Sand bags were stacked along the outside walls of Quonset huts - gray corrugated metal arches. The sun and rain took turns beating on them alternating between dry and rainy seasons. At any time of the year, they were hot and humid as hell. Who built them? I don’t know. They were there long before I arrived. This was “home” for most of my tour.
After all these years, what does one remember about Viet Nam? I remember Larry, Rick and Frank. Like hundreds of thousands, we were drafted and sent to Viet Nam.
Larry had an easy, gentle smile and Errol Flynn good looks. His home was San Mateo, California. He majored in computer sciences in college and went to work for a bank. But Larry said he “didn’t trust banks”. He kept his money under a mattress at home. Rick was high strung and smoked a lot. He had the ability to hold two cigarettes and a pipe in his hands simultaneously. A Pennsylvanian, Rick majored in computers and worked for a large company. Frank was from Maryland and had earned an electrical engineering degree. A gentle soul, Frank should never have been drafted. After graduating with a degree in engineering science, I had only worked for a civil engineering firm for four months before receiving my draft notice.
Our primary job was to run computers and the associated programs in the data service center but at night we either guarded the perimeter or went on patrol. In the Army, everyone is considered eleven bravo – infantry soldier. When the Army wasn’t getting their money’s worth out of us, we found other things to do.
Frank decided we needed electricity and began by running new wiring to each man’s hooch. Rick put his cigarettes away and wired outlets. Larry connected overhead fans to help cool the place and make it more livable. I installed a switch in each room for lighting and fans. We considered this a major accomplishment. I never asked where Frank got the materials.
Shortly thereafter, Frank’s mom passed away. The Army sent him home on bereavement. We all thought he got out before he got dinged and we cheered for him! Several months later, Frank returned. I couldn’t believe it. If the Army had to keep him, why not keep him state side, near his family? Frank experienced every soldier’s nightmare – he went to VN, he was sent home, and worst yet, he was sent back to VN. He had changed and so had we. To maintain his sanity, we decided Frank would not go on any patrols and he’d be our “official” photographer. I still have some of his pictures of our environs.
It was rare that Larry, Rick and I got together because as squad leaders, one of us went on patrol almost every night. We knew it was a numbers game. The more you went out, the greater the odds of getting zapped. No matter what happened, our code was we would bring all our guys back. We never talked about what happened unless there was something we had to report to our “superiors”. Any other talk served no purpose.
We were excellent marksmen and each had his individual preference. Before going home, Frank liked setting claymores probably because he liked to wire them. Larry preferred the grenade launcher and mortar but always carried a large knife. Rick carried a .38 and a .44 along with his M-16. My preference was the M-16 as I felt very comfortable picking targets between 75 and 200 yards. It was similar to the size and weight of the Anschultz I learned to use as a member of the West Islip High School rifle team. Dry socks and a full canteen were pretty good items to bring along as well.
Larry discovered a source of lumber. We set about building a frame and shelves for stereo equipment even though we didn’t have any. We installed the left over plywood on the inside walls of our quarters for pinup posters. Larry wrote to his sister who sent supplies: a clasp and a lock for the cabinet, day-glow paint, posters and a black light. We thanked her via a letter. We painted the room black and threw white and occasionally yellow, orange or red dots on the ceiling. With the black light on at night, you could look at the ceiling and drift away into the stars. All we needed was stereo equipment.
Larry and I decided to buy stereo equipment however, on E-4 pay, we could afford just one component per month. We agreed to send half of our money home and the other half to fund the stereo cabinet. After a few months, we assembled a rudimentary system.
Before he left the states, Larry was married. I was standing next to him during mail call, when he received a “dear john” letter. Amazingly, he showed no emotion. He just shrugged and said, “She spent too much money, anyway.” I asked, “On what?” Larry’s one word answer was “clothes.” He never spoke of her again. Larry went on patrol that night. I think they made him soldier of the month for his actions which earned him a three-day R and R.
I told Rick and Larry about Joni, a girl I met in college. I didn’t say I missed her. I wondered out loud whether she would be there, if I got lucky and returned to the world in one piece. She was smart and pretty, a great combination. Rick said, if that were the case, she’d be dating and no doubt would get married, “for sure GI” using the Vietnamese expression. I think this had been Rick’s experience, though he never admitted it. He said he didn’t have any attachment back home so we didn’t dwell on the subject.
The day finally came when Rick’s year (tour of duty) was completed and he went back to the states. Three months later, Larry went home with half our stereo system. We had great parties on both occasions! I earned sergeant stripes and when it was my turn, I left and never looked back. And Joni did wait. We married within a year of my return.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Choose Logic
Is there a difference in the basis of debate, whether pro or con, concerning immigration, tax credits or school vouchers, universal health care, social security reform or school prayer? If we review for example, the school prayer discussion we can apply the same logic to the other national concerns.
What is the difference between those who declare that prayer should be banned from school and those who propose its inclusion? How does one make these declarations? From whence comes the knowledge to aver what other individuals must do? Have declarers examined their philosophy to the depth required to goad, urge or prod academia, government or the individual to kowtow to fear of reprisal from one group or another with any moral authority?
Subjectivism holds that there are no absolutes or principles and judgment is relative. Hence, “truth is in the eye of the beholder.” However, “what is right for you might not be right for me”. Ergo, no one can have objective knowledge or objective grounds for evaluating another person’s beliefs or actions. An analogy might be, “On the premise that moral values are merely subjective preferences, there is no factual basis for moral judgment.” Those who believe that “anything goes” also avoid making any judgments.
Those who argue for school prayer dismiss the “truth is relative” or “anything goes” statements of the subjectivists. They espouse “unquestionable truth” and advocate absolute standards of right and wrong.
Are the positions and attitudes of the two opinions diametrically opposed?
It is only on the surface that the subjectivist is opposed to the religious proponent. The two share a fundamental similarity. In denying that there are any objective standards by which to choose how to think or act, the subjectivist makes clear that his choices are ruled by blind feelings. This is precisely the basic policy of the religious proponent as well.
Consider that there is an infinite number of opposing religious sects, how does the religionist decide which faith to embrace, which revelations to follow and which authority to obey? Does he scientifically gather evidence, carefully weigh it, and then adopt the conclusion to which reason and logic point? Obviously not. He feels it. He feels that Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, astrology or whatever, is the right faith for him. While the religionist may claim to uphold absolute truths in his argument for school prayer, his beliefs are as arbitrary as those of the subjectivist. The difference between the two is that there is no difference, merely emotionalism.
What neither the subjectivist nor the dogmatist can fathom is the need for an alternate approach, a method of seeking truth, acquiring knowledge, and defining moral standards, not by indulging in emotions, but by the process of reasoning based on factual evidence. In every issue and area of life, our decisions must be based on logical arguments that are grounded in directly perceivable facts and not emotions, feelings or arbitrary whims.
Examine the rhetoric our public representatives espouse on national issues such as immigration and border security, tax credits or vouchers for school choice, social security reform, universal healthcare or any other of the myriad discussions and debates. We must ask what is fact and what is emotion, dismiss emotion and base decisions on facts alone. To avoid their rhetoric, our culture has to reject emotionalism whether in the form of anything-goes subjectivism or emotionally driven feelings, in favor of logic and reason.
What is the difference between those who declare that prayer should be banned from school and those who propose its inclusion? How does one make these declarations? From whence comes the knowledge to aver what other individuals must do? Have declarers examined their philosophy to the depth required to goad, urge or prod academia, government or the individual to kowtow to fear of reprisal from one group or another with any moral authority?
Subjectivism holds that there are no absolutes or principles and judgment is relative. Hence, “truth is in the eye of the beholder.” However, “what is right for you might not be right for me”. Ergo, no one can have objective knowledge or objective grounds for evaluating another person’s beliefs or actions. An analogy might be, “On the premise that moral values are merely subjective preferences, there is no factual basis for moral judgment.” Those who believe that “anything goes” also avoid making any judgments.
Those who argue for school prayer dismiss the “truth is relative” or “anything goes” statements of the subjectivists. They espouse “unquestionable truth” and advocate absolute standards of right and wrong.
Are the positions and attitudes of the two opinions diametrically opposed?
It is only on the surface that the subjectivist is opposed to the religious proponent. The two share a fundamental similarity. In denying that there are any objective standards by which to choose how to think or act, the subjectivist makes clear that his choices are ruled by blind feelings. This is precisely the basic policy of the religious proponent as well.
Consider that there is an infinite number of opposing religious sects, how does the religionist decide which faith to embrace, which revelations to follow and which authority to obey? Does he scientifically gather evidence, carefully weigh it, and then adopt the conclusion to which reason and logic point? Obviously not. He feels it. He feels that Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, astrology or whatever, is the right faith for him. While the religionist may claim to uphold absolute truths in his argument for school prayer, his beliefs are as arbitrary as those of the subjectivist. The difference between the two is that there is no difference, merely emotionalism.
What neither the subjectivist nor the dogmatist can fathom is the need for an alternate approach, a method of seeking truth, acquiring knowledge, and defining moral standards, not by indulging in emotions, but by the process of reasoning based on factual evidence. In every issue and area of life, our decisions must be based on logical arguments that are grounded in directly perceivable facts and not emotions, feelings or arbitrary whims.
Examine the rhetoric our public representatives espouse on national issues such as immigration and border security, tax credits or vouchers for school choice, social security reform, universal healthcare or any other of the myriad discussions and debates. We must ask what is fact and what is emotion, dismiss emotion and base decisions on facts alone. To avoid their rhetoric, our culture has to reject emotionalism whether in the form of anything-goes subjectivism or emotionally driven feelings, in favor of logic and reason.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Free Software
That's right, free software!
Check out this free browser from FireFox. It is much better than Internet Explorer in terms of security, functionality, and ease of use. You know, the little things! Just click on the big blue link on the right!
Check out this free browser from FireFox. It is much better than Internet Explorer in terms of security, functionality, and ease of use. You know, the little things! Just click on the big blue link on the right!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Dancing at the New York Crystal Dance Studio
Dancing at the New York Crystal Dance Studio
As boys growing up in West Islip, our favorite sport was baseball. We walked and talked baseball and often took our heroes names while playing. I remember my mother saying, “If you want to make the double play like Pee Wee Reese, you should learn to tap dance. That’s what Pee Wee Reese and Gil Hodges did!” I inquired, “Mom, what do you mean?” And mom said, “You have to have great foot work to make the double play at second base and to receive the throws at first base. They took dancing lessons to become better fielders.”
To my amazement, I learned mom knew what a double play was and thus knew the secret of my heroes’ success. This solidified in my mind for time eternal that mothers know everything! But I never took dance lessons and never learned to dance.
*****
Our friends Joan, Rich, Pam and Dennis love to go to dinner and dancing. As beautiful dancers, they know the subtleties of leading and following. My wife, Joni, always wanted to dance but I was a stick in the mud and preferred to sit out. After attending enough gatherings and weddings where you sit with people you don’t know, can’t hear, and watching our friends have so much fun, Joni put her foot down and said we were taking dance lessons. And as a dutifully “trained” husband I uttered the words all husbands know, “yes, dear.” There are three things you learn when you get married and they are, “Yes dear, anything you say dear and it is for the children dear.” Once you learn all three, you’ll have a happy wife and a happy life!
*****
The New York Crystal Dance Studio is located in West Islip at the intersection of Higbie Lane and Udall Road. Every conceivable dance instruction is available. Joni and I enrolled in ballroom dancing. At my age I figured I wasn’t going to play shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers and what the hell, they moved to LA anyway.
New York Crystal is a wonderful studio to learn ballroom dancing especially for someone who has absolutely no clue where to begin. The owner of the studio is Rosalie and our instructor’s name is Joe. Marjorie and Phyllis instruct group and individual lessons as well. And I need all their help. One is continually amazed with their patience, teaching ability, cajoling and sense of humor. You quickly conclude they love to dance and they impart their knowledge excellently.
I think Joe must have experience as a diplomat and could be the US representative to the United Nations. I am sure it has been very difficult for him, as he has had to teach me that I have to move both my left and right feet. Once you learn a step, store it in memory, Joe might say something like, “by the way Hank, you have to lead.” Oh, oh! To prevent utter panic from setting in, you must think like a chess player. You have to decide your next step ahead of time in order to lead it correctly. Two people should dance as one.
There are many people who take lessons at Rosalie’s dance studio. The more experienced dancers assure you that they too started not knowing how to dance when they joined. That is difficult to believe when you see how gracefully they glide around the dance floor whether doing foxtrot, Viennese waltz or tango at the Friday evening dance parties. It was at one of these events, we encountered my former West Islip high school world studies and economics teacher, Mr. William Angelos.
I reintroduced myself to Mr. Angelos and then introduced him to Joni. When we were in school, some classmates called Mr. Angelos, the big A. I always called him, Uncle Bill. He remembered me as one of his erstwhile students from many years ago. My favorite classroom lesson was when he explained the “Law of Supply and Demand”. His words were, “If there is a shortage of baseballs, what happens to the cost of a ticket to see a game?” Uncle Bill knew how to make me think. On this particular Friday evening, Uncle Bill explained he had been dancing for four years and said he wished he had started sooner. He then explained to Joni about being a kid growing up and that it was more important to play baseball than to learn to dance. Joni couldn’t believe hearing the same story that I had subscribed to for so many years, reconfirmed by Mr. Angelos.
This was the culture of our time. Both teacher and student never learned to dance because it was more important to play ball. The attitude transcended generations. I know I never gave dancing a thought but I should have. The teenage girls I would have wanted to impress would have preferred to dance rather than watch a baseball game. That attitude transcended generations as well, because wives are the same. Given the choice of attending a major league baseball game or going dancing, most wives will opt for dancing.
*****
Everyone who takes ballroom dancing starts by learning the basic Foxtrot steps. To maintain marital bliss, one tries to avoid stepping on your partner’s toes. You try to take two steps forward, two to the side and then and two steps back. I didn’t catch on to this very quickly. About twenty minutes into our first lesson, Joe said, “Hank, there is a pattern.” A light went off in my head. These words mean there is a plan! As an engineer I have the innate ability to count to four and because there is a plan, there is hope. Joni is elated because she knows that if there is a plan, I’ll figure it out. With Joe’s tactful instruction, and Rosalie acting as marriage counselor, we came back for another lesson. After a few lessons, Joni decided to place her toes way back so I wouldn’t step on them and that we better purchase dance shoes.
New York Crystal Dance Studio offers beginner’s group lessons on Saturday. Thus, we entered Marjorie’s world. It is not exactly the Eagles’ “Hotel California” or the rigors of basic training in the Army but more like tough love administered with the aim to make you as good a dancer as you want to be. Knowing she is dealing with an elementary school child’s mentality, Marjorie may use an expression like, “Simon says watch”! You may watch all you like but then you have to do what you were observing. It wasn’t long before I was in Marjorie’s doghouse.
Marjorie also teaches the Wednesday evening intermediate group. I told one of the fellows in that group that I’ve been in Marjorie’s doghouse for a while. With a smile in his eye he said, “We all are. Once you’re in, you never get out!” When summer arrives Marge takes vacation. Phyllis takes over her classes and uses another approach that doesn’t employ a doghouse. She’ll ask you to dance and she’ll follow your lead. If you lead well, all is fine. If you don’t, Phyllis will follow you just the same and very quickly you realize, “Oops, I should have done something!” If Rosalie is teaching you to lead a step, she’ll use an ample supply of abrupt exaggeration and/or imitation to make sure she gets her point across about what you did and what you should have done.
It is fun to observe the interplay between instructors. Rosalie holds court and gives as well as she gets. Sometimes Joe will needle Marjorie a bit and get her going. He easily makes Phyllis laugh and he does it all the time. Their laughter is light and contagious. The spirit and the enjoyment is all in fun and the result is fun for all!!! So if you want to have some fun and learn to dance, try New York Crystal Dance Studio.
As boys growing up in West Islip, our favorite sport was baseball. We walked and talked baseball and often took our heroes names while playing. I remember my mother saying, “If you want to make the double play like Pee Wee Reese, you should learn to tap dance. That’s what Pee Wee Reese and Gil Hodges did!” I inquired, “Mom, what do you mean?” And mom said, “You have to have great foot work to make the double play at second base and to receive the throws at first base. They took dancing lessons to become better fielders.”
To my amazement, I learned mom knew what a double play was and thus knew the secret of my heroes’ success. This solidified in my mind for time eternal that mothers know everything! But I never took dance lessons and never learned to dance.
*****
Our friends Joan, Rich, Pam and Dennis love to go to dinner and dancing. As beautiful dancers, they know the subtleties of leading and following. My wife, Joni, always wanted to dance but I was a stick in the mud and preferred to sit out. After attending enough gatherings and weddings where you sit with people you don’t know, can’t hear, and watching our friends have so much fun, Joni put her foot down and said we were taking dance lessons. And as a dutifully “trained” husband I uttered the words all husbands know, “yes, dear.” There are three things you learn when you get married and they are, “Yes dear, anything you say dear and it is for the children dear.” Once you learn all three, you’ll have a happy wife and a happy life!
*****
The New York Crystal Dance Studio is located in West Islip at the intersection of Higbie Lane and Udall Road. Every conceivable dance instruction is available. Joni and I enrolled in ballroom dancing. At my age I figured I wasn’t going to play shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers and what the hell, they moved to LA anyway.
New York Crystal is a wonderful studio to learn ballroom dancing especially for someone who has absolutely no clue where to begin. The owner of the studio is Rosalie and our instructor’s name is Joe. Marjorie and Phyllis instruct group and individual lessons as well. And I need all their help. One is continually amazed with their patience, teaching ability, cajoling and sense of humor. You quickly conclude they love to dance and they impart their knowledge excellently.
I think Joe must have experience as a diplomat and could be the US representative to the United Nations. I am sure it has been very difficult for him, as he has had to teach me that I have to move both my left and right feet. Once you learn a step, store it in memory, Joe might say something like, “by the way Hank, you have to lead.” Oh, oh! To prevent utter panic from setting in, you must think like a chess player. You have to decide your next step ahead of time in order to lead it correctly. Two people should dance as one.
There are many people who take lessons at Rosalie’s dance studio. The more experienced dancers assure you that they too started not knowing how to dance when they joined. That is difficult to believe when you see how gracefully they glide around the dance floor whether doing foxtrot, Viennese waltz or tango at the Friday evening dance parties. It was at one of these events, we encountered my former West Islip high school world studies and economics teacher, Mr. William Angelos.
I reintroduced myself to Mr. Angelos and then introduced him to Joni. When we were in school, some classmates called Mr. Angelos, the big A. I always called him, Uncle Bill. He remembered me as one of his erstwhile students from many years ago. My favorite classroom lesson was when he explained the “Law of Supply and Demand”. His words were, “If there is a shortage of baseballs, what happens to the cost of a ticket to see a game?” Uncle Bill knew how to make me think. On this particular Friday evening, Uncle Bill explained he had been dancing for four years and said he wished he had started sooner. He then explained to Joni about being a kid growing up and that it was more important to play baseball than to learn to dance. Joni couldn’t believe hearing the same story that I had subscribed to for so many years, reconfirmed by Mr. Angelos.
This was the culture of our time. Both teacher and student never learned to dance because it was more important to play ball. The attitude transcended generations. I know I never gave dancing a thought but I should have. The teenage girls I would have wanted to impress would have preferred to dance rather than watch a baseball game. That attitude transcended generations as well, because wives are the same. Given the choice of attending a major league baseball game or going dancing, most wives will opt for dancing.
*****
Everyone who takes ballroom dancing starts by learning the basic Foxtrot steps. To maintain marital bliss, one tries to avoid stepping on your partner’s toes. You try to take two steps forward, two to the side and then and two steps back. I didn’t catch on to this very quickly. About twenty minutes into our first lesson, Joe said, “Hank, there is a pattern.” A light went off in my head. These words mean there is a plan! As an engineer I have the innate ability to count to four and because there is a plan, there is hope. Joni is elated because she knows that if there is a plan, I’ll figure it out. With Joe’s tactful instruction, and Rosalie acting as marriage counselor, we came back for another lesson. After a few lessons, Joni decided to place her toes way back so I wouldn’t step on them and that we better purchase dance shoes.
New York Crystal Dance Studio offers beginner’s group lessons on Saturday. Thus, we entered Marjorie’s world. It is not exactly the Eagles’ “Hotel California” or the rigors of basic training in the Army but more like tough love administered with the aim to make you as good a dancer as you want to be. Knowing she is dealing with an elementary school child’s mentality, Marjorie may use an expression like, “Simon says watch”! You may watch all you like but then you have to do what you were observing. It wasn’t long before I was in Marjorie’s doghouse.
Marjorie also teaches the Wednesday evening intermediate group. I told one of the fellows in that group that I’ve been in Marjorie’s doghouse for a while. With a smile in his eye he said, “We all are. Once you’re in, you never get out!” When summer arrives Marge takes vacation. Phyllis takes over her classes and uses another approach that doesn’t employ a doghouse. She’ll ask you to dance and she’ll follow your lead. If you lead well, all is fine. If you don’t, Phyllis will follow you just the same and very quickly you realize, “Oops, I should have done something!” If Rosalie is teaching you to lead a step, she’ll use an ample supply of abrupt exaggeration and/or imitation to make sure she gets her point across about what you did and what you should have done.
It is fun to observe the interplay between instructors. Rosalie holds court and gives as well as she gets. Sometimes Joe will needle Marjorie a bit and get her going. He easily makes Phyllis laugh and he does it all the time. Their laughter is light and contagious. The spirit and the enjoyment is all in fun and the result is fun for all!!! So if you want to have some fun and learn to dance, try New York Crystal Dance Studio.
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