Thursday, December 31, 2009

December 31, 2009

Today is the last day of the year. The last day of 2009.

So what's the big deal? The only memorable thing will be that from now on for days we will be writing the 2009 dates on our checks and everywhere else. It will be hard to get used to the new date. We had 365 days to get used to this one.

Otherwise this day will be gone just like any of the thousands of days in our lives.

Right now it is snowing in New York. I am starting to write this at 10:30 am and there are already people staking out their grounds on Times Square for tonight's events. It is absolutely stupid to the nth degree.

They are restricted into police created corrals. Once they leave they can not return. There are also no toilet facilities. In this cold that is unbelievable. What one does when he/she has to go?

And still, people are there already. Human stupidity knows no boundaries.

Anyway, back to today. I realized how lucky I am that I am a Jew. We can wish at least twice a year a Happy New Year. That should mean double luck, right?

When I worked, I had Indian and Chinese colleagues. They went by their own calendars. That meant two more New Years. For a total of four Happy New Years a year I still had to leave and retire.

Maybe too many Happy New Years don't really add up to a really Happy New Year.

In Hungary New Year's Eve is called Sylvester (or Szilveszter in Hungarian). Sylvester was a pope from from 314 to 335. He died on December 31 and that day is when he is celebrated. Thus the name for New Year's Eve in Hungary and in many other European countries..

And I was always in the belief that his claim to fame was that he invented the New Year's Eve Party.

I am continuing the writing at 6 pm. The snow stopped much earlier, it is 34 degrees outside but the crowd grew on Times Square. I went to relieve myself a few times since I wrote the first part. Those people are still holding it in. It is an unbelievable human feat.

I figured out that this is my 72nd Szilveszter. After a while they become kind of monotonous. As the saying goes 'there is nothing new under the sun'.

Why do people need an excuse to get filthy drunk, to make total fools of themselves and party until they collapse? They can do it any other day just the same. They do it on Super Bowl, Spring Break, Fourth of July and whenever they want to.

We can't say this was an uneventful year.

We have a new President, our economy collapsed, GM went bankrupt, a top golfer's score card shows several birdies and my wife and I got the cold. By the way, we still have it.

So, I honestly hope and wish that next year will be better for everybody.

I am taking this opportunity to wish to all our friends a Happy and Healthy New Year.


P.s: I would love to be a neutered fly on the wall at the golfer's New Years Eve party. A young fly because my old heart wouldn't be able to take the excitement.



Wednesday, December 30, 2009

December 30, 2009

I have been living in this country for over 50 years but the American mentality still amazes me. Americans are so hung up on their "rights" that it is unbelievable.

The reason why I am writing this is what I heard today on the news. They are all over with that fortunately unsuccessful airline bombing. Now as I said the other day the Monday morning quarterbacking started.

The guy from Nigeria changed plane in Amsterdam for the Detroit flight and apparently he slipped through security. Today the Dutch announced that they would start full body scans for all US bound travelers. Good!

Now, the good Americans are complaining about the invasion of their privacy. These people are nuts. What about their privacy if the plane blows up. What will they complain about then?

Why are they so upset about being seen naked on the scanner. Do they have something to be ashamed of? The only thing they should be paying attention to is to make sure they have clean underwear on.

The way I see it, if the plane blows up with me on it my privacy is being invaded. Because maybe I didn't want to be blown up at that particular time. It is being done against my will.

So, in order to make flights safer I don't care if they want me to take all my clothes off, as long as everybody is required to.

People who are ashamed should realize that the first few naked pictures might be interesting but after these inspectors see hundreds every day they will have a difficult time keeping their foods down.

This brings up another issue. We should be aware that in this country the bad guys have more rights than the victims. And that is a sad reality.

Granted the Constitution says that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty (or something like it). But come on! A guy caught with explosives is innocent until proven guilty? There is something wrong with this equation.

If the Arab hijackers would have fallen out of the planes before they hit the World Trade Center they would had to be proven guilty otherwise they could have walked. It's a good thing they died. They saved a lot of money for the courts.

Security here is not very convincing. Today the police found a van on Times Square that was parked there for several days. They emptied out the neighboring office buildings, closed the streets. Eventually they found nothing but used clothing inside the van.

But the kicker is that this van was parked there for a few days without anybody noticing it. Broadway at 41st to 42nd street is not exactly a quiet and obtrusive area. Police and ticket agents galore are in the area. So how come nobody noticed it for days?

My confidence in the system to prevent any kind of terrorist initiated disaster is not great at all.

What they are great at is pointing fingers at each other and explaining their inaction after whatever happened. And in politically inspired speeches telling the public what must be done in the future.

What this country needs is a little strong arm ruling. Worry less about stepping on people's toes or invading their privacy and worry more about making this a safer place to live.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

December 29, 2009

I have a cold. My wife has a cold.

These are the facts of life for us. She got the cold first and was feeling pretty bad yesterday. For today those darn germs leaped over to me and found a home in my nose. Fortunately my wife is slowly coming out of it while I am slowly getting into it.

I received my flu shot but it does not protect me from the common cold.

I consider myself tough and not a weakling. But when I have the cold, forget it. I am constantly sniffing, drinking tea, eating chicken soup and don't go out of the house if not necessary.

Now that we are both retired we have the luxury of staying home. The mystery is how we caught it.

We don't use public transportation, we don't mingle where there are a lot of people. However, we do go to the supermarket and we visit stores. So it was probably at one of those places where the bug landed on one of us.

It is very interesting to see how the toughest person in the world is reduced to a sniffing kid when he has a cold. No, it is not me but because I'm not the toughest person in the world. But the cold flattens anybody without no respect.

It's amazing that medical science didn't find a cure for the common cold. They have all kinds of preventive suggestions but none for the cure once one has it. It just has to run its course.

I had to stop and blow my nose. If I can get a dollar for each time I blew my nose today I would be in a much higher tax bracket. My nose is ready to fall off from the constant blowing.

Man, I'm miserable!

I'm sure the golfer never gets a cold!

Monday, December 28, 2009

December 28, 2009

Everybody is up in arms about the possible bombing of the Amsterdam - Detroit Delta flight on Christmas Day.

The passenger came from Nigeria, changed at Amsterdam then on to Detroit. He slipped through security with some explosives strapped to his body which fortunately did not explode as he wanted it to.

Now comes the Monday morning quarterbacking. From the government down to the news media they are all in a frenzy about what did not happen, what could have happened and what to do from here on to prevent this from happening again.

It is amazing how shortsighted they all are. And they are at our expense. They are playing with our lives. Nothing happens for a while then the authorities decide to ease the restrictions because they are convinced that everything is hunky dory, brotherly love is back again.

Why is it that nothing ever happens to the Israeli airline El Al? Because they NEVER let their guards down. For many years now their security is better than anybody's, they never let their guard down.

I can see what is happening. When we are returning from outside this country the security is really very cursery. They are going to the motions without really caring. The people who conduct these security checks are locals. They are probably low paid and have absolutely no motivation to do a thorough job.

Which really applies to the staff at the American airports also. They are low paid and untrained. When there is a crowd and the equipment breaks down they get overwhelmed.

Just because they confiscate water bottles, mother's milk or make us take off our shoes and belts don't make us feel any safer. When I see them looking at the screen checking the carry on luggage on the conveyor belt I am convinced most of them have no clues what they are looking at.

Up to a few years ago the Caribbean island we go to vacation had an old airport. Security was limited to the flights coming to the US. KLM, Air France passengers were not exposed to the same luggage search as the American travelers. Our airline as well as the others hired their own personnel to check the luggage that were to be checked in. This was done manually before going to the counter.

I remember when at one time the guy opened my suitcase and asked what was in it. I told him it was mainly dirty laundry. He took his hands back so fast it was amazing. Told me to close it and proceed.

This was not only at the Caribbean but it also happened in Europe.

Does this give anybody the warm fuzzies about the security?

Now with the tightening of the security measures airlines will have another excuse to make travel more uncomfortable. And, add another charge claiming it costs them more now than before.

The government is playing ping pong with this event. They are all gung ho about it now but it will fizzle like verything else. When the Pan Am plane blew up in 1988 over Lockerbie and killed 270 people it turned out that the government was aware of something but they never did anything to prevent it.

Politics is a dirty business. I am sure their thinking is that sometimes they have to make sacrifices to get certain points across.

At least this is the way I see it from the bottom.

There was a lot of finger pointing afterward but that was the end of it.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

December 27, 2009

I usually don't react to comments because I am a pacifist and also the day I retired I gave up my rights to argue!?

But I would like to comment on the two ressponses to yesterday's blog.

First, I do NOT sympathize with the retailers. May they be small or large, white or black, christian or Jew or Muslim or anything I might have missed.

They have one single aim in life and that is to rip off the unsuspecting public. And they do it without batting an eye.

I really don't care about their markups or slim profits. That is no interest to me. What I am interested in is how much the merchandise will cost me and does it worth it. No matter how you shake it the money comes out of my pocket and I expect an acceptable merchandise for the value. Actually now I expect better than acceptable merchandise for the value.

My motto (as stupid as it sounds) is: if they don't like what they are doing they should have become brain surgeons!

As far as the toys go for the grand kids. Since we live in a retro world why not to reintroduce the good old days.

Give the kids a handkerchief or a pencil or a pen. Or even a book. They might even read it. It would be interesting to see what their reactions would be.

Actually, I would not dare to try this on my own kids but as an experiment it would be interesting.

===========================

My brother-in-law brought to our house for Christmas dinner a bottle of slivovitz. I happen to like Hungarian pear or plum or apricot brandies. All these are mean, strong drinks. A person usually doesn't drink more than 3cl at a time. At least I don't.

At Thanksgiving him and I polished off a bottle of pear brandy. So for Christmas he brought the slivovitz. That is a really mean drink. This one is eight years old, made from fresh plums and is of Serbian origin.

It explains why Serbs are mean. This is the stuff they drink.

If Pacific Islanders who didn't do anything but danced the hula and made love all day drank this stuff they might have turned out like the Serbs. Mean and angry.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

December 26, 2009

The good thing about Christmas is that as slowly as it creeps on us so suddenly it is over. While the civilized world celebrates the Second Day of Christmas, here in the good old US of A it is already forgotten.

Everywhere it is a legal holiday but here because I guess the Constitution forbids the celebration of religious holidays it is a non-holiday day.

Except the retail stores wanted to make it into a special day. They advertised that today would be better than Black Friday because there would be sales of unspeakable proportions.

We went to a few stores today as did our friends. As it turned out the stores, including a certain Macy's, were empty. The sales were the same as they were weeks ago and, stuff that was really off, like 75% off, were such garbage that even the salvation Army would reject it.

Are these businesses convinced that everybody in the world is stupid? That shoppers have no self respect and would buy any crap they put out just because they say it should be bought?

The retailers are so disrespecting the public that they really deserve the problems they are creating for themselves.

Anyway, 2009 Christmas is over. Take a few weeks off and start to get ready for 2010 Christmas. I wouldn't be surprised to see advertisements by the end of January for next Christmas. Since they are starting earlier every year this is not unimaginable.

Next week will be a short week. Thursday is New Year's Eve. The New York Stock Exchange will be closing at 1 p.m. So, we are looking for a really short week as far as the stock market goes. I hope there will be no surprises or negative announcements that would force the market to react badly. I really would like to close the year on an up note.

But then we can only hope!

Friday, December 25, 2009

December 25, 2009

Today is Christmas Day.

I am in a mellow mood. There is nothing to complain about, nothing went wrong.

We had a lovely family get together topped by a great dinner.

Obviously the last thing from my mind was writing the blog.

I hope everybody had a nice Holiday.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

December 24, 2009

Today is Christmas Eve. That is the day before Christmas.

People are shopping like crazy, the streets are crowded. Lot of workplaces are closed today and that explains the crowds. Some people are waiting until the last minute hoping to get better deals than the earlier shoppers.

We heard today that Saturday, the day after Christmas might be a day for better deals than any other day before the Holiday. That's all the people need. If that's the case we might just postpone Christmas until all the shopping possibilities are exhausted.

We are celebrating Christmas in accordance with the Hungarian customs, at least the customs we are used to. That means we are opening our presents on Christmas Eve, after dinner.

Then tonight I'll stay up late watching the Midnight Mass from St. Patrick's Cathedral. I always find it interesting and very moving.

On Christmas Day we are having a family get together when we exchange more presents. Then on the day after (Saturday) the whole thing is over.

The only thing remaining is the nice memories and the leftovers to eat, which is not the worst thing in the world.

Now I will be very cynical. Everywhere we turn we can hear Christmas music. All the stores are blaring it, now it' on the radio. It is enveloping us.

Let's admit, the repertoire is not so great. That means no matter where one turns there is Rudolf with his red nose. And this goes on since Thanksgiving.

There is a point when one gets sick of all this phony Holiday Cheer!

Anyway, Merry Christmas to all!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

December 23, 2009

They always say a protecting mother is a lioness. She will protect her children without any thoughts of her own safety.

But they have no such comparison for a protecting father. Lately there were several stories about fathers go to combat for their children.

On the latest 20/20 show they showed two American fathers who were fighting for their children stuck in Italian orphanages. One of the fathers was successful because he did win his fight and was able to leave Italy with his son.

The other was not so lucky. His son is still caught in the web of bureaucracy and is still in Italy.

Currently the most famous is the father's fight for his son who was taken to Brazil by his mother. Once the mother got to Rio de Janeiro she divorced the father and eventually remarried. Unfortunately she died there in childbirth and the son found himself with the stepfather and his family.

That's when the saga began. The American father tried unsuccessfully to obtain his son but his efforts were thwarted. The boy is now nine years old, seems happy and healthy and living in Brazil since he was four years old.

In reality he doesn't know any other life than the one in Brazil.

What if he does not want to return to New Jersey with his father. What if he will resent him for the rest of his life for taking him away from the only happy home he has ever known.

Did anybody ever asked the boy what he wanted to do? Or, at nine years of age his opinion has no standing.

I know the father has his rights. I know the father wants what's best for his son (in his opinion). But does the son has any say in this matter?

From where I see things, it's not the father's interest that comes first but the son's. That should be the only factor that matters.

However, I take my hat off to all these fathers who put up such a heroic fight for their children.

I just hope when all these cases end well and the children will be permitted to live their happy lives with their fathers, and grow up none of them will become golfers!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

December 22, 2009

A friend sent this e-mail along to me. I read it thoroughly and I can't think of a reason to disagree with it.
I am sending this to my e-mail list and that includes conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between. Even though we disagree on a number of issues, I count all of you as friends. My friend and neighbor wants to promote a "Congressional Reform Act of 2010." It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those who drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

I know many of you will say, "this is impossible." Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government, now is the time when Americans can join together to reform Congress - the entity that "represents" us.

We need to get a Senator to introduce this bill in the U.S. Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the U.S. House. These people will become American hero's.

Thanks,

A Fellow American


***********************************

Congressional Reform Act of 2010

1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.

A. Two Six year Senate terms
B. Six Two year House terms
C. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
2. No Tenure / No Pension:
A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately.
All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, server your term(s), then go home and back to work.
4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/2011.
The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

***********************************

If we think about it, it's not right that the lawmakers in Washington place themselves above everybody else. They make laws without knowing the effect those laws have on people since they don't apply to them.

They decide on Social Security and they don't participate in it.
They decide on health care and they don't participate in it.
They decide on the course of economy/inflation but it doesn't effect them.

All members of congress have their separate health plans, retirement plans and by voting themselves their own raises they are above everybody else.

The reality that some members serve in Congress practically forever is not serving the public. A term limit for both Houses should be instituted. Anybody serving more than about 12 years is not useful anymore. They get too sure of themselves, they lose their sensitivity towards their electorate and they learn all the loopholes of the system.

Most members of Congress use their position as a jumping off point towards a lucrative private sector position where money can be made without much restriction.

They use their contacts to get the job then they use their contacts in the government to advance the interest of their employer.

Why is this better than the system in the communist countries. Over there the members of the parliament were elected in a quasi "free" election. They also thought themselves above the law, they also lived a charmed life and they also believed that they couldn't be touched by the ordinary people.

The only difference that there the same people remained in place seemingly forever while here every two or six years there is a change. But the newcomers here are fast learners because nothing seems to change.

The trouble is that Washington is bad but the lower legislatures, that means the states are even worse. New York State Legislature in Albany are all useless money hungry, carpetbaggers.

If Madoff got 150 years the Albany Legislature should get ten times that much. They steal from the people, they cheat and lye. And very few get caught at the end.

That is why I don't want to be a politician. I am not smart enough to lye and cheat and not get caught.

Oh, I don't want to be a golfer either!



Monday, December 21, 2009

December 21, 2009

I wrote in December 10 about our "sick" microwave oven.

Today we went and bought a new one. It was amazing how difficult it was to find one. Actually we knew exactly what we wanted.

Internet advertised oodles of places selling this particular model. But when we called each and every one in our vicinity they all said the did not have any available.

Places that sell through the Internet said if we order it might take two weeks to get it. Come on, we want it for the Holiday. Can't wait two weeks.

It seems this model is either a very popular one or Sharp is phasing it out and that is the reason for the shortage.

Finally, we found a P.C. Richards store not far from us that had one left. We hurried over and claimed it. Just as the salesman promised on the phone it was there waiting for us.

Now the price is another story. It is almost as much fun as buying a car. There was big time haggling between us and the salesman.

The original price was $499, it was reduced to $469 and finally we got it for $409. I think what happens is that as long as we are convinced that we made a good deal that's all what counts.

This is typical to the "I would have paid more for it and I could have given it to you for less" situation.

It's a good thing I work out in the gym. That thing was so darn heavy, about 70 lbs. that I thought I'd die. But we made it home, up to the apartment and not just place it in its rightful place I also discarded the old one.

This saga is over. I'm ready for the next disaster.

I love my wife. To me she is the most wonderful person in the world. She is cool, she makes good decisions and she only wants what is good for me.

But! She has no patience for anything. We could have taken the microwave to another repair place where it might have been repaired.

It's a good thing we don't own a house. Because if a light bulb burnt out my Darling would tell me let's buy a new house.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

December 20, 2009


An English poet and novelist who lived about 150 years ago and went by the by the name of Horace (Horatio) Smith said: Our charity begins at home, And mostly ends where it begins.

How true those words were!

I am sure in those days there were no charities that were fleecing the people, whose only interest was to take as much money from unsuspecting individuals and then spend it on questionable items.

I hate today's charities. Most of them are phony, they misrepresent their causes and they are fake.

The trouble is that the bad ones overshadow the good ones therefore people are afraid to commit funds because they don't know how their monies will be spent.

Over thirty years ago I had to donate some serious amount of clothing. A guy came to my apartment to look over the items. Even though he did give me a legitimate paper for my donation he didn't hide the fact that the good items would find themselves on a flee market where he was selling in his spare time.

Another thing. A few years ago we bought some new furniture. We didn't want to throw the old ones out because they were in pretty good shape. I spent hours on the telephone talking to various charities about taking those pieces.

One said they were not taking sofas, one said they were not taking arm chairs. We actually had one sofa, one love seat and two arm chairs.

One charity said they would only take furniture enough for two rooms. I asked them if would they like to take all my apartment, before I hung up.

I wonder how many people are in need and would happily take arm chairs and sofas without any hesitation.

Finally the Salvation Army agreed to take all we were offering. But when they arrived the truck driver decided he didn't want the arm chairs. I guess he had no buyers for them.

At the end they did wind up on the garbage heap.

The daily mail we are receiving is full of requests for money by various charities. Not mentioning the solicitations on the telephone. They can even pronounce our name and have no clue whom they are calling but they rattle off their requests for money.

At first we patiently explain that we are retired and can not afford any charitable contribution. But when the same charity calls back second and third time our responses are not fit for the family hour. Yet, they keep coming back for more.

Today, on CBS Sunday Morning show they talked about celebrities' involvement in various charities.

I am a cynic. I don't believe any of it. I am convinced that the majority of celebrities do it for the personal exposure they get out of it and how it would help their career.

What's better than being photographed cuddling a sick, emaciated child somewhere in the darkest corner of Africa.

Audrey Hepburn was probably the last honest celebrity charity worker. Her career did not need further boosting.

But today's people do it for the sake of publicity. I firmly believe that they couldn't care less about the hungry, the sick, the abused women and the homeless. Maybe they feel guilty for making those ridiculous amounts of money and think if they give some of it away the public would respect them more.

These are the celebrities who want to stand alone amongst their peers for the good they do for mankind.

But at the same time they hop from bed to bed with their peers' wives and husbands without giving it a second thought.

Morality applies everywhere not only to the checkbook!

I'm very happy that I am not a celebrity and not exposed to these temptations. And that I'm not a golfer!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

December 19, 2009

Today's BIG EVENT is an incoming blizzard.

Forecasters suddenly are finding themselves the star performers. Each coming up with his/her own interpretations of their radar readings.

Talking about the impending snowstorm is taking orgasmic proportions. It sounds like they are talking about the end of the world. It's only snow, people!

They say it might be 12"-15" in the City. So what? Tomorrow is Sunday, people can take it easy. Nobody have to go nowhere. By Monday, the start of the workweek it will surely be gone.

Anyway, nice white snow cover will make this crappy looking dirty city look nice for a change.

The media is partially preoccupied with the fact that the threatening snow prevents people from their last minute Christmas shopping, since today is traditionally one of the heaviest shopping days before Christmas.

Well, don't wait 'till the last minute, I say.

Yesterday afternoon, at least 24 hours before the forecasted snow there were Sanitation Department salt trucks idling on the streets. Why? So they can rack up overtime before the Holiday? They weren't doing anything just sitting in their trucks and waiting. This where the taxpayers money is being wasted.

At the time I am writing this the snow is coming down. Not heavy but coming and because it is cold it sticks, too. Even though the streets are totally clear the snowplows are rolling up and down.

The problem is that they clear all the major roadways but not the side streets. I live on a small, tree lined street. If my street gets snowed in it won't be opened up until Spring comes because they would never come in and clear it.

Now my other beef is with the people. As it is evident I am not much of a people lover.

Today we went supermarket shopping earlier than usual to avoid the snow. When we got to our usual store were amazed to see that it was impossible to get in the store. There was a crowd outside the entrance and a guard at the door allowing people in one by one. Apparently the store was so overcrowded by panicky shoppers they had to resort to crowd control.

It was a good thing that we knew a few other supermarkets in the vicinity so we went to one where the situation was much more civilized.

But we heard that this panic shopping was going on since yesterday. What is it people are afraid of? That there won't be enough potato chips or cheese doodles. They were shopping like we were to be snowed in for a month and nobody would be able to leave their homes.

But interestingly, if any one of these people would venture out and go to a store and find that store closed or understaffed they would be the most upset at how the staff dared not to come to work.

That reminds me back to 1956. After the Hungarian Revolution in October 23, at one point there was a general strike. I have to add that the Hungarians didn't yet have much of an experience at strikes. For obvious reasons they never had a strike. At least not legitimately. They were not as experienced as the Americans.

Well, this strike went on for I don't remember how long. But! Public transportation ran, stores were open, radio was on, gas and electricity was working, I even think movie theaters were open. So, it was a very comfortable general strike.

The strikers would have been very upset if they couldn't go to the stores and do their shopping because let's say the staff were on strike too.

The situation is similar here also.

As the old saying goes: do as I say but don't do as I do! (I'm might be using a little literary freedom here)

Friday, December 18, 2009

December 18, 2009

They say that children are our futures. If that is so, I would hate to see some of today's children in the future.

I can only speak of the New York area, but the kids around here are obnoxious, loud and have no consideration for anyone but themselves.

There is a public bus line near where we live. This bus runs by a few City schools. In the morning and in the afternoon these buses are filled with kids. They are loud, boisterous, pushing and shoving. They take at least two seats each and wouldn't get up if a blind man without any limbs got on the bus.

These are not small children, these are teenagers in their late teens.

I used to see them on the subway going home from school in the afternoons. A group of them boarded the subway car and practically took it over. Shouting to one and other across the car. Running back and forth between groups, laughing loud and just basically being extremely noisy and annoying and disrespectful.

These are the children I am supposed to make sacrifices for.

This week the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York transportation agency, announced that in order to save money and make their operations more profitable they would eliminate the currently free student passes on New York City buses and subways.

Currently the subway/bus fare is at $2.25 each way with free transfers. For a school kid that's $4.50 a day not counting possible discounts.

Now, there is an uproar about these cuts. People claim they will not be able to afford such an additional expense.

Humbug! (This is a civilized version of "horse's petunia".)

Cut the amount of potato chips or any junk snack they eat, cut the amount of beer they drink and suddenly there is the money for train fare.

People have the tendency to complain about everything. Raise the prices, they complain. Cut the prices, they complain.

I'm glad I am not a politician because I wouldn't know how to make the people happy.

I would be very curious to see how many kids would drop out of school because the parents would not be able to afford the fare.

The parents complain because they look at the mandatory education as a nuisance. They didn't go to school so, they say why is it so important for their kids. Spending $4-$5 a day extra on the transportation would take something away from them and they would rather spend it on themselves then spend it on subway fare for their kids to and from school.

Don't misunderstand me. I don't dislike children. I love them when they are little and cute. What I hate is when they are in their middle to late teens because that is when their miserable attitude comes out. That is when they think they are smarter than everybody, they have an answer to everything and older people are not good for anything.

At that age is when they give in to their hormone driven urges and don't think of the consequences. Girls get pregnant at fifteen years of age and up without thinking of the future but complain about $2.25 extra subway fare to go to school.

Here is a sad story.

We know someone who is raising her daughter to the best of her abilities. She provides her with a nice home, and she goes to a good school. Since she is a single mother she has to work thus the girls is home alone after school. By the way the girls is 16 years of age.

The mother was convinced her daughter was not sexually active until they had to go to a specialist because of some problem. The doctor examined the girl and told them there was no problem, only that she was five months pregnant.

Well, the mother was stunned. Never expected it. Had all kinds of hope for her daughter to go to college and make a life. Now she will bee a teen mother. The only good thing is that the boy, yes boy because he is not even a man yet! stands by her and the boy's family will help with raising the baby.

Still, two lives are ruined because of stupidity of kids. Actually not just two lives, the lives of two families.

This is tomorrow's generation! These are the people we are making sacrifices for. For what? So they can make babies who will be on public assistance because the parents can or will not support them.

I'm so glad that I am happily married, I am not a golfer, I have no interest in other women and just thinking of an affair tires me out.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

December 17, 2009

A week from today is Christmas Eve. Time is running by so fast it is unbelievable. By the time we realize it Christmas is over and we are left with the fallout.

Credit card bills, overweight from all the eating, useless presents, greeting cards not responded to etc. And this is a never ending cycle. Next year and all the years that follow it will repeat itself.

We will complain but we won't learn and all the negative things will be done again. But that is still the fun part of this Holiday.

As much as people might complain about the difficulties of the Season nobody wants to skip it.

Many families are in dire situation yet they will still celebrate. Children will still get their presents, maybe not that many but there will still be presents.

As I said yesterday, I live in an apartment house. In our building Santa can not come down the chimney because we don't have a chimney. Here he will come up on the elevator! That's civilization for you. And it is cleaner too, no soot.

What bugs me a lot is when some agnostics or whatever they are, are complaining against the Christmas decoration or the Menorah or any seasonal remembrance.

Nowadays Christmas is not only for celebrating the birth of Christ. That is for the true Christians. Christmas is a holiday when all people can go about to celebrate their family, friends can celebrate each other. All this can be done without worrying about one's religion or belief.

This is not a christian country. This country is made up of different people from all corners of the earth.

Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and every other religion or non-religion can celebrate Christmas in their own way. The Midnight Mass is for the true believers. But Santa Claus is for everybody!

In 1962 the Supreme Court declared prayers in public schools unconstitutional. It was never mandatory but some people didn't like it. Anybody who didn't want to recite the words could have stayed mum but why not to go to court. I wouldn't be surprised if some bleeding heart agnostic would try to prohibit Christmas in the future.

This world is so full of stupid people that nothing surprises me anymore.

This time of the year everybody put up decorations appropriate for the Holidays. Might that be Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. In public places, apartment houses, office buildings they have to be very careful not to omit any one holiday symbol for they will be accused of anti whatever-ism.

Christmas trees are cheerful sights. Why some grouch has to complain against placing them in public areas or in town properties? Because these are miserable people who probably complain about everything.

I'm sure Santa has their addresses and he will skip their houses.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

December 16, 2009

New York City has about 8.6 million residents. I don't know the ratio but I'm sure most of them live in apartments. The same must be around all metropolitan areas.

There are about 308 million people living in the United States. And I'm sure a very large number of them live in apartments in multi dwelling apartment houses.

Yet, every commercial I see on television or hear on the radio is geared toward the home owner.

From waterproofing through mulch, planting, cutting trees, replacing siding, repaving the driveway and installing a 60" home theater in the play room are all aimed at the homeowner.

I live in an apartment. I don't care about mulch, driveway, planting and cutting trees. If I want to install a 60" home theater I would need to rent out the next apartment, break the walls and create a sports arena size room.

As an apartment dweller the only interest I have is how to increase my storage space. As the saying goes: how to put ten pound s..t in a five pound bag. Anything else is no interest to me.

But we are of no interest to the advertisers. They are so much geared to the home owners that they are neglecting a very large percentage of the public.

I feel sided. Why Extreme Makeover: Home Edition can not come to my home, throw out the furniture, rebuild the kitchen and bathroom and create a brand new abode?

I tell you why. Because they can not place a camera crew and a hundred workers into the apartment at the same time or any time. Because of this little detail I am being discriminated against.

===========================

I always wondered what drives advertisers to spend their money on advertisements.

I can see a particular product being advertised because a certain social group will take advantage of such information.

Target advertises Christmas sales, Walmart advertises Christmas sales, Macy's advertises Christmas sales, Nieman-Marcus will not advertise Christmas sales.

The Target, Walmart and Macy's public are not necessarily from the same neighborhoods. They are probably not from the same financial situation either.

The Nieman-Marcus crowd supposed to be way above all the others. Their store is not advertising because they feel their merchandise will sell no matter what their prices are.

This reminds me, that many years ago Gucci's store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue used to close for lunch, as many stores did in Europe. Their uppity attitude was that if you can only shop in our store during your lunch break we don't want your business. We are not for you and you are not for us.

This whole article was prompted by me hearing a Rolex, a Tag Heuer and a Patek Philippe commercial on the radio.

Can one imagine Donald Trump or Mike Bloomberg running out to the businesses that advertised and buy one of these watches. Only they and similar people can afford these and they will certainly not going to buy because there are good deals waiting.

How come we don't see any Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley or any other similar cars advertised? I would love to see a good deal on a Bentley!


Tuesday, December 15, 2009

December 15, 2009

I am Hungarian. Not a very proud Hungarian but nevertheless still Hungarian.

I am not proud because today Hungarians are behaving like vermin. They don't deserve to be in the European Union, they don't deserve to be in NATO and they don't deserve to be in the UN.

In short they are garbage.

World War II has been over for 64 years. Thank God Nazi Germany lost the war. Hungary was on the German side which means they were on the losing side.

Now, the Hungarian Nazis want to reawaken the "good old days". They are marching in the open with all the old and some new Nazi emblems as well as wearing old style fascist uniforms.

Antisemitism, that was never far from the surface in Hungary, is now waking up from its slumber.

I saw a video about a demonstration in Budapest for the Palestinian refugees. The camera picked up a person shouting that all Jews should die, even the good ones.

There was no visible police presence, there was no interference with the demonstration. The Hungarian police, the courts and government is hiding behind the free speech and free assembly issue.

In every neighboring country including Germany they forbid reference to any Nazi or fascist ideology, yet in Hungary they can not get near this thing.

A while ago a right wing Hungarian group went over to Slovakia supposedly to see a soccer game. Once there they started fighting, hollering nationalistic slogans and generally interrupting the soccer game.

The Slovak riot police had enough and beat the crap out of these hooligans. At the end the Hungarian government had to take diplomatic steps to protest the fight even if the Hungarians were asking for it.

Now, these dirt bags are out against the gypsies, too. The discrimination against the gypsies in Hungary is reminiscent to what happened to the blacks in the US in the early 1900s.

Hungarian fascists drive up to a gypsy village in the middle of the night. Firebomb a house on the outskirts and when the family is running for their lives they shoot them in the back. Men, women and children no difference. Then they disappear. The police is making a lame effort on these cases with usually no result.

The current democratic government is split with an anti anything minority party. The minority party's only interest is to destroy the government, ruin Hungary's reputation in the outside world. And close their eyes towards the right wing.

The minority party is currently running very strong and hoping to win the next election, next April. I have to point out that they were in power once already around 2000 but were voted out pretty quickly. Ever since then they are waiting in the wings.

They are like the Prince of Wales. Forever the heir to the throne but never the king.

Here is a short story about the Hungarian mentality. There is this tremendously popular Budapest soccer club. It is well known everywhere and its fan base is huge. When the soviet type government was ended capitalism came in the country. Sport clubs that used to be supported by the government needed to look elsewhere for financial support.

This particular club was on the verge of bankruptcy because could not find a new owner. Finally a person came forward and offered to buy the club. He was a Hungarian millionaire businessman. Oh, and he was Jewish.

On the first game after the acquisition the "grateful" fans held up signs saying "The train is leaving for Auschwitz".

By the way, this picture made the major medias worldwide.

This is why I am not a very proud Hungarian.

Monday, December 14, 2009

December 14, 2009

Today is Monday, the beginning of a new week.

What will it bring us? What is awaiting for us. Last week was pretty bad in the bad news front. Two deaths in my immediate family. I hope now that bad news will take a long-long breather.


Yesterday in spite of the bad weather, it was raining all day, we drove out to a humongous outlet center not too far from our home. We had some business nearby so we thought we'd look around.

My wife bought me a pair of Ralph Lauren corduroy pants which I liked a lot. With the cold weather coming it will come very handy.

We also bought my wife a sweater at the Ann Taylor Outlet Store.
That was it. That's as far as we went to help the economy move forward.

These two items were really good. But the garbage piled up in the stores waiting to be picked up by the holiday shoppers is unbelievable.
They throw every unimaginable crap out there hoping that people who don't know any better and people who are convinced that company outlet stores sell only the good stuff, will buy them.

There are stores that always have crowds inside and then there are stores that only have the sales staff there. Nobody goes in, not even to look around. I don't understand how and why are they staying in business.


Coach Handbag supposed to be very popular nowadays. Their outlet store is constantly crowded. They don't let all the people inside, rather they make them stand in line outside and allow them in by groups.

People are crazy, they stand there in line like mules for hours on end. We wouldn't stand there even if they would give it away for free.


We were at this mall last year and the year before in this time period. Yesterday, we didn't see anybody loaded up with shopping bags like in years gone by. I guess people are slowing down their Christmas shopping sprees or got wiser about the quality of merchandise the stores are attempting to sell.


This outlet mall also has coupons. One can buy a coupon book for $5 or get it free with AAA or AARP membership card.

Years ago these coupons were really good. Now they are a sham.
Very-very few stores offer any real usable discount on a purchase regardless of the total price. Most of them offer discounts for purchases over $75, $100 or even higher.

Ralph Loren offers 20% discount for purchases over $250. If they had gave me $250 and told me to spend it there I could not. There was nothing in that store worth that kind of money.


And the stores know this. They offer the discount coupons knowing nobody will be able to use it but they can always say hey, look at our discount coupons. Nobody could say they were not trying.


These businesses are so phony, they are making such complete fools of the buying public that I really don't feel sorry for them if and when they reach financial calamity.


Nevertheless, it was fun to drive out there and walk around. Even though it was raining pretty hard, the sidewalks were covered and this way we managed to stay dry.


There was so much rain yesterday and Saturday that it was unbelievable. They say rain is good for the crop and the harvest.

But we live in an apartment we have no crop, we don't harvest and all the vegetation we have are in pots.
Alas, I hate the rain.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

December 13, 2009

It is interesting to see how moral values change with time. I am thoroughly convinced that the media and its infatuation with sensationalism, meaning selling, is responsible for it.

The more they can dig up about a person the more they sell. They are cowering behind the slogan that "the public has the right to know".

As far as I am concerned the less the public knows the better!

I recently read in a Hungarian publication about the life of a very famous Hungarian writer who lived between the 1863 and 1954. He was a fabulous and very popular writer. He had a girlfriend, some famous actress with whom he lived. This actress had three daughters.

Well, the writer fell in love with the youngest daughter and supposedly his feelings were returned in kind. But they waited until the eldest daughter got married before informing the mother of their feelings for one and other. Eventually they also got married and years later, naturally, divorced.

The writer then started courting the middle daughter and they spent many happy years together.

All this was known only through the society rumor mills. Nobody made a big thing about it. He was never blackballed and he remained a great and accepted writer.

When Woody Allen got together with his stepdaughter the country cried incest, rape, immoral beast etc. They called him all kinds of monster. And the media ate it up, no, fueled it. Every day there was something about them in the papers and on TV.

When New York State Governor Spitzer was found out frequenting prostitutes he had to resign. They said his political life was over. And the media was there reporting all the sordid details saying the people cared.

They always said that Eisenhower had a girlfriend during World War II while he was in England. But even if it was the truth it was handled with sensitivity. Back then the media showed respect toward some people.

Beside, who cared if he had a girlfriend. It was to be between a man and his wife. It is nobody else's business. The people have certainly no right to know.

I am sure that all great men, might they be artists, politicians, athletes or anything else had friends from the opposite sex or even from the same sex. That shouldn't diminish their talents, achievements and they shouldn't be penalized for it.

As long as they don't break the law it is nobodies' business.

OK, eight or ten women for a married man is a little overdoing it. But he is not the guardian of the chalice of morality. All he knows how to do is to play golf.

Whatever he did is between his wife and himself. If she forgives him it is not anybody else's affair.

I'll bet that when this person returns to play golf and starts winning, all his transgressions will be forgiven by the public.

The public might not forgive a politician but it will certainly forgive a sport hero. A sport hero's achievements are much more important than any politician's.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

December 12, 2009

I grew up in Hungary. My childhood spanned before and after World War II. I am not dating myself but let's say I was born in the previous century. That's good enough.

I saw many changes in life as well as politically as economically and also technologically. I want to say a few things about the last one. The first two are not very interesting with the Berlin Wall and other stuff.

In my early days automobiles were not very popular in Hungary. We had some trucks and some private cars but it was poor fraction of what's there today.

I remember when the garbage collector came down our street in Budapest he came with a huge steel container mounted on four wheels and drawn by two strong horses.

Both the garbage collector and the horses were City employees. The man was standing on a plank on the side of the container and the building supers were supposed to hand up their garbage containers and the man emptied them.

This process repeated at every apartment house. The horses were so well trained that at a whistle command they moved up to the the next building and stopped. This was the early form of cruise control.

Once the appointed route was finished they headed out to the garbage dump. These horses knew the way better than anybody. That was the early version of GPS.

Now I know why they had two horses. One was the cruise control, the other the GPS.

I also remember when people were trying to start trucks or cars one person went to the front of the vehicle with a long crank rod and cranked the motor until it started. It was usually the junior employee or the passenger in the vehicle.

Automatic starters were unknown back then or were a rarity.

Policemen patrolled the streets on foot. The elite ones in the cities or the ones in the countryside got bicycles. But then when a policeman said stop to someone nobody had the galls to run away. Back then they were respected.

When I was 14 years old my Father bought me a bicycle. I was elated. I thought I had the world by the b...s. The City was mine. There was no faraway corner of the City I couldn't get to. My cousin and I were discovering parts of the City we never knew existed. We were cool!

Public transportation were electric streetcars, buses and electric trolley buses. Oh, and we also had a subway that was about two miles long.

But streetcars were the most popular forms of transportation. Mainly because the buses cost more at that time. Now they all have the same fare.

Anyway, the longer streetcars had three cars. Each car had a conductor/ticket collector. He had a large leather bag on his shoulders and he walked up and down the car checking and selling the tickets and punching them with his ticket puncher.

Years later they converted to the pre-purchased tickets and now they only have inspectors checking on freeloaders.

When my Mother was born airplanes did not exist. She had never flown in her life until she came out to the US to visit me. But then, She ventured on a real long trans Atlantic flight. She came to New York twice and she loved flying. I think the first time She came it was propeller plane but later She flew on jet also.

The apartment I grew up in had no central heat and no hot water. We had a large fireplace in each of our rooms and in the bathroom we had a huge water tank were my parents heated water once a week. During the week I washed myself in cold water and that was no fun. But I got used to it.

In the rooms the fireplaces were always the social centers. In wintertime we always sat around them. It was always cosy and comfortable.

Now, if we have no hot water and central heat we scream. We are so used to our comforts that anything missing we are upset.

We get used to the good things, we take everything for granted and at the same time totally forget where we came from.

I remember years ago I was in Hungary to visit my Mother. I happened to be in a hotel's coffee shop. This older American tourist woman comes in and asks for hot chocolate. The guy behind the counter spoke fairly good English but couldn't understand what the woman wanted. He knew I spoke English so he asked me to explain the hot chocolate to him.

He told the woman they had hot cocoa but no chocolate. She became very indignant and insisted that she wanted hot chocolate and no hot cocoa.

Well, she didn't get any of it at the end but she did become the real Ugly American at that time.

This was a trip down memory lane. The older a person gets the more nostalgic he gets. It's typical of old age that people remember more of things from the past than current events.

That means I will always remember the old garbage collection Hungarian style.

Friday, December 11, 2009

December 11, 2009

I have an HP laptop computer. We bought it at the end of 2006, so it is now three years old. We are really not exposing it to hard work. Games, news, various Internet surfing. These thing should not stress out a good computer.

Last year about this time we received a communication from HP that our service contract was about to expire and they presented us with three options for renewal.

After talking to some expert in Mumbai we agreed on the plan we chose. This plan was to provide telephone consultation as well as repair to the laptop.

This came very handy because during the year we had a problem that was not solvable on the phone thus the laptop was Fed Exed to HP's repair facility then repaired and returned with no cost to us.

This service contract cost us something like $230 for the year but I am convinced it was worth it.

I rather pay for such insurance and have no need for it than have a problem and not knowing where to turn.

So, this year, like clockwork we got the notification from HP that our service contract is about to expire and here are our options.

When I read it I noticed that all our options are one. It's called telephone consultation (with somebody in Mumbai no doubt).

I thought they left out the rest of the options. I called the number given and inquired. The guy on the other end, again in Mumbai, asked me how old is the laptop. I told him it is three years old.

He informed me that it is an old computer as far as they are concerned and they are offering only that service.

Now, what am I supposed to do? Throw it out and buy a new one every three years or wait until it develops a problem and pay to the nose for repair?

Do they see upcoming troubles that make the service contract unprofitable? Do they expect the computer to start breaking down?

Or this is how they want to keep selling the newer models? I know people who have computers for eight - ten years with no problems whatsoever. I am hoping for the best.

This is similar to what they do to cars. I remember that some years ago the car headlights were round. Then one year the auto makers decided to come forward in the new models with rectangular headlights.

This little addition made all the previous models out of style. People hate to drive in out of style cars. They just get conscious about it. I'm not saying everybody ran out and bought a new car but some people made an effort to stay with the times.

It's the same with fashion. One year it is the long skirt, then the mini then the midi then back to something else.

I guess this is what makes the world go round. Constant change.

It's a good thing I am not following the trend too much.

Can you imagine if I had a nose job, that is to have my nose made smaller. Then in a few years large noses become the trend. I would have been hard pressed to find the missing pieces.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

December 10, 2009

There is nothing really more aggravating than when one knows there is a problem, goes for the solution or cure and is told that nothing wrong was found.

For example a person has pains somewhere in his body. Goes for a checkup or in a hospital. They conduct all kind of tests and find nothing wrong. He is discharged, goes home and the problem or ache persists. Everybody is convinced that he is nuts and is imagining all his troubles.

Now, this was the dramatic buildup to our problem.

Last week our microwave got sick. It is a Sharp Convection Microwave that is five years old. Last week we noticed that while using it its top got very hot. Hotter than usual.

So, last Thursday I called the Sharp Factory number and talked to someone in technical services. I realized that the person on the other end had no clue about the problem. When I said what was happening his response was "gee, that doesn't sound too good".

He suggested that we take the patient to a nearby factory authorized service place which I did. Man, that thing was heavy! Good thing I go to the gym.

A week later, today, we found out it was ready. I went there to pick it up. Talked to the technician who told me he found nothing wrong with it.

He was giving me advice on how to use it and what might have been the cause of the problem. I kept telling him this never happened until last week and we never changed our cooking habits. But to no avail. He insisted that there was nothing wrong with this thing.

This was what I was implying to at the beginning. There is the problem, there are the symptoms and the expert tells you there is nothing wrong.

It's annoying to say the least.


===========================

They say that bad news always come threes. There must be some truth to it.

Last Friday we were told that my cousin's husband passed away here in New York.

This past Tuesday I was talking to a very good friend of mine who told me that an elderly lady he was looking after for years passed away. I knew the person and her story so naturally it upset me.

Then this morning I received a call from Hungary from my cousin who informed me that his younger brother, my other cousin, passed away this morning. This shook me up a lot because I knew him very well, and with his passing the number of my living relatives shrunk tremendously.

Why is it that most of these bad news come when a person is older and more sensitive to such events?


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

December 9, 2009

Conversation is an art. Unfortunately, the world is full of people who have no idea how to conduct a conversation properly and pleasantly.

There are people who want nothing just to hear their own voice. They are not interested in anybody just themselves. They don't inquire, they don't ask questions, they show no interest whatsoever.

They will ask "how are you" just so they can tell how they are and themselves are their favorite and only subject.

If one tries to tell a story that happened they will have a better or bigger one that they will force everybody to hear.

They will outshout everybody just to be heard.

These people will turn out to be bullies. They will force their will on others because they think they know everything better than anybody else.

It is utterly unpleasant to have a conversation with people like these.

On the other hand there are people who are pleasant, they would listen and conversation with these are really easy.

My Mother was like this. She loved to have conversation with people and everybody loved talking to her. She showed interest, she inquired, she asked and, she was genuine. And not because she was nosy. She did it because that's the way she was.

And I am trying to be the same. I learned from her, I observed.

I like to talk to people. I am interested in their stories, opinions, experiences. I know, I can learn from every story I hear.

Then on the third hand, there are those who are not interested in anything including themselves.

Talking to these people is like talking to a door knob. Can't even say in one ear out the other because I think it never gets in any ear at all.

People from the first category can never become psychiatrists because they can never listen to the patients.

People from the second category would make the best therapists because the have all the talent a good therapist needs.

People from the third and last category could not make good therapists. They would probably do their tax returns during sessions because they really don't care about anybody but they are afraid of the IRS.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

December 8, 2009

Television/movie censorship is a peculiar thing.It can be explained any which way as long as it serves the story.

What was forbidden years ago is now a totally excepted subject.

Years ago on I Love Lucy her pregnancy was covered up for a long time and I think only at her insistence was it finally showed.

On the Dick Van Dyke show Rob and Laura were not permitted to sleep in the same bed.

Everybody was made to believe babies were brought by the stork or there was immaculate conception.

Kissing was lips on lips, never open. Today they suck each other's face out in the process.

Love making is such an open subject that they are really go to the extremes.

Years ago showing a toilet or somebody using it was taboo. Now, almost an entire show might play out with one or more characters sitting on the toilet.

On the same thought years ago men standing at the urinal was unthinkable. Now it is shown very frequently. They even have women interrupting men in their necessary tasks in the men's room if it serves the storyline.

One can expect certain liberties and go with the times. Moral issues today are different than they were twenty to forty years ago.

We all went through a sexual liberation period. That means we all burnt our bras at least once.

I'm a guy, so this is only a figure of speech.

Now, to me the most disgusting thing shown on TV/movies is brushing one's teeth.

Brushing teeth is a private process. It shouldn't be shown as part of the story. There is no storyline that can not go around one brushing his/her teeth.

Next time it is on TV pay attention. First, the person talks with the toothbrush in his mouth and foaming toothpaste at the same time.

If the argument is heated he uses the toothbrush as a conductor uses his baton while walking all over the house or apartment.

What irks me is what comes next. At the end of the act or conversation the hero spits out what's in his mouth and walks away. He doesn't wash it down with water, I mean the spit; he doesn't rinse out his mouth he just walks away.

I would hate to look into the sink after this. It must look disgusting.

Is this how the majority brush their teeth?

We don't. We use a cup to rinse our mouth and we always wash down the sink once we finished.

But then we are not on TV.

===========================

I have two very important questions. And these are really important ones.

First question:

A chandelier is the lighting apparatus hanging from the ceiling.

What or who is the chandel?

Second question:

If a Jewish man wears a rug on his head does he have to put on a yarmulke in the temple?

Monday, December 7, 2009

December 7, 2009

Today is Pearl Harbor Day. Today is the 68th anniversary of Japan attacking the US.

Now tell me, aren't we living in a crazy world?

In 1941 Japan attacked Hawaii and now they are the best and most populous tourists there.

This was just a short thought about the subject.

===========================

Now I want to say something about human cruelty. This is not ordinary cruelty but torture bordering on sadism.

There is one word that describes this kind of torture and it is called diet.

Dieting is the pure form of torture. And I am sure many of my friends agree with me.

For example, today we happened to be near our favorite Hungarian restaurant. Naturally we went in for a light lunch.

Light lunch is fiction, it is a myth in a Hungarian restaurant. Goulash soup, chicken paprikash and a dessert are not light in this world.

Now, since I am dieting I was hard pressed to curtail my appetite. OK, my dieting shows its results. I lost about eight pounds (about 0.6 stone) so far, and it's visible. At least my pants are not tight anymore.

But back to the restaurant. My wife went in while I circled around for parking place. When I finally found one and went in she told me that guess what the people at the next table had for lunch. The people were a man and a woman.

The had a chestnut puree, back to this later, and two cherry seed strudels with the accompanying coffees.

She found that disgusting while I found it fascinating. I could manage that I said to myself, very quietly. Now, to me that would be a lunch of a fantastic experience. But, being on a diet I could only dream!

Now back to the chestnut puree. That is a Hungarian delicacy creating indescribable joy to ones palate. It is chestnut puree (mashed) with a little rum added pressed through a potato grater and mixed with whipped cream. Or something like this.

What do I know. I'm a man, I don't cook and I am not a pastry chef, I eat.


All I know that to me chestnut puree is the purest form of delicacy and enjoyment. It is high on sugar and it is fattening. It has all the wrong ingredients. That's what makes it so desirable.

For me, right now that is the forbidden fruit.

Maybe if I eat some I'll be thrown out of Eden and be ashamed of my nudity.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

December 6, 2009

Today we had a funeral. We had to go to the funeral home early in the morning then after a short service we headed out to the cemetery. From the cemetery we went to the apartment of the deceased to pay our respects, to mingle and to eat.

The person deceased was the husband of my cousin. I knew him for over 50 years. Ever since they met on a blind date. He was a very good person and he died a very unnecessary death.

For personal reasons we did not keep in close touch but we were very much informed about their lives. Ironically, they lived only about ten minutes from us. Contact with them broke in about 15 years ago.

The man worked in the health industry all his life. His son and daughter in law are both doctors. He was very successful and very educated.

Yet, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer many-many years ago he refused any and all treatments. Consequently, the cancer spread throughout his body and after a long period of suffering and complications he died on Friday.

His was a totally unnecessary death. The problem could have been solved, the cancer could have been cured. Many people had the same kind of problem and they all came out of it successfully.

He didn't deny treatment out of ignorance. I am convinced he was aware of the dangers of this ailment. He denied treatment because he did not want to impose on other people, on the family. He did that out of pride.

At the end he really suffered.

We happened to see him a few weeks ago in a nearby park when the weather was sunny and mild. My wife and I were both shocked at his appearance. He was sitting in a wheelchair dozing off in the warm sun.

He was like a broken little doll. His memory was intact because he recognized us immediately but we could see that talking was tiring him out. He was skin and bones, wrapped in a blanket. We talked a few minutes then we left.

The whole thing moved me terrible. But in hindsight now that he is no longer amongst us I am glad we had a last chance to see him no matter what he looked like.

It was interesting yet disturbing to go to this funeral. I saw a lot of people I know from many many years before. We don't get together with them because we move in different social circle nevertheless, I still knew them.

We only see each other at such occasions which is not yet too frequently. The disturbing thing is to see how people age. I remember some of the men being hefty, strong and healthy. Now, they are gray or bald, skinny old men walking with difficulty.

The women don't change. They just spend more time front of the mirror!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

December 5, 2009

Today, the most important news one could hear on TV and radio was the impending snow storm.

Granted, it was to be the first snow of the season but to get hysterical about it is a little ridiculous.

We are skirting winter. Winter supposed to start 16 days from now so, it is acceptable that the weather would turn cold or colder. But to make such a big hullabaloo about it is kind of a joke. The weathermen of the media have nothing to talk about so they harp on something that has absolutely no importance.

For snow to accumulate in the City it must be below freezing for quite a few days. As it is now, we never had a below freezing day, yet. It was just too warm for the season.The pavements are just not cold enough to keep the snow.

But why not to upset the driving public. It takes a lot less to mess up traffic so why create fear in the hearts of the drivers unnecessarily. Because it doesn't cost them any money and they have something to talk about.

On December 4, 1957, I remember we had such a blizzard, it buried the City. I just came to New York not even a month a half before this and I was stunned. Never saw such a snow storm. But since then in subsequent years I saw enough.

The weather is so screwed up that is seriously affecting the ski areas in the nearby mountains. Usually, most of them are open for some limited skiing by this time. This year none opened yet. It just doesn't get cold enough to make machine snow.

Is this the effect of global warming?

Since I like skiing I just hope the weather will correct itself and makes up for the late start.

I must go skiing! It's about the only thing I can do for free and enjoy my senior citizen status. Being old has its (very) limited advantages.

I am convinced that Social Security is subsidizing senior people's skiing. They figure the more we ski the better the chances that we kill ourselves on the slopes and they won't have to pay the monthly Social Security for too long.


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