign "outposts" this week. They find it difficult to believe that a policy has been devised which makes it possible for George Bush to meet publically and to commiserate with the President of Latvia concerening the post-Hitler occupation of the Baltic States by the Soviets, when one the very next day of his tour, he will be meeting with his coungterpart in Moscow. Russia's Putin will, quite logically – from the Soviet point-of- view, not see the Baltic "occupation" as having been that at all. For the first time, such problems can be discussed openly and perhaps, we can make some real progress toward peaceful settlements based less on political values and more on human being qualities. Obviously, these steps have been planned or "managed". Certainly the Presidents of these nations did not, with whim-like frivolity decide it might be a good thing if they could try some melding for a change. The fact that our leaders can meet at such a level of mutual understanding is remarkable in its simplicity and it has come about through the management skills of such people as Colin Powell and Condaleezza Rice. Add to that credit the workm of a score of men and women - edicated "others" on the staff at the State Department.Their management skills have been set forth to the benefit of all Mankind. A.L.M. May 8, 2005 [c312wds]
Sunday, May 08, 2005
PACIFIC RIM The word itself means "peaceful", does it not? Tranquil? Untroubled? Yet in the Pacific area we have about three hundred thousand soldiers, airmen, marines and other armed forces personnel who are stationed there to maintain the peace. The Pacific Ocean rim is not exactly peaceful and the potential for trouble in the future is quite obvious in several areas. Our military manuevers and training programs are fashioned with the idea that China or North Korea, or both might well be our advisaries but we strive to call such preparations by other names with connotations of friendliness and cooperation. That idea has been there in the back of our planning ever since the Chinese came charging across to aid North Korea during the Korean War. It is considered, by many, to be inevitable. Just exactly constitutes a nation and what makes up an off-shore nation claiming to be separate and distinct nation in itself is being discussed - and in terms which are disquieting .A nation in its own right is living as such very much moreso right now in Taiwan . Estimates of around 40,000 marines soldiers and in Asia, in general, 120,000 seaman afloat and they are at about ninety locations, in addition to about 37,000 in Korea. The general public is aware of the "occupational troops" being in Korea but few know about joint exercises" we have carried on in cooperation with the Aussies and the Japanese at Narathinatt, Thailand or,more recently, at Shoalwater Bay, in Australia. The Thai operation, called "Cobra Gold" and the "Foal Eagle" exercises in Korea both were practice routines against a possible Oriental aggressor. In spite of recent attempts to establish better relations between China and the United States, much suspicion and distrust still exists - and with good reason - on both sides. Sword rattling by Red China concerning Tiawan and the "One China" concept are disconcertng to say the least. Since getting Hong Kong back from the British, China has been more confident in the field of international relations but just how far she might go in retaking the island is a point for study, and preparations to meet such a moment. It is not a pleasant prospect, but harsh reality of times present and of the past suggest that talk of tranquility is to be questioned. It is my hope that we can continue to have a Media and a Congress both of whom realize the importance of maintianing a strong front again possible Chinese/North Korean aggression along the Pacific rim. A.L.M. May 8, 2005 [c000wds]
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