Flying the way it used to be (and still should)
I remember around 1980 when my wife and kids and I took a Singapore Airlines flight from New Zealand to Japan. The service was sublime, and the food, including unlimited free drinks, was top class. Seconds on smoked salmon? Just ask. And this was coach class.
My kids were interested in the airplane, so I flagged down the flight attendant and asked if my kids could go up and see the cockpit. She went up to ask permission from the captain, and came back and told us that the captain said OK and we could go on up.
The kids and I went up to the cockpit and the captain was REALLY nice. He spent about 10 minutes with us, showing us the flight controls and instruments, and answering all the kids’ questions. He even gave them those little wings that they had back then.
We thanked the captain and flight attendant and went back to our seats, going away with an extremely pleasant experience that we will always remember. And unfortunately, one that can never happen again.
David Alexander
Death penalty a measure of justice to family, society
A recent editorial in the PVT reminded me that while death and taxes may be inevitable, what isn’t nearly so certain is that justice will prevail.
There is a man now waiting on Nevada’s death row who was convicted of a particularly heinous murder. It has been reported that he wants to be executed without further delay. But he, along with prison officials and the people of Nevada, are stymied. Why? Because certain required lethal drugs are not available. And this we are told is due to the source of these pharmaceuticals being reluctant to supply them. If that strikes you as absurd, you are not alone.
Think about this. When law-abiding Americans are sent off to war, some will not return alive. But on the matter of capital punishment, opinions vary sharply. These questions persist. How should it be done? And, should convicted killers actually be put to death? Because exceptional circumstances may arise, every case must be dealt with on its own merits. Meanwhile, common criminals, psychotics, and zealots of every stripe, go about murdering people they don’t even know and who have done them no harm.
Those in opposition to the death penalty might change their minds after personally experiencing the pain and trauma of losing a family member or friend at the hands of a cold-blooded killer. Let them watch as the dead are photographed in place and remain there until a forensics team has done its work. Let them see the corpses being placed in body bags. And let them watch as the killer is taken away, alive more often than not, to a confinement facility where medical treatment and food are provided.
When all arguments have been exhausted and the death sentence imposed, execution by firing squad is sure the quickest, cheapest, arguably the most humane, and certainly an expedient method for dispatching the convicted killer.
That final step can help cleanse and restore an aggrieved community. It can also provide some measure of justice for those who lost their lives, for heartbroken family and friends, and for society as a whole.
It has been said that justice delayed is justice denied. A point of view worth considering.
Ralph Bazan
Man seeks natural answers to friend’s health issue
I am seeking answers through natural ways: I have a very dear friend of nearly 30 years who suffers from stomach problems whenever they eat. The medical terms are Gastroparesis and Lactose Intolerance. I am seeking natural means, nor pharmaceuticals for relief or cure.
The symptoms are bloating due to the fermentation of food in the stomach to look like one is pregnant with twins, also cramps, tremendous pain and nausea.
If anyone knows how to stop the problem or cure it, please respond as it is terrible to watch the problem develop and can’t do anything to stop it.
All those who have gone through this and corrected it by natural means, your input would be very appreciated. Thanks to all.
Henry Hurlbut at 775-751-9989