My father ran an RV company, Atlas Recreational Vehicles back in the early Seventies. They were based in Mason City, IA.

Back then, they were still competitive with Winnebago. Gas was still in the 35¢ a gallon range, motor homes were not the monsters they are now. They were fun. My brother and I delivered units around the country on breaks from college. Our sister worked in the office during summers.

I loved being involved in it. Even when the union goons fire bombed a proto-type mini-RV after our line workers voted no on unionizing. Even when Scoop Jackson's campaign caravan ran me off the road in north Florida while I was making a delivery. It was fun.

That all changed when AMF bought Atlas out. Shortly after that, they proceeded to run the company into the ground for a tax loss, just like they did or tried to do with other companies. Just remember, AMF stands for Amoral Motherfuckers, at least back then.

Winnebago and others suffered in the 1974 oil crisis, but rebounded, suffered under subsequent later ones, but came back. They will after this crisis, too. They will come back smarter, more efficient. They will come back because RVs are fun. RVs appeal to that unique American wanderlust and sense of adventure.

If Dad were still around, he'd be agreeing with me and looking for a way to get back into it. Damn skippy he would.

"Life on Mars" has been a pure joy. I am sad that I failed to record it, much like I did with the equally good show, "Journeyman."

Let's face it folks, had the original "The Prisoner" been made today, it would be gone in two months, tops.

Any prime time prograsm that makes one actually think is doomed.

This whole article had me flashing back to my sophmore year of high school, when I was taking "library science", i.e., being the student aide in my school's library.

One day, as I was reshelving books, I chanced upon a thick tome in the reference section, Dennis Partridge's Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (Oxford University Press). Intrigued, I thumbed through it, only to find close to a full page devoted to "the f word" and its combinations with other words.

Wow. Just the thing to peak the interest of a 16 year old male. So I casually mentioned it to a few friends.

Two days later, I come into the library to find half of the football team huddled over a table in the reference section, giggling like school girls. Of course, they got word of the book and are checking it out.

Unfortunately, this also attracted the attention of the middle-aged spinster librarian who went over to see what the commotion was about. As she saw the page in question, she visibly reddened. From that day on, said dictionary resided in her office and any student who wanted to consult it had to have a teacher's note.

Forty plus years on, I still find that endlessly amusing.

Some years ago, there was a two part mini-series on "The Big One" hitting California. At present, I cannot recall the title.

Not only did I watch it, but I recorded it on VHS as I was not going to be home to watch it at the time of the original broadcast. Really, I only did that as the special effects looked interesting.

So, I am watching it on tape and there is one point in the story where there is a faux news broadcast in it, just after the initial quake hits. OK, fine, but as I am watching it, the faux news broadcast, the "reporter" is stating that martial law has been declared for the stricken area. However, just to ram it home, there is a newscrawl/caption across the bottom of the screen of the faux news report that reads "MARSHALL LAW DECLARED."

In short, WTF?!?!

I stopped the tape and backed it up, just to make sure I wasn't imagining this. Nope. They screwed the pooch on this one. Even worse, they re-broadcast it a year later with the same mistake.

Honestly, there are sometimes I weep for our future.

just want to throw their weight around because they can.

Four years ago, I was awakened at 3 AM by the smoke alarm in the hall of my apt. building. The alcholic woman across and down the hall from me had passed out with some stuff on the stove and it caught fire.

As the hall was filling with smoke, I grabbed my cat and went out the back dowor to the parking lot, put him in my car and went back in to make sure everyone else was out. They were, so I left out the front door with a little smoke inhalation, but first making sure my apt. door was closed, to minimise smoke damage.

Our manager had gotten the fire out by the time the firemen and police got there, but the firemen went thru and checked all apts., as they should. what I didn't like was that I could see them repeatedly going into my apt. and leaving the door open, even though it was perfectly clear no one was in there.

I went up to one and asked him to have his crew to please close my door and keep it shut. I was then told I was "interferring" and could be arrested. I told him all I was asking was to shut my door and minimise the smoke damage.

(cont'd)