January 06 '01        
	  

	  Volume 240
	  

	    

	  USPS Disservice
	   Rate Increase January 7th 
	    

	  

	  They've a lot of nerve, those powers that
	  be in
	  the U.S. Postal Service, upping the price of postage once again, bringing
	  the cost to mail a letter to 34 cents. It's only a penny, and you'd think
	  a guy who throws away the little coppers, rather than allow them to fray
	  his pants' pockets wouldn't complain about the penny increase. Yet, most
	  folks the age of this writer can recall when the same postage stamps were
	  less than a dime.
	  

	  Admittedly, the price of a stamp is still a bargain, but perhaps it is not
	  the bargain it once was. I'm not an authority on the workings of the U.S.
	  Postal Service, but I can speak from observations and personal experiences
	  with the quasi-governmental agency. Rarely will one find shopping the local
	  post office a pleasant experience, but to be fair, it has been my experience
	  that practically all forms of shopping fall into the "unpleasant category."
	  When's the last time you bought a stamp from a "real person," not a machine
	  and didn’t have to stand in line to make the purchase? If you can remember
	  that far back, your memory is better than most.
	  

	  In the youth of my "growing up," the local post office of my hometown had
	  several windows to serve the varying needs of the public. One of the windows
	  was for customers who merely wanted to buy stamps. Nowadays, it reminds me
	  of the Express Lane in a grocery store or the drive-thru window of a fast
	  food restaurant. Of course, the Stamp Window was only opened occasionally,
	  and, as it seemed to me at the time, was for the convenience of postal employees
	  rather than a service to patrons. Such windows may still exist, but as new
	  post offices are constructed, the Stamp Window's disappear.
	  

	  As we move deeper into the age of computers, where electronic mail (email)
	  replaces conventional mail (known humorously as "snail mail"), we are likely
	  to be subjected to ever-increasing postal rate increases, as authorities
	  seek to balance bulging budgets with shrinking resources. It's a situation
	  not entirely unlike that which faces the Mississippi legislators this year.
	  

	  The computer age is not the only player to impact the postal revenue as
	  competitive "parcel" services such as Airborne, Fed-X, and UPS further erode
	  the income of the postal service. I have a feeling the U.S. Postal Service
	  will never go away as long as there is a United States of America, but customer
	  service will suffer a continual decline, as surely as postal rates will continue
	  to rise. I don't find either circumstance to my liking, but as surely as
	  Sam Walton is now powerless to shorten the lines of customers in "Wally World,"
	  our Uncle Sam seems helpless if not hapless in rescuing us from the Postal
	  Service.
	  

	  Given the timing of my annual Christmas Party on Christmas Eve, it is difficult
	  to determine whether the holiday or the Post Office holds top honors for
	  restricting the expected crowd. Yet, a number of invitees informed me they
	  received their invitations a day or two after Christmas. The invitations
	  were mailed from Greenville on the eighteenth and postmarked in Grenada the
	  following day. Given the note of dismay expressed by the invitees, I hereby
	  bestow the U.S. Postal Service a Raspberry Award for dereliction of
	  duty.
	  

	  The unwelcome postal rate increase will have little long term effect upon
	  this newsletter, but it falls at a time when the bitterness of a recent
	  experience is all to fresh.
	  

	    

	  Cold December
	  Let It Snow 
	    

	  

	  I haven't read anything official, concerning
	  the
	  monthly weather statistics for those of us who call Pontotoc home, but I
	  can assert that the month of December was overall the coldest December in
	  this writer's memory. The month may not have established any record low
	  temperatures for any given day, but I am convinced the average daily temperatures
	  for the entire month will rank near the record.
	  

	  I remember the early days of the month were frigid enough for me to enjoy
	  the wool cardigan sweater I got for Christmas last year. As family members
	  pondered what to purchase their patriarch, I began to toss out the hint,
	  "Think wool."
	  

	  Apparently, they listened. Sister Sue, Rayanne, and Jason came through with
	  two sweater vests and one long-sleeved crewneck, respectively. The heat retaining
	  characteristic of wool is phenomenal compared to man-made materials, plus
	  wool allows moisture to evaporate while keeping one warm. All three sweaters
	  have served me well during the holidays, and much more use is anticipated
	  this winter.
	  

	  Not only have I been warmly clothed for the holidays, but also I can state
	  that the few snow showers that passed this way in December aesthetically
	  warmed my heart. Granted, there was no snow on the ground either Christmas
	  Eve or Christmas Day. However, earlier in December north Mississippians were
	  treated to a couple of snows, as well as one on New Year's Eve.
	  

	  As usual, I was in the wrong place to enjoy the most snow, but I enjoyed
	  what was at hand, nonetheless. The threat of snow on New Year's Eve prevented
	  Barbara and me from returning to Greenville to welcome in the New Year. Though
	  we had originally planned to return to the Delta on Sunday afternoon, as
	  is our habit, we considered the wintry driving conditions and early revelers
	  might not be the sort of combination that made for safe driving into the
	  early evening.
	  

	  Knowing that Mississippi State would be playing in a bowl game on New Year's
	  Eve had me curious enough to locate the channel broadcasting the televised
	  game. Normally, I wouldn't be interested in seeing Mississippi State play,
	  unless Ole Miss was the opponent, but without any party plans, I figured
	  it would at least help pass the time.
	  

	  I could scarcely believe the picture on the TV when I saw the two teams preparing
	  for kickoff on a field partially covered in snow. Shreveport, LA, site of
	  the Independence Bowl and host to the football teams, Mississippi State and
	  Texas A&M, suddenly found itself host to a snow bowl.
	  

	  As football games go, it was interesting enough with two closely matched
	  teams playing under adverse conditions. I remember the announcers telling
	  the temperature was 23 degrees at kickoff with the wind chill at 10 degrees.
	  Had it not been for the beautiful snowfall occurring in Shreveport, I might
	  have found a movie on another channel and sipped some hot chocolate while
	  watching it. Instead, I found myself watching a bowl game in which I was
	  not overly biased for either team and enjoying the best snowfall I had witnessed
	  the entire year. Mississippi State fans will remember their win, but I will
	  remember the weather in which the game was played long after time fades the
	  score.
	  

	    

	  Flag Flap New
	  Design Presented  
	    

	  

	  The flag commission for the state of Mississippi appointed by Gov. Ronnie
	  Musgrove has now recommended a new state flag to the legislature. Musgrove's
	  initiative in appointing the commission to find a replacement for the present
	  flag may prove politically unpopular should he seek re-election. Given the
	  publicity and controversy surrounding the Confederate Battle Flag emblem
	  used on the present flag, emotions have been strong. How receptive the
	  legislature is to changing to the newly designed flag remains to be seen.
	  Already a petition is being circulated calling for the issue to be settled
	  by ballot, and the legislature is looking at a possible referendum.
	  

	  Former governor, William Winter, considered by many as a levelheaded, moderate
	  politician served as chairman of the commission. The commission held hearings
	  in several sections of the state, hoping to gather citizen response and input.
	  In citing the need to change the design of the flag, the former governor
	  claimed the responses at the meetings clearly demonstrated the controversial
	  nature of the current state flag, and he leveraged the public outcry as being
	  the reason why Mississippi should adopt a new flag.
	  

	  It is by no means a direct quote, but Winter's conclusion is summarized,
	  "The present flag is clearly a divisive symbol. What we propose is a flag
	  that symbolizes our unity."
	  

	  I cannot completely endorse his opinion, even though I agree with what he
	  says. The portion of the Mississippi flag that contains the Confederate Battle
	  Flag is viewed by some as a symbol of slavery, of oppression/ suppression,
	  and by others as a symbol of white supremacy. I accept that as factual. I
	  even agree that it would be good to have a flag that symbolizes our unity,
	  provided Mississippians were a united people. It is my contention that no
	  flag can adequately symbolize a united people of Mississippi. The plain facts
	  are that Mississippi consists of a divided people. Yet, for the most part,
	  we are divided because it is our choice, rather than our lot in life.
	  

	  Granted a few divisions are beyond our control such as gender and race, and
	  ethnically speaking, Mississippians are divided along color lines, with a
	  mixture of Whites, Blacks, Indians, Asian, and Hispanic peoples. Mississippians
	  are divided along ideological lines, most notably as conservative, liberal,
	  and moderate, while political party affiliations include Democrats, Republicans,
	  Libertarians, and others. Mississippians are divided socially between the
	  "haves" and the "have nots" with a goodly smattering of those with less than
	  the "haves" but more than the "have nots."
	  

	  Mississippians are divided religiously. Though most are Christians, there
	  are Jews and people of other faiths in our state. Mississippians are divided
	  along educational lines, also, with educated and uneducated, literate and
	  illiterate, and some have "some schooling," but less than a high school diploma
	  while others have doctoral degrees.
	  

	  Mississippians are further divided as to their allegiances to colleges and
	  universities, and to a favorite ethnic food. We are divided over the abortion
	  issue, the gambling issue, and the alcohol issue. Let's face it, Mississippians
	  have their differences, not only with the rest of the country, but with each
	  other.
	  

	  Wherein then has divisive become a four-letter word or a word we should assign
	  a hyphenated status, perhaps calling it the d-word? Is it now politically
	  incorrect to be different?
	  

	  Personally, I like the fact we're are all different, and I fare better with
	  others who are willing to accept me for my differences than those who seek
	  to make me like themselves. The whole concept of division and unity is being
	  exploited by the politically powerful to advance their particular agenda,
	  and it is unfortunate that many will be deceived in the process.
	  

	  As recently as Christmas Eve, a group of churches in the Tupelo area called
	  upon all citizens to support the adoption of the newly designed state flag.
	  It is the belief of the group that the Confederate Battle Flag is no more
	  than a symbol of racism and hatred. Their statement parallels that of others
	  who claim the battle flag has been defiled by certain hate groups and is
	  therefore an unfit symbol to be represented on the Mississippi State Flag.
	  

	  Strangely, the church group and others who adopt this particular point of
	  view do not feel compelled to remove the Christian Cross from steeples and
	  sanctuaries throughout Mississippi. However, the symbolism of the Cross has
	  been tarnished by members of the Ku Klux Klan, who once burned crosses to
	  intimidate blacks and keep them "in their place." Thus "what's good for the
	  goose," is only valid for the "gander" when it serves a particular whim.
	  

	  Being a Mississippian is an ideological concept, more than a geographically
	  defined status. I'll still be proud to be a Mississippian whenever the flag
	  controversy is dead and buried, assuming I out live it. If a new flag for
	  the state of Mississippi is in order, perhaps it would be better to have
	  one that addresses our divisiveness rather than our unity.
	  

	  
	  

	  The newly proposed flag bears a strong resemblance to one of the flags of
	  the Confederacy shown here. The same design is employed but with some slight
	  modifications. The newly proposed flag has several stars in concentric circles,
	  on a field of red, and the bars at the top and bottom are blue rather than
	  red.
	  

	  Once the similarity is widely noted, those who oppose the battle flag will
	  likely oppose the new design, too. Rather than accepting a design of a few
	  bars and several stars, why not create a patchwork quilt designed to express
	  our differences? To be fair to all, the flag should include Confederate President
	  Jefferson Davis' vignette alongside that of civil rights' activist, Martin
	  L. King, Jr. We shall also want to include those symbols of our major
	  Universities, religions, and political persuasions. That's just a start,
	  as divisiveness is rather an extensive subject.
	  

	  Meanwhile, I remain unconvinced of the need to change our state flag to a
	  less divisive, more unifying emblem, and call upon supporters of a flag change
	  to embrace the fact we are different. Learn to live with it; it'll be a good
	  lesson in tolerance for everyone.
	  

	    

	  Correction
	  A Christmas Story  
	    

	  

	  It was reported in the December 23rd issue of RRN that this writer's
	  family had not purchased a video of A Christmas Story. While that
	  may well be the truth, we feel obligated to acknowledge that a store-bought
	  copy of this Christmas Classic was found among the small collection of videos
	  in our Pontotoc home. This writer is mostly human and is therefore subject
	  to the same memory errors that plague all of us who try maintaining inventories
	  of important stuff in separate residences.
	  

	  Thus did the Carter family of Dogwood Circle, enjoy another viewing of the
	  movie and watched intently once again as Ralphie almost shot his eye out
	  with his new Red Ryder BB gun.
	  

	    

	  Bodock Beau
	  Animal Instincts 
	    

	  

	  Happy New Year, and for you purists a Happy New Millennium! Some folks didn't
	  consider the beginning of 2000, the start of the third millennium because
	  there was no year zero established by the Julian Calendar. Because the Romans
	  did not use zero, the year 2000 arrived 1,999 years after year 1, instead
	  of 2,000 years after year zero. Thus, picky people chose to celebrate this
	  past New Years as the official beginning of the current millennium.
	  

	  The following humor was borrowed from the Internet.
	  

	  Once upon a time, a fundamentalist Christian couple felt it important to
	  own an equally fundamentally Christian pet, so they went shopping.
	  

	  At a kennel specializing in this particular breed, they found a dog they
	  liked quite a lot. When they asked the dog to fetch the Bible, he did it
	  in a flash. When they instructed him to look up Psalm 23, he complied equally
	  fast, using his paws with dexterity. They were impressed, purchased the animal,
	  and went home.
	  

	  That night they had friends over. They were so proud of their new fundamentalist
	  dog and his major skills, they called in the dog and showed off a little.
	  

	  The friends were impressed and asked whether the dog was able to do any of
	  the usual dog tricks as well. This stopped the couple cold, as they hadn't
	  thought about "normal" tricks.
	  

	  Well, they said. "Let's try this out."
	  

	  Once more they called the dog, and they clearly pronounced the command, "Heel!"
	  

	  Quick as a wink, the dog jumped up, put his paw on the man's forehead, closed
	  his eyes in concentration, and bowed his head.
	  

	  --------------------------------
	  

	  An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily,
	  a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy.
	  

	  He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't
	  move. Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn't respond.
	  

	  Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Coco, pull!"
	  

	  Nothing. Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" And the
	  horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.
	  

	  The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer
	  why he called his horse by the wrong name three times.
	  

	  The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind, and if he thought he was the only one
	  pulling, he wouldn't even try!"
	  

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