I've Got Mail...

…up the old wazoo.  I had never realized there were so many 'worthy causes' out there.!  What had started out, in my return to 'normal' life - to 'see out my days' in my old hometown in the sun on the coast in Southern California, after living many years in a spiritual community (and its being out of the country to boot; which factor has heightened the unawareness on my part of what has being going on in my home country)2 - as a trickle of donations has become a flood - nay, a veritable torrent - of requests.  It has been rather like the GI Bill in the wake of WWII, and then the Korean War: a good idea, then 'treated' to an escalation of monumental proportions.  Once that dam was breached - of federal use of the taxpayers' money - there was no apparent stopping of the resultant raging waters of federal largesse, aka welfare.  Not only the liberals - classically; and presumably - looking after 'the little guy',  but Republican hotshot business types (see, e.g., the S&L disaster; which my fellow Americans seem not to have learned anything from. See, e.g., the 2008 collapse of casino banks, looking to the taxpayers to bail them out)3  - treated the matter like the attitude that, if a little of something is good, a lot is better.  But as with vitamin D intake, too much can be toxic.  And here we are, in Toxic City.

And here I am, inundated with mail every day from organizations importuning - and sometimes with a tone even of demanding, for heaven's sake4 - to keep their doors open; excuse me: to keep doing their 'worthy cause'.

Well, let's look at some of these 'worthy causes'; at least in my accounting ledger.  And I'll take the pile of such requests just from this past Friday and Saturday's mailbox gleanings; which it took me over the weekend to whittle down to manageable proportions.

Here's a nice big envelope; what's this.  Ah.  A 2014 calendar.  From 'The National Children's Cancer Society'.  Didn't order it, because this is the first time that I've heard of and from them.  Obviously got on their mailing list from a sharing of lists with the American Institute for Cancer Research; which is an outfit that I know from my days back in Scotland as well (probably known as the International Institute for Cancer Research there).  Was happy to give them my - limited; as in today's financial circumstances - support, because a) they emphasize the role of nutrition in cancer prevention, are not into supporting researchers who are making a nice living by being into drug research, for treatment and 'cures';5 and b) the Executive Director did not have a pushy and patronizing approach to enlisting one's support for their cause, was able to ask for small amounts from a (consequent) large base, rather than big amounts from an increasingly put-upon base, presumably trusting that they will broaden their base through their 'professional fundraiser'.  A subject that I will get into shortly.  For now: Well done, Marilyn Gentry, for being involved in such a truly worthy cause, and for handling its promotion with a light touch.6  And as for the NCCS: I'll check them out on the Internet, as far as I can. 

I recently came across an article, and then a looked-up listing from its info, of phony charities, with many of them having 'cancer' in their names.  How scurrilous can you get…

…but moving right along.  It'll take forever to get through this pile if I dawdle too much along the way, spending too much time on any one item.  But bear with me as I take another 'cancer' mailing in this pile for a moment's reflection.  It turns out that it - after an offer of a Free Tote Bag! on its cover ('Details Inside!)7 to entice the poor unknowing punter, the package deal (it included return address labels as well, showing enticingly through its window envelope) was from an outfit named the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. And thereby hangs a short, sad, but telling tale, of a personal nature.

It was the winter of 1955 - the winter of my discontent, with the educational system as it was, and my desire to strike out on my own and find some ultimate answers about life.8  That desire took me from my home in Southern California to New York City, where, after a short time living off a small monthly  sum I inherited from my father's will - to be used for my 'education'; and it certainly was - I had to get a  job, while I continued my research into 'ultimate reality' at the New York City Public Library.  The first one I found was at the noted, and noted above, Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital; the whole Center noted for its 'advanced' cancer treatment and research.  I had worked briefly at a hospital in Los Angeles before heading East, Young Man on a quixotic mission (what was I going to find that  no one else seemed to know about???  Nevertheless, I had to give it a shot), as an 'operating room orderly' - doing scut work on the OR floor - and obtained a like job at S-K.  Until the 'like' went out of the picture.

It happened one day when I was on call duty and was buzzed to go into a certain OR, where an old woman (I noticed in passing) was being operated on (by quite a team).  I was instructed to take a (roughly-wrapped) package down to Biopsy.  While waiting for the elevator, the package bent slowly in my arms.  It was a leg.  Her leg.  Small as a frail, wizened old woman could muster the strength to give up.  To be persuaded to give up.  For -  what.  A few more months of life???

I quit that job, and doubled my research efforts into 'the answers' about the very thing that that poor old, wealthy old woman (S-K was the top of the line for such things) gave her leg to, in fear of losing the rest of her.  To 

The Great Unknown.

Why??  Surely we had some good clues as to what life was all about.  There were religions, yes; but they were just speculations.  Nothing hard and fast.  I needed to find something hard, and fast.  All this nonsense that was going on in life (the Korean War had finished by then; or rather, was in an uneasy Armistice stage.  So, wars, and rumors of wars, were still de riguer) simply had to go.

This was no way to live.  This was a primitive way to live.  Relatively. To - what.

To what i knew, just knew, was our possible way to live.

With knowledge of what it was all about.  Not just conjecture.  

Such was my frame of mind when I left off my research to return to my home in So Cal and go into the Army for two years of of national service, under the terms of The Draft.  But it was under my terms, to a certain extent: I went in as a  conscientious objector.  To serve my time as a Medic.9  And when I came out, I was determined to pick up where I had left off; including into alternative treatments for cancer.  What was beginning to be called 'holistic treatment'.

I knew there was a better way, or ways, to deal with cancer than the way(s) we were using.

Just as I knew there were answers to life, that we needed to get to.  For you can go around in a muddle only so long.  Before you muddle into disaster.  

And we now had the relatively advanced tools, in the hands of a relatively primitive species, to make it a big one.

But I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, and check out where S-K was at these days.  So let's see…

"Dear Friend [You're presuming a bit much, folks; but never mind]

"Could you please send just $10 or $15 [they know my 'normal' range) to help us continue making lifesaving advances in cancer treatment that can help save thousands of patients each year?"

Well, let's see what your latest take on such "advances" is these days…Ah.  Here's No. 9 of their leaflet titled '9 Reasons Why You Should Support Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center':  

'#9: Bringing us closer to cures with some of the best-equipped centers for research.

'We live in a time of unprecedented opportunities to improve the health and quality of life for all Americans, and having access to the latest technology is more important than ever before.  MSKCC's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Research Center - a 23-story leading-edge research facility and an adjacent seven-story structure - provides laboratories for more than 100 researchers and offers these scientists  the most sophisticated technology [my emphasis] in an inspiring and interactive environment in which they can work together to discover better ways to threat and ultimately to cure cancer.'  (That should read 'ways to keep us on a payroll,' but never mind.) 

So: Same old, same old.  For 58 years that I know of personally, and for them, since the days that John D. Rockefeller set up medical schools all over the country to use oil-based pharmaceuticals.

And not to put themselves out of business.  Neither old John D. and family.  Nor the allopathic medical doctors, hooked on 'drugs for life'.10    

I'll go through the rest of these relatively more quickly.  But just to note that the pile included another 'cancer' one; this time from an outfield called 'National Cancer Research Center'.  I'll have to check them out against that list on the Internet, before I bother going any further with it.

Oh yes - and one in this pile from the City of Hope as well.  Now, this outfit I know, from years ago - at that same time in my life, of the second half of 1955, as a matter of fact.  And yes, they have a good reputation.  But all this time, of deferred Hope - ???  It's time for Change.  BIG Change.  

I mean, what is it with so much cancer???!!!  This has been going on long enough.    

The alternative treatments are manifold.  And also deal with the root causes.  A subject too big to go into here.  But, Geez Louise…

Moving on.

To a letter from 'Feed The Children'.  Yes, that will be an acknowledgment of a recent donation I made; and a  request for more.  And more.  And more…

Enough of this nonsense.  Its time for real action in such matters…

anyway…

Now let's see; where else in this pile was there something like the Feed the Children one…ah.  Here it is.  One from St. Joseph's Indian School; with a sad story from a young Indian girl named (or not) Laura, about family violence and drug abuse on the reservation, up in South Dakota.  I'll look into you folks, Father Steve.  Just give me a little time…  

The Southeastern Legal Foundation: yes, I know them, very well.  Well; at least as well as one can from a distance.  Their material sounds good, at least.  They're engaged in a lawsuit against Obama - pending before the SCOTUS as we speak - over his Executive Order action giving his EPA taxing authority over American industry regarding this dubious 'Cap & Trade' funny business.  ("..day  by day Obama is getting closer to his goal of total control of the economy…

"…and he's doing it by laying the groundwork for illegal and unconstitutional taxes - ordered by the executive branch!")

Yes, I'll send some more your way, SLF, for your '2013 Summer Renewal'.  You at least have shown me your list of your Board of Directors and such, as some evidence of your credibility. 

Ah - that brings up the next couple of entries; which occasioned a response -  retort? - from me in their stamped return envelopes to their over-the-top entreaties for my humble shekels.  In part fueled by a report I read somewhere recently about 'boiler room' scams, where the perps run a number of front businesses out of the same (cheap) office space, and the money never goes anywhere near the purported purpose.  If ever there was such an outfit, this one certainly fits the profile.

No. 1:

'Dear Pat (or whomsoever),

'According to a letter dated July 22 from you (or whomsoever), you/your organization had a debt of $16, 879.13 as of that time - and needed my "$20 emergency donation" by Aug. 5, according to p. 1 of your (or whomsoever's) letter, or by Aug. 13, according to p. 2 of said letter.  Curious, that little discrepancy.  Even more curious is the rather larger fact that now you (or whomsoever) say that your debt stands (as of Aug. 12, the date of this present letter) at the phenomenal figure of $28.444.48. 

'Two questions:

'1) Why should I send you good money after obviously bad??  and

'2) Where do you get your figures from?  Out of your ass??  

'Wherever, and whatever - 

sign me

Had Enough         

 send no more mail

No. 2:

'Dear Dan,

'And your proof that you do what you say you do is…???

'Stan

'P.S. Do you and Pat lunch together as well??  I notice that you send out your begging-bowl letters dated the same day and are needing your "$20 emergency donation" from me by the same date.  And use the same blue marker pen… 

'Save your postage - take me off your mailing list.  I'm done with you.'

If these letters seem a bit harsh, I should clarify that both of these outfits have sent me very irksome begging letters many times in the past, and I have sent them back shorter, but similar, comments already.  So it's as if they - or whomsoever - didn't ask for it.

I'll start wrapping this little project up.  More quickly:

Doctors Without  Borders.  A world map enclosed.  Fair enough to make a donation there.  And also because they are a known entity.  A 'worthy cause' indeed.   

Heritage Action.  The lobbying arm of The Heritage Foundation - which I will get to next, in this pile, as well.  This mailing from them acknowledging a recent donation I made to them.  They're doing good, conservative-cause work.  Happy to support them.

Have fallen out of joy with their parent outfit, for the following reasons, as I wrote (in an available small space on his reply form) back to Jim DeMint, ex-senator, and now president of THF:(to a letter acknowledging a donation I made to them recently - before finding out some facts about them - and asking for more):

'Jim:

'1) Obama is NOT a NBC. 

'2) Nullification is a legitimate tool to rein in a rogue government.  Get on the job. 

'Stan' 

- and to a letter from THF in the same pile asking for a renewal of my membership fee (which I turned down):

'Dear Christie (I wrote, with considerably more space in this mailing from them to reply on)

'I would love to support THF - and, you folks have bailed out on two extremely important constitutional points:

'1) Obama is NOT a NBC; according to the intent of that requirement to be the Commander in Chief of the nation's military forces; and

'2) I understand that THF has come out against the constitutional principle of Nullification.  It is a legitimate constitutional tool with which to rein in - check - a rogue federal government.  See Federal Paper No. 46 for another Jim's take on the matter.   [i.e., ref. to James Madison]

'Hoping THF will get up to speed on these matters, I am

'Stan'

Next.  Citizens Against Government Waste.  A big THANK YOU! on the envelope.  This is obviously acknowledging a recent donation I made to them.  And obviously will include a request for more…sigh……

Paralyzed Veterans of America.  (My) 'Limited Edition - Paralyzed Veterans of America - 2014 CALENDAR.  Pictures of WWII-age 'Vintage' planes.  Not into that sort  of thing.  But a nice gesture, and a worthy cause.  Getting a tad pushy, though.  May have come under the control of a professional fundraiser (whose job is not to raise money for the PVA, but to make money for themselves).  If so, I hope they don't ruin making donations to what is a very worthy cause.  If I for one find out that only a pittance is making it to the PVA, I'm outta here.

Next.  Oh dear.  Another teary letter from Eugene Delgaudio, President of Public Advocate of the U.S..  Lonely fighter of the homosexual lobby.  Another outfit gone deep into debt...

'Dear Eugene,

'I gave to you already.  Stop with the poor-me letters.

'Stan'

I think the letters he sends out are from the same 'professional fundraiser' outfit as the other obnoxious ones cited earlier.  Slightly different.  But with the same obnoxious tone.

Do they teach professional fundraisers to harp on and on, with the same paragraphs repeated over and over?  If so, why??  Is it supposed to 'embed the message', in our simpleton brains???  I don't get it.  Literally.  I reject it, constitutionally.

Getting there.  From the David Horowitz Freedom Center.  Good outfit., and man.  Ah.  'Free Booklet Enclosed.'  It's another one on Islam.  An earlier one - by the same man (with David joining in on the credits on that one) - pointed out how non-Muslims, according to the Koran, are "the most vile of created beings", and that supposed holy source commands that Muslims must fight against Jews and Christians until they pay a religion-based poll tax, called jizya, "with willing submission and feel themselves subdued". 

But I bought that "Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance," according to Obama???  

I guess it depends on who you talk to.  Anyway, I look forward to getting into this little booklet also.

Almost there!  

A new outfit; 'Remember America's Heritage'.  I wonder whose mailing list this outfit got my name from…but it looks like a worthwhile enterprise.  'Why are leftists out to get America's Sheriff Joe?' it says on the outside.  Ah yes - and another one, on the same general subject, in the same pile; this one from Joe Arpaio himself.  Asking - or at least his professional fundraiser asking - for financial support for his re-election.

A very worthy cause.  Especially considering his honorable attempts to get Congress to look at al the evidence that his Cold Cade Posse has turned up identifying the Obama birth certificate, as he posted it on the White House web site, to be a forgery.11   But I am feeling very tapped out from all these worthy causes…    

Oh - and the last one in this pile.  A big envelope.  From - 

oh.  This is the mailing from The National Children's Cancer Society…

But it's a rather valid note to end this rundown on.  To say:

I don't care if some of these cancer outfits/names are on the list of phony fronts.  It's symptomatic of what's going on these days:

Dis-ease up the old wazoo.

And I won't stand for it much longer.

--

And now: another day.  Another pile of mail.

Samo samo.

Getting rather tiresome.

Wouldn't you say, too???

                                                              

---

footnotes:

1 And some not-so-worthy; in fact, downright unworthy.  Read on.  

2 I was aware, of course, to some extent of that matter, from the periodic returns of the national elections; but they didn't give me a very accurate picture of what what was going on beneath that international surface report 

3 and then arrogantly refusing to loan the bailout monies - i.e., the taxpayers' money (or at least, their responsibility to cover it) - to Main Street for recovery from the recession that the banks created (in cahoots with the politicians who created the toxic subprime mortgage debacle), rather, paying down their debts, and 'awarding' themselves handsome bonuses out of it.  

     Are these people deliberately trying to create a revolution in this country??

     Actually: Need I ask???

4 'If you don't send me your $20 emergency donation within the next two weeks  to help me pay off my debt of (such-and-such), I'll be forced to close my doors' kind of thing.  Hey, 'my friend,'  - close them.  If you need my $20 emergency donation to survive, you're a goner.

     And stop saying 'we,' as in 'we - you and I - need to stop Ban Ki-moon in his tracks'…'And that''s why it's crucial that we keep the U.S. Freedom Fund alive…your $20 emergency donation' will not make a difference between your closing your doors or not, 'my friend'.  And when you say 'we' are responsible for the success or failure of your mission, it makes 'me' feel like pulling a Tonto on you.  "Looks like we're surrounded by Indians, Tonto."  "What do you mean 'we,' White Man?" 

          

5 E.g., the title of one article in the Spring 2013 edition of their newsletter AICR ScienceNow: 'Biomarkers; Improving the Research in Diet and Cancer Prevention'.   

6 And if you're going to say, 'Hey, they're probably a scam, too,'  at least they're putting people on the right track: of taking responsibility for their own health.  

7 And the upbeat statement on its cover as well: 'Imagine a world without cancer!'  Not likely, with their approach to the matter.  But don't you just want to look inside that promising cover??  What a wonderful experience this is going to be, looking inside…

     Not.

8 Occasioned by a 'spiritual experience' I had at university, halfway through my Junior year there.  Another story.

9 In the event, I 'insinuated' my way into Special Services, in the Seventh Division Headquarters Company in Korea, where I spent my tour of duty writing and doing the logistics for our Division's Soldier Shows, and doing the organizing for and hosting of touring show troupes, from other parts of Korea and from the Koreans themselves and from the U.S.   But that's all another story.   

     A cushy job, I don't mind admitting to.
     (As for my putting the word 'insinuated' in single quote marks: I originally used 'finagled' there, but in looking up its given definition, found that it had a stronger connotation - of illegality - than I was looking to convey.  I think usage has moved it from such a strong original base; but I didn't want to leave the impression that I did anything illegal to move into that branch of the Army.  Simply: a guy who was based in our Medical Battalion but went out on 'tour of duty' (TDY) as a musician with the Division's Soldier Shows (he was a saxophonist, as I recall) talked to some of us one day about that branch - called Special Services; which also involved sports - and recommended that if any of us had any interest whatsoever in that 'area' of the Division's operations, to come and talk to him.  I had an interest in such things as putting together and writing shows/skits; one thing led to another from there.)     

10 No, I won't be taking you up on your offer to advance the cause of research into the causes of cancer, Dear Friend at S-K.  I don't believe that your approach is going to get us there.  Nor is it designed to get us there.  But thanks for the goodies.  Oh - and P.S.  On the back of the little notepad that you included in your mailing, where you printed a small calendar starting with this September, you misspelled the word.

     But that's okay.  It fits, in a way.  And I was never all that impressed with your take on things, anyway.

     (Even a half-way intelligent society should have recognized by now that the way that the establishmentarian - profit oriented - 'experts' were approaching the matter of cancer wasn't working, and that they should get off that bus and try another.  Or rather, that it was working: to the financial benefit of the medical-pharmaceutical complex. 
      23-story leading-edge research facility....to find drugs that people can take as treatment - 'health maintenance' - for their entire lives.........the mind boggles, at the mendacity of it all.........)

11 Though the birth certificate issue is not the key factor here - however, it has become one.  Since Obama has stated and claimed that Barack Obama Sr. was his father, he was rendered ineligible for the office right there; not being a "natural born citizen", which is one without dual citizenship, having been born of two U.S. citizen parents.  But with the addition of the forgery on the White House web site, he has been involved in a felony.  And therefore has rendered himself invalid.  A fitting end to his illegal reign.