31 January 09 - 03:08Kodak Moments

When I grew up, Kodak was at the peak of its existence. The digital systems we use today did not exist and the way the world was visualy recorded was on photographic film.  In present times we can take a single digital image and then "fiddle" with it to get an image that is enhanced in one way or another.  

In the day of Kodak Moments there were hundreds of different kinds of film, from Kodak or other photographic film companies, and the films recorded images in many different ways.  There were films that worked well in the dark, and in the sunlight.  There were films with vivid colors and films with faithfully reproduced colors.  Slide films and photographic films, different sized films, black and white fims, and all sorts of variations.  

In my memory, there is one kind of film, what might be called Lincoln "film".  In my memory I can recall many different images from my past.  They are neither vivid color or black and white.  They are often a bit fuzzy, but they are the "snapshots" in my memory from my past.

Today I keep coming back to the image of Donna Claus.  If here name doesn't appear anywhere else on the internet except in her obituary, let it appear here.  Donna Claus was the mother of my best friend during my youth, and possibly for all time (at least for my time).  She had a different last name than my friend because she had remarried after he was born.  This was a minor puzzle when I was a child, but something easily explained once I learned how naming worked in the USA and in the world of my youth.

In my mind I can see her as she was years ago.  She was a powerful positive influence on me as a youth and I can never remember a negative attitude coming from her.  She was without a doubt one of the most positive persons I ever met.

Right now, whenever I want to, I can see her standing and smiling in the living room of a house that was her home when I was growing up.  She is looking at me with smiles, while laughing and parenting. She was part of the parenting that molded me, correcting my shortcomings.  

Recently Donna died.  I have not talked with her for a time, but for me she is among the Kodak moments of my mind.  A series of snapshots I can recall.  Like all memories, she does not exist as a replica in my mind which can be searched, probed, and enhanced like digital pictures.  She is a series of memories, frozen in time.  She is still a positive influence on me and someone I can call on to help me in times of need.

I love you, Mrs. Claus.  I miss you, and I remember.

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11 January 09 - 14:23The Pendulum Swings

My Dad used to always say "the pendulum swings" when I expressed optimism or pessimism at a recent change.  I admire Barack Obama for what he has managed to accomplish, but I do not admire many of his beliefs.  I do believe he very much wants us to go down a path which stays away from the venomous right and the venomous left.

In my humble opinion, the goofy people should be allowed to live in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, San Francisco, Los Angelos, and the surrounding areas effected by their goofiness.  I hope many of us learned from the elections in the abnormal state of California that the words liberal and Democrat are no more synonomous than Republican and conservative.  I realize the parties lean in these directions, but we must remember that Barack Obama is not at all like Jerry Brown.  Both are Democrats, but one of them leans so far left he fell over.

I am alarmed at Obama's poor choice for CIA director, but I understand what he thinks he is doing.  Obama is a smart man, however, and he will learn from this mistake.  Might is not always right, torture is not pleasant by it's very nature.  Mr Obama says he is reading about Abraham Lincoln.  I hope Mr. Obama starts getting his reading into the part where Abraham Lincoln learned that a good general is not always the most polished, pleasant, and learned man in the army and that the "right way" is not always the right way. 

I pray that Mr. Obama will learn fast enough to keep us safe and that he understands that change in Washington will be hard and is possibly not required for the reasons he thinks they are now.

God speed Barack.  I hope you are a fast learner and can admit your mistakes.  Some thought Bush was naive when he took office, but it seems that there is a bit of that in this administration as well.  If you thought Bush was not running the country, look at Obama's choices.

Again, God speed.

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