It was an ordinary day. Have the bag full of candy by the front door ready for the first goblin, skeleton, witch, zombie or ghost. Carol and I live in a rather small development near a major highway that sports shopping center after shopping center, so ... we usually don't have a pathway worn to our front door on Halloween saying "Trick or Treat". Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows' Eve and is celebrated on October 31 the day before the feast of All Hallows' or All Saints which is observed on November 1st in most Western Christian religions.
Actually began in the Middle Ages when Christians held a folk belief that All Hallow' Eve was the night where the veil between the material world and the afterlife was at its most transparent. For me it was always a spooky and mysterious evening reserved for the young who can be scared easily as well as the young at heart who enjoy being scared to death. For my readers who hail from countries that do not celebrate Halloween, I thought I would give you an idea about the traditional symbols, animals or creatures, in some cases, that we use while celebrating Halloween to scare the crap out of you. So here goes:
Spiders: Spiders have always been seen as mystical creatures and symbols of fear because of their venom. The webs that they create seem to always show up in haunted and abandoned buildings and tombs, so they are a natural to try and scare someone. And just for your information ... all spiders have venom, which can be toxic, but its the intensity of the venom that can cause trouble.
Bats: At one time Halloween was celebrated by creating bonfires and this fire would attract a multitude of bugs, thus bats to consume the bugs. Now the bat that you have to watch out for is the Vampire Bat which is bloodsucking and capable of taking human form. Scared yet?
Black Cats: Carol and I had a black cat at one time that we called Midnight. As black as can be and hard to tell where he was at nighttime when the lights went out. Black cats are said to be scary since they would hangout with witches, or so people thought.
Skeletons: It is said that the skeleton was the house of the soul and to ward off evil spirits people would dress to appear dead in skeleton costumes. The Grim Reaper is said to wear a black cape over his bones.
Jack-O'-Latern: Jack-O'-Laterns are used to warn spirits to say away. Many carve pumpkins with scary faces to really scare off evil spirits.
Ghosts: It is said ghosts were roaming the earth years and years ago. How someone decided that a white sheet was the symbol of a ghost is still a mystery to me.
Zombies: Ah! Now we're getting to the creepy part of Halloween. Zombies are said to be undead people who have reanimated bodies. The custom came from Haitian and West African folklore. Here-of-late they have been a popular Halloween caricature since they are really scary.
Witches: So now we get into religion. The Bible condemned witches. Just read Leviticus 20:27 where it tells you that a woman or man that hath a familiar spirit or is a wizard should be put to death by stoning them. Still not sure why witches wore black clothes with a comical hat and rode on a broomstick. Matter-of-fact, I've never ever seen anyone ride a broomstick, dressed in black or any other color as far as that goes. But, I must admit, I'm scared by witches!
So, you think you have a better idea why people, mostly children, dress up as a bat, cat or witch and go knocking on doors in hopes of getting a candy bar or three. If you really know, drop me a line and tell me about it so I might know. Personally, I have a hard time connecting All Saint's Day to Halloween as we celebrate it today. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Early morning of the fourth day of vacation at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort and Carol reaches for the TV remote and turns on the TV to update us on national news. But, the TV won't work! Nothing but snow on the screen. No big deal so we get dressed and head to "The Spot" to meet Jere and Just Sue before heading for breakfast at the "The Market Place" buffet which is located on the lower, or beach level, of the resort. This resort is primarily All-Inclusive so there are several restaurants that can seat a rather large number of guests since there are nine floors of rooms in the resort. After breakfast we head to room 214 to get ready for the beach and still find that the TV isn't working. Now Carol is getting a bit concerned. The sun is bright and the water calm and we enjoyed a wonderful day on the beach, having lunch once again at "The Market Place." About 5:00 PM we headed back for showers and a look at the news on TV. Same result when we turned on the TV. Carol asks me if I think the men in the next room, who were noisily renovating it with plenty of pounding, might have hit the cable line in the wall and knocked out our cable. Well, before meeting at "The Spot" with our traveling friends and heading to our evening meal at "The Market Place," we stopped at the main desk and asked if someone could check out the TV in room 214 and find out why it wasn't working. No problem we were told. After supper we checked on the TV and had the same results. Called the main desk and in about 5 minutes we heard a knock at the door. A rather large man came in, turned on the TV and looked puzzled. I suggested that the men in the next room hit the cable line with their pounding. Fellow's face lit up and he said, "Perhaps that's why the rooms directly above you don't have cable also. He told me to stop at the main desk and tell them I wanted another room. Headed to the elevator and before long returned to tell Carol we were moving. "Jeez, you mean we have to pack everything up and move tonight?" she said. "If you want TV we have to," I told her. Told her we were moving to room 953 on the 9th floor.
View from room 953 was remarkable.
Took maybe 15 minutes to open the suitcases and pack all our clothes and other items just in time to open the door for the hotel porter who loaded everything on his cart and ushered us to the 9th floor. The room was amazing with a panoramic view of the entire beach below us as well as a huge flat-screen TV and new bathroom cabinets. Took another half-hour to unpack and we were ready to watch the evening news before retiring for the day. Next morning at breakfast we told our traveling partners of our move to the top floor in time to go to bed. Invited them to our new room for a look and we agreed to meet them on the beach in a few minutes. All was well once again. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - check out a few more photos from room 953.
It was an ordinary day. Just walked into room 214 of the Melia Nassau Beach Resort. Nice room with two double beds, big flat-screen TV and a view of the ocean. Unpacked and stored our suitcases and as we headed to the door, our friends Jere and Just Sue knocked on the door. They are located a floor above us and also have a view of the pool area and a small view of the ocean.
Rather unusual setup, since the lobby is located on the 3rd floor.
And, they have a very short walk from the lobby elevator to their room #306 in comparison to what seems to be a half-mile trek from the elevator to our room. I opened the door and they stepped in and checked out the view we have from our balcony. Just then there was another knock on the door and it opened to reveal Yvonne, our housekeeper.
One area of the resort where visitors gather.
We talked for a short time and then as she headed to the door she said, "Let me know if there is something I can do for you." "Wait, there is something you can do for me," I replied. " I need a Philips-head screwdriver so I can turn the air-conditioning vent so the air doesn't drop directly on top of me." "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to do that, sir," she responded. "What if the next person who used this room wants the air to drop over them?
Exterior photo shows rainy weather upon arrival.
Then they would ask to have it changed again. And, I didn't know you could change that with a screw- driver! I can give you a towel that you can push into the top vent so the air drops straight down. I have done that many times in the past and it works fine." "OK, I'll settle for the towel." Wasn't long before she returned with the towel and it really did work fine.
Another exterior shot showing one of the many pools.
After settling in we headed for a trip around the resort to see where the different food venues may be, where we will pick up our beach towels and where the concierge's desk might be located. Ended up taking a few photographs to give you an idea what the Melia Nassau Resort looks like. The weather was cloudy with light showers off and on through the afternoon, but we were happy to be on vacation on New Providence in the Bahamas. Tomorrow's story will give you another look at the resort with a slight twist involved. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
The decor featured many really neat lights.
One of the restaurants had this wall of sculptures inside the door.
Lengthy hallway featured several stores for shopping.
This small area became what we called "The Spot" where we met every day.
Shot showing the beach the next day.
Exterior shot of the resort.
Evening view of the resort from the beach.
Another interior photo showing the amazing lighting.
Photo taken from the street looking up the steps toward the resort.
It was an ordinary day. Traveling to the Bahamas with friends Jere and Just Sue. Flying on American Airlines flight #4707 which is a smaller jet than what we usually take when visiting islands in the Caribbean. Two seats on either side of the aisle instead of three as well as only 20 rows of seats instead of close to double that.
"Selfie" of Carol and LDub.
Left the airport in Philadelphia about 10:30 am and arrived less than three hours later in Nassau. Lines at Immigration were terrible with passengers from at least four planes lined up in front of half a dozen agents checking passports. Found our ride to the Melia Resort and in no time were checking in at the main desk. When we made our original reservations, Jere and Just Sue came to Lancaster from their home in State College, Pennsylvania so the four of us could visit Karen, our personal travel agent at Liberty Travel. We have taken close to 30 trips and Karen has helped us with everyone of them, so we now call her our personal agent. She made a few suggestions and finally made arrangements at the Melia for us. All four were under my name to ensure we would sit together on the plane and have rooms together at the resort. Well, plans do not always work out as planned. The line at the Melia was short, but with just two clerks we had to wait close to 15 minutes to be helped. When an agent opened, I told Just Sue to go ahead of me and I would take the other clerk. She was almost finished when I was able to talk to the other clerk. Sue did manage to tell me that they had given her an upgrade as she passed me in line. When I began to check in I signed all the necessary paperwork and then the clerk asked if I would like an upgrade for my room. Sure! Cost was $35 a night! That would be close to a $400 additional fee which I wasn't prepared to pay.
The Melia Nassau Beach Resort.
Just then Carol arrived by my side. She had been waiting with Jere and our luggage and had a chance to talk to Sue about her upgrade. Carol asked how come the people who we were traveling with, and who were all on one reservation with us, got a free upgrade. Total confusion!! We asked her to check with the other clerk, which she did, and in no time we had our free upgrade just as our friends had received. Thank you! Only problem was the two upgrades were on different floors of the nine floor resort and close to 100 yards apart. We all figured it was no big deal, but we did find we all had to wear a bracelet for the next two weeks so the staff could tell if we actually got free food and services. We finally began to search for our rooms. Our view had changed from a garden and street view to a beach and water view. Finally all was well with the rooms for our two week vacation. We all hopped on the elevator and pushed the buttons to floors 2 and 3. For some reason, the elevator immediately opened onto the same floor from which we had just entered.
Resort bracelets that we are required to wear.
Tried again with the same results. Then we realized that the lobby where we registered was actually the 3rd floor. Jere and Sue exited the elevator with their luggage while Carol and I closed the door and dropped a floor to find our room. Door finally opened and Carol and I got off with our luggage. All was now well as we began the task of unpacking and learning about the air conditioning, safe, TV channels, small refrigerator and WiFi. Check back tomorrow to see what happened a few minutes later. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Talking with my wife about an issue we had just seen discussed on cable TV. Story talked about how many Russians may go to work every morning searching online for information that can be used to infiltrate the fiber of our life in the United States as well as other nations. They search for issues that may be current topics in our social life as well in in our political life. They set up fake FaceBook pages where they target issues and people who show interest in these issues. And then...all of a sudden...it hit us!
"Do you think that's why for the past year or so all those Russians have been reading your blog!" Carol said. "Maybe they read your blog to see what types of issues and things you write about so they can use that against us." Wow!! While on vacation two years ago I noticed an extraordinary amount of readers accessing my stories. On "Blogspot" I can visit a link titled "Audience" which lists pageviews by country. For days, sometimes weeks, at a time the majority of readers were from Russia. Not just a hundred or so, but a few thousand viewers were from Russia. Why? And then in the spring and summer before our Presidential election, the same thing happened once again. During the month before our election over 50% of readers on my blog were from Russia. I asked Carol if she thought I should call the local police department, but after talking about it we decided they couldn't have done anything about it anyway. Perhaps they were using my blog to learn how to read English! Must admit I was thrilled to have them read my stories, but they certainly weren't going to learn the English language by reading my stories. As you may remember I have written quite a few times that I was not an English teacher. And, just as we had determined that the links that the Russians had to my blog where nothing but a coincidence, Carol reminded me that a few years after I began writing my blog I had a few thousand readers each day for over a week from Germany. Once again...why? So, until I have other evidence of wrongdoing, I welcome readers from all over the world. Pretty neat to see readers from nations and locations that I had never known existed. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Looking back over a few stories I had written in the past to see what I might have written about Joe Rosenthal. Name familiar to you? It was back on February 26, 2013 that I wrote a story titled "The Photos That Changed Us Forever." One of the photos I posted was the iconic photograph taken of six Marines who were raising the American flag over Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945.
Joe Rosenthal with his Speed Graphic.
It was taken by a 33-year-old man by the name of Joseph John Rosenthal who had at one time been rejected by the U.S. Army as a photographer because of poor eyesight. He then attended the University of San Francisco and joined the staff of the Associated Press. Then in 1943 he joined the United States Maritime Service as a photographer and served aboard ship in the British Isles and North Africa. A year later he rejoined the Associated Press and followed the Army and Marines in the Pacific Theater as a war correspondent in Hollandia, New Guinea, Guam, Peleliu, Angaur and Iwo Jima. Then, on Friday morning, February 23, 1945, four days after the Marines landed at Iwo Jima, Joe was making his daily visit to the island on a Marine landing craft when he heard that an American flag was being raised atop Mount Suribachi, a volcano at the southern tip of the island. He grabbed his bulky Speed Graphic camera and began to climb up to the summit of the mountain.
His famous photograph.
He met another photo- grapher who was on his way down who told him he had already taken a photo. Joe headed to the top anyway. When he arrived he discovered a group of Marines had attached a large flag to a length of steel pipe. The flag raised earlier was being taken down while the second and larger was being raised. Rosenthal used stones and a sandbag to help him steady his camera. He set the camera to f/8 with a shutter speed of 1/400th of a second and snapped the photo as the six Marines began to raise the flag. Another photographer, Sgt. Genaust, captured the same thing in color motion picture film. He also took a few more shots, mostly posed.
Later photo of Joe Rosenthal.
His photograph was seen as a symbol of victory when it went around the world appearing in the Sunday newspapers on February 25, 1945. After the battle for Iwo Jima was over and won, the photo was used for posters in war bond drives. The photo was used as a model for the United States Marine Corps War Memorial at Arlington, Virginia. The photograph was also used on a U.S. Postal Stamp. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography the same year it was published becoming the only photograph to ever do so. Mr. Rosenthal died August 20, 2006, but his name is back in the news once again. Seems a group of veterans and photographers have banded together and will ask the U.S Navy to name a warship after him. On October 9th, on the 106th anniversary of his birthday, a petition was submitted to the Navy. It may be a longshot that his name appears on a ship, but those who are trying figure it is worth the effort for the guy who has taken one of the most famous photographs in history; one of the photos that has changed us forever. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
Preface: It was eight years ago that I began writing this blog. I have posted over 3,000 stories to date and have not given up, even if you may have thought that to be the case since I have failed to post any stories for quite a few days. I have been visiting the island known as New Providence which is located in the Bahamas and during my visit the Melia Resort where I stayed lost Internet and phone service, therefore not allowing me to post any stories. My lost is minor compared to many whose livelihood required the use of the Internet. I can assure you that there were many irate patrons who had much more to lose than me. I’m sorry for the delay, but I will continue once again to delight, entertain and I’m sure disappoint you at times with my extraordinary stories.
It was an ordinary day. Sitting on the bed across from my wife in room 214 at the Melia Resort in Nassau going through the 8 steps in what is known as the Epley Maneuver. Must have been a few years ago that Carol became very ill and found that if she moved her head to the right, she was dizzy and felt as it she might be sick. It was extremely scary. I found the only thing I could do was call 911. Explained our predicament and they responded by sending an ambulance to our home. I believe they had an idea what she might be experiencing, but didn’t want to make any observations since they weren’t doctors. Tough on her as they brought her from our upstairs bedroom by litter to the ambulance. I followed them to the hospital and after an examination we were told she had experienced vertigo or what is called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common causes of vertigo — the sudden sensation that you're spinning or that the inside of your head is spinning. It can be treated with what is known as the Epley maneuver or Epley’s exercises. The maneuver, developed by Dr. John Epley in 1980, is often performed by a doctor or physical therapist, but we were told she could perform the maneuver herself or I could assist her if she ever had it happen again. Well, today, with the sun shining brightly and the waves lapping on the sand outside our 2nd floor resort room it happened once again. Naturally had to happen while on vacation, since it seems that one of us has had the unfortunate habit of becoming ill while on vacation. If you have been a reader of this blog you will remember Carol’s recent bout with appendicitis, gall bladder attack and a severe cold to go with my shingles and severe cold all while on vacation. We now have added another bout of vertigo from this year’s trip to the Bahamas. But, we now travel prepared, since we packed the directions known as the Epley maneuver with our other paperwork and sure enough we needed it. Carol reported severe dizziness and said it reminded her of when she had vertigo. We decided to perform the maneuver and see if it would help. For those of you who may also experience excessive dizziness from time to time, I have included the Epley maneuver that may, or may not, help with the problem. In Carol’s case, she laid on a bed and after going through the procedure three times, felt much better and within a few hours was almost fully recovered. You could also perform the procedure while laying on the floor. We never travel anywhere now without the paper which holds the directions. In case you might find it helpful, here is the procedure which can be found online.
Sit upright.
Turn your head to the symptomatic side at a 45 degree angle and lie on your back.
Remain up to 5 minutes in this position.
Turn your head 90 degrees to the other side.
Remain up to 5 minutes in this position.
Roll your body onto your side in the direction you are facing; now you are pointing your nose down.
Remain up to 5 minutes in this position.
Go back to the sitting position and remain up to 30 seconds in this position
The entire procedure should be repeated two more times for a total of three times.
Hopefully after doing this for three times, the crystals in your ear will have realigned in their proper place and you will feel better. I found that I can use my iPhone’s timer if I can’t find another timer. And, we make sure we don’t cut the time short just to get through it faster. Stick to what it says! It’s been a day since she felt ill and dizzy and she is just about back to normal. Hope this may help at least one of you. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Talking with my long-time friend Jere about one of the professors we had while students at Millersville State Teachers College. His name will remain unpublished, but some of his trademarks, or quirks, will be revealed here. I remember him most for wearing the same tie every day of the semester I had him for Architectural Drawing. Course was developed to teach those in the Industrial Arts curriculum the basics of architecture, be it home or industrial architecture. Mr. X would walk up and down between the aisles to examine each student's work and you couldn't help but notice he was wearing the same tie every day of the semester. But, what I noticed more than that was the tie clasp that he wore with the tie. It was meant to be fastened to your shirt through a button hole and have the tie go through the chain attached to the clip. Instead, he would use the entire clasp to clip his tie to the shirt. Jere noticed that he seemed to wear the same shirt also, and you could see the stains on the shirt appeared the same place everyday. But, that's not really the gist of my story today. I did learn quite a bit about architecture during the class and would like to give you some basic words of wisdom to help you identify what certain structures or parts of that structure may be called. My local newspaper did something similar by offering architectural elements based on letters of the alphabet. Took the newspaper over a year to complete the series of stories. I really enjoyed the articles, but wish they had done what I have decided to do and offer three letters in each edition of "Alphabetical Architecture." And, my photographs will all be taken in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my home town. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. "A" - Arches - Needless to say, this may be one of the easiest letters to be able to identify and illustrate. I have picked two locations in the city which shows examples of arches in their architecture. An arch is a curved structure that spans an opening and supports weight above by deflecting it to the sides. The Romans have been given credit for this architectural design, but they really didn't invent it. Remember the famous aqueduct arcades that transported water long distances across varied terrain? The eight basic arch designs are: semicircular, segmental, lancet, jack, trefoil, elliptical, horseshoe and Tudor. Arches allow masonry to span great distances and are typically constructed with brick or cut stone.
The arch, made out of both brick and stone, is part of Lancaster's Police Station.
Arches abound at my home church, St. James Episcopal.
"R" - Roundel - The roundel describes a round window or small circular panel. The roundel can be found on walls, windows, dormers, doors, transoms and sidelights. Roundels are at times called bull's eye, oculus, oeil-de-boeuf, oxeye and circular. The roundel can also be an opaque disc or circular shape found on a building's facade. Both of the following photos show the round panels on the top of them. Both are multi-floor buildings that housed stores at one time.
"T" - Tympanum - This architectural word is pronounced "TIM-pe-nem" and is a rather unusual word for a common architectural and anatomical element. Tympanum is the decorative wall surface or "filler" found in the triangular or semicircular space above building entrances. They are mostly found in the pediments of Greek and Roman architecture and may include religious imagery that depicts a story or historic event.
Lancaster County Library on North Duke Street shows the Tympanum on the top of the building.
Decorative filler is found above the front door of Franklin & Marshall's Shadek-Fackenthal Library.
It was an ordinary day. The headline in the Sunday News read ... "Milked", and got my attention right away. Began reading and found the story to be a warning for Lancaster County that plain sect farmers (Amish and Mennonite) fear they are being forced out of the dairy business. Can't be good!
Bus trip through the cow barn.
Last summer I visited a large dairy farm in nearby Manheim, Pennsyl- vania and told of the impressive mechanized collection and distribution systems of milk from the hundreds of dairy cows the farm had on their property. Lancaster County is the largest producer of milk in the state of Pennsylvania. But, many fear that the milk cooperatives that have formed might put many plain sect farmers out of business. The plain sect milk farmers have come together, and have taken legal action over the way milk is controlled, priced and sold after leaving their farms.
Everything on this dairy farm is mechanized.
These farmers claim that they lack representation within the milk coopera- tives that are assuming control of the dairies and milk processors. The coopera- tives deduct the costs of transportation and marketing from dairy farmer's checks and show no transparency as to where that money goes. And, the Plain sect farmers don't like it one bit. "Got Milk", the age old slogan may be slipping away from many farmers in Lancaster County in the near future. From 2006 to 2016 the amount of dairy cows in the county has decreased 4.8% and the number of dairy farms has decreased 22.8%. An alarming number to say the least. But, the total milk production has increased .7% in the same time period. More than likely due to milk producers such as the dairy farm I visited last year. Milk has increased in price 15.3% during the 10 year time period I listed with the farmers receiving 16.1% more for the the milk they produce. But, the Plain Sect farmers claim they haven't seen much of that 16.1% increase, since some of the milk cooperatives have kept the money for themselves.
A bucolic scene from a Plain Sect farm in Lancaster County.
In Pennsylvania consumers pay 17 cents a gallon surtax on milk, but out-of-state milk producers don't have to pay the tax even though they sell their milk in Pennsylvania. Make sense to you? In 2015 a bill was introduced in the PA state government that would require more transparency from the milk cooperatives on what they are doing with the milk money collected from consumers to benefit the farmers. All of Lancaster County legislators supported the bill, but it died before a vote, since it was supported buy the dairy cooperatives. So ... what's up? Sound like a whole lot of skimming milk to me.
These cows seemed to be interesting in what I was doing.
Plain Sect farmers are finding it hard to hold on to their businesses with the way pricing and distribution is handled. Many are building broiler houses just in case. Many also complain that milk consumption is down, especially with almond milk, soy milk and rice milk taking up much of the market for milk. But, these products aren't technically milk since they do not contain "the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows." The exodus of Plain Sect farmer's may have already started. Dairy farms are going on the auction block as well as farmers selling their herd of cows is increasing. This past year six dairy farms in Lancaster County have been sold. These farmers are switching to produce or renting out their land to other farmers. Small milk producers, such as most of the Plain Sect farmer are, aren't wanted by the large cooperatives. What can be done? The Plain Sect farmers wish they knew. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Talking on my smartphone. Doesn't everyone talk on the phone ... all the time ... everyday! It sure seems like it to me. You do realize that it's been 10 years since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007. The smartphone has become the friend, perhaps the best friend, of so many individuals of all ages. Good or bad? For many it has been a godsend. If you know how to use the GPS on your phone the chances of getting lost are pretty slim. But, that's if you know how to use it. Just when I think I know what I'm doing, I hit the wrong key and presto! I end up on a dead end street. Now, I'm pretty good with the camera part of my smartphone and I enjoy using the set of gadgets I purchased that give me either a fisheye, wide angle or closeup photograph through the use of an adapter that I clip on my smartphone over the camera lens. Takes a few seconds and they are sent to my laptop so I can share them with you. Also use it for taking panorama shots and plenty of photographs while on vacation. Someone asked me if I hold my smartphone horizontal or vertical when taking photographs. Do you know that 94% of people hold their smartphone vertical when taking photos and videos. Do you also know that filmmakers in Hollywood generally hold their cameras horizontal. Been doing that since the 1930s. So why don't people shoot video or take photos holding the smartphone the same way? Hollywood says that vertical is great for capturing personality while horizontal is good for most other items. Also know how to use my timer while cooking steaks on the grill and how to turn on the flashlight, but there are still many features on my smartphone that have outsmarted me for as long as I have had the phone. I understand that the new version of the smartphone will be able to recognize my face or my fingerprint when I want to turn on my smartphone, but why do I need my phone to know who I am? Starting to get a bit too personal. All this smartphone stuff has begun an entire new generation known as the iGeneration. Duh! People no longer talk to one another face to face. They would rather sit in a room by themselves and text or talk to others without human contact. They do it all day long and into the night, stopping to eat a bite or get a few hours of sleep. And, that's where the problems begin. Fewer hours of sleep, too much time on the phone and we are growing into a society of hermits. And this App thing ... there's apps for everything. An app for the weather, an app you can use to buy groceries online, an app that will help you understand how to get an app, etc. Many use their phone continuously while driving the car. I love to blow my horn when someone obviously is using it when the light turns green. Scares the crap out of 'em. And, someone using their phone more than likely hit my mailbox with their car and took off. It was back in 2006 when Jimmy Buffett recorded his song "Everybody's On The Phone". Boy, how did he know what was going to happen? Interesting lyrics that makes me wonder if he really knew over 10 years ago what was going to happen. I will end with the lyrics for you to check out and also a YouTube video so you can listen to the song. Think you can stay off your phone long enough to read and listen to the song? I certainly hope so. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
"Everybody's On The Phone"
Message in a bottle, rhythm of a drum
Smoke signals and telegraphs make the airwaves hum
But that's all ancient history like bongs and Lincoln Logs
Now we livin' like the Jetsons in a wacky wireless fog
Talkin' squawkin' hawkin' who knows if anybody's gettin' through
Toasters talk to crackberries, Boston to Bombay
Teenage schemes and Ma-bell's dreams as minutes tick away
We act like crazy people talking to ourselves
Crashing cars in conversation while that shit flies off the shelf
The information superhighways locked up like a L.A. traffic jam
Everybody's on the phone
So connected and all alone
From the pizza boy to the socialite
We all salute the satellites
Let me text you with your master plan
You're loud and clear but I don't understand
I'm a digital explorer in analog roam
And everybody's on the phone
Do you remember dialing up?
Yes I remember well
Now I just can't go anywhere with out that sacred cell
I think that I might die if I miss anything at all
Text me, send me an e-mail, link me up, give me a call
I'm ADD on AOL tryin to read the writing on the wall
Everybody's on the phone
So connected and all alone
From the pizza boy to the socialite
We all salute the satellites
Let me text you with your master plan
You're loud and clear but I don't understand
I'm a digital explorer in analog roam
And everybody's on the phone
Now I'm a real jungle jumper
I'm a megahertz man
I swing from tree to tree on the very latest plan
On the download In the dropout zones
In every major city 'cross the land
I got my Marley on my ringtone, get up, stand up, reach out, touch somebody man
It was an ordinary day. Reading that the Episcopalians, which I count myself as one, are struggling with historical Confederate symbols. So what else is new.
A tombstone in the church's graveyard.
Seems that all that has been happened recently in the USA with towns, cities and states in the south, as well as north, deciding to remove Confederate flags and sculptures has led to debates as to what to do with tombstones and emblems that dot Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Columbia, South Carolina. Many churches in the south date back to the Civil War times and beyond and have found themselves on the side of the pro-slavery South when their sons marched off to war. After the war ended, so did slavery, but it seems racism didn't. So, what to do about the tombstones, flags, monuments and Confederate emblems that still remain at the churches. Trinity Episcopal Cathedral prayed for the president of the Confederacy, and not the Union, during the Civil War. They had built an attachment to this national identity into their church and church doctrines. And now, they are wrestling Confederate ghosts and what to do with them. Seems the South's General Wade Hampton and its poet laureate, Henry Timrod were members of the church and were buried on the parish's grounds. To top that off, a plaque in its sanctuary honors members who died in the Civil War. These members more than likely fought for the Confederacy. At present they do not allow any Confederate flags to be flown in the church yard, but what do you do with the tombstones? The minister at the church, Very Rev. Dean Timothy Jones, said, "I care deeply about how historical symbols can create hurt and communicate a message of discrimination. We believe in redressing the terrible wrongs of slavery and affirming the dignity of every human being." The national Episcopal Church called for removal of Confederate flags from all Episcopal church yards as well as removal of the images from iconography, like plaques and stained-glass windows. The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. is Episcopalian and has announced plans to remove Confederate battle flags from two windows honoring Confederate generals Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson. The windows were to be removed and stored until a future decision on their future was made. St. Paul's Episcopal in Richmond, Virginia was the home church of Robert E. Lee as well as Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy. During the 1890s it was popular to memorialize family members with sanctuary wall plaques and naturally there are several in the church with battle flags as part of them. They also have kneelers with needlepoint that display Confederate symbols and flags. These as well as the church coat of arms was retired. In the northern city of Cincinnati, Ohio there are a pair of stained-glass memorials to Lee and Episcopal Bishop Lionidas Polk who served as a Confederate General. At present they are considering what to do about them. In Lexington, Virginia the R.E. Lee Episcopal Church, voted to change their name in 2015. Confederate emblems and icons have their defenders who speak to an indispensable episode of American history.
Plaque standing in the churchyard in North East, MD.
But they may be ultimately defeated. There are also many other denomin- ations that are now going through the same problems at present. Removing plaques and flags seems to be what most are doing. Someone wondered why it took the murder of nine black people in a Bible study class in an African-American parish in Charleston, South Carolina to force this all to happen.
This flag no longer flies in the churchyard.
A few years ago I wrote about an Episcopal Church in North East, Maryland called St. Mary Ann's Church. It was built in 1742 and was one of the oldest churches in Cecil County, MD. As I wandered about the graveyard I noticed Confederate flags flying on quite a few graves. On a recent visit to the town for a good crabcake at Woody's, I stopped once again and found they have all been removed. Some things are hard to understand why they were done in the first place, but they seem to always work out for the best. After all, we're all Americans. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Just opened my email and there was once again a letter from my good friend Bill whom I knew as a child. His mother moved he and his sisters to a nearby town when he was in third grade, but we managed to keep in touch with each other throughout our entire lives. When computers were affordable for both of us, our task of writing to one another became so much easier. Well, we are both in our mid-70s now and still keep in touch. Bill lives in Arizona and I live in Pennsylvania, but through the use of our computers and iPhones, we share our thoughts with each other often. He recently sent me a very interesting and moving novella on "being old." For those who are in the same age bracket as Bill and me, you will see yourself in the novella, while those who are much younger will get a chance to see what we old-timers think and feel about getting and being old. Print a copy of the novella and share it with your friends. I'm sure they will see themselves in the novella as I did. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
Do you really like being old?
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Aging in body, mind and soul. And, whose business is it, if I choose to read, or play on the computer, until 4 AM, or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50s, 60s & 70s, and sing at the top of my lungs if I care to and not care if I’m out of tune. I will walk the beach, without a swim suit if I so care, and will dive into the waves, with abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from others. They, too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And, eventually, I remember the important things. Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break, when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when one's beloved pet dies? If I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will cry, unashamed, my heart out. But broken hearts are what give us strength, understanding and compassion. A heart never broken, is pristine, and sterile, and will never know the joy of being imperfect. And, who among us is perfect? I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray and disappear and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong. So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting about what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert after every meal ... every single day (if I feel like it).
It was an ordinary day. Sitting next to a young man by the name of Giovanni Corrado, drinking Maui Smoothies. This story began about a month earlier when I read an account of Giovanni's life either on LancasterOnline or in the printed Lancaster Newspaper. For some reason I noticed his photograph and began reading his story that was published that day. Started with: "I was 16, I would wake up when the sun was still asleep. Get dressed, eat breakfast and walk to the nearest bus stop." Wow, when I finally reached the end of his story and saw his email address published, I knew I just had to meet this young man. Shortly, we had made a time to meet at Blue Line, a small cafe on the campus of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Giovanni was sitting at a metal table in front of the Blue Line when I arrived. Recognized him immediately from his photograph in his published story. After a friendly handshake and a trip inside the cafe for a Maui Smoothie, we settled around the outdoor table for the next hour during which I learned about one of the most industrious and brilliant young men I had ever met.
Giovanni Corrado in front of the White House.
I wasn't sure what to ask him for fear I wouldn't understand a single word he was telling me. Where do I begin, I thought to myself. Well, Giovanni made it easy for me when he began with his early education in a small town by the name of Leivi which is a farming hill in Italy. His first four years of education were spent in a Catholic school in his home town. Then a medical emergency forced him to spend a year in a hospital in Genoa, Italy recuperating while having private teachers, courtesy of the Universal Health Care System in Italy. His next few years of education were spent in a variety of locations, including a year living with his Grandmother in Miami, Florida. High school saw him choose the Classical School curriculum in Italy with a trip back to Miami once again for his final year where he received a scholarship to Gulliver Prep. Giovanni was an accomplished tennis player throughout his schooling and was recruited by the tennis coach at Franklin & Marshall. Being the school wasn't allowed to offer athletic scholarships, he was offered academic scholarships to attend one of the best Liberal Arts colleges in the nation. In the online story about Giovanni he tells that he believed in his dreams and never let his physical location define what he could and couldn't do.
The farming hill in Italy known as Leivi.
He fell in love with the U.S.A., the country that gifted him the tools to unleash his potential and creativity. He has nothing but praise for his choice of college, Franklin & Marshall. He says that F&M allowed him to discover himself, his passions and his self-worth. Last year he founded "New Politics Now", an online organization driven by a desire to empower other students and give them a voice. His passion for his new business can be seen in his eyes as he tell me about how he is giving his generation a chance to self-publish their opinions on national topics of concern. The website will allow discussions and thinking on world news and current events. You can access the site at http://newpolnow.com/. This past summer Giovanni had the opportunity to be part of the press corps in the West Wing of the White House. Security checks on his background were extensive, but he qualified to me one of the interns. Meeting the president as well as other top officials was part of his daily schedule. He had the chance to collaborate with outstanding officials and staffers on a daily basis. He attended White House press briefings and Rose Garden ceremonies.
Giovanni on the campus of F&M.
He lived in Washington, D.C. during the summer where he would start his day analyzing daily news publications from the north-east of the country and then report his findings to the press office. It was at this point that he told me that Lancaster's daily newspaper, LNP, has the third largest circulation in the state of Pennsylvania behind two Philadelphia newspapers. At present he is working toward his degree at F&M as well as being a Fellow for the United Nations Global Health Initiative with hopes of helping to solve global health problems. As far as his dreams for the future, he has high hopes for his new business he founded and hopes of returning to Florida to run for a political office, much like his mentor Marco Rubio. This young man has accomplished more in his life than most have done in their lifetime. His ambitions are monumental, but I hope I get the chance to vote for him someday. No question in my mine he will be successful no matter what he does with his live. A life in public service is within his reach. My wish for his success will happen sooner than later. Just wait! How about President Corrado. You heard it here first!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
