Posts filed under ‘OBSERVATIONS & OPINIONS’
THE TEARS OF NEWARK
At times, I don’t know if my thoughts are just of an old man out of rhythm with the times or valid observations. You, my friends, must be the judge.
Over the years I’ve noticed a trend, the intent of which is either for the betterment of mankind or yet another means of making money. I’m talking about the discovery of new diseases, not life threatening ailments, to be sure. But ailments for which products have been developed, afflictions such as dry eye and restless leg syndrome. The syndrome from which I draw a great deal of humor is ‘dry eye’.
For this malady, a host of artificial tear products are on the market, and if these products do not work there are heavy duty products such as Restasis, a heavily advertized remedy. Every time I see their ads I think of my late dad. I’ll tell you why.
When I was a kid my dad had a cure for dry eye. If he were alive I could see him opening up a ‘dry eye clinic’. His remedy was really cheap. All he would do was say, “You want something to cry about? I’ll give you something to cry about.”
It worked every time.
While I was a kid living in Newark during the 50’s and 60’s there was little need for artificial tears. There was always plenty of the real thing to go around. In fact, we had a surplus of tears. We could have exported tears. Compared to today’s problems, we were pretty well off.
Then there is ‘dry mouth’ cured by hydration, something we used to call drinking.
FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY: BOWL GAMES
In a previous piece I wrote about how everything in a writer’s world affects his or her writing to some extent. I feel what we produce is a product of our environment.
This piece results primarily from my past experience, but more importantly from my values.
As you can see from the title I will focus on college bowl games but not from the sports aspect. I prefer to look a little deeper, focusing on the direction so many aspects of our lives take nowadays. Traditions diluted for the sake of how much money can be made. At first this trend was more insidious. Now it is becoming more and more blatant.
I can remember when there were only four bowl games. I could be wrong about the number. If I am, someone let me know. I’m talking about maybe fifty or more years ago. They were the Rose, Cotton, Orange and Sugar Bowls and they were all played on January 1st, a full day of football.
In a recent edition of our local paper I counted 35 bowl games now being played over the course of weeks providing a minimum of overlap for the greatest viewing audience. There are probably more.
Now we have such titles as the Little Caesar Pizza Bowl, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Chick-fil-A Bowl just to name a few. With at least 35 bowls that means at least 70 teams played in a bowl game. To me, the honor of participating in a bowl game is greatly diluted these days. I think the four above mentioned games still garnish the most honor. But really, do we need all these games? The avid sports fan I’m sure will say yes, but it seems to me that pride of saying your team participated in a bowl game has greatly diminished.
My cynical self tends to look at this trend as just a blatant way to make more money. Another example of one of our institutions diluted in the quest for the almighty dollar.
IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS BY ERIK LARSON
I just completed reading In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. He is a superb writer of creative nonfiction. His books are fact made to read as novels resulting in a page-turner of history.
This work covers the rise of Nazi Germany with Hitler and his henchmen gaining control of the government. The events are viewed through the eyes of William E. Dodd, in 1933, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Germany stationed in Berlin.
The story is a chilling recounting of the slow increase in terror and insanity of the Nazis toward the German population and especially the Jews. Reflected is how the horror slowly escalates until it is impossible to halt progress towards world conflict.
SPIN
It’s time for a confession.
In a past posting I ranted and raved about how I hated the way news was being presented in this day and age and vowed to never watch it again. Well, it seems that ‘never’ can be a short interval. I admit I am a flawed individual with addictions to bear, and the news is one of them. For instance, when on vacation I agonize that some major event will occur and I will be left out of the loop. Who know, Congress may agree on something, nuclear war and or the end of the world would happen and I wouldn’t know about it. All this is rationalizing to soften my failing: I’m watching the news again.
Not only am I watching the news, but I am watching the news given by multiple sources. This may explain what led to this piece.
With the advent of cable news there are a host of news outlets to provide fodder for whatever persuasion you may be, be it liberal or conservative. The middle is more or less left for the networks to serve. So yes, I have even begun watching a cable news station that rhymes with ‘sox’.
As I watch some of these news presentations, I find it difficult to determine what news is and what is editorial. Then it dawned on me. Today you can watch the news and hear the slant that you want to hear, according to your beliefs.
The above insight brings me to the topic of this discussion, the definition of spin as I see it.
I can be rather slow in the thinking process at times. Okay, most of the time. I always thought that spin was delivering half-truths to support your opinion, incorporating falsehoods, to some extent. However, after listening to various outlets delivering the news on the identical topic, I’ve come to change my opinion. There is no falsehood involved. Cable news chooses to report the facts, but only the facts that they know will support the views that their viewers will be comfortable with, that support the agenda of both the station and those who hold what the station presents as gospel. At times I find it amusing to listen to the various outlets reporting on the same topic, selecting only the facts that they find relevant.
Bottom-line; listen to as much news as you can even if you don’t agree with the philosophy of the outlet. Then, use your brain to decide what the truth is by assembling all the facts. That’s what it’s all about.
THE COURAGE OF THE YOUNG WRITER
I salute those youthful individuals who toil daily for the love of their art. Jack Kerouac banging out On The Road on his endless roll of paper not knowing where that work would lead. For hundreds, thousands of Jacks the road is a dead-end. They are the unsung heroes of their art hoping the nod of someone of power, the recognition that never comes. You shall remain unknown, taking your work to your graves.
I began my fiction writing career thirteen years ago when well into my fifties. I stumbled upon this career by accident. Beginning with writing a memoir, I soon turned to short stories and finally novels. While beginning this chapter in my life, I had already been a scientist for twenty years and well established in that profession. Thankfully my two careers overlapped and when a lay-off raised its ugly head five years ago, I became a full-time writer. Since beginning my writing career I have published more than twenty-five short stories and one novel. I’m just getting started for I have two more novels written and a host of short story ideas. Yet, with all this under my belt, some who know me think I ‘just dabble’, that writing is my hobby. None of them know the terror of the blank page or computer screen, but you do my young and young-at-heart friends.
This reflection of my past and present is to contrast the path I took to writing with those who early on decided that putting down in words their thoughts and products of their imagination was the purpose of their life. They take any job available to support their profession, a profession where they can well spend hundreds of hours not knowing if they will make a penny.
You have chosen a lonely profession. For when you take up your pen or sit before your keyboard there is only you and your thoughts. That loneness is the great equalizer between the known and unknown writer.
THE POWER OF THE BLOG
Many of us blog on a regular basis, or in my case, I visit on a rather irregular one. Yet how many of us pause to ponder the power attached to what we are doing? We are displaying, not only to our friends and acquaintances but to the entire world and perhaps beyond (my science fiction side is showing), our thoughts and sometimes emotions. What we consider important.
This realization crept into my brain when I used a relatively new feature provided by WordPress. It allows you to view the hits your blog has produced around the world. Granted, for me, the vast majority of views listed are countries in which only a solitary person read my blog, but that means in that remote corner of the world my voice was heard. Heady stuff. So for me, as my thoughts sail into infinity – and beyond, I will strive to make them clear, concise and worthy of your time.
ADDICTED TO PRINT
Perhaps it is my age or my past or a combination of both, but I am addicted to the word printed on paper. I know my love spells doom for many trees but I am in too deep. I also know that this is the age of the eBook. Some of my work is available in this medium. I am intrigued by the Kindle White, the prospect of carrying a thousand books with you. But for now I’ll stick with paper.
One question I have is, “How well do the eReaders bounce?”
I am forever falling asleep while reading, either in bed or in my favorite chair (I am getting old). When I awake my book is usually on the floor and closed; my place gone. In my daughter, Lynn’s, younger days I would tell her I lost my place and she would answer, “Don’t worry, Dad. It’ll turn up.”
Here are more reasons why I may never switch to the electronic medium. I love the smell of books. I know many of you are also closet book sniffers. When I begin a new book I open it up to its middle and breathe in its scent. I love holding books and being surrounded by piles of them waiting to be read.
I especially love the smell of old books. Some you need not open to gain their odor. The smell of their history bombards you. I have a bookcase full of old books. My oldest is a book of English history from the late 1700’s. I doubt if my old volumes have much value. Why I cherish them is, as I hold them, I wonder who held them when they were new, and how those people lived. I wonder if they appreciated the books scent when it was new.
THE FINAL STORM by JEFF SHAARA
I recently finished Jeff Shaara’s historical novel, The Final Storm. He has written numerous novels about war, from the Revolutionary War to World War II. He tells a gripping story along with providing a history lesson of the conflict he relates. His approach is to follow important historical figures, such as Eisenhower for World War II, along with the experiences of the common soldier, men who fought the battle.
The Final Storm tells the story of the latter part of the war in the Pacific, from the battle of Okinawa to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan. There is a great deal of detail given to Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay, the B-29 which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This was a poignant read for me for I met Tibbets about eight years ago. He passed away in 2007.
I’m a member of the Mid Atlantic Air Museum. Every year for about the last twenty years the museum has held World War II Weekend on the first weekend in June. Fighters, bombers and transports from the war make their way to Reading Airport in Pennsylvania for the event. Along with the aircraft are military vehicles and reenactors all bringing history to life.
Also present are individuals who played a part in the conflict. For a few years Paul Tibbets was one of the invited guests and that is how I met him. I wish I had read more about him before that occasion. I knew what he did but not much more about the man. I can’t remember what I said to him after shaking his hand. I still cherish the moment but wish I had known more about him.
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