Seeing ourselves in another's mirror

The occasion was the passing of my mother's cousin at age 94. He was my mother's father's sister's son. For most of the gathered, including Bill's four daughters, I'd not seen these folks for five to as much as 50 years.
I might not be thinking of myself as old. If, however, I haven't seen someone for 50 years, well, if it ain't old, it'll do until some other explanation comes along.
"We went straight from being children to being old," remarked one of my second cousins. "We skipped right over that growing-up part and becoming adults."
You have to let your vision relax a bit before you start to notice the family threads run through each of the faces. Listening, you hear the slight chop of a Finnish accent, even among the American-born. We swap memories of visits to this family's house, that family's farm, to the camp and sauna.
I have a scanned copy of a newspaper clipping of one girl who'd shot a deer. It was from the front page of the Gardner News. She called it her 15 minutes of fame. That was back in the 1950s. She lived a full and a good life, but that's what got her name and picture in the paper.


We jump past the old stuff and earnestly talk for a couple of hours about what's going on in our lives now. We learn of each other's talents, hopes, troubles, and fears and theirs sound like our own.
One has recently been sort of diagnosed as having MS, although it's not certain. "I think MS means 'Maybe Something.',"  There are stories of Alzheimer's, ALS, and  other afflictions. There are celebrations of good things in our lives, children and grandchildren, work and retirement, travel, and other fun stuff. The darker, awkward stories of divorce, depression, abortion, drug use, chronic unemployment, even those quickly get into the conversation because, well, frankly, because we don't have time to do otherwise. This is who we are, who we've become, and we need to know these things.
And then, just like that, the room was emptying. We promise that we'll stay in touch by email, Facebook, a phone call, a visit. (Several of the folks live right nearby.) We might even follow through on those promises. You know, though, how life gets full. A day becomes a week becomes a month becomes, well, you know.
We squeeze a half century of news into a couple of hours. Who are these people? How can I know them so well when, just a short while ago, we were introducing ourselves as though we were strangers?

One slide does not make a show

Update 5:40AM -

The T&G has put the slideshow in place: telegram.com - Photo Gallery
---
The front page of this morning's telegram.com page offers a Slideshow Online.

via Telegram.com - An edition of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and Sunday Telegram 5:17AM 9/7/10

It seemed a bit redundant to learn about an online slideshow online, but this is the new T&G, so what the heck.
The next page gave the same promise.

via Labor Day dealings President assails Republicans for creating hard times

Leading to the final reward:

Entropic wisdom

It started innocently enough. A friend posted a note on Facebook about getting the season's firewood stacked. A few of her other friends commented, including a question about how much firewood would a typical household need.
I started to reply.

Before long, I realized that I might not be able to stop writing everything I know, thought I knew, wished I knew, think that I might know later this winter about heating a house with wood.
Among the microverse of people we know, there are three groups:

1. Friends and loved ones who will listen to you expound on a topic because they like or love you very much.
2. People who will listen to you for a while because they think they might learn something.
3. People who wish you'd shut up already because no matter how righteous your wisdom might be, they can't stand to hear another word about it.

The rate at which people move from Group 1 to Group 2 and from Group 2 to Group 3 is known as the entropy rate. There's some complex math related to all of it, but I probably shouldn't get into that right now.
Anyway, it was chilly this morning and we needed a fire in the stove.

The hopes and fears of all the years

Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair recently observed that radical Islam is the greatest threat to world peace and stability. (BBC News - Radical Islam is world's greatest threat - Tony Blair . If you get a chance, listen to the interview as well.)
Mr. Blair was focusing his remarks on the direct threats brought about by terrorist violence and the sponsorship of same by Iran. And, while the September 11th attacks remain seared in our consciousness as a terrible time for our country and its people, part of the goal of terrorism is to get us to thinking about nothing but terrorism. In that sense, the terrorists won. They got inside our heads and got us to play their game, not ours.
In 2001, more than 42,000 people were killed in car crashes. Deaths attributed to accidents where alcohol was a factor were five times the number of people killed in the World Trade Centers.
In the Congo, where 5.4 million people have died in its civil war and aftermath. Forty-five thousand people die each month.
But, then, they're black and not on TV so, if it makes the news at all, it has all the relevance as the baseball scores from the Pacific Coast League.
There's no disputing the horrors that the Taliban has afflicted on Afghanistan and Pakistan. There's no question that there are mujahideen who would do violence to us and our way of life.
There's also no doubt that more people will die because of our inaction in relief of those suffering from the Pakistan floods. The U.N. has requested about $500 million for flood relief. There are some 200 people on the Forbes list of richest Americans who could write a check for $500 million and still have a billion dollars left over.
A half-billion dollars is a rounding error for every federal department. Alaska received more than two billion dollars in much-hated stimulus money. Heck, Anchorage received $600 million. If we wanted to win the hearts and minds and bodies of the afflicted of the world, how about we give that money to those truly in need, rather than those proclaim that they don't need, want it, but will take it just the same.
We're seeing frequent reports that the poor of Pakistan will judge us by our response to this crisis. The bad guys are poised to help themselves by helping those who suffer and can do so most easily in our absence.
It's no surprise that we're moved to action most passionately by fear. The trouble is that, as humans, we're not really good at understanding the true dangers. We can rise to action when we have an enemy, be it Osama bin Laden, George Bush, or Barack Obama. When the suffering is caused because of a flood or lack of a functioning government, it's more difficult to act, even as the amount of suffering is several orders of magnitude greater.
And even when our long-term interests are best served by actions of another kind. It's easier to spend a trillion dollars (with a T) on the last war than less than a half a percent of that in an effort to prevent the next one.

The hopes and fears of all the years

Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair recently observed that radical Islam is the greatest threat to world peace and stability. (BBC News - Radical Islam is world's greatest threat - Tony Blair . If you get a chance, listen to the interview as well.)
Mr. Blair was focusing his remarks on the direct threats brought about by terrorist violence and the sponsorship of same by Iran. And, while the September 11th attacks remain seared in our consciousness as a terrible time for our country and its people, part of the goal of terrorism is to get us to thinking about nothing but terrorism. In that sense, the terrorists won. They got inside our heads and got us to play their game, not ours.
In 2001, more than 42,000 people were killed in car crashes. Deaths attributed to accidents where alcohol was a factor were five times the number of people killed in the World Trade Centers.
In the Congo, where 5.4 million people have died in its civil war and aftermath. Forty-five thousand people die each month.
But, then, they're black and not on TV so, if it makes the news at all, it has all the relevance as the baseball scores from the Pacific Coast League.
There's no disputing the horrors that the Taliban has afflicted on Afghanistan and Pakistan. There's no question that there are mujahideen who would do violence to us and our way of life.
There's also no doubt that more people will die because of our inaction in relief of those suffering from the Pakistan floods. The U.N. has requested about $500 million for flood relief. There are some 200 people on the Forbes list of richest Americans who could write a check for $500 million and still have a billion dollars left over.
A half-billion dollars is a rounding error for every federal department. Alaska received more than two billion dollars in much-hated stimulus money. Heck, Anchorage received $600 million. If we wanted to win the hearts and minds and bodies of the afflicted of the world, how about we give that money to those truly in need, rather than those proclaim that they don't need, want it, but will take it just the same.
We're seeing frequent reports that the poor of Pakistan will judge us by our response to this crisis. The bad guys are poised to help themselves by helping those who suffer and can do so most easily in our absence.
It's no surprise that we're moved to action most passionately by fear. The trouble is that, as humans, we're not really good at understanding the true dangers. We can rise to action when we have an enemy, be it Osama bin Laden, George Bush, or Barack Obama. When the suffering is caused because of a flood or lack of a functioning government, it's more difficult to act, even as the amount of suffering is several orders of magnitude greater.
And even when our long-term interests are best served by actions of another kind. It's easier to spend a trillion dollars (with a T) on the last war than less than a half a percent of that in an effort to prevent the next one.

Crime in suburbia

From The Landmark (subscription required):

[Editor's note: There were 27 suspicious items this week.]

Holden

Monday, August 23

9:49 a.m. Possible oil spill on Forest Dr.

12:01 p.m. Motor vehicle lockout at Checkerberry Village
12:42 p.m. Motor vehicle lockout on Mixter Rd.

3:30 p.m. Possible intoxicated male at Laundromat on Reservoir St.
5:27 p.m. Caller asking for officer to speak with teen who won't listen

Tuesday, August 24

12:37 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle in parking lot on Towle Dr.
1:27 a.m. Suspicious individuals behind business on Main St.
6:30 a.m. Private investigators on Holden St. and High Ridge Rd.
10:58 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle taking photos of properties on Lowell Ave.
12:57 p.m. Suspicious incident on Nichols St.
1:42 p.m. Dog might have been hit on Highland St.
5:32 p.m. Caller reports suspecting neighbor cut dog's leash
8:34 p.m. Suspicious vehicle at Dawson Recreation area
9:41 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Shrewsbury St.
10:58 p.m. 911 Report of loud swearing at party on Main St.

Wednesday, August 25

2:09 a.m. Neighbor moving cars around on Laurel Hill Lane
11:50 a.m. Suspicious person sitting on side of Main St. seems to be wearing trash bags; fell off bicycle
12:27 p.m. Caller has kitten they can't keep
3:00 p.m. Moving van struck and knocked down service lines
3:35 p.m. Teens fighting in front yard of home on Duxbury Dr.; only verbal at this time
4:24 p.m. Walk-in looking for missing cell phone
4:59 p.m. Suspicious van with camper parked on Reservoir St.; party advised to move vehicle
5:38 p.m. Speeders reported on Wachusett St.
9:30 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle in parking lot on Shrewsbury St.; teaching teen to drive

Thursday, August 26

1:59 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Stoneleigh Rd.; picking up intoxicated woman
9:00 a.m. Large black bear eating out of garbage cans on Mason Rd.; bear ran off
11:15 a.m. Truck disrupting flow of traffic on Highland St.; unloading picnic tables for Holden Days
12:53 p.m. Persons discharging firearms on Wachusett St.
7:37 p.m. Caller reports brown water at home on Reservoir St.
7:59 p.m. Barking dog complaint on Salisbury St.
8:44 p.m. Barking dog complaint on Malden St.

Friday, August 27

1:34 a.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Main St. with three males who came into store and harassed clerk
1:54 a.m. Suspicious party on Shrewsbury St.
8:18 a.m. Graffiti on elderly homeowner's property on Mount Pleasant Ave.
9:30 a.m. Dog found on Elmwood Ave.
11:42 a.m. Fences cut and copper stolen from Chaffins sub-station on Main St.
12:10 p.m. Caller reports teen son hasnâ ¹t been seen since yesterday
3:15 p.m. Holden St. checked for missing teen
3:47 p.m. Caller reporting Reservoir St. is dusty due to construction
9:43 p.m. Dead animal in road on Wachusett St. disrupting flow of traffic
11:05 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle at Dawson Recreation
11:57 p.m. Loud dog on Greenwood Parkway

Saturday, August 28

8:49 a.m. Possible road rage incident on Malden St.
12:18 p.m. Eggs thrown at vehicle on Montana Dr.
1:05 p.m. Caller reports asking for info about prank calls
1:26 p.m. Caller reporting male in wheelchair heading toward Main St. near pool
5:17 p.m. Walk-in asking for assistance identifying substance found in son's backpack
6:20 p.m. Dog found
8:00 p.m. Dog lost
8:39 p.m. Report of fireworks in area of Brennan Way
9:49 p.m. 911 report of neighbors shooting off rockets on Bullard St.

Sunday, August 29

4:48 a.m. Suspicious person on Paxton Rd.; party just taking a walk
8:20 a.m. Abandoned golf cart on railroad crossing on Bailey Rd.
9:34 a.m. Suspicious person laying down or sleeping in car
10:00 a.m. Loud dog on Malden St.
12:55 p.m. Request for officer to speak with son
2:39 p.m. 911 Suspicious motor vehicle on Main St.
3:31 p.m. Report of dog found
4:59 p.m. Report of dog missing
5:20 p.m. 911 Erratic operator on Main St., keeps slamming on brakes, tossed lit cigarette out sunroof
5:28 p.m. Suspicious truck, operator using laptop, on Princeton St.
5:30 p.m. Caller reports dog chased black bear up a tree earlier; done now
7:57 p.m. Report of individual throwing water balloons at motorists on Boyden Rd.
9:00 p.m. Dog found
9:42 p.m. Suspicious individuals playing basketball behind light department
9:47 p.m. Lost dog
11:44 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Main St.; picking up employee

Paxton

Monday, August 23

5:07 p.m. Trash can in roadway causing a traffic hazard, Pleasant St.
5:19 p.m. Person on side of road asking for directions, Pleasant St. and Briarcliff Lane

Tuesday, August 24

11:11 a.m. Person came to station to report his vehicle to have an electrical problem, odor of burning, West St.
3:27 p.m. Person going door-to-door, Baxter Dr.
10:43 p.m. Person came to station to report ongoing family issues, Davis Hill Rd.

Wednesday, August 25

6:06 p.m. Report of erratic driver on Camp St.

Thursday, August 26

12:32 a.m. Police check out two vehicles in park area, Mower St.
8:36 a.m. Stray dog on property on West St. Owner found and will pick up dog

Friday, August 27

4:16 p.m. Female juvenile by side of road crying, may have fallen off bicycle, West St.
4:53 p.m. Female selling cleaning supplies, Maple St.
5:10 p.m. Disturbance, gun shots in area of Laurel St. Possible target shooting
8:43 p.m. Several calls about person soliciting in area of Shanandoah, Wildwood, Holbrook and West Sts.
8:53 p.m. Complaint about barking dog, Berkshire Dr.
9:47 p.m. Caller reports vehicle at end of her driveway and people yelling at each other, South St.

Saturday, August 28

9:33 a.m. Deceased porcupine in roadway, West St. and Nanigian Rd.
12:25 p.m. Suspicious activity in parking lot, Pleasant St.
4:01 p.m. Suspicious male claiming to be an exterminator, Suomi St.

Sunday, August 29

4:49 a.m. Holden Police requesting assistance for a suspicious male loitering on private property, Rte. 31
9:31 a.m. Caller reports a squirrel on her deck that appears to have a BB stuck in its nose, Laurel St.
1:21 p.m. Person came to station turning in a flag that was put in his mailbox overnight, Pleasant St.
5:58 p.m. Officer requested, female sitting on private property, male parked by side of road, Pleasant St.

Princeton

Monday, August 23

9:16 a.m. Several reports of oil or grease on the roadway making it very slippery. Highway department and Westminster DPW respond, Mountain Rd. Fuel spill from rental truck
3:42 p.m. Basset hound escaped from fenced in area, Hubbardston Rd. Later returned
9:05 p.m. Open gate at state reservation, Police also find garage door open, Mountain Rd.
9:13 p.m. Report of barking dog, Worcester Rd.

Tuesday, August 24

8:51 a.m. Person came to station to complain about barking dog, Worcester Rd.

Wednesday, August 25

1:31 p.m. Two white dogs with brown spots going through trash on Sterling Rd.
1:48 p.m. Vehicle dropped off male who started walking on East Princeton Rd.
9:21 p.m. Complaint about barking dog, Worcester Rd.

Friday, August 27

3:07 a.m. Suspicious vehicle "casing the neighborhood" Worcester Rd. Found to be paper carrier
10:09 a.m. Yellow dog found on Houghton Rd. Trying to contact owner
10:53 a.m. Police check on resident, Houghton Rd.
12:35 p.m. Black domestic rabbit in back yard on Mirick Rd.
4:42 p.m. Police assist animal control officer with two dogs running on East Princeton Rd.; owner fined
11:41 p.m. Police transport person from Main St. to Brooks Station Rd.

Saturday, August 28

8:04 p.m. Gunshots or fireworks heard in area of Calamint Hill Rd. North
9:26 p.m. Possible gun shots/fireworks, Ralph Rd.

Sunday, August 29

10:52 a.m. Sterling Police advise of three cars drag racing on Rte. 140 headed toward Princeton
6:53 p.m. Suspicious vehicle, East Princeton Rd.

Rutland

Monday, August 23

9:30 a.m. Resident believes he has water main break and is unable to reach anyone at the DPW. Water department personnel will check.
1:17 p.m. Walk-in to see officer about hitting a sign at Spencer Savings Bank
9:43 p.m. Dog ran into side of car, Kalloch Dr. Driver unable to find the dog afterward

Tuesday, August 24

3:45 a.m. Party sleeping in car, Whitehall Rd.
9:23 a.m. SUV parked at Rail Trail for three days, Barre Paxton Rd.
12:17 p.m. Two men seen walking around house that has been foreclosed on, Central Tree Rd.
3:50 p.m. Two males reported in suspicious red vehicle, Winifred's Way.
7:00 p.m. Gunshots heard in East County Rd. area
7:18 p.m. Spoke with resident on Ridge Rd. who was trying out a new firearm. All within legal limits

Wednesday, August 25

4:45 p.m. Report of Canadian goose that flew into the backstop behind home plate. Goose appears to have gotten stuck and died, Main St.
5:27 p.m. Officer requested at Bigelow Rd. residence. Male party with long, black hair is looking into residence and suspicious pick-up truck has been in area past few days.
5:35 p.m. Call for ACO regarding dog bites

Thursday, August 26

12:40 p.m. Bales of hay in road, Rte. 68 near Village Barn
3:14 p.m. Barking dog, Newman Dr.
4:58 p.m. Walk-in to pick up report of previous incident

Friday, August 27

10:30 a.m. Sick-looking fox has been in yard for days, Birchwood Rd.
3:15 p.m. Report of rabid fox lying in driveway, Birchwood Rd.
3:33 p.m. Second caller reports that animal is moving and is at #27 Birchwood Rd.
3:48 p.m. Animal has gone into woods again, most likely has mange
6:17 p.m. Resident received phone call that she won $95,000, instructed to call a Jamaica phone number

Saturday, August 28

3:16 a.m. Report of people partying and fighting since 1:30 a.m., Maple Ave.
10:42 a.m. Lost female Welsh terrier, black and tan, named Guinness, Arline Dr.
4:47 p.m. ACO needed for crippled Canada goose

Sunday, August 29

8:52 a.m. Caller asking if cat he saw in the Landmark was his missing black and white cat.
6:49 p.m. Party reporting that neighbor is screaming at this wife, and it goes on every weekend, Main St. Peace restored, verbal only
7:44 p.m. Many phone calls regarding a minivan in the road, with a party pinned down outside. Devereux School reports it is one of their clients and they need police help, Pommogussett Rd. and Brintnal Dr.

Sterling

Monday, August 23

2:08 p.m. Aggressive raccoon, not walking right, Kendall Hill Rd.
5:28 p.m. Caller reports suspicious bug that was seen on the news, Leominster Rd.; referred to Dept. of Agriculture

Tuesday, August 24

9:15 a.m. Caller wants to speak with animal control officer about a stray cat, Heywood Rd.

Wednesday, August 25

10:07 a.m. Police transport female with child to Clinton after her vehicle was disabled, Chocksett and Leominster Rds.
11:15 a.m. Friendly stray pit bull found, Gates Rd.

Thursday, August 26

2:02 p.m. Passport turned in, Redemption Rock Trl.
4:58 p.m. Large pickup truck trying to go around DCR gate on Upper North Row Rd.
7:59 p.m. English Sheep dog running into roadway, almost hit, Meetinghouse Hill Rd.

Friday, August 27

7:57 p.m. Lost blind Springer Spaniel, older dog, Pleasant St.
12:08 p.m. Report of bear in neighborhood, Legg Rd.
2:04 p.m. Animal control officer check on underground fence, Clinton Rd.
2:42 p.m. Black bear in yard at feeder, then went into garage, Birch Dr.
3:42 p.m. Report of dog possibly struck by vehicle, Redstone Hill and Wiles Rds.
4:36 p.m. Caller reports bear in yard, Holden Rd.
4:59 p.m. Black bear walking around back yard on Pikes Hill Rd.
5:11 p.m. Dog previously hit found and taken to vet, Redstone Hill and Wiles Rds.
9:07 p.m. Disturbance, possible gunshots or fireworks, Riverview Rd.

Saturday, August 28

7:12 p.m. Caller left her purse at restaurant on Worcester Rd.
9:51 p.m. Possible fireworks in area of Kendall Hill Rd.

Sunday, August 29

7:26 a.m. Complaint about neighbor setting off fireworks, Griffin Rd.
8:54 a.m. Lawn equipment dumped on Justice Hill and Lucas Rds.
10:31 a.m. Caller reports person riding around o
loud dirt bike or motorcycle, Clinton Rd.
7:53 p.m. Two cats missing, black and orange and tan with short hair, Sterling Ave.
9:39 p.m. Jack Russell terrier found, Leominster Rd.