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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE NEWSLETTER #151
February 28, 2003
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Dear Subscriber:

It was in the news a few days ago.

The people in New York City are trying to decide what to put
where the World Trade Towers were.

The general consensus is the new buildings need to be taller
than they were before.

I agree.

I guess it's an American thing. As Americans, we have the
tendency to want to be better...more powerful...more productive
...less invincible.

There is nothing wrong with that. The "can you beat this?"
attitude is a good thing and not a bad thing.

Being better has always been a part of our make-up in the
US of A. That's why the Wright boys put a motor on their
glider. Being better is why Levi Straus put rivets in his
jeans.

Americans are taller, stronger, healthier, smarter and, yes,
prouder than people from many other countries and many other
countries don't like it much. Sometimes a by-product of that is
American arrogance. I wish we could get over that, but nobody's
perfect. The French are pretty snooty too, but we bashed the
French LAST week.

I do worry that mediocrity seems to be more accepted today
than it used to be. There are those among us that don't want
to award a trophy to the winner because it might make the
loser feel bad.

I'm glad George Washington Carver, Helen Keller and John Glenn
didn't buy into that.

I guess I'm suffering a little from Generation Gap. The term
"when I was a kid" keeps coming to mind.

When I was a kid, we worked on our old bicycles to make them
faster. It was important that the playing cards we clothes-
pinned to our spokes were the loudest. Yet, if you added too
many playing cards, it would slow you down. Trying to be the
loudest and the fastest was a trade-off.

We learned lessons in friction dynamics early in life because
of competition.

I remember Ricky's Mom bought some new plastic cards for her
bridge party. Imagine her surprise when her deck was 6 cards
short. Rick had the loudest and fastest bike for a while, but
paid for it by being grounded to his room for the weekend.

He likely spent the 48 hours in exile with a smile on his face.
The image of his bike sounding like a Harley and the envy of
the rest of us kids must have danced in his mind.

My memories are filled with little victories. It's what life is
made of.

Winning ain't everything, but it sure beats paper playing cards
on your spokes.

Don Vanlandingham
Cloudcroft.com

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
2. VILLAGE NEWS
3. INSIDE THE SHOP -- BROWN'S COZY CABINS
4. CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- WHITE SANDS TEST FACILITY
5. Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
6. COMING EVENTS
7. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8. CONTACT INFORMATION
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LOOKING AT THE WEATHER
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About 4 inches of new snow today (Wednesday). More snow in the
forecast. Highs in the mid-30s. Lows in the low-20s. Plains
area temperatures in the past few days have actually been
colder. (Lows in Lubbock yesterday were in single digits. The
Dallas/Ft. Worth area is paralyzed by a winter storm.) Go
figure.
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VILLAGE NEWS
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Some changes in the Cloudcroft business community. A new real
estate agency. The proposed sale of a large lodging business.
More on these developments when they solidify.
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INSIDE THE SHOP -- BROWN'S COZY CABINS
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Attractive, clean, affordable. One and two bedroom cabins, fully
carpeted, newly decorated, fireplaces, cable TV, VCR, phones,
deck, smoker-cookers, picnic table. Fully equipped kitchens. We
offer discounts. We hope to make your stay in Cloudcroft fun,
relaxing and "worth it." Call (877) 745-3767 (toll free) or
(806) 745-3767, or email us at cozycabins@door.net. See the
link to our Web Site on the Lodging page of Cloudcroft.com for
more information and rates.

http://www.cloudcroft.com/lodging.htm

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CLOUDCROFT ONLINE SPOTLIGHT -- WHITE SANDS TEST FACILITY
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An important website with regard to today's volatile situation
in the Middle East.

http://www.wstf.nasa.gov/

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Q AND A -- BECAUSE CLOUDCROFT ONLINE READERS WANT TO KNOW
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Q - Spring is not that far away. Can we expect another dry
period with the danger of forest fires?

A - Sorry. My crystal ball is broken. All I can do is give
you a guess based on prior experience.

Our winter moisture this year has been a little disappointing,
but the recent snows of February have given us reason to hope.

Another good March snow or one nice spring rain could make all
the difference, but our springs are traditionally pretty dry.
I guess we shall see.
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COMING EVENTS
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February 28 -- Mardi Gras in Cloudcroft. 5 days of festivities.
Call (505) 682-2733 for more info.

March 11 -- Senior Citizen's Appreciation Prom. Alamogordo
Civic Center.

April 18-19 -- Easter Weekend celebration. Check with the
Chamber of Commerce for events and times. 1 (505) 682-2733.

May 23-24 -- Mayfair.

Cloudcroft Art Society meets the second Sunday of each month,
2-4pm, in the Old Red Brick School House. Call (505) 682-3004
for more information and details on the Cloudcroft Summer Art
Workshops.

Would you like to help deliver meals to the homebound around
Cloudcroft? Monday through Friday deliveries. Call the
Cloudcroft Senior Center at (505)-682-3022.

Mountain Garden Club meets every third Monday of each month.
Call (505) 682-2910 for more information.

Senior Van from Timberon to Alamogordo leaves the Timberon
Lodge promptly at 8:30 every Tuesday morning.

Free Vitals Clinic. Cloudcroft Senior Citizens Center, every
Wednesday. High Rolls Senior Citizens Center, first Thursday
of each month.

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For an online calendar of area events, click the Events Calendar
link in the left column of our home page:

http://www.cloudcroft.com/index.html

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Dear Newsletter:

My job takes me to France for about 2 months a year. I speak
French and deal many Frenchmen. I think that anyone who
regularly visits France will agree with this, there is a
very strong anti-American bias among French opinion makers,
and the French public in general.

This is recognized even in France, and three books by quite
prominent French intellectuals have been published in the last
12 months that document this fact in great detail.

To a very large extent, this anti-Americanism is the cause of
French attitudes toward an Iraqi conflict.

Micah Roberts

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Dear Newsletter:

Don't get down too much on the French. I believe it was a
French fleet that was crucial in the defeat of Lord Cornwallis
and the Redcoats.

I heard that France gets about 50% of the oil they use from
Iraq, so they are worried about a safe supply.

Yours,
D. W. Nordstrom

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Dear Newsletter:

Just finished reading my first newsletter and found it quite
refreshing, not knowing what to expect. I do believe that you
already deserve a "GRAND BRAVO" for your remarks regarding
France. 

On a "one-on-one" basis, the French, like all Europeans, are
wonderful people and will bring you into their homes as one of
their family. It's my opinion that the Germans are even stronger
in that regard.

We have spent many years in France and Germany and while working
and living there we have had many wonderful experiences with
most people. There will always be a share of "sour apples" in
all walks of life and it's not excluded there.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there are many
French people that do remember what we did for them in both wars
and, in all probability, do not share the French government's
attitude towards us, although many do favor their Government's
attitude toward us as well.

Please keep in mind that what the French Government
representatives are doing is protecting their business end of
this problem. Although I can't prove it, it is a known fact
that France has a multi- billion business going on with the
Iraqi government.

I sometimes think that this is one of those ploys that Saddam
Hussein is pulling on us by dangling so many lucrative contracts
with Germany, Russia and China as well. I know that Russia too
has a multi-billion program with Iraq regarding refinement of
the oil wells in Iraq.

This goes on and on and I do believe that these are the
underlying reasons for so much resistance against us. I do not
intend to defend any of these countries by the way. 

This is simply my weak way of trying to show how monetary greed
will supersede any alliance potentials. In closing, you are
absolutely correct as to how we should adjust our attitudes
towards them, too.

I look forward to your next newsletter.

Dominick

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Dear Newsletter:

I read the letter from Mr. Vanlandingham concerning France, and
I would like to voice my opinion concerning France.
 
France's official position is that war should be the LAST
resort, after all efforts at peaceful resolution fail. If all
UN tactics fail, they will participate in this war. Mr. Chirac
is doing his job and representing the majority opinion of his 
constituents, and using his skills and power to achieve what
France believes in. 
 
I spend a good part of each year in France. Everyday I speak
with French people, and they have not forgotten their debt to
the US allies for liberating them in WWII. Their are still
shrapnel holes in the house I stay in, and I see evidence of
the war all around in daily life and discussion of it in daily
conversations. Having been an occupied country, they know
personally the anguish of defeat. They did not give their
country to the Germans, many died defending it unsuccessfully. 
 
It is certainly not easy for them to disagree with the US on
Iraq, but they have their convictions, and they stand up for
them. I respect them for this, as I know how hard it is to
disagree with someone you are indebted to. I am disturbed at
the disrespect for the French that I see furthered in the media.
I am also disturbed by the willingness of many Americans to
believe that if you help someone, you have the right to expect
them to support you in all your acts, regardless of their
beliefs. 
 
I was raised to believe that you should vote your conscience,
and respect others who do the same. Disagreement and discussion
lead to better problem resolution, bulldozer tactics most often
lead to one person getting what they want while others pay the
price. The US is a big part of the UN, and in setting it up and
agreeing to the way it works, agreed to follow the rules of it.
Why do we attack those who disagree with us, most often with
subtle disrespect and media campaigns, sometimes in more overt
ways. Do we truly believe that we always know the best way to
run the world and have the right to do it simply because we
have the might. Different cultures have different values, as
Americans we founded our country on the right to
self-determination. Should we deny this now that we want world
support to remove a dictator in another country?
 
I often apply the school yard model to moral and ethical
issues. If issues arise and it were my child needing guidance
and advice, what would I tell him to do and what would I try
to teach him? The same rules should apply in adult life, double
standards and hypocrisy are revolting at any age. 
 
Each of us needs to really think about this issue, not just
follow the herd and contribute blindly to the media manipulation
of the American public. Think for yourselves, don't let others,
no matter who, do the thinking for you. Yes, it is easier and
more comfortable not to question ourselves, but it is
irresponsible.
 
Sincerely,
Lori Calvert

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