Evans on Evans: A Personal Journal

On the off-beat

2007-07-27T20:15:00.001-07:00

The False Decree --an open verse ramble by John R. Evanetski

“I see this old man, he’s watching life pass,
hoping to squeeze a smile out of his ass”

Prolog: It was April 1994, I recall, when I agreed to drive Uncle Max home from his most recent 120 day “visit” at the State of Washington Treatment Center for Behavioral Disorders, near Seattle. I didn’t mind. To me, he was neither dangerous, nor crazy. He did exaggerate a hell of a lot, I thought.
“I’m a victim, sonny. Look at them! There the ones who are sick,” Max protested, pointing to the doctors and staff, leaving the Center for the day, white lab coats slung over arm or shoulder, talking and laughing.
“They look happy Max;” I said. At that, Max scowled a scornful grin through those chapped lips and tobacco-stained teeth, turned his aged face my way and said.
“Let me tell ’ya what the hell they do to ya’ in there, sonny.. Then ya’ be laughin’ out yer’ ass.“ Max snorted.

It didn’t take much to get Max going. So, he starts like this:

….it was time for more coffee. I'm not sure where the day would take me, probably to submit to another involuntary commitment at the local brain-drainer. Yea, it went down just like before..….Ya’ know, I’m getting that “vu j’ia de” feeling all over again……ready…….remember….er last time… when, I was hallucin….all…. strapped on that gurney like a sack of sh…….then they shoved that tub up my….

I was forced to admit to a stress-driven fit,
a flawed mental processes mistakenly identified,
but-quickly justified by Dr. HSN Habib
Aribarhubarb, MD, one of those questionably-educated,
not-professionally-dedicated, definitely-under motivated,
Middle Eastern mind-bending brain-drainers who,
with his scrawled John Hancock sealed my fate
for the next three-mounts to a state-run, no-money-for-fun
stalag for a test-and-rest, did he Habib-Arib, in a move
like a Turkish whirling-dervish, spin-around and beat-feet,
fast-and-neat to a small rurally-rustic north woods backwater
cow-town, to take post at an average-pay cash booty for
a no-sweat cakewalk diagnostic duty, thereby violating a
previous sworn oath to restore educational loan amounts
granted him from government accounts by willingly giving
his medical best to heal their sores, open their clogged pores,
and unlock the doors to a life of rewarding chores for the
inner-city nervous, whom confined through no fault of their
own inhabited those over-populated spaces owned by
over-copulated foreign races packed into tenements amid
the feted slums, the diseased bums, the hardened criminal
scums, and the post-leaning lot of street-walking dumb-dumbs,
to prove Habib did falsely decree, without shame. What a bastard….

“Max, we’re home,” I breath with a sigh. “Thanks a lot, sonny” Max replies in sincerity, like always. He tips his hat, turns his backside full my way, and “Did ya’ get a good laugh out of that, sonny. See, ya’ next time around“ Max smiles. I‘m sure I will.

Epilog: Uncle Max was like a father to Sonny. Without fail he was only one in the family to offer his emotionally trouble nephew a ride home form Sonny’s various commitments for multiple-personality disorder at the State of Washington Treatment….”

Current poems published

2007-07-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

These two poems appear not just here, but published as well in the Summer 2007 Issues of Artistry of Life, an online literary magazine. Besides the poems, I produced another essay as part of my regular column in AOL, and wrote the Editor's Message for the summer issue, for which I served as Interim Editor.

Kansas Golden Plains
Decades gone now being nourished
by sweat shed generations ago from
farming families tilling, tending fields
into abundance as Kansas golden plains.

Rise to set, seed to harvest they wrought
America's great bounty fired in the belly
by their honest labor and forged it onto
a larder that could feed the whole world.

Pioneers, pilgrims, proud citizens
persevering as unheralded heroes
they bore misfortune undiminished
with courage, faith, determination.

Noses scent the sweet, ripe grain.
Eyes swept windy ribbon-rows of wheat,
Corn, alfalfa flow in long undulating acres.

To overcome daily toil and strife brought
liberty to their life. They mark success in
humble nobleness. Confirmed heart and soul
in self-control, head held high in stoic reply.

Adversity ignore, faith implore, a reward Divine
honorable legacy enduring, God's Grace inuring
set them a holy place, gazing on His smiling face.

Dakota Buffalo: Evolution
At present...handsome, healthy herds
Bison, North America’s great wooly beast
Restored, revived census now at 600,000.

Graze safe on federal ranges, strong, they feed full
sleep like sheep ‘neath beautiful for spacious skies.

A bridled liberty it be. A once nomadic flow
secured and sequestered by federal mandate.

Surveyed, moves monitored, mating inventoried.
Stand eyes wide open in amber waves of grain.

This Century...laid-waste, freedom lost. L’mort!
Slaughtered down 1,000, a white hunters blood-lust
kill for trophy, severe heads, leave carcass rotting.

Rescued by enlightened men of conscience
apply rules of sciences , enforce legal decrees.

In the beginning...with a big bang
Free-rovers, 60 million, unmolested Prairie Kings
thundered in massive herds over Dakota’s plains.

Pungent their musk of careless, carefree wandering
Rumbling hooves beat out an anthem of freedom.

Revered as life-giving by native American tribes.
Great Spirit’s gift food, clothing, cover,.. and all.

A Memorial Day Poem

2007-05-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

This Everlasting Day:
Hymns, Anthems and Tears

By John R. Evanetski
with l'etude lyric, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic

My eyes are red for the tears I shed
listening to hymns and anthems play
on raidowaves for this memoriam day.

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored….”

My ears tuned keen to every patriotic note
Listening to lines poets long ago wrote
Stirred by lyrics drawn from Scriptural quote:

...“I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”; Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel...,

My memory quick recalls verses first read
honoring the brave of Union and Confederate dead
Now said for all soldiers felled by wartime dread.

“In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me: As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;While God is marching on”

My mouth wide opens echoing fateful words
set forever to mark this everlasting day.
It all just takes my breath away!

“Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on...”

High on the oxygen

2007-05-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Evans Blogs Again: nice hat, no pants!

What a SAP I am!

SAP is a self-diagnosed condition I call Seasonally Affected Person. I developed this definition to describe the various moods I experience when the seasons change.

Now I realize it makes a perfect excuse for not keeping up my numerous blogs.

Until today, that is

A recent long stretch of wonderfully fresh, clean, Lilac-scented Spring air currently blanketing our area is just intoxicating and renders me lethargic. Motivation to do anything ebbs.

It’s flowing today due to a cold front that moved in last night creating cool, wet conditions, but not dismal enough to leave me subdued or testy. Hot, humid summers tend to depress all my physical and mental faculties. Sunny, cool and moderate Autumn weather invigorates me; long, cold winters evoke a "survival" mode.

Survival is an operative word today, specifically the future of the Buffalo Sabers, my favored NHL team for this years Stanley Cup. Tonight the Sabers begin the monumental task of having to beat the Ottawa Senators and win the remaining four games to win the conference championship and move on to the Stanley Cup

Ottawa has taken it away from Buffalo, which has the best record in the NHL this year, winning the first three games, including a double overtime 4-3 nail-biter on Saturday, and a painfully tactical 1-0 win on Monday. Sweeping play-off series seems to be Ottawa's calling card. The Sens, as Ottawatonians call them, swept past the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first playoff round.

No matter what happens tonight, I’ll be putting away my puck and picking up on my social calendar this weekend.

Music in the Park starts its summer series of live Friday and Saturday music concerts this weekend. A reunion is set for Saturday night of the key members long-dormant and almost defunct Warren Bacchus Society, a private wine-tasting group ex-Ellen and I joined a number of years ago. Sunday is the monthly potluck supper for residents in my apartment complex. My offering this month is Shrimp & Mushroom Risotto.

Speaking of ex-Ellen, she sent me an “FYI” email this week saying that she is planning a visit to Warren this weekend and proposes a visit for us. Not sure how I can work that into my schedule.

Well, that’s my agenda for the near future. I’ll stop here and see if I have the energy to do a weekend blog review for next week. What’s in your wallet?

In other business: a new essay of mine written for the Spring issue of Artistry of Life, an online literary magazine which I write for and help edit, is posted at http://artistryoflife.org An audio edition I recorded of the same essay can be heard at http://aolsoundpage.blogspot.com.

Also, with regards to my creative writing, I'm setting into type soon two new poetry folders for a number of poems I've written on specific themes. I'll post a blog notice when the folders, an innovative new format I developed for displaying poems, are ready for distribution.

I Know I've Been Tardy!

2007-04-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I’ve neglected updating my various blogs for some time now. There are several excuses I can offer, but no good reasons for being so tardy.

Actually, most days of my days and nights are full of activity from the routine to the esoteric. Today, I’ll iron the shirts and pants I washed Thursday just after returning from Erie where I had a follow-up consultation with a new neurologist, Dr. James DeMatteis. He main focus here is to find some way to better manage the medications I take for Parkinson’s. I’m also undergoing preliminary screening to determine whether I would benefit from surgery to implant electrodes in my brain, which are attached to a battery embedded in the chest, to stimulate that part of my brain the creates the Parkinson’s symptoms. I should know be the end of May whether a deep brain stimulation is practical and worthwhile..

I will also begin today the line edits for the Spring 2007 issue of Artistry of Life, a task that is the main function of my new position as the magazine's assistant editor and technical advisor. Artistry of Life is an online literary magazine founded by my good friend Cassandra Robison, a professor of English, American Literature, and Creative Writing at Central Florida Community Collage.

Along with having editorial and technical responsibilities, I write, and produce an audio recording, for a featured column for every issue. I have contributed poems and essays for AOL for the past year, You can find it at www.artistryoflife.org . There are link in the header of this page for all AOL, and all my other weblogs.

In between, I’ll be watching NHL playoff games with a favored eye on the Buffalo Sabers, a team I’ve been following for the past ten years. On Sunday, there is another pot luck super here, which draws a good turnout of residents. My offering will be sausage & peppers with penne pasta.

How About A Little Music

2007-02-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

CLICK for: EvansMusic

An audio-only web log of my favorite music

Evans as Podcaster!

2007-01-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

Hear Me & See Me

Adding video to my personal web log journal

was inevitable, especially since I received many complements about my audio website. I call it:

My 45-second Slice of Life

CLICK & watch: Evans on the Lamb, My Green Zone

I “shot” the first episode Saturday night with the simple "home movie" capabilities available with the digital camera I have. Using the highest quality setting only yeilds only 45 seconds of recording time.

So, Lights! Camera! Action!

New episodes coming soon!
"Johnny Guitar" "The Big Chair"

A Breakfast Poem!

2007-01-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

Eggs & bread

golden yolks burst on the hot skillet

exploding like a thousand solar flares

three altogether scrambling in a vortex

of rapid clockwise fork strokes

a tang of cheddar blended-in to finish.

fresh bread erupts its metal-pan confines

sweet smelling yeast -yielded manna

quick the knife true smooth and clean

slices even and equal toasted lightly

a spread of butter jam seals its fate

a cup of joe java coffee

brewed hot and hearty drunk black

the nose tastes the aroma of vigor

on the tongue a scent of confidence

ah! this vital sustenance this breakfast

good morning noon or night

et in terra pax homnibus

CLICK to hear audio poem!

Listen to Evans

2007-01-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

"I am not my father's son. Nor was my father, his father's son. HIs father, Michael Evanetski, my Gigi (Unrainian for grandpa) was a persona onto himself. Called Iron Mike by his coal miner peers for the hard-working, hard-drinking, no nonsense fife as a colliery foreman" excerpt from Iron Mike

CLICK and hear my audio essay!

For text only, click My Essays link at top of this page

Also found at:

Artistry of Life, an online literary magazine:

www.artistryoflife.org

Evans: Alive & Well!

2007-01-14T10:41:00.000-08:00

I'm still here, alive and well. But I've had a busy couple of months since last posting to my blog.

I returned on Jan. 11 from Colorady where I spent a month-long extended holiday in with my sister Nancy and her husband Bob.

Since then, and for the next several days, I'll be busy with adding an audio edition of an essay I've written for my column that will be published n the Winter Issue of Artistry of Life. Several attempts to transfer the audio files to teh editor have not been successful.

Just briefly, things are basically OK with me, except for the various disabling symptoms I continue to experience daily with my Parkinson's condition. I will soom have to make plans to move to Colorado on a semi-permamnet basis, setting up a residence in a seven-room home my Nancy and Bob own in Loveland. I'll be heading west in June for a six-month trial run afterwhich I'll make a decisoin to stay or return to Warren. I'll keep my apartment in Warren, rather than cut loose al ties here, should I decide the Colorado is not for me.

I'll post the written version of my essay "Iron Mike" which is about my grandfather once it clears publication in Artistry of Life. I'll have another general update next week.

New Poem Today!

2006-10-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Daily Flight
Migrating birds pass my view
a daily flight, tight in formation
Tip-feathers angle, bank a sharp turn
New heading where waters flow south.

Flocks of Canada Geese, Muted Swans,
and assorted companions fly in Delta-V,
a wedged pattern to swoop over creek
Skimming waters like attacking jet fighters.

Flight leader honks orders: sharpen up
pressing angle, slicing turn, transferring
south where creek blends with river.
Internal compass set for warmer quarters.

Fast on wing, air rushes past
move and motion precise
tree tops rustle, release
Autumn’s last fading leaves.

Guided by natural features,
Ancient landmarks unchanged
Celestial reckoning makes position true
By unfailing sun, moon and stars.

A timeless sojourn,
an affirming seasonal ritual.
To wait-out winter’s cold
until spring’s sun beckons north.

A lifetime Journey to Self-realization

2006-10-15T02:56:00.000-07:00

Note: This is my most recent essay, published last week in the online literary magazine Artistry of Life. Check it out at : www.artistryoflife.org Journalist John Evanetski returns with a new, quarterly column entitled "Reflections from the Allegheny," with an initial essay on being and becoming that blends philosophy and journalism in singular fashion.

Very early in life, we all begin to “feel” that there is something more to us then just an everyday existence. Searching for who we are and why we are here in this time and space is as much a pilgrimage as it is a living and learning experience.

The reward, whether it comes quick, or near death, is the realization of self; that moment of clarity when we know what our duty is in life, and to life, which brings us to peace with ourselves and others.

Consider the words of the late Fr. Slavko Barbaric, a priest who lived in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina: “Man is a being who longs for peace. That is why, one can say, without a doubt, that a persons home is where he finds 'his peace'. In order to experience this peace and to be able to remain in his "peaceful home", all segments of the person, that is his intellect, his free will, his mind and his soul, have to be satisfied. The search for peace is the main motive of every human activity, and that, for his entire life,“ Fr. Barbaric, wrote in his autobiography before he died in 2000. Inspired by the reported visions and apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he wrote and lectured extensively on the search for self, and gave talks to visiting pilgrims, and has written numerous books about the messages of Medjugorje.

At the beginning of this life-long quest the child-pilgrim is gifted with a time to wonder, to imagine, to explore, to examine and to discern. Children naturally “discover“ life’s secrets. We all know of, and may have had ourselves a moment of pure, innocent and spontaneous reflection that uncovered the truth of the events we witness. This is where we begin the journey of finding and understanding the self.

A well-developed childhood inquisitiveness can mature in adolescence into “awareness” at that everything around us has “meaning” both for its own sake and it relationship to all other living things. Paths begin to appear, choices emerge: go there for wealth and fame, that way for pleasure and happiness; this way leads to commitment, unselfishness, charity, and kindness; and, of course, there’s a road named Perdition. First, we must develop and exercise the freedom we have to make a choice, and the will to carry it out.

Carried into adulthood, the exercise of freedom and will leads to an enlightenment of self and attainment of peace. To be complete, our journey demands a recognition, as well as the practice of spirituality; that deep, inner sense of determination, fearlessness, austerity, and compassion.

At the end, satisfying the self-quest brightens the way and forwards our “knowing” as we pass to new existence. For when that bronze clapper tolls a final fugue to our requiem we will need not inquire the reasons for that who we are, for that which we lived: clarity, realization, and peace are already ours.

Big Brother is Watching!!

2006-09-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

Look mom! I’m on TV!

Channel 78 on the local cable TV system beams live, real-time video from the security camera in the lobby at the Towers. It's an extreme wide-angle, black & white view. I learned this from two older men here who actually team-up and monitor Ch 78, on a 24-7 basis. I asked if they have ever videotaped any of the “action”. “No, but that’s a damn good idea!” one said. Now, that’s safe and secure! Yikes!

Rub-a-dub-dub, she overfilled the tub!

2006-09-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

I love submarine movies! But at 5 a.m., Sept. 2, ?

Alarm! Alarm! (AH-UOO-GA, AH-UOO-GA) was what I heard. Bright flashes of white light, just like depth charges exploding underwater. The crew must be about their emergency duties. I must go too!

At first, I thought I was dreaming about one of those traumatic scenes in submarine movies when the boat is being attacked by a destroyer from above attempting to sink it.

But, then I realized it was all too real. The sound was that of the building-wide fire alarm system . The bright light was the alarm repeater unit strobe in my bedroom that alerts me. I counted the number of alarm repeats, four-followed-by-two, which told me the problem was on the fourth floor, westside. My apartment is two-east, on the opposite side.

Rub-a-dub-dub, she overfilled the tub! As we all found out later, a woman on the fourth floor was drawing water for a bath. She started filling the tub,when back into her bedrom and FELL ASLEEP! The tub overflowed and leaked through the ceiling, short-circuited the fire alarm, which set it off.

Meanwhile, startled, usurer about what was happening, and unable to find Ted in the dark, strobe-popping room, I stumbled about, trying to remember the sequence for evacuation.

Dress quickly, take your room keys, (and Ted, of course,) drop a pillow, or some cloth outside the door to let the firefighters know that no one is in the apartment, and GET THE HELL OUT!!.

Fortunately, my medications were working well at the time, so, although slow, I was moving toward the door when the city firefighter assigned to the second floor knocked at the door calling my name. He told me it was a water problem on the fourth floor, so I could stay in the apartment until otherwise advised. He was pleased to see that I was ‘ready to go” if an evacuation were called. People with disabilities who live here have an emergency first-responder assigned to them specifically to make sure they reach safety.

Life at Conewango Towers

2006-08-17T04:44:00.000-07:00

Here’s a basic view of apartment living at Conewango Towers, my new residence following the sale of the Oneida Avenue home. It’s compiled from e-mails to various people around August 12-15.

That's me and Ted in the first photo, and an interior shot of the livingroom, below.

Life is good here this first week at my new space, Conewango Towers. So, I hope that first impressions are lasting ones.

Several older woman here are willing to do my laundry. Last week, Martha, took a load of the dryer, folded and delivered them to my apartment. It’s both part of the “neighborly” life-style here, and Martha‘s need to use the washing machine. The rule is; if someone‘s clothes are ready to dry, and you need the washer, then you start the drying for the other.

Meanwhile, Bill, who lives on the fourth floor, is one of the self-declared “Poobahs” of the outdoor Resident Pavilion, a common gathering place for a wide-range groups Each group has a particular “slant” on living here, and a Poobah, to lead them.

It gets more interesting each day.

Overall though, I’m doing great! The Front Office gave me a gift certificate last week for a free lunch in the Resident Dining Room. Lunch , which costs only $2.25, is provided daily by the Nutrition Seven Services ( local Meals-on-wheels). I presented the certificate today for a BBQ chicken, macaroni salad, apple sauce, and a chocolate cake for dessert. Quite good!

I‘m going to try the Ham lunch scheduled for tomorrow, and the Veggie Lasagna, for Friday. I can already see ways to fit this low-cost service into my overall meal preparation to ease the daily cooking I do now ( tonight I’m doing Baked Baby Back Ribs with a garlic and chipotle basting sauce with potato salad on the side, and Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream, which was on sale in quart size at Bi-Lo’s for 2/$5.00) Like the characters at the Pavilion, the lunch crowd is another interesting social group.

"Just another brick in the Wall" Conewango Towers, photo right, is a plain-faced federal government monolith, circa 1965, augmented by the finer touches like the Resident Pavillion along the creek, seen below .

Sold! Sold! Sold!

2006-06-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

Final Sales Agreement Reached On Property

A final agreement is in hand for the sale of a property me and my ex-wife own in Warren, Pennsylvania. After two weeks of negotiating a price and resolving several side issues, the deal is done with the transfer of money-for-land set for July 31, 2006.

The price was right, although several thousand dollars below market value. After paying off the outstanding mortgage, the ex and me will split a sizeable amount. Considering the current depressed state of home sales locally and nationwide, this went fast, mostly because the buyers and paying cash.

I’ll move on with the two cats to a one-bedroom apartment, which is much easier for me to handle physically.

The Road to New Hope
Almost time for me to leave,
get on the road to new hope.
Turn away the sadness within.
Point my face to the Eastern sun,
Grab the cats, smile, move on.

Adjust mind and body.
Ease the physical burdens,
Quell the emotional distress.
Heal pain, embrace renewal.

Leave this cozy Ivy-covered brick
Once hostel for two living life‘s dream.
Now cloistering one in bitter-sweet memories
Where walls weep with disappointment

Three decades of commitment diminished
Another’s mind set on a quest for Original Happiness.
Vows disregarded, spirit shattered, dreams dead-ended,
Is this earthly fulfillment weighted by an Original Offense?

Civil authorities cut God’s sealed bond
Man’s paper decree official, firm and final?
Reckoning still due in the High Court.
Where Almighty Justice rules everlasting!

The road to new hope offers promise.
Straight ahead toward a brighter horizon?
Pathways for inner peace, enlightenment?
Is the best is just down the road?

A Blond for the Ukraine!

2006-06-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

Tymoshenko Seeks Gas Deal Review

By Simon Saradzhyan
Staff Writer The Moscow Times
with Sergei Chuzavkov / AP

A victorious Yulia Tymoshenko posing after the announcement of a government coalition deal in Kiev on Thursday.

Bloggers insert: Yulia joins a distinguished group of Blonds in Power worldwide who have brians as well as beauty including, Angela Merkel, German Chancellor (although Angela is kind of a frumpy frau); Michelle Blanchete, president of Chili; Sandra Froman, president of the National Rifle Association, among others.

While she is not yet Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko on Thursday began outlining what she wanted to do once in office, beginning with revisiting a Russian gas deal forged after supplies were halted in January.

"I think all issues on gas supplies to Ukraine now require further deep revision and review," Tymoshenko told the parliament in Kiev.

Tymoshenko stressed that "all new relations with Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan should be built on a friendly basis."

But sources close to the Kremlin immediately homed in on Tymoshenko's remarks, warning of a wider energy conflict.

"It is another wake-up call for Europe," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said. "Realization of the threats voiced today is the path to a new gas crisis."

Political analyst Sergei Markov said: "If Tymoshenko does revise the gas agreements with Russia, this could lead to a widescale war that would engulf the whole of Europe."

Analyst Gleb Pavlovksy added that Tymoshenko was "trying to blackmail Russia and Europe. ... Taking advantage of its transit location, Ukraine wants to steal gas."

Tymoshenko personally announced the formation of the new government -- including her bloc, which is named after her; the Socialist Party; and President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine -- at the parliament's Thursday session.

Not a Blond!

2006-06-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

Noto Bene: I usually reserve this space for profiles of blonds who have been distniguished as the "first woman/female to achieve this position of power. But I'll make an exception for this important appointment. If you want to see the latest Blond in Power scroll down to find the first woman president of the National Rifle Association

Nevada Bishop Chosen 1st Female Episcopal Leader By RACHEL ZOLL
AP Religion Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nevada Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori became the first woman picked to lead an Anglican province Sunday when she was elected presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, a groundbreaking and potentially divisive step that comes three years after the denomination ordained an openly gay bishop.

Standing before cheering delegates to the Episcopal General Convention, Jefferts Schori said she was "awed and honored and deeply privileged to be elected." Outgoing Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold was at her side as she was introduced after closed-door balloting.
and could even splinter _ the already difficult relations between the American denomination and its fellow Anglicans.

Episcopalians have been sparring with many in the other 37 Anglican provinces over homosexuality, but a female leader adds a new layer of complexity to the already troubled relationship.

Only two other Anglican provinces _ New Zealand and Canada _ have female bishops, although some allow women to serve in the post.
Still, there are many Anglican leaders who believe women should not even be priests. Those opposed to female clergy often cite the unbroken tradition of male priesthood in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, and in the Anglican Communion until about 30 years ago.

At the General Convention where Jefferts Schori was elected, delegates have been debating whether to appease Anglican leaders by agreeing to temporarily stop ordaining gay bishops.

In 2003, the Americans shocked the Anglican world by electing the first openly gay bishop _ V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Placing a female bishop at the head of the denomination may further anger conservatives overseas and within the U.S. church. And Jefferts Schori voted to confirm Robinson.
"I will bend over backward to build relationships with people who disagree with me," she pledged at a news conference.

Whether that will be enough will play out in the months ahead. The Rev. Canon Chris Sugden, a leader of the Anglican Mainstream, a Church of England conservative group, said Jefferts Schori's election "shows that the Episcopal leadership is going to do what they want to do regardless of what it means to the rest of the communion."

Episcopal bishops elected Jefferts Schori on the fifth ballot. She collected 95 votes, with 93 others split between the rest of the field _ six candidates, all men. Other General Convention delegates confirmed the choice.

Gasps could be heard throughout the vast convention hall when Jefferts Schori's name was announced. The Rev. Jennifer Adams from Western Michigan, speaking from the floor, called Jefferts Schori "a woman of integrity, consistency and faith. I have no doubt her election as presiding bishop will be a gift to our church."

Yet several delegates said they feared the global consequences.
"I can't

Essay on man & animal

2006-06-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Close Encounters Leave Memories, Affirm Connection With Nature.
by John R. Evanetski

Those close encounters of a spontaneous kind with Nature and its creatures form satisfying and lasting memories, lift the spirit, and affirm a connection between man and animal. Coming unexpectedly upon wildlife and their life in the wild is an intimate experience.

Rounding a turn on a forest trail and meeting a fawn deer eye-to-eye is an exercise in mutual trust. Many yearling deer have had no contact with man; likewise for many hikers, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts. So, that first sighting for both man and animal is a time of curious wonder requiring an unspoken assurance from both that this meeting is without malicious intent. The parting is done with a sense of respect and acknowledgement that man and animal can co-exist without threat or worry, if they choose.

Spotting ‘possum feeding on the leaves of a sapling tree under the lush green canopy of an Eastern hardwood forest is a study in eating efficiency. Slowly they turn, leaf by leaf , meticulously examining each specimen with near clinical precision. Slowly they dine, taking small bites, chewing, re-examining, chewing, re-examining. Meal ends, slowly they descend, one hand-hold at a time, calmly sliding through the groundcover, unfettered in their conquest.

Listening to coyotes call to each other as they run almost reckless along the rocky ridge tops of the Western mountains, or observing a Bull Elk unabashedly splash through an alpine meadow while bellowing his distinctive bugle, is a study of contrasts.

At times the coyote sounds what seems a lonesome cry, a hungry howl, waling the woes of a solitary existence. At other times, this wild dog sings with joy for the camaraderie of life with the pack, content with being himself, wild and free.

The massive bull elk is a family man. Enjoying as much the social companionship of the female as obedience to the instinctive drive for continuance that is bourn from the need, and hugh desire, to procreate the species. But it is the breathe and scope of his size that belies the near-hollow whistle of the bull’s bugled note.

For the human, it’s a matter of awareness, that of being attuned to the sounds of nature, widening the eye to catch that faint shadow, flaring the nostrils for a telltale scent, which reveals the wonders of the woods and its inhabitants.

Just Posted to Photo Gallery

2006-05-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Mineral Springs, Red Sandstone Forms

Photos are now posted on my Photo Gallery link at the top of this page describing a recent trip to Glenwood Springs, and Moab, Utah.

Quick Link: to Photo Gallery

Memorial Day in Poems, Prayers, Essays

2006-05-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

"...gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime....let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude,--the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan."
--Gen. John Logan, General Order 11, 5 May 1868

The bivouac of the dead
By Theodore O’Hara

The muffled drum's sad roll has beat.
The soldier's last tattoo
'No more on life's parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few;
On Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread;
But Glory guards with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead.

Taps- The words

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the skies.

All is well, safely rest<
God is nigh. Go to sleep,
peaceful sleep,

May the soldieror, sailor, God keep.
On the landor the deep,
Safe in sleep.

Love, good night, Must thou go,
When the day, And the night
Need thee so?

All is well. Speedeth all
To their rest. Fades the light;
And afarGoeth day,

And the star. Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on. Thanks and praise,
For our days,

'Neath the sun,
'Neath the sky,
'Neath the stars.

I Am A Navy Corpsman
by Mark A. Wright, HMC(SS) USN

I am a navy corpsman. I possess the stamina and enthusiasm of youth and the wisdom and experience of an old man.

I am 3 parts doctor, 1 part nurse, 2 parts marine, 1 part yeoman and 3 parts mom, yet I am 100% sailor.

I am unemployable to the civilian world in my given profession yet have been the very life line for countless marines, soldiers and sailors since 1778.

I have carried marines from the battle field ... and have ben carried reverently myself by marines who mourned my passing like that of a brother or sister.

I am young. I am old. brave, scared and scarred. my title has changed over the years: loblolly boy, surgeons stewart, pharmacist mate, hospital corpsman, IDC, yet with all the changes I am still simply know as "doc".

I have celebrated peace; yet felt the sting of war on the seas, in jungles, in foreign cities, in Washington D.C. and on beaches of every shade of sand... white, tan, coral and black.
I have raised hell on liberty; hope in the midst of battle .... and Old Glory on Iwo Jima.

I have removed appendixes on submarines and limbs in the midst of battle and many other procedures far above and beyond what I am expected to do by the normal practice of medicine because it had to be done in order to save the life of a marine or sailor in battle or under the ice, far from a doctors care.

I have ignored my own wounds to the point of death in order to stay at my station treating the wounded of my nations navy, marine corp, army and air force. I have the highest number of medal of honors of any corp in the Navy .....most of them presented to my wife, child or mother because I was already in heaven at the time.

I am proud to know in my heart that every marine who has ever fought and every sailor who has gone to sea on ships owe their very lives to those they simply, yet respectfully know as "doc" .

Arlington
By Marian H. Neudel 1990
The bloodied sun sinks in the west
And lights us all with glory;
Here sleep the brave in honored rest;
The bugler tells our story;

O dulce et decorum est pro patria mori;
O dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.

href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7025/2014/1600/arlington.jpg">

Go tell the people, passer-by,
Read the stone before ye,
Tis sweet and fitting that we die
For our country's glory;

Obedient to your will we lie
Pro patria mori; O dulce et decorum
est pro patria mori.
From under stone we've often seen
These lures to empty glory;

We know what deaths these words can mean,
Lonely, cold and gory;
We find these Latin words obscene,
Pro patria mori,
O dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori.

We have no country of our own,
We who sleep in glory;
We died your hatreds to atone,
Still you shun our story;

Oh write no more on any stone,
Pro patria mori;
O dulce et decorum est,
pro patria mori.

The Navy Hymn
Audio at: http://www.navy.mil/palib/questions/eternal.html

Eternal Father, strong to save
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.

O Christ, whose voice the waters heard,
And hushed their raging at thy word
Who walkedst on the foaming deep
And calm amid the storm didst sleep:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.

O Holy Spirit, who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude
And bid the angry tumult cease
And give for wild confusion peace:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.

Blonds With Guns!

2006-05-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

John’s note: These two reporters did an excellent, and extensive, job on this biography. But, it’s too long for this ex-journalist turned blogger. So I edited it to my liking.

The full story at: http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=14570

She’s Armed and President
NRA’s new Jewish leader shoots holes in stereotypes.
by Joshua Runyan and Idan Ivri, Contributing Writers

As a Jewish woman and Harvard-educated lawyer who practiced law in Los Angeles, Sandra Froman admits that, at least on paper, she doesn’t seem a natural choice to lead the National Rifle Association (NRA). But the Second Amendment, she said, is all about empowerment.

“I’ve never met a gun I didn’t like,” said Froman, 55, a California native who moved to Tucson in 1985. “I wish I had more time to practice. My favorite gun is normally the one I was able to take out most recently, but I shoot pistols, rifles, black-powder rifles.”

Froman became the newest president of the almost 4 million-strong NRA in April, immediately presenting a different face for an organization whose vibe has been almost reflexively white and male.

Jewish, female, lawyer and Left Coast is about as unstereotypical as it gets for an NRA leader. But when it comes to gun politics, Froman is as NRA as they come. “Firearms in America today represent freedom,” Froman told The Journal. “They represent the ability to defend yourself individually, and they represent the ability to defend yourself as a country. Firearms are a means of guaranteeing freedom.”

After attending Stanford University, she headed east for Harvard Law School, returning to the Golden State to practice law with firm of Loeb & Loeb. It was at her home 25 years ago that someone attempted to break in while she slept.

“The noise woke me up,” Froman said. “I came downstairs and saw this man trying to use a screwdriver to break through the lock on the door. I banged on the door. He stopped for a minute, and then kept trying to break in. I was scared to death. I didn’t know what to do.”

The would-be intruder didn’t get in, and he left before police arrived, but Froman’s outlook had utterly changed. “Here I am trapped in my house with this man trying to get in — it really frightened me. But they say time slows down, and I began thinking, ‘How dare he try to get into my house,’” she said. “I got angry. Real angry. I decided to take control of the situation.”
The next day, after looking up a gun store in the phone book, Froman signed up for firearms training. Soon after, she bought her first gun.

New Poem Release!

2006-05-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Prairie Verses

The Texas Panhandle
Longhorn steers stagger by blistering sun atop Stove Mesa.
Dry as leather, tongues curling, eyes even sweat.
Once sturdy hooves now soften like melting candle wax.
Blood boiling, backbone baking, it’s a 128 degrees F.

The heat is on in the Texas Panhandle

Sidewinders carving curves across hot sand.
Rodents burrow deep for cool root cellars.
Predator and prey share scarce shade in this swelter.
Finding shelter is urgent business, delay is death.

The heat is up on the Texas Panhandle.

Old cowboys, sag almost prostrate, aching in the saddle
Their steady Appaloosas oozing foamy-white between the flanks.
Tumbleweed and Switch Grass crackle at every hoof-fall.
So hot it will make you cry, feet tinder dry, you’ll want to die..

Kansas Golden Plains
Nose tastes the sweet smell of ripening grain.
Corn, soybean, alfalfa abound in furtive fields.
Vast, fertile acres carefully tilled and tended.
Oh, how beautiful these golden Kansas plains.

America‘s bounty! Harvest for the world!
Sweat shed in the honest labors of generations
Families of farmers toil from rise to set.
Seeding land, tending hearth, affirming self.

Blessed with courage, fortitude and dedication .
They preserver, unheralded heroes, proud citizens.
Pilgrims of the fields, bearing all misfortune, undiminished.
Tilling success with nobleness, loving country above all else.

Confirmed in soul by self-control, every gain divine.
Finding liberty by overcoming strife for their way of life.
Adversity ignored with faith implored, God’s healing grace.
Leaving legacy enduring, reward is merit in the Highest Place.

Dakota Buffalo
Wooly rovers, in millions, roam dominant and unmolested.
Waves of great buffalo spilling over the Dakota landscape.
Pungent with the musk of careless, carefree wandering.
Rumbling hooves beat out an anthem of freedom.

Honored, revered, to sustain the native Lakota Sioux.
The Great Spirit’s gift of food, clothing and shelter.
Slaughtered without regard by wild-eyed white hunters.
Killed for trophy, heads severed, carcass left to rot.

Restored in enlightened times by men of conscience.
Managed by science, penned by fence, housed by man.
Cloistered from those beautiful for spacious skies.
Protected from roaming in amber waves of grain.

It's Elementary, Dr. Watson

2006-05-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Who’s Bloggin’ Who?

My blog tracker tells me that many people are interested in what I write here, but think that they can logon to the site, read, view, and leave anonymously.

Well, think again ! The tracker tells all about you? What-a-y’a afraid of, guys?

So, don’t be shy CJR at IP Address 68.105.74.52 on the Cox.net in Ocala, Fla. You’ve hit my site several times now, the last time was just yesterday May 16 at 11:17.03 a.m. without leaving a comment. Gosh, I though we had a better friendsship than that.

Or, or how about that Irish devil JAC from psu.edu in Dickson City, Pennsylvania at IP Address 146.186.80.46. You were here today for a lengthy 3 minutes, 25 seconds at 11:38.59 A.M. Your hits have been particularly long at 2 minutes, 12 seconds on May 4 at 11:34.12 A.M. Although your first try was a quick hit of 13 seconds on May 4 at 10:59.20 am. Looking at the closeness of the times you have logged on leaves me assume you take lunch between 11 am and noon.

But, who the hell is logging on from an unknown domain in the Ukraine at IP Address 193.19.184.56. The first, and only, so far, was 11:59.59 p.m. on May 4. They viewed the whole site in 2 minutes 33 seconds, again anonymously.

I’m not sure either who is behind IP Address 217.74.19.77 from an unknown domain from Ill du France in Paris. But a mouse-click will get you to their reffering URL at http://noem38skyblog.com/17.html which looks looks like a French dating, or porn site. Go ahead, give it a clock

Well, behave yourselves, folks, but stay up to date. And, come-on , tell me something the next time you visit here.

I've Been Busy!

2006-04-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

So, Slap My Ass and Call Me Sally!

OK, so I'm behind in new postings to this personal journal, except for new poems or essays!

I've been busy with house repair and renovation work, trying the finish a few projects that have been on the back burner for the last year. There's also the routine lawn and garden Spring cleanup chores to get done before I leave for a two week trip to Colorado, Utah, Montana and Idaho. My sister Nancy is due to visit me in Warren for a few days at the end of this week. She and I will than travel back to Colorado together on May 3 to start the two week vacation.

Ellen and I have agreed to sell the Warren property, so I'm trying to get things ship-shape to make it presentable. I no longer want, nor can effective handle phiscially, all the maintanance involved with a property this size. I'm planning to stay in Warren after the sale, and move into a smaller rented house, or apartment.

That's the long and short of it for right now. Don't expect any new postings here until May 20.

New Poem!

2006-04-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

I, Nemo

Adrift alone. I, Nemo
Last mate. Ship abandoned.

Even the rats have gone.
I call. No reply.

Sound alarm! No rescue.
Hope endures. Reality rules

Eternal Father, strong to save
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.
--The Navy Hymn

Gale rages. Decks awash.
Ship rocks. Thor roars.

Cold rain grips. Breathing slips.
Body shivers. Mind numbs.

Tempest tossed. All lost?
Escape vital. Last chance?

O Christ, whose voice the waters heard,
And hushed their raging at thy word
Who walkedst on the foaming deep
And calm amid the storm didst sleep:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.

Life raft launched. Provisions onboard.
Compass true. Course steady.

Faith strong. Spirit sound.
Body fit. Mind alert.

Flare fired. Signal returns!
Breathe relief. Survival assured!

O Holy Spirit, who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude
And bid the angry tumult cease
And give for wild confusion peace:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.

Prayers answered. Divinely protected.
God loves all. God shelters all.

Sacrificing His Son. Man’s sins gone!
Jesus saved us! Eternal life won!

Sing Praise to God

2006-03-20T02:44:00.000-08:00

A Hymn of for Sunday Worship

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/non/sv/ostoregu.htm

NCAA Basketball Big Bucks!

2006-03-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

REVIEW: Rounds 1 & 2; Monday, March 20, 206

Heading to the Final Four, Maybe.

All four teams I picked to go to the Final Four survived thier first and second round games over the weekend. That doesn't mean I'm any closer to winning the $10,000 first prize in ESPN's Tournament Challenge.

Of the three entries I submitted to ESPN, only one is still performing well, showing 91 % percent accuracy. But I have only earned 450 points ot of a possible 640. ESPN's Leader Board

shows the top contender at 94 % with 540 points. My ranking is 223478 out of 2.2 million entrants.

Since the point system is an assending scale, the next round of games are worth 60 and 80 points each, with the Final Four netting 120 points for correct picks. The championship game is worth 160 points. So, it's easy to catch up quickly, if the leaders miss one or two games from here on out.

This ESPN contest is lods of fun. I recommend it for any NCAA turney

UPDATE: Saturday, March 18, 2006

WARREN, PA--I did the math. And, it doesn’t figure to my advantage. I will not be collecting $10,000 as the winner of the ESPN Tournament Challenge for the NCAA men‘s basketball tourney.

I cannot accumulate enough points to overtake the current leaders, about 200 of the 2.2 million entrants who have near perfect scores.

My highest possible score in 1550 of 1680.

But, it’s not all gloom and doom. I’m currently running at 81 percent, having correctly picked the winners in 26 of 32 games in the first round. I only have three future loses straight through to the championship game, so I’ll probably move up in the rankings. I’m in 506,785 place right now.

Keep the bragging rights, I'll take the $10,000 from ESPN

After about 20 years of participating in a local “office pool” for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, I opted this time for the Internet and found several national pools that offer cash., cars and Final Four tickets as top prizes.

The local pool required a $2 entry fee. Since it’s a small office there is only about $75 in potential winnings, and bragging rights.

The ESPN national challenge contest offers $10,000 for a winning entry. There is no entry fee and you can submit as many as five entries FREE! Other free pools I’ve entered are CBSSports, which offers two tickets to the 2007 Final Four as top prize, and NCAA Challenge, a pool apparently sponsored by General Motors, which offers a Pontiac Gran AM as top prize.

Preliminary results for my entry in the ESPN Challenge finds that after half of the first round games on Thursday, my best showing is the entry I submitted picking all the top seded teams to win their games.

I scored 120 of a possible 160 points to yeild an 89 % performance. I rank 305,196 out of 2.2 million entries. Currently there are 78,456 perfect entries.

Then, I’ll turn my attention to horse racing in April as we head to the Triple Crown followed by the NHL playoffs and Stanley Cup finals in June.

While most of my weekend will focus on watching the NCAA tourney and the prospects of winning big cash, I’ll take a break here and there for some socializing. My friend Vicky and I are set for lunch at Taco Hut on Saturday. She has an active interest in the tournament and has been participating in the local office pool from the beginning. She has won first place honors at least twice now.

On the arts and culture scene this weekend, is the season finale Saturday evening for the Warren Concert Association, which is closing this year with the jazzy big band sound of the Gene Krupa Orchestra.

Think and Act Effectively

2006-03-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

Here are more theories and practices that you can apply to all types of situations in life to obtain a positive and proactive result. They are culled from The Four Agreements of the Toltec by Miguel Ruiz and James Covey’s Habits of Success.

These are the last in the series. Scroll down this page to find the first section. I’ll compile both sections later this week and publish them as a whole next Monday, and repeat them once a month thereafter.

Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Put first things first-This the practice of personal management. It is about organizing and implementing activities in line mental and physical creation.

Think win-win
Develop interpersonal leadership, which is necessary because achievements are largely dependent on co-operative efforts with others. A win-win strategy is based on the premise that there is plenty for everyone, and that success follows a co-operative approach more naturally than the confrontation of win-or-lose.

Seek to understand so you can be understood- One of the great maxims of the modern age: direct and effective communication; in short, diagnose before you prescribe. It's extremely powerful, and essential for developing and maintaining positive relationships in all aspects of life.

2006-03-03T23:35:00.000-08:00

I’m a M-A-N!
Male of the species. God’s first human creature.
The original procreator. First to kill another, brother.

I’m a manley man! I use power tools, cut wood.
I enjoy making and eating gourmet dinners.
I wash white and colored clothes separately.

Male of the species. Protector, provider.
I don‘t hunt or fish. I have no firearms.
I’m a lover-man! I get satisfaction!
Long-legged redheads, busty blonds
I cried when Elvis died. I speak French.
I write poems, drink Port, sing hymns.

Male of the species. Leader, competitor, winner.
I only make dollar-bets on sports. I don’t play the lottery.

I’m a strong man. What! Feminine side!
I climb the ladder, bang the hammer.
I love my two cats, enjoy flower gardening,
bathe daily, put on hair gel, clean underwear.

Male of the species. I’m a man!
That’s what I am. That’s all I am.
And so is Lola, L-O-L-A, Lola, L-O-L-A....

Inspired to Poetry

2006-03-01T06:33:00.000-08:00

After watching the conclusion of Charles Dickens Bleak House on PBS Masterpiece Theater Sunday night, my friend Sandi sent an e-mail with this observation:

“I was thinking how garden scenes in Dickens always deal with love--the real and confessed love. Think of Pip and Estella in Great Expectations; every critical love conversation was held in a garden.”

Bleak House ended with a delightful garden wedding scene in the English countryside. On Monday, I was listening to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Sandi’s observations and the music inspired this poem:

Love’s Garden
in four season

Amid tulip, daffodil and phlox
first love buds, springing new.
Discovering that honeysuckle kiss
embracing tight as Vine Rose

Amid daisy, lily and mint
lasting love renews, heart’s true.
Savoring that honeysuckle kiss
rooting firm as English Ivy.

Amid mum, aster, and sage
lost love forlorn, memories to mourn.
Longing that honeysuckle kiss
bracing for the Autumn storms.

Amid frost-frozen leaf decay
death takes love, bones bare.
Absent now that honeysuckle kiss
sealing life’s bliss in Winter’s snow.

Amid all flowers, plants and greens
God makes blossom love for all.
Creator of that honeysuckle kiss
His hand tills, Love’s Garden fills.

Poems Revised!

2006-02-28T04:41:00.000-08:00

Ark of the Sap
Amber flows as sticky resin traps tiny life
Bound 50 million years in a sun-gold sarcophagus.
Small insects, plant debris perfectly preserved.

Washed ashore by tides, mined from caves.
Past civilizations shaped it into jewelry,
carved it into art, threaded it into clothing.

Now experts explore its hidden secrets.
DNA from beasts of 10,000 millennia?
Ancient cures? Or, just bugs in plastic?

Precise science engages, locks turn.
Seals slipped on nature’s Ark of the Sap.
Yielding the unknown, the untold

Bladerunner
Choppy foot-falls clang a running start
Racing skate blades slice ice razor clean
Quick-shift now to rhythmic cadence.

Whispering strides carving oval curves,
Stroke, glide, foot follows foot frictionless.
Athletic frame formed in body-tight suit.

Bell sounds, last round, finish bound
Pace fast, final pass, who’ll last?
Muscled legs beg heart for more, more.

Line crossed, arms aloft, cheers resound.
Winner crowned with gold prize renowned.
Conquering warrior claiming rightful reward.

Losing Olympic Virginity

2006-02-21T11:08:00.000-08:00

I have a case of the Olympic blues. Just the other day, a friend said that after 25 years of watching the Olympics, her response this time did not seem as enthusiastic and intense as in the previous Olympics. She wondered if it was due to just getting older, we’re both in our 50’s, or were the games losing some of their sheen.

I don’t think it’s so much that we are getting older, but wiser in the ways of the . Olympics. We’ve watched these games for 25-30 years, so the expectations we might carry into a new Olympics are based on all that past experience.

We lost our Olympic virginity a long time ago.

For example, I set my standard for ice dancing on the 1984 Olympic performance by the British duo of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, who just about melted the ice with their steamy routine to Maurice Revel’s "Bolero" on Valentine's Day. So flawless was their performance that they received perfect 6.0s across the board for artistic impression, an achievement which has never been duplicated. So, imagine my disappointment this year with seeing several of the couples fall or give incomplete routines.

That’s why the attraction for me is what I call “the uncertainty of outcome”. For example, Monday night, the Hungarian ice dancing pair Nora Hoffmann and Attila Elek attempted what NBC commentator Dick Buttons referred to as “a sacrilege” by using “Bolero” for their program. Although all agreed it was a good performance, it lacked the intensity and vigor of the Torvill-Dean program. Hoffmann-Eleke finished in 11th place.

Then there is U.S. skier Bode Miller, who was expected to capture at least three gold medals in Alpine skiing competition. In actuality, the best Miller has done, so far, in any event is fifth place, and was disqualified in two of the five events. But that opened the door for Austrian Ben Raich, who came from fifth place in the early races to win the gold medal in giant slalom. Miller has one more event, the Super GS this Saturday, but even a gold medal there won’t redeem his reputation.

My advice: choose very carefully which of the remaining events to watch.

Say What You Mean, Do What You Say

2006-02-15T03:20:00.000-08:00

Your Word is Your Word: Be precise in what you say. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Be proactive: This is the ability to control one's environment, rather than have it control you, as is so often the case. Self determination, choice, and the power to decide response to stimulus, conditions and circumstances.

It’s not personal: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

Stay focused: Develop personal leadership - leading oneself that is, towards what you consider your aims. By developing the habit of concentrating on relevant activities you will build a platform to avoid distractions and become more productive and successful.

Otherwise it's pretty routine
So far, it’s been a pretty light-weight week for me; the outlook for the weekend looks the same. Some overdue cleanup around the house and some drywall patching keep me busy, So, it‘s been the games; The Olympic Games that are my primary occupation.

I‘ve been watching a ton of Olympic events at all hours of the day and night. Cross-country ski sprints on Tuesday were quite exciting. Very close finishes in both the men’s and women’s events with the Swedish teams winning gold medals in both divisions.

Except for one or two outstanding performances, pairs and individual figure skating has not been up to par form me. Too many mistakes, falls and incomplete routines makes it seem more like an exhibition than a competition. Still, it’s worthwhile watching

When in Rome...!

2006-02-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

A Long, Long Time Ago

What we now call Valentine's Day has its origins in the fourth century B.C. Back then, the Romans engaged in an annual young man's rite to passage to the God Lupercus. The names of the teenage women were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men; thus, a man was assigned a woman companion for the duration of the year, after which another lottery was staged.

After eight hundred years of this cruel practice, the early church fathers sought to end this practice... They found an answer in Valentine, a bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier.According to church tradition St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 270 A.D. At that time the Roman Emperor Claudius-II who had issued an edict forbidding marriage.

This was around when the heyday of Roman empire had almost come to an end. Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation increased, and trade slumped to a low, precarious level. And the Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asian increased their pressure on the empire's boundaries. The empire was grown too large to be shielded from external aggression and internal chaos with existing forces.

Thus more of capable men were required to be recruited as soldiers and officers. When Claudius became the emperor, he felt that married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, will not make good soldiers. So to assure quality soldiers, he banned marriage.Valentine, a bishop , seeing the trauma of young lovers, met them in a secret place, and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony.

Claudius learned of this "friend of lovers," and had him arrested. The emperor, impressed with the young priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the roman gods, to save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully.On February 24, 270, Valentine was executed.

The Sports Calendar Is Full!

2006-02-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

My attention is split in several directions currently, but sports is starting to take priority.

Super Bowl Sunday is at hand, although I could care less for pro football (Steelers by 7 points). I'll be out with friends at a Super Bowl party, so it's the food and friendship that interests me.

A few weeks ago, I watch the AFC-NFC championships with several friends. I was going back and forth cheering on the Steelers with Tom and Charles, and then heading to the dining room for tea and cake with Lynn and Priscilla while reading my poems to them.

On Saturdays, I toggle the TV remote between NCAA basketball and NHL hockey with several games on from noon through 6 p.m. Not much gets done around here on the weekends.

Next Friday, the Winter Olympics from Turino, Italy begin. I enjoy most the speed skating, bobsled, luge, all downhill and cross-country skiing, including biathalon.

In between, I'll be checking the race sheets to see how the ponies are running at the various tracks as a prelude to the Triple Crown. I went to the 2005 Kentucky Derby, and have visited several well known race tracks in previous years.

The Dickens you say! Yes, I'm currently watchig the six-part Masterpiece Theatre presentation of Charles Dickens Bleak House on PBS. It's terrific! I highly recommend it, although it's moving in the past three this Sunday. You can catch up with it at www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece .

A New Poem

2006-01-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

The river talks
Listen, the river speaks to console
water riffles soft over shore rock
gentle flow, soothing for the soul.
Hear an inspired word, motivating,
stimulating, persuading, urging,
giving direction.

Listen, the river whisper secrets,
wisdom of the ages, common sense,
knowledge flows, data streams.
Hear a song, a melody subdued,
a waltz, a fugue, a jazzy riff,
a bluesy note, than a lighter tune.

Listen, the river shouts joy,
gives thanks and praise,
calls out for truth, justice.
Hear a powerful voice declare
in storm, in flood, in crashing wake,
in slide, in sucking undertoe.
Sometimes a life it takes.

For the Weekend

2006-01-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

I have an active schedule for this weekend, depending on how well my meds hold up. Saturday is household cleanup and errand day; going for groceries, Howe’s True Value for a new furnace filter, haircut for me, nail trim for Ted at Pampered Pets, and no doubt a few more things I’ll remember as I make my rounds. I’ll try to watch some late afternoon college basketball, or pro hockey; there are several good games on tomorrow.

Saturday is dinner and a movie night with the some of the usual friends. Have not yet decided where we will eat, but the movie will be Walk the Line at the Warren Cinema Series at the Library Theatre. I’m not a Johnny Cash fan per se, but the movie and its actors have garnered quite a few of the top film award nominations.

Walk the Line
Winner: NY Film Critics: Best Actress, 3 Golden Globe nominations incl. Best Picture (musical/comedy). Beginning in depression-era Arkansas, the film traces the origins of Johnny Cash’s (Joaquin Phoenix) sound back to his beginnings as a sharecropper’s son; moves through his wild tours with rock and roll pioneers Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Waylon Jennings; and culminates in his unforgettable 1968 concert in Folsom Prison. Primarily the story of the love that grew over the years between Cash and June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), the film is the result of intense collaboration between director James Mangold and co-writers Gill Dennis, Johnny Cash, and June Carter Cash prior to the death of both Cashes in 2003. “Equally packed with music and frustrated love, 'Walk the Line' goes from compelling to enthralling.” - Mike Clark, USA Today. “Johnny Cash sang like he meant business...'Walk the Line', with its dead-on performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (including vocals) helps you understand that quality.” - Roger Ebert. “A passionate, warts-and-all chronicle of an extraordinary American artist, not to mention a love story that can’t be beat.” - Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle. (PG-13, 136 min.) Paul's View: Amazing, simply amazing! The opening 10 minutes in the empty corridors Folsom Prison is one of the most atmospheric movie sequences you'll ever see.

After church services Sunday, it’s lunch at noon with Vicky at Erickson’s. Probably more college basketball for the afternoon. At 9 p.m. PBS Masterpiece Theatre presents Dickens Bleak House, so I’ll catch that.

Bleak House TV PGAiring in six parts: Sundays, January 22 through February 26, 2006 on PBS(Check local listings; dates and times may vary) An epic feast of characters and storylines, Bleak House is Dickens' passionate indictment of the convoluted legal system that is as searingly relevant today as it was in the mid-19th Century. The court of Chancery becomes the center of a tangle of relationships at all levels of society and a metaphor for the decay and corruption at the heart of Victorian England.Starring Gillian Anderson, Charles Dance, Alun Armstrong, Ian Richardson, Nathaniel Parker, Richard Griffiths, Phil Davis, Joanna David and Carey Mulligan. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/bleakhouse/index.html

Henry VIII, Sinfully Mad!

2006-01-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

A recent presentation of Henry VIII on Masterpiece Theatre has evoked a discussion between me and a friend about whether he was “mad.”

From my perspective, Henry VIII was not only "mad", but evil. So severely affected psychologically by his moral, ethical and political corruptions that his thought process and consequent actions, although expedient for his purposes, were destructively irrational, irresponsible and sinful.

His dynastic obsession to produce a son to continue his rule was punctuated by conspiracy and murder; wives A. Boleyn and K. Howard were both unjustly executed, as were a host of others whom he felt were a threat. He ruled mostly through fear and intimidation. He signed death warrants, execution by beheading, like they were party invitations.

He is one of the few figures in history who was guilty, I think, of every one of the seven deadly sins: let's see, pride, envy, greed, anger, lust, sloth and gluttony. I think he qualifies.

Sin creates sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts. This results in perverse inclinations which cloud conscience and corrupt the concrete judgment of good and evil. Sin tends to reproduce itself and reinforce itself and potentially can destroy all moral and ethical sense. Thus, madness results.

And, thus, this poem:

Bound for the
Promised Land

When the roll call sounds
in heaven who will assemble?
All faithful in word and deed,
honest in heart and spirit,
and true to God’s Law.

“ Blessed are the clean of heart:
for they shall see God”

Repentant sinners, reformed
criminals, the non-believers,
the deceivers, the cheats,
those who scorn, souls in
mourn, spirits torn.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The oppressed, the repressed,
the dispossessed, the tortured,
the sick and disabled, the unstable.

“Blessed are they that suffer
persecution for justice' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven”

When the roll call sounds
in heaven who will assemble?

Slaying the Dragon

2006-01-17T11:04:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to slay the monster sitting across the Allegheny River from my place. It’s name is the Warren Municipal Parking Garage, a five-story brick and steel autohaus, painted an aqua blue, that occupies about a block-long stretch of prime riverfront.

In daylight, the color-clash between the muted red of the brick and the aqua blue of the painted steel farming, is quite displeasing. Originally, the steel frame was scheduled to the painted a dark green. But through some snafu, the supplier sent the wrong color.

The contractor was so anxious to complete the project on time that he went ahead and used the aqua blue. In the end, haste made waste, because the completion and opening of the garage was delayed about a month because of drainage problems. It opened last week.

Although the previous view was of a surface parking lot and the deteriorating rear sections of old three and four story brick buildings, the new garage is architectural sore thumb because of the color contrast. It gets worse at night, when all five floors sit in the glow of bright lit making it look more like a sports stadium.

Today is cloudy and cold here, so I’m busying myself doing general household chores and computer maintenance. Other than a medical exam on Wednesday, this week is pretty much routine, although I may be posting several new poems in the next few days.

Just Another Blond?

2006-01-16T03:45:00.000-08:00

Is Hillary Clinton next?

Blond-haired women politicians are being elected worldwide. The latest example is Michelle Bachelet, (photo right), who won election in Chile, becoming the nation's first woman president. Bachelet, 54, a former defense minister who leads the coalition that ousted Augusto Pinochet from power in 1990, garnered 53.5 percent of the vote with almost all ballots counted, the government said. Opposition candidate Sebastian Pinera conceded after winning 46.5 percent in today's run-off.

She joins blond Angela Merkel, 55, Germany's first woman Chancellor, who won election in November be defeating Gerhard Shroeder.

But in Finland, Tarja Halonen, a redhead who became that country's first woman president in 2002, faces a runoff to retain that post. Halonen's campaign got an unexpected boost when NBC late night talk show host Conan O'Brian, a Halonen look-alike, began making political ads urging Fins to reelect her because, "she looks like me." O'Brian's ads were even more amusing because his command of the Finnish language was less than perfect.

Quick Fix

2006-01-14T05:15:00.000-08:00

Swirling Geese:

I created this graphic image using a photo I took some years ago of Canada Geese in flight.

Warren headlines: www.timesobserver.com

Traditional Gospel hymn: www.mamarocks.com/closer_walk_with_thee.htm

Today's Weather: Cloudy, cold, snow showers, 1-3 inches in higher elevations

Weekend Looks Quiet

2006-01-13T13:42:00.001-08:00

Ran a lot of routine errands today; up to Lakewood, NY to Sam's for cat litter, Wegman's for groceries, New York Bagel Company for..., and a browse through Home Depot.

So, I'm going to kick back for a quite weekend of sports and a new season start for "24"; NCAA basketball, and the NHL game, on Saturday; a four-hour season opener for 24. I've been a fan of this series, now in its fifth season, from the beginning. I've only missed a handful of episodes in the past four years.

I'm sure, though, that some socializing with friends will be on the agenda in-between.

The weather is predicted to turn colder with accumulating snow by Saturday night. Welcome back winter!

Have a good weekend yourself.

Bush's New Frau

2006-01-13T13:21:00.000-08:00

Germany's new Chancellor Angela Merkel apparently made quite an impression on G.W. Bush during her courtesy visit to Washington, D.C. today.

The Pres. cut short a joint news conference Friday morning, stating that, "I'm going to take her to lunch now".

Or, was it that question from a reporter who heard the Merkel got testy with Bush for apparently using German air space and possibly ground facilities to transport detainees from one country to another.

Check out the links at top of page!!

2006-01-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

Photos, essay being published, Springtime in Warren

2006-01-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

Several of my photos, and an essay I wrote recently titled Welcome to Hobo Rail, are part of the Winter issue of Artistry of Life, an online literatry magazine.

One photo is of a flock of Canada Geese in flight, which is the artwork chosen by the magazine's editors to compliment Crescendo, a poem written by my good friend Cassandra Robison, who is the magazine's founder, publisher, and editor. The other photo is a fog-bound scene along the Allegheny River. Sandi chose it to compliment her poem Seneca.

The Winter issue is expected to be posted by Saturday. There is a link to Artistry of Life at the top of this page. Welcome to Hobo Rail is available by clicking onto the My Poems & Essays link above.

A warm and sunny beginning to January 2006 is causing my backyard Dogwood tree to produce buds on the outer branches. This happened once before, I think in 2003, with ill affects to the tree. Temps have been in the mid 50's most of this week. Today may hit 60 degrees in some spots. The 14 inches of snow that accumulated from several snowstorms in December is gone, and with it cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

So, if spring has sprung early let it stay, although that's not likely.

This warm spell has allowed me to do some yard cleanup that was left behind when the snow fell. Actually, it feels good to get outside and work in the yard and garden with just light clothing.

In my off time, I've been watching a good bit of the Pennsylvania State Farm Show, especially the equestrian events. The events mostly focus on a Western theme with reining, cutting, barrel racing, team penning, draft horse pulls and the like.

The visit Thursday with my neurologist was a surprise. He focused on what he observes as stress, depression and anxiety in my demeanor, the ways they adversly affect the sypmtoms of Parkinson's, and recommendations on what to do. He suggested I see a psychologist or qualified therapist for evaluation and treatment. No new drugs have been added to my schedule, although he said that maybe a light anti-depressent might be in the future. I meet with my personal physician next Tuesday to review the situation with him.

Since October, the effectiveness and reliability of my medications has decreased. When they work, I'm just fine. When they don't, I am have difficulty walking, and my balance and coordination is off. This leaves me pretty much immobile, sitting it out until the next dose to see what that brings.

2006-01-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

Ice climbers at Kinzua Dam

Ice climbing up the cliffs above the Kinzua Dam in Warren is on a temproary hold because a major January thaw, although it remains a popular winter activity. The cliff-face is about 300 feet straight up.

Climbers come from Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Ontario, Canada. On the nearby Alleghney Reservoir, ice fishing is well-practiced sport, although the current thaw affects it as well .

I have taken quite a few photos of climbers over the years. This one is a representative image.

2006-01-09T15:33:00.000-08:00

Starting the New Year Right!

Well, the post-holiday week saw the return of the Winter Cinema Series at the Library Theatre this weekend with a British adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. A great film. I highly recommend it.

For the past two years, I have watched Book Notes, a weekend presentation on C-SPAN-2. I will skip an explanation of this program here and refer you to the website www.booknotes.org for the details. It is always interesting, covering a wide range of current literature with the presentations given by the authors themselves. Check it out, please

I am working on another Welcome to Hobo Rail style essay. I call it: Black Magic Woman. It is about a reoccurring, vivid dream I had several years ago about visitations from an ancient Toltec shaman, and old faceless woman who appeared to me with advise on the various issues in my life at that time. She has visited me several times in Warren since then, and once on New Year's Eve 2004 when was in Colorado. Some spooky stuff. It will take me about a week to finish it.

I decided that because of the unpredictabity of my medications to temporarily suspend my painting work for the county housing authority. I tried a couple of days to get something done on one apartment, but it's too slow going for me. I get tired faster now. Spent most of my days last week cleaning around the house.

I head to Erie on Jan. 12 to see my neurologist, then the following week a consultation with my personal physician. The discussion with both is whether to add Eldepryl to the equation. It speeds the absorption of levedopa to enhance the effect.