Montebello E-News 

July 26, 2007  

Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.
William Shakespeare, baptized 1564 – died 1616,
widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist 

 (Notice the ambiguity in Shakespeare's remark,
because English is an imperfect tool for communication.)

1.     The Streets of San Francisco, the Lights of Montebello

2.     To Laugh, to Lament, Perchance to Dream, Part 3

3.     Announcements

4.     Walk Like an Egyptian

5.     The Flashback Quarterback on Crossing the Line with Canada

6.     About Montebello E-News and “My Montebello” 

The Streets of San Francisco, the Lights of Montebello

           We date ourselves if we remember “The Streets of San Francisco”, starring bulbous-nosed Karl Malden and a young Michael Douglas. 

          But this lesson is not about reminiscences;  rather, we quickly transit, however inelegantly, to the lights of Montebello. 

          We have heard about global warming and have talked about it in “Global Warming Warning”, March 29, 2007.  Whether or not we agree with the majority scientific opinion that the Earth be warming and that we humans could address the problem, we still are confronted with our manic consumption of fossil fuels, which could lead to trouble, as shared in “The Flashback Quarterback” in this issue.         

And the tie to the lights of Montebello?  There are a number of intersections at which the traffic lights cycle according to a clock, not according to the flow of traffic.  The result?  Many cars stop at a red light when no car is present in cross traffic.  Unnecessary stop-and-go traffic means more fuel consumed, more pollutants released into the air. 

          How many intersections?  Tenth and Whittier, Cleveland and Montebello, Howard and Lincoln, Madison and Montebello until recently.  Those are the ones which I have noticed.  I believe that there is a huge waste. 

          But the purpose of bringing this up is not to raise a fuss at a meeting of our city council, for reasons discussed in next week’s community lesson.  Rather, the question arises:  what can I do about these mindless traffic lights?  I do not have the skills to change the programming, but neither do I want to wait for our city or Caltrans to become involved.  As with the Department of Motor Vehicles, I am not averse to solving the problem and then billing government for the time. 

          Why?  Because I do not want this waste to continue.  Because this waste does contribute to the general, thoughtless wastefulness in our country, and this wastefulness can lead us to war within a generation or two. 

If you answer the multiple-choice questions below and e-mail to lessonanswers@mymontebello.com with “Lesson answers” in the subject field, you will be credited toward a “certificate of recognition in community affairs” to be awarded in 2007 by a local nonprofit organization. 

1.   What is wrong with traffic lights in Montebello?

(a)  They are not sufficiently visible during the day.

(b)  They do not operate for best traffic flow. 

2.   What are the long-term consequences of poor traffic flow?

(a) Road rage.

(b) Increased pollution.

(c) Increased fuel consumption.

(d) Car brakes wear out quicker. 

 We are all here for a spell, get all the good laughs you can.
Will Rogers, 1879 - 1935,
American humorist, social commentator, and actor 

In part two, we explored the importance of diversity in keeping our society from going to one extreme or another.  We ended by asking whether diversity itself could become extreme and, therefore, dysfunctional. 

Claro que sí.  The news media, in the pursuit of higher ratings, do not shy from telling about such extremism, at times with exaggeration or purposeful misinterpretation, at other times without embellishment.  Examples: 

·        in the pursuit of nondiscrimination, disruptive children are given the right to learn with other children;  this holds back the other children;

·        in the enforcement of entitlements, this generation of workers is paying Social Security benefits for this generation of retirees, all the while as the former grows relatively smaller in number and the latter relatively larger;  consequently, workers have to pay more from their paychecks or Social Security goes bankrupt (a partial, perhaps cynical, solution is mentioned in “The Flashback Quarterback”, June 28, 2007:  illegal workers pay into Social Security but receive no benefits from it);

·        in the protection of individual rights, those who react to unexpected situations are punished over those who instigate such situations;

·        in giving access to rights like voting and privileges like driving, government assumes a very cost-ineffective role;

·        rights under the First Amendment are so broadly interpreted and legalism is so ingrained that many people could be hurt before the wheels of government turn sufficiently to protect them—if at all;  dysfunctional minority rights, like the right to post pornography on the Internet, take precedence over the rights of parents to protect their children—the former can make billions while the latter pay out billions and are subjected to emotional turmoil;

·        creating more and more wealth takes precedence over everything else, such that our school curriculum is designed to produce more productive workers, instead of discerning, active participants in the affairs of the community. 

Extreme diversity is a manifestation of our idealism, which has been labeled dysfunctional in a past essay.  But an interesting question arises, “Do we need extreme diversity to give a needed balance against other kinds of extremism?”   Bothersome additional questions arise, “Do we need this tension, this ‘tug of war’, between and among extremes in order to keep a balance in society?”  “If so, does such never-ending tension lead to unhealthful stress, never mind the tragedies which arise, or does such tension, with its unavoidable detriments, give us the best possible life, meaning that, try as we might, we could not create a better life?” 

FOR EVERYONE.  August fun.  The Montebello Department of Parks and Recreation has several activities lined up for interested adults and youth.  Go to http://www.active.com/search/org_browse.cfm?org=montebello .  Limited space, so do not delay.  Also, 323.887.4540. 

FOR RETIREES.  Summer activities.  For activities at the Montebello Senior Citizen Center, see http://www.cityofmontebello.com/services/parks/pdf/Senior07.pdf  or call the center at 323.887.4575. 

FOR FAMILIES.  Childcare.  If you need childcare for your child attending one of four public schools in Montebello Unified School District, you may pick up an application from the Montebello Department of Parks and Recreation, 1700 West Victoria Avenue, Montebello, beginning on Monday, July 30, 2007.  First come, first serve, as space is limited.  For further information, 323.887.4540. 

FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS.  Ignore the “a through g” requirements”?  We are in thrall to the University of California’s “a through g” requirements for college admission.  Can we ignore them?  Take a look at http://www.uspublicserviceacademy.org/ . 

FOR EVERYONE.  Getting ready for a big event.  “Christmas at the Cannon” mixer hosted by the Christmas at the Cannon Committee.  Thursday, July 26, 2007, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Quiet Cannon, 901 Via San Clemente, Montebello.  Bring an unwrapped gift worth over $10.  For more information, 323.887.9622.  

FOR EVERYONE.  Outdoor fun.  Skate night at skate park, Montebello City Park.  Friday, July 27.  For more information, 323.887.4540. 

FOR EVERYONE.  Computer virus.  There is a virus attacking computers through the Internet.  This is a real threat, according to http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/a/160242.htm .  Do not retrieve e-invites or e-cards unless you were certain that they were safe.

• Ancient Egyptians believed that onions would keep evil spirits away.
   

• Ancient Egyptians kissed with their noses instead of with their lips.
   

• Ancient Egyptians used the spice thyme to help preserve mummies.
   

• During the mummification process, ancient Egyptians used to pull out a dead person's brain through the person's nose.
   

• In ancient Egypt, cats were often buried with their masters, or in a special cemetery for cats.
   

• The dung beetle symbolized eternal rebirth and the Sun God Khepri to ancient Egyptians.
   

• In ancient Egypt, the only person who was allowed to wear cotton was the high priest.
   

• Ramses II, a pharaoh of Egypt, died in 1225 B.C.  At the time of his death, he had fathered ninety-six sons and sixty daughters.

From http://www.amusingfacts.com/facts/History/Egyptians/index.html. 

The March 29, 2007, E-News community lesson mentioned the possibility of a confrontation with China over fossil fuels.  Who would have thought that there might be an issue with Canada?  We read: 

“Canada Flexes Its Muscles in Scramble for the Arctic” 

Ed Pilkington, July 11, 2007, The Guardian  

· Eight countries lay claim to oil-rich, unspoilt region

· Global warming opens up fabled North-west Passage  

It is not the kind of militaristic statement expected of the peace-loving Canadians. In front of a choreographed line-up of 120 sailors in their summer whites at a naval base outside Victoria in British Columbia, the prime minister, Stephen Harper, gave a warning to other nations with their eye on the potentially oil-rich Arctic. 

"Canada has a choice when it comes to defending our sovereignty over the Arctic," he said. "We either use it or lose it. And make no mistake, this government intends to use it." 

In other places at other times his words could be dismissed as posturing. But he backed them up with the chequebook, announcing that he was ordering up to eight military patrol ships that would be converted for use in ice up to a metre thick, and a new deep-water port that would service them. Total bill:

C$7bn (£3.3bn). 

Mr. Harper's message, and the belligerent style in which it was delivered, are a sign that the Arctic, the vast ice-covered ocean around the North Pole, is hotting up - both literally, through global warming, and metaphorically as a political issue. With Canada, Denmark, Russia and the United States all having claims on the region, together with those of Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland, international tension in the region is mounting. … 

To learn about this newsletter, Montebello E-News, and the accompanying, growing Web site, “My Montebello”, visit www.mymontebello.com.  Also, you will find instructions and contact information for submitting announcements for publication in this newsletter.