This and That

Gmail - Inbox - efelice1@gmail.com

2011-06-27T22:31:00.000-06:00

Cannot understand Why!

2009-12-08T21:19:00.003-07:00

The Year is slowly drawing to a close and there are still many things and happenings which puzzle me in the US. Becoming Americanized is a slow process especially to appreciate what piques media interest and what is fair and good game in their eyes.

Let us take some of the latest headliners; Tiger Woods. For crying out loud, give him a break! He was involved in something private in his house, dashes out in what seems like a tearing fury, cannot control his car and manages to knock out a fire-hydrant at the whopping speed of 30mph! You all know the rest. Now is it not time to give it a rest? Let him be. He did nothing criminal, so the police say, so it is up to him to settle whatever dust he raised at his home and it is certainly not our business.

Amanda Knox alias Foxy Knoxy. This American girl has been found guilty of murder along with a boyfriend of hers. The trial happened in Perugia, Italy, after a long preparation for the formal indictment. She is an American citizen found guilty of killing her British room-mate. But the media are not happy. This "poor" US girl has been wrongly accused. the trial was a joke. The Italian judicial system is nowhere as competent and fair as the American one! Give me a break! Italy has had a fully functioning judicial system long before America was discovered, by an Italian! Not only, there is a fully functioning US Embassy in Rome, which is not that far away from Perugia and I am sure there was at least one competent member from the Consular staff which was following the case. Not only, there is no death penalty in Italy, so she could consider herself lucky since that is what she might have got if she were found guilty in the US! But the media will not let up! With all the troubles we have here, political, social, economic, military, you name it we have it, does the media have to keep trying to find fault with what other Countries are doing and questioning their methods? This happens repeatedly and I am sorry to say not only by the sensational press but even by moderate news outlets who pride themselves of presenting the news as fair and unbiased.

These are two recent cases, but I have noticed that scorn is also reserved for things French, Spanish and of course Italian. Europe is constantly referred to as being socialist in spite of the fact that there are several conservative governments at the moment. Very rarely is something nice said about the European states. With the ongoing debate about public health, the bashing has also included Canada in the list. Has no one ever heard of the saying, "Comparisons are odious"? It is one thing to compare systems so as to get the best for oneself. It is another to always run down others because OURS is so good. If it is so good how come we have all the problems we have today?

In the spirit of Christmas, can we not spare some magnanimity towards the "unfortunate" countries from where most of our forefathers came and from whom we adopted all that is good in this Country?

Fort Hood

2009-11-06T12:28:00.002-07:00

All the world now knows of the tragic event that has happened in Fort Hood. The loss of life and the injuries inflicted cannot even begin to express the horror and shock that has swept over the country. There has been constant coverage from all media and constant speculation on how an officer of the Army could inflict such pain on his fellow soldiers and their families.

Blame and more speculation is flying around as to the cause, reason and rationale behind this, but the real picture is slowly coming clear

Major Hasan, contrary to was told, was a born Muslim. He was a mild mannered man, vouched for by family and friends. He was an Army psychologist at Walter Reed Hospital, and contrary again to what has been said, had not been deployed in recent years; but he had been hearing gut-wrenching storied from the boys that had been to Iraq and Afghanistan and the horrors of what these boys had been through in the wars which are still ongoing. All this was getting to him badly.

It seems, though I am not positive, that he had been asking for early retirement from the Army, even if he had to pay to get out, but bureaucracy, Army regulations and who knows what else, got in the way of his getting his release. Not only, to add insult to injury, he was transferred to Fort Hood and told that he would be deployed!

Now this Army Major was a devout Muslim who attended his mosque regularly. He was being deployed to fight against a Muslim people. Irrespective of why this war was on, that it was the West's genuine intention to bring peace and democracy to both Iraq and Afghanistan, in his mind he must have been very reluctant to fight people of his faith and of, unfortunately, his radical beliefs. Also, a fellow Muslim attendee of the same mosque, said that Major Hasan had asked him to find him a wife who wore the traditional Muslim headdress as well as who prayed five times a day. How could he have been considered good material to be deployed?

The Army MUST have known about the increasing unease of this Muslim Major, of his reluctance to be deployed and the real reason behind this reluctance. Why did they not give him the discharge he was requesting? In my mind, they should not only have discharged him but also given him an honorable discharge to be sure that no one could say that it was a case of ethnic bias.

Bias aside, in this day and age, when the whole Christian and Jewish world is in a deadly fight for the survival of western principles, mores and hard earned emancipation, against the fundamentalist extremists who want it otherwise, do you think that any of the US armed forces should keep amongst their ranks any soldier or officer whose religious mores are so much in direct contrast to the policies and politics of our Armed Forces and Government?

These times are not for pussy-footing around the risk of offending somebody's extremely touchy sensibilities! There is no place in today's Armed Forces for people whose sentiments and beliefs are in such radical contrast to what we believe in and to the politics and policies that were are now following.

There are many devout Muslims in the US who live as good citizens of the US and who are an example to all; but, the extreme element is lurking there and to ask and expect them to fight for principles that they do not believe in, is tantamount to extreme folly as was seen in the Fort Hood tragedy.

As always, we have to wait for some tragedy to happen before we take a close look at how we are handling each and every situation.

Hear! Hear!

2009-09-29T18:48:00.002-06:00

Have sadly neglected my blog for a very long time, but the statement made recently by the Prime Minister of Australia prompted me to post it on my blog.

Read for yourselves and decide whether you would like the Leader of your Country to follow in the footsteps of Mr. Kevin Rudd of Australia. Kudos to him for saying what everyone thinks but has not the courage to say:

America, Canada , all Europe ...... needs leader like this

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - Australia

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.
Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians'..

'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and

women who have sought freedom'. 'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese,

Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society. Learn the language!'

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture'

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why.

All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to

enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'

'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here.. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

Maybe if we circulate this, American citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths.

If you agree, please SEND THIS ON.

Last of the trio.

2009-08-23T14:00:00.004-06:00

This is the last of the trio and definitely last on this subject. All that is now left is for all to make jiudicious decisions and to hope that this is not a lesson for which we shal pay very dearly.

Letter from Procter & Gamble Exec

Please read, even if you are an Obama fan. It is legitimate, written by respected Lou Pritchett, formerly of Proctor and Gamble. Lou Pritchett is one of corporate America’s true living legends-an acclaimed author, dynamic teacher and one of the world's highest rated speakers. Successful corporate executives everywhere recognize him as the foremost leader in change management. Lou changed the way America does business by creating an audacious concept that came to be known as "partnering." Pritchett rose from soap salesman to Vice-President, Sales and Customer Development for Procter and Gamble and over the course of 36 years, made corporate history.

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me. You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you. You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American. You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll. You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core. You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.

You scare!

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one. You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world. You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations. You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people. You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient. You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do. You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Reillys and Becks, who offer opposing, conservative points of view. You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett

This letter was sent to the NY Times but they never acknowledged it. Big surprise! Since it hit the internet, however, it has had over 500,000 hits. Let's keep it going. All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing. It's happening right now.

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The second of the trio relating to Pres. Obama.

2009-08-22T10:30:00.001-06:00

This is the second of a trio of opinions I have found on the internet and which seem to be of some veracity and therefore much interest:

Israeli psychologist on Obama:

Interesting, but you decide what it is worth....

Dr. Sam Vaknin is an Israeli psychologist. This is his interesting view on our new president.

Dr. Vaknin has written extensively about narcissism.

Dr. Vaknin States "I must confess I was impressed by Sen. Barack Obama from the first time I saw him. At first I was excited to see a black candidate. He looked youthful, spoke well, appeared to be confident - a wholesome presidential package. I was put off soon, not just because of his shallowness but also because there was an air of haughtiness in his demeanor that was unsettling. His posture and his body language were louder than his empty words. Obama's speeches are unlike any political speech we have heard in American history. Never a politician in this land had such quasi "religious" impact on so many people. The fact that Obama is a total incognito with zero accomplishment makes this inexplicable infatuation alarming. Obama is not an ordinary man...... He is not a genius....... In fact he is quite ignorant on most important subjects

Barack Obama is a narcissist.

Dr. Sam Vaknin, the author of the Malignant Self Love believes "Barack Obama appears to be a narcissist." Vaknin is a world authority on narcissism. He understands narcissism and describes the inner mind of a narcissist like no other person. When he talks about narcissism everyone listens. Vaknin says that Obama's language, posture and demeanor, and the testimonies of his closest, dearest and nearest suggest that the Senator is either a narcissist or he may have narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Narcissists project a grandiose but false image of themselves. Jim Jones, the charismatic leader of People's Temple, the man who led over 900 of his followers to cheerfully commit mass suicide and even murder their own children was also a narcissist. David Koresh, Charles Manson, Joseph Koni, Shoko Asahara, Stalin, Saddam, Mao, Kim Jong Ill and Adolph Hitler are a few examples of narcissists of our time. All these men had a tremendous influence over their fanciers. They created a personality cult around themselves and with their blazing speeches elevated their admirers, filled their hearts with enthusiasm and instilled in their minds a new zest for life. They gave them hope! They promised them the moon, but alas, invariably they brought them to their doom. When you are a victim of a cult of personality, you don't know it until it is too late. One determining factor in the development of NPD is childhood abuse.

"Obama's early life was decidedly chaotic and replete with traumatic and mentally bruising dislocations," says Vaknin. "Mixed-race marriages were even less common then. His parents went through a divorce when he was an infant (two years old). Obama saw his father only once again, before he died in a car accident. Then his mother re-married and Obama had to relocate to Indonesia, a foreign land with a radically foreign culture, to be raised by a step-father. At the age of ten, he was whisked off to live with his maternal (white) grandparents. He saw his mother only intermittently in the following few years and then she vanished from his life in 1979. She died of cancer in 1995."

One must never underestimate the manipulative genius of pathological narcissists. They project such an imposing personality that it overwhelms those around them. Charmed by the charisma of the narcissist, people become like clay in his hands. They cheerfully do his bidding and delight to be at his service.. The narcissist shapes the world around himself and reduces others in his own inverted image. He creates a cult of personality. His admirers become his co-dependents. Narcissists have no interest in things that do not help them to reach their personal objective. They are focused on one thing alone and that is power. All other issues are meaningless to them and they do not want to waste their precious time on trivialities. Anything that does not help them is beneath them and does not deserve their attention. If an issue raised in the Senate does not help Obama in one way or another, he has no interest in it. The "present" vote is a safe vote. No one can criticize him if things go wrong. Those issues are unworthy by their very nature because they are not about him. Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review led to a contract and advance to write a book about race relations.

The University of Chicago Law School provided him a lot longer than expected and at the end it evolved into, guess what? His own autobiography! Instead of writing a scholarly paper focusing on race relations, for which he had been paid, Obama could not resist writing about his most sublime self. He entitled the book Dreams from My Father.

Not surprisingly, Adolph Hitler also wrote his own autobiography when he was still nobody. So did Stalin. For a narcissist no subject is as important as his own self. Why would he waste his precious time and genius writing about insignificant things when he can write about such an august being as himself? Narcissists are often callous and even ruthless. As the norm, they lack conscience. This is evident from Obama's lack of interest in his own brother who lives on only one dollar per month.

A man who lives in luxury, who takes a private jet to vacation in Hawaii, and who has raised nearly half a billion dollars for his campaign (something unprecedented in history) has no interest in the plight of his own brother. Why? Because, his brother cannot be used for his ascent to power.

A narcissist cares for no one but himself. This election was like no other in the history of America. The issues were insignificant compared to what is at stake. What can be more dangerous than having a man bereft of conscience, a serial liar, and one who cannot distinguish his fantasies from reality as the leader of the free world? I hate to sound alarmist, but one is a fool if one is not alarmed. Many politicians are narcissists. They pose no threat to others...They are simply self serving and selfish.

Obama evidences symptoms of pathological narcissism, which is different from the run-of-the-mill narcissism of a Richard Nixon or a Bill Clinton for example. To him reality and fantasy are intertwined. This is a mental health issue, not just a character flaw. Pathological narcissists are dangerous because they look normal and even intelligent. It is this disguise that makes them treacherous.

Today the Democrats have placed all their hopes in Obama. But this man could put an end to their party. The great majority of blacks also voted for Obama. Only a fool does not know that their support for him was racially driven. This is racism, pure and simple. The downside of this is that if Obama turns out to be the disaster I predict, he will cause widespread resentment among the whites.

The blacks are unlikely to give up their support of their man. Cultic mentality is pernicious and unrelenting. They will dig their heads deeper in the sand and blame Obama's detractors of racism. This will cause a backlash among the whites…..

The white supremacists will take advantage of the discontent and they will receive widespread support. I predict that in less than four years, racial tensions will increase to levels never seen since the turbulent 1960's.

Obama will set the clock back decades... America is the bastion of freedom. The peace of the world depends on the strength of America, and its weakness translates into the triumph of terrorism and victory of rogue nations.

It is no wonder that Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez, the Castrists, the Hezbollah, the Hamas, the lawyers of the Guantanamo terrorists and virtually all sworn enemies of America are so thrilled by the prospect of their man in the White House. America is on the verge of destruction. There is no insanity greater than electing a pathological narcissist as president.

Criticism from North of the Border

2009-08-19T20:27:00.000-06:00

The following rather alarming critism came in today from Canada on my mail. I thought it worth while publishing!

Obama's White House is Falling Down

By Daniel Greenfield

In the sixth month of his presidency, Obama has turned an economic downturn into an economic disaster, taking over and trashing entire companies, and driving the nation deep into deficit spending expected to pass 10 trillion dollars.

Abroad, Obama seems to have no other mode except to continue on with his endless campaign, confusing speechmaking with diplomacy. It is natural enough that Obama, who
built his entire campaign on high profile public speeches reported on by an adoring
press, understands how to do nothing else but that.

While the press is still chewing over Obama's Cairo speech, this celebrity style coverage
ignores the fact that Obama's endless world tour is not actually accomplishing anything.
Instead his combination of ego driven photo op appearances and clueless treatment of foreign dignitaries have alienated many of America’s traditional allies. Those who aren't being quietly angry at Obama, like Brown, Merkel or Netanyahu, instead think of him
as absurdly lightweight, as Sarkozy, King Abdullah or Putin do.

While his officials carry out their dirty economic deeds, Obama responds to any and every
crisis as if it were a Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland musical, with a cry
of, "Let's put on a show." Thus far Obama has put on "shows" across America, Europe and the Middle East. And what the adoring media coverage neglects to cover, is that Obama's shows have solved absolutely nothing. They have served only as high profile entertainment.

Neither alienating America’s traditional allies, through a combination of arrogant bullying and ignorance, nor appeasing America’s enemies, has yielded any actual results. Nor does it seem likely to. Islamic terrorism is not going anywhere, neither are the nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran. While Obama keeps smiling, the global situation keeps growing grimmer.

At home, if Obama was elected as depression era entertainment, the charm of his smiles and his constant appearances of magazine covers appear to be wearing thin on the American public. Despite the shrill attacks on Rush Limbaugh or the Republican Enemy of
the Weak-- the Democratic Party of 2009, is polling a lot like the Republican Party of 2008. The Democrats have suddenly become the incumbents, and the only accomplishment they can point to is lavish deficit spending, often on behalf of the very same corporations and causes they once postured against.

The European Union Parliament's swing to the right cannot be credited to Obama, though
doubtlessly some European voters seeing socialist economic crisis management
on display in the world's richest country decided they wanted none of it, but it is part
of a general turning against federalism. And Obama’s entire program is dependent on heavily entrenching federalism at the expense of individual and state's rights. Yet that is precisely his Achilles heel with independent voters who are polling against more taxes and expanded government. And no amount of speeches by Obama can wish away his 18 czars or the national debt he has foisted on generation after generation of the American people. That leaves Obama with a choice between socialism and the independent voter. And thus far he has chosen socialism.

Obama's tactic of hijacking Bush Administration era policies on the economy and the War on Terror, and exploiting themes Trojan horses to promote his own agenda, have left him coping with a backlash from his own party, as well as general Republican opposition.

His Czars are meant to function as the bones in an executive infrastructure accountable to no one, but a lack of accountability isn't just another word for tyranny, but for incompetence. A functional chain of command is accountable at multiple levels if it is to function effectively. Obama’s White House by contrast is in a state of over-organized chaos, the sort of
organized disorganization that undisciplined egotistical leftists naturally create
for themselves, complete with multiple overlapping levels of authority and no one in charge but the man at the top, who's too busy doing other things to actually be in charge.

Dennis Blair as National Intelligence, who collaborated with the Muslim genocide of
Christians in East Timor, trying to muscle out the CIA to create his own intelligence network, is typical of the kind of chaos being spawned by every chief in an expanding government bureaucracy working to make sure that all the Indians answer to him. Similarly the National Security Council wrestling with the State Department, highlighted by Samantha Power getting her own specially created NSC position to butt heads withSecretary of State Hillary Clinton, illustrates the state of conflict and chaos in American foreign affairs. A state of chaos so pervasive
that incompetence has now become commonplace and no one can even be found
to double check the spelling of a Russian word that is meant to be the theme of American's
diplomatic reconstruction with Russia, or to pick out a gift for the visiting British Prime Minister.

Meanwhile on the economy, Obama exploited the ongoing bailouts, transforming them from bailouts into takeovers meant to shift the balance of power in what had been a
democracy and socially engineer not only corporations, but the lives of ordinary Americans. But the public's patience with corporate bailouts is at an end, most Americans were never happy with them to begin with, and want them to end. The death of Chrysler at the hands of Fiat and the UAW might look like a victory in the union ranks, but it doesn’t play too well outside Detroit. And tacking on CAFE standards that will kill the pickup truck and the SUV will badly erode Obama in the swing states, if exploited properly in 2010 and 2012. Despite the constant media barrage, orchestrated out of the White House, the public is growing disenchantedwith the performance of Obama and the Democrats.

With unemployment booming and the economy dropping, the jobs aren't there and the spending is out of control. Republicans today are polling better on ethics and the economy, than the
Democrats are. That shows a trend which is likely to register in the mid-term elections in 2010, in the same way that the EU parliamentary elections served as a shock to the system.

In the opposition, Republicans are free to embrace the rhetoric of change, to champion reform and push libertarian ideas about the size and scope of government. In turn all Obama has is his celebrity fueled media spectacle world tour. A charade now serving as a parallel to the depression era entertainment that functioned as escapism in a dour time. But before long, it may be Obama that the American public will want to escape from.

Obama has tried to play Lincoln, Reagan, JFK and FDR-- but in the end he can only play himself, a shallow, manipulative and egotistical amateur who is in over his head, and trying to drag the country down with him. Obama's White House is falling down and while the
flashbulbs are still glittering and the parties are going on in D.C. and around the world, Obama and the Democratic Congress may be headed for a recession of their own

The Convoy that saved a starving Island!

2009-08-16T08:10:00.000-06:00

August 15 will always be a special day to the generation before me, my generation and those after me who interested themselves in the history of a small Island, right in the middle of the Mediterranean.

As a then British Colony, the Island of Malta played a crucial part in World War II when the war shifted to North Africa and also in the Sicily landings. Through much sacrifice and loss of naval lives, the British managed to supply the Island not only food for the starving inhabitants but also fuel, armaments and munitions which gave the British a haven and a vantage point in supplying their troops in N. Africa. At the same time, the Malta defenses attacked with fury the Axis attempts to reach their troops in N.Africa, mostly by sinking supply ships bound for German troops, and shooting down the accompanying planes.

Were it not for this effort by the British from their vantage point in the Island of Malta, the chances are that Rommel would have chased the Allies out of N. Africa, then taken Malta and would then proceed northwards through Sicily and Italy.

But by August 15, 1942 the Island was lacking food for the people and almost all the supplies necessary for the British to help their troops in N. Africa. But on this memorable day, from a convoy of a multitude of supply ships, their escort of battleships and planes that sailed from Southampton, only three limped into the Grand Harbor of Valletta, Malta. One of them, heavily torpedoed, also had to be supported by two of the escort ships so as to finally stagger into port with its precious cargo intact.

Thanks to these three ships and the brave men who lost their lives to help bring them to port, the Island was saved and the war took a positive turn in favor of the Allies.

August 15, is also the feast of Our Lady of the Assumption, a holiday venerated by Catholic Malta. So many prayers of thanks were offered that day to the Virgin for the arrival of those three gallant ships and for the brave men who faced innumerable attacks from sea and air to arrive to their destination and for the many, without whose bravery and death all this would not have happened!

August 15, will always be a day of Remembrance, of Gratitude to a great Nation and of Sorrow for the many lives lost to save us all.

Really "This and That!!

2009-07-27T17:02:00.000-06:00

We are now in the peak of summer and a somnolence settles down on the southern part of Arizona. People still have to work a full day, yard work, believe it or not, is still necessary, and of course pools have to be meticulously maintained to make sure you do not get that green "stuff" greeting you first thing in the morning!

Where work is concerned, one has to slog on and be grateful that one still has a job, in this shaky economy. The desert gardens of houses in semi rural areas are usually home to mesquite trees and palo verdes. Lovely desert trees which require little or no maintenance and both drop seeds which soon sprout into new saplings after the first rains.
BUT! The palo verde, while beautifu in spring and early summer with its profusion of little yellow flowers, soon sheds them, all in one go, it seems. At some point, the ground beneath them seems to be carpeted in yellow, a lovely sight, yet it has to be raked up.
The mesquite does not really flower but grows thousands and thousands of pods which are the exact shape and length of green beans! Thousands of years ago, these beans were food to the indigenous people and when the beans dried they were ground and pounded into a flour like consistency and used to make a type of flat bread. At the moment the beans are all down and I am hoping some poor soul will offer to rake them up! But I think I shall just have to pay someone to do it for me as a bad back just does not let me do it myself.
As for the pool, that is my chore and my pleasure. At 6am. in the morning I skim the surface, check the Ph. backwash if necessary and then, all hot and bothered, I jump in even at that early time, since the water is at its "coolest" at 88F or 32C !!! after a swim, I remain in my swim suit and as soon as I dry up just a little, go in, have breakfast and do my home chores. This is the best way to keep cool while doing the housework. Later, at sunset, it is time to jump in again to cool down, sort of, as by now the pool is close to 92F or 35C ! then check the Ph. again and put in the necessary chemicals so that they work on the pool at night.

That is a day in the desert! Some time in between, shopping has to be done and of course, cooking. Summer menus are light and fresh and quickly put together. While the rest of the Country enjoys barbequeing on the week ends, it is just too hot for my taste, at least to cook outside. So I invent as many different cold meals as I can.

The big news is when the monsoon rains finally hit. It has already rained pretty heavily in several parts of the State but the area I live in has only got a sprinkling and done nothing to alleviate the situation!

I am still hoping and waiting!

The Promised Land(s)?

2009-07-19T21:37:00.000-06:00

19/07/2009
Today's news just shriek out that we are nowhere near our Promised land and I do not mean just the Israelites!
The first item I read was that the Russian and Chinese Presidents have warned that if the USA does not put the brakes on Israel and its growing intention to bomb Iran's nuclear sites, this would mean another World War! Phew! a world war when several countries are armed with nuclear weapons? This would really mean Armageddon!

As if this is not bad enough, a video has been circling around on "YouTube" about the abysmally low birth rate in Europe and North America. It states that with declining births and increasing immigration mainly Muslim, by 2050 the Europe we know will have vanished and be replaced by a Muslim led society. The same goes for North America.
Muslims have no problem with having large families; on the contrary, as Muammar Ghaddafi himself said, Muslims can take over the world peacefully by being fruitful and multiplying.

On the other hand, the Western mostly christian world, has opted for mini families, whether because of financial necessity or disinclination to being tied up raising a large brood, especially if both parents want or are constrained, to work. The result is that the indigenous population is shrinking at an alarming rate. Already, in many western countries the median age is much higher than it was fifty years ago. People are living longer and the birth rate keeps dropping.

In several countries the rate has dropped so low that it is beyond recovery, even if the native population decided to go on a baby boom spree.

So where is our Promised land? What are we doing to ourselves? We had a country to be proud of. We had a set of rules by which we lived, we followed one Universal God and when we had to go to battle, it was for God and Country. We respected our neighboring countries and when their culture was in marked difference from ours, we respected that to, as they respected ours.

Nowadays each of our countries is a hodge podge of cultures and ethnic groups; no real harm in that, one would say. But, when one has to pussy-foot around the, up to now, minorities so as not to offend their delicate sensibilities, and this in our country, the one which is giving them hospitality and a livelihood, then it is too much! Much too much!

Unfortunately, we cannot do much about what is already done, but we surely can stand up for ourselves and our rights, take a more active part in our country's politics so as to really have a strong say in the way it is run, and finally to remember that this is our country, our culture our traditions and it is not up to us to change our ways to suit the newcomers but rather, they are in duty bound, even be obliged to assimilate and integrate into the country of adoption and to become as one with the country they chose to live in. After all, they can always go back to where they came from and to the traditions they miss so much and would like to impose on us!

Sarah Palin: Why the virulence?

2009-07-07T22:10:00.000-06:00

For the past week we have been bombarded incessantly by news, pictures and videos about Michael Jackson and his untimely death. So much so, that the surprise news of Sarah Palin's upcoming resignation from her position of Governor of Alaska, has not generated the headlines and dastardly press in the amount that anything about her and her family usually causes.

No doubt, it shall all begin once again, now that Jackson has been laid to rest!
Why have so many people decided to be so virulent about her? What has she ever done to them. Why would the liberal Press be consistently and persistently so antagonistic towards her? Was there nothing about her that they found good or interesting or worthwhile? Are the people of Alaska so dumb that they would elect her to the highest post in the State if she really is all that the press say about her? I think not! The dumb ones are the press and their nasty minded readers and followers.

She came out from relative obscurity, called by Sen. McCain to be his running mate for his presidency attempt. She came over as a breath of much needed fresh air to a campaign which could only be described as boring. Her approach was natural, down to earth, home spun, some called it, but it boosted ratings for McCain in a way he would never have got on his own.
She spoke of a change for decency and honor in politics, for truth, for values, all of which have been sadly lacking. People who heard her loved her, but, those on whose toes she may have trod, hated her from the get-go and set up to destroy her in the meanest, most vicious and untruthful ways possible. Nothing was taboo. Her handicapped baby, her oldest daughter, her clothes, her way of life, all were brutally torn to shreds in a manner unprecedented in the history of modern politics. Why?

Nothing about the negative press gives a shred of evidence why they would hate her so. She may not be Presidential material just yet but this does not justify the hate. Nor does the taking for granted attitude that McCain would not live the length of his presidency had he been elected, justify their actions. McCain may be a senior citizen but he is healthy and strong. He survived the campaign and its brutal pace, didn't he?

I hope she decides to run for Senator. The next Republican President would be wise to choose her as his Secretary of State for Finance. She would certainly go after all those who have brought this great Country nearly to its knees with their greed for money at all costs and to hell with the people from whom they stole it. I think she would live once again to her college nickname," Barracuda," and clean up the mess left behind.

Who knows what the press would have to say about this!

My naughty Puppies

2009-07-05T22:05:00.000-06:00

I have always loved dogs, but since I came to live in Arizona I have had quite a collection of them, thanks to sizable backyards.
My first was a miniature schnauzer who roamed into my back yard with no collar on, no tags, but nicely groomed. I fed him and reluctantly did my duty and advertised finding him in the local newspaper. No one claimed him so Luke became pet number one.
He was quite a character, would play with his stuffed duck and loved car rides. A short while later my younger daughter asked me to temporarily keep her one year old Border Collie as the dog was very timid and she had young kids visiting for a month. The month came and went and Dolly became a fixture, pet number two. She and Luke got on very well. Luke did not cry any more when I had to go out and leave them in the house as Dolly was his companion. Not only, since he was male, albeit neutered, he soon asserted his authority over Dolly and left her in no doubt who was the master! Unhappily,I did not enjoy him for long. He got cancer and as it became worse I had no option but to put him down. It was the first time I ever had to do this and I never imagined it would be so gut wrenching.

Dolly thrived and her herding instincts came very much to the fore when the grand kids and their friends would come and swim in my pool. She would watch them intently and as soon as one of them got out of the water she would gently nip their heels and make them jump in again. The children soon caught on and they would run around the pool's edge laughing and calling out to her and she would chase them one by one till they were all in the pool once again.She was by far the smartest pet I have ever had. She lived till she was about ten years when she got sick and finally had to be put down to relieve her of her pain.Another tragedy for me.
Soon after,having Dolly, my younger daughter decided that I really did not have a decent guard dog and at one visit to the vet, she found out that he had his daughter's German shepherd waiting for a new home, since the daughter was at University in Tucson and could not keep her
Her name was Mokey and she looked so pleadingly at us that we did not have the heart to leave her and so she became pet number three.

So for a time I had three dogs of different sizes living with me. If you think Mokey became the alpha dog, think again. She turned out to be as timid as can be and Luke soon asserted his dominance over her too.Some guard dog she turned out to be!
After Luke died I was down to two pets but not for long. Again, my younger daughter who would come visiting with her collection of dogs, she had an Aussie heeler mix called Pete who used to be pestered unmercifully by her favorite puppy, a Jack Russel Terrier, who was and still is a real terror. One day he categorically refused to go back home with her and comfortably installed himself in my house. So now I was again back to three. The three of them got on very well together, each with his own character and funny foibles. Pete was lazy and when we would go out for walks, he would walk perhaps fifty yards, then sit down and wait for us to return, when he would trot back in feeling very good about himself.
One day, he even refused to walk that much but chose instead to wait for us in the shade by the fence. there was no moving him! Both Pete and Dolly went to doggy heaven within a very short time of each other, yet another sad period.

This time elder daughter came to the rescue. We went to a private breeder, not a puppy mill, to look for a miniature schnauzer puppy. This lady's dog had produced a litter of four puppies of which two had already gone to one owner. I could not decide whether to get the boy or the girl and then started worrying about leaving the other one alone. yes, you guessed it! We returned home with two little bundles of fur. And that s how Max and Lucy came into my life, my family's life and to all who came to my house.

Max and Lucy are now two years old and the naughtiest puppies you can find. they do everything in twos. They run in tandem, they sit side by side in perfect alignment, they eat together, in other words, they are inseparable . They love socks and shoes and hiding them in the back yard.
But their biggest pleasure is chasing after bunnies, of which there are plenty, especially in spring and summer. Given half a chance they will tear off and chase them till they finally give up as the desert rabbits are extremely fast. No amount of calling them has any effect. They do come back, but after I have given chase and yelled myself hoarse.

I think, I shall need the Dog Whisperer for these naughty two.

my naughty puppies

2009-07-05T22:03:00.000-06:00

in Johanna's backyard

2009-07-05T21:42:00.001-06:00

2009-06-30T16:38:00.001-06:00

I must be growing old as I have been reminiscing over my childhood!
I grew up on the small island of Malta in the Mediterranean. Then it was a British Colony. Schooling was in British English, followed the British curriculum, which was quite tough, but we did learn French and Italian and pretty well too.

But before I was school age we had to live through World War II. As a British colony we were automatically involved in the war but the Island was woefully unequipped for battle, no standing Army, just British forces on a tour of duty, no battleships but we did have three rickety planes,aptly named, Faith, Hope and Charity! We also boasted of a large natural harbor which, of course was invaluable for the British Navy.

With Italy, our neighbor, siding with the Axis, the harbor became a favorite place for bombings. Stray bombs were frequent and we had many civilian casualties as well as major destruction of housing. At the peak of it all, my parents decided to evacuate to the sister Island of Gozo, a very rural place and relatively out of the battle zone. There we settled in rather primitive conditions. I remember our toilet was a cement seat with a hole in it. Bathing had to be done in a zinc tub amidst much splashing and stinging soap.

I was old enough to sort of realise what was happening around me but young enough to enjoy the liberty I had, to run and play in the village square with a host of new friends. I learnt so many intriguing things I would never have had in the city. I learnt to choose the right small branch with the right shape to form a catapult. To load it and aim it at some poor unsuspecting bird. When, by sheer luck I did hit one I was in tears! So I learnt to fashion a new toy. This was a type of pan pipe. It was made from a cut out of a fresh bamboo rod, stacks of which grew near a natural spring. You had to cut a section between the "knuckles" of the bamboo making sure not to tear the thin membrane on both ends. Then slitting a mouth hole and you were supposed to be able to play a simple tune.

By 1942, the US had entered the War and the first thing they did in our part of the world was to build a landing strip for planes. Things then really heated up. Some US naval personnel also arrived on the Island and ships, planes and artillery made for a mighty racket, day and night. I was used to the British naval uniform but the first time I saw a US seaman in uniform I thought their hat was quite funny! I was playing in the public gardens along with my younger brother and two US seamen were sitting on a bench watching us play. They beckoned to my brother and one of them dandled him on his knee. He told me he left a little boy back home and was hoping to see him again once the war was over. He then put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a roll and offered a candy to my brother. My brother just stared at it then looked inquiringly at me. Being older, I dimly remembered what that roll was and stretching out my hand I grabbed it and said: " He has never eaten or seen candy but I have! " It was a roll of candy that had a hole in the center. They were so good!

A short while later as the battleground moved up north we returned to Malta and to a semblance of ordinary life. Our house was still standing, so that was one great blessing and soon I had to start attending school. But that is another story.

On Aging.

2009-06-25T20:09:00.000-06:00

If you want a long life, be prepared to grow old. How many times have I heard this when I complain of the limitations age brings in agility, alertness or mental acuity!

But I don't feel old! I still want to be energetic in my garden, but oh the backaches and sore muscles! I love to hike but tire way too soon. What about shopping, a woman's delight, usually? Now I go for what I need, roam around to see what's new and very soon that is the end of that. Museums, art galleries and botanical or ornamental gardens, so interesting and informative, now have the same effect.

I love travelling and somehow I still find the spark to do more when travelling than usually, but roughing it is now out of the question. After a day's sightseeing, all I want is a large warm jetted tub and a comfortable bed.

What can one do to deter the limitations of age? As a young person, I took good care of my skin, washing and cleansing and moisturising and going very easy on make-up. But where food was concerned, I loved to cook, eat,dine out, try exotic foods, anything that has savor and flavor. Too late did I come to realise that you are what you eat, to quote another old cherry, and quite a few pounds later I find out that I could have enjoyed all I ate but tweaked my eating pattern by giving more importance to antioxidants first and foremost, and devoting a few days a month to resting my digestive system by eating whole unprocessed foods, lots of greens, preferably raw, legumes and nuts. By thus doing, I would have given my system a break and a flush and helped to avoid as many free radicals as possible.
Maybe doing so, I would have had more supple joints and a lighter step in my walk.

Maybe, maybe, in my next life I could remember my own advice.

Iran/USA

2009-06-23T20:47:00.000-06:00

We all agree that yet another tragedy is unfolding before our very eyes! How many times have we seen a people rise against its oppressors, especially in Post War Europe?We can also say that all the Continents have at some time or other, even now, gone through this convulsion of a people who rebel in desperate fury against repressive regimes. What can we say or do when this happens?
What we must remember is that, as in the case of Iran, they are now trying to rid themselves of a regime which they themselves elected, to do away with another regime, that of the Shah of Persia, an ally of the USA. Cuba, might be another region where people will try to overthrow the very same Government that they elected to rid themselves of a despotic and corrupt regime. Maybe even N. Korea might try something similar some day, but the outlook seems very dismal for that long-suffering people.
Going back to Iran, I have been struck by the number of Iranian-American reporters and speakers who, while they appreciate that the US is resolutely against the oppression of a people by its own people, they are also clearly pointing out that the Iranians are looking more for moral than political support. They appreciate the guarded supportive words of President Obama and I must say that I thoroughly agree with him, at least on this subject. The Iranians are a world and a culture apart from the US.
They are a proud, intelligent and fiercely patriotic people and prefer to fight their own battles in their own way. US support during the times of the Shah resulted in open hostility when the Country chose the Ayatollah as their Leader of choice. That they have come to regret it is a subject that we can only conjecture on. Half of the Country seems still to favor the fanatic religious rule.
Again, fanatic in our eyes, but not in the eyes of many.To the religious Islamic regimes out there, the US and Europe appear in their eyes as a people driven by money, worldly goods, position and power. They have become estranged from the sober teachings of their Faiths. Their ideas are too avante garde for them to appreciate and where females are concerned, they think that the Western woman has lost femininity, dignity and grace.
Not that their treatment of women is to be recommended or even copied!We can only hope that the Iranians will manage to somehow persuade their leaders to take a long look at the trials and tribulations of their people and to come to some arrangement which, first and foremost is workable and dignified for its people.
The chances are that it would not be the arrangement that the West would like. But then, that is what makes a nation, sovereign, the right to make and live by their mistakes.

This and That

2009-06-20T06:51:00.000-06:00

In today's climate of uninsured citizens for health benefits, I shall talk about an intervention I have just had a few days ago. After years and years of suffering with terrible back pains and havng tried every method offered on the market as a salve or even a solution, I have been fortunate to be recommend to The Laser Spine Institute of Scottsdale.
I am of Medicare age and found out that Medicare will cover a part of the expense but that I had to find the rest. Inspite of the fact that finances are bad at the moment, I managed to gather the required amount, (sizeable)
But what a wise decision this was! It has barely been three days that I came out of surgery and the old pain seems to be gone. Unfortunately, it is temporarily replaced by a nasty ache in my tail bone, where an injection had to be given. But painkillers and constant icing is really helping. I have started walking short distances and slowly slowly I am regaining mobility.
But the point of all his is that even with managed Health care this type of intervention would be out of the financial range of Managed Care. I am all for health coverage for the unfortunately large section of the population with litle or no access to health care, but unless it is two tiered, which means that private doctors and Institutes are allowed to operate out of the managed care system, the result would be that you cater to the masses at theexpense of the many who are willing to pay extra, you are limiting the rights of this section to get the best that they can afford.
I have seen the British NHS and the Canadian counerpart at work and must say that for the day to day aches , pains,and regular illnesses and accidents that are part of life, they stand among the best. It is only when things get complicated that problems begin, This is when you need a specialist and in Canada, which is one tier, you have to wait till a specialist or surgeon is available, of course unless it is a matter of life and death. Then you go to Emergency and get whoever specialist is on duty that day.
In Britian, private doctors and specialists are still allowed to practice out of the system but it s going to cost you!
The best system s the Swiss model where the doctors who work within managed care are very well paid, you get to a specialist immediately within the system and are very well taken care of. Of course, if you also carry private Health Insurance over and above the State one, you can then pick and choose and ensure that your peoblems are solved quickly and efficiently. But the annual output for supplementary health Insurance more than makes up for the whopping bills one has to pay in the US. In other words, since the medics. are paid promptly and well, the cost is not exhorbitant and the supplementary Insurance picks up at least 80% of the tab.
A model to look into!!

Life in Arizona, through the eyes of a European!

2009-06-18T21:48:00.000-06:00

Let me start by saying that Arizona is the most original place I have ever seen. Besides the fact that the State has a Low Desert, Hot,hot, hot in Summer and gorgeous in Winter. Then there is the High Desert in the north mainly home to the Navajo and Hopi Nations where the summer is hot but the winter is pretty cold as the elevation is over 7000feet, hence the High Desert. In the middle are the towns and picturesque areas which enjoy a four season climate.
Being brought up speaking British English, I had a hard time understanding the American version and also being understood! Forget the "tomato/tomahto" standard joke, but listening to the various programs mainly political, I have had a struggle with quite a few "gems" For example, an "oversight" in B English is something which has been skipped over, missed or left out. In A English is is used as the past
participle for "overseeing" which has a totally different meaning. Another which bugs me greatly is the use of "momentarily" to mean 'in a moment" Momentarily is an Adverb which is used to govern a Verb and should be used close to a verb or to describe it. When someone say "I will be back momentarily, it should be "in a moment or in a short time. You can say" I will momentarily be absent " this is correct as the word "momentarily is telling me more about being absent. It is where you place the word in the construction of a sentence that gives correctness to the use of words.
Maybe, by now you might have guessed that I am a bit of a grammar freak, but I studied this subject for many years at school and it has really stuck.
So much for today!!