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Dorothy Copus Brush Today's column truly is random Random thoughts - today's column is just that
- several of my random thoughts. ·Habitat for Humanity is firmly installed
in Crossville, and it has proved how important the work is. The
founder and president of the worldwide movement, Millard Fuller,
will be in Cookeville for the Mid-America Regional Conference
Nov. 10-11. This would be the chance for local folks to hear
this man who transformed a vision into action. For more information,
call Jim Crowley in Cookeville at (615) 254-6300. ·For many years cereal companies have
added little gifts in the box as an incentive to buy their breakfast
foods. The small tokens were chosen according to what was high
on youngsters' hit list. It wasn't surprising then that General
Mills included CD-ROMS in 12 million boxes of Cheerios. They
covered several subjects, computer games, dictionaries and the
BIBLE! Complaints rolled in and the company issued
an apology. "While inclusion of the Bible may be seen as
added value by some, it is the company's policy not to advance
any particular set of religious beliefs. Inclusion of this material
does not conform to our policy, and we apologize for the lapse." Others praised the company for including moral
fiber along with nutritional fiber. One talk show host quipped
that the company had broken the separation between religion and
breakfast. ·Speaking of cereal, if you hear youngsters
talking about special K, don't assume they are discussing cereal.
This is the name used for one dangerous drug that has entered
the teen drug scene. Another is cotton candy. The growth of club
drugs, also known as designer drugs, has been rapid and parents
must be aware of the names used for these deadly substances.
There is adam, X, crystal and rocket fuel as well as the more
familiar terms crank and ecstasy. The terminology changes constantly
but the dangerous effects remain horrific. ·Has it been only a month since the
Olympics? I can still hear "Waltzing Matilda" racing
around in my brain. If Tennessee was ever the setting for this
spectacular the world's ears would ring with "Rocky Top." But back to "Matilda" and what I
learned about the words. Matilda is not a girl, but the nickname
for a bedroll, also called a "swag." The swagman is
the Australian term for a hobo, and the billabong is a small
body of water in the bush. The words "And he sang as he
watched and waited 'til his billy boiled" refer to the sheep
he poached and was about to have for lunch. I enjoyed the sports events and learned about
the meaning of the song I heard over and over. ·Another World Series is history. I'm not a rabid sports fan, but I try to watch the big events. The World Series games I enjoyed most were those in past years when they were played in the afternoon by players who weren't millionaires and didn't consider themselves stars. |