Saturday, February 04, 2006
SOURCES OF CRIME Each generation decides where crime comes from to mess up its plans for our living a better life. We select some recent addition to our daily schedule and mark it as being harmful to society. It is made into a scape goat, of sorts. Anything we don't completely understand becomes bad for everyone. We campaign against whatever our most evil might be and carefully let our rule-setters, even our lawmakers that “while you and I can handle it, sir, but there must be thousands of good people out there who cannot do so!” New rules. Restrictions. Even new laws which caused us to have get along without such words as “saloon”, “sot” “bar room bum “and the like for a while so we could rename everything. Do know what one of my personal crime cause friction was when I was a kid? You may have met with the same one. It was “The Dime Novel.” In truth, the true Dime Novel of history had ceased to be in the 1920's when I became a reader. By that time at the very bottom rung of every ladder of publications there was a class called “the pulps”. They were printed on a cheap, unfinished paper as were many newspapers of time rather than on slick-surfaced paper which was becoming common in new magazines of that era. They were cheap and for a dime we cold read adventure, mystery, romance, sea tales, and cowboys and Indians on a wholesale basis, especially so as we traded, bartered or sold issues among ourselves. This type of magazine is still being derided today by critics who have not the slightest idea of what they mean. True enough, in time, the books began to specialize and some went “off the table” on subject matter “into the pink” and helped doom the entire category. The Dime Novel was said to have been hastening our assured passage to Hell! What can you blame today? TV in general? Sex and Violence on TV? The movies? Or...maybe today's $36.75 plus tax and shipping fee novel! A.L.M. February 4, 2006 [c401wds]
Friday, February 03, 2006
WX – WAYS AND MEANS OF I enjoy reading about all the things professional weather people do so they can tell us about possible changes in wind direction, velocity, projected pathways of entire systems potential modifications of the world wide – even solar and space dimensions of the weather . At time, they unload a bit much on us - snow, sleet, ice, rain, avalanches, floods, searing drought all those things we think we have had in more than sufficient amounts. Several years ago novelist Sydney Shelton wrote a fine novel all weather oriented individuals should read about a time when man can “control” as well as predict and postulate potential deviations from established norms established by observation and detailed record management. Would you know how to control the weather? Would you do so to the mutual advantage of many, or to the financial advantage of an elite group.? In his novel which was titled “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”. The mystery writer creates a gigantic “Think Tank” with brothers heading up a group intended to be, by the founder, engineering genius a beneficent, worldwide society doing good for all. Younger brother takes over and develops a world wide system of weather control to be used to his advantage. In order to solidify his post as head of the Think Tank systematically begins to kill off all who oppose him. The plan he sets motion feeds on itself and a cycle of executions became necessary from his view. The two detecting widows oppose him at every turn and writer Shelton comes up with some unusual ways of catching them. The novel does not have ordinary chapter divisions. Chapters consist of short and medium episodes more or less complete each within its self , setting forth views of participants including, quite often, those of the villain himself. The average reader feels he know what each character is supposed to do. A typical example: why, you might wonder does one of the girls, while they are fleeing from a hotel room bombing which was to have killed them insists on stopping in for half an hour at a beauty shop to have her hair done up. Moments later when a killer man wrestles her to the floor, he falls flat gurgling blood a seven-inch plastic, serrated “hair pin” in his jugular vein. If you are seriously interested in planning to control the weather you will want to read this book. It's at your local library. A.L.M . February 3, 2006 [c424wds]
Thursday, February 02, 2006
WHEN I AM I find myself, quite often, quite frequently, setting aside certain in things I plan o do when get old. Just this past week I had a jolt of a sort when someone, half-jokingly, I hope, accused me of having reached that goal some time ago. I waited until they were gone before I thought about it and decided they had been ”absotively correct” - which we don't say. We try to avoid saying that we are getting old and devise all sort of ways and means whereby we hope to fool others. We dye our hair, replace teeth, don glasses to see a bit better, and change clothing according to the time of day or take other steps to maintain our youthfulness. I have decided old aged starts at the moment you first doubt if are one or the other. Really, I was shook-up a bit when I had it explained to me at I was to turn ninety this month. I've done a lot of rethinking this week after the news of my intended arrival a time and place I've already been for years without realizing it. I suppose others have had such a feeling of not growing old, and I wonder how it all came about. On sure reason is the presence of children – my brothers and sisters when we were growing up; my first wife Irma and our two boys; my second wife Vivian and our four daughters! Th was beginning and now we have grand children and great-grand a-plenty to kick it all along. “Never a dull moment!” has been used often to describe it and I think a maxim such as that one holds merit. I have been singularly and plurally blessed in far too many ways. Many other factors, of course, enter into the making of an old person who remains forever young in attitudes and who has a very live sense of being an active portion of God's total creation. I will mark my 90th birthday February 25, 2006, and I still look forward 2026 -that one-hundred year mark. I've invited friends and I would not want to disappoint them in any way. Perhaps, then, we can sit on some pillowed chairs and talk about how it might be when I am...old. A.L.M. February 2, 2006 [c402wds]
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
EVERYBODY'S GOT 'EM You probably think that you have more than your fair share of the world's problems. Everywhere you look, something always seems to be in need of some changes, repairs, or something else to take up one's spare time. That is most common. Almost a sure thing. Let me tell you what happened of to a friend ours when he bought a small home in the suburbs. It was a neat, little home, with three bedrooms, two baths, kitchen/dining area, living room/den combination, and a single-car garage tacked on the north end. His house was located on a corner lot. The front, facing the street, had no fence - only two boxwood, one on each end of a narrow, concrete-slab porch. The had been built before the others in the area had been “thrown up”by less concerned contractors. The corner house looked like a house. The other rows of places up and down the street appeared to anyone flying above the development like a litter of identical piglets with their mouths/doors - some open, others snapped shut - evenly spaced along guttered edge of the feeding trough the street appeared to become. Troubles are often built-in but try to add something if you want to experience real problems. My friend bought the place knowing that he wanted to tear down the small frame, utility building in the back yard along the side fence. It just not large enough and the location was perfect. With such an idea in mind he found a contractor who built that type of structure and talked it all over with him. Fine . Ideal site. Reasonable cost. With such a building he could let his two hobbies grow – ham radio and carpentry work on a small, gadget, do-dad scale -nothing too cumbersome . He didn't expect the kind of troubles that came his way, however. The contractor told him he would have to have a County Building Permit before he could start work. At the County Government offices, after he finally found the right person who handled such matters, he was told he would have to submit two copies of the original plans for the intended building for official approval and affirm his standing on environmental concerns of natural balance, social and esoteric matters The copies were made an returned to the county offices for study. If the request was opposed in any way a Public Hearing would be scheduled at a cost of $237.00 for use of facilities. It was noted that permit must be obtain to cover water and sewerage supplies and services of which were tied in with house. There was also a matter of an electrical serve to determine if wiring was in accordance with hobby requirements. All new site requirement were then set forth. The new structure had to be placed at least fifteen feet away from the fence along the road. That would place the it building in the middle of the yard and against the house. It might also be necessary to cut and uproot one of the few gum trees remaining in the entire area. The entire project is now said to be:”on hold.” The contractor, who has apparently run into such problems before has one suggested plan. It is very simply. “If you will just tell me to build two identical twelve foot square buildings located where the shed now stands we face none of these problems. No permit is required, and you can put it where you like. A.L.M. February 1, 2006 [c596wds\
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
PRETENDING How does a grown person - man or woman – justify their repeated use of childish methods in pro ported attempts to solve adult problems? How can a grown man or woman after having been separated and elected to represent other people approach his job in such a slipshod manner? Stubborn resistance to change is mandatory. How can he or she possibly relate to reality? How can they hope to get any problems solved without some exchange of some exchange of views? We see an adult sitting there before the camera who in no way aware of anything the opponent may be suggesting. It was, I think, quite obvious that the formal vote, when and if they ever got around to agreeing to take one would prove to be on strict party lines. It was, I read, one wandering vote asked. It worked out as most people understood it would. True enough – approval was gained, but at what cost? When our congresspersons take such time as is needed to play their little games, it is the bulk of the American people who are harmed. How can anyone hope to retain confidence and trust of the people when they see our lawmakers acting as so many of them do? How can people overseas retain any respect for such a governing system? When people in others nations see such a session as it is shown on TV they might well of surmise the one side to be hired buffoons or court jesters in place to offer contrast. It has long seemed to me, that every president deserves his own choice of the people with whom he hopes to work during his administration. I see no reason why such individuals need be subjected to a complete Congressional hearing and an extended trial. They are to nod their approval of the President's action, that's all. They get to meet the nominee. The come to know what they are likely to have to do with him from that point or, if they can ignore him. It is the president and his immediate staff's concern to sift out any vicuña coat peddlers, influence agents, and other such baddies. We need to make some changes in the way we select our governmental people. To provide easy ways for misfits, non-conformists, leftovers, has-beens, former-whatevers and professional power grabbers to move into government jobs has become more risky than ever before. Advancements in politics must be based more on past accomplishments. A.L.M. January 31, 2006 [c428wds]ryrvih
Monday, January 30, 2006
NO LET UP I am increasingly disturbed by the fact that the obvious growth of violence-oriented programming con continues in spite of repeated plans set forth which are designed to abate this negative value in our TV viewing. Intended to, at least, abate the use of sex-rooted language, actions and insinuations, many such efforts seem to have fed the contagion rather than curbed it. So-called “new” shows introduced to our TV screen have been, for the most part, rather sad imitations of some previous empty shows which have been withdrawn so often because they were “old”.The number of natural deaths among them is indicative of some wrong choices having been made in fixing something that was not really “broke”. Many of the old shows continue to run on other than what we are still trying to call, “the major network” channels. Cleavage and crotch sequences serve the new shows well. As skirt fringes rise, dialog sinks lower; as cleavages widen, action dangles loosely. Repeated limb and sternum shots and crotch transitions – both female and male - are costly decorations – in money and time. They are the spendthrift fool's tools, at best. When applied to newscasts the three fatality factors are very offensive but being used more and more, as well. Think back through the number of TV shows you count among your favorites, and only a few of them will be contain then excess of filth, suggestions and double-meaning which are made to be common in most new creations. Not that any of us can lay claims on purity awards...far from it. We all had standards of morality. We all had our own levels of depravity. Each had, is his or her own, personal degree a stance to which we might place ourselves and beyond which we did not. Present-day script writers, producers, directors, some actors and actresses and many critics, too often, today attempt to dictate that level of depravity beyond which we will not find it best to go and especially in our own homes among friends and family. In the end we are, to some extent, have ourselves to blame. If we seem to approve of it, we share the guilt of it being allowed to continue...even be magnified for a time. Take courage in the simple fact that we are doing exactly what is needed: we are not watching it. The TV people, and others such a magazine editors are, even now, wondering how it is that their way is fading in favor of Internet, cable grown up, and the host of inventive “hardware” which are part and parcel of the new times...here now and just ahead! Their demise is assured as we ignore their faulty efforts at reformation without genuine changes being made. We face a brighter future in the entertainment portions of our lives. Faulty art - in all forms – exists because we buy it. Think about that, and act upon it! A.L.M. January 30, 2006 [c505wds]
Sunday, January 29, 2006
TUG 'N DONKEY DAYSEven today in our high-tech times of change we can still see strong evidence that the old-fashioned, somewhat stodgy and slow tug boats continue to be seen in the harbors of our coast lines; inland, more so at just about any location where a bit of railway lore exists the donkey engine is also hard at work doing its part of the transportation work of this great nation of ours as it continues to grow. Both are fading away,I suppose - more certain as methods become more and more mechanized and modernized. We cannot predict the future of valuable assets. The names will become meaningless in time, and the changes will, we hope, be largely cosmetic nature such as name changes o conform to our times and also recognition of improvements made in each of the units. Names do that -become old-fashioned, quaint, and even obsolete. An example of one such change which has beentaking place all around us in recent months. Have you wondered what has become of the many phone booths that used to be scattered all over your area? Wall phones in public areas are not being replaced, because there is no longer any need for them since the cell phone as taken over. Young people now in pre school training will have to have such items as phone booths, record player -perhaps tug boats and little donkey engines - full-sized trains, as well, for that matter. A.L.M. January 29, 2006 [c308wds]
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