Anniversary

I know I repeat myself, but birthdays are also celebrated every year, and nobody says it is boring. So this is my blog, and I can repeat whatever I want.

October 31 is Halloween and also the anniversary of my landing in this here great count October 31, 1957 I landed agt what was then called Idelwild Airport, today JFK Airport. 66 years ago that it happened. Lots of things happened in that time but the bottom line is that I am not sorry that I came.

I don't know how my life would have turned out had I stayed in Hungary, but I am pretty sure this was a good move. Nobody gave me a guarantee when I landed, and I was not expecting one. I gathered that I would have to study and work if I wanted to make life and exactly that was what I did.

All my life I worked, never wanted and needed any charity and right now I am pretty satisfied with what I achieved. I'm not saying that a few millions wouldn't have made any difference but still, it is ok right now. I spent three quarters of my life here in the US and I guess that makes me more American than Hungarian. But still I like my roots, I like the language and most of all like their food.

Sunday

 Sunday that is!

Poem II

 The week is over, the week is over                                                                                                                   Now I can relax and mull my power                                                                                                                 It is easy, I have none                                                                                                                                       All my influences are gone 

With age comes knowledge and gray hairs                                                                                                        As time moves on things do change                                                                                                                I I move slower so does my brain                                                                                                                        I hop around with the help of a cane

Stumble, yes once in a while                                                                                                                              But always stand up for what's right                                                                                                                Falling down always hurt                                                                                                                                  But getting up always worked   

                                                                                                                                           

  

Poem

 I love chicken soup very much                                                                                                                         I would put matzoh balls in it by the bunch                                                                                                       Stuffed cabbage I really hate                                                                                                                             I don't remember the last I ate                                                                                                                it

There is a seafood called conch                                                                                                                         It is good but not as much                                                                                                                                 As an oyster in the raw                                                                                                                                       With a shot of vodka and the roe

Caviar that is, if you didn't know                                                                                                                      It is expensive the good one                                                                                                                              But worth it at the end                                                                                                                                        Because you can brag about what you just had                                                                                                                        

House

The two ring circus in Washington, D.C. finally elected a new Speaker. It took about four ill-fated votes to finally elected a Speaker. I have no clue who this guy is, never heard of him but if they like him, it is ok with me. Everybody want to do so much good for the American people that it is ridiculous.

The Republicans who are holding the current majority in the House held up the working of the Congress because that idiot Goetz instigated the removal of the previous Speaker. After this final vote they all congregated on the steps of the Congress building for a group picture and wildly congratulating themselves like idiots. It was a ridiculous scene.

Every time each side is making a speech, they are trying to say that what they are doing is for the benefit of the American people. The only question I have is that are they talking about the same American people they all supposed to represent? Because if they are they should always come to a consensus of opinions instead trying to place roadblocks in the system.

Unfortunately, these people are all preoccupied with their own careers and not their constituents'. Their term in office is only two years and that goes on very fast. Before they know it, it is time to think about reelection, their future. That puts up the question, what is more important the "invisible" American people or their own financial future?

I for one don't trust any one of them. The crooked George Santos of News York is a perfect example. He lied, cheated and that was how he got elected. But because his party needed his votes, they swept his "crimes" under the rug. Why do anything when they all did the same thing, except he got caught.

Good country America!

   

Assimilation

Following the October 23, 1956 events in Hungary about 200,000 people left the country. As I read the statistics 30,000 came to the US. I always thought it was more but this what the statistics say so who am I to argue?

Hungarians have a peculiar habit, wherever they go they want to blend in, they want to assimilate and that is not a bad thing if one chose to live in a foreign place. This works in most countries except maybe in Africa. But who knows? Anyway assimilating, blending in is a long process but we are pretty good at it.

Many single Hungarians married non-Hungarians, became "lovers" of baseball and American football. They loved hamburgers, hot dogs and rare steaks. Marrying non-Hungarians brought forward a situation I am taking issue with.

Some people had very bad experiences while living in Hungary and made every effort to forget where they came from. This resulted in not speaking their native tongue. Ok, when one has a non-Hungarian spouse, it is understandable that English is the one always spoken. I for one always had a Hungarian wife but with the exception of my short dishwasher career never ever worked in a Hungarian speaking environment.

Now, after all this babbling what is it that I want to say? What I want to say is that the result of all the attempts of assimilation most of the children these people have do not speak Hungarian. The parents never thought it was necessary to teach them. I had friends, Hungarian couples whose children were never thought the language and I find it interesting.

I always believed that more languages a person speaks the wider his/her intelligentsia is. Granted, Hungarian is not a world language like English, French, German, Chinese or Spanish but still, learning it is not a shame or a hindrance.

Many times I met people with obvious Hungarian names and when I inquired, I was told that their parents or grandparents were Hungarians but themselves never learned the language. I could never understand this. In my family, Abigail grew up in this country and speaks perfect Hungarian so do my wife's other two grown up kids. Actually, Abigail took Spanish in school so she has an inkling to that language. 

In my younger years I went to a school where they thought French then Russian. I also took some courses in German and English. Now only Hungarian and English remained in my brain. The others must be there somewhere but if they are they are buried deep.

Speaking for myself, I think I assimilated pretty well in all these decades even though I still don't understand American football and do not like baseball.

World

With this thing going on in Israel, I find it very upsetting, disgusting and unexpected the world opinion. During WWII when the Nazis were exterminating Jews wherever they found them and without any hesitation the world was silent. Not a sound about what was happening. Not one country, including the US came out saying the Germans were bad and they should stop what they were doing.

No country came out to say that they would give refuge to the Jewish population just so they would escape annihilation. No country had demonstrations against the German genocide. Thinking back, it was disgusting. It seemed we did not have single friend in the world.  When the war was over, and the Holocaust survivors were attempting to reach Palestine the Brits even went as far as forcefully preventing them from entering. Nobody can say that there was no negative opinion because it was not known. That was not true. It was well known fact that the Germans wanted to eradicate the Jewish population from Europe.

Even when that information reached Washington, they sat on it and did nothing. Shame on them! Now, that Israel is trying to defend itself half the world opinion is against them. European countries, Asian countries all coming out saying that in this conflict Israel is the bad guy. Israel is fighting for its survival and it is the bad guy? How can it be? What kind of a justice that is?

This gives me goosebumps. It appears to me that if these jihadists would round up and systematically start exterminating Jews the world would stand up and applaud. Nice world we live in!   

October 23

Today is 67th anniversary of the Hungarian revolution (the latest one) that eventually changed my and our lives. On October 23 as the result of a huge demonstration, unheard of in those times an armed rebellion started. Unfortunately, the Soviets didn't like the Hungarians' cry for freedom and on November 4, less than two weeks later they entered the country and defeated this movement.

But it was too late to prevent Hungarians from leaving the country. By the thousands people fled. And this thing went on for quite some time, resulting for almost 200,000 people leaving.

My friend and I added our number to this exodus, and in January 1957 we also left. For me it took nine months, until October 31, 1957 to land in New York. But I tell you it was worth the wait. Today I can not imagine what my life would have been, had I stayed behind. 

Just one side note, and this I did hear. That lying scum of Radio Free Europe kept announcing to the freedom fighters to keep on fighting, help is on the way. There was absolutely no help anywhere. Unfortunately, the Suez problem rose up and the western countries thought that more important than poor little Hungary. But Radio Free Europe kept on talking.

Anyway, 67 years is a long time. These events are now in the history books. Interestingly, there are many things I lived through that are in the history books. Maybe one day I will list them all.

Sunday

 Sunday, it says it all!

Opinion

I am getting sick and tired of the worldwide sympathies expressed and shown towards the Palestinian people. Now they are the suffering ones. They are the ones who it seems without justification are suffering price of retaliation for the barbaric acts of Hamas. Or this now the "permissible" showing of the public's antisemitic attitude? I think, both.

The Palestinian people were living in Gaza for 75 years now, ever since Israel was established. If they wanted to it was plenty of time to establish a thriving and successful state. But no, they rather lived in refugee camps through several generations and complained and raised the terrorists of the future. Maybe it was not only the Palestinians living there. I belief other Arab countries had their hands in it, too. I am sure it was for their advantage to keep the Palestinians down and prevent them a normal life.

I am sure, but I don't understand the reason. Granted, they have nothing to offer the world, like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Dubai, Qatar but with assistance they could have succeeded. They just did not want to. It was easier living with a dream that might never materialize and living under public assistance. I guess these people just do not have the drive to succeed! 

Now they are paying the price. Who will pay for the reconstruction of their cities? I am convinced that it will not be them. We, the world will pay for it one way or another. Just like in Ukraine.

Prez

Wednesday our senior citizen leader was in Israel for a few hours. He met with good old Benjamin and made all kinds of promises. With a lack of a working Congress, I don't know if those promises have any value. But still, they look good in the media. His entire appearance was scary, and I am surprised nobody said anything about it. 

First, his walk is so unsteady it is frightening. There is nothing encouraging about it. I am looking at it and waiting to see when he will falter. I know he is trying but still!

Then he makes a speech that is so lame, so discouraging that it really hurt to watch it. His entire appearance is weak, unsure and discouraging. He did not reflect any confidence as the leader of the free world. He was a picture of an old man, waiting to go back to his home and lie down.

But - to me - the most obvious was the face to face meeting with the prime minister. They were sitting on each side of a table talking to the media. The pm made a speech and while he was talking the prez was constantly looking at his flash card in his hand like seeing "what am I to say now". It appeared he was given what to say and how to say it and made sure he says the right thing. It should have not been difficult if it comes from the heart. But in his case, who knows.

I wonder who is behind our president. Who tells him what to do, where to go, what to say. Because it is obvious that he is being controlled. The man is 80 years old and faltering. And that is scary. Nobody is taking him seriously, nobody looks at him with respect any longer. And he wants another four years? It is a joke!

In his later years FDR was in a wheelchair, but not his mind. This man's mind is already in a wheelchair. 

Sleep

I used to be able to sleep 'till all hours of a day. If there was no need to get up early, I could stay in bed very easily until 10 in the morning. But that is not the case anymore. I don't know if that is a sign of an advanced age, but 5-6 hours sleep seems to be perfectly enough for me.

I usually go to bed around midnight or later and up by 6:30 the latest and unfortunately, I need to make a couple of bathroom visits every night. This does not give me uninterrupted sleep, but it works. Maybe older people don't sleep long hours because they don't want to waste time on unimportant things. Not that when I am awake I do so much important things, but still. I like to be on standby in case the world needs my talents (ha). 

I get up at 6:30 while everyone else including Robin are still asleep. As quiet as a church mouse I go to the kitchen and fix myself a coffee. Sit in total silence until after 7 the house starts stirring. Usually, my wife is the first up then Abigail if she has to go to school. If not, she sleeps and sleeps and sleeps. I envy her, I used to be like that. Not anymore. Is this a sign of aging? Or already aged?

Wars and News

I see that with the Israeli problems in the forefront, Ukraine fell down on the list of important news items. This must piss Mr. Z off to no end. He was going around at The UN and from country to country begging for help to support his totally corrupt regime and then suddenly Hamas just pushed him off the top of the "best seller" list.

In the daily news reports we really don't hear much of what is happening in Ukraine. My internet has a few pretty unimportant and uninteresting articles about it but TV news don't talk about it at all. Israel and Palestine is the news. Media do not care about fairness. All they care about is news and how can they sell their timeslots.

Today's prime news are Israel/Palestine and the election of the Speaker of the House. The second, the speaker saga is all about another politically corrupt organization. Each and every member of the House of Representatives cares about their own interests, covered under the phony American people designation. Every one of them claim that their way of thinking, their acts are strictly for the benefit of the American people. This is totally sickening.

By not electing a Speaker they are crippling their own organization. Their acts are driven by strong partisanship and self interest and not what is good for the country. 

The other observation I have is that a successful war depends on surprise attacks. But the media is foaming at its mouth trying to find out what will happen and when so they can place their reporters in place ahead of these attacks and announce these acts. Don't they think or don't they care that the moment such schedule is announced the enemy will so much the wiser? I am sure that they don't care. And that is scary.

Asylum, again

This is not the repeat of a previous article. This is about the migrants in Europe. What I am writing is strictly my opinion. If anybody shares it, good.

Did anybody take a closer look of the pictures of these migrants who are arriving in the European countries? They are all men! All young men! They are all arriving from Africa and the Middle East. I truly believe this is a long running conspiracy against Europe and the western (Christian) civilization as we know it. They are all able bodied younger men ready take up arms and fight for their cause. Like in the Soviet cold war days every one of them is a sleeper agent, waiting for the wakeup call.

All these thousands of immigrants will dilute the racial composition of Europe when they attempt to settle down and blend in. Now with the Israeli conflict this is even worse. The European Union is attempting come up with a quota establishing how mane asylum seekers each member must take in.

Poland, Hungary and a few other countries already announced that their borders are closed. Very good! I hope they remain steadfast in their decisions. Nobody knows how many more terrorists will attempt to slip through and find their ways to Europe and eventually to America.

It will take a gigantic and almost impossible effort to find them all. Unfortunately, when they surface it will be too late. I ask that how come that Asian illegals try to enter the southern borders of this country? From Asia they went to a south American country then attempted to enter from there? It just doesn't sound very kosher, to say the least.

And the governments don't pay any attention to these occurrences. I would simply just close all the borders everywhere and end this fiasco. Let them all stay where they are or where they came from. If they want to immigrate, do it the normal way. 

Israel

This is strictly my opinion and the way I see things happening. Somebody might not agree with it but then this MY blog!

I believe the media really is not interested in this except just for the story. They are not taking sides, they are not saying who is right and who is wrong. They are just reporting it what they see. In their opinion the plight of the "poor" Palestinians are more stories than what is happening in Israel.

The media is full of articles blaming Israel, their military for whatever they do. What about blaming Hamas for what they did? Israelis had a peaceful concert a few miles from their border and were attacked and killed without any provocation. But that is not as interesting than what happens in Gaza now. 

Everywhere I turn all I hear is how the Palestinians are suffering because of no water, no electricity. Nobody is saying how much the families are suffering who lost loved ones because of Hamas. Everybody is preoccupied with getting humanitarian aid into Gaza. Why? Let Hamas take care of the humanitarian aid. O, I forgot they are not human.

They want Egypt to open their border crossing so Palestinian civilians may leave. Smart thinking. I wander how many terrorists will slip through and find his way into European countries. 

In the age of the Cold War, the soviets sent their people into western countries under the guise of regular people. Their assignment was to live a normal life, blend in. And when the trumpet sounds do what they were trained to do. In ensuing years many got caught but I bet there are still some around even though the Soviet system is dead.

So, what stops these Islamists to do the same thing? In New York there are oodles of nationalities living in a "stressed harmony". How do we know what they are thinking and where their loyalties lie?

Everybody is scared and this is not a right way to live. We all know that the government can not protect us. All they can do is issue apologies if something terrible happens and promise that they will investigate.

I would like to say that "Good country America" but right now I just don't feel it.

Sunday

Sunday! 

War

I find it very disturbing that in the past few days the media attention has turned toward the "poor, Palestinian people. This lowlife organization attacks Israel, kills innocent people without any hesitation, takes hostages and when Israel rightfully retaliates, they suddenly become the bad guys.

Is this correct? Demonstrations are now popping up against Israel, supporting the terrorists. Is that morally right? I ask, what was Israel supposed to do? Invite Hamas for some coffee and discuss world events? Maybe then people would not demonstrate. Maybe all those demonstrators would turn the other cheek if slapped? I don't understand why Israel is suddenly the bad guy in this affair. Why is everyone concerned about the welfare of the Palestinians? Why nobody cares about the welfare of the Israelis who got hurt, who lost family members?

Palestinians lived the life they chose. The were always dreaming to destroy Israel and live in the desert. They had the chance to live a civilized life but it was not what they wanted. They rather lived in limbo, poverty and ignorance fueled with hatred toward Israel. They are now evacuating part of that territory, but Egypt is not happy taking in that riffraff. Understandable because who knows what kind of elements will slip through the border and then find their ways to Europe. And then what...?

All the bleeding hearts don't think about that. Just saying ...the poor Palestinian suffering people... And unfortunately, we have them here in the US, too. Like I said before, they are the breeding ground for all those terrorists. They deserve what is coming!

Comment

We are living in some very interesting times. After WWII I didn't think I would see something like this again. But I am sure many people thought the same way. It is absolutely scary, disgusting, unnerving, unbelievable what goes on in Israel. 

As far as I am concerned there is no question on how to take sides. Anybody with a minimum amount of conscience and decency will take the side of Israel. I honestly believe that tooth for a tooth, eye for an eye is the right response. And to discourage any further such event ten times or a hundred times is what must be done.

As several comments said they eradicated Naziism after the war, that is what must be done at this time. Yes, there will be civilian casualties, but that is always the price of war. And war what this is. Gaza, in my opinion is a fertile breeding ground for these terrorists. Wiping it off the face of the earth is what they should do.

But the way things were always going, every time Israel was successful in defending herself, they were always the targets of criticism and had to pay the price of winning. Like giving back territory they won in the Six Day War. They were attacked, they defended themselves, destroyed the enemy, took over territory but at the end they had to give it back. Now they are attacked again, and the anti-Israel elements come out criticizing them for hitting back. 

Now, the critics, even that commie senator Bernie Sanders himself a Jew, is criticizing Israel about blockading Gaza. If there are no way to communicate with a wild and raging animal to only thing to do is to get rid of it for good. And that is what they have to do with these people. I am convinced that the residents of that enclave are all sympathizers and each and every one of them has some kind of relationship to this terrorist group.

I ask, what is Israel or as a matter of fact any country should do when attacked? Just smile and say no-no?

They are hellbent on destroying Israel. What is it that they want? They want to take over the country and destroy everything that was created out of the desert. They really don't have a very good history of governing and creating. Instead living in harmony with their neighbors all they want is destruction. Very small minded if you ask me.   

Trip Down Memory Lane 1

Living long has its benefits and drawbacks. Providing one does not develop Alzheimer then the memory remains intact meaning the person will remember bygone times. And that is what this is all about. The things I do remember and to see how far we came along. This listing is random. It is just how they come to my mind.

I left my home country in early 1957, so these things are until that time. I know that technology and modernization has taken over but still my memories remain.

For years after WWII horse drawn carts were permitted in Budapest. Every morning a large container type contraption, drawn by two strong horses came around to collect the garbage. The building super placed the garbage cans by the curb then handed those up to the man who emptied them into the container. A whistle and the horses moved on to the next building. Around the middle of the 1950s they bought some trucks but while I was there these were only used in selected locations.

There was a famous beer company in Budapest who delivered their beer in horse drawn carts. These horses were similar to the Budweiser horses. Big and strong, looking very healthy.

For quite a few years cars and trucks had no electric starters. What they had were hand cranks. I always watched as someone had to go to the front of the vehicle and crank it by hand to make the engine to start up. Not a bad idea. Sometimes when my batteries were not strong enough to start my car, I wished I had a hand crank!

There were no traffic lights for years after WWII. At major street crossings there were traffic policemen standing on a wooden box in the middle of the intersection and directed traffic by hand. Just as they still do in N. Korea. God forbid you crossed when it was not your time. Eventually they made electric traffic lights and then those policemen were sitting in a raised booth and controlled the lights by hand. Eventually they made those automatic.

Streetcars (trams), buses had ticket collectors (conductors). One in each streetcar wagon. His/her job was to walk back and forth and check, sell the tickets. They all had a leather bag on their shoulders containing the money. They had one fare tickets and transfer tickets. These ticket collectors punched all kind of code into the tickets to make sure that they could not be used more than what they were bought for. It is another story how streetcars were started at each of their stops.

Each car had a continuous string or something like that attached to a bell. When the conductor decided that there were no more people getting on or off, he/she pulled that string. When the bell sounded in the first car, the engineer (driver) started the tram moving. Very sophisticated, right?

I think this is enough for now. I will have more as they keep popping up in my head.  

  

Television

Lately I have been watching a lot of tv, mainly movies either on Netflix or on Amazon Prime. These are the only ones I currently have access to. But they do provide enough to watch. I like action, historical, sci-fi and "blood and guts" movies. If available, I prefer foreign versus American films. I find foreign more realistic than the fake morals in the American movies.

My wife loves Hallmark movies. So, when she is watching I am forced to share with her. I personally find Hallmark unrealistic, simple and fake. Their storylines are ridiculous and do not reflect real life. In any movie where it takes two hours for a couple to place the first (and only) kiss is a joke.

In today's life if a couple dating does not become intimate by the third date is not from this world. In Hallmark they do not even hold hands. Their creations appear more and more if they are produced by a Christian evangelist organization. But she still loves them, so to keep the peace I watch them, too.

I have to admit that occasionally I get myself into a movie that is totally against what I usually like but it starts interestingly, so I watch it all the way through. And if it ends nicely, I even shed a tear or two. I am a big softy when it comes to that. These are mainly foreign movies. The other day I watched a Polish film on Netflix that made me tear up at the end. Maybe because I am getting old(er) I am getting soft?

American western leave me cold. There were times when I liked them, but I guess I outgrew those. I really like political intrigue. Not that we don't have enough of those in our everyday life, but I still find those interesting. 

We don't go to the movies much. They are expensive and there is not much that is worth seeing and eventually they all wind up on Netflix. So, why bother?

Me

I am in a fairly good physical condition for a person of such age. My mental condition is questionable but so far it is good enough for me. Naturally, there are things that I can only do in my minds nowadays, but I accept those as they are and can not be changed.

One of my strongest conditions is my endurance. I can tolerate certain things for quite a long time. Pain is not one of them and neither is stupidity. But many other things I can take. I have to admit that I really excel at sitting front of the television. I can sit there for hours without complaining and just watching some action movie. So, my endurance for sitting is very admirable! Is this something to be proud of?

I love reading but given my one bad eye I find reading more cumbersome as time goes by. I can still manage my crossword puzzles and occasional readings, but it had been a while that I read a real book. Actually not reading a book is not just because of my bad eye it is also because if I were to sit down with a book in my hand, my wife would immediately ask me if I had nothing else to do. I am a very peaceful man and I want to avoid any kind of confrontation.

Asylum

I came to this country many years ago hoping for an asylum. The country was good to me, accepted me and I lived all my adult life in here. From the beginning I worked and paid my taxes, crossed my t's and dotted my i's, learned the language, went to school. Never a fallout with the law. This is the way any immigrant coming into this country should do. Sticking to one's native language and insisting that others speak it too is totally wrong. And this was the way all my friends and acquaintances who came to this country at the same time as I did act. All assimilated into the American lifestyle, became business or professional people.

Looking at pictures of all these "asylum seekers" who are climbing over walls, crossing rivers in their attempt to get in the country, I wonder what is it they hope to achieve? Do they believe that the streets here are paved with gold and that money grows on trees? Or they are seriously looking for jobs? Here is my question, what kind of jobs? What is their qualifications? Are they willing to learn English and do some hard work? Or they just want to live off public assistance or crime? Then they should have stayed in their own country because their lives here will not be that much different.

I occasionally drive through a neighborhood where previously arrived illegals congregate waiting for some occasional work. These are called day laborers. Cars, pickup trucks come early morning and pick some strong men for day work in small scale construction, loading, moving or such works. These poor slobs make a couple of hundred dollars a day (if they are lucky). But they have to do this day after day. The city is filled with these people. Now the newcomers arrive but I don't believe they want to do such work.

My question is this: who in the world would hire such people with no language skill, no knowledge of any trade, no identification of any kind? Are these people al political refugees and that is why they are seeking asylum? This is a total disaster in the making and that lame president we have does not acknowledge it. No wonder crime is raising its ugly head in every city.

Good country America?

 

Sunday

 One word "Sunday" says it all!

Wildlife

IO don't remember if I ever mentioned how much my wife likes animals. Well, for first we have Robin. Ok, Robin is not an animal even though he walks on four. He is a member of our family, he is a centerpiece. Everything revolves around him. Him and my wife are inseparables. Each crazy about the other.

But there are others in our sphere. We live on the first floor with a garden entrance and as such nature comes to us. It comes in the form of hungry squirrels. To make them happy she bought a feeder and fills it up with peanuts. She also places fresh water for those poor and thirsty squirrels. They already know my wife and when she goes out to fill up the feeder they are gathering.

The other group she adopted are sparrows. There are a few fairly large bushes outside our windows that are homes to a multitude of sparrows. They are hungry and noisy. So, she bought two bird feeders, hung them and she keeps them filled with birdseed. When there is no more food for them, they choruslike chirp pretty loudly.

Now, there are more items added to our weekly shopping list. Huge bag of peanuts and birdseed. Actually we get them online but most of the time the once a month delivery is not enough. The squirrels are happy with the peanuts. The sparrows are not choosy at all. It doesn't matter what bird food we buy they eat it.e  Might that be wild bird food, parakeet food or any other type.

I'm happy that we don't live in the suburbs because there she would also feed the deer and bear population too.

Senior citizen

I don't want to seem that I am preoccupied with old age, but this what I am, old and 24/7 I feel it. The aches and pains and the discomforts that come with age are always around, they can not be denied. Interestingly these symptoms don't just suddenly show up. We don't just wake up one morning and realize that we are old. They are sneaky, they creep upon us slowly. 

The thing is that at the beginning we don't pay any attention to the symptoms. Just label them as discomfort, but slowly as they intensify that is when we realize that hey, maybe this is old age. When we acknowledge that bending down and straightening up are not that easy anymore that is when the light will go on in our brain. And that is when we will realize that maybe, against all reasons we have to admit and accept that we are getting or already are old.

My wife keeps telling me that I have serious problem accepting that I am aged (that is a nicer version of old). Maybe because with the exception of being grouchy I don't act like a real old man. I don't know how real old people act or behave but being surrounded by younger people might have something to do with it. My wife is younger, and Abigail is 21 and a half. If these help, let it be.

I don't deny it is very comfortable to sit on my behind and do nothing but when there is a chance, I still like to go to the gym. My wife has a membership and she always takes Abigail or me along with her. I still like the little workout. It makes me feel refreshed. Naturally I can do what I used to do but still I like it. 

Donations

I know I mentioned this subject before, but I can not help but have to revisit it. It is absolutely "dangerous" to give money to any kind of charities. Somehow, they are linked together and giving to one will open a flood of requests from various charities of all different types. 

In the past few days, we received mail from about ten different charities, some sent more than one. These charities range from animal protection to Ronald McDonald House, to Indian children, to veterans, to children's hospitals. One wishes that it would be possible to give to all, but this is just not doable.

I am sure that all these somewhere are listed in a central databank and when one donation arrives suddenly, they all know about it and the flood of requests begins. There is not a single day when requests would not arrive. I don't know how much these organizations spend on postage, but it must be a lot.

It gets embarrassing when they also send some small gifts in the mail. I am not even talking about calendars. We have here at home at least ten different wall calendars for 2024. Years ago, we had to go to banks to get some, now we have a lot more than we need.

Knowing the high salaries the executives at these charities get I am very leery to give any money to them. If they would turn at least 75 to 80 cents of every dollar to the help it is meant, then I might be amiable to donate. But while the majority of the money goes for the overhead, sorry no dollar! And as far as I know the federal government is mum on this subject. They do not help at all.

Good country America!

Comment

I am not a racist, I do not have prejudices, at least not too many! But I don't like people with attached earlobes. I find them peculiar to say the least. Very few I met so far whom I liked. Actually there was only one as far as I remember. Ed Koch, New York City mayor from 1978 through 1989 had attached earlobes but I did like him.

Usually, these people I don't trust, I find them fake, untrustworthy.

Florida representative Matt Goetz falls into this category. He has attached earlobes and I do not trust him. I think he is a selfish little politician who only cares about his career. Hell with anybody else. He is covering his deeds saying that everything he does is for the betterment of the American people. Well. I am an American people and I don't see he is doing anything for my betterment.

Tuesday he singlehandedly stopped the House of Representatives in doing what they were elected to do. Why did he do that? He thinks that he is the savior of this country, that he sees things better than an anybody. He was so desperate to defeat the Speaker of the House that he laid with the "enemy". He used the Democratic votes to defeat his own party's elected Speaker. He continues to insist that what he did was for the betterment of the country. Ha!

Bad enough that we have a president who is the laughingstock of the world with his constant misdeeds, now Mr. Goetz achieved that the collection Washington lawmakers became the targets of international ridicule. As I can see it, this as unamerican as it could be. What is this guy's goal? What is he hoping to achieve? Because all he achieved is chaos in the ranks.

Now, as I read House Republicans are fed up with his shenanigans and want to eject him from the party. Yea, right! They couldn't get rid of that liar and cheater Santos from New York and they think they can get rid o Goetz? 

P.S. I used to work in the late 60s, early 70s with a civil engineer in my company who was German and during WWII he was a Wehrmacht officer. Same name, same spelling. I wonder!

Good country America!

Squat

I found a major behavioral difference between men and women. This is not new but as far as I am concerned, I just noticed it. We all know that there are differences between men and women, thank God. We are not the same. Who is to tell which prototype is the better? They all have their advantages and disadvantages. And we all learned to live with it.

But this thing I noticed. I am sure I'm not the only one but still, here is the question.

Men bend down to pick up anything from the floor. Women squat down to do the same. Why?

Anybody who has the answer, I would like to hear it!

Eden

I am not a religious person, there are things that I believe in. There are also certain things that I question. I don't believe religion should be forced upon anybody. This is an individual thing between the person and his or her belief.

I know that the Bible is a compilation of religious people's writings. Some are ancient, some are not. The Old Testament deals with the Israelites while the New Testament deals with Jesus and Christianity. But the New Testament is based on the Old Testament. I am not an agnostic but there are things in the Bible that I question. And that is related to Eden.

Genesis, the firs chapter in the Old Testament deals with the creation of the world as we know it. The last creation of God were Adam and Eve, the first humans. As time went by they had two sons, Cain and Abel. Later out of jealousy Cain killed Abel. When God found out what he did...  

[4:16] Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. [4:17] Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a city, and named it Enoch after his son Enoch.                   This what I question. If Adam and Eve were the first two people and their only remaining son Cain in this world, where did he go to find other people? Who were those people, where did they come from? I am sure there are other things in the Bible that can be questioned, but this one caught my eye, and I thought I will mention it. I have time!

Sunday

 It is Sunday and I am resting.

Asteroid

I heard on the news that there is a possibility that an asteroid could hit earth in 2182. This is terrible news. Very upsetting. I really don't know how to prepare for such an event. Naturally I will begin to prepare for such an eventuality. Will build a shelter, start collecting food. 

There is a good chance that such a calamity will wipe out life as we know it and being the only survivor (naturally with a female companion) is an awesome responsibility for a 245 year old man! Oh, another thing as far as preparation, I will have to start working on my stamina.

Actually this event has two possibilities. First and preferred is the one just described. The other is like who cares? I and everybody I know will long be gone by more than a hundred years. Sorry to say but this is the more realistic scenario, but one never knows. Abraham lived for a very long time, and miracles can happen.

If this asteroid wipes out life, maybe a better one will start in a few million or billion years.