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IN THIS ISSUE

• Zvonko Springer continues working on the railroad
• Jack Peaker tells of more sightings of UFOs
• Bill McNair comments on last week´s article about UFOs
• Dick Monaghan discusses conspicuous consumption
• Gerrit de Leeuw sends a Newfie joke
• Kate Brookfield discovers a very useful site for downsizing
• The editor receives an example of a new scam
• Tom Kyle forwards a Scottish love poem
• Sites are recommended by Bruce Galway, Catherine Green, Tom Kyle, and Tom Williamson

Zvonko Springer has decided to work with a wheelbarrow while

BUILDING A NEW NATION

I made a harness for carting a wheelbarrow similar to that used by sand bearers at Osijek when unloading barges full of sand for the local construction market. It took me several days to find a useful leather neckpiece and a long wide band with slings at both ends to fit the wheelbarrow´s handles.

The first week passed and the working gang number stabilized at around 70, but we had supervisors who were counting the number of wheelbarrows passing them from the excavation point to the compacting place. Daily production depended entirely upon this number and wheelbarrow handlers were the ones watched closest. The best gang´s results were mentioned at the evening roll calls now.

There were two classes of distinction to become the "udarnik", meaning a spearhead worker, or the "pohvaljen" for a praised worker. I was never mentioned though I consistently drove a good number of wheelbarrows that was close to or above those who were praised. I knew exactly why and just continued carting, hoping that my intentional participation would allow my studies to continue.

Despite the scorching sun of over 40C, the cut widened and extended as the fill for the rail bedding came closer to our campsite with every day. We got more water bearers, who never stopping carrying fresh water to dehydrated workers. Several comrades acted as surveyors to control and measure our work - most of them could not work because of their sore or injured palms.

At lunch breaks a haphazard distribution of UNRRA tins made me abhor the sweet blood sausage forever. We learned how to divert the wasps´ onslaught by smearing this blood sausage on a strip of paper or board, and going to eat in peace at a good distance away. The next day all the sausage lures were gone so the procedure had to be repeated.

At the cut´s far end we came in contact with a neighboring brigade whose workers were from villages in Vojvodina. I could not believe my eyes when at lunch these guys took out some 6-cm-thick slabs of smoke- cured white bacon and munched onion and white bread with this melting fatty mass.

I had reduced my daily toilette to a minimum by not shaving and not using a toothbrush for weeks. My palms had become calloused and rough, and my skin had become tanned without any sun oil. I didn´t wash myself too often, except for my eyes, to get rid of a salty crust due to intense perspiration. It was enough to wipe down the rest of my body with a wetted white towel that became almost black at the end. Shirts and shorts disintegrated with time, but I kept them on until they fell to pieces. I wouldn´t visit the latrine used by both sexes at all as it was filling up fast and smelled awful, even down at the campsite. I preferred going the "natural way" whenever it was necessary and so did almost everybody else until a disclosure was announced during an evening roll call.

Gradually the camp was becoming more homely and we could see the women´s touches everywhere. The camp cleanliness improved significantly; footpaths were gravelled, and curbstones of larger stones were placed alongside. Some greenery was planted around the tent, and shallow ditches were excavated to prevent flooding. The roll call place has been decorated with some slogans and the fireplace walled in to prevent sparks jumping over into the dry grass.

I improved my "bed" with a layer of bark and fern leaves, on top of which I placed cartons from large UNRRA boxes. The bedding was dry and not too hard now. Also the upper latrine was closed for good by spreading quicklime and filling it with soil. A new latrine was excavated at a lower level closer to the campsite with strict order to spread quicklime every day. The new latrine was away from the spring; that was good too as effluent from the former latrine might have contaminated the fresh water.

After a week or so, political indoctrination started at the campfire gatherings, combined with more partisans´ songs and "kolo" dances. It became difficult to find a good reason for my absenteeism so I attended lectures as an interested listener but never asked or said anything. It was all clear to me anyway after the political indoctrination during my first study year - I had heard it all before.

To be continued.

Jack Peaker gives more examples of people who have claimed to have seen

UFOs

Stefano, a Swissair captain: "I was flying over the Alps in the region of Biasco at 5,000 meters when I saw a light to the north. A few seconds later I lost it from my field of vision. I didn´t manage to see it again. At that moment another pilot was flying in an easterly direction in the same area of the Alps and I asked radar control if it was an object in the same place where I had seen my object. It wasn´t visible to radar control. The pilot said he saw a strange unidentified form which corresponded to the one I had seen in my airspace. He couldn´t explain it and said apparently it was quite big, but clearly not an airplane. Could it have been a meteorite? No, because meteorites move, and this one was stationary. The object probably didn´t show on the ground radar at that point because it wasn´t moving like a normal airplane. It was an enormous area of white light, as big as four jumbo jets. According to both of us, it stopped and then went away and was neither an airplane, nor a meteorological phenomenon."

Captain Schmitt, Swissair: "The Radar Station at Maastricht informed us that a UFO was proceeding in a northerly direction, it then turned towards us at a speed to 4,000 to 5,000 km/hr - very fast indeed. Eventually, it stabilized in relation to our position to three nautical miles to our right at 45 degrees - that´s about five kms from us. We put on the headphones and looked to the right, and suddenly there was an immense flash in front of us. I haven´t seen anything like it; very fast and very intense. The radar didn´t give any signal; nothing at all. Maastricht told us that the object stopped for a minute behind us and then went south at great speed. It was traveling four to five times the speed of sound. Later, I read the report of the radar controller. After checking the data, he wrote that the speed was double that, which means it was 10,000 to 12,000 kms an hour. It went away in a southerly direction. It returned and went away again. It was as if it was playing hide and seek with us. The UFO was enormous - very fast, and it was flying at 10,000 to 12,000 kms an hour. It was seen on radar and seemed to play with the airliner; not behavior that you would expect of the military or experimental aircraft."

Studies of the UFO Phenomenon

In 1989 and 1990 there were numerous sightings of UFOs in Belgium by more than 2000 civilians and numerous police controls. It was a triangular object with three lights at the top and one in the center. It was flying silently at very low altitude just above the ground. Belgium military aviation authorities have officially joined a collaborative study of the case. After ground radar revealed the presence of the object, some jet fighters were scrambled to intercept the UFO but without success because the object performed some incredible maneuvers, demonstrating it was in some way guided. Was it an experimental military aircraft like the Stealth Bomber? The US government has denied this possibility. The Stealth Bomber is also noisy and the question is, why would a foreign experimental plane fly at low altitude over a densely populated area? Belgium Air Force General Charles De Brouwer held a press conference on the 18th of December 1989 to confirm that they had intercepted UFOs. His written report states, "There were no signs of danger. The mystery of their origin remains but the phenomena exists. It is real."

An exceptional case occurred in Woodbridge in Suffolk. It involved what is believed to be a case of a broken-down UFO. Air force police patrols which went to the spot described the object as metallic, resting on three legs, and emitting a strong white light. As they got closer to the object, the engines of their cars cut out and radio contact was lost. This was not science fiction. The episode is confirmed in the report by the deputy commander of the base, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt. In it you can read that the next day traces left by the object were found on the ground. According to the reports of the air force patrol, three humanoids were seen to leave the UFO. They were approximately one meter tall with big heads and dressed in silver. The commander of the base, General Gordon Williams, is reported to have said that the creatures seem to communicate by a series of gestures and telepathy. This encounter has never been officially confirmed.

To be concluded.

Bill McNair comments on Jack´s article in last week´s issue about

UFOs

Several (approximately a dozen) American military officers now retired came forward on CNN and told the viewers that they had all been involved with UFOs, and were told not to speak about any of the information they either seen or heard of. They all had seen UFOs, or bodies within the vehicles. Some had even touched the vehicles. Russia, Sweden, Germany, England, France, Canada, USA and South American countries have all witnessed UFOs. On a pyramid in Africa there is a picture carved into it with a astronaut on it. I saw this program a week or so ago. I am not a dyed-in-the-wool believer, but .... don´t shoot the messenger.

Dick Monaghan writes about conspicuous consumption

SUPERSIZE THAT, PLEASE

I just got a new chair and ottoman, and I feel ever so much more important when I´m sitting in it.I think I could rule a small, impoverished Third-World nation from this chair. It caresses me with undisguised affection.

Ah; you cast contemptuous glances at someone so taken with material things, but let me ask you: did you pay more than $50 for your wristwatch? If so, you´re just as smitten with the over-consumption bug as I am, but don´t feel guilty; the whole economy depends on over-consumption.

Back to wristwatches: I checked a watch collectors´ magazine (there are at least three of them) at the bookstore where I hang out, and I quickly learned this is a hobby far out of my grasp. There are at least three watches available for just over a half-million dollars (US) each. One of them, I´ll admit, has a three-reel slot machine mechanism, so perhaps there´s some value for the money. Watch collectors don´t bother, usually, with battery-driven quartz movements. They go for beautifully designed mechanical movements, even if none of them is as accurate as the electric jobs. And we´re not talking watches encrusted with jewels; the money is mostly in the mechanical movements and the "complications" involved. (A complication is something in addition to mere time keeping, for example, sub dials to calculate mini-seconds, or moon phases, or a second time zone.) It looked to me as though the common price range was around $40,000 - and that doesn´t include a machine to keep your automatic watches wound when you´re not wearing them.

How much over-comsumption is there in our cars? I bought mine second hand, so I didn´t order all the stuff it has, and I use most of it. Still, I remember a time when you cranked the windows up and down, there were no CD players, and radios were an expensive add-on. Cruise control, seat belts and turn signals were also add-ons when I got my first car, but the last two are indispensable safety items today. I can open the trunk from inside the car, the driver´s seat goes up and down and tilts electrically. Whee!

I get unsolicited catalogues that seem to prove we have trouble deciding what to do with out surplus money. There are any number of gadgets invented only to satisfy our yearning for knick-knacks, but here´s my favorite: for only $150 (US) you can get a "voice activated" grocery list maker that categorizes your choices into categories and then prints it out in list form.

I feel like such a peasant when I pick up a pencil and write "potatoes" on a piece of paper.

Gerrit de Leeuw found this one while cleaning out his Inbox:

ANOTHER NEWFIE STORY

Two Newfies, Archie and Harry, were driving down the road drinking a couple of beers. The passenger, Harry, suddenly said, "Lord tundering jaisus ... up ahead - it´s a police roadblock! We´re gonna get busted fer drinkin´ dese here beers!"

Don´t worry," Archie said. "We´ll just pull over and finish dese beers, then peel off the labels, stick it on our foreheads, and trow the bottles under the seat."

"What fer?"

"Jist let me do de talkin´, OK?"

So they finished their beers, threw the empties out of sight and put a label on each of their foreheads. When they reached the roadblock, the police officer took a long look at the two of them and said, "You boys been drinkin´?"

"No sir," said Archie, pointing at the labels. "We´re on the patch."

Kate Brookfield has discovered a very useful site:

FREE CYCLE

This is a yahoo group and there is one for most cities in Canada. Mine is Free Cycle Guelph.

The idea is for people to list items they are going to throw out, so instead of it going into the landfill, somebody out there might have a use for it.

Because we are going to be away for a year, I wanted to give away a very large 12-year-old philodendron that was in the largest pot I could get. I put it outside during the summer months and bring it in for the winter. But I thought tenants might not like to fight for space with a large spreading plant. Anyway, I listed it on Free Cycle and almost by return, I had about 10 people wanting it. I sent my phone number to the first message received and almost five minutes after I posted the message, the phone rang and she came and picked it up the next morning.

Also, somebody advertised a Black and Decker toaster oven. I wrote to ask if it was the kind that slides on a bracket under the cupboards. I have had one for years and couldn´t find a replacement as they don´t make them anymore. The one I bought to replace it sits on the counter and is huge. So I am pleased to get this older, smaller, compact one and have got a bit more counter space in my small kitchen.

I posted a message to say I was dividing my grape hyacinths if anyone wanted any. I got 20 takers ... so my garden bed looks trim and 20 people are happily planting bulbs for the spring!

Anyway, thought it worth telling folks about this way to circulate "stufff" and keep the landfill sites empty.

I am still laughing about the attempt at blackmail which I received this week - a more unlikely subject I cannot imagine. However, for some people it seems to be no laughing matter. Here is the letter:

"Subject: [WARNING - NOT VIRUS SCANNED] WE MONITOR YOUR PRIVACY

"I work in a detective agency. My name is not important. I´m warning you that i´m going to listen your telephone line. Do you want to know who paid for shadowing you? Expect my next letter.

"P.S. Of course, you don´t believe me. But i think the tape of your telephone conversation will change your point. The tape is in archive. The password is 123qwe"

I sent a copy to ScamBusters, asking if it is a new scam, and if I should report it to anyone. This is the reply: "It´s a variation of a relatively new scam called the Hitman scam. You can read more about it here at http://www.scambusters.org/hitman.html. Ignore it."

Tom Kyle asks, Who said there was no such thing as a poetically romantic Scot?

SCOTTISH LOVE POEM

A´coorse ah love ye darlin´
Ye´re a bloody tap notch burd.
An´ when ah say ye´re gorgeous
Ah mean iv´ry single word.

So yer bum is oan the big side
Ah don´t mind a bit o flab.
It means that whin ah´m ready
There´s somethin´ therr tae grab.

So yer belly isny flat nae merr
Ah tell ye, ah don´t cerr.
So long as when ah cuddle ye
I cin get mah erms roon´ therr.

Nae wummin wha is your age
Hiz nice roon´ perky breasts.
They jist gave in tae gravity
Bit ah know ye did yer best.

Ah´m tellin ye the truth noo
Ah nivir tell ye lies.
Ah think its very sexy
Thit ye´ve goat dimples oan yer thighs.

Ah swerr oan mah grannie´s grave noo
The moment thit we met
Ah thocht ye wiz as guid as
Ah wiz ivir goanie get.

Nae maitter whit ye look like
Ah´ll aywiz love ye dear.
Noo shut up while the fitba´s oan
An´ fetch anither beer.

Translation service available at a wee extra cost.

THIS WEEK´S SUGGESTED WEBSITES

Bruce Galway recommends http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTSFhIv9bYg&feature=related

Catherine Green: http://videos.emule.com/play/jason-mcelway-(aWHVnom9WEk

Tom Kyle: http://www.texasjim.com/NASApix/NASA%20pix.htm

Tom Williamson: http://www.snopes.com:80/computer/virus/postcard.asp

Proof that the Irish discovered Africa, or that the Irish are from Africa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqe-rFtIhvQ

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." - Herm Albright