Saturday, July 22, 2006
EASE OFF A BIT I wonder today, if we are being a bit too hard on ourselves these days. To continue to find fault; to continue to overlook any improvement whatsoever is a sure way for an individuals and nations to commit suicide. Just this week when President George W. Bush made his first used his veto power to knock down proposed legislation which would have permitted government funds to back new Stem Cell research. I have my own, personal feelings on the subject but I was a bit miffed with those persons who show their superficial, veneered-on layer of information - both true and not so accurate statements which often show a lack of knowledge. This, in turn, then illustrates how shallow their awareness must be concerning plans for innovative research in is specialized, medically-oriented field of work which has yet to be done. We should respect is element of decision in leadership problems. Bush stayed with his previously stated views on this matter. He said he would; and he did. It is one of the most critical points under current consideration by religious voting segments of our nation who are also part of that national unity we mentioned earlier. Certainly, we have ample evidence about us to sow how polarizations of religious groups and entire nations and structures. The loss in his veto incident is not all that important, yes...but not hopelessly damaged. Stay with what , or change if you it best to do so. You will have your chance again and I will have mine. This is just one way in which we tend to downgrade our effectiveness as governmental entirety. We are inundated with negative views from people who admit "they don't know what to do" but will not stop being critical of the actions of those trying to bring about desired advantages. The steady erosion of public confidence in our government is a major concern we face today as a nation. And strengthening it begins with us - with each of us in our daily routine of living normal lives in abnormal times. These next few years are not going to be easy for any of us. Indications are more-and-more, that we are living at a time of great change. Let's be careful not to be overwhelmed by unusual events, mindless reactions to strange circumstances and violent variations of a world-wide nature. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 7-22-06 [c416wds]
Friday, July 21, 2006
GYPSY TRADITIONS We used to hear a great deal about the gypsy sub-cultures which formed a visible part of national society. In various section of the nation we fully expected to see gypsy campgrounds spring overnight along the edge of our highways usually where there was a creek or a pond available. Only after used car and truck lots came into existence did we see any motorized vehicles there. Everything was horse or people drawn They gypsy families had a pattern to their wanderings. They would, when asked, leave the impression that they were going North seeking work. In the Fall, when they passed through headed more-or-less toward the South they would say they were seeking warmer summer time quarters and harvesting work doing orchard and farm jobs. Very often local residents has a different view about their reason for being in our area. At farm houses the word passed along to all local residents, young and old alike, went somethings like: "Lock everything! These gypsy folks figger to rob us blind! That's the way they live; stealing other people's things!" It was generally expected that any item missed during the next six months: "Mus'tv been took by them gypsy swine!" Some folk (young ones in particular didn't heed the housewarmings. We used to sneak off a night and work our way as close as we could to the camp to listen to their music - some fine fiddle, zither, auto harp, guitar and the steady "t-r-r-w-ang--g-gr"of the Jew's Harp the only time I ever heard one played right. There were some "far out" gypsy groups, too. You noticed them more, I think, after horse and wagon rigs changed to beat-up trucks and stripped cars. One such group I'm lad I never met up with, was called "The Irish Traders". Members came from all over the country. The met on only in the Atlanta, GA and Nashville, TN areas. They met for just two occasions - death and marriage. The clan, in the 1930's listed eight Irish families. If a member died , the body was shipped to one of the two sites and held in a local morgue until the set meeting date. Tradition forbids burials at any other times. All young girls are expected to marry within the clan, and this fact suggests why "The Irish Traders" no longer chug along the roads to Atlanta and Nashville. When a wedding or funeral is concluded, all of the eight families "must depart in different directions". They are all in the same line of work back home: motorized nomads dealing in horses and mules. That is my Number Two reason or saying at "Irish Traders" gypsy clan is unlikely to be on the roads today, but to be completely honest with you, I'm just a little bit hesitant about putting it in URL form for the computer. Suppose one of Eight Irish families takes exception to my remarks? I assume I might get a choice of either Nashville or Atlanta? Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 7-21-06 [c521wds]
Thursday, July 20, 2006
CEASE FIRE! Do you find the events now taking place in the mid-east far too complicated for even a cursory understanding of what might be amiss there to allow such conditions to continue day by day. You are, to be sure, not the only persons who feel inadequate - to put it mildly - even ignorant when asked to explain any facet of it all. It strikes that the rotten apple in the badly tumbled barrel as these frenzied "Hezbollah" militia". I hate to classify these terrorist persons as being any type of military personnel - soldiers in the historic sense of the words. I regret some leader or our element saying today that "Israel should stop bombing..." It would be even more valid and more "honest" to tell the Ayatollah militia to "stop firing their thirteen thousand rockets". It was "fifteen" earlier, I believe, and enough to make them think that will accomplish whatever they had in mind trying to do. They will pop away until last one is gone hoping the last few will do the trick for them. Both sides need to cease firing, not just Israel. Too often the demand is for Israel to do so now -right way away - turn off everything and wait around to see if Hezbollah hothead does the same! At that point, neither side has accomplished anything. It it, I think, quite obvious that destruction in Lebanon has been unusually heavy. We have no facts telling which sites have been militia controlled at the time they were bombarded. Certainly no one could doubt the stated intent of the Israeli forces to do a much damage as possible to enemy occupied sites. Such damage can only be expected to increase as Israeli forces advanced into Lebanon proper. They have already crossed the border the mode of small, infiltering groups for better artillery positions., but if the Hezbollah feel they must continue until their very last left-over rocket has been launched to complete the massive cloud of terror which supposed the develop in all lands to the west. A "You, first!" cease fire? No, thank you. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 7-20-06 [c365wds]
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
THE THREESOME WORRY Older newspaper reporters used to affirm that trouble, moires of cares, concerns and worry occurred in the news always in sets of three. We've had all three today, it appears. During the night Israel continued to return cannon fire in reply to repeated Hezbollah rocket attacks in Haifa and other areas. Israeli troops crossed over the border to zero in closer on rocket firing sites inside Lebanon. That could only be heard as proof that the war is being extended - strange warfare, too, between an existing nation and a terrorist group well armed, well financed, supplied by nearby nations. My big worry asks what has become of the true government of Lebanon? It is being said that it sill "exists", but we shall have to accept someone's word for that, I suppose because our chief concern ought to be wondering how a national government can fall into dis-use so fast How stable is our own? The second bad news item in July 19, 2006 papers had little or nothing to do with the war. .It concerned a sea adventure in a unusual manner. The unusual circumstance happened to a large, ocean-going cruise ship - one of the newer "High Rise" models which seem to be getting taller with each one the shipyards turn out. Drafting table artists point the way to more assured profits by penciling in another deck of the new ship being gussied-up in the nearby dry dock.. This particular cruise ship moving along Amphibian waters came in contact "with a severe underwater current " 'we are told which caused it list suddenly at a thirty-degree angle. Try putting your feet in line toe-to-heel and the suddenly lean at about one third of the way. Unless you shifted base with feet quickly, you can get up off the floor and tell me about it. Only one woman passenger was injuries, we are told, but the ship took on enough water from lower ports and other openings to merit a prompt return to its home port. All of this suggests we might find it wise to be a bit more careful just whom we allow to design those whom we allow to design the ships in which we are sail. Now, back to third sad story of the day. We woke up to be told we have twenty-five thousand American citizens "stranded" in Lebanon (a figure which came down somewhat during various tellings during the day) who have, it appears, made little or no efforts of their own to leave because they seem to feel it is the duty of the U.S. State Department to ferry them all home. I was disturbed to find that many remaining. I was even more disturbed by the foul mood so many of them are in seemingly expectant without slowing any appreciation. Not all, mind you, but too many. State has leased a Greek cruise ship (a smaller, older model) to take some to Cyprus resort hotel living for a while. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 7-19-06 [c520wds]
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
GETTING IT DONE
These days, it is good to hear of a missionary project being undertaken by a church affiliated group which seems to be working to the advantage of some needy people. Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church, Fort Defiance, Virginia - one of ten churches so committed, mind you, that has been engaged in such a project annually. Each of those ten churches joins with the others in sending out a "Baja Mission" work team. . This year - this very month through July 29th - those two teams will be building sturdy, practical homes for Baja California natives to call their very own. The larger team of sixty-one members this year, will complete four, double houses according to native plans and actual needs. The smaller team will build two such homes and all of the members will be , in some way, associated with another project on-going which provides pure, safe, dependable water to the homes in the growing community of well-placed homes. Such teams installed that water system in 2004. A total of three hundred people have gone to this Baja Mission point, "The Stone Tablet", the bi-weekly newsletter of the old church stemming from around 1740 when it, too, was something of a mission point to the settlers moving into the western wilderness from coastal cities and town as well as a steady flow of European immigrants. Several other projects have also been initated and accomplished in the needy Oaxacan Indian tribal area. The work teams are of all ages with an emphasis upon youth forming a group of members who have, I think, responded well to the work ethic involved and who have revived the old concept which caused individual works of church teams recognized and supported once again. The general missionary work, so much a part of the protestant church in the past has decreased largely due to loss of membership and, hence, lower gifts in well-know denominations and a general malaise in giving in living, physical commitment of members to those in need both near and afar. I have a feeling that much of the loss of interest in church social work among many churches has gone hand-in-pockets with their inability to associate personally through a lack of physical participation. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 7-18-06 [c-402wds]
Monday, July 17, 2006
ONE MORE TIME It has no been very long since most of us might have met with people who had lost their house and all if their possessions to flood conditions. For many weeks that seemed to be the basic element in all news stories from the southern edge of our nation and it puzzles us why so many of such victims are engaged in building new homes on the same flood-prone sites. What thinking person would do such a thing? If you had a chance to ask one of them, you had best be ready to hear some prepared recitations of statements which might win you over. They are not convinced at all of their troubles were due to anything more than occasional liberation's of some finicky weather conditions. They can converse about "hundred year floods"..."five-hundred.." and they can inject some interesting questions such : "Tell me about the second, big Chicago fire; they only had one - right,?" "Frisco's earthquake! When was there another one?" Others have there unshakable faith in knowing exactly and they don't seem to worry about libel or slander laws when they "lay it on "em" - to whom they hold as being the cause of the New Orleans flood and on the rest by association. The usual culprits are the military engineers who didn't know how to build a good dike much less care for and maintain a passel of them, or the political party persons who played petty games with funds from Uncle Samuel. Never before in all of our mixed history have we ever had so many incompetent people in charge of so many non-existent positions which the flood waters proved it would have been nice to have had in place. Someone, for instance, who could look at that big domed arena structure and have realized one cannot jam endless numbers of human beings - "people" i.e. - into such a "big" then "little" space, without sufficient food, water, medical care of the most primitive level of basic sanitation - and small servings of compassion would have been welcomed. Many of those of those dome-dungeoned people could have been bussed out of town earlier in buses parked and unused. The way I hear so much of it now: "Things have changed. If I want to build my house on property I own, it's far more of my business than any of yours." Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 7-17-06 [c412wds]
Sunday, July 16, 2006
SECONDARY GOVERNMENTS Why is it, I wonder that so many of today's governments seem to have second one which actually rules the nation - especially in times of crisis? In some cases, both seem to rule; one may elect to stand back and let the the other take any blame for a botched or poorly conducted campaign. Far too often the news reports we get actually two-fold versions of what such composite governments in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, et al claim to be fact and also the way which secondary authority sees the situation. To which one are we attend? Which is valid? Which one is to be and considered to be the authentic government? Who's opinion and who's requests do we honor? What terrible risks we take when we support one or the other? We all need to think seriously about this complicated set-up. It is a makeshift arrangement at best - based on force, armaments, a selfish bully-ism found so often in association with abject ignorance and continued refusals to accept political and social realities. Hezbollah, "a radical Shiite militia" stems from about 1975 - perhaps thirty or forty years ago when you may remember them as one of the groups fighting to regain Lebanon's freedom from domination by Israel. The vast majority of the Lebanese people came under control of a military dictatorship which has never expelled militant Hezbollah sub-government from power gained during that freedom war. They have simply tolerated such a malignant presence in their midst to maintain their own portion of power. The Hezbollah is a militant, radical, partly-uniformed militia and solidly Shiite - operating aggressively and successfully in a land where the people are predominantly Sunni in religious choice. Even while seeming to stand for local claims seeking unity and Lebanese claims they are allied with international terrorist by the very nature of their being what they have always been. How much longer will the international mind permit this, and other like travesties, to continue? Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 7-16-06 [c351wds]
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