Help

Some time ago I already wrote about this subject, but I have to update it because things are getting more and more ridiculous. Charities are an important part of our lives. We give because we can, and it is a moral obligation. It should not matter if it is to help people or animals in distress. And when we do it should make us feel good.

But the problem is that once we give it opens up the way to countless of charities bombarding us for help. Every day we get in the mail 5-6 letters from various charities asking for money. Animal groups are running head to head with people charities.

We got mail and brochures from groups protecting horses, draw horses, dogs, cats, donkeys, elephants and lately bees. I am sure there are animals I forgot to mention. Oh, also ASPCA, Humane Society, Audobon Society and every other animal protection group. It is now taking ridiculous proportions. Once a person gives in good faith the name must be listed in a major database because since the firs donation they are coming out of the woodwork. 

Unfortunately, the same applies to human charities also. We gave once and since then the asking for contributions never stopped. Indian schools, hospitals, veteran groups and many others are regular members of our mailbox.

I feel sorry for all these but there must be a limit to what people can give. And in today's world where scam artists flourish how can one tell what is real and what is a scam? The only solution in my opinion is not to give any more. It is not right but it is safe.

Horses

Draw horses

bees  donkeys  elephants  dogs  cats  

Cemetery

The largest Jewish cemetery in Budapest was opened in 1891; It claims to be the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe. Christian cemeteries (at least in Hungary) keep a grave for 20 years if no payments are made and then exhume what is left and sell the site again. In Jewish cemeteries the gravesite remains until the end of time.

Now very interestingly the Budapest Jewish Cemetery survived the holocaust pretty much with no damage to it. But the damage done to the people is irreparable. Entire families perished and that meant that graves were left without any living member caring for it. This cemetery would not touch a grave unless care is paid for, and even then, their involvement was questionable.

There are sections there that are impossible to approach because lack of the decades of care created jungle like environment. Sadly, no living family members were around to care for this. Why do I know this? because my parents. my grandparents and other family members are resting there.

This lack of care created a class of entrepreneurs/gardeners who divided up cemetery among themselves for pay-for-care. I found a very nice gentlemen who took care of my father's grave whenever I asked him, And. then there was nice, not bashful Erzsi who took care of my mother's grave. I used to drive out there and she always, mysteriously appeared from the bushes to greet me. I used to telephone her maybe a month before my trip and asked her to fix up the gravesite. When it came to price, she was not too bashful, but she did good work.

Now, I have not been there for years, and I can not imagine what it must look like. The mother of a friend told me that she paid for a grave's maintenance to the Budapest Jewish Organization who is responsible for this cemetery but besides taking her money nothing else happened. Thus, the entrepreneurs. My wife visited my parents' graves and told me about the positive changes they were making there.

A few years ago, some group called the Friends of Budapest Jewish Cemetery, based in New York came to life. Their purpose is to restore the cemetery as much as possible. They keep sending me newsletters and photos and I have to admit they do remarkable work. Clearing jungles and restoring old, damaged monuments. They take donations and I guess they have enough to do this work. I am happy that finally somebody took the reins to take care of this very sensitive issue. The bad thig is that it had to come from afar because the local Jewish group couldn't care about it!       

Sorry

 Sorry, again!

Sad Times

According to statistics Columbia University has 36,649 students. Out of this number, 20,321 are international students. Now only either the remaining 16,328 American students are demonstrating, or the foreign students are also involved. If this is the case, then I ask what business is it for them what this country's foreign policy is.

They came here to study and hopefully take their knowledge back to their home countries and not to take parts in demonstrations and fight police. This is a free country. If they do not like what is happening here they are free to back to their own countries like India, Pakistan, Liby, Iraq or whatever they came from because I am sure over there their dissents will be greatly appreciated.

They already said that the demonstrators are not all college students. There are instigators mixed in who are not students at all. This is very disturbing. But as far as the foreign students, why not to cancel their visas and make them go home? Actually, I already heard a senator say the same thing. All the news stations are showing nothing but these happenings and every commentator agrees that they are very disturbing.

Apparently, our president does not think so because there was no official comment from the White House and he did not say anything so far. But the day is not over.

Really Good Country America!?  

 

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!