The Highlight of Our Vacation in Palm Springs, California

My wife and I have just returned from a week’s timeshare vacation at Lawrence Welk’s Desert Oasis Resort in Palm Springs, California, a city of 42,000 located about 150 miles from our home. During the Hollywood era of the 1930s and 1940s, this city was famous for being the favorite vacation mecca of the Hollywood celebrities of that day. One can find streets named after such stars as Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra and others throughout the city.

Palm Springs is well known for its fine restaurants, golf courses, resorts, art galleries, and the special events that take place on a regular basis. While we were there, the International Film Festival was in progress, followed by the Bob Hope Golf Classic.

The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies is on our annual list of things to do in Palm Springs. This years three-hour production, performed in the genre originated by Florenz Ziegfeld, was particularly enjoyable. As you know, Ziegfeld productions were noted for fabulous costumes and music. The Plaza Theater, where the Follies are staged, opened in 1936 with the premiere of “Camille,” starring Greta Garbo.

Each year a different theme is selected for the show, and this year the theme was “Gotta Dance.” With the popularity of “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance”, the producer of the show, Riff Markowitz, made a wise choice for this year's theme. Generally speaking, I am not a great fan of dancing productions; but this one, with all its great variety of song and dance, was exciting. The choreography included dance routines such as the Charleston, The Varsity Drag, Jalousie, and Mambo Jambo. Some of the music included such old favorites as Night Train, Come Fly with Me, Hard Hearted Hannah, and Jungle Drums. When they got to the 1940’s, the cast gave us Jukebox Saturday Night, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, How Deep is the Ocean, and Sing, Sing Sing. Of course, the music was accompanied by the appropriate dances.

The Follies includes a guest star from yesteryear in each production. In past years, we saw such stars as Howard Keel and Donald O’Connor. This year’s guest star was Gloria Loring, who gave us a memorable interpretation of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young”:

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

I also should mention that all of the performers in the show have to be 55 years old or older. The youngest cast member this year was 64 and the oldest, 83. I hope I have the moves of the oldest cast member when I am 83. If you are in Palm Springs between now and May, I would recommend that you attend the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies.

IT IS TIME FOR ANOTHER VACATION. I WILL POST AGAIN NEXT SATURDAY, JAN. 20th.

Over a year ago, I ran the following post and was verbally lashed by right-wing conservatives and supporters of Bush's war in Iraq for aiding the enemy and being a "defeatest". I think subsequent events over the past year have proved the validity of the points made in the post.

Why We Cannot Win In Iraq

(Some of the information in this blog post has been gathered from an article written by military historian William Lind, Director for the Center for Cultural Conservatism at the Free Congress Foundation. He has also written many articles on military strategy and war. In essence, the article maintains that the United States will not be successful in winning the war in Iraq by “staying the course.” Let us now dwell upon the reasons he offers for that view.)

William Lind states that warfare has gone through four generations from about 1650 to the present:

First Generation (1650-1850): Gather troops and weapons into an orderly formation and attempt to overwhelm the enemy with superior manpower and weaponry.

Second Generation (1916-1930’s): At the beginning of the war, First Generation warfare was employed, but technological advances in weaponry (machine guns, heavy artillery, tanks) made First Generation mass formations of troops and weaponry, as well as frontal assaults obsolete and “suicidal.”

Third Generation (Late 1930s--first employed and perfected by the German army): “Blitzkrieg” (lightning warfare) depended on speed, surprise, and maneuverability.

Fourth Generation(1960s-Present): Wars are fought between troops sponsored by a nation or nations and “non-state” terrorist groups such as as-Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah, or a sub-national group such as the Taliban. The United States so far has met defeat in Vietnam, Lebanon, and Somalia by these groups.

When the United States sent forces into Iraq in 2003, we used Third Generation warfare (“shock and awe”) in a kind of blitzkrieg to quickly defeat Saddam’s forces with great success. But now, just as in Vietnam, Lebanon, and Somalia, we are bogged down in our attempt to use Third Generation tactics to defeat those groups that use Fourth Generation weapons and tactics against us.

We still talk about “victory” and “staying the course” in Iraq, as though we are still fighting another nation. We even have trouble finding an enemy to fight; and when we kill members of their groups, they are quickly replaced by other recruits who are only too willing to die for Allah.

An American soldier, when asked who the enemy is replied, “It’s hard to say - the enemy can be any one of them at any time.” Since our troops can be attacked at any place and at any time, they are always on the defensive.

Fourth Generation Strategy and Tactics (used by our enemy in Iraq):

Don’t attempt to defeat any enemy who is better trained and equipped by engaging them in battle; instead, weaken the enemy by entangling him.

Use IED’s (improvised explosive devices) against the enemy. This tactic has been very successful against U.S. troops, accounting for two of every three battle deaths.

Don’t fear death. Allah will give you 72 virgins and permanent residence in Paradise for dying in His name.

Counter the effects of the “shock and awe” of the enemy’s weapons.

Use inexpensive, improvised “low tech” weapons against the enemy’s expensive, “high-tech” weapons.

I might add that we used “smart bombs," a Third Generation kind of warfare against al-Qaeda, only after they used smart people who used our own commercial aircraft against us, a Fourth Generation kind of warfare, in the very successful attack on the Twin Towers in New York.

According to military historian William Lind, we say that we must “stay the course,” but we are fighting an enemy who can outlast us - physically, mentally and, in the view of the enemy, morally. They believe Allah is on their side. Even Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said recently that it might take ten or more years to “win” the war. Some other military leaders have said it could require between thirty and thirty-five years to conclude the fighting.

We and the enemy operate with a different concept of time. We operate in a secular world where what happens over time can have an effect on our economy, upcoming elections and such. They operate on “Allah’s time.” They don't have to win. They believe the effect of continued stalemate, troop loss, and expense will eventually lead to the withdrawal of our troops.

In other words, if they don’t prevail today, they will prevail tomorrow.

FOOTNOTE (January 12, 2007):

The United States in 2007 is still preparing for a war with the Soviet Union, which no longer exists. We are spending nearly a half-trillion dollars every year on an army equipped with super-modern tanks, new fighter jets, new models of bombers, smart bombs and missiles; and yet we are meeting defeat once again, this time in Iraq against insurgents armed with $50 weapons. We have the best armed forces in the world when pitted against another nation's armed forces. But in an "asymmetrical war" in which the enemy makes an attack on our troops and then retreats into the general population, there is no enemy to pursue. That is the reality of the war on the ground in Iraq today.

In 1970, the United States had 543,000 troops in Vietnam and still lost the war to an enemy employing Fourth Generation warfare against the most modern and best-equipped army the world had ever seen. Do you think adding 20,000 more troops to the 140,000 already there will "win" the war in Iraq?

FUN WITH THE NAMES OF PEOPLE

Would you be comfortable keeping an appointment with a proctologist named Dr. Rhoda Rooter? If you are a man, would you go to any of these urologists: Dr. Wang; Dr. Wiener; Dr. Cox; or Dr. Willy? As a woman, would you keep a gynecology appointment with Dr. Guy Finger? If you were making an appointment with a dentist, would you choose any of these dentists: Dr. Paine, Dr. Hertz, or Dr. DeKay? Would you buy a used car from Karl Krook?

What we are dealing with here are aptonyms or aptronyms. An aptonym is the term used for “people whose names and occupations or situations have a close correspondence.“ The name "aptonym" is a compound word which consists of the adjective "apt" (from Latin via Middle English) meaning "exactly suitable, or appropriate." The second part of this word comes from the Greek "onuma" ('name'). An alternate term is aptronym. San Francisco columnist Herb Caen used the term "namephreaks". Washington Post columnist Bob Levey prefers the term PFLNs, or Perfect Fit Last Names for names that match the occupations.

Here are some other aptonyms of famous people:

1. Sally Ride - astronaut ("Ride, Sally, Ride")
2. William Wordsworth - poet (What are his words worth today?)
3. Learned Hand - famed American judge (An even-handed judge)
4. E. Spencer Parsons - clergyman (dean of Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago)
5. Joe Strummer - guitarist for The Clash

And then, there are the less famous people (if you doubt this, check out Butts and Peanis on Google):

1. Dr. Charles Butts - a spokesman for an anti-smoking lobby (No ifs, ands, or Butts here when it concerns smoking)
2. Offa Peanis - a circumcision expert (No, thanks)
3. Rev. James R. God - minister of the Baptist Church in Congress, South Carolina (You will always find God in this church)
4. Chris Moneymaker - winner of 2003 World Series of Poker (Nuff said)
5. C. Sharpe Minor - a major organist

6. James Bugg - exterminator
7. Dan Druff - barber
8. Robin Banks
9. Bill Bord
10. Dewey Care

11. Rex Karz
12. Bertha de Bleus
13. Noah Lott
14. Anne O’Dyne
15. Barbara Seville

The names of these individuals were selected from the Yellow Pages in various cities. They all represent different professions. I won’t tell you which professions, since it might be more interesting for you to guess:

1. Last name is Aikenhead (Hint: Take two aspirin every four hours and call me in the morning)
2. Candy Baggs
3. Chris Cross
4. Doolittle and Dalley
5. Cliff Hanger

Finally, we come to an assortment of names, including those which might be unfortunate names for the people in these occupations if they were to come to the United States. If you think these are not real people, check out their names on Google.

1. Dr. Reinhardt A. Fuck is a respected geologist from Brazil. In Brazil, his last name is pronounced “Fook”.
2. Two female teachers taught at the same school. The last name of one was Frank and the last name of the other was Stein. Since they were best friends, they could usually be seen together, and became known as Frank and Stein.
3. I had a friend who once dated a girl whose last name was Axelrod. Her father ran an auto garage.
4. Dr. Murat Kunt is from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) where, presently, he is Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of the Signal Processing Laboratory.
5. Dr. Ammar Kaka teaches in the Department of Building Engineering at the University of Liverpool.

6. Mr. Chik Fuk Yu Joe currently works in the Faculty of Information Technology of Monash University in Australia
7. Dr. Anil Kumar Dikshit can be found at the Indian Institute of Technology of Bombay.
8. Dr. Jan Tits works in the laboratory for Waste Management at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland.
9. Professor Chew Shit Fun can be found at the National Institute of Education in Singapore.
10. Charol Shakeshaft is a professor at Hofstra University, Department of Foundations, Leadership, and Policy Studies.

Finally, let us return to aptonyms as we consider Larry Speakes, former White House press secretary for President Reagan, and Tony Snow, former Fox News pundit and conservative syndicated columnist and now the White House press secretary for President George W. Bush. I think you would agree that Tony Snow is a perfect aptonym for Bush’s press secretary. Example:

As of the last week of April, 2006, "Snow job" can refer to the lies, distortions and evasive non-answers given to members of the press at daily White House press briefings. Example:

Press: "Hey Tony - why does the President think he's above the law and can do anything he wants to?"

TS: "It's White House policy not to comment on an ongoing investigation."

Press, muttering: "What a Snow job."

Oh, well, with Clinton it was a blowjob; with Bush, it’s a Snow job.

Their Own Kind of Peace

As many of you know, a large number of outstanding writers and poets can be found on Blogstream; and some of them keep writing even though they don’t get a lot of exposure here. One of the writers I have been following from time to time is Joseph Coleman, who writes joesblog6. The title of his blog is “Pagans don’t wear sandals.” Joe is an offbeat writer and poet, influenced very early in his life by Jack Kerouac and the “beats.” He is a street-smart writer whose second book “Ogallala: The Rise of the Morning Sun” is currently in the process of being published and soon will be available on Amazon.

The most recent poem to appear at joesblog6 is “Their Own Kind of Peace.” It has been said that a poem is “distilled” prose. A poet can say in a short poem what otherwise might take volumes to express. I found myself going back to this poem several times and understanding different nuances each time. Finally, I asked Joe to let me place his poem on my blog for my readers. He graciously agreed to my request, and as a result I hope that many of you will be attracted to some of the other writings and poems of this blogger.

I let Joe know that I questioned his use of “nothings” in this poem to refer to our troops in Iraq, and he, with his memories of the Vietnam War, gave this explanation for his use of that term:

“All wars are fought by ‘nothings‘. We know exactly who we are.
We are the guys who didn't get to see the president because we didn't believe in what Lyndon Johnson was doing. It's just the same today. If we disagree with Bush, we won't get to see him. And they damn sure are not going to let anyone hear us! The 'nothings' can fight for freedom of speech; that doesn't mean they get it."

Their Own Kind of Peace

I have walked the miles of hurt in my life;
I have seen beyond the joy in the edges of my eyes.
What is it that we want from this war?
Do we all expect to grow the wings to fly?
NO!
Someone has to stay and care for the ground.
Someone has to stay, and be willing to grow.

Who is it that keeps the hand upon the plow?
Who will toil about the kneading earth?
Who will go to fight this war?
Who is it that will go, kill, and die
For the words that were spoken,
And the words that begot this war?

Speak! Speak the large words that tell us to kill another,
Whose only fault is where he stands.
Speak!
But for geography, you will die.
Stand there; the bubbles of bombs
Will silence your place,
Taking your life.

But as we stand here, the sky is powder blue;
Because we are the ones the bombs come from.
What if they are not our enemy?
What if they are a quiet people
Wishing to live in their own kind of peace?

Everybody wishes to be where the bombs come from,
Rather than where the bombs go.
It’s one of the seven sins of envy.
Only the hope to survive
Wanting death not to find them.
They have no war to bring here.
They are the poor, the sad
Who have seen this so many, many times.

We go to them with our swords
Because the One says that God told him to go.
Orders the nothings to kill
The young, old, and the life-giving,
With an ungodly blasting, blowing, boastful-going,
Making their eyes see their world torn apart.

Who are we that can rain this horror upon others,
Sitting in their own kind of peace,
Wondering why we hate them so?
Who are we to thunder their brains?
Who, God, are we that look
But never see what we do in your name?
Who are we to seed the ground with smoke and fire?

We, who give war to them,
Give them the gift of our power.
Mere words will give them our war
Like we would give them bread.
Our power, that sends them to hiding,
Marks our name, to bind our kingdom’s flaws.
We will be done on this ground
When we bring them to us.

All the edges of all the eyes are upon us
As we go about our business.
The eyes watch, as we burn down the heaven.
They who only live in their own kind of peace.
We watch, they watch, we all watch
In a criminal turn of the head,
As we become God
In a judgment of the innocent.

joesblog zapatashorse.com

A Man and a Woman

Rudyard Kipling once wrote, “A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.”

YOUR TURN (COMPLETE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING):

1. Men and Women: What do you think he meant by that statement?

2. Women Only: (Fill in the blanks) A man is only a man , but a good ______ is a ______.

3. Men and Women: (Complete the sentence) A woman is only a woman, but _______________.

4. Men and Women: (Complete the sentence) A man is only a man, but ________________.