Aug. 30, 2002 - 18:13 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Off The Rack

These weekly questions are always something I have not been thinking about and once in a while give me a little different view on things. This week I am in trouble. Being in the habit for most of my life of having enough clothes on so that I wouldn't be arrested for the "ugly bares" and also having clothes clean enough that I don't create a empty circle of floor around me, I have not paid undue attention to fancy foibles. Now, I think favorites ? ? ? Ah, well.

Friday Five puts my nose into it.

1. - What's your favorite piece of clothing you currently own ?

A. - A shirt, mostly blue, with a woven design, short sleeved and full cut. Nice fabric, soft and comfortable yet a wash and wear type that I love.

2. - What piece of clothing do you most want to acquire ?

A. - A casual jacket (sport coat) what ever it is called that is worn with a nice pair of pants and good shirt. Of excellent cut and style. A coat that could hide my physical defects as much as possible.

3. - What piece of clothing can you not bring yourself to get rid of ?

A. - A rather ratty looking but terribly comfortable windbreaker. Warm but not too heavy. I have other jackets but none I like more.

4. - What piece of clothing do you look your best in ?

A. - A brown suit of mine which has a full cut coat, comfortable pants and makes this sows ear look as silky as possible considering the item clad. Which clothing is unfortunately on the verge of becoming threadbare.

5. - What has been your biggest fashion accident ?

Hmmmm, the pants belonging to a zoot suit. I thought they would make me look snazzy, but instead made me look scuzzy.

Those five questions made me think about clothes more than I have ever thought before. A hooligan perhaps ? Probably, but if so, like the comic character of years ago, a Happy Hooligan am I.

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

I am aware that many of my countrymen and women have the same outlook on Bush piloting the ship of state by Braille in a dark stormy night.

Cokie and Steven V. Roberts a very good pair of intelligent media people who do not churn the news nor try to incite paranoia have a article in the paper this morning. "Judges right: Deocracy dies behind closed doors." They said in part, "The Justice Department under Attorney General John Ashcroft, which seems to regard civil liberties as an irritating nuisance, often fails to grasp this conflict. But now a panel of three judges, sitting in Cincinnati, has issued a stunning rebuke to the administration and has made an invaluable contribution to this critical national debate." "In a sentence that should be inscribed over the doorway of every federal courtroom - and journalism classroom - Judge Damon J. Keith wrote those words, "Democracy dies behind closed doors." Further on Cokie and Steve say, "We want to be clear: the "public's right to know," is invaluable but not inviolable. National security is a totally legitimate concern, particularly after September 11. Every responsible journalist should treat it that way, as did the court."

They go on to say, "The question is where you draw the line, how you strike the balance. The government wants all cases closed. The court says open all cases, except where national security is truly jeopardized. And that's a much healthier approach for a democracy."

To my way of thinking, no matter how pure are the intentions of present politicians, going the route of secrecy and demanding that they not be held accountable will set up a situation that can be manipulated to suddenly find us trying to exist under a dictatorship. What has happened in many countries over the world ? Dissidents disappear. Free speech is no more. I think that when any government agency has the power to do as they please and try to force folks into a paranoiac panic, as a democracy, we got trouble.

As for clothing ? I'll take mine Off The Rack . . . . . . . .

Blog