John Carter

by

William V. Reynolds

Edgar Rice Burroughs fans have been waiting patiently, or otherwise, for someone in the film

industry to bring the adventures of John Carter to the screen. Finally, the wait is over. March 9,

2012 Disney and Pixar are scheduled to release the movie John Carter. The making of this film

is no small achievement due to the storytelling talents of its author. I usually deal with the history

of a film or an actor, but today I want to look at the history of the story.

Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, Edgar Rice Burroughs began writing action adventure

stories which were sold mainly to pulp fiction publishers. In 1912 he began writing a series of

stories about Mars (Barsoom). This series eventually became a 11-book compilation. For the first

time in 1917, A Princess of Mars was released as a complete novel.

Burroughs continued to work on his Mars series as well as a Venus series. He is, of course, best

known for his work as the writer of Tarzan which captured the imagination of filmmakers as

early as 1918. Elmo Lincoln starred in the first Tarzan film about that time. The Mars series did

not attract attention until 1931.

Bob Clampett, director of Looney Tunes, approached Edgar Rice Burroughs with the idea of

adapting his first book of the Mars series into an animated feature. Clampett and his coworkers

worked on this project for some time, but it was finally canned. Then in the 1950s Ray

Harryhausen, a well-known special-effects artist, expressed an interest in filming the novels, but

it was not until the 1980s that the rights were purchased for Walt Disney pictures to compete

with Star Wars.

Over at Paramount Pictures, James Jacks, remembering that he had read the novels as a child,

convinced Paramount Pictures to acquire the film rights. This led to a bidding war with

Columbia Pictures. Jacks got the film rights and tried to put it all together, but it didn’t work.

In January of 2007, Disney regained the rights. By 2008 they had completed the first draft for

part one of the film trilogy. The film was to be based on the first novel only. The film was

originally titled John Carter of Mars, but Andrew Stanton who was in charge of the project,

decided to remove the “of Mars” because he believed it would appeal to a broader audience.

Portions of the film were made at Longcross Studios, London. The Mars scenes were filmed in

the state of Utah where the scenery easily doubles for the red planet. The Utah locations include

Lake Powell as well as Grand, Wayne, and Kane counties.

The film will be rated PG-13 and released in several formats including 3-D. Fans of Edgar Rice

Burroughs will want to check this one out to see if the filmmakers have captured the spirit of

John Carter, Warlord of Mars.

William V. Reynolds is a local author and his novels are available at The Curiosity Shop in

Journal of a Living Lady #412

Nancy White Kelly

Christmas, 2011, check. New Year’s Eve, 2011, check. New Year, 2012, in progress.

Buddy and I know we are getting old by the way we welcome each new year. When we first married and were very much younger, New Year’s Eve was a time to count the hours down. Most times we did it in church by eating and fellowshipping until near mid-night and then moved to the auditorium to pray in the next year. We don’t do that anymore and miss it. That might be the only event that would draw us from our comfortable beds. I know the often expressed reasons from our generation. “We don’t drive at night. “or “Too many drunks on the road.” For sure, we don’t have to be in church to pray, but it was nice to be together with friends of one accord.

I keep reading and hearing that 2012 is to be a cataclysmic year. With the 2012 phenomenon spreading across the globe, each day brings a steady stream of emails, postings, books and movies, all containing at least an hint of negativity.

I am not a pessimist. Maybe the world will end as we know it. If so, there is another world and, if prepared, a much better one. That’s not a terrible scenario. If I am hinting at religious faith, I don’t mean too. Let me shout it. There is life after death. All that is within me clings to that belief.

Beetles fans will remember that George Harrison sung a song from his album, ‘All things Must Pass” entitled “What is Life?” As a single, it hit the top 10 immediately. The back side of that record was, “My Sweet Lord.” Surprised?

What will 2012 bring? Life? Yes, at least for us. Buddy and I are expecting our next grandchild in late spring. Death? Maybe. We have many friends and relatives who are aged or seriously ill.

No doubt there will be happenings this new year that are awe-inspiring, miraculous, tragic and sublime. Humans through-out history have lived and died through similar highs and lows. The year 2012 could be no less or no more than other year. When 2013 arrives, we will have travelled a road that was the start or dead-end for many.

James 4:14 asks and then answers, “For what is your life? It is even as a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away”

So how do we manage today? Live in the moment, grateful for any opportunity to do good before our “poof.”

nancyk@windstream.net

By

Robert N. Brewer, Jr.

January 2012 Gardening Tips

*When using salt to melt ice on walks and driveways, spread it carefully to avoid damage to nearby shrubs. Consider using sand or sawdust instead.

*Brush snow from evergreens as soon as possible after a storm. Use a broom in an upward, sweeping motion. Serious damage may be caused by heavy snow or ice accumulating on the branches.

*When pruning large limbs, always undercut first. This means to cut from the bottom up, one-third of the way through the limb, and then finish by cutting off the top. The undercut keeps the limb from splitting and breaking off, which could damage the trunk and become an entryway for insects and diseases. Do not cut flush to the trunk, the collar or enlarged base of a branch produces hormones that help heal wounds.

*For easier lawn maintenance, eliminate the hard to mow spaces. Eliminate acute angles in beds and borders. Combine single trees or shrubs into a large planting connected with ground cover. Put the bird bath in a flower bed or surround it with ground cover.

*Avoid heavy traffic on a dormant lawn. Dry grass is easily broken and the crown of the plant may be severely damaged or killed.

*Review your vegetable garden plans. Perhaps a smaller garden with fewer weeds and insects will give you more produce.

*When reviewing your garden catalogs for new vegetable varieties to try, an important consideration is improved insect and/or disease resistance. Watch also for drought-tolerant types.

*Analyze last year’s planting, fertilizing and spraying records. Makes notes to reorder successful varieties as well as those you wish to try again.

*Check stored fruits and vegetables such as potatoes and apples for bad spots which may lead to decay. Remove and use those which show signs of spoiling. Separate others into slotted trays or bins to increase air circulation and reduce decay possibilities.

*To prolong bloom, protect poinsettias from drafts and keep them moderately moist.

*Turn and prune houseplants regularly to keep them shapely. Pinch back new growth to promote bushy plants.

*Check all house plants closely for insect infestations. Quarantine gift plants until you determine that they are not harboring any pests.

*House plants and holiday gift plants should not be placed on top of the television. This location is too warm and in most homes too far from windows to provide adequate light.

*During the winter most houses are too dry for house plants. Humidity may be increased by placing plants on trays lined with pebbles and filled with water to within one half inch of the base of the pot. If you heat with wood, keep a pot of water on the stove. The added moisture will be healthier for you as well as your plants.

*House plants with large leaves and smooth foliage, such as philodendrons, dracaena and rubber plant benefit if their leaves are washed at intervals to remove dust and grime, helping keep the leaf pores open.

*To clean crusty clay pots, add one cup each of white vinegar and household bleach to a gallon of warm water and soak the pots. For heavily crusted pots, scrub with a steel wool pad after soaking for 12 hours.

*If you have some time this winter, paint the handles of the garden tools red or orange. This will preserve the wood and make the tools easier to locate next summer when you lay them down in the garden or on the lawn.

*Move garden ornaments such as urns or jars into the garage or basement to prevent damage during the cold winter season. If containers are too large to move, cover them to prevent water collecting in them or turn them upside down during the winter so water will not collect and freeze in them causing breakage.

*Add garden record keeping to the list on New Year’s resolutions. Make a note of which varieties of flowers and vegetables do best and which do poorly in your garden.

*Feed the birds regularly and see that they have water. Birds like suet, fruit, nuts, and bread crumbs as well as bird seed.

*Do not wait until late in the winter to order seeds. Many varieties sell out early.

Volunteering doesn’t just help others—it may also benefit your health.  U.S. News & World Report had an article, Volunteering Does a Body Good—for the heart and the spirit, experts say, give a little and you will get a lot back.   Reviewers from the Corporation for National and Community Service (a government agency that promotes volunteerism) reviewed two decades of data from over 30 studies and found that volunteers had less depression, reported greater satisfaction with life, and lived longer than those who did not volunteer.  (For many years, my 105 year old mother-in-law who lives in Florida was active in the Hospital Auxiliary until she was 96—she is now an Honorary Member—and she is fairly healthy for her age—soon to be 106.)

One two-year study found that adults over 75 who volunteered or worked for over 100 hours a year were one third less likely to report bad health and two thirds less likely to die over the course of the study.  And according to other data in the review, people over 65 seemed to benefit more from volunteering than younger participants.

That volunteering has psychological benefits probably comes as no surprise to people who volunteer regularly—doing good in turn leads to feeling good.  But for older people, who are more likely to have retired or lost a spouse, volunteer activities are also a way to stay active and involved in their communities.  The structure and social support that volunteer activities provide may help stave off depression that often accompanies chronic illnesses and major role transitions, including moves into assisted long-term care residences.

According to an eight-year study of 1,137 adults, volunteering after the death of a spouse was associated with a decline in depression.  And people who volunteered before their spouses died were less depressed after losing a spouse than those who hadn’t volunteered before.

Research has established that depression makes it harder both to recover from illness and to do things that are good for you, like exercise and eat well.  Thus, the improved mental well-being that results from volunteering may also have an indirect impact on physical health.

You’ve gained a lifetime of experience.  Now is the time to put your skills and talents to good use by volunteering.  My husband and I are in Blairsville, more than likely because he volunteered several summers up in north Georgia with our church group—helping with the construction of some churches.  One day he said, “When we decide to leave the Atlanta area, let’s go up into the mountains—the people are really laid-back and relaxed!”  We chose Blairsville, because he had to be near a Home Depot!

I have volunteered all my life in church work, PTA, Woman’s Clubs, professional organizations, and I don’t know what all!  When we moved, our Atlanta friends said, “Claudia, you can now finally get some rest, nobody will know you and what all you can do!”  I admit I was spread a little thin down in Atlanta!

After a few months up here, my husband said to me, “I never thought I would say this to you, but I feel like you would be happier and healthier if you would get involved in something!”  He had wanted me slow down.  Well, I had always said that one day I’m going to be a “pink lady”—a member of a hospital Auxiliary!

Last year I completed a three year stretch as president of the Union General Hospital Auxiliary.  I also serve as the editor or our newsletter—The Volunteer Voice. Sometimes I’m a little exhausted—but what a blessing it has been to me!  Surely, I have added years to my life?!

When you volunteer, you’re not just helping others—you’re helping yourself.  Look in the newspaper, there are all kinds of groups looking for volunteers.   You can contact me by email or drop by the hospital for more information about the Hospital Auxiliary if this is where you have an interest.   Remember, volunteering also elevates levels of the body’s natural opiates, like endorphins, or “happy hormones,” and dopamine—volunteering indeed does a body good.

Claudia Parks, RN, is a former doctor’s office and emergency room nurse and retired as an educator from Fulton County (GA) Schools.  She writes Your Health Matters as a public service; the information here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health.  It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician.  Claudia and her husband make their home in the beautiful north Georgia Mountains near Blairsville. Claudia can be reached at yhm@windstream.net

Ethelene Dyer Jones

Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area Bears Distinctive Name

Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area was a project of the Civilian Conservation Corps finished in 1942 shortly following America’s entry into World War II.  It was the last of the CCC recreation development projects in Georgia and almost the last in America.  Its 18 acres of mountain land lies ten miles south of Blairsville and 4.5 miles east of Suches, Georgia.  The lake rests at 2,854 feet above sea level and is the highest lake in elevation in Georgia.  The area provides space for camping and opportunities for fishing, boating, picnicking and hiking.  Around the lake itself is the Lake Windfield Scott Trail; nearby are Slaughter Creek Trail, Jarrard Creek Trail, and not too far away is access to the famed Appalachian Trail and the Benton McKaye Trail. Nearby Sosebee Cove, a beautiful forested area, invites naturalists.

Lake Winfield Scott was named in honor of General Winfield Scott who earned distinction as a strong military leader in the War of 1812, Indian Wars, The Mexican War, and a plan for operation of Union troops in the Civil War which has come to be known as the Anaconda Plan.  Among the notable assignments made to General Winfield Scott was commandeering the Cherokee Removal of 1838.

What about this man for whom a lake and recreation area in Georgia were named?  He was not a native Georgian, nor did he spend much of his military career in Georgia except for a short period during the Cherokee Removal.  He was born on June 13, 1786 on Laurel Branch Plantation in Dinwiddie County near Petersburg, Virginia.  His parents were William Scott (1747-1789) and Anna Mason Scott (1748-1803).  In 1804 the young Winfield Scott graduated from William and Mary College in Virginia.  He read law in a private law firm and took the bar examination and became a lawyer in 1806.  However, the military beckoned him and he first joined the Virginia militia cavalry in 1807 as a corporal.  In 1808 he entered the U. S. Army in the artillery and soon achieved the rank of captain.  In 1811-1812 he served under General Wade Hampton in New Orleans, becoming a Colonel in the Artillery.  In March of 1813 he was made adjutant general and was deployed to the area along the US/Canadian border to fight in what we know as the War of 1812.  In 1813 he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Queenstown Heights and sent to Quebec to British Army Prison.  There he stood up bravely, ordering his American troops as prisoners not to speak to insure against fiercier punishment.  He was released on exchange in January of 1813.  He personally commanded the advance of Fort St. George, and was badly burned there when an ammunitions magazine was set ablaze by the enemy.  Some of his maneuvers led at Ft. St. George were said to be the best commanded operations of the entire War of 1812.

His further maneuvers included victory over British forces at the Battle of Chippewa on November 8, 1814.  At the Battle of Lundy’s Lane he was badly wounded in his left shoulder, with bones shattered.  This wound left him greatly impaired in that arm and hand for the rest of his life.  In 1814 he was commended by receiving the military Gold Medal.

He married Lucy Baker about 1814 and they had two children, Winniford Scott and John Scott.  His wife Lucy died in 1816.  They made their home at Hampton Place in Elizabethtown, New Jersey.  He later married Maria DeHart about 1817 and they had seven children, Maria, John Mayo, Virginia, Edward, Cornelia, Marcella and Adeline.  Maria died in 1845 in Georgia.  During the years between 1814 and 1820, he made some trips to Europe, representing America in France and elsewhere.  He also studied military tactics while there.

He was named Commander of the United States Armed Forces in 1832, succeeding his long-time friend, General John Wool.  Then came the Seminole and Creek Wars, and General Winfield Scott was often on the scenes of these battles, giving commands and ordering maneuvers.

Then came the unrest with Cherokees and the political maneuvering to gain land held by the Native Americans.  Various treaties and negotiations failed, and finally, in 1832, General Winfield Scott was made commander of Cherokee Removal to reservations in the mid-west.  Scott arrived April 6, 1838 at New Echota in North Georgia at the Cherokee Capitol.  He divided the Cherokee Indian Nation into three major districts and began to set up forts as gathering points.  He wanted U. S. soldiers for the round-up operations, because he felt there would be less likelihood of personal gain.  However, because the army moved so slowly, he had to settle for many of the round-up force being Georgia, Tennesse and Alabama militia.  Two major moves of the Indians was launched, the first in August, 1838.  Complaining of heat, the remainder were delayed in removal until fall of 1838.  It must be noted to Scott’s advantage that he urged kindness, consideration of aged, babies and ill, and other humanitarian rules for the removal.  His orders, however, were not always followed, as reports of conditions on what we now know as the Trail of Tears have been uncovered. Wanting to go on the Trail of Tears himself, he left Athens, Georgia on October 1, 1838, continuing to Nashville, Tennessee.  There he received word to return immediately to Washington where he was assigned to the Aroostock or “Pig War” to settle the boundary between the state of Maine and British Columbia.  The remainder of the Cherokee Removal had to go forward without the presence of General Winfield Scott.

In 1847 he was made chief of US Armies against Mexico and was successful in turning back the Mexican forces and winning victory in the western territories of the United States.

With political ambitions, he entered the race for President of the United States as a member of the Whig Party in 1852.  He lost to Franklin Pierce.

In 1861 when the War Between the States erupted, he was too aged and infirm to be active in the war.  His major contribution to the Union strategy in the war was to recommend what became known as the “Anaconda Plan” or “Scott’s Great Snake.”  This included embargoes on the major Confederate ports and possession of the Mississippi River, thus cutting the Confederacy in two.  His plan was slow to take effect, but in the end, President Lincoln was able to enact most of Scott’s strategy.  General Winfield Scott retired from active military service on November 1, 1861, with President Lincoln and members of his cabinet gathered around the venerable General.  He had nicknames of “Old Fuss and Feathers” (this due to his attention to details and his belief in elaborate military dress) and “Grand Old Man of the Army” due to his long years to serve in the major military role in our country, 1832-1861.

When you visit Georgia’s Lake Winfield Scott Lake and Recreation area, you will know something about the man in United States History for whom the beautiful place was named.

Jim Fitzgerald

In one fell swoop, Obama has taken on Wall Street, Congress, and the GOP in a display of backbone that we haven’t seen in a politician in ages. The appointment of Richard Cordray as the first director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and three new members of the National Labor Relations Board during the sham Congressional “recess” shows that he is aligned squarely with the middle class. His appointments highlight predatory financial practices, Congressional inaction, and GOP obstructionism. Both of these agencies serve to protect ordinary, working people; a core Democratic value.

Regardless of how the courts may rule on these appointments, Obama has made a very clear distinction between Democratic and GOP values. Democrats stand beside the common folk and seek to protect them from poorly regulated but necessary financial transactions. They seek to ensure that hard working individuals are protected from employer and investor greed; looking to make sure the playing field is level with opportunities for all. GOP opposition to these agencies show where their values are focused and it is not with the common man.

The WSJ referred to these Obama appointments as “Contempt for Congress.” When I read the headline, I realized why so many people are cynical about politics and political parties. Should Bush II have made these appointments during a sham “recess” session of Congress, I have no doubt the WSJ headline would have read something like: “Bush Stands Tall, Confronts Political Sham.”

Then you have the three GOP Kansas leaders (Gov. Sam Brownback, U.S. Senators Roberts and Moran) who are very angry at Boeing for the company’s decision to streamline their operations and close an outdated Kansas factory. Apparently they do not believe in the concept of free and efficient markets when it affects their backyard. Don’t they realize that people will question their commitment to their rhetoric when they violate their stated principles?

On a different note, Newt Gingrich said he would wage a positive campaign and never went more than a day before going negative. Did you hear his concession speech after the Iowa primary? He felt he was a victim of negative ads. It was difficult not to see him as a crybaby and I could only think that if he could not handle the attacks in Iowa, how would he handle the daily attacks were he elected President? Newt made Clinton’s life pure hell; far worse than the dishing he received in Iowa. Whether he is intelligent or not I’ll leave for others to decide but he is too prickly to ever hold federal office again.

Speaking of Iowa, Karl Rove believes that Romney had a “big win” in Iowa.  Rove is the same political operative who was surprised at the huge GOP losses in the 2006 election. But he seems to ignore that Romney margin of victory was eight votes and right around the same percentage of votes he received in the 2008 primary. And this was after four years and millions upon millions of dollars. I think Rove’s judgment has eroded secondary to his fear of the Tea Party. Well, maybe he should fear the Tea Party because they are re-electing the President.

Whether right or wrong, I am proud that Obama appears to finally see that the GOP has no intention of every working constructively with him. They have one goal only – obstruct his every move. So, no more of this trying to reason with a stubborn and petulant adolescent. Obama is President and he is acting like one.

Jim Fitzgerald

By the time you read this column, conditions on the ground will probably have changed but as I am writing, a miracle has happened! After years of reading the Wall Street Journal, I actually agree with one of their editorials. The WSJ is up in arms about the revolt in the House and the Tea Party induced fragmentation of the GOP.  The headline reads: “The GOP’s Payroll Tax Fiasco: How Did the Republicans Manage to Lose the Tax Issue to Obama?”

Can you image the House GOP fighting publicly with the Senate GOP?  I’m sure Mitch McConnell is fuming and angry over Boehner’s weakness as Speaker of the House. Basically, Boehner caved to the extreme right-wing faction of the GOP and, as stated by the WSJ, given Obama and the Democrats a Christmas gift. Actually, the GOP can blame Eric Cantor for the fiasco because he is the de facto leader of this extreme group elected in 2010.

Imagine, the GOP is on record as ending the year 2011 by giving 160 million hard working Americans a significant tax increase! The irony is their attempt to frame the Democrats as the tax increasers’ while framing themselves as the tax cutters. In one moment of rebellion they completely reversed the argument and increased Obama’s poll numbers by 5%! The WSJ wonders if they have just re-elected Obama a year before the election.

If you look at the latest CNN/ORC poll numbers, compiled before this GOP debacle, Obama is handily beating every GOP Presidential candidate by important percentages. For example, among registered voters, Obama would beat Romney 52% to 45%. And that is the lowest percentage difference by which Obama beats any of the candidates. In a contest with Newt, the figures are 56% to 40% so let’s hope the GOP voters do select this renegade as their candidate.

How could the Senate and House GOP members end up on different sides of the same issue? After all, the Senate voted for the two month tax extension with 89 votes in favor and only seven Republicans voting against it. Apparently, the GOP “backbenchers,” as the WSJ calls the Tea Party members, decided to rebel; upset that after one year they had accomplished next to nothing. They turned on their leaders, Boehner backed down, and the fiasco occurred with unintended consequences. Their complete inexperience and lack of trust in Boehner and McConnell lead them to make a fatal mistake in politics, giving the other party a marked advantage.

What about the reason given for rejecting the Senate version extending the payroll tax reduction for two months? I will let the WSJ answer that one: “They say the short extension makes no economic sense, but then neither does a one-year extension. No employer is going to hire a worker based on such a small and temporary decrease in employment costs, as this year’s tax holiday has demonstrated. The entire exercise is political, but Republicans have thoroughly botched the politics.”

So much for the GOP goal of making sure Obama is not re-elected. I want to personally thank the Tea Party, and especially Tom Graves, for allowing their frustration and lack of experience to override their common sense. As my mother would have said, “Now look at what you have done!”

The Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.  Many states have higher minimum wages.

Is this the only way we can keep greedy capitalists from exploiting the masses as Liberals claim? History gives evidence that the higher the minimum wage, the higher the unemployment, particularly among the poor and minorities. Why?

Minimum wage laws are really mandatory unemployment laws. They do not force the employer to hire people. They compel businesses to NOT hire people at certain wage levels. How?

When minimum wage rates are increased many businesses end up firing employees and not expanding because they cannot make a profit paying a wage higher than the productive skill of the worker. How can the unskilled obtain work experience if no one will hire them because the minimum wage rate is too high for the work to be done? Minimum wage laws cause many businesses and jobs to move overseas.

The high minimum wage requirement keeps many young people from being hired because they have no proven skills to justify the high starting wage rate. As a result many have no way to learn and get productive experience to get themselves out of poverty. Many resort to crime because the government keeps them from earning an honest living.

I started working on my father’s farm at age 11 for 35 cents an hour even though the minimum wage rate was $1.00 at the time. The only reason that I was allowed to work was that there was an exemption of the minimum wage rate for the children of farmers. The truth is I was probably only worth 35 cents an hour. I could not keep up with the much bigger, stronger and more experienced adult farm workers making more than three times as much. But it gave me a chance to learn, gain experience and develop a work ethic.

Minimum wage laws prevent many small businesses from starting and expanding because typically there is a big unknown of costs and of what is required to make the business successful. If the business is labor intensive and requires many workers, the mandatory minimum wage rate many times keeps the business from being formed and people hired.

Our economy has stagnated in part because of the minimum wage rate requirement. Historically many of our new jobs come from small companies.

Minimum wage laws and over 40,000 new government regulations in the past year have contributed to unemployment. Recently the chairman of Home Depot said he would be unable to start his business today in the present regulatory environment because of the onerous worker regulations set by the government.

What about those greedy capitalist? How can we keep them from not paying enough to make a decent living wage?

Self interest of employers requires they increase their most productive workers wages or lose them to other employers. That is the reason most of us got our biggest increases in salary by going to work in another job.

So then, the question is, in whose interest does a higher minimum wage rate serve? The answer is organized labor. They are the most vociferous proponents of minimum wage laws. Why?

The union’s job is to limit competition for jobs so that they can be paid more than the market would normally pay. That is why they wish to keep the unskilled from getting experience through high minimum wage laws.

Union dues are used to lobby for legislation to give them protected status against competition. The Davis Bacon Act was passed to keep non union companies from under bidding unionized companies, specifically companies with African American workers. The law requires that all federal government contract work pay the prevailing union wage.  Since the government has to pay the prevailing highest wages which the unions invariably enjoy, government contracts usually go to the unionized companies rather than the lean and hungry newer lower cost non-unionized companies.

In the long run the privileged position of the unions’ high wages, when concentrated in an industry, ultimately causes unemployment because it tends to make the industry uncompetitive. The US steel and automotive industries are two obvious examples.

In closing, it is truer today than 300 years ago when Matthew Henry said “It is not fit (that) the public trust should be lodged in the hands of any, till they are first proved and found fit for the business they are entrusted with.” That means that no one in government should be mandating laws unless they have worked successfully and understand the industry they are regulating. That would rule out virtually all the Obama administration hires.

James F. I. Davis 1-5-11

by Richard C. MacCrea, Andrews Valley Initiative

rmaccrea1@gmail.com

Green Mythbusters #2: “I Cannot Afford to Live Green.”

Why People Believe Green is Expensive: A lot of big, powerful companies have seen an opportunity in the green movement to make money. They spend a lot advertising their products. Their advertising saturates the media with the idea that to be green we need to spend lots of money buying their products. Unfortunately many people believe this because that is all they see, hear, and read.

When I am consulting with a client on how to make their home green, the first ideas they suggest are always the most expensive. That is sad.

Green Can Reduce Your Cost of Living: There are many inexpensive ways to live green. Some if these ideas cost so little and reduce energy costs so much that they can pay for themselves in months. But these ideas continue to saving money later.

If someone is building or remodeling, there are many green ideas that can reduce cosntruction costs while saving energy. Anyone would choose green if they knew this.

How Green Can Reduce Your Cost of Living: Most buildings are so drafty that they cost much more than they should to heat and cool. For a few hundred dollars a professional can use scientific equipment to find these energy leaks. Fixing them usually costs far less than the energy saved. Each building is different. A building scientist can help find the problems of that building.

Think of it as a skilled mechanic using computer diagnostics to tune up your car. You could have the plugs changed when the gas mileage goes down, but how do you know that was the problem? Why through money away fixing what is okay? Fixing a home can be more expensive. And getting a scientific diagnosis costs far less than solar panels and geothermal heat pumps.

Green is not a Goal it is a Tool: Green can help reduce living costs and imrpove your standard of living. But to reach that goal, you must choose the best tools and use them properly. If you don’t know how to do that yourself, hire someone that does. Spend less money. Save more energy. Reduce your cost of livng for years to come.

Win. Win. Win.

Your question might be the perfect topic for a future column. Email me. Richard C. MacCrea is the director of The Greening of  Andrews Valley, a program of Andrews Valley Initiative. He works in the field of energy efficient, green building. rmaccrea1@gmail.com

REEL MEMORIES NO. 209

In Like Flynn

by

William V. Reynolds

Errol Leslie Thompson Flynn often referred to himself as a real Tasmanian Devil. (No, not the

cute little cartoon character from Warner Bros.) He was known by many nicknames including

The Baron, Satan’s Angel (given to him by Marlene Dietrich), Flynny and Rolly. But he is best

remembered for his swashbuckling roles in films. Some of those roles were Westerns.

Errol was born in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia to Theodore Flynn, a respected lecturer in biology,

and his mother Marrelle Young, who was said to be a descendant of the mutineers who captured

the ship Bounty and sailed it to Pitcairn Island. Young Errol was a rambunctious child who could

be counted on to find trouble. He managed to have himself thrown out of every school he was

enrolled in.

Errol left home as a teenager to find gold. Instead, he found a series of short-lived odds jobs.

Among them were police constable, sanitation engineer, treasure hunter, sheep castrator, ship

master for hire, fisherman and soldier. Errol was usually one step ahead of the law and jealous

husbands. This finally took him to England where he got his first acting job in a film. Ironically,

he was cast as Fletcher Christian in The Wake of the Bounty (1933).

A Warner Brothers talent scout discovered him in England and soon he was on his way to the

United States. His first film for Warners Brothers was Captain Blood (1935). He quickly

became the undisputed king of swashbuckler films, a title he inherited from Douglas Fairbanks,

which he holds to this day.

His offscreen passions; drinking, fighting, boating and sex, made his films seem pale. His love

life brought him a great deal of fame. Three statutory rape trials lead to a lasting memorial in the

expression “In like Flynn.” He was passed over for serious roles, and as his lifestyle eroded his

youthful good looks, his career began to decline. A few good roles did come his way later in life.

Errol is probably remembered best for his films with Olivia deHavilland. The first of these was

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) followed by The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

They made three Westerns together, Dodge City (1939), Santa Fe Trail (1940) and They Died

with Their Boots on (1941). Some have claimed that Errol and Olivia were romantically

involved, but Olivia denied it in an interview with Turner Classic Movies.

In 1951 Errol won a Bambi Award. He had previously won a Golden Apple Award in 1943 and

1948. He won the Sour Apple award for being the least cooperative actor. In 1960 he received a

star on the walk of fame posthumously for motion picture and television achievements.

Errol passed away 14 October 1959 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada of a heart attack. He

was 50 years old. Here’s a reel memories salute to Errol Flynn and a thank you for his

contribution to the Western genre.

William V. Reynolds is the author of “Murder in the Okefenokee” available at The Curiosity Shop

in Murphy, Shenanigan’s Diner and Pat’s Country Kitchen in McCaysville, Parris Pharmacy and

Ingles in Blue Ridge, and Book Nook in Blairsville