Synonyms: correct, right
February 2003
� you are probably aware of the significance of the open visor [on a knight�s helmet], and the custom derived therefrom in later cultures. Supposedly, when the knight was on the road in full armor with his visor closed, he would open it up on meeting someone if his intentions were friendly. This led subsequently to the custom of the gentleman lifting his hat to greet a lady which became the rule in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century. In my youth, men who wore suits and neckties as their regular dress, in the profession, in business, or in education for the most part word hats. The custom, in its ultimate vestigial form, involved raising the hand to touch the hat brim in front, upon greeting a woman.
Since my life has been so incredibly long, I have had occasion to see customs change, come and go, several of which do not please me much. The ubiquitous baseball cap signifies �redneck� as clearly as any other badge of identity, with a maximum I.Q. of 85. If worn reversed, with visor to the rear, deduct 15 I.Q. points. The cloddish wearers tend to keep them on everywhere, indoors, in restaurants, theaters or whatever, which is their right, but does seem silly.
The cowboy hat was always worn by real Westerners dealing with horses and cattle when out of doors, but in my youth it was removed indoors, as is logical. For some unexplained reason, in the past 35 years or so the culture has changed, and the hard-bitten Western would-be cow-types keep the hat firmly bolted on the head at all times, indoors and out. I was pleased to hear of an incident in a Texas courtroom where the principal in a legal action wore his cowboy hat. The Judge directed him to remove it, and he responded �I only take off my hat for my momma,� whereupon the Judge said �Contempt,� and fined him. I believe the ultimate silliness was reached in a picture of a wedding couple which recently appeared on the Record Searchlight�s Engagements/Weddings page. The bride and groom were both wearing white cowboy hats, thus being protected alike from sunstroke or such hailstorms as might occur in the sanctuary during the nuptials. The question remains, how do people wearing hats with 6-inch wide brims manage to kiss each other, with hats on?
April 2003
To the Record Searchlight
Dear Sir:
This �Shasta Gardener� column by Marc Soares, regarding olive trees, seized my attention. Olives are native to the lands bordering the Mediterranean, but were absent from the western hemisphere until introduced by Europeans.
[The column states that] Olives are long-lived, and some the in the Sierra foothills and Tehama County could be 1500 years old. The riveting question is: Who planted them?
About 1500 years ago, the legendary St. Brendan was said to have crossed the Atlantic in a coracle, which is an open, round vessel, of bent wooden ribs covered with skins. It lacks bow or stern, and is utterly unsuited to navigating through the straights of Magellan to reach California. Further, there were no olives in Ireland.
About 1000 years ago, the Viking Leif Ericson reached the new world, but 500 year-old olive trees would have been an awkward cargo in an open sail and oar driven long ship. Olives are not found in Norway, nor does history suggest that Ericson reached California.
About 500 years ago, the Italian Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean area, but it is difficult to believe that the tiny Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria could have accommodated many bulky 1000 year old olive tress. The means by which the could have vaulted from Hispaniola to California remains unexplained.
About 400 years ago, Sir Francis Drake certainly reached California, but how many 1100 year old olive trees his 100 ton ship �Golden Hind� could have carried, and how the were conveyed inland to the Sierras, is unclear. (Incidentally, �Hind� means female red deer; not fanny).
Some years ago the Record Searchlight introduced us to the 62 square chessboard, and large trees of 12 foot diameter and 20 foot circumference. This column reinforces the impression that journalists tend to be mathematically challenged, and the author meant to describe trees that were 150 years old. A ten-fold error in measurement is trifling in a column, but matters in designing a bridge or in judging a beauty contest.
February 2003
