Saturday, January 13, 2007
T HE NOUN; SHEHAN
Take care there, lady!
I hate to see any one fall flat on their face - especially in public view. Unless Mrs. Cindy Shehan, considered by some to be among the first American mothers to lose a son in war time, I fear she will find the first part of her name - the friendly, folksy diminutive cut-down of a standard name she didn't like and protested it out of her life long ago.
Protesters, in general, have to be careful concerning how their audience is going to view them. It's so easy and enjoyable to be the clown, but that's specialized field wisely avoided by all those not talented to be the Court Jester. Other types might in include bodily fisticuff encounters of court room brain banging battles - both too formal and too usual and patterned by precedent. Simply, direct and often know to achieve desired results: be a pest.
The distraught Mother set about buying five acres of land in big, old Texas with insurance funds received as a result of her loss. just down the road few miles to President George Bush's oft televised ranch. She and friends erected signs who pointed the way and talked with ,to, at and over increasing groups and TV cameras offering the nation and the world of watchers stood by flat screens everywhere to see what then do-res where doing.
They were bugging Bush, of course.
Keep that picture of Cindy Shehan, if you remember, but shift with me to photographs front-paged in the world's leading newspapers or looming out unbelievably harsh and Baghdad-looking TV sequences crawling along barbed wire enclosures and sturdy masonry barricades showing Shehan standing before GITMO in Fidel Castro's Cuba begging President Bush to "STOP THE TORTURE!" She stand there echoing the words printed on large posters being paraded before the cameras rather than the prison almost as if they were intended to be used as "idiot cards" in sequences showing the harsh, inhumane, barbarous,bestial oh-so bad conditions knowingly condoned by Bush-Chaney.
Remember the changed image of Shehan - an improved hairdo, touch of make-up and large, silverly piece of jewelry dangling on a long, linked chain of like metal chain the camera pusher made you examine. The emblem was that of the cross with broken arms. I do not recall being informed here the necklace came from. We also have not being not told where the money comes from to ferry Shehan around the widening selection sites must feel need protection.
Cindy is gone. Probably working the five acre ranch down Texas way. More and more we see a Shehan.
Andrew McCaskey Sr. amccsr@adelphia.net 1-13-07
[c454wds]
Friday, January 12, 2007
IN THE DOLDRUMS It seems proper for us to borrow the use of a term from the vocabulary of the able sea men of the days when sailing vessels depended on the volatile Trade Winds to send them on their profitable pathways. Now and again, often during the harsh greyness of lowering winter times, such blessed winds were no available -and even the largest and best-equipped ships sat silent and still - unprofitable, too - on the confused tides. The beloved Trade Winds were not available to rescue the statuesque stillness. Disaster faced any with insufficient supplies aboard and without stalwart, determined and loyal personnel. It is not unusual for our Ship of State to edge in to, such a time went the guiding force of the new crew is being put in place. It takes a bit of doing and time, too. Not until the topmost crow's nest has qualified men to question the waters ahead and around them. Officers must bring their charts, maps and methods of management aboard. Cooks must boss lifters and luggers to stock the holds with food and drink sufficient to meet unpredictable needs. People who find themselves in such predicament often react in curious ways. There are a few ego-smitten person who will step forth at once to restate their wishes and find some way to ridicule even insult others who have been trying to do then same job previously. There will be changes in personnel, of course, and most of these will take the move seriously and take sufficient time in which to do it well. The social world experiments a great deal. They insist on importing used TV formats from England, for example, mainly because one or two proved to be profitable which is their standard word for "successful". They ignore the fact that scores of TV favorites from the '50's and 60" are the life blood of scores of non-network channels. Real comedians are rare. Farcical feuds such as the current Donald Trump - chubby what's-her-name who finished off "The View" - are sad commentary on the dire downward direction so much network TV seems to be intent on making their "swan" song. That's unfair to swans! Could we make it Dinosaur dirge, perhaps? Maybe some new Trade Winds will be whipped up in the entertainment area. I look forward to a far-off day when our entertainment Trade Press becomes more journalistically aggressive and speaks out strongly against us continuing our SOT side instead of encouraging creativity. SOT translates: "Same Old Thing!" Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 1-12-07 [c439wds]
Thursday, January 11, 2007
FOUR HUNDRED YEARS Travel can be educational and the legislative bodies of the Commonwealth of Virginia took a short trip down the James River to convened their latest session at the place where they first gathered four hundred years ago. The Senators and members of the House of Delegates pretty well filled the Visitors Center at Jamestown to hear the Governor of the State Timothy M. Kaine (D) deliver his State of the Commonwealth address. He did so with dignity and a firmly stated opinion that the time has come for passage of pending transportation and other legislation. He used skillful references to historic unity in the past when their predecessors pledged unity and fulfilled their obligations to the people of the area which brought historic criteria of past sessions marking their strong leanings toward agreement. "There is just too much agreement here for us to walks away from the issue for a second year in a row." Governor Kaine repeatedly cited instances in the past when legislative creativity led the people of The Old Dominion - far from being aged, but eager and venturesome enough to set individual and sectional differences aside to work for mutual advancement into realms which have been the basis for so many sterling benefits we enjoy today. For many Virginians this speech by the Governor was their first real opportunity to see him "in action" speaking to an historic theme on circumstances in existence long ago - four hundred years, mind you! - when circumstances demanded much of all leaders of the people yet, at the same time, focusing formative light on problems, needs and shortcomings of our own time. His comments on such issues as those facing us today were brief, factual and stated with marked simplicity. His treatment of the historical background was skillfully handled. Modern minds often think of history as being dull, dusty and date-dotted to extremes. Not so - when Virginia's Governor Timothy M. Kaine, speaks his mind. We Virginians had been most fortunate in having had exceptional leaders...four hundreds years of it! Andrew McCaskey Sr. amccsr@adelphia.net 1-11-07 [c357wds]
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
"WITTLE BOYS...." It may well be that the Founding Fathers of our nation missed a few fine features concerning the basic ideas about precisely how political leaders should act concerning each other. To many of our present day official seem to think they are some special, sort of gang leaders blustering their way to the top of every major or minor confrontation and taking a stubborn, oppositional view of any situation which might arise. I find it particularly objectionable when political persons oppose the sitting President of our nation who also happens to be Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces in matters involving the safety of our nation and, more immediately, the very lives of our men and women now serving overseas. For a Congressman, even ahead of any request for additional funds by our Commander-in-Chief, to announce his adamant refusal to authorize any such funds regardless of how urgent the need may be. Some citizens might well see this delaying act as being on the very edge of treason. A member of the Senate or of the House should see himself more as being a stalwart, dependable, trustworthy man interested in the well-being of our nation rather than see, always, the preservation of petty political positions and death-dealing potions to end forever any hope of cooperative endeavors. When a Senator or Congressman speaks , he does so with a certain responsibility which goes with the office they hold. This is no little, old lady standing on a street corner haranguing a motley throng of unconcerned passers-by with her loud denunciations of her supposed wrongdoers. These men and these women who speak out are part of an historic and worthy governmental area which we want to continue to speak of with pride rather than with shame. This is not a new things. It has happened before in other administrations and no one know if, or how much it may have harmed our nation - if at all. It is, however, a things we can change, if we wish to do so. To start: Let's expect adult conduct from those Congress persons we elect. This week's dialog has seemed like the babble of little boys over some insignificant non-thing they tried to make important. Far to often, statements made are based on resentment held over from election time, which is as the Old Folk use to say is: "like drinking poison and waiting around for someone else to die." Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 1-10-07 [c428wds]
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
RE-RUN? Here we go! It's back to Mogadishu! We have to get used to spelling and pronounce East African place and people names all over again. Several weeks ago it became apparent that Somalia was being put back on the being put back on the big, front burner again when the news mentioned that a flight of bombers from Ethiopia had hit targets in Mogadishu, Somalia. You may recall we were un-welcomed visitors there during the days of "War Lord"rule of that troubled land. Sixteen American soldiers were killed there during our short stay. This week flights of helicopter gunships have been flying in from Ethiopia which does not possess such bombers or helicopter gunships. The assumption has been made that they are United States aircraft - one and all. The confusion is just beginning. It may be that the United States is "tracking Islamic extremists" as some Somalia officials say, or looking for bombers from 1998 - a bit late. It, of course, could be that the United States was helping Ethiopia prevent an extremist take-over their neighboring country there in the rich Horn of Africa Or, it may prove to be as Ethiopia report that they solved the problem by means of a successful land operation on December 24, 2006. That move saved the Somali government. They currently concerned about capturing the radical extremists seeking to escape from the country. Wait for some really confusion when the members of our Congress - now under new leadership - see this as a wonderful opportunity to beat the "Bush" a bit more before getting to work on projected legislation to guide and guard us in the future. What should we do about Mogadishu?' All we can do, I feel, is to wait, watch and wonder. Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 1-9-07 [c-309wds]
Monday, January 08, 2007
MUCH-NEEDED BOOK The present Winter 2006 edition of "The University of Virginia Magazine" tells of a book which is now in a preparative phase. It will be available during this year of 2007 and I will, most certainly, be among those who want to keep one handy. It is going to be the book we have needed so long which will define "evil " - name such wrongdoing for what it, most truly, is and show us how to apply such a revelation to ameliorate as few of the festering features of problems present among us in our puzzling world-day peace actions. Not knowing what we are talking about when we speak of specific evils we face, can result in some dangerous piecemeal suggestions for adjusting such gross misinformation to better conform to common sense standards of Truth and Decency. The book, to be titled: "The Rhetorics of Evil" will study those people who talk about evil ,both those who commit it and those who suffers as a result of it. Jennifer Geddes, who is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies as well as Co-program Director of the Institute For Advanced Studies in Cultures" at the University,is currently involved in related studies at the "U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. The University Magazine quotes Jennifer Geddes as saying:"I'm interested in how people talk about evil, either those who have committed it or suffered it." She is now examining Holocaust testimonials and memoirs in detail making use of the museum's large collections of authentic documents of that nature. She has delved into many of such horror stories or that . She "has been struck by" an essential difference between the reasons each decided to tell their tales."The perpetrators depict themselves as victims and try to elicit sympathy, whereas in victim's testimonies they are more interested in telling what happened and giving an account rather than seeking out sympathy." How often did we hear the line: "They were just following orders!" in attempts to excuse individuals in charges of such conducts. We have, just recently, seen and heard the same method still being used as a reasons to excuse persons for miss-deeds today. A serious study of "evil" is long overdue and I hope the Geddes book will meet such a need. We all have a moral imperative urging us to do something which redefines "evil" for what it is - wrong! That's the situation we face...together... right now. Andrew McCaskey Sr amccsr@adelphia.net 1-8-07 [c417wds]
Sunday, January 07, 2007
CHANGES There is one complaint which seems to be very common with most of us. So often so many of us feel we are "in a rut" - socially, work-wise and in every aspect or being that which we are. Everything strays the same, we moan in our misery and long for something different and exciting in our lives when such changes occur, we are often not in the least, prepared to accept them as they are. We, all to often, fail to accept changes which do come our way. We seem to prefer the security afford by remaining as we have been and refuse anything new. It reminds me of a small child who refuses to eat a specific food because "it doesn't taste good!" without ever having tasted it to find out. Our physical selves are in a constant state of change. Few people are concerned with the fact that every cell in their alimentary canal will die and be replaced over the next twenty-three days. Such drastic changes are constantly taking place; cells are being replaced by the millions according to the negative values we provide through the nutritional values we supply by the foods we ingest or the exercises we do not do. In recent years new language terms describe one of my favorite breakfast foods - oatmeal - in strange terms discussing antioxidants, beta-glucan in particular, cytokines, phytochemicals, and a large number of flavonoids which keep the cell protected from oxidation and plaque formation. Our life styles have changed and are still changing whenever such discoveries or developments are made. Our living changes in like manner as well. You may ignore it, but you can't escape its benefits at some point in your constantly altering way of living. Wise up. Go with such changes. Andrew McCaskey Sr amccsr@adelphia.net 1-8-07 [c318wds]
|
