The life we live

On May 4, 1970, in Kent, Ohio, 28 National Guardsmen fire their weapons at a group of anti-war demonstrators on the Kent State University campus, killing four students, wounding eight, and permanently paralyzing another.

This is what happened in 1970. Now the new approach is sucking up to the demonstrators instead punishing them for breaking the law. Bunch of students took over a building at Columbia University, barricading themselves inside. In the process they were destroying University property. But the authorities are not doing anything.

It that was when we were having laws and law enforcement agencies. Now it seems these agencies are afraid to do much because of the uproar that follows every step they take. This the typical "you are damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation.

And in the meantime, lawlessness prevails. Anti Israel, antisemitism and what else? Are pogroms following these political outbursts? I certainly hope not. We had enough of those in the 1940s and we all know where it led to. Unfortunately, today's young people have no idea where such behavior might lead to.

I ask if they really think that such behavior will force this country or Israel to change their policies? I don't think so. What it will lead to is that people will say that a bunch of spoiled American youngsters have no idea about the seriousness and of the consequences of their acts. They don't care about being dismissed from college, they don't care about ruining the future of other students who just want to study. I can fathom what they really care about. 

Time will tell and I am curious to see how this debacle will end.

Good country America? 

Living

Saturday I ran out of time to write my daily contribution. And I had a very good reason. It was not for laziness or forgetfulness. It was simply because I was busy. Yesterday was the perfect example of apartment living versus living in your own home. 

I live in an apartment building renting a nice comfortable apartment. The building has a live-in superintendent who supposed to be around 24/7. Everything in the apartment with the exceptions of the furniture and our belongings are owned by the landlord. If anything goes bad it is his responsibility to repair it, fix it with no cost to us.

And that was what happened Saturday. Abigail cuts her hair every week and that hair goes into the bathroom sink. By Saturday it got so bad that it was impossible to drain the sink, it was all clogged up. My wife and I both tried to clear it with a plunger, but that didn't work. Then she decided to take the pipes underneath apart. That did not help either. We were forced to go to the last resort, ask the super to come up.

Saturday is his usual day off, so he was not very happy, but since we have a good relationship with him, he did come. He took everything apart and came to the conclusion that the clogging was in the portion of the drainpipe that was in the wall. He had to bring up his electric snake and that eventually did clear up everything. He also confirmed that the culprit was hair (Abigail's).

This work lasted quite some time aside from the mess that it created. His efforts were generously rewarded but it was still cheaper than calling a plumber which would have been the case had this home were owned by us. We told Abigail if this happens again, she will have to pay for the labor. She doesn't believe us.

After years of living in apartments I maintain that the most important person in an apartment building one should be friendly with is the super. He is the one who can fix anything and if one is on good terms he even comes to help fast. This just proves that money is the solution to most problems.

Sunday

 Short and sweet: it is Sunday!

Sorry

 I had a very busy day yesterday and had no chance to write. Sorry!

Scam

Every two weeks or so I get a copy of the AARPBulletin. This is a publication of AARP and usually it contains a lot of interesting and useful information. They usually range from medical to scams. However lately they give an enormously large information about scams that exist and take advantage of the elderly. 

P.T. Barnum supposedly said that ther's a sucker born every minute. Scammers always find their target in the elderly and clueless. It is sad to read the stories where these heartless beings take every penny they can put their hands on. I read these articles and try to be very cautious and watchful about every email and telephone call I get.

But here is something I find peculiar. Today I received an AARP membership renewal letter requesting to renew our expiring membership. The letter was real, not fake. The problem I am having with this that our memberships do not expire until October 2024, six months from now. Why trying to collect money six months early?

I tell you why, because in the next six months there will be several reminders in the mail. AARP is counting on that us, old and forgetful people will not remember if we already paid and will pay again and again. As far as I can see it this is a scam! AARP should be ashamed of themselves.

Medical

Last week I had my annual physical. Abigail and I went together since we are using the same family doctor, a Russian lady. The exams went well. At the end she ordered ECGs for both of us and those were done immediately. Thank God both our results were fine. I looked at my chart and it was beautiful with nice even graphs.

Today Abigail and I went for the requested blood tests. Those were done in the morning on an empty stomach. My technician had a problem finding blood. She said I have "wiggly" veins. She jabbed me but no blood came out. So, she jabbed me again and then it flowed. I was tickled pink being jabbed over and over again. Then at the end she gave me a jar and told me to fill it. Well, to do it on order is not easy. I was really not prepared for such request. But I put my mind to work, and I succeeded! It is a good thing this was not a fertility clinic because I would have been in serious trouble! 

In a day or so the results should be coming in.  This establishment has a patient chart where all results are automatically downloaded to. Sometimes the patient sees the results before the doctors do, so I will probably see them before she will. Actually by 6:45pm my results came in, and they were all disgustingly good for a 87 year old "youngster".

When I know that there will be blood tests involved, I usually ask the doctors to request it before my visit this way the results are already in. At this visit I forget to ask, now I have to draw my own conclusions. I hope if something is that bad, she would ask for a new visit. But I also hope there is nothing bad. I want to be around for a while!

 

Jokes

An elderly couple is sitting at each end of the dining room table, having dinner. The wife says to her husband: "you know Josef, I still feel a warmth in my chest about you". The husband responds: "you know Maria, your left tit is hanging in the bean soup and that's what you are feeling".

Madeline and Charles are two nice elderly couple in their eighties. Both are residents in the same nursing home. As time went by, they developed romantic feeling towards each other. This was resulted in heavy pettings whenever they were alone. Madeline has five children and 12 grandchildren. Charles had four daughters and eight grandchildren. During one of those hot and heavy moments Madeline remarked that Chrles should be very careful because she did not want any more children. "I can not deal with any more babies, I had my share," said she. Charles added that he also had enough and said he couldn't handle any more graduations and weddings!

Dying wife is asking her husband: "darling when I dye will you look for a new woman for yourself?" "It is possible" says the husband. "And is it possible that she will move into this house?" said the wife. "That is also possible" says the husband. "And will she use my pots and pans?" asks the dying wife. "That is also possible" answers the husband. "And will she also use my golf clubs?" asks the wife. "That is impossible, she is lefthanded".