Saturday, September 24, 2005
WE SEE SO LITTLE Ours is a large nation. It is big in many ways. So much so that, at times, it tends to minimize any terms used to try to define it's dimensions. Many were reminded of the size of the nation when watching the two hurricanes which have, this far elected to visit our gulf coast states. As hurricanes go, they were classified as being “large” and when a map either of them was applied as an overlay, it covered the area completely and fudged a bit into the edge off edge of the Caribbean Sea. If, in your own mind you slid it all up and you swamped the entire Republic of Texas - now called a “state”- one among many united Many foreign residents never think of a nation of such extended dimensions They think, in many cases, of driving of a hour or two and visit several nations. It is said one cannot drive more than seventy-two miles in any one direction from the center of England without ending up in the sea. In the City of New Orleans more land was under water than most people realize. They quote it as being “80% or 90%” but never say “of what?” Many Americans make the false judgments. There has been, are, and will continue to be, groups of narrow-minded critics by birth who will insist that “authority” in the stricken areas was a either lacking or in the hands of incompetent people who were either stupid, greedy,or motivated by the wrong political and social principles. They tend to mark all whom they accuse as offenders with a wide brush of their own dipping. In the past the best way to deal with this troublesome rash has been simply to expose them to the sunshine of honest, open publicity. They tend to crawl back into the wood work to await another opportunity when we may wander away from the dominion we hold over our Good Earth. A.L.M. September 24, 2005 [c351wds]
Friday, September 23, 2005
PREVIEW “That which we are now seeing on television is a preview of what it is going to happen when the Terrorists attack America!” I first heard that said during the early hours of the Katrina flood water were inundating the City New Orleans and we had growing fears that he various agencies we expected to show up to help victims were absent Looting continued before our very eyes and we surmised that local law was not functioning all. Both city and State assistance proved to be evasive; to be proud of plans and promises but not too great on delivery. Federal assistance simple was not there start with anything than endless rolls of red tape. On the very first day it was evident that peoples expect too much of government. We forget our welfare years when New Deal thinking prevailed. We are a people seeking to call aspect of our lives as “rights'”and safety is what we expect it to be replete with protective rights of all kinds” I felt that judgment was too severe but in the past week I have changed my view We were not prepared for “Katrina”, we are not prepared for Rita and be it every so far away -– we will not be prepared for the next hurricane, either. These two big winds have changed by view. Now, as we watch New Orleans re-filling with floor waters once more and wonder it area will survive its past and start living with the future in mind. We have never suffered the plight of being refugees a and to think that we might be called upon to do so is almost beyond our comprehension. These natural disasters have shown us what it can be to suffer. Those who have been trapped in the actual events have found an awareness of the great loss of human life and billions dollars in property. We have also made Hope more difficult to obtain and hold. In the days, weeks, and months ahead, it may be good for us to seek to live honest, decent lives which will merit quality leadership and guidance. A.L.M. September 23, 2005 [c362wds]
Thursday, September 22, 2005
NOW, THE WAY I HEARD IT.... I go back to Gramophone days. Everything. Thick, black disks were the heart and soul of the sound system. They measured about twelve or fourteen inches across. They were made of a dried-tar substance we called "wax". A thick coating of soother stuff was baked on the top side of each disk which was slick looking. You could see circles of round scratches like little Grand Canyons of sounds pocked into the tiny ditch. In some way record makers caused a needle to vibrate to sounds and ridges and valleys were cut in each crevice. We ran another needle over those ruts and ridges and heard sounds when it was run through amplifiers and speakers. We didn't worry much about how speech and music was so preserved. We seldom became involved in development. As long as it came to us mounted in a nice cabinet -a piece of furniture with the large horn-like speakers concealed inside the box. Owning a Gramophone was a social thing. It marked ours as a modern, wide-awake family. The early recordings had announcers to tell listeners who was going to read, recite or sing but that didn't last long. Neater, smaller, more dependable as "Victrolas" replaced the old "Gramophone machines". We started calling them "phonographs" and for many years the word was tagged with the name of the maker. Until 1925 records were expensive because only one record could be made at a time. One loud military band and one super-powerful tenor who had proved they could make three record at the same time. Materials used to make records had changed before too long a number of records could “cut” at the same time. The materials were more durable with proper care and the term “quality”came to have more meaning in the industry and among “record fans.” The advent of radio made the record change rapidly. The makers name gradually faded away and phonographs became simply “record players.” It took a good many years to work our way through three favorite record speeds – 78's. 33-1/3 and 45 r.p.m. In addition, radio's demands caused distinctions to be made with applications. The records are still with us but tape recorder and other electronic system have taken us even closer to perfections we still seek. A..L.M. September 22, 2005 [c402wds]
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
A FULL HOUSE You certainly must have noticed that there has been a decided jump in the populace's interest in card playing games. Everywhere - the deal is on! New television versions of "Poker" are appear within ever-increasing regularity. New deals are turning up in non-metro areas as well, so it will soon get to be possible for you to find a game going wherever you may happen to be. It won't be too long until housewives tire of being desperate and, once again, fill Middle America with "Bridge Clubs". They can fill slots left b y soaps which have gone on to become prime-time TV drama, featured films or Broadway shows. Some good ole times playing cards with agreeable friends; having some good food and drink and,perhaps, to connect with some of that Vegas variety of greens - colorful wrappings with presidential portraits properly positioned. What could this rather abrupt return to the cardboards mean? For one thing. It shows that TV production people have found yet another way which allows them to ship out newer stocks of low-budget programming. The playing card has long been such an inspirational token for individuals of ability who have been led by the excitement of games to apply sensitive exactness to the work in improving our lot by inventing machines and systems which also follow set rules. The games are precise and accurate, depending on strict attention to other, higher rules which are also precise, fixed and firmly set. These rules must be adhered to or all can be lost. The era of games on TV might a provide a needed lull in which producers and viewers can get over the excesses of several seasons which have over-produced a veritable plague of so-called "realism" ; cloned quiz shows with exorbitant cash giveaways and glamor and glitz by the gallon. Other TV fare has wavered a great deal and , no doubt, caused many viewers to seek havens in cable TV and other specialty outlets. They are not lost. They are alienated and if TV producers simply take a look at the "cue cards"- bearing on their sides a rubric set of signs: "Spades" for the hard work it will demand; "Clubs" - to be used if knocking a few hard heads about is necessary; "Hearts" - for showing gratitude to writers, artists, actors,actresses, their stand-ins and tech-people - all those who do the work you want done often beyond your expectations; and "Diamonds" created by the efforts of all concerned. The rewards provide the mean by which you say "Thank You" to each other. And remember this: wherever cards are present a gambler is prevalent. There is always "Joker" - one,at least. A.L.M. September 21, 2005 [c466wds]
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
FIRELESS COOKERYYou may be too young to remember when we actually had a genuine “Fireless Cooker” in our kitchen and used it often to prepare many some delicious, nutritious meals for our large family. It must have thought at the time – the mid 1920’s – that other families had such fantastic stoves but since that time I have been alert to find another such stove anywhere and I have yet to find one. We made good use of that stove right on up into the Great Depression years of the 1930’s I can even recall that we shared it with a family who lived in the big , white house next door to us. The metal legs weakened where they were screwed to the base of the metal box and caused a wobble which , with repeated wiggles, split the seams of the cooking wells. A strange or irony came from it all in that we found we could not get replacement parts for the stove. No store in town “carried” such a strange item, including the hardware store where Dad had originally bought it. Their explanation of it was that a new company tried to market a new product which “bombed” as so many innovative products tend to do when they try to market the item without customer interest and concern and dealer/distributor loyalty, support and service. Our Fireless Cooker was a novelty then even though we were not aware of its unique nature at that time. Ours was painted in bright green with legs and latches in black, in case happen to come across one in your travels. It was an adaptation of the slow cooking techniques which have been used for centuries . It worked will for us and I've always felt we enjoyed better foods and improved nutrition benefits through so many years. I'd say it is time to market a version of the same thing all over again today! A.L.M. September 20, 2005 [c399wds].
Monday, September 19, 2005
DOG GONE! While watching the rescue efforts trying to save household pets from Katrina's floods waters – dogs, cats and any other critters mankind befriends and invites in his domain - I kept thinking about a book I read years ago dealing with a dog-napping gang operating in the Crescent City. I remember I read the book because assumed it had to be about the “historic” French Quarter. I had, shortly before that, visited New Orleans for my first and only visit as a member of the convention-eers who help the Quarter stay in business. The book only touched on the French Quarter being right where the French left it when they unloaded it on the Spanish for a short time and the norte americanos when Thomas Jefferson issued a purchase order purchasing the entire purchase. And, as usual, it was done for some ridiculously low price which I will refrain from even mentioning. In modern times there was some crisp, folding money to be made dealing in dogs down there. The mutt merchants had an international arrangement whereby canines were gathered in from several source ....quasi-legal – a dog catcher who was poor a math; a pet-polisher/clipper/styler with an expensive girl friend; a shadowy vet with varicosed principles. Two additions are necessary at this point. Add one pretty young girl who has developed an interesting hobby-job of raising puppies which she then takes to her nearby hospital to serve as “four-legged friends” to the older, inactive residents. Then, bring on a young who is a successful dog-napper-catcher. Not so in this case. He makes the mistake of falling in love with the girl who become the leading suspect in the case. They work it all out and it made a good story. It turned out I didn't miss the”French Quarter” after all.It may just be that this flood and all I feel must follow unless some radical changes in effect right away. Much of the old area has long been a rather shabby sham. It has, long ago become an over-painted plywood plaything. The women are, too often, girls; the jazz music is rock; the entertainment is under-financed and no-show; the bars and booze rate "B" at best. Food? Too spicy and too pricey. Vegas wins all the way. A.L.M . September 19, 2005 [c401wds]
Sunday, September 18, 2005
THANK YOU, “FAST COMPANY” We, as a nation, should be thanking the editors, staff and management of America’s most sprightly business journal “Fast Company”. They are the first and only business oriented publication I know of which has ever published in full, open print and with worthy photographs of a “the Top ten bosses from Hell.” If you seriously undertook to prepare such a list of the lousiest C.E.O’s of American business what names would you include? I picked three myself and I was a bit surprised to find that I knew four or five of them - even revered some of them and admired some of them for career attainment and accomplishments against severe odds. Of the others on the list , I found I knew three fairly well, and for the other two I had to search out along the fringes of my mind -read ab of their dastardly deeds done before I could remember who they had been. One thing more before we start to look at the list. After reading the entire article, I realized that I had not come across anything I did not already know. Well, perhaps some small tid-bit, but I have known the major twists and turns. That mean I have a double standard. How do I live with it? How do I live with such a condition? It makes it appear as if we all do so, g some degree. Interesting. We can control such feelings while we admire some seriously flawed individual can’t we? Glance through the list, bellow in disagreement if you need to do so; get angry if that helps, voice disagreement loudly; brandish weapons if needed but read the list and the accusations. Ready? Martin Davis, Ivan Boesky. John D. Rockefeller, Armand Hammer, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Andre Fastow, Harold Green, Leona Helmsley, Al Dunlap. For details concerning the above, up FastCompany.com Fast Take on your computer.It is done there as a slide show. A.L.M. September 18, 2005 [c340wds]
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