Thursday, November 30, 2006
ESSAYS - IN OTHER WAYS At times, those who write short essay pieces feel poetic. It's a common enough malady among prose piece perpetrators and many of us maintain a shelf of binders in which are stored a large number of both metric and non-metric word-ventures so of exiled dream world of wordwork. Mine, as with others, contains a variety of items I call poetry, poems, verse, doggerel and "think" pieces in prose or a few metric lines urging to build on them some day. I plan to leaning on their contents for the next week or so . We have been on family vacation time and I don't like falling behind so I'll be doing of a time. The actual dates will be in the sig data at the end of each piece. I chose to make use of a poem which some of us feel we have concerning the holiday season just ahead for 2006. THE FIR TREE A fir tree can be for you and me... a symbol of "the elect of heaven" people who, on Earth are leaven to counteract the sins of Man with courage, uplift and firm elan based on patience and rectitude and seek to help him understand how loving and a virtuous hand can help us live in love and know the heights and thus despise the low and set our sights on higher goals than those about us and save our souls. That's what a fir tree can be for you...and for me. And we dealt in short critical comments on man actions in those, as well. I was not, it seems, exactly enthused with TV's handling of adapted literary works. T-VIEW Books I've read all end in clinches Dilemmas solved by spellbound inches. But on the air the same durned story Runs forever in extended glory! A.L.M. 2-9-84 Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-24-06 [c326wds]
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
AND WHAT ELSE? I have, it appears, been living under a somewhat naive assumption that when people choose to come to the United States of America they were each required - by law - to have in their eager little hand a small booklet form, gussied-up a bit in green material with gold lettering on the cover and a feel of parchment-like paper impressively embossed with names people whom they would never get to see, much less come to know in their new land. In my limited view of the world of travel , I , somehow gathered that without a passport booklet you did not board the plane, ship, bus, canoe or pogo stick on which you expected to travel. Now, here in the tag end of the year 2006, I find a headlined revelation which lets me know rather abruptly: "U. S. to Implement Passport Requirements."Home Secretary Michael Chornoff made the announcement early saying it was a "critical next step" to help[to assure national security. At the present time we have over eighth thousand entities which are printing and distributing millions of birth certificates and local driver's licenses. It is virtually impossible for our Custom Officials to determine which of these document is a counterfeit and which is authentic . The present system accepts such proof of identity for many of those who wish to cross our borders. It would seem that as long as such a child-like provision is our strong point we had best ease off on all such guardianship and use such funds for other purposes. To continue such a farce is negligence. One out of every four Americans now have passport documents. Some complain about them as being too expensive, but most think of them as costly necessities when traveling in foreign lands. Our Congress mandated the start of this "passports only" program for 2004 but the date has been, and still is, considered to be "in question." Eve now when the Commission itself has stated (Sept 11th): "For Terrorists travel documents are as weapons." we are still being told that :" you can expect Homeland Security require all travelers entering the U.S by land or sea, including Americans to show passports or Alternative Security Cards starting as early as January 2008. 2004 - 2008! Does that strike you as being soon enough? Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-22-06 [ c402wds]
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
HIND SIGHT We are, it appears, going to have and exceptional number of curious things to "look back upon" in our future. We ordinarily called such subjects remembered incidents and conditions "memories " don't we? And, we also tended to think of them as having been something of a quality which made them be worthy of being retained as a mementos of good times we once knew. How are we going to attend to and cherish some of today's violence, disagreement, hatred and criminal? How can we possibly make memories of such events and occasions as those which seem to be so common to our way-of-life now in our time...war, terrorist plots, actions of deceit and treachery and enslavement - an endless array, it seems of life's negative aspects. Unseen, there is good in such evil! I seems, I know, impossible that we might find ever the slightest Hope in such Horror! We see a complex maze of man's best and worst efforts set at cross-purposes of which we have only such control as must come from within our selves. Rest assured it does so, too! Think back over the prurient fund of Evil Mankind has known; then face thereupon a strange men engrossing growth of goodness in the form of new, inspired, strong, capable leaders - men and women - imbued with concepts, ideas, ambitions, dreams, yes, and workable plans, as well, which rise up -often from strange areas, to confront the self-devouring bulk of conjoined Evil. Evil encouraged by the presence of the new consciousness of goodness unwittingly doth eat of itself and come to know Death. We are even now in that phase during which we will find we can no longer permit growth upon us to appears we are going to have to some exceptional things to plan to find our future. Our future leaders are among. We, each of us, need to seek them out by following our heart's longings. The election is not alone in the political or religious aspects of our life-style but in all and everything you do or have an interest or concern. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-21-06 [c366wds]
Sunday, November 19, 2006
SHEER NUMBERS I find many people who insist that the number of races, castes, groups are the main cause of the disunities and violence we meet with in daily news events. There are some among us who argue that such mutiplicity is, the primary area for change if we are to build. Far too often this comes down to plans to:"throw the rascals out!" We should know, by this time, that such a cure is hopelessly wrong. It still happens, however, and millions of people die or experience severely debased lives because of such a narrow-minded concepts. Spend a few minutes reading the twelve page listing of worldwide "Ethnic Groups" in the "CIA World Factbook" to dispel a lot of such faulty thinking.Their statisics are, I think, you may agree, about as near truth as we are likly to find anywhere today. In those few minutes spent reading such tallies you will find there are far more divisons in some nations than you might have supposed and yet they are considered be among the more peaceable ones. You will find the Africa nation of Chad to be among the most complex. Chad has about two hundered different ethnic . Among the long list the term "Arab" would be familiar to most of us and there are about one thousand Frenchmen living in Chad, as well. Others have a strange assortment of names and many of them sport sub-headings of small family division mainly in the northern and central areas. Afghanistan shows: 42% Pashtun, Tajik 27%. three others at 9% and two more at 4% or less. Iraq: Arab 75-80%, Kurdish 15-20%, Turkoman , Assyrians and others at 5%. North Korea - racially homogeneous, small Chinese community and a few Japanese. South Korea": homogeneous except for 20,000 Chinese. Lebanon: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, Others 1%. Nigeria is another nation with a large number of ethnic groups - two hunded an fifty - and it is true that most numerous divisions have voting capabilties which can be critical. Most are said to be politically influential. Hausa and Fulani 29%; Yoruba 21%; Igo (Ibo) 18%; Ijawq 10%; Kanuri 4%; Ibibio 3.5 and Tiv 2.5%. I'm always concerned with affairs there because of a connection I had a mail friendship with a young Nigerian lad who was "pushing camera" at a TV station there while I was writing commecials for one here. He was an "IBO" but he lived and worked in a "Hausa" area. We had an interesting exchange going, but after a time of "political unrest" in Nigeria came along and I never again had any word from O. O. Odunrow. Andew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-18-06 [c450wds] \
Saturday, November 18, 2006
CURRENT EVENT The first weeks of this month saw a marked change in the political portion of the Way of Life for all of us. Just how the other aspects of our living will be modified - and to what possible extremes - remains to be seen. The predicted changes of election campaign days will fade a bit and blend with existing regulations with minor modifications which will likely be more cosmetic in nature than structural. The main difference will be another set of political persons will, at first , receive plaudits and praise for have brought about changes and, then, in time, be on the bad side of criticism. Essential groundwork which must be undertaken when new owners take over the controls which guide the Ship of State along dangerous courses through oft-troubled political seas. It is not going to be easy for either Democrats or Republicans to always do that which will always please Polosi. The naming of Nancy Polosi as Speaker of the House, I would predict, some interesting circumstance which will offer a diversionary sideshows - plain politi-foggery. Twelve years is a long time be out of intimate touch with those things which actually work. This may well be the initial year of feminine control of House actions. It seems also like a prelude praising or promising the placement of a "Hillery' in a nearby associated round room. To please Polosi could become a pattern; "Go Tell Aunt Nancy!" - could the theme song of a tight operation. Nothing of any real consequence is likely to take place until the two natural holiday periods of Christmas and of getting our New Year of '07 under way. There are, however, new notes in the back of our minds - the distinct possibilities of natural disaster of some kind hitting us with little of no warning, and you may have noticed we are getting more suggestion that we become aware of the possibility of overt Terrorist acts of violence here at home... any day now. It is time for us to get busy and get this Washington Re-Do finished and out of our way. It is dangerously obvious that we have more urgent things to get done. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-17-06 [c376wds]
Thursday, November 16, 2006
GONE“I have never taken any exercise” much quoted American humorist Mark Twain is said to have said, “except sleeping and resting." Twain was kidding, of course. Some would contend that we have too much foolish talk such as that in America today. It is evident Mark Twain that he outdid himself at least two times each week (weekdays and weekends)in writing all that stuff about Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer and other notable figured in his clime,instead of using a keyboard. In spite of all the flatboat, river-talk background we enjoy he did much of those works a a cabin retreat in upstate New York's "Finger Lakes" region. The walk up the mountain side daily was more walking than I get in a month. I did something last I have never done before. I spent the night at a local Sleep Studies facilities. It was a first-time experience and, for that reason alone, it was of special interest and concern. A bright cheerful Sleep Technician showed us - my wife and one daughter in attendance for the event, we relaxed and watched the Finale of "Dancing With Stars" which they would have missed if I had sent them home. That set the scene for a good, homey setting for the patient. When they departed Technician Tara started getting me "ready" for bed. That placed pajama-clad me on the the edge of the wide, inviting bed having electrodes goo-glued and taped to my head. Then, "lights out" and I was ready to enter dream land having been told o eliminate. It made no difference whatever to me that I was on mike and on camera and on camera from that point on because I had been told to eliminate my afternoon nap. I was ready to sleep in my nest of many colors of electric cords. There was six questions in an audio quiz - repeated word-for-word the next morning concerning my sleep habits. Then,I think,I went right to sleep. I went in to this test thinking that I would "beat". The rest of the night I remember now as a bad dream. Tech Tara Evy's smiles and assurances that all was well made it durable. Throughout the restless hours I came too feel "guilty" of all charges brought against sleep deprived persons. Itching everywhere, movements constant in efforts to scratch,or at least to touch or press each affected area, snoring, twisting, turning, kicking, mumbling things, asking permission to go to the bath room or bed-wetting, wondering if sleep-walking could possibly be a part of my seemingly semi-secret life as a unconvinced sleep lab patient. I counted my attached lines -thirty -four and I lost count; I wondered what Twain and others may have written about "sleep". It was a hap-hazard night and the report is going to make from some interesting reading. One can not expect everything to "come up roses". It is, I think, better just to be glad certain unpleasant moments , necessary as a part of living, can come to a point when they are spoken of and seen as "past". Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-16-06 [c-536wds]
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
FEARS WE MUST FACEEmerson once said: “What I have seen readies me for those things I have not seen.” That can still be used as a valuable point of reference by us today even when compared with the relative calm conditions his rather staid New England area personified. Our proper point of judgment concerning our future, then, must be seen in the manner in which we think of our past. We start our New Year off with high-sounding “Resolutions” steeped in the sweetness of sauces which we concocted to make the recent holidays memorable in pleasant ways. Some of those self-made promises are wishes and special plans whereby we hope we might forestall or , at least, soften some of the less enjoyable events which may oud our immediate future. In one sense, some of them may be seen as prayers for a bright, more cheerful future when peace is more than just a wordy decoration. Older folks tend to resolute in more-and-more complicated forms as they get really old they realize are again. The opposite view holds for young people,of course. They think of having a great deal more permanency about their lives but they do look ahead with friends and fellow worker. They realize that we each have have a future of an unknown nature. No knowing, of course, is a blessing and a reason for planning. Many have a fear of disaster;others fear social losses - even physical ones - hearing, seeing, hair loss or posture. Some center on petty little nothings. Study history! Yesterday is you. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-15-06 [c275wds]
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
MORE BRANCHS Too many branches would seem to be wrong for most trees. When many are added, the various, individual trees all begin to look like common bushes. When a field gets "bushy" we grub 'em out and start over once more. Wouldn't you agree we should have about as many branch bank as we need? Certainly, by his time, every major bank in the nation has had its chance a cornering all the vast sums of money we pass around of printed, minted , electrified, or plasticized form. The Direct Mail side of my information and edification concerning world banking tells me that more and more banks are seriously considering any new, truly innovative ways by which they can serve new customers or regain former ones. Trends of recent years have become a bit worn largely from overuse by too many of them. There was a time when Branch Banking made good sense. As our cities grew they spread out along the main highways in the shopping centers, Malls - both general and specific by occupational interests or of a special "way-of-life" mannerism. The public watched with approval as branch banks were opened between fast food spots or, even, next door to each other. Banks, it appears, do not follow the general rules other businesses need to remain viable. In a nearby city there is a block long assembly of such banks and it is easy to see just by watching the visitors lines that several are barely making expenses - if that. Yet none of them have closed. Two had name changes because of corporate shifts in ownership far, far away. In our rural town, all of our banks are "branches". Our only locally owned and operated bank was absorbed by a large bank and then, in turn, they were absorbed by one in North Carolina. That, I suppose, made us the branch bank of a branch bank, and before too long they closed our location as one being too small afford a bank. Within a week or two we found we would have two new banks in our town plus a money-change machine which appear in the local, super-market food store the night after we were told we were too small to support even a small branch. Some banks are said to be trying added on-line banking facilities to avoid expense of building and staffing branch h banks. Another reaction to current events is that robbers prefer branch banks. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-14-06 [c426wds]
Monday, November 13, 2006
"SCOUNDERELS" OF SORTS
One seemingly sure way to make a fine fortune quickly is to learn early in life to get especially good a being very bad. You, if you make such a choice to become an actor have to realize you will always be the "heavy" and, the "hero". Part of making such a deliberate adjustment is a honest realization that without "villains" no "heroes" exist. Which, then would seems to be most important? Think about that if you have to make such a decision. Actors who depict a flaw in a character real or imaginary have more materials with which he can work to give his study remarkable qualities - contrasts and comparisons - make his study more beneficial,. accurate and more worthy. We have an electoral procedure in this country which calls upon citizens to vote at regular intervals. The nature of the balloting depends in who is up for re-election or replacement with new office holders. The offices voted upon are scattered and less controlled than our major presidential elections held every four years. The system as evidenced by last weeks action is in dire need of reform - in depth. Many current practices simply do not meet common sense requirements needed to maintain honesty. Many current practices simply did not do so. Misuse was common in all parties. Excellent television coverage this year revealed may changes are badly needed - much overdue in most areas. We can not fight in foreign lands while letting own systems rot from within. The "Deep Throat" has never been settled. The men who stole "the Pentagon Papers" and others and led us to believe they came from the highest government officials, did wrong. An aged clerk character seeps out of a darkened garage setting to gossip with nosey news persons. C'mon, now! Grow up! The recent election as seen and heard world wide. You will. I am as sure as I am sitting here writing this, that we will - in some way - be told - even shown - some thing about their feelings. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-13-06 [c-351wds]
Sunday, November 12, 2006
cs span style="font-weight:bold;">THE WAY OUT Now is the critical time during in which often capable people were discharged from Federal jobs simply because they are members of the "other" political party. What a senseless waste of talent, training, experience and valuable time! There was such a time and well within my memory span, when anyone with work with even a small connection with any part of the federal government knew their continued employment depended almost entirely in maintaining the proper political party in power in state and/or federal offices. This was a sobering fact of-life with entire families. So, the arrival of each Election Time was area of intense concern. In communities where each of the political parties had large memberships election time became a family affair - man, woman and child. In former day every little village seems to have had its own post office. That visible wing of the federal government may have been just a few square feet in installed in a of corner of a local grocery store, filling station, bus or train station, but it was the town's best known address as well. The post office remained where political support was most dependable. It with 12 small-sized dialing-style three drawer across then base. Then middle drawer was used for the local lumber, paint and building supply firm because they received a great many catalogs and other out-sized items in their mail. The other two drawers were used as "Postmaster-Storage-Private" contained such objects as several red, crepe paper Poppies to be snapped in one's lapel and worn early in the morning of Veteran's Day every November. The postmaster's job was subject to change, but it was usually pretty well set with the "better families". The offshoot, known as R.F.D mail carriers , however were usually changed as a part of any election day win. We will see very little such changes until the first of te year. Our Defense chief has already been eliminated, the political axes are being re-honed and made sharp and shiny to get rid of our present, and best ever,. Ambassador to the U. N. Democritics are asking what in the world former Senator Allen could possibly do now that he has been pushed aside by newcomer Jim Webb. He could run again for his Senate job lost by such a small number of votes. Much depends on how many voters stick with Jim Webb now holding his first elected job. We voters can be a fickle factor. Don't expect any wholesale firings to take place. They will be needed to implement the "new and improved" plan for running the war in Iraq which is ,one assumes, a being prepared somewhere. Exactly where and by whom is to be a "secret" - a term we have heard questioned in recent months. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-12-06 [c484wds]
Saturday, November 11, 2006
WEBB BUILDING A curious thing takes place naturally in political activities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It's a good feature of our political life over the years and decades of years. In the short version it can irritate some people, especially newcomers. Native Virginian families seem to go along with suffering any noticeable social mishaps. We have just been through a rather noisy Mid-Term election here in the "Old Dominion" and we have a history of having survived - even prospered because of such political change interruptions. As a Royal Colony, Virginia, had to be ready to "work with"... "get along with" or "encourage departure" of a number of King-appointed Governors...very often men poorly qualified to become rulers of an active, working growth of responsible, hardworking people. Some appointees remained problems ,of course, but he average Virginian learned it was best not to disturb their dreams but to go right on living as they had in the recent past. Here, in Virginia, just a week after the Mid-Term election displays of all sorts of unpleasantness, we are settled back into normal channels of living, working and laughing at our own foibles. The campaigns were, by area standards, "dirty". The fracturing of Truth was common place by all parties from the grassroots start of many wild actions. Attempts to make the opposition appear to be beyond the scope of the sheer mass of their accumulations - both of vile, purposeful corruption and sins of omission as well. I was particularly concerned when it was brought to light that Jim Webb had authored several "novels" - usually printed with quotation marks distinguish them for others. I'm going to find out some day who the wordy wise one was who elevated that criticism to be one of the best bits of humor in the election: how many viewers knew what a "Graphics Deviant" might be? The election is over...gone. Good riddance. Now we will all get to know our new Senator Jim Webb. He never held an elective office before .Maybe thats a good thing. He held some important appointed places, however, in both the Nixon and Regan eras. We'll all find more positive things about Jim as we help him weave his Webb. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-11-06 [c-386wds]
Friday, November 10, 2006
ROOMS - ONE ONLY
Building a new one-room school house? That would seem to be an odd project for anyone to undertake today. Most of us were a bit upset with the tragic events at such a school building at Nickle Mines, Pa. a month a go. Young school girls murdered. The crimes shocked the entire nation and we agreed on he ntentof the local people - "simple folk" of the area - to raze the old school, plow the land and let it revert to the pasture land it had been. It made sense, we realized, that the local citizens neither wanted,or needed another show place, an exhibition area, an added to tourist trap attraction - perhaps a dramatic restoration of deed and actions best forgotten or vilified into obscurity. The suggested plan is now for erecting a new one-room school house on the same site. "A fitting memorial" for the young victims. A simple, brass marker and an area for prayer might be more fitting. If you are among those who like to visit one-room school houses, I assume the fine one built in 1871 at Rymer, West Virginia is still on display. Paul Yost, who was head of the College Centennial t, Fair mount, West Virginia - where he later - I'm told - became Dean Yost. The new site for the one-roomer school was twenty-five miles from home. Yost and his host of students started looking for authentic furnishings for the school. One of the first things found was an old brass classroom bell, the type schoolmasters would ring to get the attention of their charges. a nearby county gave a long-burning Franklin stove; others gave book collections including many from the 1890's when the school was built. McGuffey Readers, Mitchell's Geography, Ray's Arithmetic, desks, chairs and the American Legion and the VFW found a 1891 flag with thirty-five stars. It serves well as a memorial to early American educators. The old school is used to train new teachers. It quickly became a sight worthy visiting sing the Fairmont, W. Va. area. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-10-06 [c359wds]
Thursday, November 09, 2006
HUCKLEBERRY FUNFor just about all of my life, I’ve been calling huckleberries blueberries and blueberries huckleberries! I’ll be first to admit that’s ignorant, but it never occurred to me that the two of them might be different. No one ever told me and I never asked. Recently, I came across a communication from an office located on the ump-teenth floor of the Empire State Building in New York of all which handed me a complete rundown on black and blue berries as well as huckled. I had to know all. I quickly realized the printed materials were “propaganda”. The “Blueberry Gang” had sent fine recipes and nutrition notes on blueberries but the huckleberry was barely mentioned with six lines of copy on page four. Blueberries are not only delicious they are unique. They are prob- ably the most widely distributed fruit in the world. Others, such as the banana, will grow only in steaming tropical zones; others – like apples – thrive in Temperate zones, but the blueberry grows where there is mulchy, acid soil. Blueberries are the only fruit which reaches our table wild or in a “native” state as well as in modern, highly cultivated forms. They are ready with just a quick washing. You have no peelings, no pits, no stems, no tops, no slippery seeds to count, no leavings or “for the birds” portions. The cultivation of blueberries increased enormously. In the 1920-30' there were widely scattered plantings, but that figure grew to over twenty thousand such farms by the middle of the century. You can still pick wild blueberries in the east from Maine to Alabama, in the Ozarks, the Cascades and the upper regions of the Pacific Northwest. Wild ones are smaller but good. Commercial types are marketed in four sizes. Deluxe means you from 70 to 90 berries per pint. Now a direct quote from the poop sheet: "In some parts of the country wild blueberries are called "huckleberries". They are different. They have ten rather hard seeds. They are not as sweet and blackish in color rather than blue." In spite of that unkind note, I was impressed. On my way home I stopped briefly at the Farmer's Open Market and bought a quart of blueberries from a man who sold "the best lookin' "huckleberries" he'd seen in years! Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-8-06 [c400wds]
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
VOTER'S VERSIONS Today has been Election Day throughout our native land. Millions of citizens of this nation sought out their nearest voting site today and cast a ballot in favor of their favorite choice from among the candidates who's name had been set forth. A million others persons - for as many different reasons - it seems, did not vote. Sometimes I use stronger terms, but most of the time I think of this non-voting group as our Second Class Citizens. Over the years, I have wondered what stigma we could attach to such people who thus endanger our country and make it more difficult for others to maintain a worthy lifestyle; complicate our relations with other states who see us as being weak and divided into warring factions. The non-voter actually "votes" in a curious, blind, unthinking, nonsensical manner by his absence from the polling booth. I heard some talk along this line of thought during the last few weeks of this election, in particular, when it became apparent that many would stay away from the polls since this was a "meaningless" Mid-Term election. Many people stay away from it all and make of taking part only in major elections. They only show for major elections and they usually appear with woefully ignorance of issues under consideration. Theirs are self-inflicted wounds and do not deserve the "welcome home" treatments they, so often, get. The Australians have tried a system whereby persons who do not vote are charged a stiff tax for failing to do so. It did not work as planned. We each come away from the voting machine with different thoughts in mind, I suppose. I always feel a small portion of patriotism I guess you might call it in which I say to myself: "Well now! I've done my part! I've voted!" It feels good when an election official places a tiny sticker on my jacket which lets others know I have done my civic duty. I usually pass them along to grandchildren the next day or stick them on my coffee mug to remind me of a special time for all of us. Often we find people who do not vote are eagers critics of whatever system used by those who do so."O my,yes! I wish we'd go back to usin' plain ole paper and pencils again! It think maybe I'd go back if..." Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-7-06 [c-414wds]
Monday, November 06, 2006
LAST LASHING LIBERTIES. This is the last week of the year in which you can be as impolite, hateful, despicable and downright nasty with people about you if you choose to do so - and get away with it - unscathed! Just memories of past experiences can trigger hate and distrust at this time of each single year. They certainly do in quad-years when we go though some amazing governmental actions. At other times of the extremes in the puzzling days our lives, we can - if it be an election year - get away with calling even a big brute of a man a liar, cheat, a thief or other such type of sub-human - not only with impunity but even with the sound in massive gongs of praise and gratitude for our having expressed the public sentiment so well- so imposingly and so deftly. This year, I think, may well have been the one which has touched the bottom of the wordy pit. We have experienced an actual year of war in one of the Earth's most inhospitable regions; we have anger, distrust, suspicion and fears-of-sorts in our hearts and heads concerning events which took place "years ago but which remain very much a part of our national sense of enduring values. The harsh words we use - the comparisons bordering on indecent at times, are a futile play. of course. They are "plays" rather than "dramas" they could and should be. We gain little by trying always to be different. Intent often sets the goals. Perhaps, the paucity of serious thought and truly innovative actions and the use of common, street language terms really show up our distinctive lack of serious intent, our squandered educational aims and turns, and poor vocabularies to go right with such instructional ineptness and lassitude. Every recent election time has roiled up a froth of protests again "negative" advertising. It is a symptom of much that has taken place in other modes of dissemination of the vast treasure of which we have acquired but don't know, as yet, how to make proper use of for our mutual betterment. We thrive on pettiness and avoid the challenge of becoming a create being destined to have "dominion" over all. Have a good Election Day. Get your little piece for democracy "said" - electronically now, of course. Do your part with new, better more efficient equipment for recording and saving our same old, tired and re-treaded ideas, thoughts - have yet another try to hit back at hurt which has come your way! Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-6-06 [c436wds]
Sunday, November 05, 2006
WAR TIME WORDS "My name is Saddam Hussein and I approve this sentence." Yesterday - November 4, 2006 - we were waiting to hear those words - an approximation of words which have plagued us during these days of our Mid Term Elections. Just about all day we were TV-teased with repeated promises that the promises of the sentencing following the plodding trial of the Butcher of Baghdad. Hour-after-hour the promised bulletin did not arrive but we were in undated with the election's "Blame Words" tag line, seemingly minute-by-minute. I did not hear the decision until the next morning and, by that time, the story had been cut to just a few words printed among other headlines. It said that Saddam Husein was to die for his crimes by hanging. Concise, blunt and, some people, cruel. What do feel? Too little;too late? Or, too severe? There will be endless discussion on this and other points because the crimes covered by this trial were largely those related to the killing of Kurd citizens in northern section of Iraq in the early days of his despotic rule. The rest of the nation, which also suffered loss of life and property and many will be unsure of any punishment being handed out in their behalf. This would be a time when it would be good to know legal Latin terms for saying:"The body is gone!" (Corpus vamoose, maybe?) There will be an appeal, you may be sure. Care was taken to to make this appear to be a legitimate court trial by Iraqi law books and not a hasty military operation. Goodness knows it was slow enough and many people in other judicial systems had legitimate reasons for expressing some doubt if it was as legal as it was claimed to have been. The method of operation - a day or so at work and several weeks in recess seemed, at times to mark the events as a charade. People here in the United State should try to find out what part American lawyers Ramsey Clark and friend played in this defense of a known enemy. One has difficulty in seeing how their membership helped Saddam to get where he is with one foot now placed rather firmly on the scaffold platform. Are they to play a role in the Appeals phase upcoming? I think we are going we are going to hear more than his duo in the near future. It ain't over 'till the fat man swings. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-5-06 [c-430wds]
Saturday, November 04, 2006
LESS EXCITING This election time of the year has seemed to me be far less "exciting"" than many I have known in the past. I have wondered, too if it could possibly be a passing fancy for me to feel that we have, indeed, changed and become less intent on our future than we have been; modified, in a curious manner, our seemingly basic ideas, in particular about group associations. I am convinced that the continued use of negative advertising materials in radio, TV and print form has been one reason for my tendency to avoid the tendered subject or to treat it lightly rather than seriously as it should be taken. I am not the least bit interested in what some smart-talking whiz kid thinks elected officials might be doing that which has decided is wrong. I want to know what might be suggested to solve problems rather than to create new ones. I want to know what steps they would take if given the chance to do so. It quickly becomes obvious they do not know what they might do. Historians a few years from now will, no doubt, look for reasons why our attitudes might change. They will be looking in places where we may hesitate to set foot. So much of what we actually do in the political areas of living leads back to the days of F.D.R. We look back to the days of "The Great Depression" but not to dwell on tragic event itself, but rather to look at the tactics F.D.R. used to try to overcome the oppressive tedium which bound us. Some ideas were, in truth, questionable, some impractical, and some were, in time, declared to have been illegal. The point was that he did something. He took action against he problems we faced. Our government took some rather radical steps in those days, things which Herbert Hoover could not have done been allowed to do. I have never been a "Hoover hater" person. I think a worth man got a raw deal in the way he was treated by so many citizens and some opposition party members. Neither have I ever been an ardent Roosevelt devotee. I, on his arrival of the national political scene accepted the premise that, as our President, he deserved proper respect and support. I early accepted his being where and what he was and I stayed with him all the way. The current election seems to be centered too much on placing men and women where the will "fit in" party plans rather than where they might perform duties on behalf of the people rather than special tricks for those who elected him or her. Next Tuesday you choose what your tomorrow and tomorrows will be. Do so with special care. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-4-06 [c-478wds]
Friday, November 03, 2006
HALLOW-WHAT? I have been shaken up a bit by the fact that, during this period called "Halloween", so many people, it appears, will approve of, accept and modify their lives; re-shape their personal conduct, approve of, accept and re-shape their way of living because they have believed far too much of the sheer Election Time drivel which inundated all of us by participants of Mid Term Election activities. It is not at all difficult for one to see many Halloween features as a part of the political phase. "All Saints Day" has been commercially cobbleled into something for the small children market levels. Adults guided their younglings through what adults seem to view it all as being a fully-costumed instructional event teaching the small children the realities which will occur in their lives in the years ahead It not hard to see the dressed-up visitors at your residential door as participants in a fantasy - a faked, false and foolish "primary" sampling to enable use to decide which is most worthy. In the end the winners will be those whose parents could best afford to buy the better costumes. The next weeks winners will be those could afford to buy the better TV spots and newspaper pages. But, before we ask Congress to blend the two celebrations, let's let them work some more on a way to make Halloween a Monday holiday to give us another "long week-end" break. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-3-06 [c257wds]
Thursday, November 02, 2006
GINGER We are all aware of the herbal substance known as "ginger". I dare say you think you have a small container of dried and ground mixes of spices,herbs, seeds and one or two with names you're not sure about at all. Think again. I thought I would find several such containers in our kitchen among the fifty or so such items standing at-the-ready inside of two cabinet sections plus a wooden rack along the one end of the range. No such luck. I took them out one-by-one and neatly returned them to their precise area without finding even colorful little glass, colorful plastic or cardboard container marked "Ginger...not in whole, half, dried, ground or powdered form. How could Grandma have turned out her batches of famous Ginger Snaps? How about those Gingerbread houses, bridges, sleighs, and farm critters which have traditionally been such a vital part of Thanksgiving Day and Christmas decorations even though most of them had been "taste-tested" out of existence long before the Yuletide log had been dragged indoors. She made some good "Ginger Peach stroodle", too. Remember? I suppose I'm on this "Ginger kick" - and at a good time, too, right now before the holidays get underway seriously. This calls of our for our Family Nourishment Purchasing Department to start visiting the large grocery stores and provide a good excuse for them to visit one of the smaller Asian Foods foods stores we have scattered about the area now. That way we can enjoy another foreign language encounter and get forms of ginger not ,ordinarily, carried by large markets You may also be surprised to find that ginger comes in yellow, white and red. When it come down on nutritional values, ginger ranks very well. That's especially true for me because it supplies ample amount of values I want and need. Ginger is high in potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Calories per one ounce serving: 19. Run a pre-season check on the storage area a house and re-stock now. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-2-06 [c357wds]
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
CHURCH STOCK: DOWN I view with some alarm the obvious decline of my own particular church. I assume you do of yours, as well. Even if you are of that group - always present - who deem it beneath your stature of being a human being, created or here by happenstance to acknowledge any such power exists, I think you, too, will agree evidence is strong to show that Mankind gets along better when he has some such organizational concept as the center of his willful actions. The group I mention is not to I'm talking about "part time" devotees- no, of necessity, "Christian" ,either, who don't feel that some "holy" connective is needed, save in times of undue stress or disaster when someone, or something, is needed on which or who blamed may be placed. The figures for 2005 are about all in by now and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) has had another record-setting membership loss. This is the greatest such loss since the Northern and Southern "one-piece" treaty of 1983. The loss for 2005 was reported in as 48,474. That left a total of 2,313,662 at the end of the year. Many published accounts of the shrinkage rounded it off nicely at "about 50,000." "Not too bad!" you may have thought or said."Over two million of 'em remaining. Two million-plus! That's a lot of Presbyterians!" True, but that has been taking place since 1967. 2005 's report was "record-setting" in that it was higher than the others. 1967 the total membership was 4.2 million. That means the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) now accounts for only 78% of the nation's population - the lowest since 1870. Why? That's what worries both those within the body of he church as well as those outside the church. We do not have sufficient space, time, or enough creditable information - especially as related to those with a national background and profound social adjustments of recent decades. There are some brighter spots to be seen if one looks carefully among figures and related dates. Catholics have about held firm on their numbers showing 23% of the population in l965 - and 22.7% in 2003; Southern Baptists increased from 5.3% to 5.7% in that same time period. Some Pentecostal churches have grown fast enough to confuse census takers. What's more so called de-churched Presbyterians are showing up in a wave of new "non" or "inter" denominational churches in New York, Houston, or Los Angeles and elsewhere. Another pleasant surprise out of this confusion: how can it possibly be that the abbreviated Presbyterian Church has - in 2005 - given the Church well over three million dollars "for the first time?'' Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 11-1-06 [c455wds]
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