OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 1999
NOVEMBER 5, 1999
Taking the train to happiness
Good morning. It looks like we have a pretty nice weekend in store for us. In my life,
little Sam is being christened on Sunday. That will be in the morning with a lunch
following. The Steelers are on the west coast playing in a four o’clock game in San
Francisco. That will take care of my Sunday.
My daughter was here the other night for dinner. Sam sat on my lap and watched
television with me. Aunt Rose took great delight watching Sam. While we were all watching
a commercial came on the television. You have probably seen it. It comes from the Latter
Day Saints and it manages to take my attention every time it is run.
A girl is leaving home. She is standing at the train with her mother and father. She
exchanges small talk with them. Her father says that he won’t have anyone to go
fishing with anymore. She tells him that she never really liked fishing anyway. She admits
that she did it just to spend time with him. Then she boards the train. We watch her sit
next to a window and hear the wife tell her husband to "go ahead and tell her."
He mouths the words "I love you." The girls smiles and mouths back to her father
"I love you, too." Then the train begins to leave.
Aside from the obvious, where is there passenger train service out in the sticks
anyway? This is not taking place in Grand Central Station or anywhere on the east coast
where train service is still available. It could be in California, but it is snowing and
the three people seem too normal to live out there. Even beyond that, she is carrying an
old suitcase with a plastic replacement handle. What teenage girl would leave home without
her own personalized Gucci luggage?
Still the thought is precious. It is more than precious, it is what we have to go back
to if we are to survive as a people.
This is an excellent commercial for good living and caring for one another. It accents
that we do not tell one another, the people who really count to us, that we indeed do love
them. Why not?
The father is the strong silent type. The mother is the stay at home make cookies sort
of person, too. How many of those type of parents really do exist?
If you watch television, not many. Television would have us believe that parents are
busy with their own lives and only get around to their children when they have the
opportunity to bestow some life lesson on their offspring. Actually, more people like that
exist in places that we never realize. Many of them live right next door.
Still, the idea of a father telling his daughter that he loves her seems to be more
than many of us can fathom. The obvious inference is incest of one kind or another -
we’ve been programmed to think the worst. But the scene offered in the one minute
commercial touched me and I put that off to one side and paid more attention to the
message. I did because the message was profound and very necessary.
And because of the message, it made no difference to me that the train and the
particular train stop do not exist in the real world. No. Realism is not important when we
think about what they are attempting to tell us. And the impact of seeing it makes it all
the more important.
Sitting there with the newest generation on my lap and having Aunt Rose, the last of
her generation, here with me, made the impact of their message all that much more
important to me. When you don’t have your family, what do you have?
In a world when persons walk into a work place and begin shooting, sometimes we are all
too quick to be hardened to life. We are too quick to dwell on the bad and forget about
the good. A father telling his daughter that he loves her is good. I wonder if he went
home and told his wife the same thing?
NOVEMBER 4, 1999
Hunting the big one
Butch and I were sitting around the Rainbow yesterday. All of a sudden it hit
us that it was only three weeks until buck season. (It starts the Monday after
Thanksgiving.) Then we laughed at ourselves. We remembered how we hunted the big one.
I've written about him. (The boys go deer hunting! Part One on September 30,
1999) I told Butch about the story and he laughed remembering how that single
buck made monkeys out of us for four or five years.
"Why didn't we ever team up and hunt him together?" Butch asked me.
"Because you and I were both too proud to try to take him with help. It was a man
thing and we were going to get him on our own," I said.
"You're right, my man," Butch said. " He showed us. Didn't he!"
"Yes he did," I said without a moment of hesitation. "He was smarter
than us and he saved a whole lot of the others because he was all we wanted."
"I know," Butch said. "Three or four would pass right by me. I'd wait.
Some of them were nice bucks with good racks. They weren't him so I didn't shoot. I wanted
him and him only."
"Yes," I said, knowing exactly what he was saying. I had done the same thing.
I would come in after being in the woods all day and Sharyn would ask if I had taken a
shot. I would shake my head. I hadn't. Then she would ask if I saw anything. I would
say I had but it wasn't the one I wanted. She would shake her head. She knew I was
obsessed.
I figure he died in the winter of 1996. We had that warm spell and then the heavy rains
that turned into sub-zero temperatures in January. I never saw him that spring. Butch and
I had our last shots at him in that 1995 hunting season. We both missed.
I'm not sure what would have been a better end for him. Would he have been better
served being shot and having his proud head hanging on the wall at The Rainbow Inn? I
don't know.
But he does live on. There was an eight point buck standing in my front yard this
morning. He was the picture of his ancestor - just not as large yet. Not many bucks make
it like he did. They either get in the way of a truck or car on Route 59 or they get
knocked off during the two week season. He was special. He lived to a ripe old age. He
probably gave up and died. He had all the fun with me that he wanted. Butch, too.
I hunted him for close to seven years. He hung around my house in the summer and would
come into the yard and eat apples as they fell from the tree. It just isn't the same
anymore without him in the woods. Now I hunt for meat and the sport just isn't like it was
when he was around. Butch and I both agree on that.
Your comments are welcome at rdhedbud@penn.com.
NOVEMBER 3, 1999
The day after Election Day
The Bradford Era says it properly today:
Wednesday, November 3, 1999
Pingie in, Beck out
By JIM BUCK/Era Reporter
McKean County voters on Tuesday chose newcomer Al Pingie to join incumbents Larry Stratton
and
James Weaver on the county board of commissioners.
The result was a defeat for incumbent Harold Beck, who campaigned hard despite a weak
showing in
the primary.
I wish everyone well.
As for me, I got up early this morning (as usual) and went hunting. It was nice
to be out in the woods with myself and my thoughts. I shot a fairly large size male
turkey. Maybe I will roast him for Thanksgiving. And just maybe it is a thanksgiving of
sorts, considering all this landed me in the hospital recently. Now I can worry about the
things I want to do.
And I was told there were grammatical errors in my comments about George
"Bozo" Duke on November 1, 1999. I'm not going to check or change them. I will
make sure that the impending suit I am having filed on my behalf and the behalf of my
supporters will be free of any errors.
We are having our first snowfall of any consequence right now. It is beautiful - the
first one anyway. Soon, all too soon, it will wear and we will miss the sunshine and warm
weather. Have a nice day. I plan to. Comments are welcome at rdhedbud@penn.com.
NOVEMBER 2, 1999
There is no article today. Election Day
NOVEMBER 1, 1999
The day before election
Good morning. Tomorrow is election day and I am a little preoccupied. Then
there is my old buddy Charlie the Tuna, Jeff the Rat, Duke, and his cousin who is mad
because someone said he does cocaine. He is outraged and is suing John Doe and a bunch of
others he doesn't name but makes it clear that they are aiming at my re-election efforts.
How convenient. The Friday before the election.
Let me tell you something. Both Mr. Dukes can say whatever they want. The best
defense against a defamation law suit is the truth. Mr. Duke, George that is, can deny all
he wants but what he was unaware of before he filed last Friday was the fact that his name
is included in Drug Task Force Investigation reports surrendered to Defendants in recent
cocaine trafficking arrests.
Yes, Mr. Duke is in there and so is his brother Paul, too.
I am afraid that if anyone associated with my campaign would have written the
now infamous letter, we would have included a photocopy to prove that at least the Drug
Task Force believed that what was said was true.
Comments are welcome at rdhedbud@penn.com.
OCTOBER 31, 1999
A soldier's poem
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The following is his
request. I think it is reasonable.....
PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can?
Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S service men and women for
our being able to celebrate these festivities .
Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think
of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrifice.
OCTOBER 30, 1999
Surf's Up BY TOM CLARK
When it comes to web surfing, I'm riding on top of the wave. I pride
myself on my net savvy and am usually quite successful when conducting Internet searches.
Many of my non-connected friends rely on me when they need to find information on whatever
topic they are interested in.Last deer season, I searched for and found the perfect
deep-fried turkey recipe for the boys at J.K.'s hunting camp.
Each of us have our own personal reasons for spending too much time online. Many a
morning I will start out with the intention of a quick check of e-mail, only to end up
spending 45 minutes on a website link that was forwarded from a cyber friend.
I use the Internet for business and personal e-mail, daily weather and news updates,
entertainment and research. As a staff columnist for the MLR, I find the web to be an
invaluable tool when writing my weekly column. As you may have noticed, I often collect
data
from websites and credit the host when I use the information from a site in a story.
It surprises me that an overwhelming number of Interet users never make it past the
chat rooms. The web offers a vast amount of information on any topic imaginable and every
subscriber should learn
to take full advantage of it. One of my cyber friends has been online
for two years and, just recently, I showed her how to search and to use her browser. She
did't know the difference between a URL and a UFO.
I have sixteen Favorites folder topics, each with four to thirty links to
websites. In my Daily folder, I have a link to the MLR, two weather
sources and the USA Today web page. I also have folders for Air &
Space, Comedy, Music & Movies, Reference, Maps, plus many more.
Being the slightly warped soul that I am, I often dig up some truly bizarre website and
put them in my Good Stuff folders. That's the beauty of the Internet...a disturbed and
deranged person, not unlike myself, can create an off-the-wall website for the enjoyent of
his fellow lunatics.
I thought it may be fun for my readers to take a look inside my
Favorites folders today. Listed below are some of the best, complete
with a paragraph describing their contents and a clickable link. Sorry,
kids, no porn sites listed here. I think you may enjoy them anyways;
The Duct Tape Guys - Celebrating that can't-live-without magical tape. After visiting
this site, you'll want to run right out and get a roll of "West Virginia
Chrome". www.octane.com/ducttape.
The Gallery Of The Absurd - Hundreds of pictures of bad advertising, screwy people and
strange places. My favorite is the picture of the post office sign in Dildo, The
Netherlands www.absurdgallery.com,
Hank, The Angry Drunken Dwarf - Hank is a regular on the Howard Stern Show and is,
well, an angry, drunken dwarf. There are no recent updates, but definitely worth a visit. www.hankthedwarf.com.
Find A Grave - I've used this website as reference for a previous column. It's
interesting to see who is buried where. Many of the listings have photos of the grave
markers. www.findagrave.com.
Cat Scan Contest - This site is open for contributions from anyone with a scanner and a
cat. I'm not sure but I think the cat has to be alive to qualify. www.cat-scan.com.
The Cult Construction Kit - Pick your deviances and this site will find a Bible verse
that will be the rallying cry for your own personal cult. The world needs a new Manson or
Koresch. www.fadetoblack.com/cultkit/.
Earthcam.com - I like to see what everyone else in the world is up to.
This site has an extensive list of live webcams from around the globe.
Check the traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge, see who is visiting the
Red Square or watch some guy's guinea pigs frollic in the wood chips: www.earthcam.com. .
Dumpster Diver - Need a present for that special someone but are short on cash? Here's
a website where you can find thoughtful gifts and send them, via e-mail, to your loved
ones. Last year, I selected a birthday gift for my brother at this site. www.connect-time.com/cgi-bin/dumpdive.
Kinison.com - Hey, kids, it's Sammy! One of the funniest dead guys of our time lives on
in cyberspace. This site is under a major reconstruction but is worth bookmarking for
future use. AHHHHH! ARRGGHHH!!! www.kinison.com.
NY Taxi - There is nothing like a relaxing ride in a New York City cab and this hack
operates a webcam from inside his taxi. Yesterday, I went from 42nd and The Avenue Of The
Americas out to Brooklyn. www.ny-taxi.com.
Well, that ought to hold you over for awhile. If any of you have run across strange or
interesting websites, please e-mail me the links. Happy surfing!
Thanks Tom. Once more you have shown us your demented side of life.
And comments are welcome at rdhedbud@penn.com.
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