\ 8 John W. Johnson The Dallas Post | + “A verbal art like poetry is re- flective; it stops to think. Music is “immediate; it goes on to become.” ro "Thus W.H. Auden succinctly : os sapiired why music is capturing, “and other art forms simply capti- vating. And while it’s likely that ~~ the only thing mainstream Amer- +" jca'will ever know about the alter- " native rock group R.E.M. is that it turned down a reported $12 “million from Bill Gates to prosti- “tute one of its songs in promoting “the release of Windows 95, the QQ ‘group merits your attention for ® @ a ‘other than appreciation-of-artis- ““tic-principle reasons. “s+ “It’s the End of the World As We i ‘Know It” was the song Gates is +"“said to have wanted, a song and a ‘group introduced to me by a bril- - liant young woman named Beth. And I haven't been the same “since. “eT 5 [8 L& EN A 1 As Iwas | saying, BI Jack Hilsher * Pondering this, I've discovered -‘more than several things...about “the group, about music in gen- eral, about artitself; indeed about life. Believing that the Beatles would always occupy the toprung on my personal music ladder, R.E.M. has nonetheless captured -»many of the 60's generations, including myself, and at the same _ “This paper's E-mail designa- tion is “dallpost@epix. net.” I would tell you mine but I don't “have one. This i is because I do not 4, expect to go “on-line” any time “modem” - “scroll” - soon. Mebbe never. But I see the U.S. Patent Office plans to do so next month. They will be found at “http://www, uspto. gov.” Once your modem gets hooked up you will be able to scroll through every patent is- sued for the last 20 years. (Notice how I throw around those terms? Right on!) “+, , Won't those patent searches be «thrilling? Are we not ever so lucky to be living in this glorious world of computers? And isn’t the Infor- »mation Hiway going to be grand yfor the human race? <+ Answers to the forgoing three “questions are: no, no and no. “Thoreau wrote in Walden: “Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. We are in ~great haste to construct a mag- La R.E.M. is modern music time, many of the younger intelli- gentsia. Why, I wondered? Described by an early reviewer as “rock's most thoughtful boy scouts’, this garage band from Athens, Georgia recorded its first album in 1982, a five-song effort entitled “Chronicle Town”...(and that reviewer might want to change his view slightly, given lead singer and primary song writer Michael Stipe’s now publicized bisexual- ity). Even in that first album effort, and most certainly since then, one chord, one strain of consis- tency runs throughout the group's music: dichotomy...more about that later. We take billions of pictures and record millions of video hours. We—at least in the world of Chris- tendom—seek heaven. We are scientifically seeking super con- ductivity, hoping to all-but elimi- nate friction. We even build our homes (as opposed to our houses) on earthquake faults in an empty defiance of a known imperma- nence. Why? Vaingloriously, the eternal quest of humanity is for solutions toward permanence: indeed per- manence itself. Therein lies the appeal of R.EM.’s music...not that it provides solutions toward permanence; rather it opines di- chotomies and, therefore speaks to and sustains the hope /mythol- ‘ogy that permanence is possible, even desirable. In other words, if there are always (and usually ‘beyond legendary Beatles opposite options, then perma- nence only awaits some magic or: magician of technology or theol- ogy to cause the square of polari- zation created by dichotomy to become a circle of permanence; ...witness the song “Shiny Happy People”. Putting it another way, R.E.M. speculates about some- thing new under the sun, while declaring there isn't;...witness the song “Man on The Moon.” There isn't. : One need only listen to “Nightswimming”, or, more to the point, “Losing my Religion”, to see the more obvious examples of dichotomies, i.e..."That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight,”..."Now I've said too much. I haven't said enough,”...” think I thought I saw you try.” It's true that some of the Beatle’s popularity was also caused by dichotomies, most notably the song “Glass Onion”, and virutally all of the Fab Four's most revered album, “Sgt. Pep- per’s Lonely Heart's Club Band”. It's also true that this half completed decade reminds those who grew up in the 60's , of the 60's by making it clear that music can, once again, lead the way...here and around the world. It led the way for us in the 60's; and later with Harry Chapin and John Lennon and still later with the Human Rights World Tour; and recently with Billy Joel in Moscow; and earlier, Abba and reggae’s Bob Marley. Lead on R.E.M. Lead on. Cyberspace: Removing the netic telegraph from Maine to Texas, but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.” Substitute “Internet” for “mag- netic telegraph” and you have an up-to-date Thoreau. It reminds me of a friend who, when asked about his family and a favorite dog, said, “Oh we had to get rid of Rover.” Asked why, he replied, “Jimmy was so busy with his new computer he didn't have time to play wtih the dog.” To that I submit - how sad. Time says, “We are the first nation in cyberspace. The num- ber of people on a network doubles every year.” Yet Cliff Stoll, com- puter expert and author, says if this is true everyone on earth will be connected by 2003 and that is absolutely impossible. Don’t get me wrong in all this. Iwas the guy who was never going to own a word processor, and now I wouldn't be without mine. And I probably will resist a PC for the foreseeable future but I am sick of all the hype flooding over us about how different the world is going to be “soon.” Take the touted E-mail for example. ' It is impersonal and slow. Not to mention boring. A handwritten note is cheaper, more reliable, faster, and can express magic from communication : thoughts and emotions far better. Take the networks.; Suppos- edly we are to have “fast access to vast quantities of information.” There will be “bookless libraries” Imagine. You are to be able to browse through the Library of Congress’ 35 million records. Yeah? Ever hear of copyrights? You are being handed a con job...libraries cannot broadcast creative works because of copy- right laws. And even if they could, scanning a book to digitalize it for sending it to your computer would take hours of search time and cost hundreds of dollars per minute. Of course you'll be told ad- vances in technology will take care of all that. Again, yeah? The technological highway is cluttered with the dead corpses of things which were supposed to change our info storage and retrieval for- ever. Like the 33, 45 and 78 records, punch cards, 8-track tapes, 8mm movies, reel to reel audio tape, and scads of sizes and styles of floppy disks and on and on. (Including the famous and fantastic CD-ROM's, the latest dose of snake oil we are being fed.) Don’t say you weren't warned. Digital Utopia ain't here yet, and even when it does arrive it won't be what it’s cracked up to be! / -." MORE LOCAL NEWS + MORE PHOTOS + MORE ADS - MORE OPINIONS re and still only $18 a year. The Dallas Post - the Back Mountain's paper since 1889 Jim Elect "Red" PHILLIPS & JONES New, Full-Time Leadership You Can Trust! Paid for by Friends of Red Jones LIBRARY By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library is featuring in the display case a collection of whales bor- rowed from Melissa Sorber, who is in 7th grade at Lake-Lehman School. She is 13 years old and has been collecting whales for the past five years. She originally got interested in the ‘Adopt A Whale’ program and adopted her whale, Olympia, for three years. ' Melissa sent money to protect the whales and the organization sends information about the whale. She sent bubble gum wrappers in one time and adopted another whale - ‘Big Fin’. While she was on whale watches, she saw the whale, “Tracks”. She now receives whales as gifts for birthdays, Christmas and when on trips. Her room at home is actually a ‘whale room’; in that she has whales on her bedspread, curtains, rug, sun catchers on windows and also a whale tele- phone. There are small pewter whales in the display, a large whale made from a kit of wood pieces; a music box featuring whales that plays ‘Love Makes the World Go Round’; while the whales move around. There is a 25¢ stamp made into a puzzle with a whale on it; and a cookie cutter for whale cookies. There are whales made from plas- tic, cloth and all sorts of different materials. THANKS Editor: We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all the neighbors, friends and especially to the staff at Tyler Memorial Hospital for their kindness and concern during our Dad's recent hospitalization. He is now home in Noxen. { Daughters of Jacob Simon Sandra Simon McCarron Michal Simon Razvillas - _ & ’ 'Pod’ of whales visits library Many of the whales were pur- chased in Plymouth, MA as was the large stained glass whale. There is a coffee cup with a whale from Knoebels Grove and books about the Gentle Giants and Whales and Dolphins. The mod- els of whales include a beluga, humpback, sperm, bowhead, blue and gray whales. The display makes an interesting study into the lives of whales. They will be at the library until November 22nd. The Back Mountain Memorial Library is selling the ‘Dine-A-Mate book ‘96’ at the front desk in the library. The project is sponsored by the Friends of the Library members. The book includes your membership card, which should be carried at all times as it may be required along with coupons to receive discounts. As a member, you can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars simply by taking advantage of all the bene- fits the book entitles you to. Special discounts are included on fine dining, family and casual dining, fast food and carry out, recreation, services, travel and more! There are many fine restau- rants with special discounts; special discounts also on family and casual and fast food restau- rants; included are special deals on adventure parks, movie the- atres, baseball games, zoos, golf courses, car washes, fitness clubs, bowling lanes, automobile deals, eye glass centers; and special values at hotels and travel accom- modations. The ‘Dine-A-Mate’ book sells for $25.00 and it also makes a nice gift for someone for a special occasion. New books at the library: “Amnesia Moon” by Jonathan Lethem is the Wizard of oz re- made as road noir. Since the war . and the bombs, Hatfork, Wyo- ming, is a sick town, full of mu- tants and sexual deviants. Chaos lives in the projection booth in the abandoned Multiplex, trying to blot out his present, unable to remember his past. Then, Kel- logg, the local tyrant, reveals that the bombs never fell. The truth is a little more complicated. “The Education of Oscar Fairfax” is a wise and masterly novel by Louis Auchincloss which gives us a man who takes the measure of himself—and his times—with heart and insight of a new Henry Adams. Linking three generations of a Wall Street law firm, the book provides a reveal- ing portrait of the American up- Dallas, PA Wednesday, November 1, ic 5 per classes throughout our ¢en- tury; the social landscape that Auchincloss has made so distin¢- tively his own. A fascinating story. New large print books at the library: “After Dark” by Phillip Margolin is a gripping, legal thriller. A law clerk has been found murdered in a deserted courthouse; there are no clues. “The Apocalypse Watch” by Robert Ludlum is a lightning- -fast suspense novel. Sting is one ‘of CIA's most brilliant operatives. But something has gone very wrong. His cover is blown. “The Year of the Virgins™ by Catherine Cookson, an exquisitely rendered novel brings the English north country into this century with a turbulent tale of family conflict and mother’s love." : “Dream Man” by Linda Howard centers around the Orlando po- lice department and Detective Dane Hollister when he meets Marlie with her clairvoyance and his desire for her. Meadows seeks program volunteers, groups The Activities Department at the Meadows Nursing Center would like to hear from service organizations; scout troops, church, school and college classes who are interested in sponsoring or planning a special event party or program, adopt a grandparent or who have to complete community service hours. Groups and individuals are welcome on a one-time or continuing basis. Please call the volunteer/activity department at 675-8600, exten- sions 138 or 139. Election Day Hoagie and Bake Sale ran Shavertown Ladies Auxiliary will hold a Hoagie Sale and Bake Sale on Nov. 7, Election Day, at the Shavertown Fire Hall. Orders must be : gi in by Oct. 27. Call 675-4514. "To be interviewed by Grace Dove is to end up as a friend, feeling you've known her much longer than it took" In addition, she writes extremely well, takes a good picture and can fill other newspaper slots in a pinch. Like editing, scheduling, typesetting, layout, reviewing press releases and even that pesky switchboard. Grace lives in Franklin Township where she cares for Buddy the Beagle and Fancy the Cat. Grace has two hobbies, which seem not to belong together..one is shooting muzzle loader rifles, the other is as an accomplished beadwork artist of week. Native American descent. Her work has been exhibited nationally. If that weren't enough, Grace reads a lot and likes nature photography, when she has time. Her dad, Harry Richie, now retired, lives in Florida ~~ ~~ and naturally gets The Post every : She was a journalism student in high school and is a '72 Wilkes grad. Grace is another local person who helps put out the Back Mountain's hometown paper, The Dallas Post. The Back Mountain 's The Dallas Po st The Back Mountain's hometown paper ...from people who live here in an
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers