altara

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Thoughts on Language

F---  You!

There seems to be now frequent use of the F word, and I don't much like it.  When I was growing up and for much of my life it was rare and disdained. It was used at times by high school kids and low level workers from the rough side of town. Now, it often serves as an all-purpose adjective used by executives, housewives, students, actresses, and authors.

The first time I encountered prevalent use of the word, in various forms, was during the summer of my high school junior year. I worked in a lumber yard in South Philadelphia, which was largely devoted to creosoting railroad ties. My main job was hammering "S' irons into the ends of the ties. The work was a bit hard and the stacks of ties seemed endless. Work began at 8 a.m. and I remember that on my first day, after hours of work, I checked my watch and saw that it was 9:15.

The workers there were mostly from difficult neighborhoods nearby and a quite rough group. They picked on me a bit, as a "rich college guy", but most were  very friendly and quite helpful. And nearly all had a large vocabulary of uncouth words.

A later encounter with frequent use of the F word was during Navy training. We were a group of college kids but were joined by a few veterans from the fleet who brought with them a supply of curse words.

After that, it was a long, long time before the F word became so widespread and, I guess , somewhat acceptable. Although the word is still a bit jarring for many of my ancient generation, I fear that it has lost much of its sting.

GOP caring

"Mitt Romney's Re-Invention As Anti-Poverty Warrior"

Jeb Bush and other GOP hopefuls have expressed similar sentiments.

I'm eager to see they and their Republican colleagues support legislation dealing with minimum wage, paid sick leave, food stamps, medicaid, social security, etc.

 

Friday, January 16, 2015

Family StuffSnapshots from Youth For my grandchildren and others who haven’t experienced much of a carefree youth, I offer notes and short vignettes from one suburban person’s childhood in the 1930s. From age six on, I lived in a quiet neighborhood in suburban Philadelphia. This was before the housing boom after World War II; and so quite a few homes were bordered by fields. Most lots were a half-acre or more and many were shaded by old and very tall trees. Substantial wooded areas were close by. This was heaven for a young boy who climbed trees, caught snakes and lizards, created hideouts in tall field grasses, and wandered through the woods. There was space for dogs to run and for kid to play Capture the Flag and other games. The elementary school was about 2 miles away over a couple of quiet roads, with one stretch of a major road. However, at that time traffic was not heavy or frantic; and so soon I was allowed to ride my bike to school. The school was fairly large and attractive, serving grades 1-7. The principal was a woman, as were all the classroom teachers except for Mr. Turner in 7th grade, a large and somewhat intimidating man. I recall having a crush on the attractive second grade teacher, Miss. Jarrett. She was very nice to me. The atmosphere was quite different in 3rd grade, taught by a very strict Miss Baer. After one incident, which I forget, she taped my mouth and locked me in the closet. I’m sure that I deserved this, and suffered no aftereffects, but fancy that working in these litigious days. Also, it may have been in her class when, one early morning, the teacher entered to find me leaping from desk to desk exclaiming “I’m King Kong”. Movies can be very influential. During these early grades, my report cards invariably contained all A’s except for a category then called, “deportment” I don’t recall many misdeeds besides talking too much. At one point I did help lead a student strike, against some administration injustice that I now suspect was trivial. I also participated in a major fistfight against a class bully, staged in the schoolyard and surrounded by student spectators and cheerleaders. When authorities broke it up, we were both bloodied and still swinging. Typically, we then became great friends. In fifth grade, taught by a wonderful Miss Hayes, I learned all the grammar I ever needed to know. She was a stickler for correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Those many hours were spent parsing sentences paid off in later years. Meanwhile, late afternoons, weekends, and summers were times to play. By myself, or with buddies, many, many hours were spent at the creek that flowed through nearby properties. When not catching crayfish, we were racing tiny, makeshift boats through narrow channels . These homemade vessels were carved out of bark or other wood or fashioned out of small household items such as little caramel candy boxes. Animals were a particular lure. I caught rabbits, squirrels, lizards, snakes, and turtles. I probably shortened my mother’s life by occasionally bringing in a snake and putting it in front of her on the kitchen table. Often my long-suffering parents had to help me keep these in boxes, cages, and in our laundry tub. Some were liberated, some died, and some were our guests for a long time. One memorable event arose from an unidentified cocoon that I placed on the kitchen windowsill. One morning, my mother came down to fix breakfast and found the kitchen overrun by thousands of tiny praying mantis babies that had emerged from this cocoon. They were everywhere, windows, walls, stove, table. My mother spoke to me about this experiment Another particular memory is of Gunter, a German boy who, at age twelve, came to the U.S. from Germany, perhaps as a refugee. We became good friends as I helped him learn English and the ways of our pre-teen world. A word he learned early was “dead”, as I reenacted the expiration of the injured squirrel that I had been caring for. After school, most hours were spent outside - at the creek, in various forts, exploring the woods by myself or with friends. In winter there may well have been sledding, on hills or on the street. Before school, on cold winter days, I often met a friend at six a.m. to go ice skating on a pond about a half a mile away. This pond was also the site of some rudimentary ice hockey and occasionally a brief plunge through thin ice into cold water. Climbing roofs For some reason, I was attracted to climbing roofs and scaled most of those in the neighborhood, a habit not always appreciated by the neighbors. Never fell but had some close calls, as when a tile on our steep slate roof would slip away. Never had a climbing injury; closest was when a poplar tree branch broke giving me a sharp drop but luckily just missing some sharp rocks. I had a great little sister, Betty, who was game for most anything, including boxing me in the attic. A pain that she always wanted to follow me; a plus that she had some very cute friends, which I noticed. There was a tough bully, Felix, who would occasionally ride his bike into our neighborhood, teasing girls and intimidating boys. One day he went after my sister; and so I went after him. He never returned



Snapshots from Youth
 For my grandchildren and others who haven’t experienced much of a carefree youth, I offer notes and short vignettes from one suburban person’s childhood in the 1930s.
From age six on, I lived in a quiet neighborhood in suburban Philadelphia. This was before the housing boom after World War II; and so quite a few homes were bordered by fields. Most lots were a half-acre or more and many were shaded by old and very tall trees. Substantial wooded areas were close by.
This was heaven for a young boy who climbed trees, caught snakes and lizards, created hideouts in tall field grasses, and wandered through the woods. There was space for dogs to run and for kid to play Capture the Flag and other games.
 The elementary school was about 2 miles away over a couple of quiet roads, with one stretch of a major road. However, at that time traffic was not heavy or frantic; and so soon I was allowed to ride my bike to school. The school was fairly large and attractive, serving grades 1-7. The principal was a woman, as were all the classroom teachers except for Mr. Turner in 7th grade, a large and somewhat intimidating man.
 I recall having a crush on the attractive second grade teacher, Miss. Jarrett. She was very nice to me. The atmosphere was quite different in 3rd grade, taught by a very strict Miss Baer. After one incident, which I forget, she taped my mouth and locked me in the closet.
I’m sure that I deserved this, and suffered no aftereffects, but fancy that working in these litigious days.  Also, it may have been in her class when, one early morning, the teacher entered to find me leaping from desk to desk exclaiming “I’m King Kong”. Movies can be very influential.
During these early grades, my report cards invariably contained all A’s except for a category then called, “deportment” I don’t recall many misdeeds besides talking too much. At one point I did help lead a student strike, against some administration injustice that I now suspect was trivial. I also participated in a major fistfight against a class bully, staged in the schoolyard and surrounded by student spectators and cheerleaders. When authorities broke it up, we were both bloodied and still swinging. Typically, we then became great friends.
 In fifth grade, taught by a wonderful Miss Hayes, I learned all the grammar I ever needed to know. She was a stickler for correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Those many hours were spent parsing sentences paid off in later years.


Meanwhile, late afternoons, weekends, and summers were times to play. By myself, or with buddies, many, many hours were spent at the creek that flowed through nearby properties. When not catching crayfish, we were racing tiny, makeshift boats through narrow channels . These homemade vessels were carved out of bark or other wood or fashioned out of small household items such as little caramel candy boxes.
 Animals were a particular lure. I caught rabbits, squirrels, lizards, snakes, and turtles. I probably shortened my mother’s life by occasionally bringing in a snake and putting it in front of her on the kitchen table.  Often my long-suffering parents had to help me keep these in boxes, cages, and in our laundry tub. Some were liberated, some died, and some were our guests for a long time.
 One memorable event arose from an unidentified cocoon that I placed on the kitchen windowsill. One morning, my mother came down to fix breakfast and found the kitchen overrun by thousands of tiny praying mantis babies that had emerged from this cocoon. They were everywhere, windows, walls, stove, table. My mother spoke to me about this experiment
 Another particular memory is of Gunter, a German boy who, at age twelve, came to the U.S. from Germany, perhaps as a refugee. We became good friends as I helped him learn English and the ways of our pre-teen world. A word he learned early was “dead”, as I reenacted the expiration of the injured squirrel that I had been caring for.
 After school, most hours were spent outside - at the creek, in various forts, exploring the woods by myself or with friends. In winter there may well have been sledding, on hills or on the street. Before school, on cold winter days, I often met a friend at six a.m. to go ice skating on a pond about a half a mile away. This pond was also the site of some rudimentary ice hockey and occasionally a brief plunge through thin ice into cold water.
 Climbing roofs  For some reason, I was attracted to climbing roofs and scaled most of those in the neighborhood, a habit not always appreciated by the neighbors. Never fell but had some close calls, as when a tile on our steep slate roof would slip away. Never had a climbing injury; closest was when a poplar tree branch broke giving me a sharp drop but luckily just missing some sharp rocks.

I had a great little sister, Betty, who was game for most anything, including boxing me in the attic. A pain that she always wanted to follow me; a plus that she had some very cute friends, which I noticed. There was a tough bully, Felix, who would occasionally ride his bike into our neighborhood, teasing girls and intimidating boys. One day he went after my sister; and so I went after him. He never returned

Soccer

Yaya Toure fails to commit long-term future to Manchester City

So, maybe Barcelona can pick him up (for big money).

As I've said before, I think that Barcelona needs a marauding midfielder such as Toure, to go along with their excellent tika-taki  game.

 

 

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

"House GOP Votes To Block Protections For Undocumented Immigrants" 

Guess we need that compassionate conservative back.

politics

"Virginia lawmaker wins election from jail"

Maybe General Petraeus can start his political career from a similar location.

Old family stuff

Old Family Stuff



The Best of Times
Throughout modern history, there have been many memorable eight-decade periods. Think of the times of the Magna Carta, or the Renaissance, with its great artists, or the American and French Revolutions, In the 19th century, there were the Napoleonic Wars, the American Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation,  the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the rise of the Industrial Age. 
Why these few examples and the eight-decade spans? Because one of my daughters pointed out that my eighty-year life span has included events of much more interest and importance than hers promises to be. Without predicting the future, I can agree that I have been fortunate to live in a period of eighty-plus years since.1926. This period may not be the most eventful and memorable in history, but I’m sure it comes close. 
So I reflect – somewhat randomly. 
In 1926, we were in the middle of the Jazz Age and the stock market boom. Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic. Then came the 1929 crash and the Depression, unemployment, hobos, bonus march, dust bowl.  Although too young to comprehend these, I did see the newsreels of breadlines and encounter the occasional hobo.  
And I got to see many of the movies of the 30’s, a memorable decade for Hollywood movies. In came talkies, with The Jazz Singer. Then color. Along with Tom Mix and Zorro at matinees, I saw gangster movies like Little Caesar, Busby Berkeley musicals, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Shirley Temple, The Good Earth, Gone With the Wind, and the early careers of movie stars such as Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, and Humphrey Bogart.  
Beginning in the late forties, movies became the cinema, with auteur directors, and we began to see great foreign films such as The Bicycle Thief. And movies continued to be a part of our life, with classics such as Casablanca and The Godfather influencing how we saw the world around us. To this day we enjoy some great movies each year along with at least a few excellent TV programs, such as The Sopranos,
More serious stuff.  During my lifetime, we had the Spanish Civil War, World War II (the “Good War”), Soviet Union occupations and gulags, Mao Tse-Tung’s triumph in China, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Rwanda, and Darfur, as well as 9-11, Iraq and Afghanistan. . We also had FDR, Churchill, independence for India and many other nations, as colonialism waned. Apartheid ended peacefully in South Africa. We saw the beginning and end of the cold war, the break up of the Soviet Union, the rise of China and its opening from the West.. The developed and developing nations have had long-term prosperity, despite a few “bubbles” and recessions. The U.S. became the world’s major power.
Inventions. We didn’t discover fire or the wheel, and evolutionary theory and the theory of relativity preceded me, as well as the invention of the automobile and airplane, But my time has seen nuclear power (and bombs), the double helix, transistor, laser, the God Particle, and transformational growth in car and air travel. We have seen space flight, man visiting the moon,and the Mars Rover. Life is better on earth as a result of advances in medicine such as vaccines, penicillin, CAT scans and MRI’s. 
The inventions of television, the computer, and the internet have changed the way we live and work. Television gives us our news and entertainment, but the computer and internet have completely transformed business, communication and our daily lives. 
Our social fabric and culture have undergone other monumental change: the sixties, the civil rights movement and, perhaps the most profound of all, feminism and recognition of the equality and capability of women. That new role for women immeasurably changed the home and the workplace. Civil rights and women’s rights have reversed the practices of centuries. 
Literature during these eight decades has been wonderful, both informing and engrossing. But I would hesitate to make any claims against decades that include writers such as Dante, or Shakespeare, or Dickens, or Yeats. Nor would I venture into the world of art, trying to compare with Monet or Matisse.
Back to entertainment. I have been privileged to watch great ballets, listen to world-renowned orchestras, and experience inspiring theatre.. I have lived through the heyday of Broadway plays and musicals in the 30’s and 40’s, up to the still vibrant theater of 2007. From Eugene O’Neill and Arthur Miller to Tony Kushner, from George Gershwin to Andrew Lloyd Weber, from Kaufman & Hart to Mel Brooks.
Music colors our memories. My life span has been blessed with the likes of Paul Robeson, Marion Anderson, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holliday, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Elvis, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. (some of these seen in person) And this is just a short list.
So the past eight decades have been eventful and exciting. Would that I had confidence that each eight-decade span for my children and later generations could match this one. They will undoubtedly see more inventions and advanced space travel. Blogs, facebooks, and information will be plentiful, but breakthrough inventions may be scarce. And they have been left with a seriously degraded earth, with fewer coral reefs, glaciers, and species. My generation has been a poor custodian of our planet. I hope they do better.
Addendum. Brief notes in 2013. We have seen the end of the disastrous Iraq war and the long, inconclusive war in Afghanistan, as well as the establishment of the International Space Station, a housing bubble and worldwide recession, and the Arab Spring. In the U.S. the election of the first African American President, intractable opposition causing gridlock and slow recovery. Also, exposure of excessive spying. The world lost Nelson Mandela. Our culture embraces the Iphone, apps,  Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Google and Amazon continue their quest for world domination.