Abigail

On May 28, 2024, Abigail graduated from college. She graduated magna cum laude, and I am really very proud of her. Naturally there was a big ceremony organized bt the college and we were there. Tickets were limited because there were over 3,00 students partaking in the ceremony, but we were lucky enough to get four. My wife and I and my closest(est) friend and his wife attended.

Because of the earlier antisemitic demonstrations at universities and colleges we were concerned that the ceremony might be cancelled but fortunately, it was held and there was no interruption of any kind with the exceptions of a fe Palestinian flag wavings.

Since the ceremony was held in the afternoon we had a celebratory lunch in a nearby Greek restaurant. There were 11 people there and it turned out very nicely. We ate, we drank, and we did not talk about politics and money. And that put everybody in a good mood.

Abigail graduated from forensic science. Her next move is to start in September in another university for her master's degree. Two-year program and we will see what happens afterward. We hope she gets used to studying and will continue for the PHD. But right now, it is too early and also, she does not want to talk about it.

Thinking back, when I met her she was in middle school and now she is a college graduate. Man. how time flies. She grew up to be a beautiful, smart (very opinionated) young lady and I, I am the same as I was when I met her the first time!

 

Note

I abruptly stopped writing the daily blog. Nothing happened, I am fine. But there was a reason behind it and the reason was my family. If anyone thinks that we live in a free country without restrictions that person is greatly mistaken.

The first amendment of the constitution permits the freedom of the press. Not in my house! In my house censorship rules. If the family members do not agree with what I wrote, then it can not be published. They say that I write about controversial subjects and opinions, and they do not think I should continue doing it. For their and my safety!

So, being a good dad to my daughter and good husband to my wife, I agreed. I will stay away from any questionable subject, will keep my comments to myself and will only write when there is nothing to write about!

Sunday

Sunday, again, 

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!

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". 

 

Union

I always loved construction. This is what I learned in school, this is what I was aiming for as a career. My father and his brothers were all engineers rand related to different types of construction. Since this was in my blood, that was what I was aiming for. Coming to this country changed my plans a little bit but after four years of different jobs I did land a job in building construction.

Granted, it was a low level job but still I was able to get my feet wet. I was an assistant to a field engineer, but it gave me a chance to learn the ropes. After this job I moved around to different construction sites gaining more experience. I was brave enough to sell myself as a field engineer and I must say that I was not bad.

But construction had the bad habit that if that particular company did not have a job immediately after yours was finished, they had to let people go. And more than once I fell into that category. Being a field engineer did not provide stellar pay, but it was more than being a dishwasher, which I was at the beginning of my life here.  

Since every larger construction job had at least one field engineer unionization came into the picture. Larger companies signed up, smaller ones did not. Unwillingly I became a member. My salary was increased, I got benefits I did not have before, so things were looking up. But not for long.

I was the engineer on a very nice and interesting job in the 1964-1965 World's Fair in New York. I worked there for almost two years. The company liked me and kept me busy. But this eventually came to an end. Towards the end of the project when the construction was in its last stages and the number of employees were reduced, I was told that I was too expensive to keep.

The union did not help me to get a new job, I had to think for myself, and I did. After a few short term jobs, I found my new home with an engineering company where I stayed for 40 years. This was not the construction I had planned for myself, it was design but eventually I did wind up for many years being involved with construction. As they say, "all's well that ends well".

But this whole thing made me being disenchanted with unions. As far as I am concerned it did not do anything to make my life better to reach the American dream. It forced me to go out on the street looking for work which I did. I did succeed on my own to a point without any of their help. Actually, unions do not want you to advance. That is not their policy. Companies rarely promote members because it upsets the apple cart.

So it is hopefully understood why I am not a big proponent of unions. I am not against them, I would support them but within reason. As far as I am concerned there are work categories that should be unionized but there are some that should not be. I will not go into details now, just wanted to open up about my feelings. It is personal and based on my own experience.

Censorship

I don't know if it is a government censorship or is it self controlled one but I am certain that there is one existing here. I don't want to keep beating on an old subject but it is Ukraine, again. Listening to various American newscast we hear one side of the story, but listening to some other country's comments they are different from ours.

I was listening to another language newscast about Ukraine and that painted a different picture than the ones American news reporters give. That country is not unconditionally friendly, more realistic and thus their news reporting paints a different picture. They also show Russian advancements about which we know nothing. 

They show in detail the brutal way people are being grabbed off the streets and hauled off to be conscripted into the military. They want to conscript people who are cgs wurrently in prison. Men are endangering their lives to escape from the country in order to avoid the draft. 

In another news item people are saying that their government is stealing everything from them. Their lives are difficult and there is hardship everywhere.

Now these things we never hear about. The only thing we hear about that Biden is giving them another $60.8 billion. And at the same time we have homeless people here.

Good country America! 

Sunday

 All day Sunday. I am resting. Boy, I'm lazy!

Columbia

In recent days there were anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University. Young people, the "future of America" were demonstrating on the side of Gaza and the Palestinian people. This demonstration as shown on television really turned my stomach. This garbage that calls themselves educated behaved like a stupid mob.

There was a scene were they were trampling an Israeli flag, wiping their shoes on it. In another a white woman wrapped in that rag they were all wearing was heard screaming that "I am Hamas, long live Hamas". Something like this just make one sick. Ok, the police did arrest over a hundred demonstrators but only because they did not heed to their instructions. Freedom of speech was used liberally and that does not count as breaking the law. 

I don't know how many of these demonstrators were really students of Columbia, but it is sad that with such thinking they get admissions to one of the country's most elite universities. If it were up to me I would kick them out of school and blacklist them so potential employers would know what kind of people they are dealing with.

Unfortunately, whenever there is an anti-Israel demonstration there are also a surfacing of antisemitic feelings. Antisemitic feelings is like the common cold. There is no cure for it. It was there and it will always be there. Except sometimes it is below the surface while at other times it is out in the open.

The way I see it antisemitism is nothing more than jealousy. People are jealous at the Jewish people because of their successes. Israel became a state in 1948, 76 years ago and in that time it created a thriving country without the help of oil money. The Arabs lived in that same area for thousands of years and created nothing, until the arrival of oil money. And even then, it is less than what Israel did. 

Before this current war, every morning thousands of Arabs entered into Israel heading to work in Jewish owned businesses. I wonder how many Israelis went into the opposite direction to work in Arab owned businesses! Doesn't that say something? Naturally, this can create jealousy and thus the antisemitism. But the Jewish people are strong, and they have thousands of years of experience dealing with hate. They will prevail and this Columbia scum can go and stand in the welfare or unemployment line for food stamps.

Just a side note. Ilhan Omar is a Somali born representative from Minnesota in Washington DC. She is Muslim and anti-Israel and antisemitic. Her daughter goes to Columbia and was arrested by police during these demonstrations. Like mother, like daughter! 

  

Sleep

In my younger days and also while I was duly employed and a useful member of society, whenever I had the chance, I was able to sleep really long hours. On weekends if there was nothing pressing to do, sleeping 'till noon was not unusual. The rule used to be, to listen to the 11 o'clock news (half an hour) then go to sleep. When I worked, I used to be up around 6:30am. And I did love to sleep.

Now things are changing. At first we used to stay up until after the 11 o'clock news, then we took Robin for his night walk around the block. By the time we got to bed was usually past midnight. Then up around 7-8 in the morning, depending on Abigail's school schedule. This gave us 6-7-8 hours sleep.

But this is not the current situation. Now, we watch the 10 o'clock news for about 15 minutes, take Robin on his walk and in bed just around 11 o'clock. Still up around 7-8 in the morning. This is not bad but it has its drawbacks. 

For one I am not a long distance sleeper I used to be. Going to sleep early makes me wake up really early. Last night I went to sleep a little after 11 but by 5 in the morning I was wide awake. My wife was still asleep so I just laid there looking at the ceiling and thinking of all kinds of things. While I was already dying for my morning coffee I did not want to disturb her so I just suffered. 

I came to the conclusion that for my advanced years I do not need that much time to sleep as I used to. I don't know if this is a trend, but it certainly is with me. Which is a shame because now I do have the time every single day. Maybe nature tells me or us that our time is limited, don't waste it on sleep!

This is the end of my sleep story. I hope you are still awake.

The Prez

I get a kick out of watching the leader of the free world on the public stage. I have a feeling that every morning when he wakes up he says to himself what now. He is probably asking himself, why can I just not sit on the sofa and watch television all day like many other old people do? Why do I have to play president every day?

It appears everything is a drag for him. He always looks tired and slightly bored. It is interesting to see that on certain events he dresses up in formal attire while during campaigning he wants to show how much he is one with the people, like appearing in open neck shirts. Sorry, but showing up in open neck shirt will not make him one with the people.

Here is another thing. A while ago he described his telephone call with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He wanted sound like they are good buddies thus he was referring to Netanyahu as Bibi, his nickname. Well, they are anything but good buddies. They sorry to say have a very strained relationship. So, to pretend that they are friends is a little too much.

Now that Trump has to sit in a courtroom and listen to another frivolous lawsuit, he is using it to his own advantage and campaigns (in open neck shirt). I just hope that the uncommitted voters see through his charades come November.