12 March - 10 April 1999
Reno, NV
I preface this remark with an extracted passage from The War of the Oxymorons by Norman Mailer published originally in "George", November 1996.
If you screw around a lot, it may do a great many things for you (increase your experience, expand your ego, and or reduce your chances of getting cancer). It will certainly make you more knowing in the art of seducing the electorate, but in most cases, you cannot pretend that it is particularly good for the kids". If Clinton beats Dole - and he certainly would, provided creatures from the President's past did not rise up out of the black lagoon - the credit could go to the last forty years of television. For a majority of TV-watching Americans, it was likely that Clinton was by now the most fascinating character to come along since J. R. That large share of America's viewers would not wish the Clintons to go off the air. For this is a TV entertainment with the potential to rise above all the video heights of the past, and even the Simpson case could pale before the future adventures of Bill and Hillary.I don't think Norman, even with his clairvoyance of 1996, could have predicted what would have happened in the last year-and-one-half or where we have arrived at today. Nor could the 50 'high priests' of the Senate who proclaimed William Jefferson Clinton innocent of high crimes and misdemeanors. They could not have guessed that William Jefferson Clinton would look upon the pronouncement of innocent as being a consecration and for him to assume the holy mantel of Innocent XII. An American Pope that is free from evil, doing or thinking nothing morally wrong. How else can he with such certitude know that his moral war against Serbia is the righteous path? We should not be surprised however; he knew that the Viet Nam War was morally wrong! Where or who will he next smite with his moral superiority? Perhaps good targets are the warring factions in Indonesia, Central Africa, Sri Lanka, Angola or maybe closer to home in Chiapis Mexico? Maybe he wants to take another shot at the Sudan and Afghanistan; both have warring factions as well as terrorists camps that can be bombed into oblivion if not submission. Even more important, which side of these conflicts does he select to suffer the wrath of his moral convictions? It seems to me that his Foreign Policy up to this time has consisted of going around the world and apologizing for all of the previous sins that America have committed against the rest of the world. Let me at this time apologize for our attack on Serbia, the deaths of Serbians and Kosavars because of our Commander And Cheat's actions - it is doubtful that he will make such an apology. Lastly, if Mailer was correct, the American TV public cannot bear to have the Bill & Hillary show go off the air, I believe that they are in luck and will have many years of continued entertainment.
The weather continues to be typical Northern Nevada Spring - we had a White Easter. In fact we had snow on the ground 3 times during the period 31 March - 8 April with snow flurries almost every day during that period. All of the flowering trees were in bloom and became frozen to a consistent brown color after the first sweep of the storm. But, spring continues to try and break through and we have promises of 70-degree weather in the next week.
My current job was to end around the middle of this month when the girl that went out on maternity leave returned. She has quit because of problems with her new son and the company is interviewing for a new hire; I might get another couple of weeks before they hire someone. It is amazing that they have received what seems like 50 or more applications for the job and can't find someone they like. Meanwhile I have received a NO THANK YOU from the Reno/Sparks Convention Center so my full time job possibilities are narrowing down a lot! Have heard nothing more about a Peace Corps Administrative Officer position, which is good and bad!
Went to a Peace Corps Recruitment Presentation on 6 April and spoke to a few potential PC Volunteers. It was a strange feeling to sit where I had been 3 years ago and think about what these people may soon be going through.