Got early web cam calls from P. and N., then Mike, who also called in the evening. He and family are in Bali and he "showed me around" via Skype--what an incredibly beautiful place! They had a private villa with its own pool--two of them, actually, one with fish and water lilies--and personal "butler." Would love to go there one day. Mike sent me a lovely picture of the four of them; I want to print it out and frame it.
Went to the library, then to Sears in Mays Landing to get new tires, only to be told I don't need them. (How come Mastercraft said I did?) It was recommended that I get them aligned and rotated and I did, to the tune of ninety bucks. Sister Betty called and, after some missed signals and slip ups, I met her and friend Mary H. at her bank in Northfield, then we all went to Shop-Rite. By that time it was past 3:00 and I decided to go home. Stopped at the cemetery on the way back.
WIDER: There's a neo-con entity called "Project For The New American Century" and its "Statement Of Principles" is enough to curl your hair. Here's just a tidbit:
“[What we require is] a military that is strong and ready to meet
both present and future challenges; a foreign policy that boldly and
purposefully promotes American principles abroad; and national
leadership that accepts the United States’ global responsibilities."
The author goes on:
"Of course, the United States must be prudent in how it exercises its
power. But we cannot safely avoid the responsibilities of global
leadership of the costs that are associated with its exercise. America
has a vital role in maintaining peace and security in Europe, Asia,
and the Middle East. If we shirk our responsibilities, we invite
challenges to our fundamental interests...."
The document continues in this vein, but there's no need to go on here; the few excerpts above convey the drift. It's all about us and screw them--that is, every other country on the planet and, more important, the people who live in them. These are the "principles" our godforsaken "leaders" have been following, and continue to follow, for years.
All right, I can't, simply can't, resist connecting these nightmarish dots to a pivotal sentence in 1984:
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--forever."

____